Posted on 01/04/2005 5:57:07 PM PST by airborne
I have been posting this elsewhere, but I'm getting so much information (and hope to collect info from others) that I wanted to start a seperate thread to keep you informed and, maybe, help my mental health by sharing.
With a brother in Bagdad and a nephew (brother's son) in Mosul, I have a lot of information that I hope you will find interesting.
And I hope that others will share their stories with me.
"Hero to Hero" will be "Kruisin' for Kaibetoney"
Liz Jackson and other volunteers with the Hero to Hero (H2H) pledge drive will be at it again this Saturday, January 8th. They will be collecting shirts in the Puget Sound region from Fire & Police Departments to send to the troops in Iraq. Saturday's "Stomp" will be dedicated to Larry Kaibetoney, who was seriously injured in the Mosul bombing recently. His wife Chani is a volunteer with H2H. A full press release is included below.
*****
Hero to Hero will be Kruisin for Kaibetoney through-out the Puget Sound, January 8th, 2004!
A planned Stomp for the troops was made more personal when the husband of a Hero to Hero core member was seriously wounded in Mosul.
Lakewood, WA, January 8, 2004: Hero to Hero is firefighters, law enforcement and first responders across America, giving the shirts off their backs for our troops in the desert.
In an ongoing morale effort for the troops, the Hero to Hero convoy of military family members and local soldiers will be visiting Fire Departments & Police Stations from Seattle to Tacoma (and towns between) gathering the shirts off the backs of our stateside Heroes for our desert deployed Heroes.
This event took a personal turn after the Mosul incident that took the lives of six local soldiers and wounded many more. One of those wounded was Larry Kaibetoney, husband of Hero to Hero core member Chani. Larry is currently recuperating at Madigan Army Hospital, and Chani is at his side
thankful just to have him with her again.
We will hopefully never know the pain Larry and all the others have endured, all we can do is try to let them know they are supported and always in our thoughts. To this end, Hero to Hero continues its morale efforts on their behalf. To this end, we dedicate our upcoming Stomp as Kruisin for Kaibetoney. The January 15th Stomp (Bremerton ~ Olympia) will be dedicated to all affected by the Mosul incident.
Contact: Liz Jackson
Patriotic Pastime
Phone (253) 279-9817
Email: PatrioticPastime@aol.com
Ping!
I was thinking FR should have a daily like this. I know we have the various support our troops dailies, but a special place for military families to share stories is a cool idea. As long as they aren't the loose lips kind of things. My kid leaves for Iraq in a couple weeks.
Any idea where? What MOS is he?
He's a she, she's at Ft. Riley. She's nuclear, biological and chemical. It's being announced on the local radio stations in Manhattan Kansas. We just came back from there. She didn't want to leave her car in the pathetic storage area, an open field in Kansas for a year. They're leaving between now and Feb 2. Heading to Kuwait, for about 6-8 weeks. Their equipment and a advance team has already left. That's all I know right now.
You should be very proud!!

Don't take this as chauvinistic, but how tough is it to see your daughter head into a war zone?
Does it say that? Then I made a typo, she's in the 3rd bct, 1AD, 70th engineers, Decon platoon. I'm kind of new to the military lingo, maybe she's in airborn. could you verify my links? I might have screwed it up and I'll have to fix it.
I believe she will be attached to the Airborne Division for support.
Here's a related story on reecent deployment.
Reinforcements arrive in Mosul, initiate joint operations with ISF
(TFO Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (January 4, 2005) Elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, the 81st Enhanced Separate Brigade, 6th Brigade of Iraqi Commandos and additional elements of the 25th Infantry Division reinforced Task Force Olympia and began combined Iraqi Security Force and Multi-National Force operations to ensure security for the January 30 elections.
Currently there are 12 combat battalions of both Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces operating in Multi-National Brigade Northwest.
All units in Mosul operate under the command and control of Task Force Olympia within Multi-National Brigade Northwest area of operations.
The increase in MNF and ISF will ensure security and stability during the elections as Iraqis participate in the first-ever democratic election in Iraq.
You know, everyone asks me that. I try to tell myself, she's a trained soldier. She's expert on her weapons, could make sniper if she was a guy, and I'm not just saying that cuz I'm the mom, others higher up than her have stated the same to me. She's aced her last PT test. So, I have to have confidence in her training. With that said. I'd think I'd rather have her trained as a soldier and go to Iraq, than to head to Chicago with her girlfriends for a weekend party without the training. At least I keep telling myself that. Maybe as the time gets closer, I'll feel different, but she's so solid in her abilities, I just admire that.
On a fun note, they had an arm wrestling contest at NTC, and she wrestled the weakest guy in their unit, and she told me she could have beat him, but lost on purpose because she didn't want that lingering over him forever! She's not one of those macho girls either.
She let the man win so he wouldn't have that, "You got beat by a girl!" rap hanging over him.
Sounds like you did a great job raising her!
Ping, son.............(excuse me.......ping, Lieutenant).
Thanks, I hope so, she's in the army, and I'm so proud of what's she's doing. I'm proud of all the military. We've visited the base 3 times now. I've met a lot of soldiers who were in Iraq, and that helps. They tell lots of stories about what it's really like over there.
What a great shot! You must be proud. Are your sons considering joining?
Yes, but I don't have an internet site to put them out there. Any tips?
I think they are all beautiful...God keep them safe..
They are the greatest in every sense of the word. You should be proud of a daughter who is excelling among the best.
It really is hard being a parent, isn't it? ;^)
Photobucket.com has a free trial membership. It lasts a few months, or if you overload your photo album like me, they charge $20 a year.
What a collection of heroes we have!!
Thanks. When we visit the base, we stay at army lodging, and sometimes she'll invite the gang over for an impromptu party. Some of the stuff they talk about, I just admire them so much. I'm so proud of all of them. They all call me mom now. My kid said, I'm one of the only parents who visit regularly. It's about 700 miles one way, but it's worth it to go. One guy didn't have anywhere to go for christmas, so we invited him to come here. She's with a great group of people. They were talking about this the other day, when they finish this year in Iraq, everyone in their platoon should be at least a sargeant by then, except for one who will be a specialist.
"It really is hard being a parent, isn't it? "
Yes it is, especially when they grow up, but aren't quite old enough to be considered grown up. Then they join the army, and that presents a whole new world. She's almost 22 now.
And it's showing in their political beliefs too. They were at NTC when the election was held. They had a projector of Fox news showing the returns in the chow tent. Everyone was so happy when they realized Bush won. She said, it was electrifying to be there at that time.
Thanks, I'm going to try to set something up. I've got them stored on my computer, so it should be simple to do. If it works, I'll post some here.
Sounds like a difficult job. I hope you lose it, if you know what I mean. ;^)
Rangers lead the way! The 82nd has a long and courageous history - a lot to be proud of. Thank you for your service.
I have two "kids" in the service. They are both sort of adopted by me since they were young. They were the lost children of single mothers I dated over the years (they are not related by blood). I couldn't be prouder of them. Both of them - last time I knew - are in Afghanistan. One is with the 1st Special Forces, Detachment *. The other has been with the 160th SOAR for about two years as a crew chief on "Nighthawks". There are very happy and have found their work very rewarding. I worked very long and hard to keep them on the right path. It was worth it. Yes I worry but I also know they are some of the finest soldiers in the history of mankind.
They tell me - when they can - that the situation in Afghanistan is going very well. The country is moving to the new government and the people are responding to change. ALL basic services have been improved or developed and the few Taliban that raise their heads get a major smack down almost immediately.
Please keep posting away with the info you have - I have given up on the MSM and now look for my info on the Internet. De Opresso Liber.

Last week at army lodging, lunch break

Chemical gear

Basic trainging buddies, second from left

Smoke training
A planned Stomp for the troops was made more personal when the husband of a Hero to Hero core member was seriously wounded in Mosul.
Lakewood, WA, January 8, 2004: Hero to Hero is firefighters, law enforcement and first responders across America, giving the shirts off their backs for our troops in the desert.
In an ongoing morale effort for the troops, the Hero to Hero convoy of military family members and local soldiers will be visiting Fire Departments & Police Stations from Seattle to Tacoma (and towns between) gathering the shirts off the backs of our stateside Heroes for our desert deployed Heroes.
This event took a personal turn after the Mosul incident that took the lives of six local soldiers and wounded many more. One of those wounded was Larry Kaibetoney, husband of Hero to Hero core member Chani. Larry is currently recuperating at Madigan Army Hospital, and Chani is at his side thankful just to have him with her again.
We will hopefully never know the pain Larry and all the others have endured, all we can do is try to let them know they are supported and always in our thoughts. To this end, Hero to Hero continues its morale efforts on their behalf. To this end, we dedicate our upcoming Stomp as Kruisin for Kaibetoney. The January 15th Stomp (Bremerton ~ Olympia) will be dedicated to all affected by the Mosul incident.
Contact: Liz Jackson Patriotic Pastime Phone (253) 279-9817 Email: PatrioticPastime@aol.com
It took me a month to figure out what you did in a flash!
I 'm hard on all things electronic.
I'm a geeky engineer.
It takes a special person to care for and raise anothers' child. From what you tell me, it was worth it! Congratulations!
Wow, congratulations on being such an excellent role model!
I actually volunteer and will go anytime they let me. I have a different attitude from others, that have to be there. If I were a Wounded Warrior I would want me, to take care of me. I am there because I love my work and I love the troops. I am good for them and I treasure being able to help them. Not all of them are in that bad of shape. Thank God......
With that attitude, I'd want you too! ;^)

SWEET!
I have 2 'adopted' daughters. They aren't in the military, well, one was, but they found an extra bone in her foot and was chaptered out. She's living with us now until she gets re-established. Her brother totaled her car while she was gone and a bunch of other bad stuff happened to her by her family while she was in the army. The other one has a great husband and two little girls and has really turned around since her terrible life with her 'real' family. It's great to see them straighten out.
"I actually volunteer and will go anytime they let me"
Wow, I don't have words to express my gratitude, except for, thank you for your selfless service.
I'll find a couple more chicks for you.... :)
I'm available!
How do you think a paratrooper gets around?!

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