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


What Our Families Are Hearing from Our Soldiers in Iraq:

1) I have just had word that my sister-in-law received a call from my brother. He is in Balad, which I think is where camp Anaconda is located. He is with the 4th ID 1-4 AVN. B CO. He told her that the living conditions are a little better then where he was previously however he did not have access to email that much now. They will have air conditioning soon. He asked for more calling cards and he said he has received all of our pkgs. He is up to drinking 5 gallons of water per day. I mail gatoraide regularly along with beef jerky which all the guys love. Fortunately I have a jerky outlet not far from me. I wanted to let the readers know that I had requested music CD's from my local radio station and they came up with 24 of them, that I will get in the mail today. The local radio host also said she had a friend at a country station and would ask him if they could also donate some to the 4th ID. So it doesn't hurt to ask. Thanks again for all your updates, I look forward to them.
2) We received a phone call from our son, a medic with 3-16 FA, somewhere north of Baghdad. He called early Sunday morning, July 13th. They are living in an abandoned hospital, which has been sprayed for bugs, and said all he needs now is snacks and drink mixes. He also said time is going by quickly - they have been busy tending wounded - mostly Iraqis - he drives an ambulance to pick up the wounded. He sounds in good spirits & is excited about the birth of his first child, a daughter, due on August 8th. He always manages to tease his wife, JoLynn, about her size(we send him pictures so he can watch her grow). It helps all of us to have these phone calls - we miss him so much and the sound of his voice is like a little piece of HEAVEN. Can't wait for our son and all his medic buddies to come home!!
3) July13, 2003: Today I received a phone call at 5:15 A.M. from my son who is with the 4th ID 1/4 AVN. REGT. out of Ft. Hood , stationed somewhere around Tikrit. I have not spoken with him in almost a month, so you know how welcome that call was. He was in real good spirits and mentioned a field promotion. He didn`t ask for much, but he hardly ever does. The heat is tough at times and the sand in his clothes. He said he is really glad he is with the guys he`s with. I also received a letter yesterday. We both wish the mail thing could be faster. All in all a very good weekend for the both of us! My son and the other soldiers he is serving with make me very proud!
4) Just wanted to give an update on my husband with A troop 1/10 cav. They are still in Balad Ruiz but have been in Tikrit for the R&R for the past few days. I have recieved four phone cals from him this week, each about 15 minutes long. The first call he was on the squadron phone because he stopped there before going to Tikrit, and that is where he was on the last call too. One of the calls he was in an empty parking lot in Tikrit......... They are making him acting first sargent because the first sargent is going to HHC. He says their living conditions are improving and things are pretty calm in the area they are in now.(Knock on wood) Still requsting lots of bug spray. He says he has bites all over him. Lots of redeployment rumors but none worth listening to. I just pray he is home safe as well as the other troops, whenever that may be. I bought him 840 minutes of calling cards in a package at SAMS for 35 dolars. That is the best deal I have found so far. He is requesting his favorite meal, which is macaroni noodles in tomato sauce with butter.(Yeah, he's wierd.) So, I am sending him some small cans of tomato sauce and elbow noodles and squeeze butter. Also sending him some of the bottles of pancake mix where you just add the water and shake it up. Included a small skillet and some syrup.
5) Friday recieved 11 letters from my husband who is part of 104 MI. I normally don't share my letters but I thought other parents might like to see this. He wrote this to our oldest daughter who since he left in April has refused to write him because she's upset and doesn't know when he's coming home: I understand you might be upset because I'm gone and you might have some questions about what I'm doing here, so I wrote this to explain it to you. Here in Iraq, there was a bad man who ruled his people meanly. He started wars and did bad things to his own people. The Army came in and made him go away. He ran away from the Army. That happened before I got here. Now there are other bad men trying to be like (him). We are here to make sure that doesn't happen and all the Iraqi people can be happy and not live in fear.While I am here I am trying to make it better for other girls so they can have the same stuff you have. I hope you can understand why I have to be so far away for so long. It's what a soldier does sometimes. You may not like it and I may not like it, but isn't helping peopl important? This helped explained things I was having problems explaining. Maybe it can help others. (Ed Note: Great explanation that kids can understand).
6) My hubby is in 1-66 AR B. Company. He wrote to me about the Mosquito problem over there. I just wanted to let the wives know that they can buy Mosquito Coils from OFF!!. My husband mentioned once that they work like a dream when he was in the field here at Fort Hood. So, I bought him some to send in a care package. I got them at Walmart for $4 something, and it came with 4 refills.
Also, for the sand fleas, a lot of guys are requesting flea collars. I bought my hubby 4 (one for each wrist and one for each ankle). They say they work good. (Ed Note: be careful, understand these aren't supposed to be used on the skin).
If anyone is interested, ABC Distributing has Mosquito Netting (9ft) for sale for $6.95.
Just a few ideas for the care packages. They do their best to help others, so it's just away to make their life over there a little more pleasent.
7) I received a call this morning at 4:30 from my son in the HHB 4/42 FA BN! Again, it was like he was around the corner and he sounded good. After I hung up, I realized I hadn't asked a thing about what he's doing as far as work, but that could be because I really don't want to know.
He is still in Ad Dawr. I told him about the daily e-mail updates that I received about the 4th ID and mentioned that one of the wives wrote that she had gotten a call from her husband (in my son's unit). She relayed his story about the R&R on the 4th of July, the football and the tug-of-war that his team had won. Well my son was there and on that same winning team, although he spent most of that day playing chess.
8) Saturday I received 2 phones calls from my husband who's in the 1-10 cav 4th ID. The first phone call lasted for 40 mins or so. It was so great to be able to relax and talk to him. The second one lasted for 30 mins. He told me that he's been having to go on these dangerous missions, he told me to ignore a letter he wrote before he went on one saying he didn't know if he would make it. He relaizes now he shouldn't have written it but then again you never know. He has to go on another one sometime this week. I'm praying so much and so hard for his and the other soldiers saftey. I hope this is all over soon and they all come home. I miss my soldier.
9) We received a call from my son this morning at 4:30am. Our son is a SPC with C Co., 1-22 In. He had been out in the desert around Mozul. They are now in Tikrit. We were so excited to hear from him and it took me awhile to wake up from such a dead sleep and think of all the things I wanted to ask him. We got to speak to him about 2 mins, then the phone went dead. He called back and we spoke for about 2 more minutes and that was it. It had been 6 weeks since we had received a letter and longer since we had spoken to him. I was getting pretty worried about him He said that he was doing fine and it is very hot there. Around 120 degrees every day. He mentioned something about one of the Bradleys being hit and some of his unit being injuried and sent home. (Ed Note: that happened several weeks ago)
He has received all of the packages that I have sent and many others from friends and family. He was very greatful and pleased that so many people are thinking of him. I asked him if he needed anything and he said that he was doing ok and really didn't need anything right now.
He said that they are still running into resistance everywhere and are still taking shots around them. My son was a gunner on a Bradley and he has now been moved to a dismount. He said that they were training a gunner to take his place. He was scheduled to get out in June, but with the war and all he was kept longer...... We are ready for him to come home and can hardly wait for the day.
10) Finally my son called (7-12-03) at 7:00 am. I'm one happy mom. He is with Aco. 2-8 inf. out of Ft. Hood Texas. I've had letters, but this is the first call, since he left on April 10th. He sounded good, but said it is hot hot hot. He has been able to call his wife a few times, which is good. They are expecting my first grandchild in Dec. Sure hope he is home by then. Said he is getting all of his letters and some of his packages. Also has access to showers. His sisters were able to say hello, but I talked most of the time. Unfortunately his dad was not home at the time, maybe next time. May all the brave men & women come home safely, and soon.
11) I received an e-mail and phone call from one of my co-worker in which I have known for 12years that his son was killed Monday July 7th, His son Chad from the 3rd Inf. was hit while in transport to Baghdad, the explosion threw him from the Humbe and passed away later from his injuries.This family need all our prayers. Here is the selflessness of Military Families, In his e-mail just a short time after they received word of their sons passing that they are praying for my sons safe and speedy return along with prayers for me and his father and others who have love ones there...... This is another reason why our soldiers have the traits to serve selflessly for others freedom. The next day I received your updates and read that my sons unit had come under some attacks, 4ID 3CBT 1st battalion (not sure if he's referring to 8th, 12th, or 68th) in which many were injured. I prayed that God would let me hear from him and that afternoon he called.... He confirmed that which I read and was thrilled that we receive your newsletters and know about some of the things that are going on there. I asked him if he was still standing strong, for the last time I heard from him he sounded heavy with the events they have been involved with, he said he was doing fine..... They are wonderful soldiers!!!!! The best..
12) I do not see a lot about the 2-20FA so I wanted to let their families know I heard from my son for the first time by phone today!!! He is with the radar section, Divarty. They have moved to another airbase that is much safer than where they they were before. From what he said, the last place was getting hit quite a bit by mortar fire. They still have to go to the last location periodically however. His spirits seemed good to me. Still are eating MREs but water etc. is now fine. Said they all want CDs. He specifically said the guys want Beach Boys. I will send as many as I can find to all of them so if anyone else wants to send them CDs please don't send Beach Boys! It was cute, He said they want to pretend they are in "hot weather by the beach! " Maybe some Bob Marley CD's would be good? It was great to hear from him! I also got three camers last week from him too. I mailed him pictures of some of his buddies so they can send them to their families. GOD BLESS ALL OF OUR SOLDIERS.
13) I got a letter from my husband a few days ago. He's with 4th I.D. D Company 204th FSB. He went on a mission with 3 other guys to downtown Baghdad to get furniture for the new local government. He didn't have any resistance on the way there or back. He was outside guarding with one other guy while the other 2 guys went in to get the furniture. A little Iraqi kid came up and gave him an ice cold Pepsi. Another Iraqi kid asked my husband if he was a christian and when my husband replied with a yes the kid said "me too." We just thought that was cute and thought I'd share it with you. Some Iraqi guys fed the 3 guys and my husband a whole bunch of food. He said it was food fit for a king. He was in heaven with free food and free ice cold sodas......... So he's doing good and so is the rest of 204th FSB. He says keep praying daily because his job isn't the safest job that the army has to offer. So everyone keep your prayers up with our soldiers out there.
Just a little thing to say that keeps my faith up. "If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it."
14) Received two letters from my son today. He is with ACO, 1-22. One of the letters was dated June 22 the other July 3. The letter from June contained photos he had taken and had developed over there. Oh he looked so good, better than I had been thinking. One photo showed where he had slept while pulling guard duty in Mosul, on the ground. Makes a Mom just want to take the first flight over there and get her son and come home,lol.

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