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


A Few Words From Bob:
Occasionally I feel like I need to explain a few things about these notes, so here is my first attempt:
1) I do not endorse anything or anyone. If something I hear or receive from a reader makes sense to me, I'll most likely put it in the update. If it doesn't, I won't. For example, in the past 24 hours I have heard both good and bad remarks about the "Operation Sandbox" web site that I listed in the July 6 update. When I list something that seems like a good idea to me, it is up to you to decide if it fits you or not. If I've made a serious mistake on my assessment of something, please send me a note and I'll try to correct it in a future update. But the ultimate value of any information I provide is for you to decide, not me.
2) I am, by nature, a very positive individual. I do not deal in rumors (such as when 4ID is coming home) nor do I pass on negative articles that take pot shots at our military or our leadership. I am also not naïve. If I hear from enough of you about a problem, I will first take it to my high level contacts in the 4ID in Iraq and at Fort Hood (or Fort Carson) and make them aware of it and what I'm hearing. I've been very pleased with how our leaders in Iraq and here in the States have been responsive to the very few things I've brought to their attention. I know our leaders are busy and have the mission and the lives of our soldiers to focus on taking care of - I don't want to distract them with unnecessary noise and complaints that will most likely cure themselves over time. I will not be a forum for complaints in these updates.
3) I'm not a poetry kind of guy. I've gotten several poems that are probably pretty good, but it just isn't my style to deal in poetry. Please don't be offended when I don't use your poems.
4) I have a limit in what I can include each day. There is a 'length of note' limitation with AOL that I normally run up against with each update. Because of that I have to make decisions on what to include and what to leave out. If I left your note out, or shortened it, please don't be offended - it isn't personal.

What Our Families are Hearing From Our Soldiers in Iraq:
1) I got a call from my son, a sergeant in B Co, 1-22 Inf Battalion, about 6am on Saturday, July 5th! What a wonderful blessing it was to hear his voice! The time delay not withstanding, we were able to have a great conversation and I was able to say those most important words "I love you" before the phone cut off. They finally rigged some type of shower device for occasional use. It is so hot there that he has lost over 20 pounds. The soldiers are finding it difficult to eat more than one meal a day because of the heat. I send him 2 to 4 shoebox size packages every week. Requests have come in for Spam, tuna, canned meat, tea and lemonade mixes (they make the reclaimed treated water more potable), snacks, and especially noodles in a cup. He said it's much easier to add hot water to reconstitute these popular and inexpensive foods that come packaged that way. I've also sent him the Sunday paper Sports and Comics sections each week to share with his unit. He said that his unit has a "community box" where soldiers put the extras from their home packages so that other soldiers can take from it. It's a good way of sharing especially for those soldiers who may not get packages from home or on a regular basis. I am in continual prayer for the safe return of our soldiers. I pray for God's comforting grace for the families who have lost a loved one and share tears with them. We are one big family in this and need each other's prayers. Thank your for your devoted work (and also for the brownies in a jar recipes).
2) Our daughter-in-law had been spending a few days with us last week while our son is on Iraq with the 4ID, 3rd BCT, HHC 1-8 (MECH). He called our home on Thursday and said they had gone to a "base" and for the first time in 3 months had air-conditiong, bathrooms, phones, and hamburgers and fries for lunch! We were so happy because he sounded so good and we wrote down where he was.....Balad. Imagine our shock when we heard on the next morning that there had been mortar fire there and many were injured! He called us at 10:30 that evening and told us all were doing well and he had not been injured, though he had been close to where the shells exploded. We are thankful no one was killed. He said they will be moving on again soon, but seemed in really good spirits. (We think the steaks and seeing Arnold (the Terminator) may also have something to do with his positive mood!) He said that it reached 136 degrees where they had been earlier in the week and asked for us to keep sending Gator-ade and raman noodles!
We watched "Mail Call" on the History Channel last night called "Live from the Gulf". It was wonderful! They are going to be visiting a lot of the camps in Iraq. It is very pro-military and families and really worth watching. We have learned a lot.
3) Our son called late last night (7/6) and it was wonderful to hear his voice. He's a captain now and was reassigned to HHS Battery/2-20 FA. He sounded fairly upbeat and positive. Didn't say much about what he's doing now or where he's at. Just wanted us to keep the care packages coming and he said he would like a pillow when I asked him. We got to talk for about 20 minutes and it was very windy wherever he was at. Thanks to EVERYONE who contributes bits of information for this web site for the prayers and encouragement...they mean everything and have gone a long way to keep his dad and me hopeful. MAY THEY ALL COME HOME SOON AND SAFELY.
4) My husband called yesterday on his birthday and I was so happy because I had not talked to him for 41 days. His brother was here so he spoke to him briefly and updated him on the current (what else?) fishing conditions here in Colorado.
They (Alpha 1-8 INF from Ft. Carson) have been under a lot of additional stress over the last month since they moved south from Tikrit to Balad and have been moving around a lot conducting many missions during Operation Sidewinder so mail has been difficult to keep up with them. He said that they have come under fire from RPG's and mortar rounds every night striking fairly close. He said that was his fireworks show, however, he continues to sleep on top of his vehicle in order to avoid some of the bugs and heat. They are all still safe. He also mentioned that he went on a boat across the Tigris river to an island and did some swimming. He reluctantly told me that he rode along with the grunts on one of their combat missions just to see what was going on and, upon returning, doesn't plan on doing that again anytime soon.
As a mechanic's work never ends, he said that all these raids and missions were really tearing up "his" Bradleys.
He is in good spirits and loves getting the letters and packages. I think it makes them feel a part of everyones lives even though they're so far away. They love getting letters so keep writing - even if you consider what's going on in your day to day operations as uneventful, they just like hearing anything.
5) I heard from my husband who is with the 418th CA (Civil Affairs) BN, 4ID in Tikrit. He says it's getting hotter and being from CA on the coast we aren't used to it but he's hanging in there, wants more lemonade mix, a pillow but not much more. While at a post office at a base, the clerk asked if she could use his name to send some packages over that were donated to a veterans group, I gave it to her as well as others in his unit. Well, he received them, 4-6 TV sized boxes of tshirts, socks, underwear, snacks, candy, etc. Thus, he's passing it around. We are so grateful to all who are thinking and praying for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and for donations of needed items such as these. I had to laugh as I thought of him going without. He also said the mosquitoes aren't bothering him too much. He says he's lost some weight, no more spare. No idea of return , just says when you see me, I'll be home. God Protect and bless our soldiers while they are away from there loved ones. I told him there were more packages en route.
6) I just got off the phone with my son, a medic, from C Co. 4th ENG BN he's back up in Kirkuk. I thought that my prayers were answered the other day when I saw him in a picture the AP news wrote on Our soldiers over there on the 4th of July. They were swimming in a lake. It was nice to see a smile in such a screwed up country. God knows they've had little to smile about. He seemed to be south though, I asked him about that and he said they go there for supplies. I didn't think it could get any better but then I got the call at work. Everyone is doing fine and just to keep the packages coming. It really does make a difference. He says when you get mail it turns a crumby day into a good one. Take Care and God Bless You for all you do to keep us informed and the history you record.
7) An article in my local paper (The Manassas Journal Messenger) informed me about a program being run by US Army Staff Sgt Kirk Wallace that distributes beanie babies, small dolls and small stuffed animals to the children of Iraq. There's a website www.BeaniesForBagdad.com that has the details. As a mother with way too many Beanie babies in my life, this program provides a wonderful way for my daughter and I to do a good deed and remove clutter:) My brother is in the 1-10 CAV of the 4th, and he wrote about how destitute the area he's in is and how he wishes for more to give the kids. I've already sent him boxes of crayons, coloring books and other small, non religious, non violent, gender neutral toys. A great website to find toys like this that can be purchased by the dozen for less than 10.00 is www.orientaltrading.com. (Ed Note: as stated at the beginning of this newsletter, I do not endorse these web sites, just seem to make sense to me so I'm passing them along for you to do what you will with the information).
8) Hi, I have been meaning to share this story for a while and I am finally getting around to it. This was written by my husband on May 1st (my birthday) who at the time was part of 4th ID, 3rd BCT, 1/68 Armor, Alpha Company (he is still in the same unit, but with HHC now.)
"Our company was the QRF (Quick Reaction Force) and there was a mission to go to secure a sight that AH-64 Apache attack helicopters shot the last night. So me and two other tanks and 3 scouts moved north about 30 km's. The sight was right on the Tigris River so it was nice to be by the water. We checked on the sight and talked to the locals and as we were pulling security one of our tanks saw what looked like an enemy compound so we called up the grid and in an hour or two, elements from another Brigade were assaulting the area. We could not because it was across the river, but it was neat to see. We have been looking for people still loyal to Saddam and for our battalion, it seems to be the biggest find so far. Nothing is confirmed, but it is still neat that we could have made something happen. Then on the way back, we had a tank break down at an intersection and tons of kids came up trying to sell things and asking for food. They were all boys. I paid some kid $1 for Iraqi money and of course when I did that they all started going wild. Off in the back some girl (probably 13 or 14) had picked some flowers and stood quietly behind the 15-20 boys. I pointed to her and showed her a dollar trying to tell her for the flowers I would give her the dollar. Well, everyone saw what I was doing and the girl tried to get close to the tank but the boys would not let her so the dad pushed his way through, picked up the girl and lifted her so we could exchange the money for the flowers. It was so cool because everyone cheered. Men think they are superior to women here and to have me point out the girl and give her the dollar was a huge victory for her. Hard to believe they really never experience something like that--men being nice to women. That fact made it even more powerful. Of course, the girl looked like she fell in love with me. Pretty funny. I pressed the flowers she gave me and am sending them to you. I am not sure they will make it, but I wanted to share the event with you..."
The flowers made it back perfectly and are in a picture frame now.
I received a call today and he said the battalion is receiving several more satellite phones today. Great news! God Bless our soldiers and their families. (Ed Note: This one brought tears to my eyes, how about you?)
9) I heard from my soldier with 1/8 B CO. He called me twice last week, and seemed a bit poignant. General conversation with me cheered him up, but he sounded like he needed rejuvenation of the best kind. He called again the next evening and sounded much better. With the John Wayne "air" about him he said "yeah honey, I'm just out here kicking down doors and stuff." Said they would go on missions for a few days at a time, then come back to camp and rotate phone call times. My voice was just the medicine he needed. The man's a poet!! He and his buddies are just ready to re-deploy home.
10) I am always searching for something to send to my son 1/17th FA from Ft. Sill assigned to the 4th ID. If others are tring to come up with something different here are a fes suggestions. In his care package today I included marbles, a couple dozen yo yo's and bingo games. His 4 year old son sent him a hulk coloring book and colored pencils (something to color with that would not melt) of course he included a pencil sharpner. My father in law does lots of wood work and makes tops, I am going to have him make several tops to send to the troops (not sure how good they will work in the sand). If you have room in your update and feel this would be of help to someone please share it with them. I start my day with a cup of coffee and your wonderful updates.
11) I just received a 20 MINUTE phone call from my B/1-10 CAV soldier. He sounded well and was really thankful for all the boxes I've been sending. He's really appreciative of me remembering so many of his favorite things. He is bored and ready to come home but doing his job to the best of his ability. He was very excited to speak with our daughters, ages 10 and 2 and to hear them say I love you, Daddy. The 2 year old wasn't talking as clearly before he left so that made him a little more homesick, but he was happy to know she's "growing up". We talked briefly about two weeks ago, but this was the first call that we've been able to talk for so long since his 1 April departure.
12) Got a call from our daughter this morning. She is with Charlie Co.- 4FSC 4th ID. They are in Samarra in support of the 1-66 Armor. She said they have ceiling fans-working on air conditioning for all. She said she reenlisted on July 4th. She said they took pictures and she will be sending them to us. She also said she will be going before the E-5 board (promotion to sergeant) next month. Needless to say we are very proud of her. She's doing what she needs to and when we talk to her she seems very upbeat and never complains about anything. We pray for her and all of our soldiers. May God bless them all and return them safely to us.
13) I finally received a letter from my guyfriend today he is with the 400th MP BN out of Ft.Meade and he sounds in very good spirits considering the conditions he is living in. His unit is guarding a prison located about 10mi outside of Baghdad. He said on our birthday (we share the same birthday June 13) a prison riot broke out but they got it under control again. He said they don't have any running water, electricity, or sewage. They have porta potties which are made out of cut in half 55 gal.drums. They burn the waste everyday UGH! thats so disgusting. (Ed Note: Reminds me of Vietnam - you haven't lived until you've smelled the daily smell of burning sh**). They do have two 5,000 watt generators and with all of the electric cords running all over it looks like a huge spider web on the floors. Its 110 in shade and has hit as high as 139 during the day.They have water trucked in every other day (6,000gal) and that's what the prisoners and soldiers shower with and drink. He did say that things are getting better and doesn't complain about anything. I am so proud of him I care about him so much. I was jumping up and down when I got his letter I hadn't heard from him in a month and a half. He of course says please write as often as you can he has no contact with whats going on he feels very out of touch. Lord please bring them home soon.
14) our son is with the 4th infantry TF1-68, out of Ft. Carson, Colorado. They are currently in Balad, I think. I would like to thank you very much for all of the info that you provide for the famlies. The news channels somehow don't report too much anymore, it seems somehow that our troops have been forgotten, and a lot of people think that the war is over. It makes me feel very sad, I think it is important for our troops to know what they are doing over there is very news worthy and they are important enough and what they are doing is extraordinary.

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