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Coleman · 10-11-2005, 02:09 PM

[quote:a4165]The latest from Josh...

Subject: On the road!!!!

Sorry about being out of the net for a bit.... not much was happening and
didn't have much to convey.

We did a convoy down into Mosul today from Al Kaisik to get some equipment
installed on our humvees - my first time there. We went through the middle
of town and it was an interesting ride to say the least. It was very busy -
cars, trucks, people, donkeys, dogs, sheep and even cows in and out of the
traffic (try doing that with 11 vehicles in convoy going 40mph or higher!!).
More than one thing to focus on! Anyway, don't let anyone fool you - if a
person is stationed at FOB Diamondback / Marez in Mosul, they are living
large compared to Al Kaisik, and I won't even try to compare it to Biaj.
That FOB in Mosul is HUGE and they have just about everything there. Must
be nice to be in the rear - of course they would argue that point. That is
truely one of the things that has been reinforced and beaten into my head
about this tour - life is all about experiences. Because of where I am
stationed here, Mosul is living large. However, if I were stationed at
Mosul I am sure th
at I would think differently as I would not have seen where I am now.

Biaj was quiet the last couple of weeks, but is starting to heat up now with
a mortar attack and IED in town recently. It is most likely due to 1. the
start of Ramadan and 2. the upcoming referendum election.

Most of the Iraqi citizens and soldiers that I have talked to are planning
on voting.... lets hope so! This vote will be about their constitution. It
is strange, but I am reading a book about Alexander Hamilton and his
exploits during the Revolutionary War, his participation in the formation of
our government and the issues that were going on as our nation was forming -
there are many similarities: diferent ideals colliding (sometimes
violently); negative press; support from a foreign "super power"; support
for the military and its soldiers; "political" partisenship at the expense
of the soldiers and so on. But one of the biggest similarities is the hope
of the people - for a better way of life, for freedom, for a sense of
ownership etc. For people that think the Iraqi conflict is all about oil or
Isreal, think again. While it maybe part of it (as France supported us
because we had natural resources and growing marketplace, and we disliked
the British at the time), the
Freedom that we are assisting in establishing is what it is all about.
Freedom and Democracy take a while to put in place where there was nothing
like it before - it was many years after the Declaration that the US
actually had a functioning gov't.......

The picture that I have attached was one that I took during a convoy at
sunset. We had just left Tal Afar (the operation was still on going) and
were taking a logistics convoy west to Sinjar. I was able to get a decent
picture as we were only going 15mph due to a Turkish contractor vehicle!!!
Not a good feeling to be in a large convoy in the evening going that
slow....

I finally have the cable for my camera so I will be able to send more
pictures.... if you don't want them, let me know (I will not be hurt)!!![/quote:a4165]

[url=http://img64.imageshack.us/my.php?image=biaj0655la.jpg:a4165][img]http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/9843/biaj0655la.th.jpg[/img][/url:a4165]

	(#11)
Coleman is Offline Major General Posts: 13,482 Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: University Park, PA	10-11-2005, 02:09 PM [quote:a4165]The latest from Josh... Subject: On the road!!!! Sorry about being out of the net for a bit.... not much was happening and didn't have much to convey. We did a convoy down into Mosul today from Al Kaisik to get some equipment installed on our humvees - my first time there. We went through the middle of town and it was an interesting ride to say the least. It was very busy - cars, trucks, people, donkeys, dogs, sheep and even cows in and out of the traffic (try doing that with 11 vehicles in convoy going 40mph or higher!!). More than one thing to focus on! Anyway, don't let anyone fool you - if a person is stationed at FOB Diamondback / Marez in Mosul, they are living large compared to Al Kaisik, and I won't even try to compare it to Biaj. That FOB in Mosul is HUGE and they have just about everything there. Must be nice to be in the rear - of course they would argue that point. That is truely one of the things that has been reinforced and beaten into my head about this tour - life is all about experiences. Because of where I am stationed here, Mosul is living large. However, if I were stationed at Mosul I am sure th at I would think differently as I would not have seen where I am now. Biaj was quiet the last couple of weeks, but is starting to heat up now with a mortar attack and IED in town recently. It is most likely due to 1. the start of Ramadan and 2. the upcoming referendum election. Most of the Iraqi citizens and soldiers that I have talked to are planning on voting.... lets hope so! This vote will be about their constitution. It is strange, but I am reading a book about Alexander Hamilton and his exploits during the Revolutionary War, his participation in the formation of our government and the issues that were going on as our nation was forming - there are many similarities: diferent ideals colliding (sometimes violently); negative press; support from a foreign "super power"; support for the military and its soldiers; "political" partisenship at the expense of the soldiers and so on. But one of the biggest similarities is the hope of the people - for a better way of life, for freedom, for a sense of ownership etc. For people that think the Iraqi conflict is all about oil or Isreal, think again. While it maybe part of it (as France supported us because we had natural resources and growing marketplace, and we disliked the British at the time), the Freedom that we are assisting in establishing is what it is all about. Freedom and Democracy take a while to put in place where there was nothing like it before - it was many years after the Declaration that the US actually had a functioning gov't....... The picture that I have attached was one that I took during a convoy at sunset. We had just left Tal Afar (the operation was still on going) and were taking a logistics convoy west to Sinjar. I was able to get a decent picture as we were only going 15mph due to a Turkish contractor vehicle!!! Not a good feeling to be in a large convoy in the evening going that slow.... I finally have the cable for my camera so I will be able to send more pictures.... if you don't want them, let me know (I will not be hurt)!!![/quote:a4165] [url=http://img64.imageshack.us/my.php?image=biaj0655la.jpg:a4165][img]http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/9843/biaj0655la.th.jpg[/img][/url:a4165]