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 daughter received a call from her boyfriend,( a sergeant with the 4th ID 3rd BCT 1-8IN B Company out of CO. Springs) at aboout 1:30a MT today. Good news! He and his team are getting some well deserved R&R and are leaving at midnight their time for a few days at the R&R place in Quatar! Should be able to make more calls. rest, swin & have some good chow!
2) My husband is from the HHT/1-10CAV/ 4TH ID. He called me the other day and was sad to hear that his baby boy is crawling and is wearing "big boy shoes". Our baby was 3 months when he was deployed and is now 8 months. My husband said he couldn't believe that I found out when he was coming hime before he did, I said that's because a of a wonderful reporter who is helping out all of us families over here waiting for your guy's return. He wants to thank you Mr. Bob for keeping us up to date. I love my soldier and can't wait for him to come home.
3) This is a message from my son that I received just today. He is 2-8 Infantry. This is the first word we have had from him and such a relief. So we breath a little easier for a moment. Wanted to share this with you all.
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Just wanted to let you know that I'm okay. I'm at a place called Camp Normandy and it's pretty quiet. We should be getting the internet there soon and I'll be able to use that semi-reguraly. Along with that we'll be getting AC. I'm already used to the heat over here, but I'm all bitten up along my arms by either bugs or heat rash, I haven't figured out yet. Believe it or not I'm emailing you from the computer of another soldier's mother who's also here in Iraq. We had a convoy to a post just outside of the city of Ballad today and she's stationed here with her national guard unit. It's quite a small military world. Other than that I'm fine and I've been safe and I've taken some good photos.
4) I got a letter from my husband (4th MP CO, 5th Plt) on July 31 that was dated July 16. At least for this week the mail seems to be getting thru faster. So far he has gotten all of the boxes I and other family members have sent to him. He is actually asking that we slow down because he has too much stuff and no one else needs anything either. They all share, he said, and with everyone getting boxes they are out of room to put it all. "But you can still send the gatorade." he said :) So for now I'll slow down and start back up in a few weeks, by then he should be running low again. I received the 3rd camera from him and got it developed last night. I can tell he has lost more weight since the last 2 cameras, but overall they all looked good. You can tell they had fun being "silly" for the camera.
5) I received a phone call from my husband yesterday who is part of HHB 4-42 but is currently supporting HHC 1-22 in Tikrit. He had exciting news, he was to be on CNN lastnight. There was a quick 5 minute segment on the technology the 4th ID is using in Tikrit. My husband was shown looking through binoculars on top of a tank. I guess the media hasn't forgotten our husbands!! (Ed Note: I've got to install a TV in my office, I never get to watch CNN or FoxNews in the evening, too busy working on the update. 1-22 is my old unit and 4-42 supported us in Vietnam just like they are doing today in Iraq).
6) One of the postal workers let me know yesterday that the post office had problems with families shipping over liquid boxed drinks - like those that go in children's lunchboxes. Evidently it was not packed properly and the little boxes of juice burst inside the shipping boxes. It's important to pack large boxes for good distribution of the supplies taking into consideration the weight, size and nature of these supplies. I often use singly wrapped toilet paper rolls, individual packets of tissues, candy bags,etc. to separate items and lighten the load if I'm sending drink mixes which tend to be heavy items. However, if you do send little juice boxes - you could seal them inside zip-baggies which your soldier can recycle for personal use or putting food in to keep bugs away. I've sent so far 10 huge boxes of donated supplies to my son's unit. And thanks to the tip from another reader about using extra tape on boxes because they get a beating during the delivery process. I'm much more careful now. I pray for all of our soldiers and their families daily. I told my son before he left, Be strong and of good courage - for God is with you wherever you go." (No unit given but good advice - especially using extra tape to secure the package).
7) I received a phone call July 26th from my son who is attached to the 4th ID, he is with B Co 5th Engr out of Ft. Wood, MO. They have been guarding a ammo compound in northern Iraq. They just received word they will be in Iraq until March or April of next year. He sends his love to his younger siblings. Extreme weather conditions, lack of electricity and running water must be taking their toll on our young men and women. He’s been receiving the care packages and said that they really boost moral with the guys. His only request was Koolaid or Gatorade, which is on its way! May God continue to bless our troops, and help guide us to complete our mission. We love you all and miss you more than words can say.
8) On Wednesday morning at 8:30am CDT my daughter got a phone call from her fiance (Bco 2-8inf) and they got to talk for 10 min.. His spirits were pretty good considering they had had the memorial service the day before for the three HHC 1-67 guys killed Sat.. God Bless their families. His biggest complaint was that he wouldn't be going to watch UT play this next season (will allow him that complaint!!), said everything was back to normal, just your usual mortar attacks. The thought of mortar attacks being common is a little unnerving!! God Bless Our Troops and bring them back SAFE and SOON!!! (Ed Note: Why would anyone want to watch UT play football? As a Sooner fan, it makes no sense to me).
9) Bob: Heard from my son this afternoon via phone 3:45 p.m., my time, Ohio, which would be 10:45 p.m., Qatar time. He is a PFC with B Co., 704th DSB, 4th ID out of Tikrit and has been doing a lot of EPW (enemy prisoner of war) missions. He called collect to my office and the telephone connection was excellent. He was happy to report that he was one of the first to get to go on R&R (rest and relaxation after 6 months in combat zone or "in-country" using Vietnam era lingo) and was calling from Qatar. Says, Qatar is their new R&R center and that R&R is a new program that has just begun. His lead element or group, many of which left Ft. Hood, Tx. late January 2003 and did FPD (Force Protection Detail, i.e., guard/security duty) on the 36 roll on/roll off ships out of Rota, Spain via the Mediterranean Sea (February & March) were allowed to go first. In the phone conversation, he sounded very relaxed and reported the peninsula country of Qatar, down in the Persian Gulf, was very safe - no helmets, vests, or constant scrunity of attack from snipers, mortars or ambush. Matter of fact, they were in civilian clothes. Says, he'll be on R&R for 4 days. They came down to Qatar from Balad, this morning, on a C-17. As I conversed with my son on the phone, my other son (his younger brother) stopped by my office along with my brother (an ex US Army Vietnam era MP) and everybody got to say hello on the phone. It was great to hear from him, this time, as I had been missing his few phone calls from the Sunni triangle area of Iraq. Wish to report to you that he and his fellow soldiers are enjoying their well earned R&R down in Qatar. Looks like these guys could DEROS maybe late January 04 as they've got 6 months of their tour just about behind them. My soldier says time is flying. (Ed Note: So as not to confuse anyone, he is only talking about DEROS in January for those who left Fort Hood or Fort Carson in January to accompany the ships to Turkey - those soldiers have been gone longer than the ones who left in April).
10) I got a letter from my friend in the HHC 4 Eng Bn from Ft. Carson on 7/29 (mailed 7/17). He said the sand wasn't nearly as bad as in Kuwait, he's got a shower (which only has one tempurature - HOT), and he's doing his laundry himself because he's afraid it'll get lost. :) He also said I would have fits over there (I'm a health inspector) as dead sheep line the streets at the markets. He's afraid to eat Iraqi food now after getting my letters! He also said he's had a lot of time to think. He's feels really bad for the people there. Most of them live in horrible conditions. Today I got a post card from a nother friend in the same unit (mailed 7/13). He said thanks for the wonderful packages and he should be home anyday now. Yee haw! (I think he's actually scehduled for ETS.)
11) Heard from my son, he is a Specialist with the 4th Infantry Div. 1-4 Aviation D Company (Ft Hood, TX) Saturday morning around 11:00 a.m., a wonderful surprise. He sounded in better spirits than the last time I talked to him, which made me feel alittle better. He thanked us for all the packages and to pass on "special thanks" to his favorite aunt and grandfather and grandmother - he said that is what keeps him going along with the letters. He wants us to send pictures, he did make a few request (food, shoes, and more photos and calling cards). He asked me to tell him everything that was going on here in the U.S. and to talk fast as he only had a few minutes on his calling card. He truly is a son sent from heaven, and he has done nothing but made us very proud. -- God bless all our troops and bring'em home soon, safe and sound!
12) I got a call this morning from my soldier. He's B CO 1/8 out of Ft. Carson. He seemed to be doing well although he has a stress fracture in his lower leg. It gave him a few days off to catch up on sleep, so that helped. The packages are making it and he loves the cassette tapes that the family and I have made for him. We didn't get to talk long, but about 2 minutes after I hung up the phone he called back and said, I just wanted to call back and tell you I loved you. I thought that was really sweet. But I had sent a letter with a phone card number on it and he was able to call back and talk a little longer. Then unexpectedly he called back around 9am. So today has been GREAT! He said the bugs are awful and he's getting eatin up by them. He said he had bad news, which I already new he wasn't coming home til next march/april but was bummed out he was going to miss both our birthdays. I've been thinking of ideas to send for his birthday, so if anyone has any, please let me know.
13) Hello. My fiancé is in the 4th I.D. stationed out of Ft. Hood. He is with HSB 3-16. I have just recently found a great way to get magazines for the guys. I work for AutoZone and we have just recently starting selling magazines. When we get the next months issues in we have to throw away the old ones. We have to tear the covers off for the store to get credit for them and then we toss them in the trash. I though what a waste! So I asked my store manager if I could have some of them to send to him and his friends and she of course said yes. So I thought that you might let others know and maybe they could go to their local AutoZone and talk to the store manager about giving the magazines for the guys. I hope that this helps in ideas and ways to get things for the guys. Last I heard from him was Saturday 26th of July and he sounded better than he has in a while. Like everyone else is disappointed in the date for arriving home, but other than that in good spirits. Thanks to all of you who support and pray for our troops. They need it now more than ever. God bless the troops, you, and all the families.
14) My husband received a call from my stepson early this morning (3:30am our time CST) 4ID (204th Support attached to 1/67 AR in Camp Scunion) but we didn't care what time it was, we were so happy to hear from him. He was part of the clean-up detail for the soldiers that were killed in the hospital attack and that was pretty hard on him. He did not know the soldiers that were killed but did know some of the wounded. He and his Dad talked just general stuff for about 5-10 minutes and his Dad said that he sounded pretty upbeat when they got off the phone. He had just received 4 boxes and so his morale was pretty good. He requested that we not send him any more cigarettes (YEAH!) because he wants to quit smoking (DOUBLE YEAH) and that he requested some more homemade beef jerky, that he and the guy's loved it.

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