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

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What Our Families Are Hearing From Our Soldiers in Iraq:

1) I have heard from my husband 3 times in 2 days because he is at R & R in Tikrit. He is with A Co. 104th MI, in Tikrit. He is enjoying the food, has gotten to swim and sleep. He is doing well. He also asked for the voltage converter. I have recently sent him 10 books, so he says that will last him a month. He talked a lot of missing home, me and the kids. We both try not to think about how long is left over there and just hope its sooner. I guess he is hanging in there because when he gets back to his unit he is reenlisting for 6 years. HOOAH!
2) We went to an Aaron Tippin concert last night at our county fair. And luck was with us. We were able to meet Mr. Tippin, not once, but twice, and he kindly sent a message by video to the troops along with each of his band members. They told us that they are trying very hard to get a concert together to perform in Iraq for the troops. We were able to video tape the entire concert, and Mr. Tippin constantly reminded the audience of who was fighting for their freedom. I am sending the tape along with signed pictures (the pictures are of our son Bradley and his best friend Luke that they sent from Iraq) and a pillow case that the entire band put their well wishes on. It was truly a memorable evening. Keep the good thoughts.
3) Just got a call from our grandson (10:30 am Saturday). He is with the 978th MP, 3rd Platoon, 18th Brigade from Fort Bliss, TX. Said he was fine. Was over 140 degrees again but should be cooling off alittle soon. Has electricity most of the time, now, so that means air conditioning! Asked if football season was fixing to start. Wants the sports section from our newspaper here in San Angelo so he and a bunch of others from Texas can keep up with the Cowboys. Gave us specs for a Dell laptop that he wants us to send to him. Was so glad I had just read the letter in your daily info from the lady who had bought one from Dell and told how to get the DOD discount, etc. He said someone had some bagel chips and they were wonderful, so will get some off to him along with canned chicken.
4) My Son from 4th infantry 2-8 from Fort Hood called me Wednesday night. Sounded good. I asked him what he wanted me to send & he said he wanted Oysters & Sardines. That was a new one. He also said that he can't use the Calling Card I sent him. I was a bit disappointed about that. He also asked me about his Son who was born while he has been gone. I told him he was awesome & he was happy to hear that. He was also happy to hear that he looks just like him. Also about the Wife that won't write until her husband writes him. Write him. Those guys are busy over there. She shouldn't take it so personal.
5) My husband is with the fourth ID. From the 555th. Rarely do I hear about them on your reports, good news for me. He often writes me about the crazy thing they do such as rescuing one of their own from a camel Spider to chasing water buffalo from their perimeter. He says not much action their which is good news for us. Mail still takes about two weeks and packages a little over five weeks. One thing all soldiers over their ask for is the cloth water bags which keep water cool. If you know where I can get some please let me know. (Ed Note: Cloth water bags is a new one to me - can anyone shed some light on that subject?)
6) I am a company FRG leader in 4ID, 1st Brigade, 299th Engineers. (Proven Pioneers~ 1st on Omaha!) After reading in "What Our Families Are Hearing From Our Soldiers in Iraq" THe spouse who received the phone call from her husband, 5 days after giving birth, I felt I should send this info on to you. She stated he was surprised, as he hadn't gotten the Red Cross Message yet. Could you please put the info out, to make sure your FRG leader is informed of any Red Cross Message you send. Your FRG leader can then pass that info on to the Rear D commander, who in turn has the discretion whether to pass on the info himself to the command in Iraq. I have asked our Rear D to pass on messages asking to allow soldiers to call home for births/deaths, etc...The soldiers are allowed to call home ASAP and usually get the Red Cross Message days later. Also, a big THANK YOU to all in Rear D helping us out!! Thanks!!!
7) Hi, I just heard from my son who is in Kirkuk at 5 am this morning (Sunday). He's a medic with C Co. 4th ENG BN, They are doing good up there still manning checkpoints. The house they live in now has ac and lights. He doesn't know how long they will be able to keep it though because a group of civilians may be coming to that area and take it over. He just took it in stride but It pissed me off for him. He said that a few days ago he received the Army Commendation Medal. A couple of months ago he was the medic that tried to save the SGT that drowned and he did CPR for over an hour then rode back to HQ with the chopper.(there are a lot of other details but that's the highlights) He only regrets he was unable to save his buddy. Said it was his job to save him and he tried really hard. He is only an E-3 and has 1 year in, he gained the respect of all his brothers as he calls them and now he's Doc. I'm so proud of my son and his unit over there. May God Bless them and bring them all home safe.
8) My husband, a pilot from A CO\1-4 AVN REGT, Ft. Hood, TX, got to call me Friday around 3 pm TX time. It was the companies satellite phone and we were disconnected twice. Luckily there is email capability, as well, for the in between phone call time. My husband was promoted on the 1st of AUG and is enjoying his new status. I am very proud of him. He will be eligible to put in his retirement papers when he gets home. We have an army wife and officer who will join 4ID soon as a part of 2-4 AVN. Unfortunately she leaves behind two very young children but will be able to see her husband at some point, who is in the same company as my husband. God bless all our troops who are insuring our freedom and liberties on the home front! And, God bless our families who are enduring without their soldiers because of it!
9) Talked to my daughter ("A" Co, 704 DSB) last night for a really long time :o) Really hate to see my phone bill :o) Anyway, the reason I'm writing. I ordered her a neck cooler and head band (with cooling beads in it, too). Pam, the gal that made them, sent it directly to my daughter. My daughter said people were laughing at her for having it tied around her neck and asked her "what the ***** is that? Well, anyway, it was so wonderful for her. She said that she was kept incredibly cool and that night when she went to bed, it was the first really good night's sleep she had. She put the neckband around her neck and the headband over her eyes and was able to fall asleep because she felt cool. Well, from that, she asked if I could have the lady send one to everyone in her company because people were wanting one for themselves. So, I ordered 60 from this sweet gal who is getting them in the mail this Monday. She's a great new friend! I just wanted to let you know, in case anyone asks, they really work! My daughter told me that it was REALLY hot yesterday. I think the Defense Department should make them a part of the soldiers' uniforms if being sent to a desert area.
10) My husband called me early this Sunday morning at around 5:50 AM here. He is from C/ 1-44 out of Fort Carson. He is doing well!!! Very happy that they finally have electricity. His only real complaint is that the heat is unbearable, other than that he is doing good. He also told me that they are now getting 2 hot meals a day, which I find wonderul! He has managed to call me every Sunday, he says his unit gets use of the satellite phone then. Other than that everything there is pretty much routine with guard shifts, he says "this routine is getting real old, real fast." Still expecting him home in March or April, no new news on that, although I hope and pray for a sooner date (highly unlikely) It's sure going to be lonely this holiday season :(
11) I heard from my soldier yesterday Charlie Co 1-22 he is pretty upbeat! He is due to leave the sand pit October 1st as his time in the Army is almost up. He said things have been pretty quiet in Tikrit for a couple of weeks. I guess his Bradley and another had to open fire one day and since then they are having seconds thoughts about messing with 1-22! He said he got the 10 pounds of beef jerky, he shared it and said to send more. And wants us to keep the letters coming, we will continue to support the troops even when he comes home. I will send packages to other soldiers. God bless all our troops!
12) Received a sweet letter from our son, 3rd BCT, B/CO, 1/8. In it, amongst other things, he told of a heart stirring incident that occurred during their recent Assumption of Command Ceremony. In speaking of whom he refered to as "our new Hoohah-Hoohah C.O.," our son said: "During his assumption of command ceremony he pulled a folded US flag from under his arm and explained to the company that it had been given to him be a Ranger who had hoisted the flag on Omaha Beach; June 6, 1944." Our son/soldeir said, that even though that "flag is sixty-years old (maybe older than that) it is still Beautiful as ever, so Red, so White and Blue. Some of the corners are fringing away but it's the most beautiful flag I've ever seen. I love that flag that the Captain has. I've never seen one that had so much meaning to it. That flag means a lot to me. A lot." He went on to tell us that they'd had a tremendous bright day that day. Which included a first in three months company run, an awards ceremony in which his squad was awarded the Army Achievement Medal for discovering some enemy mortars and mortar rounds two weeks ago--two weeks ago at the time of his writing the letter, 26 July 03. Said after that: "The Company formed up with the mortar tubes in the middle and that Beautiful Flag flying overhead for Company photos. What a day! " He winded down and exited saying that though, "the flys land on our lips, the fleas are horrible, the mosquitos are worse than Alaska," (we spent about ten years up in AK) "Iraq is a ... " (non complimentary) "... #!?0 Hole, don't know if were ever coming back," (course God and I--his mamma-- have some real heart to heart discussions on that matter, but back to his words), " But days like these are pick-me-ups." Gosh, I guess! God love them all. And Thank God for days, such as these, sprinkled amongst the stormier ones.
12) I heard from my husband last night. He called around 11 p.m., he is with HSB 3/16 F.A. and he is in camp Baraquh with 12 of his soldiers. He said that they are all doing great and they have been doing lots and lots of work on the vehicles. Being mechanics they are working around the clock like everyone else. He said that they still need Gatorade and snack foods, but NO more kool-aid...Being a soldier I also know what it is like first hand, I hope that when it is my time to go over there (Nov.) we will be able to see each other.
13) I just got an email for my husband (Saturday). He is the Medical Platoon SGT with HHC 2-8 IN in Jalula. He had to go back to Camp Normandy for a mission briefing and was able to take a minute to email me. He sounded good, but said that it has been 130 degrees or more for the last week straight. I am sure that is getting to him considering we are both from Wisconsin originally. Guess me complaining about the weather here in Texas does compare to that. In his last letter he did tell me that they had built a shower out of a metal frame that they found and had water tanks mounted to the top of the frame. Then had the plumbers come and run some pipes from the tanks to 2 shower heads. He said it doesn't look the best but does work.
14) Son with HHC, 3/66 AR called about 1 a.m. on Sunday morning....sounded really good - even with the heat! He said it was unbelieveably hot in Bayji for the past few days. They had news reporters there filming along the Tigres River and they were passing out from the heat and it was all he could do to keep from joining them. The call was cut off twice, but he was able to call back and the delay was very bad. He had gotten a box I mailed in less than 2 weeks - a first for the mail!!! But, said they had not gotten mail in the past 3 days - probably connected with civilian mail truck bomb earlier in the week (and I am sure troops lost mail in the bombing). He says there is another satellite phone that can be used with a phone card, but it uses about 200 minutes of calling time for a 7 minute call. It will still be worth the expense of having an extra call now and then, so calling card is on the way. Requested more of the tuna salad and cracker snacks and no more chewing gum - had enough to last for the rest of the year! Even though the conversation was short and spotty - for at least one night I knew he was doing okay and could rest peacefully.
15) We received a letter from our son on Saturday. He is with C. Co. 2/8 Inf. 4th ID from Fort Hood, Texas. He says they have been real busy lately. They are teaching him to drive the Bradley. (That makes me remember back to drivers education and how many grey hairs suddenly appeared in my hair. ha-ha) He says its fun but he would much rather go back to being a dismount. Twice, while he has been driving they have had RPG’s fired at them. He tells his dad and me not to worry because he is well trained and will take good care of himself. We are so proud of him. He will be 21 on the 21st of this month. I wish he would be home to celebrate this milestone in his life, but he has a job to do and will not come home until it’s done. April seems like forever but with good friends and co-workers and last but not least your newsletters, it will be here before we know it. GOD BLESS OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS!

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