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) My husband is with 2-20 FA out of Ft Hood and he was one of the fortunate ones with time in Qatar this past weekend for some R&R. I was so relieved that he was getting a chance to 'escape' for a little while. He did say that he got a massage each day and it was nice to shop in a real PX. And it was nice to have a real bed and a hot shower (opposed to the warm ones he normally gets). He spent most of his time on the internet and making calls to family. I know the family enjoyed hearing from him. I got numerous calls from him and we enjoyed every minute of it. No lag time and no time limits. He sounded great and well rested by the time he was headed back. I'm so glad this is an option for the guys. Stay strong everyone - if they can do it, we can do it!
2) My son called me this morning (July 30) around 9:45 a.m. MST. It lifted my spirits to the highest! He is with the A-CO 3/66 in Bayji. He sounded so good. This was the first phone call I received from him since he left the States. He told me he has lost about 30# due to the heat. But he is eating good, safe and healthy. He said they have like a little portable type building they got from the Iraq's where they are able to take showers! I asked him what else I could do and he told me to just keep sending him care packages and letters. I just feel like I need to do more. God Bless him and our soldiers and be safe!
3) I got a call from our son who is a SPC.in the 1-12th. Ft. Carson CO. it was 5am our time, he sounded so much better this time, he had been ill from food they had ate prepared w/water over there. He was listing some requests when I asked about room in his tent... Well, he giggled at me.. and said "mom when did I say we was sleeping in a tent?" Seems he sleeps in the open they do not have tents or anything such as power and so on. I got to tell you this makes me all the more proud of these guys and what they endure each day. I feel very confident knowing all the training he received in basic at FT. Benning GA. and NTC in CA. and things that have been drilled over and over at Ft. Carson is paying off and keeping him safe now. He said they know how long it will be till they come back and are doing well with it. Like he said, "well I will be saving a lot of money this way"...and home in time for his spring birthday. He turned 21 right as they left. So this is one mom who never has given a thought to how many bars can her son go to during his 21st year. They continue to need bug spray, something they can not get enough of. And all the usual snacks,magazines and treats. The one other thing I would like to share is the way I send his packages. He said he got one today that only took 9 days, the other fellows are shocked at how fast our packages get to him. What I do is send the boxes priority mail {yes it is a little more,but not much really} this makes the box move faster to the army via the post office. Now once it's in the army's hands of course there is no changing how fast it arrives, but it does cut off the extra days it spends with our regular mail in the USA. I hope this helps someone else out there to get items to a loved one just a little bit sooner.
4) I got a letter today 7-31-03 from my son who is in Bayji, Iraq with the 1-22 In B-Co 4th Id 1st Plt. out of Ft. Hood. ...... He also said all was good and very busy. And said he was ready for a fishing trip. But his letter was really upbeat and he seemed to be in a very good mood by the pictures he drew me and sent. We are best of friends and have on going jokes going on between us with pictures...... God Bless Our Troops and All The Family's...A Mom in Texas.......
5) What I heard from my son: He is doing great. He is with the 4th Infantry Div. 1-67 Armor A Company. We hadn't heard from him for six weeks and yes, I've been getting a little closer to insanity each day. But this morning around 11am my baby (I know Sergeant's don't like to be called baby!) called me at work. We talked for a blessed 36.5 minutes. He's received all his packages and letters. Packages 1-month and letters about 2-weeks behind. Not bad. He is in a small town 7 km north of Baghdad. He gets a shower every day and they have air conditioning available for sleeping. But still washing his clothes in a bucket! He told me lots of stories and my heart beamed! My favorite is he had eat real eggs for breakfast this morning and had real milk which he used on his "Fruity Pebbles". I asked where he got the cereal. It was the box I sent to him back in April or May - "can't have real cereal with anything but real milk!" And with his "real eggs" the mess hall had a bottle of Heinz Ketchup so he had a real Pittsburgh breakfast (scrabbled eggs with Heinz ketchup). It's the small things in life that make us happy. I think I piggybacked on the Mom who wrote about her son the other day #12 dated July 29 - her son is with HC/1-67 AR. I felt how she felt, but her words encourage me to keep the faith. Thank you both - God bless our troops and bring 'em home safe and sound!
6) Received phone call from grandson, last evening, with 1/67AR in Baquba. He was in, I guess, a form of shock still from witnessing the three soldiers that died at the hospital, as he was only 15 meters from the site. We talked about five/six minutes and by the time he stated that he wanted to turn the phone over to others, he was in better spirits. He advised that he had received all of our packages so far and the latest ones he received was mailed on the 18th of July. He asked us not to send so many packages and we just advised him to share with others that are not so fortunate. Also sent him a copy of the request you made for our troops to get the names, etc., from all of their buddies for future reference. Grandma said that she really appreciates the updates, otherwise she would go nuts.
7) I got a call from my husband yesterday morning at 8:25am. He is with the 4MP CO, 5th Plt. He sounded in good spirits and said that the change from guarding EPW's to escorting conveys is wonderful. They have more "down time" and that has helped their morale more than anything. They are not too happy about the April return date, but are willing and ready to do their jobs. I got my third camera from him yesterday and can't wait to get it developed today to see him and his friends. The first two showed that he has lost more than the 15 pounds that he told me he had lost. I have a feeling his "welcome home" present will be a whole new wardrobe and shoes! When I asked he said everyone is getting mail and loving it. Keep up the good work 4TH MP CO families!!!!!! God bless our Troops and continue to keep them safe so they can come home in April. Sooner would be wonderful though :)
8) Our son is a dismount with B2/8 in Baqubah. We received a letter from him today and would like to share a few of his thoughts. "First let me say thanks! Thank you for sending me such great packages and letters. It really helps. I am sorry I haven't written alot lately, we've been so busy. We have missions every day, and most nights as well. Last night I finally slept 8 hours! That's a first!" "...Every week someone gets killed. I wonder, does the media even cover them? Does anyone even care that we are still here besides our families/friends? I don't think people care as much now that Baghdad was taken." "...If in the event that I don't make it out, which is a reality that we live daily, just know I love you all and that I would consider nothing a greater honor than to die defending my Brothers and my nation, so that others won't have to. ...Hopefully by me being here no one else in our family will see the price we pay for freedom, and never see the things I have." The letter was signed "240B gunner extraordinaire" (he's always the card). We're very proud of our son and are looking forward to seeing him next April.
9) And on Thursday I got a letter from "Able Red 6" with an article he had cut out of his local newspaper. Don Warner was "Able Red 6" (A/1-22 company commander), taking command when the company commander was killed in the Hurtgen Forest in WWII. He visited his old company at Fort Hood within the past year and is extremely proud of seeing them so vividly portrayed in the news the past few days. He said, "Please forward enclosed article to proper source in next communication to troops in Iraq. My old company, Able Red, now Alpha, doing an outstanding job of tidying up the battlefield. My heartiest congratulations!!!"

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