Phil/AP - everything's fine, thanks for asking brothers. I'm outta here in less than 3 weeks for sure. (Actually closer to 13 and a wake up but whose counting!) It's been a good deployment, we lost a few lads from the engineer unit on the base and some EOD brothers but all the guys in my unit are coming back fine. We had one of our MP's lose a leg from below the knee cap due to an IED a couple months back while on a Combat Logistics Patrol (CLP). However, due to the new up armor we got on the hummers it could have been much worse. One of my boys has hit two IED's in the past 8 weeks and is convinced the new armor saved his jewels both times. Most of the injuries are actually due to vehicle accidents on our own part more than anything else. In the six months I will have been here we supported two historical elections, and four major operations. We're pretty proud of what we've been able to accomplish. As usual the MSM has not covered things here imho very accurately. I think this is a common theme that you will hear from other vets as well. Matter of fact, a side from military correspondents I know of only one civie journo showing up here - some Argentinian babe who I think flew here by mistake - though she did manage to interview one of my Marines who was incidentally Argentine himself. I'm at TQ and this place is probably one of the lesser hot spots to boot - I'm surprised more media nerds didn't stop by. I think they like the nicer USAF base in Balad and Camp Cupcake in Kuwait - pussies. Anyways, we probably got mortared and took rocket fire a dozen times since I've been here. I think why we took such little action (my wife begs to differ on that point - about it making her feel any better) was a combo of good relations w/the locals via our CAG & MTT teams in Habbaniya and some kick ass counter intel on our part which waxed some insurgent mortar teams a couple months back. Another thing that helped was when Steel Curtain kicked off around November and 3/6 & I think 2/1 killed about 200+ hajjis on the Syrian border by a place called Sedat (sp?) - it's near Al Qaim. I'm pretty sure the news never told the whole story on this event as we don't really advertise our ass kickings anymore. I had buddies & peers who were there first hand and can attest to the ass kicking we put on those mother fuckers. It was a turkey shoot. I have more stories on this but it would take longer than I have here and some are pretty f'n nasty for the internet. Bottomline - I ensure you would be proud as shit to know how "efficient" American troops are.
I know Bill Roggio who comments here once in a while was in Al Anbar for about a month last fall - he might of been around there at the time w/RCT2. Other then him (who seems to be a credible guy though more optimistic about Iraqi cognitive powers than I am) and maybe some of his colleagues the media have been a bunch of Class-A Number-One Ass-Clowns in my book. Some times I wonder if were not clipping the wrong clowns. I'd like to choke-out a few folks on MSNBC/CBS/&CNN. Anyhow, we're proud of our service here but are ready to come home and see the family. I do absolutely appreciate everyone's support while I've been here and hopefully another Rantfest in D.C. can happen sometime soon and I can shake all your hands in person if possible and maybe buy a few rounds for y'all. I will guarantee one thing though, come this 17 March when I'm back in CONUS, in the greatest country in the history of the mud ball, my Irish-ass is gonna be drunk as cooter brown on a three day bender.