This page www.a-1-8.org: /Docs/activeunit/10-6hearing.php last modified on April 12, 2005 10:42 AM
| A-1-8 Chapter of the 4th Infantry Division |
Active Unit News
What our families are hearing:
Bob Babcock - "Deeds not Words"
President, Americans Remembered, Inc. - http://www.americansremembered.org
President, 22nd Inf Regt Society - http://www.22ndinfantry.org
Past President/Historian - Nat'l 4th Inf Div Assn - http://www.4thinfantry.org
babcock224@aol.com
Click to Send us your news
What Our Families Are Hearing From Our Soldiers in Iraq:
1) My son called this (Sunday) morning. He is with the 4th ID Band. Sounded good and stated he just got back from a ceremony for the new Iraq soldiers and how they wanted to take pictures with our band guys. He sounded so excited how they really were happy they were there. He even said he joked around with some. "Mom for the most part these people want us here and I only hope we finish the job here that we started so that those who have lost their lives for Iraq, ours and the Iraqi's, will not have been in vain. I am proud to be an American doing what we are doing here. Let people know, Mom, that there is more good than bad going on here." I worry for my son and all our troops daily. But when I hear my son talk like he does it makes me feel so proud of them all. I only wished as a nation we all could unite more. We must continue to be up lifting our troops morale and let them know we over in the States have not nor will not forget what they are doing and why. God Bless them all.
2) My husband (HHC 2-8 IN) called me Friday morning with good news. For the first time since he left Ft. Hood he saw clouds! He also told me that his midtour leave had been approved! He will be flying into BWI sometime this upcoming weekend. He leaves the unit Wednesday! I could hardly believe it. I am very excited and so is he. I am flying to meet him. Due to another deployment before leaving for Iraq, my husband and I have only lived together six weeks in the past year. I will cherish these 15 days. Thanks CENTCOM and DOD for approving this program!
3) From one of our family members: I want to personally express my extreme respect and admiration to many of the families that contribute to your email. To the countless mothers who have endured pregnancies and deliveries without their husbands, you are tough as steel. You are the women that hold our country together. Our men and soldiers protect our way of life and our country, with their strong women. To mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers that do all they can for their loved one and for others. Like the lady who wrote in that her son so unselfishly offered his place on the list so a married man could see his wife or child. I am incredibly proud of the exemplinary Americans. As long as we have people like this in our country, we will always prevail. It helps to strengthen my spirits and have hope in my heart for another day. God bless you all and may every American soldier make it safely home! God bless America!
4) I got my Sunday phone call from my husband, who is with 299 Engineers in Tikrit. He said there are a lot of reporters around Tikrit lately, one told him it was because there are more stories there then in Baghdad right now. He said CNN rode around with 299 for a full day last week. Also, he mentioned they've had some rough sandstorms in the last few days and reminded me to send more Visine. He asked for an air mattress, because he's finally come to terms with the fact that the rumors of coming home early weren't true and he will be there until April...... He sounded more down today then I can remember for a long time. Says time is really lagging and the months ahead are looming, especially with holidays coming up. I'm praying he'll get mid tour and soon!
5) What a wonderful Sunday morning. I heard from my son a Medic with C Co. 4th ENG BN in Kirkuk. He sounded great they have been busy for the last couple of weeks doing 12 hour checkpoints and frequent raids. He was awarded his combat medic badge last week and was really excited about that. One of the best birthday presents I received this weekend was his Voice saying he was ok and he loved me. May God watch over all our soldiers and keep them safe til they come home!!
6) As I read your daily report it's hard to believe that we're over the half way mark, an amazing feat for all our soldiers and their families. I wanted to say that my son who's with the 555 Group 14th EN BN out of Fort Lewis, WA got two calls to home in one day! He sounded so much better than the last few calls, it was music to my ears and strength for my heart. We had sent him a wonderful twin size down-filled mattress topper ($50 from overstock.com) for his cot and he said that he'd gotten the best nights sleep in 6 months, it was the most wonderful thing to hear him say, "Mom, you're the best". He also said that he'd seen the first cloud since he'd been in Iraq (6 months) and that lighting storms had rumbled through their area last week as well, it was nice to see a change in weather. After leaving Seattle/Tacoma area he wasn't sure he would ever miss clouds. The 4 square meals a day are great and their stomachs are happily adjusting to a diet free of MRE's. It's strange to hear him call their quarters home but they're getting used to that name and will move into remodeled barracks soon making life a bit more comfortable. Still no showers but they've adjusted and will make do. Like others we are so proud of him and all the men and women serving our country under these difficult and politically charged times. Keep strong and use each other for strength, heads up and keep counting down!
7) We have been hearing from our son (1st Brigade, 299th EN. BN.) every week or two - sometimes on the satellite phone (that's usually a 10-minute call) and more often on the new phones the Iraqis have installed as an experiment in his company. They installed a bank of phones, and charge 50 cents/minute - no time limit. They've been incredibly busy, and he's also impressed that so many soldiers have already been able to go home on the mid-tour leave. They're both happy and daunted by reaching the halfway mark of their deployment - but spirits remain good. It's incredible to us that they maintain such a positive attitude in the face of their living conditions, but they're doing the job they're trained for. Our son was able to use his
Arabic to help out an Iraqi family in distress recently - he said that felt good.
8) Heard from our son with the C BTRY3-16 FA on Saturday morning and he sounded great! It had been almost three weeks, but the phone had been down, again. They lost their electricity again, but they are quite accustom to that now. They buy ice by the block from the locals for $1.00. He said the nights are getting cooler now, which helps with sleeping,and they are getting 2 hot meals a day now, not the greatest, but they are hot. Said the best package he has gotten so far has been from his grandparents which was a inflatable mattress. He says that everytime he comes back to his room, someone is always asleep on it. He did take it out on the roof the other night to sleep because it was so hot in doors, it was cool but comfy! His daily routine is patrol and raids, no days off now, but he did say that he is on the list to come home in December, and we can't wait. Hopefully they will all be home soon.
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