Letters from Home

A few weeks back I went to a website called Any Soldier.com. It is a sight were average people who want to support soldiers who are overseas can do so by donating cash and gifts and other things that make our lives over here just a little more tolerable. Its a terrific service and it is very much appeciated by all of us. I went and signed up for my guys and gals (I have about 8 soldiers I am responsible for) so that I could make sure that they know how much their hard work and sacrifice is appreciated. I want them to know that even if most Americans no longer support this war....almost all Americans support us. Everyday I look forward to getting mail from strangers all across the country. These letters come from school children who address their letters to "Dear Solder" or some other miss-spelled word that represents what we are. Haha. The letters from the kids always ask us if we are scared and thank us for being brave and for fighting to keep them free. The other day I got a letter from a kid who asked me twice how many pets I had. He has two dogs and a cat, a bird, and soon will be getting a new puppy. Another letter was from a woman in Missouri who told me how much she appreciated what we were doing and that she prayed for us all to be safe and to come home soon. Near my desk, I have several construction paper cards written by kindergartners from Texas (some more elaborate then others - but all unique and beautiful in their own way) You know this war has divided us up politically --geographically---culturally.... but when we get these gifts from home and the cards and letters it reminds us how united we can be when we don't let politics get in the way of civility and decency. I don't doubt the sincerity of these kind gestures. Somehow I really do believe that the folks that support us do so for completely noble reasons. Many believe that what we are doing is fighting for something...maybe its our freedom...or maybe its someone elses. Whatever it is we are fighting for.....I hope they understand that we are trying hard to do something right. I am blessed with so many friends. I would like you all to help me make my soldiers everyday lives a little brighter. Put together a gift box - write a letter - make a contribution to Any soldier.com. Whatever you think you can do. Your gesture will be appreciated and I...as your friend...will be forever grateful. If you feel like sending something to my soldiers....you can send them care of me at:

SSG Glenn Read
HHC, 36th CAB
LSA Anaconda, Balad
APO AE 09391

We are not picky...if you have old cds, dvds (no porn...haha) candy, holiday decorations, toiletries, ect., or anything else you can think of that would be great. My friend Linda sent me a package with homemade brownies that were a hugh hit with my troops! Thanks Linda...you are the best. Cards and letters are always appreciated as well. I love you all my peeps. Show me and my army peeps some love back. Haha. Thank you in advance for your help.

Two Months Down

It has now been two months since I left the US to come to the "combat zone". Which means I have about 4 months to go before I come home on leave and about 10 months before I come home from the deployment. Time is going by pretty quickly but still it seems like such a long way to go. My days are incredibly long...and I am really busy. But this makes those days on the calendar dwindle away. I have been thinking a great deal about everyone at home. Wondering what they were up to. Wishing that I could talk to them all. Hoping that they have not forgotten about me. Then I think of the upcoming holidays and get sentimental. For the last few years I have hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my house. I cook the turkey and stuffing and everyone else would bring the side dishes. Then there was the wine...damn we drank alot of that last year. Haha. There was always some kind of drama going on to make the holiday special. Last year it was the "G" man who cut his finger cutting bread right before we cut the turkey. He was rushed to the emergency room and got some stitches and then we finally cut the turkey after he returned. But G always did something that made things interesting. Like the time he burned poor John with a hot cookie tray or broke Christa's glass cutting board when he chopped chicken like a cracked out sou chef. Then made the statement "I don't mind." Ha Ha. I can't tell you how much he has made me laugh over the years. He is funny as hell and I love him to death. He is also an amazing cook and should be doing that professionally. When I come back in February, I want to have a Thanksgiving at my house with me and my baby and all my buds. And I want the "G" man to do the cooking and make sure it doesnt take a week to "cook the balls". This year, I hope the gang spends thanksgiving together and they set a place at the table for me. I have a great deal to be thankful for. Mostly what I have is the love and support of my family and friends. Even if I had nothing else...I'd be a rich man. This knowledge is what is sustaining me through this deployment. It gives me hope and helps me bide my time here in Iraq. Thank you all.

Despair

It is has been a difficult month so far. Hundreds of Iraqi deaths and over 70 military deaths. This has not been a peaceful Ramadan. I don't expect Christmas to be very peaceful either. Anyone who says this is not a civil war is in serious denial. The ethnic fighting continues to increase. Back and forth Sunni kills Shia and Shia revenges that with killing Sunni. It does not end. The attempt to secure Baghdad is a complete and utter failure. Now we have Generals stating that. Today, the AP Reports:

"BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. military acknowledged Thursday that its two-month drive to crush insurgent and militia violence in the Iraqi capital had fallen short, calling the raging bloodshed disheartening and saying it was rethinking its strategy to rein in gunmen, torturers and bombers."

"The admission by military spokesman Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell came as car bombs, mortar fire and shootings around the country killed at least 66 people and wounded 175. The dead included the Anbar province police commander, slain by gunmen who burst into his home in Ramadi. The U.S. military also announced the deaths of three U.S. troops in fighting, raising the toll for American troops in October to 74. The month is on course to be the deadliest for U.S. forces in nearly two years."

Last Sunday, I had a chance to go back to Baghdad. It was an uneventful trip but I have become accustomed to the sounds of explosions and smoke everywhere. On the trip back, as our Black Hawk flew over the city I thought how incredible peaceful everything looked at that moment. Dots of lights (some looking like holiday lights) were visiable as far as the eye could see. Very deceptive though. Last weekend, the town where we are near (Balad) had dozens of brutal murders (mostly revenge killings). Then I saw fires burning and tracer rounds going off all around us. My thoughts of peace left me quickly. So we stay on alert all the time just in case. I don't know what else to say except...god help us all.

Chicken Hawks - The other "yellow" meat

Well the war is still going on. And there is a big mess over here and in North Korea. The GOP is dealing with an unpopular president and an unpopular war and a scandal with a congressman from Florida who has been getting a bit too friendly with the kiddies. Proof that it is not just the Democrats that can't keep their hands to themselves. The GOP is desperate you see to change the subject because the one group that seems to be hanging in there with them after all the bullshit they have put the country through may be getting a little discouraged with the direction the leadership is taking the party. I am of course talking about the REALLY HOLY HOLY PEOPLE WHO PRAY THAT WE ALL WILL BE LIKE THEM SOMEDAY AND NEVER HAVE SEX OR EVEN THINK ABOUT HAVING SEX EXCEPT ON VERY RARE OCCASIONS OR WHEN NOONE IS LOOKING. This guy Mark Foley is a scuz. No doubt about it. He was chairman of a committee on congress that dealt with abused and exploited children. Nice role model. And apparently, the Speaker of the House knew about his elicit emails to these youngsters. But because he was considered a "shoo-in" for reelection they tried to keep this on the down low. Now its blown up and all the Republicans are running for cover. Well the only comfort I think that the Republican can take is the fact they are running against a party that has no vision and no plan and no clue. This being my party....ummm...the Democrats. Well thats not completely true. There are some good plans out there being pushed by the Dems, but for the most part they are a party that has lost its way...and most of its spine. It bothers me that so many Democrats supported this war in 2003 and did nothing to challenge Bush on his decision to rush us into war. They quietly fell in lock step with him afraid that they would be percieved to be "weak" when it came to fighting terror. Now they want to be the "Anti-war" party. Courage is needed right now...on both sides of the aisle. I don't see much hope it will ever reveal itself. Which brings me to the title of this post. I am here today (in Iraq), for me by choice, many others had no choice, because a group of neo-conservatives attached at the hip to George the Stupid decided that their years of playing Chess and the game Risk prepared them to fight a real war embarked on a campaign to do just that. The fact is these guys were not prepared and ignored the advice of countless experienced military men and woman. These guys who fancied themselves as 21st century Alexanders or Napoleons, had little or no real military experience. Consider this article from the Nation by Eric Alterman:

"During the run-up to the Iraq war, it was impossible not to notice that those most gung-ho for the adventure were, by and large, virgins when it came to the actual battlefield. George W. ("I was not prepared to shoot my eardrum out with a shotgun in order to get a deferment. Nor was I willing to go to Canada. So I chose to better myself by learning how to fly airplanes") Bush; Dick ("I had other priorities") Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, Richard Perle, Tom DeLay, Elliott Abrams--to a man, all found better things to do than join the armed forces during Vietnam, a war most of them supported." (December 1st, 2003)

That pretty much says it all about these clowns. They wanted a war...a war they knew they would not have to fight in themselves....when they got their chance to actually fight in one....Vietnam....they had other priorities. They are called chicken hawks. All gung-ho until the shooting begins and then its off to college or to work on a political campaign or some other activity short of combat. You will know them by their high pitch shrill and by their distinct "yellow" markings. But they are not to be feared. They only talked tough. I guess thats enough ranting for the night. Later dudes.

The Army 10 Miler

Yesterday was a big day for me. For the first time in my life, I ran 10 miles without stopping. My time was a scorching (I kid) 1 hour and 52 minutes. Needless to say...I am sore today. My legs feel really heavy. But I am proud that I got through this. Though I did manage to embarrasing myself by passing out 10 minutes after the race was over. The thing I remember is feeling really dizzy and then falling to the ground. "Medics!!" "Medics" is the next thing I heard. Very surreal. Next thing I remember is being taken over to the shade and laying down and someone placing an oxygen mask over my face. Then some guy looked at me and said..."What do you think caused this?"...Of which I replied....Duhhhh...maybe it was the 10 miles i just ran YOU STUPID ASSHOLE....haha...anyway it was a little drama for awhile, but eventually I was ok and was able to walk back to the bus. My Command Sergeant Major came by my office later that day and told me to go to the clinic to get checked out. So I went---and they asked me a bunch of questions...any history of heart disease...diabeties...high clolesterol..high blood press...cancer....yadda yadda yadda...and of course I said yes on all counts. Then they put me on the heart monitor thingie and it showed that I did have a heart after all and that it was beating....blood pressure and pulse were fine. So the doctor came in and asked me what the hell was I trying to do. "Normal people...(and I am normal) do not run 10 miles." Well not before properly training for it anyway. You see...I had never run more then 7 miles before. And recently I had only ran about 5...inside on the treadmill. But me being all gung ho I decided I was going to go for it. And I did. And I am glad I did...pain or no pain. And next time I will eat something before I go out and train better before the race. I want to beat my time next time. I have discovered that I can do alot more then I ever thought possible. I am glad that I have this chance to live out new experiences and challenges. New pictures soon. Love you alls.

Mortaritaville - The Sequel

Well folks...apparently this is a bad time to be in Camp Anaconda. The last few days have been attack after attack. Tonight I was running in the gym and we heard a loud boom and the building shook. After the explosion...we could see dust coming from the place where a mortar fell. Or where we thought it fell. If it had broke through the roof and landed in the middle of the gym....I would have been just a few feet away. Damn..the real scary part is that everyone in the gym...myself included kept working out....we shook it off because we are use to these attacks now. Last night my buddy told me he heard about 7 landing inside the wire. I can't confirm this. What is scary is not that they are accurate or good at what they do...they kinda suck...actually they usually don't even aim...but its that sometimes they get lucky. And like I always say about sports...I would rather be lucky then good. From the Army's standpoint...the force protection is working just fine. The design of the building we were in and the steps taken to protect us saved us tonight. I am grateful. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of participating in some actual force protection by filling and placing sand bags around the windows of buildings that are vulnerable to attack. Hard work, but I am it was a change of pace...so I enjoyed it. The next two sundays will be busy. This coming sunday I will be running in a 10 mile race. Next sunday I will be going to Baghdad for another conference/training/. Another chance to go outside the wire. The time is going fast right now...the days blend into each other and I never know what day it is most of the time. Before you know it my R and R leave will be hear (around February 14th) and I will be seeing everyone. I can't wait. Until then...keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

What I Miss About You

For the One:

I miss you very much my love. I miss everything about you. I miss your smile. I miss your laughter. I miss the way my skin feels when you touch me. I miss the way it feels when you put your arm across my waist when we are taking a rest in our bed. I miss the way you fold my clothes and organize my mess and do all the little things you do for me. I miss the way we talk baby talk to each other and laugh like little kids. I miss you so much. I miss your lips...those soft lips as they are pressed against mine. I miss the sounds you make when you sleep. I miss the way you make me feel when you get up in the morning and kiss me before you go to work. Oh how I miss you baby. Each day that goes by...I miss you more. Because since I met you, I knew we had something. Since that day in June when you said YES....I have felt more complete then ever. Thank you. I love you. And I can't stop missing you. Everything about you.