So, I called this beef stew to build on the theme of Onion Soup, no I figured that I was going to hit a lot of topics today therefore like Beef Stew a lot of ingredients. Well as usual I am getting my butt handed to me by Cathy at Backgammon, but every once in a while I get to win (I think she lets me just to boost my ego), and Brianna is such a good Chess player… So lets get to the meat and potatoes of this stew…
In my time here I have come to see the Iraqi people as a strange group. I mean when we came through during OIF I (don’t you just love that we are numbering them already) people lined the streets (for the most part) and waved, happy to see us. After the initial war we started the first phases of rebuilding… The Iraqi people were so happy and we were making fast progress. Then, six months after returning home I am back here again… I really hate to slam the Army (not really) but what did they do? All the projects we started all the things we had moving in the right direction…stopped… We got back here and so far, the unit I am attached to has lost more Marines than the unit I was with during the war… So far over 85 purple hearts, more than the unit I was with during the war… I will add, that 1st Bn 2nd Marines, the unit I was with during the war, saw the fiercest fighting and resistance of the war… So what is going on. After 30 years of repression, the Iraqi people think that we are trying to keep them down, they are not seeing the so called changes… One Marine out here summed it up wonderfully, I am going to clean it up a little, but it is a pretty good analogy of what they Iraqis think of Capitalism and Democracy… First we came in and kicked them really hard… square between the legs… and before they could get back up we offered them water and said no really, its good… I don’t know it seems that most of the local Iraqis are pretty good people, some are a little dense, but they are good people. Problems are we are and always will be inferior in their eyes… And as long as the Mujahdeen (now that I have written this word in here every watch dog in America is going to be reading this… So Hello and welcome to the Watch Dogs…Big Brother…lol) and Freedom Fighters keep them inside and scared, they will continue to feel repression. I love that the families are close, and that an Arab will assist another Arab almost without question, but it can only go so far… Then there are all the family disputes… Such a strange culture, old and established, historical yet so infantile… I guess things would be a lot easier if the everyday person would come out and assist in the fight, point us to the bad guys who are messing up their cities and get it over. You can’t help but feel sorry for these people, but then again, I so understand the frustration of the personnel stationed here… Here is an example… Many IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) are placed along the roads, in holes that are dug and in the guard rails… It seems that Guard Rails are a commodity out here as soo many people are trying to steal them… So we have passed to the local city officials, the Imams, Sheiks, etc… anyone caught digging of tampering with guardrails will be considered a threat and shot (due to the IED/Mine threat…is it fair, no…but we have to protect ourselves and we put the word out)… So there was a patrol the other night… there are 10 Iraqis stealing guard rails for scrap metal… they are being guarded and protected by the Iraqi Police… to top it all off these people stealing the rails are in Iraqi National Guard Uniforms… I am at a loss, this is an Army mission out here, not a Marine mission…how the Corps got stuck with this one for two years or more I won’t ever know…(OK I do know…when you want the job done send the Marines…) Bottom line…it’s time to come home…
Iraqi Soccer—I have to admit it has been good to see the Iraqi National Soccer Team doing well in the Olympics… They can actually play when they don’t have guns pointed at them… I don’t know what it is, but is good to see the underdogs doing well, this country is so behind them and I think it would do the people of this country well to see their team medal in the sport… A step toward better things, I really think it might help.
I remember watching the Olympics as a child, and it was a pretty big deal, over the past few Olympics it has not been that big a deal… I figured it out while over here… Patriotism is great, but the Olympics are about International Competition but more so Peace. The Olympics in the US play second and third tier to many other sports, and unless it is a US team or person it really does not get a lot of air time. I get to watch the BBC over here and local television, and the Olympic coverage is awesome. They show all the small countries winning and the pride on the faces of those competitors, now that is Olympic Spirit. That is what the games are all about, the little guy… it is great to get a lot of Gold Medals in the Sprints and Gymnastics etc…, but what about Ethiopia… Gold and Silver in the 10,000 meter. That is impressive to me. Well just wanted to give out some perspective… Have to go…. Hope you enjoyed the Stew…
Later…
Brett
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Figure this out, me, the IT Major, just learned about the "Blog," I wish I had known about this earlier. As most of you know I suck at keeping in touch, maybe this will help. I am going to try and update this and let you all know what is up, if it works well I will continue with it when I get home. Happy Reading. OK, So it's been a while... about three years... My wife started a blog, so now I am back.... Hope you all can handle it...
3 comments:
Brett I just read a story this morning about Marine training time being cut before deployment. What do you think? Here's the link.
"Under growing pressure to ship Marines to Iraq, the Marine Corps is cutting in half the rigorous field combat training it gives units preparing to deploy, senior officers say.
The Marines hope to make up the time by intensifying this final, pre-deployment training and focusing it on skills needed to survive and prevail in Iraq's brutal combat conditions. This means practicing more nighttime operations, ambushes, city fighting and guarding of convoys."
This makes me nervous. Deploying raw, half-trained recruits in the field seems more like the kind of thing a losing side would do. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe this is about becoming more efficient. What do you think?
I liked your analogy of the Iraqi opinion of democracy.
OK... you asked so here it is...
I went to the article, as it seemed a little odd to me, and this is what I can tell you. CAX (Combined Arms Exercise) is an annual training exercise for most combat units in the Marine Corps. It takes all of the elements of the Marine Corps (Infantry, AmTracks (Assault Amphibian Vehicles) , LAVs (Light Armored Reconnaissance Vehicles), Tanks, Helicopters, Jets, and Combat Service Support Units) and ties them all together in huge live fire training exercises throughout the year. Unfortunately the Corps is not that big… With so many units rotating in and out of Iraq it would take Marines away from home for another 30-45 days a year. Honestly, although the type of training is excellent and helpful, it was helpful when we first came to Iraq, but the type of training there dies not encompass what Marines are doing here. It looks to me like they are going to change the curriculum so to speak and focus it on the things that are important here. The training that is being referred to is not initial training for recruits it is more sustainment training for the Operating Forces, and trust me…with sixteen years in the Corps…there is one thing that I do know for certain… The Marine Corps is not going to send inadequately trained Marines into the fight… We have a long proud tradition of winning, and no one wants to see that change. Finally, what the article did not touch on is the hours and hours of training that Marine Units put into preparing for deployments while at their bases, CAX is just one tool out of many, and as stated earlier… my interpretation is that even though shorter, the training is more intense and more focused on what Marines are really going to face when they get here. Hope this helps set you mind at ease a little…
Brett
Thanks for the insight--good to know.
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