Well Im sitting on a US Army camp outside Bagdad, waiting to go to our next camp for a few more days of training prior to linking up with our Iraqi Battalion tat we will be working with. We are delayed right now due to a sandstorm, we may not fly tonight. I will try to pop in from time to time and let you'all know whats going on

Just got pictures from my neighbor when he was heading through Baqubah. If you see any "Red Arrows" on the trip, make sure to say "Go Pack!"

Glad to hear from you & thanks for checking in!

Also glad to hear from you and thanks for taking the time to keep us informed about what you are doing and how you are doing!

Great to hear from you Noonanda....Glad to hear all is well at the moment.
Ya know we're all sending good thoughts your way. Take care! Keep in touch when you can.

mtnmagic

Glad to hear from you, and thanks for keeping in touch.
Be careful , and stay safe.
I'll be thinking about you.

Hi noonanda,
Stay safe and keep in touch.
PM me if you need anything...
- vmaus

Yeah, let us know if you need a particular Care package or anything!

-Pegatha

Grateful to hear you are okay. It will be a plus for us to hear from someone on the ground there. Hope you are headed to one of the safer areas.

lenal

Best wishes for your safety. And for sure let us know if we can send anything your way- don't be shy.

Thanks for letting us know you are well !

Glad to hear from You Staff Sergeant. I never looked forward to flying anywhere in a Marine Corps aircraft. I think they saved all the raggedy ones especially for me.

Keep that helmet on and be safe'

Semper Fi.

Good to hear from you, noonanda! We're thinking of you...stay safe...and we hope to hear from you again soon!

Keep your head low and the colors high.
Take care man...and happy birthday...
and many, many, many more.

I second that! Let us know if we can send you anything.

Happy Birthday too!

Hope the rough play isn't taking place anywhere near you -

Happy Birthday young'un!

lenal

Yeah, as expressed here and here, eh?

Hey all, finally got a chance to check in again. Thanks for all the Birthday wishes.

Someone said that they hoped I was in a quiet area, thanks for the thought but unforunately it aint the case. We are operating in an area east of Ramadi. it seems to me that the populace is mostly either pro-insurgent or just dont care one way or the other. There are worse places to be, but we are still pretty busy.

Needless to say I have earned the Combat Action Ribbon, (got into my first firefight about a week after we got to our Combat operating base)
The Iraqis we are working are trying their best to win this insurgency. There are alot of Iraqi soldiers who try very hard to do the best. There are ones who are just doing it for the money, but I have met Marines and soldiers doing the same thing. The people in our area dont seem to understand or want to know that their lives could be so much better, ie simple things such as always having electricity (the power goes on and off throughout the day) clean running water, and safety for their children. I have talked to some Iraqi soldiers from kurdistan and from the south around Basra. Those areas are really coming together, they dont have to worry about IED's or rocket or motar attacks. I think it all depends on the people, and if they want better lives.

I think it might not be allowed but if the moderators wouldnt mind, I have a few pics posted on a pic hosting site that might interest some.
here is the link Pics from Iraq

I'm gonna try to take alot more once I get my digital camera sent to me. As for the news reports, from what we have seen on BBCW the press is only interested in the bad news. I have yet to hear of them mentioning any of the good things we are doing here, only thing it seems they report on is IEDs killing people.

As far as IEDs go, I dont care who you are or what you believe, when it is your time to go, it is your time. That is the only thing that scares me at all. there aint nothing you can do about it unless you catch the people in the act of setting them.

Well Ive been longwinded enough, Ill try to pop in on occassion.

Semper Fi

Thanks for checkin' in shipmate! Methinks these short reports from you and SFC White are most illuminatin' and eagerly read here.

Be safe, stay well and make Gunny soon, eh? In the near future 'twould seem we're losin' the only Gunny we now got on CGCS and methinks we'll be needin' a good replacement.

Thanks for checking in and watch out for the Red Arrows, they're good guys. Glad to hear from you and reminding us of the good that you guys are doing there.

Welcome aboard - CAR man.
F the press, you've got other business.
We'll read the clippings and await your
messages from up front to check them.
Looks like the Sgt. Maj. was pleased with
you performance. That says something.
Stay alert and pray when ya can...we are.

Two days since our last post from Iraq...
I hope our brother is well. Noonanda...
we await your post...your post is heavy...
no one knows what you do. God be with you.

Glad to hear from you SSgt. Don't let the arenaline get you into trouble when the shooting starts, YOU ARE NOT BULLET PROOF, no matter what you might think at the time.

Semper Fi.

Know I know how my momma felt,
awaiting the next communication
from the APO. I guess you live and die
in 4/4 time waiting for word. Over.

Take care Noonanda. We are all here and looking forward to hearing from you again when feasible. Thanks a million for keeping in touch

Hang tough, noonanda. You are in our thoughts and prayers and we appreciate the pictures. Thanks for taking the time to drop by and let us know you are well.

Stay together man.
Days seem like years.

Lets talk about body armor. Right now with my Interceptor vest with Armored plates plus my magazines and grenades, water, etc. my gear probably weighs around 60-70 pounds. Mothers of america think I should wear more, side plates, shoulder guards Etc Etc. Unlike units that do their patrols in vehicles, we do all our patroling by foot, jumping irrigation canals, walking though muddy fields. as an example of what this is like, strap 2-3 cinder blocks to your back and walk 6-10 kilometers (3-6 miles) offroad, and about every 1/8th of a mile you must jump 3-4 ft canals. I dont mind that they care, but they obviously dont know that the mobility is reduced by wearing all this crap, thus in some ways increasing the dangers. I understand totally what grunts in vietnam must have felt like and my hats off to ya.

well enough of my rant

The news here last week was talking about how the military was forcing guys to send back stuff they had purchased on their own (reimbursed for shipping, but not the armor). What's your take on this?

Good to hear from you!

Hey there SSGT, great to hear from you, eh?No Noonan, not the military, 'twas the Army!

Hey noonanda, stay safe! Good to hear from you again... and again, and again.

Come here to rant anytime !
And be safe.

Oh man. Whatever you do stay as safe as you reasonably can. Think about better body armor designs to patent when you return.

As always thanks a million for keeping us abreast.

Semper Fi, Shipmate!

Thanx for checkin' in, and please drop us a note when you can. Be safe, keep in mind that you are on God's side and he will help you complete your task...

joe e

So glad to hear from you Noonanda...

As you can see, you are in out thoughts and prayers.

Stay safe..always look forward to hearing from you when you can write us.

Will be looking for your next communication.

..oh and on Winston's behalf..he'll eat a chocolate bunny, in your honor...

Yup we carried 60-70 pounds everyday...but it was food, ammo,
claymores, rope etc. But we had jungle to hide in - in the Central Highlands...
and shade to drop the temp 5-10 degrees...y'all don't...from Louisiana
I could deal with that...sand storms and cities? Hell no.

Y'all got it tougher my friend...we could cut trail to avoid booby-traps...
we didn't have to roll by cell-phone-triggered IEDs. I'd tie a string
to the vest and drag it until the rounds start poppin'...but I'd probably
get an Article 15 for my tactics.

Living and dying with y'all...keep the faith...do your duty...
take care of your brothers...the rest...well, it don't mean nothin'.

Ya make me proud young man...pray not to take out any
non-combatants...and God will take care of the rest. Salute.

Glad to hear from you Staff Sergeant.

This sounds like something I heard from somebody else, but their story included July and August heat.

Their discussion was along the lines of is it better to die from a bullet or a heatstroke and his description of body armor was tie a bag of Portland cement to both you chest and back and try to run a PFT.

Ya know...
whether concussion,
a stray shot to the neck or head,
or a vehicle rolling over...when your
time comes it comes.

Do what ya need to do...
our prayers establish a perimeter of
angels around ya...little brother...
if you are ready...there's nothing to fear.

Be righteous... and the rest...don't mean nothin'.
Thank you for your service. It inspires me.

Last summer I applied with manpower to be reinstated in the Corps and got turned down. I was really disappointed when it happened because I really wanted to be out there with you young fellows. I know what you fellows are doing is one of the most important things to happen in my lifetime.

As I sit here this morning counting all my aches and pains from thirty years of abusing my body I realize the Marine Corps made a good decision. At heart I feel like a kid in my twenties but this old carcus is too worn out to be doing the stuff you do.

My thoughts and prayers are with you constantly. Be safe.