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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Wallburg, NC
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Letter from a SSG in Iraq
> Hello ******,
>
> Thanks for your interest in my emails from Iraq. My name is Mur. I'm
known in full as Staff Sergeant ******* in the military. I am married with
two children who are at home in ********, NC while I'm deployed. *******
I have 18 years in the active army and army reserves combined.
My military occupational specialties include 19D Cavalry Scout, 11B
Infantryman, 79V Retention NCO, 38A Civil Affairs Specialist, 88M
Transportation Operator, Arabic Linguist, and formerly a Drill Sergeant. My
current tour of duty in Iraq and Kuwait is as a 88M Squad Leader and
Assistant Platoon Sergeant. I've been here since March and run various
convoys of equipment and supplies north into Iraq to units requesting
resupply on food, water, ammunition, etc. as well as, moving incoming and
outbound units to and from the port to their destinations. I will be
available to email you after various missions are over to let your readers
know what the life is like on a daily basis to an average sergeant in an
average job.
>
>
> My latest mission went as follows:
> I was the convoy commander for 29 trucks of water going from Kuwait to a
base named Anaconda near Balad which is an hour or so north of Baghdad. We
left Kuwait on the 7th, crossing the border slowly because of traffic.
Because of our slow speed, Iraqis were jumping on our trailers cutting our
straps which held the pallets of water down secure. Only minutes over the
border and we're already forced to make a decision...........do we stop and
take action? Do we fire our weapons? Do we run them over? Yes, young
adults but they are a threat to our completion of mission. (water from
point A to point B to our troops in the north)
> As convoy commander, I radioed an order thoughout the convoy to take
action. Luckily, just more speed was possible and threw the Iraqis off the
trucks, saving our bullets for those more worthy. On to our first
destination two and a half hours north. We stopped at a convoy support
center just off the highway which allowed us to refuel, fix flats, check our
loads, and eat. This place is where we picked up our military police gun
truck escorts. They weren't back from their mission so we had to spend the
night. We worked on the trucks and slept in tents.
> Up at 0530 the next morning to get a route security and intel briefing.
We linked up with our escorts and made the arrangements for pulling out at
0800. Loaded more water, ice, and food onto the trucks and pulled out. The
route that we drove took us down a long stretch of road through small towns
and villages that were not so happy to see us. People everywhere doing what
they do. Some waving, some flipping the finger, but most just doing what
they do. Starving, thirsting, dirty. We entered the town of Samawa. This
is, as all convoy soldiers know, the danger area. There have been repeated
reports of roadside bombs, rocket propelled grenades, small arms fire, and
even roadblocks by "Iraqis posing as legitimate defense forces". As usual,
we go through that town with our 'game faces on' and finger on the trigger
well and thumb on the safety selector lever ready do what we do. Luckily,
on this trip, through the traffic circle in the middle of town, over the
bridge, and through the market............nothing happened. Just before the
Iraqi Police checkpoint outside of town I noticed a white Suburban on the
right side of the road with the driver taking pictures as the convoy drove
by. I radioed thoughout the convoy to have 'eyes on' as they passed. I
then radioed to our MP escorts to go back and check it out. After they
stopped him and questioned him he hid the camera in the truck. I ordered
one of our trucks to step in as backup. He displayed a Korean I.D. and also
a press pass. All of which would have normally been alright but the hiding
of the camera forced suspicion to dictate the taking of his film which is
what we did. Err to the side of caution is always smart when you're talking
about the lives of your soldiers. Onward north through more small towns and
villages with no reportable incidents. Then upon arrival of the next convoy
support center, we fueled again, staged into ready lanes and ate some chow.
Awaiting our next escorts, we did maintenance and various activities to pass
the time until 2000 hrs (8pm) when we rendezvoused with our escorts and
began the first night movement of the mission. Getting out onto the highway
was slow because of the number of tractor trailers in our convoy. Once
together we rolled out up to about 50 mph. With the speed and distance
between each truck, radio contact was separated just enough between the
front and the rear that it was necessary to relay messages through each
vehicle when something was to be reported. Two and a half hours later at
approximately 2230 hours (10:30pm), just prior to going through a Coalition
checkpoint our convoy was attacked with mortars. Our rear vehicle was the
only one that took shrapnel but there were no personnel injuries. With his
radio communications to the front which is where I was, I ordered the convoy
to pick up speed and return fire if enemy forces were positively identified.
No contact and we continued to roll out. After crossing two temporary
bridges built by Army engineers that were slightly wider than our trucks, we
continued on into the Baghdad outskirts. At approximately 2325 hours
(11:25pm), we were entering an elevated highway section in Baghdad and two
improvised explosive devices (IED) detonated next to our convoy. One blew
up in between two of our rear trucks and the the second detonated to the
immediate left of our rear truck. Again, that driver radioed the
information up to me and I called in a spot report to our higher
headquarters and ordered the convoy to continue. There was no major damage
other than temporary hearing loss to the driver and slight shrapnel damage
to one truck. Onward towards our destination through some of the poorest
area just north of Baghdad near Balad, we continued. At approximately 0005
hours (12:05am), our convoy had to make a sudden stop due to an M-1 Abrams
tank pulling into and across our lane. We quickly came to find out that the
tank was providing cover for a Blackhawk helicopter landing right in the
median in front of us to medevac casualties out from another unit's call for
help. There was no moonlight on this night and the dust cloud from the helo
added to the zero visibility factor. No sooner did the helo land and we
were attacked with mortars from the woodline again. The first landed close
to the helo so the pilot decided to liftoff from the 'hot LZ'. I don't know
if he was finished loading or not. Then I ordered several of my soldiers to
jump out of their up-armored trucks and run to the trucks between them to
make sure the other trucks had turned out their headlights because they were
silhouetting the entire convoy. While they were out of their vehicles
mortars continued within 50 meters of our trucks. Upon liftoff of the
medevac helo, the tanks moved out of our way to allow us to get down the
road. I made the radio order to mount up and get moving. I radioed for
support from the quick reactionary forces at the closeby army base. It took
less time than normal to get all the trucks moving considering there were
mortars involved. Only fifteen minutes later, we rolled in to our
destination with our load of water only slightly diminished by the night's
activities. After checking in once inside the gates, I staged the trucks in
lanes and gave a 'mission accomplished' briefing with a big sigh of relief.
Everyone was exhausted so after checking all personnel accountabilities it
was into our sleeping bags underneath our trailers for the night. The next
morning was another hot day around 125 degrees. It took several hours to
complete the downloading process and then we rolled out south to backtrack
our way through Baghdad and beyond. There were no reportable attacks on the
way back but one unusual incident. At around 2200 hours (10pm), when our
convoy reached the Coalition checkpoints going south, as we rolled through,
all the lights in the houses on the right side of the road went out. From
our intel threat briefings that we get before every convoy movement, this is
a signal system used by insurgents to mark when convoys go through a certain
area. When we saw the lights go out enmass, I received several reports over
the radio. I radioed back through the convoy to be especially vigilant in
scanning the area for anything unusal and to also prepare for an impending
attack that may have been signalled by the lighting incident. Luckily,
nothing happened and there were no attacks. I will say on everyone's
behalf, that had to be the single most tense moment when you know you're
getting ready to be attacked but you don't know from where or when exactly.
We reached our next convoy support center and bunked down for the night in
tents. After refueling, food, water, and ice distribution we rolled on back
to our backhaul destination in southern Kuwait. It was a good trip
considering we lost no soldiers, we got our loads to the troops in the
north, and the vehicles made it back. Mission complete! A couple of days
off to do laundry and have a normal sleep session and some real food and
guess what? Back on the road with another load. I can't wait because it
makes our time go by so much faster while I'm on the road.
>
> Looking forward to hearing from you,
>
> Sincerely,
>
> SSG Mur *******
>
__________________
Toodles, Nanajoanie
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