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) Heard from my husband yesterday, 4id 2/8 inf C co, it has been 3 weeks since I last heard from him and it was great getting a call. His dad had just walked in the door visiting from florida when the phone rang, it was a great surprise. He is doing fine, they should be getting to a computer this week. Already sent him e mails and pics. The water mister I bought from wal mart thats supposed to cool water down to 30 degrees doesn't work, says he uses it to spray down the rocks before he sits on them. Lots of gatorade left but wants more corned beef hash and spam. He loves bacon and I improvised by sending him bacon bits, he was in hog heaven so to speak. It's amazing how the smallest things will bring so much joy. We are all so very proud of him and can hardly wait until he gets home.
2) This past week my son B CO 1-67 AR in Baqubah was able to call his girlfriend, but the connection was so bad and kept getting cut off, so they could not talk really. Still, hearing the voice of a loved one means a lot. he has promised to send pictures, he also was on Instant Messenger yesterday, the first time he had any email ability. Unfortunately, I was not at my office or home, and the girlfriend did not know my cell number to let me know ( it was in 1 of about 200 emails I sent her) but at least he could "chat" with her. His only other chance will be this afternoon, so I plan to be available. The place his unit is guarding until tomorrow has email, so the guys are pretty happy to be able to use it. He asked for a board game Othello, and wanted one of those folding chairs (camp type) to sit on, the kind that you can sling over your shoulder and carry easily. Also, keep sending drink mix, Gold Bond powder and any food. I also am waiting to get names of soldiers in his unit to adopt, I have 4 friends lined up to take them on, but I think the guys have been so busy, the heat makes them tired, and so my son just has not written lately when he promised he would send me names, but he said he was feeling guilty so he would start writing again. I will write no matter, especially to these poor guys who do not get any mail. God Bless them all and keep them safe.
3) My husband heard from our Soldier (our son) yesterday. He said everything was OK and it was hot. He asked for more Gatorade and new ranks cause he was promoted July 1st. Oh so GREAT for that to happen there. I myself received an e-mail from his CSM the other day and a picture of him, that made my day since I haven't seen him in nine months. He asked about his new niece and of course his little girl that he has not gotten to talk with since July 8th on her Birthday. Although we keep sending packages and mail he can't wait till the day he comes home to us all. WE ARE SO PROUD OF HIM AND ALL THE SOLDIER'S THERE. 890TH ENG. CO. B. PASCAGOULA, MS.
4) I just wanted to say that I got a phone call from my husband (B co 1-22) Friday. We were able to talk for at least 45 minutes. Again, it was nice to hear his voice. He said that they were going to start training about 32 Iraqi's who would make up the new Army there. He was very hopeful and excited about the training because he knows the sooner they are able to take over operations on their own the sooner he will be coming home. He also said temperatures are HOT! When I asked how he was dealing with the heat he said he had been treated for heat related illnesses. He said after receiving a couple of IV's he was feeling better. He also said the nights are much cooler dropping down to the 80's and when that happens he is actually sleeping in his sleeping bag because that is considered cold to him. May God Bless our Troops and Keep them Safe! (Ed Note: I love to hear from B/1-22 - that's my old unit from my Vietnam days).
5) My daughter (4) got a post card from her Daddy yesterday and my son (2) a birthday card the day before. Where he got a Barney card for a 2 year old in Iraq I don't know. I must only assume AAFES and at that I say "Way to go AAFES" (PX system). My husband is with A co.104th MI out of Fort Hood. He called this morning (Saturday) at 1am, which of course doesn't't bother me, but he is losing track of what time it is here because he said he waited to call so as not to wake me up. He seems in good spirits but e-mail is down. He is talking of his reenlistment and his work. That is about it.
6) I heard from my husband yesterday 8-15-03 and received two letters also. It was already the second time this week he had called. He is with C co 3-66 Ar in Tikrit. He requested some Pasta Salad and some Sausage in a can other than Vienna. He also told me that it got down to 85 Degrees the other morning and all of them were shivering. They also have email access a couple time a week now.
7) This week was a good week for me, having received two phone calls & a letter from my husband, who is in Ba'qubah with HHC 1/67 AR 4ID. The connection was horrible on both occasions, but I was grateful just to hear his voice. He sounded upbeat & still full of humor, and that brought a big smile to my face. It probably also helped morale that he & his guys recently got an AC unit for their room, and apparently it was up & running a good portion of the time. He complained about the heat for, oh, about 20 seconds, and then moved on to say that compared to the rough week in late July where they lost 3 from their platoon, things were going a lot better. He touched briefly on their missions, mostly trying to reassure that he is safe (won't stop the prayers!), and thanked us for the last care package. I must say, it feels so good every time we mail one off, just to know we are bringing him a little slice of home when he is so far away. The box we mailed off this week weighed a ton & broke the bank just for the postage :), but no matter, it is always worth it. He will be celebrating his 27th birthday in a few weeks, so this one was extra special.
8) I got a call from my soldier, 2-8 Inf. / Bravo Co in Baqabah this morning (8/16). He is doing good & his only request for his homecoming is a 3 hour long bath. I think we can handle that!! He is scheduled to be home about Sept. 10th because of his ETS date & we are ALL LOOKING VERY FORWARD TO THAT! I reminded him how proud we all are of him, how proud this whole country is of him, and he said thats all they need to hear over there. SO DON'T STOP WRITING, DON'T STOP INVOLVING YOUR COMMUNITY, AND DON'T GET YOURSELVES DOWN - we gotta keep them "up" over there!
9) Received a phone call from my husband Friday. (4ID, 1st Brigade, 299th Engineers, A Co.~Proven Pioneers~1st on Omaha!) He was very down when he first called, but I managed to get him laughing by the end of the 10 minute call. He said they had read a recent news article where people were saying we shouldn't be in Iraq, etc.... I wish people would think before they talk to a reporter. All of our soldiers would much rather be home with their families. Instead they are putting their family life on hold and their lives on the line to help the Iraqi people. I wish I could be interviewed. I' d tell the world how proud I am of my husband and all our soldiers for all they do everyday.!!! On another note: My husband has repeatedly told me his day hinges on the mail. If he gets some, it's a great day, if he doesn't, it's a bad day. So to all~ keep writing, even if it's just about your trip to the store or how well the garden is growing, one page or 10 pages, just write your soldier!!! (Ed Note: Agree totally with both your points - talking negatively to reporters has a direct negative impact on our soldiers and any vet of any war can tell you that mail call is the highlight of each day, sure know it was to me).
10) We were finally able to get a tape sent to us by our son, D-troop 1-10 CAV, transfered to VHS. It was wonderful to see his face even is he is quite a few pounds lighter. It was an interesting tour of where he is living and what living conditions are like. Mail seems to be catching up now. We received three letters in one day this past week. Stationary and envelopes were his only request and they are on their way. He did say no more SOAP as his sister had sent enough for the whole troop.
11) I recieved another letter from my soldier today (8-16)..he was with B 3/29 FA out of Ft Carson. The letters have been getting to me in 10 days, sometimes less. He is doing great and so are all the other guys. He got his birthday pacakge.....the main thing was Cranium and they are all ready for me to send the expansion pack as it has been getting a lot of use. The pillow and another misting fan ( a HUGE one this time) were the most needed and appreciated. I never see much reported from friends or family of B 3/29 FA so I thught I'd jump in and let everyone know they are doing well. They are now in an airplane hanger and hoping to get generators soon. God bless and protect our soldiers!
12) My son who is a 2LT with 1-68 Armor, Charlie Company, called home a short time ago (8/16) and we got to talk for about 20 minutes. I had this call all to myself as my husband was out. That's OK, he got the last call! What my son did tell me is that he did not have a July 4th celebration with a cookout nor has any of his men gone to a palace for R&R. He is in Tuz rebuilding the city as he worded it. He said the children there are wonderful, but it's the adults that they have to watch out for. The weather has cooled down. He did get to buy an ice cream cone recently and has even gotten pizza, but he did tell me he pays a hefty price for these items! He said he cannot complain about his living conditions at all. There is now a/c, or something they call a/c, a deep freezer, TV & DVD. He said they were going to get a new chip for the TV so they could watch football this season! We send the sports pages from our newspaper to him weekly and once football starts, we'll have to send the sports pages out daily! Our dining room table looks like a mini grocery store with stuff that we're sending him, and he tells us not to stop! He does "share" with the others in his group and we think that's great. I'm at the Post Office 2-3 times a week and the postal workers know me by name. They have now given me a roll of Priority Tape to put on our boxes before I get them to the Post Office. We all laugh. They say "here she comes again!" He said his mail does NOT get delivered daily, so it seems like Christmas when it does arrive. It was a great conversation, no delay time, just straight conversation. You all have a good day!
13) My husband called today he is doing well. He says they are not doing much, all of their tracks are up and running good. ( He is a track mechanic in C 1/44 ADA). He requested that I send him some more movies that's about all they do in their free time is watch movies. He had gotten up about 4am to use the phone he says that's when the line is at its shortest. It still is very hot there, and they are trying to stay cool the best way they can.
14) Our son called today about 9:00am on Sat. morning. We had not heard from him for about three weeks so naturally we were excited to hear his voice. He sounded very tired, but that may be because he had just finished a five hour drive to Kirkuk. I told him about the neck coolers and he knew all about them. He also said they had received some "care packages" from an elementary school in California. Thanks to all of you out there who care for our soldiers! Our son is with A company 64th FSB.
15) We talked to our son friday night. It was a sad call. He is with G Troop 1-10 Cav (fist) Fort Hood. His home is with 4th/42nd F.A.Fort Hood. He told us that he lost a good freind Sgt. Steven W. White. He said it is hard but he needs to keep going on. Thought it was special that he called him his friend and not his Sgt. When he was at Fort Hood our son would tell us all the time he was going to his Sgt's home to have dinner. We think it was Sgt. White. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sgt. White's family.
16) After 2 long months of not hearing from our son (by either mail or phone) we finally received a call from him. He is in the 1-10 Cav on the Iran/Iraq border. The day he called (Aug. 12th) it was HOT. He said the normal temp. is 120*. He requested Gatorade drink mix and pringles. Although conditions are rough, he said he believes in what they are doing and that he is glad he is there. He says we (our military) have helped the Iraqis in many ways and continue to do so. Also, we were pleasantly surprised and very proud to get a forwarded letter from the Commander of the 1-10 Cav in which he applauded 3 men for their efforts. One was our son because he and one other soldier are keeping the generators running in very adverse conditions. He called them superstars. We are very proud of his hard work and perseverance. I'm sure the same can be said for all our soldiers. We are proud of all of them.
17) We received a call from our son today 4ID 1-10 Cav. C-Troop. Said he was good , but still very hot. He said they were moving to a different area (an unfriendly area). Nights are getting cooler. He's still requesting powdered drink mixes, food, socks, t-shirts and underwear. He also told us they can't use calling cards because they don't have their satellite phone. He sounded good but tired of the heat. Could not reveal their re-assignment area.
18) I recieved a call from my son with the 4th MPs. I had sent him five 120 minute phone cards he gave three of them to the guys with him. which I think is great that way there families can hear from them. They need to talk to them and the families need the calls. But he said that a 120 minute card will get you an eight minute call back to the states. He let me know that they have AC in their sleeping area now. He just got back from a 4 day pass to Qatar.
19) Message from a HHC/1-12 Infantry wife: I just wanted to share a tip with all of the spouses. A way to save even more money while the soldiers are deployed is to have them taken off of your car insurance. There is no penalty or fee for doing this and in my case, I cut my bill in half. A friend of mine did the same. All it takes is a phone call to put them back on a week or so before their return. If anything, it gives us more money to spend on our care packages! Take care and God bless! (Ed Note: GREAT IDEA! All who have an under 25 male driver know how expensive their insurance is).
20) That is two calls this weekend and I am thrilled. He is with the 1/22 of the 4th ID out of Ft. Hood. All seems well...he asked for phone cards, foot powder and ANTIBACTERIAL wipes...not baby wipes and a ton of drink mixes...he goes through one cannister a day. He is getting mail that I sent at the end of July early August, so that is a big improvement.
21) I heard from my son. He is in G troop, 1-10 Cav. First time I had heard from him since April. His birthday was yesterday. He sounded great but so much older! He just turned 19. I just wanted to keep telling him I love him! I am so proud of him. He said to send kool-aid. Also for anyone and everyone to write to him, whether he knew them or not! He would eventually write back.

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