Posted on 11/09/2004 11:12:14 PM PST by DBeers
From: stanley.xxxxxxxxxxx@us.army.mil
Subject: Hello from Iraq
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2004 19:11:07 +0300
Hello everyone,
It's been a real busy few weeks for me, so I apologize for not being in contact as much as I would like. I will still try to write when I can. Please forward this to whoever is interested so I don't leave anyone out.
Towards the end of October, we made the trip from Kuwait to Baghdad. The night before we left, we spent the night on the border and at steak, shrimp and lobster tails. Pretty decent "last meal." The next day we rolled out. It took 3 days, and we saw quite a bit of country. A lot of it was not like I expected at all. More vegetation.
The trip north was very quiet, even though we were expecting contact the entire way. Everyone did their jobs well and we made it safely without a peep from the enemy.
The camp at Baghdad, Camp Victory (name will be changed to Camp Liberty soon) is absolutely huge with all the amenities of a base at home. The only difference is the mortar shells that fall on a regular basis and hearing IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices/roadside bombs), car bombs, and gunfire in the distance.
The food is excellent. The dining facility has a grill, sandwich bar, pizza bar, potato bar, ice cream bar, salad bar, and pasta bar. No one goes hungry. The PX is stocked with almost everything you would want. Most new movies and CDs and furniture and clothes and hygiene stuff. There's even a Burger King. There's also Iraqi shops that sell a lot of neat things, as well as pirated movies, 2 for 4 dollars.
The past week has been especially busy as they have chosen to send my battalion north of Baghdad to patrol the countryside for mortar firers and bomb makers. From what I hear, the zone is pretty quiet. Let's hope it stays that way.
The trip up here was pretty nerve racking at times. Imagine bumper to bumper traffic and you don't know if a car will start shooting at you or explode. But every time I've made the trip, traffic was the only thing I've had to worry about.
Attached is some pictures of my room at Baghdad, even though my room here is nicer, some of the country side, downtown Baghdad apartments, mosques and slums.
Anyway, I'm going to wrap this up. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts.
Stan
Wow... thank you. This is exactly why I bought www.trooppics.com (but I have no idea how to implement it)...
Thanks! Prayers for the safety and well-being of all our troops, especially your nephew.
Tell him "God-speed," obviously he is in our collective Freeper prayers and often in my men's Bible study thoughts and prayers.
Stay safe Ping!
If he gets to S. Victory, tell him he's welcome @ LOGCAP III HQ.
They're gonna be busy for awhile.
Thanks so much for the post! Big time prayers for all our wonderful service men..... and women!
Please let him know that he is in our thoughts and prayers.
Prayers for your nephew. Tell him we are thinking of him. Bump.
Thank you very much for sharing this.
Tell Stan that Pete from California says "Thank You" and "God Bless You."
I will add "Stan" to the list of names in my prayers.
Stay Strong,
Fuzzy122
Message to the soldiers:
Be careful out there...and thanks for the hard work
God Bless
Thanks for sharing; and prayers for your Nephew.
Thank Him for the service He is doing for us and the World.
Prayers done.
PING
Thanks for sharing. Nice spacing on the convoy.
thanks all for your well wishes -I will pass them on and send him a link to Free Republic (I don't think he has visited this site before)...
I too pray for him and all...
^4L8R
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