What are the living conditions like for you?
Are you in the direct line of harm's way? Have you seen anyone in your squadron killed and if so, how did you handle it?
Do you plan to stay in your branch of military after your deployment is done, and if so, where would you like to be stationed? If you plan to get out, what would you like to do?
How have you been able to cope with being deployed and away from your families? How do you feel about other soldiers who have NEVER been deployed?
How often are you able to get on the internet? Is it difficult to be on long since there are others in line who want to send messages back home?
Have any of you been to Saddam's palace? If so, how did you feel about being there?
Do you feel your mission is being accomplished, and what else do you feel could be done?
Do you think the "war on terror" will ever be won? Do you think the US is doing this alone, or has there been sufficient assistance from other countries?
Are you guys (and gals) able to eat healthy and receive medical attention? How are you doing emotionally?
Jacqueline
Gigotti78-Wow, those are alot of questions and I will do the best I can to answer them. The first question is easy, BEER! While we are in a combat zone, their is no alcohol and unfortunately, we are not allowed to have any or face penalties. But man, what I wouldnt do for a nice, cold, Miller Lite draft. Hmmm, I can taste it now....aaaaah. OK, next question which is living conditions. Our living conditions where we are at are pretty nice. We live in modified containers that are different sizes. We have A/C units and I truly expected worse. Now, as for being in harm's way, no matter where you are in Iraq, you are in harm's way. Sometimes the insurgents will lob mortars or rockets at the bases and hope to hit something. You have roadside bombs that are our biggest threat and occasionally, they get brave for 5 seconds and shoot at you but then run when we shoot back with bigger weapons. I haven't seen anyone from my unit killed although we have lost a few guys. Being National Guard soldiers, we all come from the same towns and the few we lost have had a major impact back home. I didnt know any of the guys personally, but it still takes a toll on you. It really puts a perspective on what we are actually doing and where we are. As for staying in the military, I plan on finishing out and doing my 20 years. Since we are National Guard, I will be getting stationed right back in my homestate and going back to college to get my degree. Coping with being away from loved ones and friends is never easy, but this isnt my first time leaving home. I spent 5 years on Active Duty Army and have already done a tour through Bosnia. As a soldier, you learn how to cope with being away from loved ones and everyone does it a bit differently. As for soldiers who have never deployed I dont hold nothing against them if they havent got called up (in the national guard or reserve component) and the Active Duty guys really dont have a choice, its more like luck if they havent been somewhere since 2001. But if people tried to snake their way out and then stay in, yea I got beef with them. They are cowards and should just get out, they are wasted space for all I care. The internet is an easy question, a bunch of us went in a bought a satellite and we have service in our living quarters. Our unit also bought a satellite for the soldiers to use and hooked up computers to it so the lines are not that bad for our soldiers. Never been to any of Saddam's palaces and really dont care to. I would just spit on the floor anyways. Each mission is important and I feel we are making an impact where we are. Progress is made everyday in this country no matter what people say. Enough said on that. To answer the War on Terror question, just check out my personal blog, its linked to my name. As for eating healthy and medical attention, we have some very good chow halls and the base we are on has a hospital. We also have very good medics in our unit so if something were to happen to me, I have faith in them that they could keep me alive before I got to a hospital. As for emotions, I am hanging in there and thank you for asking.
Mr. Matt - MMMmmm BEER!!!! Alcohol tends to help one forget things. Sometimes we need to forget things. Then again I forget things all the time so maybe beer would be bad for me. The living conditions here aren't bad. We (on this base) live in Truck trailers that have been modified to appear as a regular room on the inside. White walls, liniolum floors, lockers, and bunk beds. 6 men to a room and about 4 square feet per person after the rest of the stuff in here. Harms way... truthfully if you are in Iraq your in harms way wether or not you know it. We have had a few people killed in our battalion. I diden't really know them that much and at the time it diden't phaze me all that much. Though, when I was at the funeral ceremony that was held here that's when reality smacked my in the head. The thoughts of them and the fear of that happening to someone that I was close with or myself. Well we are National Guard Soldiers I'm still contemplating on whether or not to stay in if I do I don't think it will be with this Battalion but if it is Oh well. I hate being away from my family currently... due to the fact that I don't like being that far from home I'm a mammas boy. As far as the soldiers that have never been deployed. The ones that are here now have their ups and downs. Yet I can think of one person in paticular that said "I'm flad I'm here because my home town sucks and I like the money." So... some like it others don't. Some of us purchased a civilian based internet system that is out of the United States with a jump from Europe. I'm on the internet in my room right now. I saw his palace I wasen't able to go inside because I was driving by. Though being on this base that we are on Saddam has been here. In a way it feels like "Wow we are where a historic dictator once was" but like everything else the feeling of aww goes away. As far as I see it the mission is being acomplished. With what could be done. The Iraqi citizens could start turning in myre of the terrorists themselfs to help us rid their country of the scum. The war on terror will be a forever going process. Though there is alot of assistance from other countries like, Britan, Japan, and Austrailia so moslty everyone is helping where they can. There are alot more countries here as well but those are the ones that stand out in my mind currently. We eat quite well everyday that is a morale thing... bad food the morale goes down the drain. We do have access to medical attention and the Prozac is working really well so I'm happy. :-D :-P
Jacqueline
Gigotti78-Wow, those are alot of questions and I will do the best I can to answer them. The first question is easy, BEER! While we are in a combat zone, their is no alcohol and unfortunately, we are not allowed to have any or face penalties. But man, what I wouldnt do for a nice, cold, Miller Lite draft. Hmmm, I can taste it now....aaaaah. OK, next question which is living conditions. Our living conditions where we are at are pretty nice. We live in modified containers that are different sizes. We have A/C units and I truly expected worse. Now, as for being in harm's way, no matter where you are in Iraq, you are in harm's way. Sometimes the insurgents will lob mortars or rockets at the bases and hope to hit something. You have roadside bombs that are our biggest threat and occasionally, they get brave for 5 seconds and shoot at you but then run when we shoot back with bigger weapons. I haven't seen anyone from my unit killed although we have lost a few guys. Being National Guard soldiers, we all come from the same towns and the few we lost have had a major impact back home. I didnt know any of the guys personally, but it still takes a toll on you. It really puts a perspective on what we are actually doing and where we are. As for staying in the military, I plan on finishing out and doing my 20 years. Since we are National Guard, I will be getting stationed right back in my homestate and going back to college to get my degree. Coping with being away from loved ones and friends is never easy, but this isnt my first time leaving home. I spent 5 years on Active Duty Army and have already done a tour through Bosnia. As a soldier, you learn how to cope with being away from loved ones and everyone does it a bit differently. As for soldiers who have never deployed I dont hold nothing against them if they havent got called up (in the national guard or reserve component) and the Active Duty guys really dont have a choice, its more like luck if they havent been somewhere since 2001. But if people tried to snake their way out and then stay in, yea I got beef with them. They are cowards and should just get out, they are wasted space for all I care. The internet is an easy question, a bunch of us went in a bought a satellite and we have service in our living quarters. Our unit also bought a satellite for the soldiers to use and hooked up computers to it so the lines are not that bad for our soldiers. Never been to any of Saddam's palaces and really dont care to. I would just spit on the floor anyways. Each mission is important and I feel we are making an impact where we are. Progress is made everyday in this country no matter what people say. Enough said on that. To answer the War on Terror question, just check out my personal blog, its linked to my name. As for eating healthy and medical attention, we have some very good chow halls and the base we are on has a hospital. We also have very good medics in our unit so if something were to happen to me, I have faith in them that they could keep me alive before I got to a hospital. As for emotions, I am hanging in there and thank you for asking.
Mr. Matt - MMMmmm BEER!!!! Alcohol tends to help one forget things. Sometimes we need to forget things. Then again I forget things all the time so maybe beer would be bad for me. The living conditions here aren't bad. We (on this base) live in Truck trailers that have been modified to appear as a regular room on the inside. White walls, liniolum floors, lockers, and bunk beds. 6 men to a room and about 4 square feet per person after the rest of the stuff in here. Harms way... truthfully if you are in Iraq your in harms way wether or not you know it. We have had a few people killed in our battalion. I diden't really know them that much and at the time it diden't phaze me all that much. Though, when I was at the funeral ceremony that was held here that's when reality smacked my in the head. The thoughts of them and the fear of that happening to someone that I was close with or myself. Well we are National Guard Soldiers I'm still contemplating on whether or not to stay in if I do I don't think it will be with this Battalion but if it is Oh well. I hate being away from my family currently... due to the fact that I don't like being that far from home I'm a mammas boy. As far as the soldiers that have never been deployed. The ones that are here now have their ups and downs. Yet I can think of one person in paticular that said "I'm flad I'm here because my home town sucks and I like the money." So... some like it others don't. Some of us purchased a civilian based internet system that is out of the United States with a jump from Europe. I'm on the internet in my room right now. I saw his palace I wasen't able to go inside because I was driving by. Though being on this base that we are on Saddam has been here. In a way it feels like "Wow we are where a historic dictator once was" but like everything else the feeling of aww goes away. As far as I see it the mission is being acomplished. With what could be done. The Iraqi citizens could start turning in myre of the terrorists themselfs to help us rid their country of the scum. The war on terror will be a forever going process. Though there is alot of assistance from other countries like, Britan, Japan, and Austrailia so moslty everyone is helping where they can. There are alot more countries here as well but those are the ones that stand out in my mind currently. We eat quite well everyday that is a morale thing... bad food the morale goes down the drain. We do have access to medical attention and the Prozac is working really well so I'm happy. :-D :-P
2 comments:
You asked for questions and you got'em!!! Thanks a bunch for answering mine. I am sure so many people in the States would like to know how you all are doing and what it's like for you. I wish you all godspeed, and hope that we can do what we can do as a nation and then get all or most of you back home.
Now, though, I think it's up to the Iraqi people and their new govt. to take responsibility for their own society and their own country. I don't think terrorism is ever going to go away, so "the war on terror" won't ever be "won". I think the US should start monitoring its own borders and upgrading the immigration policies for a start.
Wow
Some great answers.
Thanks for sharing.
Take Care
Michael
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