My title alone should tell you this blog entry is going to be a little spaced out. I will try my best to be accurate and quick to the point, for the computer room is 120 degrees right now.
That's really not that big of a change from anything else. Outside it's 110, and yesterday in our trucks for the 14 hours we were in them, it was about the same. Our trucks air conditioners, all of them, decided to take a break. It was not very pleasant way to be welcomed back to the platoon. Usually you get back in the truck and find nirvana. However I couldn't wait to get out of the truck.
As it heats up here, the war slows down. Says CNN. The war that is not seen is a sad one. I hope one day the American public will see what's still going on. But government, media, world wants to tell you it's over. That's why they label the war as having 'phases.' But it doesn't really. The same guys that were trying to blow us up in '04 are still trying to blow us up in '09. The only thing that has changed it our strategy at going after such villains.
In the beginning of the war, we had all the power. We were an invading force sent here to stop terrorism, opression, tyranny, and any other cliche-ish slogan for democracy you could slap on. Was it right? It doesn't matter if was right, because we found ourselves in a situation. We ended the war quickly. But it wasn't over. We just went into 'phase 2' which was acting like a global police force. Then the counter insurgency and the 'surge.' All excellent ways to make the American public believe that we really were winning the WAR.
What'd they forget? Us. My Brigade in the time we've been here, has lost several courageous soldiers. My brothers in arms. What have we done, for justice? As much as we can do for justice. Under Iraqi juristicion that is. An American dies, and us, the Army, the Infantry can't even detain individuals who are suspected of murdering comrades. The Iraqi courts might put them away, and they are back on the streets in 6 months or less, depending on the amount of corruption that runs rampid in every Security Force unit. If we were the FBI, or even the US Marshalls, we could arrest anyone here suspected of killing an American. So why are the rules different for us? We're over here. I've realised after coming back from leave, and maybe clearing my head a little while I was home, how little the American public knows about the hardships that we, the one's who are actually here go through. The Army has trained us to be attack dogs. And attack dogs we are. Vicious, scary fucking attack dogs. Guys who deployed before got let off their leashes entirely and were able to perform their job, allowed to exact justice upon enemies. Why did we get the shock collar? Why do we have to conform under the "laws of the host nation."? I thought we invaded this country...
But there are two deployments in Iraq. Next time you shake the hand of a servicemember, I want you to take a second and question if they really deployed to the war in Iraq, or if they just deployed to Iraq. Being in the green zone is not being at war. It's America. It really is truly. Sadly. Currently at my base we are nearly out of food/water. Sleep at 4 hours a night is a premium. Yet meanwhile there are people having fun, eating Subway, and Taco Bell, and heading over to the massage parlor after catching the afternoon show of Stephen Colbert visit. They don't do work, they don't even stay in shape. They're to far away from any real danger to have to wear protective equipment. They live a life like they would back home. But they get paid the same that I do. 225 extra a month for hazardous duty. What hazards? They don't get mortared, blown up or shot at, or even pull protection for the base. They eat, sleep, rinse, wash, repeat.
No one cares here, not for us. Not for the guys doing the menial tasks of dealing with corrupt idiotic Iraqi Police. They take their side over ours. That's why there's going to be two generations of soldiers returning from this war. The pre January 2009 guys, and the post, us. Those guys before could do something. Their hands weren't tied. Their chain of commands gave a shit. They were dogs not on leashes, who got their pent up aggression out. Our chain of command now, they're just here to be politicians, and progress in their career. They'd rather see their own killed, then do anything that could end up on CNN, anything that would break Iraqi law. And we're stuck, frustrated, pissed off, and weary.
What do I have to look forward to? Well, the Dodgers have the best record baseball.
6 more months and I'll be through...
....and the IA has no supply system, don't know how to manitain an inventory or requisition items. When the Americans 'turn over' their JSS's, the Iraqis are most concerned with "how many generators are you leaving for us?" Newsweek is reporting these issues and believe it not, The Stars and Stripes also is.
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