Well, our first week or so has been madness on so many levels - I still have a LOT of notes to convert to stories - But I will hit the highlights quickly -

We spent some time south of Baghdad training on the ranges (yes MORE ranges!) OK - I can't resist - 1 QUICK story - heh - I can't even write this without laughing - So no shit - there we were, on the machine gun range and we were almost done when the CO decided that he wanted to get down with our Para-Minimi (Shorty M249 - very Gucci kit) - So while he went to get is battle rattle on, the outgoing 1SG and I decided to play a little joke on him....So we popped the top on the drum of 5.56 and placed the belt in backwards, then replaced the top and placed it back in the carry bag- giggling like schoolboys the whole time - When the boss came back over he dutifully took the ammo and strolled out to the firing line. Now you have to picture this - this guy is hard core - a Ranger, combat vet and is generally switched on. To top that off his safety is our most squared away SNCO- also a combat vet and knows what the hell is going on. So there they are about to load the SAW and spend at least 3 minutes trying to figure out why the drum is fitting but the bullets are going the wrong way. Turning the drum one way and the gun another...all the while the other 1SG and I are about to die - laughing ourselves into a headache. They finally figured it out, when they noticed that I had a Joe filming the whole thing. (Video will be up on YouTube soon!)

The trip down and up were uneventful - But just before we left a patrol got hit pretty hard by an IED -

We were in the CSH while the wounded were being worked on - there was 1 KIA - They were all MP types - the guys hurt were Air Force Security Forces- I will post more about that later...suffice it to say that it sucked - DEFENSOR FORTIS MY AF BROTHERS!

Then the day before we got back IDF took the lives of two guys in our AO - one from our command...that sucked pretty bad as well...

BUT - it is still *relatively* safe in our area, so no worries...

On the upside of things we have completed close to 20 missions already without a peep outside the wire - ironic, no?

At any rate - if any fans of Mookie or AQIZ are out there - PHUC EWE! If *we* see ya - we WILL get ya...heh.

Another up note is that the outgoing unit has adopted a family that lives in our AOR. They are the REAL poor - they are fans of GWB and America, and they are targets of the baddies. In fact they took a round of IDF on one of their dwellings in the last week...one 3 year old boy slightly wounded (in fact the one on the right in the pic)...grrr...In the near future I will be trying to organize some relief for these folk...I will post what they need here. Those of you who would like to help out can reach me in the usual ways.

Here is a pic of one of my troops with some of the kids -

"Why We Fight"

See ya all soon.

Posted by: Misha Moriarti at 01:15 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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