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October 01, 2004



A Quandary

I have always been vehemently anti-tobacco products of any kind and my son heard my lectures from early childhood. One of the casualties of his last deployment was his promise to me that he'd never smoke. Long nights in the desert, sweltering in full battle gear, trying to stay awake. Nicotine is a stimulant and he said it was better than pulling out nose hairs to stay awake. So, he came back with a smoking habit.

When he deployed this time, he knew that tobacco would be in short supply. And there is no PX in his camp. So, he arranged with a person he thought he could trust to send him supplies on a regular basis. That will not be happening. And as his mother, I just cannot send him tobacco. I love him dearly and will mail all things good to eat, read, and wear. I won't do tobacco.

So, I told him that I'd find someone else who would supply this habit, if he promised he'd quit when he was through with his last deployment. However, my friends are all non-smokers too. I'm wondering if there is someone out there who would send him an occasional supply - I'd reimburse out of his savings account.

Here's his e-mail response to my offer:

Hey, if they can just send a carton, and if possible, 2 cans of copenhagen long cut, and two cans of skoal apple dip. I know thats pushing it but its not just for me. Trust me that stuff is like gold over here. anyways I appriciate what your doing, Trust me the last thing Im worried about right now is lung cancer. Thanks mom.

If anyone out there can help, please e-mail me and I'll send his mailing address.

Posted by Deb at 11:04 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack





Pe makhe dersha - Last Update from Afghanistan

Major S., who has sent along occasional updates is coming home. Here is his last report from the field:

Hello family and friends,

Khware me shay,
(A common Afghan greeting meaning "may you not be terrible.")

Here's an excerpt from my journal for one morning a few weeks ago. This is the first day of the incoming civil affairs team being in Lashkar Gah. These guys are my new best friends. They are here to swap out with me! Again keep in mind, that this is their first day on the job.

Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan

5:30 amI awake to the sound of call to prayer from the mosque across the street. I'm not the only one up, Ralph the mouse runs across the room. After scraping a razor across my face, I choke down some eggs and bacon.
6:30 amCheck email and review the intelligence summary for the previous day.
7:30 amConduct a team meeting and review the missions and timelines for the day.
8:15 amAnother meeting. We review current and planned reconstruction projects and strategy to support the Afghan elections.
9:40 amOne of our soldiers approaches me with a sense of urgency that signals something is wrong. A local office manager for a construction company that does quite a bit of work for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) came is at our gate. One of his employees was involved in an attack earlier that morning. The injured man was taken to the hospital in Lashkar Gah (the same hospital in which I'm renovating the OB/GYN wing). We quickly mount up (got into our vehicles) and drive to the hospital.
10:05 amAs we enter the hospital compound, the scene is sheer pandamonium. A large crowd of people had formed outside the building and the mob continued down the hallways of the hospital. Many were armed with AK47s, but are slung on their shoulders. I immediately recoginze several of the armed men. Some are local police while others are police from a nearby district. Most of the onlookers gawk at a truck parked at the entrance to the hospital. Our small convoy of trucks pulls up to the entrance and US soldiers take up defensive positions. I grab one of the local policemen to clear the area. He doesn't have much trouble, since many of the men moved out of the way when they saw us arrive. I stopped to look at the truck everyone was so curious about and immediately saw why. Numerous bullets holes penetrated the front and one side of the vehicle. The windshield was intact, but you could barely see out of it. The passenger seat told a very grim story. It's occupant lost alot of blood. Bloody, unidentifiable material filled the rest of the cab.

A few of us, including one of our medics, enter the hospital. The chaos inside was worse than it was outside. Faces quickly turned to us as we entered the building and the sea of people part before us. On the other end, I meet my friend Dr. Aniatullah, the Provincial Minister of Health and chief administrator for the hospital. We warmly, but briefly greet each other and he leads me down the hallway to a room. Inside, medical personnel surround a man on a table and our medic joins them.

10:20 amI leave the room to speak with the local authorities to find out more information. I recognize more familiar faces...the deputy provincial intelligence chief, the local Afghan National Army investigator and other security personnel. The greetings with these men are sincere, but seemingly out of place for the environment in which we were in. I was thankful for the relationships I had worked on establishing in preparation for difficult times like this. Previous efforts were paying off.
10:35 amI soon learn that the man our medic was working on was actually the shooter involved in the attack. The man we came to see was in another room. The first man was in bad shape. He was classified as "urgent surgical" and the hosptial did not have the facilities to handle it. The injury met the requirements for a medical evacuation by US personnel to a US hospital (life, limb or eyesight) and we got on the radio and called it in. After completing an assessment of the first man, our medic was directed to the second man, the man we originally came for. A few moments later, our medic reported in that the second man met the same criteria for medical evacuation.

I coordinate with the local police to have all unnecessary personnel removed
from the hallways and the front of the hospital as well as the streets surrounding a nearby soccer stadium be blocked off. The local police respond quickly.

While waiting for the chopper, I investigate the incident further. It turns
out that there were three men in the truck that was parked in front of the
hospital. The attack was a successful assasination of a local Afghan Militia Commander who was working with us. We had worked together a few months ago to destroy illegal heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft guns. The Commander's son was the one who worked for the construction company and the second man we are evacuating. His nephew was the driver of the vehicle. He was visibly shaken, but unhurt. His clothes matched the passenger seat to the truck parked out front.

We collect the personal effects of the shooter and quickly learn that he truly was a bad dude. He was hard core Al-Qaida. He was ours. Our team's first capture! My primary job here is not to bag terrorists, it's reconstruction, but it was a nice feeling to take a terrorist off the street.

11:55 amWe recieve confirmation that the helicopter is minutes away, I ask the Afghan hospital personnel to load up the patients into waiting ambulances and we escort them to the soccer stadium.
12:20 pmAnother team of US soldiers have secured the inner part of the stadium. The sound of rotors blades hitting the air could be heard in the distance. A soldier pulls the pin on a smoke grenade to mark the landing zone. A large crowd forms outside the stadium, but the local police holds them back at a safe distance. An Apache gunship orbits overhead scanning the surroundings for threats while the Blackhawk medical chopper touches down.
12:35 pmAfter collecting the patients, the Blackhawk leaps into the air and speeds to Khandahar to provide treatment at the US hospital there. Another mission complete.

The rest of the day is uneventful compared to the morning. The rest of the day's missions included visits to some school projects, a well that we are drilling and more meetings with local officials and contractors.

This will be my last newsletter from Afghanistan. I am on my way back to the US. I expect to be on active duty once I return for another month or so and revert to my reserve status again, but I won't know that until it actually happens. I am looking forward to getting back home in time to be with family for the Holidays. I am looking forward to some "downtime" to unwind from this tour. A few us were commenting on how nice it will be to jump in the car and not have to put on a kelvar vest and tote a rifle and pistol around!

Here's a couple of pics.

The one titled "me and the boys" is with Sergeant King and our intepreters. Sergeant King was instrumental in getting the mission done. He embodies the term "quiet professional."
The second pic was taken at a nearby Special Forces forward operating base (FOB) just before taking off for my last helicopter ride to Khandahar.


I want thank everyone for their words of support and encouragement. They were very helpful in getting through this last year. I especially want to thank my wife Shannon for being a hero and holding down the home front.

Pe makhe dersha,
Jagran Mitch

(Pe makhe dersha is an Afghan farewell, literally meaning "face the good."
To the locals I am "Jagran Mitch" which is Major Mitch in English.)
Major, Civil Affairs Officer
Lashkar Gah Provincial Recontruction Team
Operation Enduring Freedom- Afghanistan

Posted by Deb at 10:56 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack



September 30, 2004



Media perspective by a journalist

Tim Chavez, reporter for The Tennessean is one of my heroes and this story is one reason why. He quotes LtCol Jim Rose who is currently working in Samarra. Here's an excerpt:

"Samarra is a beaming success story over here," writes Lt. Col Jim Rose, a Tennessee Marine whose parents live in Old Hickory. "We were getting ready for a take-down there right after Najaf. We told the locals, 'Hey, see what happened in Najaf? Is that what you want? Cause we're coming.' It took the locals about two days to get the bad guys out."

Rose is based in the Sunni Triangle. That's where most U.S. casualties occur, where the Sunnis are supportive of terrorists coming in. Fallujah is there, along with Samarra and Najaf, where Marines drove terrorists out of one of Islam's holiest shrines.

Rose verified a message I received from another Marine officer in Iraq. He provided perspective missing in the media: "Those achievements, more than anything else ? account for the surge in violence in recent days ? especially the violence directed at Iraqis by the insurgents. Both in Najaf and Samarra, ordinary people stepped out and took sides with the Iraqi government against the insurgents, and the bad guys are hopping mad. They are trying to instill fear once again."

Rose asked: "Why isn't the media covering Samarra?"

Instead, we get what reader Jim League of Smyrna complains about. He cited a picture and story featured at the top of Page 13A in Saturday's Tennessean:

"The perhaps 100 protesters get front-and-center billing, and the impression is that all of Iraq is unhappy. What is missing is perspective. Imagine a foreigner perusing the front page of The Tennessean. He reads about a 15-year-old-boy being chained to his bed for six weeks. Would he be justified in believing that all parents in America constrain their children? If he had no perspective and if his impression was selectively reinforced by subtle media or political pundits, this could be possible."

Exactly. And what we get on TV is also just one side. Consider this story Rose saw reported: "I was going through the battle damage assessment at my desk with NBC's Today on the TV. The attack occurred in the middle of the night. I had the footage of the attack on my computer, and here's Katie Couric (or whoever hosts it) showing the same bomb location.}

"I had pictures of the bombed vehicles, which is how I knew she was talking about the same location. The next shot is kids being carried into a hospital. We had eyes on this for a long time. If there were kids in there, they were toting weapons or the terrorists used them as human shields. ?"

"I went to our Combat Operations Center and walked into them watching the same thing. I verified what I thought and spoke with our intelligence guys. They said the whole thing was staged and probably old footage. They track the footage and have seen repeat footage shown in the past. They also said to look at the footage and see if it makes sense. More often than not, it doesn't ? pulling a child from rubble with relatively clean clothes. "

Is NBC wrong and the Marines right? Americans deserve both sides to make up their minds.

"The Najaf shrine ? HUNDREDS of dead women and children were brought out after Sadr left," Rose wrote. "They (Sadr's supporters) rounded them up during the battle and brought them in to be executed. Why? Because they anticipated the Americans would eventually enter the shrine and walk into a media ambush. We never went in. The people of Najaf love us right now because of that. They hate Sadr and want him dead."

''Have you heard that one yet (in the media)?''

No we haven't. We just get one side. That's bad journalism ? by a news media acting in concert with Kerry.

Posted by Deb at 03:54 PM | Comments (1)





Two hugs a day

Cheryl, new Marine Mom, is getting extra support at home:

I am a relatively new Marine mom. My son, Alex, is stationed at Camp Pendleton at SOI but has already been told they will be going to the sandbox, so I read all the posts and sit and worry and pray about the future, not just for my son, but for all our troops. But, I have to tell you something that happened this week that gave me strength.

I have four other children besides my Marine. My youngest, Eric, is 6 years old and he idolizes his big brother. In fact, when Alex was home on leave, Alex and another Marine walked Eric to first grade. They were on their way to their high school to talk, so they were dressed in their dress blues. All the problems Eric had with older boys picking on him on the playground went away when those boys saw Eric escorted by two handsome young Marines. Alex stayed until school started and answered their questions and let them touch his uniform. Since Alex stands 6'4", he looked like a giant standing next to all those first graders!

Anyway, I love to watch the Waltons and the other day the show was on where Ben is in a Japanese prison camp and then the family finds out he is alive. I'll admit it, I cry about that stuff! Anyway, I had tears in my eyes and Eric asked me if I was sad because I missed Alex. I said, "well, I'm really kind of crying about this dumb show, but I really do miss Alex too." Then Eric hugged me and said, "Did Alex sit on your lap and hug you when you cried when he was little like me?" I said, "Yes, Alex used to sit on my lap and give me hugs too." Eric looked incredulous and he said, "Alex was once little like me and he sat on your lap?" I said, "Yes, but now he's too big to sit on my lap."

Eric hugged me tight and said, "Mom, don't be sad. I'll give you two hugs a day - okay? One from me and one from Alex until Alex comes home." And, each morning and each evening, he does just that - he hugs me one for him and an extra tight hug that is from Alex.

It made me realize that this just doesn't affect me, it affects the rest of our families too. Sometimes I tend to have tunnel vision and think that I'm the only one lying awake at night worrying and praying. Hugs from Marines are great, but so are hugs from little brothers of Marines!

Any hug is great, but I'm still partial to Marine hugs.

Posted by Deb at 03:26 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack



September 29, 2004



Dragon's Lair

Here's another update from USMC Major S. in Afghanistan:

Dear Family and Friends,

Afghanistan's voter registration window ended last month. It is a very exciting time to see democracy blossom and a nation come to life. The success of voter registration was remarkable with over 10 million people registered. The performance easily meets the United Nations' minimum requirement in order to meet legitimacy. In the province in which I work, they needed 380,000 registered to meet the minimum requirement. The final number put them over the goal with over 450,000. Even with so many people registered, many were complaining that they couldn't get their voter registration cards. The UN ran out of card laminate and pre-printed card stock.

The local Afghan leadership supported the process unseen like any emerging democracy before it. It is rule by gun in Afghanistan, but many took it too far. Afghan Militia Force checkpoints started asking people who wanted to pass to show their voter registration cards. If they couldn't produce it, they had to pay. This is Afghan democracy with a spin. These incidences are not widespread in the country, but it happened enough to get reported fairly often. Women were also registering to vote, but nowhere near the numbers of men. At best, the females registered were somewhere around 15%. Still a long way to go, but it is a start.

One of our soldiers started talking to some school age children while we were on a mission the other day. The kids had their school bags with textbooks with them as they walked home from school. He asked to see one of the textbooks and was shocked at what he saw.

The book had several pages in it with pictures describing math. Remember the picture textbooks that show 2 apples plus 2 apples equals 4 apples? The book had the same thing, but only it had 2 machine guns plus 2 machine guns equals 4 machine guns! The picture math continued throughout the book with hand grenades, knives, and bullets.

This curriculum was generated during the time of the Taliban. New curriculum and new textbooks have not been completed and printed yet, so they are using the old textbooks. There are still a few hardliners in the transitional government, so this is not happening as quickly as it could.

With curriculum such as this in existence.some US citizens don't get it as to why we are here. The Taliban were teaching their kids to be terrorists at the most basic level.

We've completed a trip last week that marks a milestone in my travels here. We conducted a mission located where known Taliban live and where we get extensive "troops in contact." Since we were traveling in a high threat area, we rode almost purely in up armored hummvees. There is a certain sense of security you feel when riding in these trucks. We received a timely shipment of brand new up armored hummvees the week before. These trucks are awesome. At over 12,000 pounds of armor, they can protect you from bullets, grenades and most road side bombs. A turret in the top has a gun mount for offensive capability. To top it off, the 6 cylinder turbo charged diesel can really move the heavy vehicle. This is pretty surprising considering the vehicle is 6 tons plus when loaded with men, equipment and supplies. I was definitely safer riding in these trucks than my Toyota Landcruiser.

The trip had many highlights. Of course, we ate more goat and rice with plenty of chai (tea). My mission was to talk to police commanders, district chiefs and tribal leaders about the upcoming elections and the status on the reconstruction effort. The secondary mission was to look at some schools and roads that needed to be rebuilt.

One highlight of the trip was a visit to a hydroelectric dam up in the mountains. The mountains are a portion of the Southern end of the Hindu Kush, which eventually ties into Mount Everest. The scenery was incredible. The dam was built by the US before the Soviet occupation and generates power (intermittently) to the Southern part of the country to include the city of Khandahar. The teal blue color of the water looked so refreshing compared to the miles of parched soil that stretches across the horizon. We did not take a dip, it was not exactly a recreation area with all of the unfriendlies around.

We drove out of the mountains and slept in the middle of the desert that night. It was actually peaceful. A slight, warm breeze could be heard more than felt. Other than that, almost nothing could be heard. It was as if the desert was dead. While on guard watch, it was comforting to hear a US jet patrol the skies as well as the occasional pass of an unmanned, armed drone aircraft operated by a US soldier via remote control hundreds of miles away. It was also an indicator that we were in the dragon's lair of Afghanistan. This is where what's left of the leadership of the Taliban have their homes. You could just feel that it just wasn't quite right there. We fully expected to get rocketed that night, but nothing happened. Another quiet night in a combat zone is always welcome.

We made our way to a town in this region to where I've been to before. I needed to check on some wells that I had contracted for a month earlier. After rolling into town, the district chief greeted me with an invite to more chai. We sat outside on straw mats, sipped tea, and talked about current events in his district. The mud walled compound was saturated with armed men. US soldiers covered the perimeter with a few on the inside to provide for my personal security.

Inside the compound, over 50 men armed with AK-47 machine guns milled around. Half of the men that came with us as were from the Afghan National Police and the National Directorate of Security (Afghan version of the soviet KGB!). The others were the district chief's men. He was pro-coalition, so I felt fairly comfortable with so many men with guns around. Taken out of context, the sight would make most people shudder with frigid fear. It was like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie. Dirty, rough looking Afghans armed to the teeth!

Somehow, a man not with any of us slipped into the crowd. He approached the mat and sat down inches from my face. He was dressed in different clothing and started speaking Urdu, which is spoken mostly in Pakistan and India. He was not an invited guest. The district chief thought he was with me and I thought he was with him.

After a few moments of getting this straightened out, local policemen attempted to remove him. A lot of pushing and shoving, but the police were not being successful. The man started kicking and punching and the situation escalated. The scene made the Rodney King beating look like a tickle fight. We had the beating stopped and the now unconscious man was hauled off to an Afghan jail. It was a tense few minutes, but ended fairly quickly. What surprises me most is why a man would be inclined to attempt to get into a meeting that he was not invited to and not leave when asked, with so many armed men around! Thankfully, the mission ended successfully with no one save the uninvited guest getting hurt.

I've attached a few pictures.


The first one titled "Kajaki Lake" is where the dam is located. I did not add special effects to the picture, it really is that blue.
The picture titled "Mitch and Hazara Kids" is our cook's kids. They were not shy and very animated to watch.
The picture of "Musa Kalay HS" is a high school that is in ruins but still being used. I'm in the process of getting the existing structure bulldozed and a new building built.
The last picture is me and some of my new closest friends, yeah right! These guys are about as crooked as they get, but they are the local leaders of a nearby town and I have to work with them. The other American in the picture is a Marine that I work closely with.

I hope you enjoyed the update and the pictures. I look forward to hearing about news from the "real" world, so feel free to drop me an email.

Khuday pe aman (Good bye)
Mitch S.e
Major, US Army
Civil Affairs Officer
Lashkar Gah Provincial Reconstruction Team
Operation Enduring Freedom- Afghanistan

Posted by Deb at 12:37 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack



September 28, 2004



Report from the Sandbox

Greyhawk has arrived and here's what he saw today at the Dining FACility (DFAC):

But here's what I noticed in the DFAC today: young faces. Young determined faces. Not much older (but far wiser and much more mature) than the crowd at a high school lunch room. You can tell without asking what these guys think. They look you in the eye. And if you can stand to look back you'll see into the eyes of the undefeated. There is no quit here, no early out, no cut and run. These are young men with an ugly job, America's finest sent to do our worst and best, and they make me feel old and inspired all at the same time.

So here is the first impression of your fine young sons: They walk straight and tall with heads held high in this war-torn world, in this sagging land. I wish you who can only read of defeat trumpeted in your newspapers or on your TVs could have walked among them and seen this for yourselves.

I read where someone said George Bush and Dick Cheney are the only people in America who think Iraq is going well. That may be so, but I don't believe for a minute they think it's a picnic.

And I saw 300 young Americans in Iraq today who didn't look like quitters.


Posted by Deb at 08:04 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack





Operation Santa Update #3

Thanks to everyone who has called or e-mailed to offer help and sponsorship of our troops. Last night, an enthusiastic group of volunteers gathered at Crawfordsville Grade School in Sweet Home Oregon to work on Operation Santa. KVAL, a TV station in Eugene, OR visited - click on the picture to read their news story:

KVAL reporter Jodi Unruh talks with Pamla Winslow about Operation Santa

For KVAL viewers who saw the broadcast and would like more information, check these links to the stories about Operation Santa that are posted on this website:

Operation Santa overview
Operation Santa Update #1
Operation Santa Update #2

This entry will be updated later today with more pictures. Thanks so much to the Crawfordsville community for showing up en masse to work on this project.

Posted by Deb at 10:30 AM | Comments (4)



September 27, 2004



When prayers are answered……

Last Monday, Sept. 20th, I flew to Palm Springs - just the first stop to my final destination of 29 Palms, California. The much anticipated and long awaited reunion was finally happening. It was my first trip alone, a small but mighty welcome home committee. Since this was the return of my sons second deployment and our second “reunion”, I was prepared for the hotel check-in, meeting the anxious and excited parents and families, getting my security pass to get on base, camera in hand, and posters to make those “welcome home” signs.

Buses filled with weary and excited Marines had already arrived. Families had come and gone and new families had arrived to continue the wait for our courageously brave Marines. And, for all of us prayers had been answered.

Celebrations were happening. Parents from platoons gathered in the hotel commons and together made signs and nametags and shared stories about their Marines. The excitement was intoxicating. I sat watching as this “family” grew as more parents arrived and information flowed in as to the estimated arrival time. Here we were just hours away from having our children home. Prayers had been answered.

By midnight another group of buses had delivered to waiting families another company of Marines. And, the “hot-line” message had changed. Weapons Co. was due to land at 3:30 am. By 7:30 am several hundred parents, children, sisters, brother, aunts and uncles, wives and grandparents anxiously waited with signs, banners, balloons and cameras. The Marine band played as we were notified that the buses were now on base. Again, we waited and just with the knowledge that these Marines were so close the tears began to flow. It wasn’t long before those big white buses were heard and seen. As they approached the staging area, screams and shouting was the only thing to be heard.

It was Tuesday morning, Sept. 21st when Bill, my son, stepped off that bus. I immediately saw him, even in the sea of desert khaki, and without hesitation I made my way to him. He heard my voice as I called his name before he saw me. And, like most moms, my emotions took over and nothing was getting between me and my “mission” to hug my son. My prayers have been answered.

A hotel commons becomes a place for creative hands and happy families to make name banners with pictures of their Marines
Along Adobe Rd. runs the sentiments of those who have patiently waited back home.
Luis and Andreas were excited as they waited for their uncle to return. It was a challenge not to lose those balloons.
Kids played while waiting for the buses.
And the band played on.
I think this happy Marine has his hands full.
My Marine, my son.
The sea of C-bags and packs. Finding the right green bag is bit of a challenge. This is like the airport with everyone having black luggage.

Posted by at 03:31 PM | Comments (372) | TrackBack



September 26, 2004



Gold Star Mother's Day

Proclamation by the President of the United States:

Whereas the preamble to Public Resolution 123, 74th Congress, approved June 23, 1936 (40 Stat. 1895), recites:

Whereas the service rendered the United States by the American mother is the greatest source of the Country’s strength and inspiration; and “Whereas we honor ourselves and the mothers of America when we revere and give emphasis to the home as the fountainhead of the State; and

“Whereas the American mother is doing so much for the home and for the moral and spiritual uplift of the people of the United States and hence so much for good government and humanity; and

“Whereas the American Gold Star Mothers suffered the supreme sacrifice of motherhood in the loss of their sons and daughters in World Wars”

and Whereas the said Public Resolution 12 provides:

“That the President of the United States is hereby authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the Government officials to display the United States flag on all Government buildings, and the people of the United States to display the flag and to hold appropriate meetings in their homes, churches, or other suitable places, on the last Sunday in September, as public expression of the love, sorrow and reverence of the people of the United States for the American Gold Star Mothers."

“Sec. 2. That the last Sunday in September shall hereafter be designated and known as “Gold Star Mother’s Day,” and it shall be the duty of the President to request its observance as provided for in this resolution.”

Contact information:

The American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
2128 Leroy Place NW - Washington, DC 20008
Phone: 202-265-0991
Fax: 202-265-6963
E-mail agsmoms@aol.com

Posted by Deb at 08:31 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack





1/7 Alpha Company Update


Dear Wives, Family Members, and Friends,

We are now coming to the end of our first month in Iraq. Just in this short time the Battalion has been put to the test. As many of you already know we have taken KIA’s and WIA’s. I can assure that the best in medical care is being given and in a speedy fashion. As a Company, Alpha has had some close calls but has had no casualties thus far. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those injured and killed in Weapons Company, and Bravo Company.
A special thank you goes to Dawn Rowe who has served as Alpha Company’s Key Wives Coordinator. She was invaluable during our preparation and deployment ensuring that the key wives; wives and family members of Alpha Company were also ready for this deployment. Her husband Maj. Rowe was killed in Action soon after arriving in theater. We will miss her hard work, devotion and special touch that she put into her efforts. A pavilion was constructed for the Marines so they can get out of the sun, eat chow, and hang out. It is named in his honor and will remain when we leave as a lasting memorial to a man that trained many of the Marines in this Company.
Christina Pirtle is stepping up to the plate and will be the new Key Wives Coordinator. Please support her in her efforts to serve the Company.
Congratulations go out to Cpl Clarke from 3rd Platoon and LCpl Medina from Weapons Platoon. They were recently selected by the Battalion for Combat Meritorious Promotions.

I will continue to take pictures of your Marines and post them on this web site. Some Marines have evaded me so far, so if you haven’t seen your Marine yet it won’t be long before you do.

Continue to support your Marine by snail mail, e-mail and packages. These are a force multiplier and will keep them in good spirits.

You can be confident that the Marines of Alpha Company are performing their mission in a highly professional manner. Even though they are very busy, and tired they have not forgotten those left behind. From all of us here in Iraq we thank you for your support.

Semper Fidelis
1stSgt Weir

Posted by Deb at 05:57 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack