Iraqi Memoirs, Volume One.

So, they've given me a public forum to post randomly huh? Hmm. They might have to rethink this whole thing by the time I'm done. Oh well. So for now, I will just use this as a way to let you all know that I am still alive. (Intended to be funny, but there is a little bit of truth in there.) I'm not trying to be anti-military, or lean left or right, I'm just calling things as I see them. I'll leave the spin up to the reader. For example...

Here we go again. Another big operation about to kick off, and zero prior planning. We are a few hours from kickoff, and the visiting team JUST NOW found the playbook. It only matters slightly to me, I am a Communications guy and a turret gunner, so as long as they aren't going to have us talking to some strange asset or telling me to shoot only special targets, then its pretty much buissnes as usual for me, but for the drivers who need to know where we're going, how to get in, how to get out, and whats happened in that area in the last 30 days, they'll either find out on the way, or they can get no sleep and go over it all now. Of course the senior staff could give a damn less if we're tired or not, as long as the mission goes off and no one gets a negitive comment on their Officer Evaluation Report (OER). Oh, and while I am ratting on my own people, let me drop this little nugget of info. It's the rare commander that cares. Seriously. I have come to the conclusion that VERY few commanders are concerned about the saftey of their troops. Most appear to care, but really its only because if a guy in your command dies, its a ding against that commander. Now the NCO's... well, thats another story. We really REALLY care for our guys. The commanders get to give the flowery speeches, but its the other enlisted guys who spent hours with that troop teaching him the ropes, the NCO's that know that kids entire life history, and learned it over crappy food in a hostile enviroment, the NCO's that in some cases are more family to those troops then the real familys back home. Those are the ones that care. They don't get to write deep speeches, speak them, and then forget about it and on to the next mission. They get to carry that around for a while. They really do care, and the GOOD ones, well, they use it as a motivator. I will tell my guys how to survive. How to not only accomplish the mission, but how to come home and teach other young guys on their way out here how to make it. Unlike most officers, who are just concerned about to get their picture in the paper. *Sigh*, enough of my rant.

I was hoping to keep this light, but maybe that will be next time.

Today's Truly Army Moment...
The Italian media was here today, following the BN commander around out in sector. It's in the commanders best interests to make my sector secure, or SEEM to be secure, so we did an HA (Humanitarian Assistance) mission today where we dropped off bags of useful crap to the locals, while the media guys took pictures. It was all smiles and handshakes... we'll see how it goes tomorrow, we MIGHT be back in that same area to "detain" some bad guys. I bet the media won't be present for that mission, and I'd bet there will be significantly fewer smiles and handshakes. Oh well, HAPPY RAMADAN!

(This message has NOT been reviewed by Army censors. Yet. If you think I am violating OPSEC, please let me know, and I may edit this post. But I probably won't.