SSG Glenn Read...American Hero......RIP

Well at least in the war game I was killed. It has been a long week or so. It started last Saturday when I picked up an M-16A2 weapon for the first time in 12 years. I zeroed pretty good, but at the qualification range I came up short of the number of targets I needed to hit. I will be going back later this spring to see if I can shoot straight. Later on Saturday I went to the FOB (forward operating base) and trained on force protection. I was put in charge of Squad 1 of B Company. Monday we trained on Convoy operations and Combat operations. On Monday afternoon we went out and did our combat operations and searched for insurgents. I was the truck commander for vehicle 5 in the convoy. I was 3rd in charge of the convoy and early on in the mission our convoy commander, a Major, was killed. The Army hires civilian actors to act as Iraqis and to act as insurgents. They also have weapons with blanks and fire off mortars and IEDs at us. Its pretty intense. At the end of the exercise, the convoy was ambused and some of our guys were killed by snipers. From the my position in the rear I could see where the sniper was and I know that he was preoccupied by the supressive fire coming from his front. I told one of my guys to follow me and that we were going to try to outflank the sniper and flush him out into the open. We did that and he was killed by one of our people. In the meantime, I noticed that there was a group of civilian Iraqis coming toward our convoy. Not knowing whether or not they were SB (suicide bombers), I ordered them to stop and to go down on the ground. One of the Iraqi woman had been hurt and needed medical support, so I radioed in the medic to take a look at her. One of the older Iraqi men (the shiek of the village) turned to me and said that he had information to share. I radioed in to our CC that we had some possible information on insurgents but noone seemed to know what to do. All of a sudden several mortars went off everywhere and shot were being taken from the wood line of the village. The CC ordered everyone to mount up but my vehicle was 300 meters away. I was left alone, surrounded by angry iraqis. One of the instructors came up with a smile on his face and handed me a KIA card. (Killed in Action)..When I laid down to play dead, all the villagers rushed me and began body raping me...taking all my shit. Not very dignified. Finally my trucked pulled up by it was too late....I was dead. I wonder if I will get the Silver Star or the Medal of Honor?....At anyrate, I did learn my lesson and was resurrected to fight another day. It was an intense week...but lots of fun. When I come back in August, I want to get Jason and Warren and Eric and do a little paintball war game with me...That should be fun and I will know all the best strategies....Happy Mothers' Day all you muthers....Haha.