Catching up

I realized that it has been since January that I last posted. A lot has happened, but then again it has been business as usual for us.

We are currently operating without the last two members of our team to go on leave. This means that we are closer to going home. We are actually under 100 days from being home.



Business as usual has gotten us all awarded with the Bronze Star Medal. Our IA Brigade has been highly successful and effective. Our awards are a reflection of thier accomplishments.

Here with our augments from 4-27, who received Arcoms.

Here newly promoted SGT Chase pushes for his new rank. 50 + 1 for his unit, +1 for the Mitt, +1 for himself.

Our new MRAPs. These babies are highly armored, and smooth riding. Of course they have their flaws: hard to steer and they don't fit anywhere.

The Caiman is quite an ugly ride.

A question was posed to me about our mailing address, the last four of the zip code. Personally I have never used the last four, nor recieved a package or letter including it. Our host unit, 4-27, didn't bother to tell us when our last day for mail pickup or where we could forward our mail. So those of us who have packages on the way will lose them when they are forwarded to Germany or when they are returned to the sender. Typical 4-27.

See you soon

January

Welcome back, and let me catch you up on January...

This is the layout for the clearing plan for Al-Mascar, an area suspected of an abundance of Unexlpoded Ordinance. The US had cleared the area after a sheep herder was injured, but the locals would have felt better if the IA went in and personnaly searched the area. As you might be able to tell, the area is several square kilos large. The mission itself took two days, having found relatively nothing.

The area had previously been an Iraqi Army munitions area, and it is obvious by the large craters that it was one of the US's targets during the early part of 2003.

After several days of training, planning and preparation, the IA gave up the plan after an hour and went in, with their MiTT in tow, to search the area.

Heres a photo we had taken of some of us and our interpreters at PB Dezil. I'm on the far right...

Here is Sgt Abere, one of my counterparts. He seems to think he's cool with my M4. After several vanity shots I had to pry my weapon from his hands.

Things have gotten difficult since we were directed to give no physical assets to the IA. They seem sometimes to want nothing to do with us unless we have stuff for them. We were even asked why we were here if we can't give them stuff. This question came a few days after I showed the commo LT how to use his GPS...

Sgt Abere was angry at me yesterday, after finding out the picture disk I made him didn't work. He told me he didn't trust me anymore... Oh well.

Ah yes, only a few miles into our Al-Mascar trek. This photo was taken atop a bombed out bunker. Here was obvious proof of the US's bunker-busters competence.

SGT Kessinger, one of the most motivated soldiers I've met yet, standing in the way of SSG Crocodile "Crock" and his handler, a SGT. Dogs always outrank their handlers. This cuts down on abuse.

Here is a typical way that American troops treat IA soldiers. This soldier was told that the tab he was given means he is some kind of great soldier. If you can't tell, it says "shit bag." After getting to know the IA soldier, I didn't mind anymore, he was quite a jerk.

Major Brott and KC, showing off their enthusiasm for Al Mascar.

KC, Doc, and myself. Pre-mission.

The elections that were all over the news went smoothly. There was heavy IA presence at all the polling sites. We were now where near the polling sites. This is the way we want it, to have little to do with the execution of Iraqi operations.

Scarface is doing great. He's filled out quite a bit and has made himself our guardian. He keeps all the cats away at night and barks at the wind.

I hope all is well back home. We are all doing fine and eager to come home.

Ode to my mug

Since the new year, we seem to have lost all respect by the Iraqis. Mostly because we can no longer give them material things as of Jan 1. They seem to want very little to do with us since we won't give them anything. My counterpart, after asking my boss for something that I wanted to give him without audience, asked Major Brott why we were here if we won't give them anything. Since he went above my head I plan on giving him absolutely nothing, not even peanuts.
About 70 former Iraqi soldiers take advantage of the opportunity to rejoin the Iraqi Army, when they previously deserted. However, in the IA, it is no problem to merely quit.

My old blue mug. It's been abused, knocked down, spilled, scratched, scraped, the handle is held on with a zip-tie, but to me it's the holy grail.

I get a lot of grief about my mug. Apparently I get quite upset when something happens to it, so I decided to post, "ode to my mug," by jest of Major Brott. I want him and DC to always remember my mug.

All is well, we are getting by. We are busy of course, but I'm sure our spouses are as well. We'll be home soon.

Hold down the home front for us.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Team Jedi!