My eBook that gives a generalized account of our deployment, nothing hyped, just a good realistic view of the daily operations/missions.
Me in Balad ruz 2005 getting hole stared in my back.
No Revisionist History Here.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
"The Iraqi Army has Arisen" Iraqi Army status OCT 2005
The Iraqi Army has arisen, not quite what was envisioned. Parking lot training four hours a day, lets do first aid again today. One weeks leave every month, man don't I feel the chump. We get none all year while going without a beer. They can quit and go their way then return to fight another day. Progress is slow and the pay is low, but for an Iraqi farm boy it's a go. Dinar, food, working three weeks a month, even less when a religous holiday comes up.
Out to the TCPs they go wondering where the ammenities went, at the TCP the IA vent, no place for money to be spent. Sergeants are scarce, officers rarer, a man dress and goats now do not seem so bare. Stand up and take over from the occupier rather than a mercenary for hire. Coalition is the proper word, pass the referendum so we look good, there are even elections in a Shiite neighborhood.
Progress is measured but who knows how, the number of IA sent out gets politicians saying wow! Only 138,000 to go as our numbers seem to grow, more Americans on the ground, can't find an Iraqi when they look around. Joint patrols on the go. A supply system that just says no. It's ordered is an old cliche but not in the IA.
Stand up, Stand up, so I can leave! Stand up, Stand up please. Pump that oil get out the vote, womens rights are a joke. Iraqi politicians take their leave, no legislation ever conceived.
Out to the TCPs they go wondering where the ammenities went, at the TCP the IA vent, no place for money to be spent. Sergeants are scarce, officers rarer, a man dress and goats now do not seem so bare. Stand up and take over from the occupier rather than a mercenary for hire. Coalition is the proper word, pass the referendum so we look good, there are even elections in a Shiite neighborhood.
Progress is measured but who knows how, the number of IA sent out gets politicians saying wow! Only 138,000 to go as our numbers seem to grow, more Americans on the ground, can't find an Iraqi when they look around. Joint patrols on the go. A supply system that just says no. It's ordered is an old cliche but not in the IA.
Stand up, Stand up, so I can leave! Stand up, Stand up please. Pump that oil get out the vote, womens rights are a joke. Iraqi politicians take their leave, no legislation ever conceived.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
5.56mm "full metal jacket"
A 5.56mm moment brought to you from FOB Hendy
5/16 inch steel vs M4
M4 wins, did not even slow it down much, the ones that did not go through were AK47 rounds by the way, go figure.
Pow-Smack-Ding, a nice sound if ever there was see above video of test firing at the range for hearing the real thing.
bored in Iraq
Go ahead and make my day, a .50 Caliber moment brought to you by the third herd 3/A/1/278 RCT
Friday, December 28, 2007
900 meter grazing fire 1800 meter effective fire (test fire video)
Damped mount and the most solid gun mount in Iraq! Yes it is true, buried in between a block wall and 2x10s in a pile of sandbags on a mount cut out of a PLS guntruck (3/4 inch steel with gussetts). Cup holder and foot rest included with captains chair. Yes your asses owe me much.
I will bet if it hit you at max range it would hurt 1800 meter effective range or not, ouch.
"JCC Fortress" aka JOC
This is where the gun ended up! Beautiful Baladruz Iraq.
Welcome to the drivers license center, please stand where we can gun you down with a .50 caliber machinegun if the need arises, NEXT!
What you do not like standing in 118 degree heat, with sick kids? Well maybe if nobody blew up people you would not have too!
honing the knife
Now where did you say this thinga-ma-gig goes? 
Hey it is time to eat again!
Oh where will this gun end up?
From Camp Shelby, MS to Camp Buerhing Kuwait we eventually arrived at FOB Caldwell.
SOP was to carry bottled water when passing the stacks of it. We did for a year and it got old.
Hey it is time to eat again!Oh where will this gun end up?
From Camp Shelby, MS to Camp Buerhing Kuwait we eventually arrived at FOB Caldwell.
SOP was to carry bottled water when passing the stacks of it. We did for a year and it got old.
Under The GUn book Link (Malcolm Rios)
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781425928698&itm=2
This is the barnes and nobles link to Under the Gun: infantryman, medic, tattoo artist: my year in Iraq. I recommend Lulu.com highly as it is free. Once you finish and post then you can get an ISBN and improve on it pay for other services. Of course you can buy an ISBN from .org site too.
A good link to a publisher is http://www.merriam-press.com/
This is the barnes and nobles link to Under the Gun: infantryman, medic, tattoo artist: my year in Iraq. I recommend Lulu.com highly as it is free. Once you finish and post then you can get an ISBN and improve on it pay for other services. Of course you can buy an ISBN from .org site too.
A good link to a publisher is http://www.merriam-press.com/
Thursday, December 27, 2007
books
I have found Malcolm Rios' book, Under the Gun, and one other written by Benjamin Buchholz from Wisconsin , 127th Infantry 2nd Battalion.
Generally scrolling through the first seven pages of amazon or barnes and nobles will get you a list of books out there or a search on Iraq in general for books. Quite a few shoot them up books which of course is the exact opposite of what we did most days, but as I say you can send us where you want, it is not our fault that nobody presented themselves for shooting as for driving up and down the road that was just dumb being that we did it for four years or more before a major change of strategy, aka the surge. Of course Lee Pitts articles are availabe but if seeking better information try blogs or Hoofbeats magazine etc. If really serious contact the Regiment public affairs officer. I have not begun to look up the Texas unit members blogs yet, 386th Combat Engineers. I encourage writing up memoirs even if short stories or they will never be told.
Generally scrolling through the first seven pages of amazon or barnes and nobles will get you a list of books out there or a search on Iraq in general for books. Quite a few shoot them up books which of course is the exact opposite of what we did most days, but as I say you can send us where you want, it is not our fault that nobody presented themselves for shooting as for driving up and down the road that was just dumb being that we did it for four years or more before a major change of strategy, aka the surge. Of course Lee Pitts articles are availabe but if seeking better information try blogs or Hoofbeats magazine etc. If really serious contact the Regiment public affairs officer. I have not begun to look up the Texas unit members blogs yet, 386th Combat Engineers. I encourage writing up memoirs even if short stories or they will never be told.
Balad ruz JCC/JOC (joint command center/joint ops center)
The old roof top at the Baladruz Iraq joint operating center. What Infantryman do, eat sleep, guard stuff, patrol, talk smack, and languish under the thumb.
The worlds best, most foward deployed, and powerful squad/section, 2/A/1/278 RCT, and ODA doing what ODA does best, sleep in the day and hunt at night.
"Defending the Frontiers of Democracy"
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