o.t Iraq pics from Bro (6 pics)

sweet

sweet

Joined
Nov 11, 1999
Messages
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I have been sending a very close friend of mine packages every month with disposable cameras in which I told him not to worry about sending me any pictures and that they were to be used so he could send his wife and kids pics. His wife has sent me some in here emails and here are a few to share with you
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everyone is still not home please continue to send letters and if you can packages
 
Great pictures. My 2 kids and I have been sending "goodie bags" to various units and sons of friends. It seems the Fleet is getting them faster than you guys in country, but at least they're getting there.

Any special requests and what is your address?

Good job, thanks.
 
I just sent a big(heavy anwyays) package to a friend out that way. Don't let our guys over ther get the feeling we've forgotten them. Take care of boys in blue(or brown, or green, or whatever. ;)
 
Great pics!

Our boys arrived home on Monday all safe and sound. Lots of happy people around here. If you have any addresses for more troops I'd be glad to send a goodie bag. Let me know if any of you know anyone and what they need in those bags.
 
Really good stuff and thanks. Tours of duty for many is longer than expected and they don't like it a lot. Neither would I.
 
Great pics Sweet, thanks for sharing.:D The guys and gals over there are never far from my thoughts, and I've been watching the situation with 3rd Infantry with growing aggravation. Yesterday it was announced that their deployment orders had been changed to "indefinite". Last time I wound up with orders that said "indefinite" on 'em was Desert Storm. Deployed over there in August of 1990 on ninety day orders. As things dragged on our orders got changed to "indefinite" with the result that we came home 8 1/2 months later.

Them 3ID boys been there since last September, it's time to bring 'em home. We got a whole armored division sitting here at Fort Hood (1st Cav)that could tag out with them. Hell, if they asked me to go swap out with somebody over there I would do it and gladly, 'cause I know what they're going through. I've done the "indefinite" thing, and learned over in Afghanistan what it feels like to walk around "wearing a bullseye". The worst part about having "indefinite" on your orders is the not knowing. Your family asks, "how long do you have to stay, and when are you coming home?", and there ain't nothing you can tell 'em, 'cause you don't even know. Ain't no good reason to jerk them boys around like that. I better end this one here, 'cause the more I think about it the madder I get.:mad: :grumpy: :mad:

Sarge
 
Sarge,
You've been in Uncle Sam's employ long enough to know that orders are constantly changed because of a myriad of reasons. Unfortunately in way too many cases it is because of political factors. Not tactical ones.

Those of you who were grunts during that car wreck of a war called Vietnam knew you had a full 12 month gig and then rotate back to "the world". Those of us that were aboard "bird farms" could expect a cruise of at least 7 months and in most cases longer. My second cruise was extended twice and lasted a little over 11 months. Plus we normally made 2 cruises and lived under rules of engagement that killed a lot of good guys.

The Air Force types had to fly a certain number of missions, but that changed and they spent at least a year in Thailand or VN.

I hear a lot of bitching about being in Afghanistan or Iraq or Bosnia or any other dump we are sent to longer than "they" promised. Families are upset, pundits and news pukes are saying that our servicemen are being "lied to", etc. It's a soldier's duty to complain and be left in the dark about what's next, but what has changed since the first Continental Army? Nuthin', except the food's a lot better and the State Department wasn't filled with so many clueless ultra-political dorks. Our soldiers are great because they do take it in the shorts and still get the job done. It's when politicians think they can run a war is when we really get screwed.

Getting po'd about this doesn't make the time go any faster. Have the saying "needs of the service" written in 5 ft high letters on all the barracks' walls. It may suck, but we all signed the bottom line and knew our duty would involve long deployments, crappy conditions and we might even get killed. Plus get rotten pay, mediocre benefits and a retirement package that is an embarrassment unless you were of flag rank.

Somehow we are still the best kickass military in the world. It is the quality of the young men and women who deserve all the credit, not Senators or Congressmen giving lip service to garner votes. "HUZZAH" to you in uniform and screw our voted in pols.
 
You're right on all points John, the thing that's got my goat is the "indefinite" bit. "Indefinite" smacks of "indecisive" which has ties to "incompetent". Three months are three months, six months are six months, and a year is a year. No soldier I know would have a problem with any one of those. But, "I don't know" (indefinite) is not a satisfactory answer from our senior leadership.

Sarge
 
Agreed and I certainly questioned the word "indefinite" enough to find myself dancing on more than one carpet.

It reminds me of one of the great lines spoken in a flick,"The Sand Pebbles". The hero's buddy is being skinned to death on a beach and as the crew watches from the ship the officers and chiefs are wringing their hands wondering how to solve this horror and thinking, "What do we do? Do we shoot, not shoot, cause an incident, etc, etc"? Finally the hero says "Shoot SOMETHING!"

Make a decision. A sign of real leadership that seems to be lacking in govt. these days.
 
emails
Sat July 19th
I received this uplifting update this morning and wanted to share it. The
soldiers will hold a life-fire-training in Kuwait.
Hope you all are well.
Thanks for the support,
Barbara

Here goes the schedule as we now it: Around the 26th some of the guys from
JBV will come back to Dogwood to go with us to Kuwait. On the 27th we leave
to go to Kuwait and are supposed to stay until the 7th of Aug. We are not
sure that we are staying in Kuwait or coming back to Dogwood (Iraq). We hope
to stay in Kuwait, Because there is an order that releases us from this
mission in effect all ready. That takes effect on 1 Sept, which puts us home
around the 15th of Sept. This could all change but for now it is our time
line to follow.
> Tony

This morning email:

I was just informed that there is a change in when the soldiers are coming home. It has been delayed by 30 days. The official day is now 15 Oct. I hope and pray
that this day sticks and it does not get backed up again. I will keep you posted if there is any changes. :grumpy:

if anyone here wishes to send a package please feel free to contact me at my alternate email blade1970@hotmail.com
 
Sounds like JP and Sarge got it right. Don't tell 'em they're coming home if they're not coming home. Use your resources to keep sharp guys on the ground. I just hope the guys in the White House/Pentagon aren't lengthening deployments to save $$$. The bill for this isn't going to be pretty, but we started it, and we better finish it right.
 
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