Quick update 29 June

Hey Y'all! Chuck was out of it most of the day due to his surgery. Everything went well and Alice and I got to spend some time with him throughout the day. He was moved to another ward, which is a good thing.

Many of you have asked for an address to send cards... I appreciate that very much. I am not ignoring this request, but I am holding off on that until I have more info on how long we will be here and where Chuck will be (which ward) for the duration of our stay here. He could be moved again after his surgery on Saturday, or even before that. I don't want to give an address and then the letters not get to him. We will probably be here a few more weeks, but only time will tell.

I don't really have a lot of info to give you right now. Chuck is doing well and is coherent off and on. He's been smiling a lot more lately when I talk to him, which lets me know he is really hearing what I am saying to him. I always tell him you all are out there praying for him... I tell him every day.

Again, I thank you all for your prayers for all of us. When I have more to update, I will do so.

Take care and God Bless!
Carren

Update as of 28 June

Thank you all, again for your kind words, encouragement, support, etc. I tell Chuck daily that all of you are out there and I think he really "feels" the power of the prayers. I know I do! In the next few days you may "hear" from Chuck. Tonight he asked me if he could dictate something to post to all of you. I told him I would when he was ready.

He had surgery yesterday (Monday). They cleaned out all of his wounds and the surgeons said he is healing well. He has surgery again tomorrow (Wed.), and then possibly again on Saturday. They could start skin grafting as early as next Tuesday. They have to clean his wounds every 48-72 hours, and it is easier (and less painful for him) if they knock him out and take him to the OR. He has had some really great nurses caring for him the last few days, and I thank them all the time! He has a number of doctors/surgeons that I have met and they are all amazing. He is in great hands!

He needs alot of grafting: his left arm, right leg, right thumb, and a few other places on his body. He can move pretty well, considering all of his injuries. He can move his legs and has good movement of his shoulders and head. I give him lots of kisses and spend a lot of time just playing with his hair and touching his face.

There have been a number of other wounded soldiers coming in and out of Chuck's ward. I don't know their names, but there are many other soldiers out here who could use your prayers. Although Chuck is injured badly, I have seen others who are much worse... and I am truly grateful to God for protecting my husband, as well as CPT Spencer.

For those who wish to support the Fighting Aces, please go to www.twobabesandabrain.com. Lisa and Chris have been AMAZING in supporting the Aces, even before Chuck's injury. They have a paypal account that will allow you to donate money to help purchase things for Chuck's men. Speaking of his men, Chuck is so worried about them. I called our Rear D Commander today to make sure the Aces were all okay, and they are.

As far as ordering t-shirts, or "Aces Gear" as Chuck posted, you can still order the shirts. I am going to extend the time to the end of July. If we have enough orders to order before that, we may do so, and then place another order later in July. So if you want to order Fighting Aces t-shirts, search through Chuck's blog for the title "Get your Fighting Aces Gear Here." The mailing address and prices, etc. are in that post. Please do not send anything but t-shirt orders to that address!!! If you want to send stuff to Chuck's men in Iraq, you can mail it to his XO or one of his PLs:

CPT Jason Spencer
C. Co. 2-34 AR, 3BCT
FOB Gabe
APO AE 09397

or LT Jim Meeks (same address)

These guys will make sure all of the Aces get what you send them. They are amazing leaders and care about the men just as much as Chuck does.

I have babbled enough for now. Alice and I took a good nap today, so don't worry about us. We are doing our best to take care of ourselves and we have some great people here who are helping us do that.

BTW, did any of you here anything on CNN about Chuck and his blog? Alice (Chuck's mom) got an e-mail from a friend that Chuck's name and something about his blog was on CNN on Monday. If you have any info on that, could you let me know in the comments section? Thanks.

Take care and God Bless!
Carren

Update as of 26 June

Hello to you all! I am at Walter Reed and have spent the last two days with my beloved husband. His mother, Alice, is here also. Chuck is doing okay, considering. He is on A LOT of pain meds, so conversations are rather interesting. I have told him about all of you "out there" who are praying for him and our family. Although he can't really express his feelings, he knows you all are out there and I know he will thank you personally when he is able. Alice and I thank all of you as well. From the bottom of our hearts...

I need to clarify what happened to Chuck, from what I understand. Somewhere out in "blog country," a story has been fabricated that Chuck actually picked up the IED. My husband is NOT an idiot and would NEVER do such a thing! So whoever started this story, you need to clarify on YOUR blog that HE DID NOT PICK UP THE IED!!!!!!

Chuck was on a foot patrol w/ one of his platoons. A civilian Iraqi informant was leading the patrol to the site of the IED. Well, this informant (ass hole) set the patrol up and the IED was remotely detonated. And my husband was hit!!! The blast blew him into the canal, and CPT Jason Spencer went into the canal and saved Chuck's life... he kept him above the water so he didn't drown. THAT is the story in a nut shell. I am sure Chuck will explain in full detail when he is able. He did NOT pick up the IED!!!!!!!!!

I feel better now... I needed to clarify.

I am really tired now and I need to try to get some sleep. Please continue praying for Chuck and our family. And don't forget his men. This has taken a toll on his men, as well as all of 2-34 AR BN. Pray for all of them, as well as all of the men and women who are sacrificing while deployed, and those who await their loved ones to come home. It's not about US, it is about those who sacrifice every day so the war is not in our back yard.

I promise I am not angry. This is the most intense thing I have ever been through in my life. But it is not about me either, and I never want it to be. It is about my husband Chuck, my Hero!

I will post again soon.

Take care, God Bless, and I thank you all for your love and support!

Carren

Correction to previous post...

Okay, today is Friday, not Thursday. Chuck made it into Walter Reed today... Friday. I get there tomorrow... Saturday. I don't even know what day it is and I am not the one looped up on pain killers! Maybe I should be? ha ha

Just wanted to clarify, in case y'all forgot what day it was too! :)

Take care and God Bless!
Carren

Quick Update... have to pack!

Hello Folks!

I am packing up and headed out the door tomorrow morning for Walter Reed. Chuck made it there safely this evening (Thursday). I will get there tomorrow evening, and his mother will get there tomorrow afternoon.

I have not talked to him since last night, but I understand that he is still doing just fine and there were no problems on the long flight from Germany.

I know many of you in the DC area want to visit Chuck, and I appreciate that w/ all of my heart. We do not know how long he will be there. I ask that no one visit him until I can give you all an update on how long we might be. I also ask this because Chuck will see his mom first tomorrow, which is cool, and then he will see me, his better half! I want him to see his family before anyone else. I hope you all can understand that.

I will keep you updated as much as possible. Either through someone else posting for me, or I may be able to post myself. If you go to www.twobabesandabrain.com, you will be updated on that blog as well.

I appreciate all you have done! I have printed out MANY of the responses you all have written so Chuck can see them right away.

Take care and god Bless!

Until next time,
Carren

Walter Reed, Her We Come!

Hello to all of Chuck's Guardian Angels! You are all amazing, and I thank you again for everything!

I got to talk to My Hero tonight!!! He was loopy as all get out, which made the conversation rather interesting. He was in good spirits, all things considered. We made small talk for a few minutes, then I told him I "hacked" into his blog and have kept you all informed. I told him he has hundreds of people making comments, and thousands of people praying for him around the world. When I told him that, he said, "That's why I survived." In short, he knows you are all out there and knows how much you care. For that, we are both truly grateful.

Chuck should be at Walter Reed Friday evening. I am HOPING to get there on Saturday, as well as his mother. When I told Chuck what "the plan" was (since I didn't know how much the docs/nurses told him), he said he didn't even know what day it was. I told him it was Thursday... he was injured on Tuesday... and Friday he will go to Walter Reed. His response: "Wow!" He doesn't remember much of anything since the injury, but he remembers a lot about what happened before, during, and right after the injury. He said he'll tell me more later, and I am sure he will blog about it too.

There is one man (other than God Himself) in particular who saved Chuck's life. CPT Jason Spencer, Chuck's XO. Chuck said to me, "Jason saved my life. Don't ever let me forget that." I don't know Jason on a very personal level, but he dove into the canal when Chuck was blown in from the explosion... I don't know the details of what Jason did when he was in the canal w/ Chuck, but whatever it was, Chuck remembers, and Jason is forever in our debt.

That's about all I have for now. I will update again tomorrow when I have some more final details. Our kids will be well taken care of while I am gone, thanks to my mother, my sister, and my many friends here. Please keep my mother in your prayers (her name is Cindy)... she has been gracious enough to take care of our kids in the short term... and our kids are a handful! Creighton does not understand why he can't go w/ me to see his Daddy... so please pray that he will understand the best way he can at the age of five. Our daughter Adelle (who knows "Daddy got hurt") is only two and doesn't really know what is going on. But two year olds can sense a lot, so please keep her in your prayers too.

May God Bless you all!!! I am truly blessed to know so many people are out there for Chuck and our family.

Until next time...
Carren/The Mrs.

An update on Chuck

I have no words to express what I feel about the overwhelming responses and words of encouragement that I have read from all of you. Saying thank you is not enough... but that is all I can muster at this moment. God Bless ALL of you who are praying for Chuck and our family.

Chuck is in Landstuhl in the ICU. He will have another surgery tomorrow. These are the "basics" of his injuries, although none of them are fun to talk about.

1. He has severe nerve damage in his left hand and has lost his left pinky (all of it). It will be a long recovery for his hand due to the nerve damage.
2. His right thumb is pretty messed up and the docs are not sure how much he will lose or keep... he may be okay and keep his thumb, we just don't know yet.
3. ALL of his internal organs are okay. One of his lungs is bruised, but not damaged.
4. His brain, spine, and neck are all okay... paralysis is not an issue.
5. He has no muscle damage in his legs or arms, but his right thigh has been damaged.
6. His face was "peppered" by shrapnel. He has a cut on his right cheek, which has been stitched up.

He MIGHT be headed back to the states as early as Friday. I should know for sure what the short term plan is by noon tomorrow. I will keep you all posted as much as possible.

For those who may be thinking, "We just need to bring all the troops home and forget this war," let me tell a quick story.

As you know I told Creighton that his daddy was hurt and that he will be okay and coming home soon. One of the questions he asked was, "Why did Daddy have to go so far away to get the bad guys?" I said, "Daddy had to go far away to fight the bad guys so we are safe here in the US. We don't want the bad guys to be here in our country, so brave men and women like Daddy go far away to make sure that never happens." (A side note... a 5 year old is too young to understand that bad guys are here in the US and managed to do some serious damage on 9/11).

I'll be in touch soon

Again, I can not thank you enough for everything you all have done, said, prayed, etc.

God Bless!
Carren

Chuck has been injured, but is stable

This is Carren writing to tell Chuck's faithful readers that he has been injured, but is in stable condition. I won't give details for fear of misinformation (and the fact that this can be accessed by millions of people).

In general... Chuck sustained shrapnel wounds to his legs and arms from an IED. He and an Iraqi civilian were the only ones injured. The Good Lord above was looking out for him in a BIG way! He is probably in Landstuhl (sp?), Germany by now and will be back in the states in the next week to 10 days (as far as I know right now). He still has his eyesite and has not sustained internal injuries that I know of. I have not talked to him yet... they have kept him sedated for his trip to Germany, as well as for pain management. He also has some injuries to his face, but I think it is just bruised/scratched up quite a bit.

On the homefront, we are all hangin in there. I have incredible support from family and friends and I feel very blessed. The fact that Chuck is still alive makes this bearable, all things considered. I hope to hear from him in the next 24-48 hours. I will keep you all posted as often as possible.

I ask your prayers for Chuck... strength, courage, quick recovery, his mental state, etc. For me, I just need strength to get through the unknown road ahead. The hardest part so far was telling our 5 year old son Creighton that his daddy was injured. He has a lot of questions, obviously, and I answer them the best way I know how. He is too smart to lie to, but definitely does not need all the details.

Just so everyone knows, Chuck did not lose his humor in all of this mess... I was told the first thing he asked when he was pulled from the canal (the blast blew him into a canal) was: "Be honest with me, guys. Do I still have my face and my 'package'?" That is sooooo Chuck. Always worried about his "manliness."

That's all I have for now. Please keep him and all of our deployed men and women in your prayers. I never thought my husband was immune to injury, but this was definitely a shock to the whole family.

Take care and God Bless,
Carren (a.k.a. The Mrs.)

Get your Fighting Aces Gear Here

Okay Folks, here’s an offer you can’t refuse:

For an extremely limited time, we are offering Fighting Aces T-Shirts to pay for the cost of our welcome home party (Also know by the spouses as the “Bout Damn Time! party). (And to help the Family Readiness Group a.k.a. Those We Left Behind™ send care packages to the boys (thanks again Honey).

It’s a 50-50 deal, half the cost of the shirt goes directly to the FRG, which is a non-profit organization (and yet another thing I am responsible for)

Raw Facts:

Shirts are available in Gray or White

This is the Front

This is the Back

The word “Kansas” will be in a metallic black print, which is why it looks a bit different than the rest of the words.

They cost a sawbuck $10.00

And here’s everything you need to know to buy them for your whole family.

This is a limited time offer, and I don’t think I’ll be able to convince the Mrs. to put it all together again, so please, order now.

You can download the order form HERE (MS Word Format) or
Copy, paste, print and cut below this line-------------------------------------------------------------

Charlie Company, 2-34 Armor T-shirt Order Form

(Please print)

Name:

Mailing Address:

Phone number:

E-mail address:

Price of each shirt: $10.00 (please add $1.00 for adult XXL).

Include the Sizes you want and the colors you want (white or gray)

(Infant: 0-6mos, 6-12 mos, 12-18 mos, 18-24 mos)

Toddler: 2T, 3T, 4T

Youth: XS (6-8), S(10-12),M(14-16), L, XL

Adult: S,M,L,XL, XXL (add $1.00, Lunchbox)

Orders due by June 30, 2005!!!

PLEASE have your money and order forms turned in (see address at bottom of page) by then so we can get the shirts done as soon as possible. It will take approximately two weeks for the shirts to be printed from the time the order is placed.

Total number of shirts ordered:_______________

Total amount owed for shirts:_______________

*Shipping Charge (if needed, $2.00 per shirt, more than 2 shirts, $1):______________

Total amount enclosed:_______________

* If you do not live in the Fort Riley/Junction City/Manhattan (KS) area and need your shirts mailed, please enclose $2.00 for each shirt ordered to help defray the shipping costs. Thank you.

Please make checks or money orders payable to:

Charlie Co. 2-34AR FRG

Please mail checks/ money orders and order form to:

2-34 AR BN

ATTN: C. Co. FRG

Building 7410

Fort Riley, KS 66442

If you have questions about placing an order, please send an e-mail to FightingAcesFRG@aol.com.

Feeling Froggy?

Matthew at Froggy Ruminations has the right idea on GITMO (and while we're at it, ALL Prisons) Here. (Hat tip, SGT B.) In picture form, is my opinion on his opinion, Here. We can do exactly what he says, and even our littlest women can do it.

More Tank Porn

Yours truly,

Riding on the most advanced land combat platform ever designed.

Durbin, Redux

Here’s the facts about what Senator Durbin said. I put my comments in blue, lest they be confused with his.

Senator Durbin’s Original comments on the floor on 2 February (also known as Groundhog Day)

“On one occasion, the air conditioning had been turned down so far and the temperature was so cold in the room, that the barefooted detainee was shaking with cold. ..... On another occasion, the [air conditioner] had been turned off, making the temperature in the unventilated room well over 100 degrees. The detainee was almost on the floor, with a pile of hair next to him. He had apparently been literally pulling his hair out throughout the night. On another occasion, not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room (Okay, now rap music IS torture), and had been since the day before, with the detainee chained hand and foot in the fetal position on the tile floor.

If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime--Pol Pot or others--that had no concern for human beings (No, they would have been bleeding, burned, poisoned, cut, beaten, electrocuted…). Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their (don’t you mean Our) prisoners.”

And his statement one hundred and thirty-five days later…from his webpage.

DURBIN STATEMENT ON PREVIOUS COMMENTS REGARDING GUANTANAMO BAY

Friday, June 17, 2005

“More than 1700 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq and our country’s standing in the world community has been badly damaged by the prison abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. My statement in the Senate was critical of the policies of this Administration which add to the risk our soldiers face.” (Your statement was critical of the appointment of Alberto Gonzalez. Your ill-conceived parallel of the US soldier with the Nazi, Commie, and Khmer Rouge did so much more to put us at risk in world opinion than the treatment at GITMO and Abu Gharib. Iraqis consider our prisons here to be like vacation spas. Clean water, 3 meals a day, shoes, no work, air conditioned, heated, free medical care, etc.)

“I will continue to speak out when I disagree with this Administration.” (So this was an attack on the administration. Otherwise known as political grandstanding.

“I have learned from my statement that historical parallels can be misused and misunderstood. I sincerely regret if what I said caused anyone to misunderstand my true feelings: our soldiers around the world and their families at home deserve our respect, admiration and total support.” (Sorry if you were too stupid to understand the nuances, I wasn’t calling them (you) (us) Nazis, I was simply saying that the way they (you) (we) treated prisoners was like Nazis. You(we) (those) people don’t understand the difference between the historical parallel and what is really being said.)

Support the troops? Indeed. Some examples of his support.

00055 16-Mar S.Con.Res. 18 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 149 Rejected Akaka Amdt. No. 149; To increase veterans medical care by $2.8 billion in 2006.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=239099 (To his credit, He would later vote for a bill increasing VA medical care by $416 million)

00050 15-Mar S.Con.Res. 18 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 147 Rejected Stabenow Amdt. No. 147; To protect the American people from terrorist attacks by providing the necessary resources to our firefighters, police, EMS workers and other first-responders by restoring $1,626 billion in cuts to first-responder programs.

00013 01-Mar S. 256 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 16 Rejected Durbin Amdt. No. 16, As Modified.; To protect servicemembers and veterans from means testing in bankruptcy, to disallow certain claims by lenders charging usurious interest rates to servicemembers, and to allow servicemembers to exempt property based on the law of the State of their premilitary residence.

And, to see where Dick’s real agenda lies,

H Joint Res 114: To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.

Vote to adopt a joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq. Senator Richard J. 'Dick' Durbin voted NO.

Senator Durbin’s comments came from his speech on the nomination of Alberto Gonzalez to serve as the Attorney General. In his speech, he criticizes lawyers: “And with the skill that only lawyers can bring, Mr. Gonzales, Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee and others found the loopholes, invented the weasel words and covered the whole process with winks and nods. “ Um, Senator Durbin, Aren’t you a lawyer?

Professional Experience:
Attorney, 1973-1982
Legal counsel, Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee, 1972-1982
Legal counsel, Illinois Lieutenant Governor, 1969-1973.

Senator Durbin then goes on to compare Abu Gharaib and Gitmo to the interment of Japanese US citizens during WWII. (Wait a minute, slicky-boy. Those were American Citizens, and they rounded up all of the Japanese citizens on the Left West coast. Did we start rounding up every Arab in America on Sept 12?)

Sheesh. I’m going to go do laundry. Arguing with his remarks is to mental exercise as a foot race with FDR is to marathons.

Chuck

Happy Father's Day

I am jumping on the band wagon with Chris and Lisa from TwoBabesandabrain with this picture (dirty word alert) on why daddies shouldn’t baby sit. Carren would take the two of them to task for that post, telling them that fathers don’t baby-sit, they watch their children. I agree, Babysitters get paid. Carren used to leave me more instructions for caring for Creighton when she was gone than she would leave the sitter. Five years (and one more kid later) and she doesn’t leave too many instructions (okay, she’s down to one page).

But Carren is 100% right. Men can hunt, gather, forage, fix, repair (which is not always the same a fix) build, design, and lift, but I think we are genetically challenged when it comes to baby care. Daddies can tell if the baby crying is a pain/sick/miserable cry, or if it is just crying for the sake of crying cry. We can sleep through the latter, but the former wakes us up. Mommies can’t tell, and they often equate our not waking up with not caring. We care, but we care about sleep, too. Generally, the crying for the sake of crying cry is one that we ignore, realizing that the baby will cry itself to sleep, and we’ll get even more shut eye.

Having said that, daddies must be trained in other things. Diapers are not included here, because if a man can’t operate a diaper without instructions, he is retarded and shouldn’t be allowed to operate a spoon without supervision. Or he’s lying to get out of an unsavory task. New and soon to be daddies: make some cred for yourself. Change the first diapers while mom is still in the hospital. The poop’s black, and looks like oreo paste, but it doesn’t stink, and she’ll think the world of you for it. You’ll still get plenty of fun and excitement with your child’s colorectal adventures for the next three years, but trust me, go ugly early and get over it. From the baby diaper explosion (back of neck, down to wrists, down to feet, and everywhere in between) to the “But why did you poop in the bathtub?” conversation, you will experience all the joys for Fatherhood.

Daddies need to be trained in things like giving medicine—An 18 pound baby doesn’t get a tablespoon of robitussin, even if “that’s what mom always gave me”. Babies can’t eat steak, no matter how small you cut the pieces. You can’t cut the top of a bottle nipple to increase the flow to finish feeding faster. (Well, you can, but not for a six-month old.) You shouldn’t teach the boy that it’s okay to pee outside unless you set limits. “It’s okay to pee in the woods, but not in the sandbox or against the fence at preschool.” There are lots of other things you can imagine we screw up as Men-becoming-daddies. I won’t elaborate further, for fear that the Mrs. will find out some of the things I’ve forgotten to tell her about.

So happy father’s day everyone. I gave myself a gift this year. The Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders came to the FOB last night. I opted out of watching a gaggle 18 year old girls (I’m not exactly sure what defines girls vs. women, but I’m working on it) for sleep. Not that they weren’t an incredible morale booster for the boys, especially after incidents in the last 48 hours 9which I can’t talk about) but just not my cuppa joe. I went to bed around 2000, and woke up at 0700, and it was everything I hoped it could be.

Chuck

By the way, I strongly believe that anyone can be a father. It takes a man to be a dad. (And a bigger man to be a daddy.)

The poor prisoners at GITMO

The prisoners at GITMO. How dare they treat them that way. A few facts, to put it into perspective.

I don't have a toilet in my room. Last month we opened up our first set of real porcelain, and then promptly ran out of water.

I don't have a sink, either.

My bed is constructed of plywood and 2x4s. I built it.

I have a dirt floor.

I get three meals a day, sometimes they are edible. (And I am NOT a picky eater)

I shit in a plastic box. It's called a portajon. I have to walk about 50 feet from the door to get to one (and that's really fun when it means you have to get completely dressed to go piss in the middle of the night.)

I don't have a play area for soccer, we don't have any grass here. We have a spartan gym and our library is donated paperbacks. Taxpayers paid for that too, but they paid out of pocket, because they wanted to. They sent us their books.

Sometimes the AC works, and sometimes not. When it breaks, it can take days to fix. You deal with it.

The tank gets up to about 140 degrees in the heat, the trucks do too, unless the AC is on, then they hover around 90. (No AC in the tank) And you'd better not put the windows down (srapnel has a funny way of coming in through open windows.

Senator Durbin is a retard. If you live in illinois, petition whoever it is you petition and demand a no-confidence vote. I'll bet it's on the books somewhere that the citizenry don't HAVE to wait until the election year.

Fire him. And threaten to lather, rinse, and repeat for any other politicians who pull stunts like this.

Chuck

Tank Porn

Here's a pic of one of my panzers. (I have 14--not that I'm bragging--wait, yes I am.)


And here's another, closer-up picture.



Chuck

A question of interpretation

Alright. I am smart about some things and dumb about others. I need someone smart in math and physics to help me out.
I know that force=mass*acceleration.
My question is, how much force is involved when a kid throws a 4 oz. rock at a vehicle travelling 45 MPH. Assuming the kid is the standard skinny iraqi kid, and throws like a girl, he's mybe throwing what, 30 MPH? Assume the angle from thrower to object is 30 deg. I'll try to draw it.

X (iraqi kid)


___________________________________
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - @__@(vehicle direction of travel is <--thataway)- - - -
___________________________________

Here's what I am getting at. Would the rock hitting an exposed person have deadly force--could it kill you?

Now, the only real argument I've heard is that is that the only person who is exposed is the gunner, and he's supposed to travel down inside the gun shield, so as not to get hit. If that's the case, then a guy standing by the side of the road shooting an AK is not using deadly force, even if the bullets are hitting the truck, because the truck's armor will stop 7.62mm ammunition.

Really, I want to know how much force could that rock hit the truck (or an exposed person) with?

Chuck (The stupid state-schooled guy)

The reason for this exercise lies in the comments section.

From The Mrs...

Disclaimer: I do not write as well as Chuck, so please continue to read his blog daily, as this will probably be my only personal post. Thanks.

After reading Chuck’s blog on a daily basis, reading all of the comments by others, and even adding my own two cents to posts… I thought it was high time I post something from the home front.

Now as I sit here, I am at a loss for words (this never happens, just ask Chuck)! I guess what I want to say first is Thank You. First and foremost, to Chuck and all of the men and women in our Armed Forces: Words can simply not express the feelings I have about all of these brave and honorable men and women, so I won’t try to say them.

Second, I would like to thank all of you who read and respond to Chuck’s blog. I absolutely LOVE to read what my husband writes… he is such an awesome writer and can make me laugh and cry all in the same post! But I also love to read the comments you all make, especially because you are so supportive of Chuck and his brothers (and sisters) in arms.

I was once a soldier, although never deployed. I was medically discharged from the Army in 1999, after serving a mere 17 months on active duty. I injured my back and did NOT want to get out! But then two months later, God told me why I was out of the Army… I was pregnant with our son Creighton and I could not imagine having to ever leave him on a deployment.

Now we have a daughter as well, Adelle, I cherish the fact that I do not have to leave my kids… although a piece of me would give anything to wear the uniform and serve my country again. This is Chuck’s third deployment in the 8 years we have been married. The other two were only 6 months and the current one is 12-18 months. On June 20^th, we will reach the 5 month mark. See, in the past I would be mentally preparing for Chuck to come home in the next month… but now I don’t really think about when he will come home (because we have no idea for sure and won’t for some time), I just pray that God protects him and that when he does come home, all body parts are attached and he is still breathing.

So when was the last time Chuck and I had a phone conversation? May 9^th (our anniversary). He called me and we chatted for about 20 minutes. In his defense, he did call and leave a message on the machine last week and we once attempted to talk over the internet (bad connection, go figure). We also e-mail often. Although it has been quite some time since I got a phone call, I am okay with that. I don’t sit around my house waiting by the phone or the computer (like MANY spouses do). I know my husband is okay. How do I know this if I don’t hear from him? Because I did not receive a phone call from our Rear Detachment telling me he was injured (minor injuries), and no one has showed up on my doorstep to tell me he was killed. For that, I thank God.

Many people ask me, “How do you do it?” I won’t tell you about the many “hats” I wear on a daily basis. I will tell you that I had to make a choice about how I would handle this deployment: 1) Be miserable, make all of those around me miserable, and suffer for the next 12-18 months or 2) Deal with it the best way I possibly can. So I chose number two. I have good days, bad days, and really shitty days, but I am okay with that. It’s called LIFE!!! Fortunately I have my family and friends who give me their unending support. Without them, I would definitely be miserable.

Okay, I think I’m done now. Please continue to support our Armed Forces… without them; we would be fighting in our own back yards!

To Chuck: I love you, I miss you, I support you, and I can NOT wait to see you!!!

P.S. In case you all haven’t realized, Chuck is a brilliant man with a lot to say. Sorry ladies, he’s taken!

God’s Speed.

--Carren

And he's a Preacher???

I am here to defend people’s rights to do this.

And to defend people’s rights to keep and bear arms.

And the right to be tried by a jury of their peers.

And to accept the verdict of not guilty by reason of (Temporary) insanity.

I’m not advocating murder. But everyone goes a little crazy once in a while. And If he showed up at my funeral, I know several friends who would gladly exercise their freedom of expression with ½ oz. of lead.

I honestly can’t say what I would do if this guy came to a funeral I was attending. But I really think I’d take the flag off of the casket, tie it around his neck and hang him by it from a light pole.

Some people don’t deserve their rights. Some people make excellent cases for post-partum abortion.

Chuck

Not My Son...

The Boston Globe is at it again. This piece describes a mother's fear and discouragement of her son joining the military.

I don't want to be here. Duty is why I am here. I know that is a foreign concept to some people. You support your nation. Especially in times like these.

I really miss my family. But they understand why I am here. Have you ever had to explain to a five year old boy that you are going away and may never come back? Have you had to put it in words that he would understand? Take out WMDs, Take out global politics. It boils down to this:

“Daddy has to go to a place called Iraq. It is very far away. There are bad people there. Daddy is going to kill them, and they are trying to kill me. Daddy is one of the good guys, and the good guys fight the bad guys. Sometimes the good guys win, and sometimes the good guys get killed. But daddy doesn't want the bad guys to come here and hurt you and mommy and Adelle. I love you too much to let that happen. Even if it means that I may die.”

So discourage your son. Tell him there are other ways to "serve." Tell him to carry a sign, protest, do whatever he wants, but stay at home and be safe. Be a sheep, because other men will take it upon themselves to be sheepdogs and protect you from the wolves.

Feel free to question their methods and motives. Feel free to burn the flag they wear on their uniforms. Feel free to do what you want to do with your life, because they have bled, they have sacrificed; they have given more to you than you will ever give to them.

Just don't ever look them in the eye and call them brother.

Don't ever consider that you are a peer of these men and women. Because they know what sacrifice means. They know what freedom is, and what it costs. They know what it feels like to be scared to their very souls and continue to fight.

I would like to talk to her son. I would not glorify or even try to otherwise recruit him. I would simply tell him that in a couple of years, he will have the option to join. He will be able to make that decision of his own free will, which, in and of itself is a freedom that was guaranteed by the blood of so many others like me. He will not be pressed into service; he will not be forced to serve. He is able to make the choice, like so many others, to do what he wants to do. To do what he thinks is right.

If able to serve, do so. If not, support those who do. Protesting doesn’t support the nation any more than not voting supports a candidate. Simply, I don’t like what you are doing so I am going to protest it to show that I don’t support what you are doing. Because I live in a free country, where I can say/do what I want, I will protest, which shows my support for my rights, and in turn, the country. If you represent my county, and I don’t support you, I still support you by protesting you, because my protesting shows how much freedom I have.

I’m sorry if that doesn’t make sense. I can’t make it make sense no matter how many times I write it.

There’s a rant in here somewhere. I’ll make it very brief, as I have a meeting to get to.

Stay at home and protest all you want. Don’t support me, or my government. I would be here regardless of who was in office, if not here, then elsewhere doing the same thing. Be safe, be happy, live your life. But don’t ever think that I will consider you equal, because without me, you wouldn’t be able to do any of it.

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

John Stuart Mill
English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)

Chuck

Getting Famous

I received an e-mail today from a reporter at the Boston Herald. He is doing a piece on Milblogs, and liked my work and wanted to quote me. This is what he wrote:

Capt. Ziegenfuss,

I read your blog about "terps." Very funny. I also loved your blog about the Globe. I'm a reporter for the rival Boston Herald, so I appreciate the jab at them. I'm writing a story about these on-line reports from the front and would like to use some of your stuff. In particular the story about the city council was interesting and an angle of the war that I don't think has been discussed thus far. I can't remember reading a story in the Times or Post about city council meetings in Iraq that had the insider's view. But, If you have a second to email me about why you blog? Who you are writing for (your audience)? What do other soldiers thing about it? Anything that comes to mind, I'd appreciate it. The other thing I'm looking for is any military blogger from Massachusetts. If you know of one or could put me in touch with one I'd be obliged to you. Thanks again for your time,

O'Ryan Johnson,

fka Cpl. Johnson USMC.

I think he's one of the "Good Guys." The "USMC" after his name carries a lot of weight with me, and although I tell my fair share of Jarhead jokes, I do respect Uncle Sam's Misguided Children. They (like me) are proof that Brue Force and Ignorance can carry the day much better than Nuances.
So I wrote this reply:
I don't know of any milbloggers in Massachusetts, but I'd check over at the mudvillegazette (http://www.mudvillegazette.com) for them.
I'll let you use my works, under the following conditions (A few provisos, if you will)
1. Quote me fully. If you use an Ellipses, then finish the quote (something the Globe Reporters shoulda learned in English 101.
2. Use quotes in context. Don't extract a verse and make a sermon out of a sentence.
3. Please, don't portray the military in a bad light or my Blog as portraying the military in a bad light. I love what what I do and would walk away in a minute if I didn't think what I was doing was right. This is my way of living.
I know, journalistic freedom, First Amendment, etc. I really just don't want bad press to become the focus of my blog (I've met reporters out here that do great work).
Now then, the questions:

Why do you blog? I blog because I needed a hobby. Something to do in my down time, especially the time after mission and before bed, when the adrenaline is pumping and there's no possibility of sleeping until it goes away. I wanted to keep a journal of some of the things I did here, and why. I wanted something to show the boy when he's old enough. I am (relatively) computer savvy, and had read other blogs and thought it'd be worth a shot.
Who you are writing for (your audience)? Initially, I was writing just to write. I didn't have any audience, I was just posting into the void. Two weeks later, I have had over 15,000 readers (I'll bet the Herald would like to see a spike in readership like that) and have gotten mail and comments from South Africa and the Netherlands, as well as from a LOT of the "Folks Back Home." So I suppose my audience is largely the people who realize that they don't hear about what is going on over here in a "Fair and Balanced" manner. At home in Kansas (where I am currently assigned [i.e. where the family is and where I deployed from] the local news has the "World Minute" where they talk about, among other things, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and EVERYTHING ELSE that happened in the world.
Honestly, Mr. and Mrs. America really don't care whether Jacko is a pedophile, or if the EU can't get a constitution ratified, or if David Tsang is the next Grand Poobah of Hong Kong (another cheap shot at the Globe, that's the headline carried on google news right now with their story). The people that read my blog and who write to me are incredibly interested in what we are doing here, what life is like, how we react to the locals and how they react to us. And they aren't getting that info in traditional media. For instance, after the Fall of Baghdad, how many embeds have you seen in the news? How many journalists pony up for a Year away from home to tell our story? We'll see reporters come and go, get their story and head off to greener pastures (If it bleeds, it reads). There are almost 70 soldiers in my company, almost seventy of America's sons. Each one of them is a human interest story in and of itself. Each one has different reasons for being here, each one h
as a family at home. And the mainstream media could care less about them unless they are bleeding or broken by the side of the road.
Ernie Pyle wasn't the Last Great "In the Trenches" reporter. Neither was Joe Galloway. But they shared a common thread. They actually lived with the soldiers, got time to know them, and never, NEVER, showed them in a bad light. They told the people at home what was going on, how alien or familiar things could be, and their stories gave people hope.
So I write for them. I write for my soldiers. I write to give the folks at home an understanding of what life is like here. I write about things that interest me. I write my opinions, plain and unabashed. Of course my writing is biased. I am not constrained by $$$ or public opinion. This is my soapbox. I write so that my wife will know if I am doing okay. (I still write her, but the posts generally let her know what I am up to.) I write to keep my sense of humor. It allows me to absorb and digest what goes on around here, and make inline comments about it. And I write about issues at home, because I am interested in what is going on in the land I love so much I would leave it to defend it.
What do other soldiers think about it? The comments I get from other soldiers are also 100% positive. Some are interested professionally, "Wow, I didn't think anyone was doing X over here." "I hadn't thought about doing things that way." and also just soldiers who enjoy the reading. I make them laugh, I make them remember, I give them hope that they too are not screaming into the void. But mostly, I think I make them laugh. And that is sometimes more valuable than anything else.
I'd love to read (and link) to your article when it is finished.

Chuck

Up Next, My reply to a guy doing a PBS documentary...

This isn't hot, it's retarded.

Its 127 freakin' degrees outside. That's DAMN hot. And it isn't even summer. I have to go to a combat stress control class--more on that later.

Chuck

Note to self: Terps

Note to self: a good interpreter is priceless, unless you like blank stares.

One of my checkpoints was attacked tonight. It was manned by one of my IA partnership platoons. It was more of a drive-by and mortaring than an all-out assault, but the initial report (which is almost always wrong) said they were under attack.

Off I go with the QRF. We arrive on site and all's quiet. The IA had dispatched one of their platoons and they were already on the ground, securing the area. Good. They're getting better every day. I walk up to the Sergeant that is in charge of the checkpoint, and look for the Terp. My QRF platoon brought one of the interpreters assigned to my company. I had given my interpreter the day off (he gets one day every 10 off) to go see his family. Moose is the best interpreter in my company. Aside from a detailed knowledge of the area, he's a former AIF arms dealer and knows a lot about the bad guys. (And he's not still AIF. My IA company commander is his uncle and would kill him personally.) So I am in a comfort zone with Moose.

DJ is the second best in the company. He's just as skilled as moose, but still hides behind a mask because he is afraid of retribution against him and his family. It annoys me that he does this, so I usually parcel him out to whichever platoon has a mission. We have four other terps, one we call Whiskey who is pretty good and three others whose names I haven't bothered to learn because I hate the blank stares they give me when I ask them questions. They speekee ingrish like I speekee ancient aramaic. I don't know how they got hired. Perhaps they can do alright at the "see dick run" test, but in the "commander on the ground trying to develop the situation" test, they forgot their slide rule, blue book, crib notes, calculator, pencil, and Ritalin.

Which terp do you think came along for the ride? I don't know. Because he's one of the ones whose name I hadn't bothered to learn. I'll just call him dumbass.

I am trying to figure out three things: Where did the attackers come from and where did they go, is anybody injured, and are there any detainees.

Me (addressing the IA Sergeant (SGT)): “Where did the attackers come from and where did they go?”
Dumbass: Silence.
Me (looking away from the SGT now and at the terp): "Ask Him!"
Dumbass: "What?"
Me (getting ticked, but realizing I talk fast): "Where. did. the. attackers. come. from. and. where. did. they. go?"
Dumbass: “I don’t know where are they.”

Me: “Hey dumbass, ask him the question.”

Dumbass (Klingon Arabic): “He say attackers are gone.”

Me: “You don’t say. That esplains why no one is shooting right now.”

Dumbass: “What?”

Me: “Never mind. Is anyone hurt?”

Dumbass: “I am okay.”

Me: “Not you; ask the IA SGT if any one is hurt.”
Dumbass (Klingon Arabic):

Me: “Well?”

Dumbass: “What?”

Me: “What did he say?”

Dumbass: “He said the attackers come from over here. (points)”

Me: “Are you retarded?”

Dumbass: “What?”

And so it went for another five minutes. At that point I realized that I needed to A) get hold of someone who could speak English and Arabic, and B) go to the IA headquarters and find out what they knew. It’s 1130 at night and I really just wanted to go to bed.

I get the IA SGT to the HMMWV and call the BN. They keep a terp on standby to monitor the IA radio, and I got him on the net. I explained what I needed to know, and gave the IA SGT a quick class on how to make the hand mic work. (Push the button to talk, release to listen—it’s not that hard, but you’d be surprised...) Two minutes later I had the info I needed. I sent three trucks to pick up DJ, (whom I thought they had when they rolled out) and secured the checkpoint with the IA (they didn’t need us there, but they feel better when we’re there.)

Off to the IA Headquarters for the hour-long 15 minute conversation. I let my PL go and do the grip and grin, I stayed in the truck. Otherwise they’d have tried to feed me, and I have a long drive tomorrow and didn’t need the PBS. Back home again at 0100, up thinking and stewing and cooling down for three hours to get up and go at it again tomorrow (today). Joy.

Chuck

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, US Army. For the last 230 years, you've stood by the nation through thick and thin, protecting her in times of trouble, helping her and her allies in times of need, and crushing those who would oppose her. Above all, always keeping her free by protecting the lofty ideals of the United States Constitution.

And an even happier birthday to SPC G's new boy, who was born two days ago. The problem discussed earlier here has been addressed, thank you to all who called or wrote .


Chuck

Dogs and Guns

I can’t remember how I got there, but I ended up reading this post about a dog saving a boy. It takes place in Chicago. The neighbor’s pit bull gets loose, goes on a rampage, and attacks a homeowner and then a 12 year old boy. Homeowners Lab attacks neighbors pit bull, fights valiantly, gets beaten soundly, and pit bull runs into homeowner’s house. Cops arrive, shoot pit bull nine times, pit bull is later euthanized.

The Chicago Sun-times hails it as the best dog story ever. I see it a bit differently. The dog’s owner was fined for not properly securing the dog and not having a dog permit. The boy the dog attacked was sent to the hospital. The Lab will need surgery.

I have several issues with this

1. Handguns are severely restricted in Chicago. This homeowner may have had access to a rifle or shotgun, but the close-in nature of the engagement made their use unacceptable

2. Guns are bad, but pit bull (a dog with no sporting purpose other than savage attacks) is okay

3. The owner of the dog got a ticket for not keeping his dog leashed

4. Cops had to shoot the dog nine times with 9mm and .38

Had the pit bull attacked my child, I would separate the dog from my child (or any child) with my bare hands if I had to, and then proceed to kill the dog (again, with my bare hands, if need be.) It’s too bad that the citizens of Chicago are not allowed (by law) the tools necessary to protect themselves.

Not all pit bulls are bad. Some are very sweet. Until precious has your daughter’s throat between her teeth. Killer bees are very docile. (Right until they are agitated, and then attack with uncommon vigor.) Would you let your neighbor keep them in the back yard? It is a breed of dog that should be hunted down to extinction.

The owner of the dog should be held accountable for a violent attack on a child and punished accordingly. If my dog were to attack a child (that hadn’t provoked him) the dog would find itself going on a one way trip to the woods with me and a shovel. The owner failed to secure the dog, and the dog attacked. What if the owner had left a loaded firearm in the driveway and the neighbor’s kids found it and were playing with it and shot a child? Would the man then go to jail? You bet your ass he would.

The police had to shoot NINE TIMES to stop the dog from attacking, and it still wasn’t dead. Indeed; having shot my fair share of dogs, they are harder to kill than you’d think. 9mm is not a preferred pistol round for this (or any other, IMHO) application. .38 even less so. Cops should carry big-bore weapons, either .45 or better. After the dog went down from the first volley, one of the cops should have “checked his work” and put one right through the dogs’ eyes. Blind dogs don’t attack so well.

So there you have it. A Heroic dog story that was a heroic dog story because one neighbor couldn’t protect herself, her family, or her property from an attacker. Good thing the dog was there. If the homeowner had been a cat fancier, would we be reading about a dead child, mauled by a pit bull? If she had been a member of the nation of riflemen, would this have made the evening news?

Something to think about.

Definitely going gun shopping when I get home.

Chuck

Retrofemales

A retrofemale’s role is to be the wife, listen to all the bullshit, and take care of the kids. Enough of the feminist “feel sorry for me because I have a vagina” nonsense.

Know your role and shut up!

If you’re a lesbian that’s your choice, but if you’re gonna strap on a dildo, what’s the point? The idea of a relationship is to not fully understand why the opposite sex does what they do. (We will never understand the comfort of a guy’s palm connected to his ball sack.)

Know your role and shut up!

Flowers are great, but they die. Don’t feel bad if you get them once a year (if that). Guy’s don’t buy shit for the sake of buying shit, and they don’t want to invest their hard-earned money on something that’s going to die. (Period)

Know your role and shut up!

Women birth their children. If you’re a good mom, you’re children would rather you wipe their ass. (So don’t get pissed when they call for you, and nag at your husband to help out.)

Know your role and shut up!

Don’t get your panties in a bunch if your mate doesn’t notice you’ve cut or colored your hair. He loves you no matter what you look like. If it makes you feel good to go from blonde to red, and get a dyke slice, do it for you. (Cause they usually don’t notice, or care.)

Know your role and shut up!

When you ask your mate how you look in an outfit, know that he’s lying. You know if you look fat, so buy some shaping undergarments, or wear a fucking sweat suit. (You set yourself up for failure.)

Know your role and shut up!

If your mate makes a comment about you gaining weight or doesn’t like something about you, take it as a compliment. He wants his wife to be hot. (You should always want their approval.)

Know your role and shut up!

If your husband wants a night out with the guys, that’s great. You’re turn will be next, and they don’t do anything that any other guy doesn’t do: Check out hot chicks. It’s human nature to stare at something that looks good. (Get over it.)

Know your role and shut up!

When your mate shows you some affection, you know what he wants. Beat him to the sack and fuck his brains out. Don’t feel sorry for yourself because he only shows it when he’s in the mood. (It gets old for everyone after a couple of years, who are you kidding?)

Know your role and shut up!

If you are a stay at home mom, that’s what you chose to do. Take care of the house, take care of the kids like you are their slave, and have dinner ready when your husband gets home. (It’s your job!)

Know your role and shut up!

If you are married to someone in the military don’t try to get pity because they are overseas. I have great compassion for those wives, husbands, and families. It’s sad that war happens, but that is their job. (You chose to marry the guy.)

Know your role and shut up!

If you don’t like sports, learn to love them. Take the time to learn the strategy of sports; it could work in your favor. This is unless your mate is a METROsexual. If that is the case, you may as well be a lesbian. (You don’t want your mate to be prettier than you are.)

If you want a lifetime of happiness just know your role and shut up!

~Sarah.

That's right campers, this was written my a woman (and certifiable hot chick) Don't even think about being mean to her, or she'll hunt you down seduce your wife or girlfriend, tell everyone how your ex went lesbian rather than be with you, and then dump her (Sarah is, last time I checked, VERY straight)

Double Whammy

The Brigade Commander stopped by with a couple of reporters today. A Man and a Woman. I'll reserve my comments on their appearance because I don't have anything nice to say about them.
I may get stuck with them sometime in the next week. I really don't mind getting embeds for roll around with, I always try to get them to where they can see the real army, and tell our story.
But not these two.
The first strike: They're French. I'd rather cart around lepers.
The second strike: They work for the French edition of Newsweek.

Are you shitting me?

I don't know if I will get them assigned to me, but I have a plan. You see, our trucks have air conditioning. It's a must because the added armor and the turbocharger just dumps heat into the cabin. The A/C manages to keep it bearable, down to about 85 degrees. Without it, the temps are much like sitting in your car in the summer with the windows up and the heater on. It will very quicky get to 140 and stay there.

So If I get these two, the AC on my truck will have to "malfunction". Me and te boys on my truck can stand say, four hours (from 10am to 2pm) boiling in our own juices. Just gotta drink a LOT of water. And every time they get out of the truck, the AC can mysteriously start working again, so that my crew can cool off.
I know, it's petty. But you gotta do something to break up the monotony.

So if you read a story about equipment failures causing soldiers to suffer, and it comes from Newsweek, you'll know why.

Chuck

On leaving

Greyhawk over at Mudville gazette has written a song. More appropriately, he wrote a post that was written into a song by a band called 3db. Give the song a listen here and read the post here. If you aren't touched, you have no heart.

Chuck

Some things to remember:

The rules. These covern conduct of behavior in the comments.

1. I am #1.
2. I make the rules
3. I am right, if you agree with me, you are right. If you don’t agree, you didn’t understand what I said, and the fault is with you
   
4. Don’t pick on Carren
5. I don't have to see it your way
6. Cussing comes with the Blog
7. Opposing opinions are allowed (nay, encouraged), regardless of how stupid they are, but rule #1 still applies

The great jerky debate

I figured I’d better weigh in on the Jerky wars. I like beef jerky. Hell, I’ve made beef jerky. It has the two things that sustain life: salt and red meat. Now, I’m not a big fan of the slim-jim stuff; way too much grease. (Buy one at the local 7-11 and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to see what I mean.) I’m also not a big fan of the stamped out jerky—the stuff that comes in cans, exactly the same size for each piece. Generally, it’s flavorless, also greasy, and just unappealing.

Real jerky, on the other hand, YUM! I’ve made it through many missed meals on a pound of jerky. (And then drank water. That’ll fill you up!) Sure, my cholesterol and sodium levels go through the roof. I’ll probably die of a heart attack, provided all these bullets don’t kill me first. I’ve never seen a soldier turn it down. The boys really do like the stuff.

One reason that I really like it is a good piece of jerky can get you through an entire meeting, if you let it get soft and chew slowly. It gives you something to do while staff goobs (hey, I did 5 years on staff) prattle on about their daily accomplishments and give new suspenses and requirements.

There. I’m in the “For” column on jerky.

Chuck

My wife thinks I'm a Retard

Finish your drink, (lest you spray it on your computer) and go here. (sound familiar Carren?)
Chuck

A Day in the life, Part 2.

This was a long day a while back…

It started with simple highway clearance. I also had to go to a town and pass out leaflets describing a guy’s terrorist’s death and why he was blown into little bitty pieces for shooting at me killed.

So we're passing out these flyers and realize that there's a LOT of people hanging around. (Which is a good thing, because empty streets=bad shit about to go down) Then I see a flock of penguins, and it dawns on me... It's his funeral. And we're passing out flyers explaining why his killing was justified. Jeebus. Why me?

I end up talking to the local sheik and the brother of Deadguy. Deadguy 's Brother actually has the balls to hit me up for compensation! I told him to get bent. I don't pay the families of people who try to kill me. And then we left.

On the way back to the FOB, we had to drag another(!) dead bull off the road shoulder. There's like 3 or 4 rotting carcasses out there. It's like some great cow dying ground.

Then I had lunch. All this nonsense happened between 0815 and noon.

That afternoon, I had to arrest one of my police chiefs for financing the attack on my IA headquarters. Turns out this guy is not just former Fedeyeen Saddam but he was a LTC and an MI officer to boot! How do these people get vetted to take these jobs? (I have a sneaky suspicion INS set up the vetting process) So his arrest (ever try to take a police chief out of his station with all his cops around?) was fun, to say the least. Then I raided his house. And then his brother's house. And then his uncles house.

After we were done raiding, I was hanging out with the commander of my IA company (who is doing much better, by the way, after getting blown up) and we get a call on his radio that one of his LT's, LT Ali (The big one, not the little one--It's how I differentiate between the two Ali's) has a tip on the location of the #4 target in our AO. Off we go to raid another house. Well, of course the shithead isn't there. But his brother is two doors down, and we tag and bag him.

The IA invite us back to their HQ for chow (Roast Goat, Veggies, flatbread and an Eggs and tomato dip that is surprisingly yummy) and of course, Chai Tea.
Have I told you about chai? Make a strong cup of tea but use about 3 oz of water instead of a whole cup. Add a tablespoon of sugar. Drink while boiling hot, in a tiny cup. Believe it or not, it's addictive. I haven’t slept in three days, and my teeth are brown, but it’s yummy.

After chow, it's statement gathering time from the IA. Then back to the FOB to back brief the Boss, debrief the Deuce, inventory the stuff we seized in the raids, and process the detainee.

So now it's 2 AM, and I've been going since 0600. I swear, when I get home, I'm not going to sleep for 3 days in a row, just because I won't be burning a lot of energy... well, maybe the first few nights I will…

Chuck