Middle of the night and I'm wide awake again and looking for ways to entertain myself while the family sleeps. Worst case of jetlag I can remember.
I've been browsing through these message boards and thought I'd throw out a greeting to everyone and possibly offer a perspective on the war in Iraq. (I'm on my 3rd day of a 2 week R&R in the States).
I'm assigned to the 101st and have been operating/living in Mosul the past several months. It's become a busy place lately as everyone is aware, so I'm not really here to tell stories or speculate on events. Instead, I wanted to throw out a "mostly unqualified" opinion of how things are going and where they need to go from here. Keep in mind that my political qualifications are nil...I'm just one bee in the hive who is only really aware of what is going on immediately around me. In other words, I don't have the "big picture". Ok...with that caveat in place, here's what I think about the whole thing.
By and large the Iraqi people want our help. At this stage in the game, they *need* our help. It's time to focus on the future and stop dwelling on the past. Was it a mistake getting involved in the first place? Maybe. I don't know. Do I wish I didn't have to go back? Absolutely. But hear this: in the very, very near future, I'm going to kiss my wife and children goodbye..again...and finish at least my small part of what has been started and is far too advanced and momentous to stop. We're committed, people..whether we like it or not. It's too late to leave through the door we came in.
I've seen opinions wax and wane (including my own) over the past several months. When we crossed the berm through the former DMZ it was like nothing I had ever seen before. There were people lined along the highway for miles and miles cheering us. It was like being a rock star I guess. The longer we hung around, though, the less popular we have become. Some still cheer and wave, some protest in one way or another, some actively, physically oppose us. For the vast majority, we've just become a part of their lives that they've learned to deal with as a necessary inconvenience. Know that feeling you get when you realize that you're speeding a little and you see a cop fidgeting with a radar gun? Well, there it is in a nutshell.
There are alot of things going on over there that I guess aren't really newsworthy. In the city of mosul, here are a few of the things soldiers are doing: we're rebuilding schools, restoring utilities, providing medical treatment, employing the locals by the thousands and protecting "Achmed Q. Citizen" and his family from the thugs, crooks, looters, robbers, etc. Keep in mind that every single time we leave the "wire", we do so at great personal risk. I don't need to remind any of you that Mosul is a dangerous place. What may come as a surprise to some is that every time a mission comes along, there has never been a shortage of volunteers to fill the roster. Never. Not once. The reasons for this vary from person to person, but the prevailing attitude is that what must be done simply must be done. Maybe you feel that what we're doing is not a job for our warfighters. Maybe you're right, maybe not. But what must be done is being done every single day and night. And the Iraqi people in my neck of the woods at least appreciate the fact that we are there and willing to do it.
I don't know what the answer is in the long run. I'm not qualified in any case to determine the solution. If, however, I did know the answer and were in a position to implement the solution, I would do it. Whether it means passing out lollipops or pushing the button. Whatever it takes.
I spend alot of time pacing around the house like some kind of cat burglar since my sleep schedule isn't quite right just yet. I look in on my two young children and my wife sleeping and I don't want them to ever have to do what I have done or see what I have seen. When it comes time to return to my unit, I will do so knowing that I am personally doing everything I can to ensure this will be the case. Futile? Maybe. But I'm going to try.
Respectfully,
VOR
