12/13/06

Yesterday just after departing the gate a patrol was ambushed and attacked with an IED and SAF. Two vehicles were specifically targeted. A Sergeant who had been here in country barely 3 weeks, tragically lost his life in the battle.

Along with his family, and his unit, it is also my loss...although I have seen him in here several times and said "hi" to him, the opportunity to sit with him one on one and talk, had not yet occurred.

I have talked to a couple soldiers from his company and they told me of his good heart, how he could make people laugh even if it was at his own expense and...how proud he was...sounded like he was a great man from all they told me...

My loss, that I did not have a chance to know him better.

It is terrible news for his family back home, and his unit here. It is their first KIA, you can see their mood has changed dramatically from when they first arrived just a few weeks ago.

Terrible news at any time, being so close to the holidays, it's even worse.

Also yesterday there was an orchestrated attack on the mayor of Al Hadr, he survived the attack, but 4 of his bodyguards were killed.

Then early this morning AIF again attacked our camp with 7 rockets/mortars...there were no reports of injuries or assets damaged...everything went was back to "normal", as quickly as usual.

Two days ago due to a "Thank you" tour by outgoing Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld, our tent was shut down.

It seemed like a big propaganda tour, to stroke his own ego, which I really didn't understand...and a big waste of money to do it. He said the same things here that you see him say on T.V. with the exception of what came out last week. About how he had been telling Bush change needed to happen for some time now...He didn't mention any of that here. I hope the morale boost it was supposed to give occurred, but it seemed to me as I looked around the room, it was more like the way curious people stop to look at a car wreck.

As for the big waste of money, the money spent on carting him around the country could have been spent on some other kind of morale booster with a musical act or comedians performing here that would have really made a difference to the soldiers.

We have had 3 cancellations of acts from the states that have not come for one reason or another. This is what these soldiers really need now.

Something also that I thought was strange, as did many in attendance. The soldiers that were assembled here, supposedly being his most staunchest supporters. Here in a combat zone, had all their weapons removed from them, before they even came over to where our tent is.
Then, when the soldiers did arrive here, they had to empty their pockets and get wanded by metal detectors before they were even allowed in the tent...even Gerber's and pocket knives were taken away at that time.

Maybe for the President I could see this, but the DEF SEC?

I...as many of the soldiers just went...hmmmmm...