Man, how come I don't live in Hanau?

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1LT Neal Prakash from Albany, New York, a tank platoon leader with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor, fires an AT-4 shoulder-fired rocket into a building in eastern Fallujah Nov. 10 after receiving fire from the site during Operation al-Fajr (New Dawn).

Compliments of the 1ID website, pointed out by an observant mother-in-law.

Posted by: Sarah at 12:47 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The OEF and OIF 2005 troop rotations are in the paper today.

And Gunner Palace is opening in theaters. Naturally, I won't be able to see it. First Team America, then Gunner Palace. But by golly we can't live without showing Christmas with the Kranks.

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What's the answer to this comment?

I Understand you[r] explanation, but I think you are missing the point we (the angry at Rumsfeld) are trying to make. When the head of the Armed forces says, "You go to war with the Army you have, not the one you might want," and the timing of that war was determined by that man, it is a disrespect to the troops who are over there fighting and dying. It was Rumsfeld's responsibility to have the "Army we want" before going to war. The Pentagon ignored the Army War College's analysis of the course of events. All of this was predicted before we invaded. If Rumsfeld was not so arrogant, maybe these guys would not be asking these questions. "Even tanks get blown up," is NOT and adequate answer and it disrespects every man and woman over there. If he was in the private sector, he would have been thrown out on his ass a long time ago. You can respect the presidents decision to go to war, but you cannot respect our troops AND respect the way Rumsfeld runs things. He has been incompetent from the start and if you have friends or family over there, you should be as pissed as I am... just my two cents worth.

Rebel Rouser has the answer, complete with colorful language and plenty of punchlines. I read every last word of his answer; you should too.

And apparently he wrote Military Classes for Civilian Dumbasses first, which is just as good.

I like this guy. Reminds me of Deskmerc.

Posted by: Sarah at 03:05 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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I have a friend who works at AFN radio, so I requested "American Solider" for SPC Mahlenbrock. They can't play it at 1900, but they're going to play it earlier in the day and explain why they're playing it. We're doing our part here in Bavaria to honor SPC Mahlenbrock's last request.

Posted by: Sarah at 05:49 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Last night I had a dream that my husband and I were reading blogs together. What an exciting life, huh? Anyway, in the dream my husband got up to go to the bathroom, and I thought of something I wanted to say to him. I woke up and thought to myself that I would tell him when he returned from the bathroom. Then I had the slow realization that he wasn't in the bathroom.

We hit the 300th day last week. And I found today that my deployment philosophy is the same as Major Phelps':

I continually tell myself and I wholeheartedly believe that if we as a country can confront terrorism and rouge nation-states that support terrorist acts and if we can bring peace, hope, freedoms, and democracy to a country in the heart of the Middle East while at the same time solidifying the security, freedom, and liberties of this great nation then my sacrifice is inconsequential. If I am asked to partake in some small way to accomplish this goal then I say take me before my four sons are confronted with this problem in 20 years and they are forced to clean up a problem that has only festered, become increasingly worse and a problem that we should have confronted twenty years earlier. We are doing the right thing, and America needs to stand united and reaffirm to themselves every now and then that we are in fact doing the right thing. I think I'm a free minded thinker, and I'm not "brainwashed" by the President, Mr. Rumsfield, or some "right wing propaganda conspiracy theory." I really think we're attempting to accomplish something monumental. I guess we'll see.

I don't mind being left alone for a cause this important.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:48 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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I don't see it happening any time soon, but this uniform is pretty freaking cool. Of course, I had a crush on Robocop when I was a kid...

Posted by: Sarah at 04:04 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 Visualize....Chubby soldiers in this uniform....

Posted by: Vonn at December 13, 2004 06:04 AM (FmIVz)

2 It does look cool, but can you imagine the pain in the cajones this thing would cause to the ANSI standard private during inspections?

Posted by: Jason at December 13, 2004 12:54 PM (565iX)

3 Sounds like the armor suit Heinlein used in Starship Troopers...

Posted by: lcb at December 13, 2004 12:58 PM (punKs)

4 Maybe it's just the helmet, but that sure looks like Boba Fett to me...guess they're still working on the rocketpack :-)

Posted by: Eric at December 13, 2004 06:49 PM (AwaGa)

5 You're all missing the point. "Soldiers wearing the suit would have the ability to blend into any environment, like a chameleon." It's "Predator", come to life (not "Predator 2", mind you). Or at least coming to life. Still a few years away, though.

Posted by: Sean at December 14, 2004 01:38 PM (UHi7p)

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Some soldier perspective on the question posed to Sec. Rumsfeld the other day:

Deskmerc
Greyhawk + follow-up
A Line in the Sand
2Slick + follow-up

And from my favorite reservist:

Sarah,

I've started writing about armor on vehicles quite a few times only to cancel it. We just can't get into the details without violating OPSEC (Operational Security). I can't tell you why that works without revealing details that can be of use to our enemies. I especially can't talk about the downsides either.

The first IED I ever saw took out an 18-wheeler in front of me. It blew the cab on to the left side of the road while the trailer careened off to the right. At the time, I was riding in an unarmored Humvee without doors.

I went to Fallujah in a Humvee with canvas doors.

I hunkered behind a "frankenstein" scrap metal door in Najaf as bullets bounced off.

With all that and more, I'm not sure it really makes all that much of a difference. When I look at the trade offs with what is truly gained, I really don't know. I do know that many soldiers now and before us went into Harm's Way with less ~ am I or any other soldier any more special?

One thing I have truly come to believe, if its your time - it's your time. I don't care if you're wrapped in armor while sitting in a bunker, if it's your time then you're a goner. So with that in mind, does it really make that much of a difference?

I round 'em up, you decide.

MORE TO GROK:

More on armor above.

Posted by: Sarah at 04:53 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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When I went to hear Gen. Hertling speak the other night, one of the things he and his wife said was that the last few days of the deployment are the hardest, that the time between when the Soldiers get to Kuwait and the time they actually get home can feel like an eternity. Granted, I haven't made it that far, but I think the time we're going through right now is the hardest. We're at our nine/ten month range. We know things are completely up in the air right now, especially with the Iraqi elections. We know that 1AD got extended, so we're certain it could happen to us too. Rumors about return dates are flying all over the place, and no one really knows where the finish line is. Back in July, that stuff didn't matter, but as we get closer to the end, we all wonder when exactly the end will come. And how exactly the math is calculated...

One detail that irked family members about the extension [of 66th Trans out of K-town] is that it does not start until Jan. 31, 2005 — a week after the company’s one-year anniversary at Forward Operating Base Speicher.

“What they’re doing now, they’re saying, ‘You came in January, the end of January is your time,’” Sowers said. “They would say the one year mark is 31 January, that’s the math that they’re using downrange.”

So 365 days isn't a year. OK. I know that will make lots of wives really angry, but it doesn't bother me. I'd just like to know that it's happening. As long as I feel we're being updated, I'm cool. But I sure think that this leg of the deployment is the hardest. I personally will be thrilled when he gets to Kuwait, because it's the not knowing that is the worst for me.

Posted by: Sarah at 08:33 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Heartwrenching photos from CPT Sims' funeral.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:57 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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The Iraq Page: Remembering Those who Lost Their Lives in the Iraq War of 2003
Thousand lost lives grab our attention
Soldier remembered for life transformed, then lost

Tonight I heard Brig. Gen. Hertling of 7th ATC say something I won't soon forget: Our soldiers have not lost their lives in Iraq; they have sacrificed their lives for freedom and for their brothers and sisters in arms. That struck me. Their lives were not lost or taken, but instead they have given their lives for something much bigger than themselves. That's a wise statement and a comforting way of looking at the situation. The enemy cannot take that which we have sworn to give so that the tree of liberty may be refreshed.

Posted by: Sarah at 03:45 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Imagine Cartman saying "sweet." That's what I said when I read about our new COLA increase! A 31% currency adjustment? My job only gave us 4%. Man, the Army takes care of us.

Posted by: Sarah at 03:05 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 Sarah, I'd like to email you... could you drop me a quick line so I could have your email address? Thanks

Posted by: Suzy at November 29, 2004 02:55 PM (SE5/u)

2 Just in case you're a SpamBot...my email address is far down on the righthand toolbar, a hotmail address using the title of my blog. Sorry for the impersonal response; I just don't want to unwillingly join any mailing lists.

Posted by: Sarah at November 29, 2004 03:47 PM (0zhVx)

3 Not a SpamBot - just couldn't find your contact info! Thank you

Posted by: Suzy at November 29, 2004 04:02 PM (SE5/u)

4 31% -- hooray!

Posted by: david at November 30, 2004 08:21 AM (ZVhuO)

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Photos from Fallujah.

Posted by: Sarah at 04:16 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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My neighbor sent me a gripping article about A-CO 2-2 INF, the company CPT Sims commanded in Fallujah. It features more from SSG Fitts and provides a harrowing picture -- and actual pictures -- from the missions.

Here's something funny though: "Of roughly 400 men and women from Task Force 2-2..." Are there any women in Fallujah? I know there aren't any in 2-2 INF, and I thought I understood that women couldn't even be attached to infantry battalions. Is this just p.c. talk, or are there really women involved?

Posted by: Sarah at 01:23 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Got an email from Red 6, the husband's best friend, today. He's back from Fallujah, safe and sound. He's also famous for a day.

MORE TO GROK:

And other Indians have noticed!

Posted by: Sarah at 11:03 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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A story from a Marine in Fallujah:

I will end with a couple of stories of individual heroism that you may not have heard yet. I was told about both of these incidents shortly after they occurred. No doubt some of the facts will change slightly but I am confident that the meat is correct.

The first is a Marine from 3/5. His name is Corporal Yeager (Chuck Yeager's grandson). As the Marines cleared and apartment building, they got to the top floor and the point man kicked in the door. As he did so, an enemy grenade and a burst of gunfire came out. The explosion and enemy fire took off the point man's leg. He was then immediately shot in the arm as he lay in the doorway. Corporal Yeager tossed a grenade in the room and ran into the doorway and into the enemy fire in order to pull his buddy back to cover. As he was dragging the wounded Marine to cover, his own grenade came back through the doorway. Without pausing, he reached down and threw the grenade back through the door while he heaved his buddy to safety. The grenade went off inside the room and Cpl Yeager threw another in. He immediately entered the room following the second explosion. He gunned down three enemy all within three feet of where he stood and then let fly a third grenade as he backed out of the room to complete the evacuation of the wounded Marine. You have to understand that a grenade goes off within 5 seconds of having the pin pulled. Marines usually let them "cook off" for a second or two before tossing them in. Therefore, this entire episode took place in less than 30 seconds.

My grandfather flew with Chuck Yeager during WWII, and they've kept in touch throughout all these years. It makes me smile to know that Yeager's grandson and my grandfather's grandson(in-law) are fighting in the same war today.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:20 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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This Slate article (via Hud) shows some good perspective on the Fallujah shooting, but the title irks me: What the Marine Did: The shooting of an unarmed Iraqi was a tragedy. But was it a war crime? Am I the only one who fails to see the "tragedy"? This is the enemy. The same group of people who have been collecting heads since May. The people who attack from mosques and use women and children as shields. Whether or not this man held a weapon in his hand at the moment the Marine killed him does not make the difference between a terrorist and a friendly neighborhood Iraqi. I firmly believe that, had he had a weapon, he would've tried to kill the Marine first. He was the enemy; I fail to see the tragedy of his death.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:08 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Via LGF I found two posts written by Froggy Ruminations about the Marine who shot the insurgent. Like he says, I'm not a veteran. But I would want my husband to shoot the terrorist. The object of war is not to die for your country, as Patton said.

There's what's right and what's right, and never the twain shall meet.

When my husband was home, he saw that I had bought A Few Good Men, which he has never seen. I told him of my thoughts when I had watched it again, and he said that it didn't sound like something he'd like to watch. He made a comment (not a direct quote -- I can't remember exactly how he phrased it) about it being the type of movie that makes people shudder at what must be done to protect America. Is Jack Nicholson the bad guy, or has he done what was necessary to keep America safe? I don't have the answers to those questions. We also talked about the Ethics in America program and the SSG Alban case. The husband didn't like to face these issues at all, probably because every servicemember fears being in those shoes.

Posted by: Sarah at 02:15 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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It's days like this when we're reminded that freedom isn't free. -- Chaplain Jacob

I just got back from the memorial service for CSM Faulkenburg, CPT Sims, 1LT Iwan, and SSG Matteson. 2-2 INF lost four great leaders in one week; for those of you unfamiliar with the military, these are four top-of-the-hierarchy men, all four of them leaders who touched many lives. What struck me about this memorial service was the sorrow that the soldiers expressed. I saw four grown men cry as they spoke about the bond they shared with these soldiers. I realized the sorrow that soldiers feel when one of their brothers falls, the bond that simply doesn't develop between colleagues in other professions. I was moved by the pain that these men felt from losing men they'd served with, bunked with, and fought with. It was extremely touching, and I won't soon forget those tears.

I also realized I would follow COL Pittard to the ends of the earth.

Posted by: Sarah at 10:25 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I need to apologize to SSG Fitts immediately. Oda Mae just received an email from a soldier downrange, someone who knows SSG Fitts (Oda Mae took out some names, but email left as-is, in all its soldierly glory, i.e. warning: swear words):

You are correct SSG Fitts is a great NCO and very positive guy. He was misquoted. We all hate some of our enbeds.. and the Brit times guys a real cock. VERY annoying wines alot and writes misquotes just to get his points across. However . . . that when these guys write fucked up shit, he won't kick them out.. even when we've asked him to boot them out. I didn't want [Mrs. Sims] to hear about that article, because sean was doing the right thing, and leading from the front, the fucking stupid brit got it all wrong.

My apologies for being down on SSG Fitts (and my apologies for this soldier's dirty mouth). I'm leaving up the post below this one because I don't believe in making the past disappear. But I have no beef with SSG Fitts. Keep that in mind when you scroll to the next post.

Posted by: Sarah at 04:24 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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1 because I don't believe in making the past disappear Right, except for comments.

Posted by: Sadly, No! at November 17, 2004 04:58 AM (Hr4e3)

2 Oh please, Seb. Like you should lecture me about integrity.

Posted by: Sarah at November 17, 2004 05:59 AM (gxLdT)

3 I do believe she is referencing her posts, not your comments on her space. Grow up. I've read the past few posts about SSG Fitts. After the first post, I wasn't quite sure what you were on about, so I re-read it a few times until I felt I understood your point of view. My initial reading was a of SSG trying to impart a battlefield lesson, a hard cold one to be sure, and I didn't see it as a degredation of the CO. The misquoted option had occured to me, that and not much context for the quote was given. As far as enlisted bitchin about officers.... that extends back in time as long as there have been officers and enlisted. They still jump when ordered to do so, and ask how high later.

Posted by: John at November 17, 2004 08:04 AM (crTpS)

4 My thoughts were the same as John's, although it was not the kind of thing you would want the man's widow to read. NCOs are known for their toughness. Sometimes that comes across wrong. But it certainly doesn't mean they don't love that LT or CPT.

Posted by: Mike at November 17, 2004 08:23 AM (MqNKC)

5 Sarah - I am so disenchanted with the press I just can't express it enough. Kevin Sites and his video of the Marine is another example. I go to Kevin's blog often and never would've thought he'd put out for pool video of this nature which he had to know would cause a firestorm and be misinterpreted by ALL of the MSM. I'm not saying to bury the issue but he could have given it to the Marine higher ups and let them deal with it instead of putting this soldier and his family thru hell. The MSM ignore the mutilation of the blonde women by the terrorists and focuses only on the "atrocities of the US Military" against the terrorists. They really do 'hate' the US Military.

Posted by: Toni at November 17, 2004 08:51 AM (SHqVu)

6 Oh please, Seb. Like you should lecture me about integrity. I'm not lecturing you about integrity -- I'm pointing out that your behavior is (or has been, given that my first comment is still there) inconsistent with the "principle" you claim to follow in this post about making the past disappear. Still, it's nice to know I lack integrity in your eyes.

Posted by: Sadly, No! at November 17, 2004 09:32 AM (Hr4e3)

7 Seb, I feel a sense of duty to leave my own words unaltered. I feel absolutely no responsibility to give you free reign here on my website. You post plenty of nasty comments about me on your own blog; isn't that enough?

Posted by: Sarah at November 17, 2004 09:55 AM (FyW95)

8 After reading SSGT Fitts' words myself, my mind immediately flew to Tom Hanks' CPT Miller in "Private Ryan", just after their raid on the machine gun nest by the radar station, and his squad's medic gets killed. Certainly he was hard. He was cold. Brutal, even. Until he removed himself from his men. Then do we see what he (and ALL Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors) is really made of. It really is about love. Fitts loves those for whom he is responsible. I have no doubt that he also loved CPT Sims (I speculate, admittedly). But he merely applied the lesson 1LT Tommy Franks had to be taught so long ago: A leader cannot aford to show emotion until the battle is over. May the Lord be with Mrs. Sims and her (no, THEIR) son; may He continue to be with SSGT Fitts, and ALL those who are laying down their lives for us.

Posted by: Jim Shawley at November 17, 2004 01:44 PM (CnYsu)

9 What I read sounded remarkably like the Sergeant in Basic who kept drumming on the theme "You people spread out; one hand grenade will get you all." No meaning other than don't get careless.

Posted by: homebru at November 17, 2004 06:52 PM (d31un)

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