I am doing some "catch up" with my blogs. The most significant event that has happened is that the 101st has take over from the 82nd in this area. This has affected me in two ways: I've had to attend a crap-load of meetings (even though I am NOT redeploying with the 82nd) and I am the Battalions' "Continuity Book" as I am the only officer-type who is staying behind. Fortunately / unfortunately I have scheduled my leave so that I am off for New Zealand when the 82nd finally goes away.
It will be very interesting to see how the command styles differ and how quickly the company commanders can learn their areas of operation. Certainly it is impossible to transfer all the knowledge and relationships learned and built over a 15 month time span in a matter of weeks. The unit that preceded the 82nd (the "Rakassans") made a name for itself by not patrolling and being very heavy-handed with the locals, thus ensuring that the 82nd would receive a warm reception. I think it took more than a couple of months for the 82nd to develop the relationships that allowed them to make some real progress here. Hopefully the next element of the 101st won't be anything like the Rakassans. So far, it seems that they will be exemplary.
More to follow... stay tuned.
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In Memorium
A record of my current events. (these views are mine only, and are not the official view of anyone else)
Specialist Rachael Hugo, 24
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1 comment:
First of all POG, you talk about the Rakkasans not patrolling? From what I remember, we were out in the city every day and night of the entire deployment. Do you even know what a patrol is? I doubt it. I'm sure it's pretty easy for you to talk crap about a unit from behind your desk. If you want to know what it's like outside the wire just ask any Rakkasan, because I'm sure you have no idea what the inside of an Iraqi house looks like, probably not even what the inside of an iraqi town looks like. And as for being heavy-handed. If you actually put in any time in the streets, getting shot at and blown up, you probably wouldn't be that nice to the residents of bayji. And after you're 15th comrade was killed, I doubt you'd be handing out candy. But again, these are things that happen outside the wire that you would have no idea about. Keep your stupid comments to yourself, go back to your desk job, have another coffee, and be happy you took a nice easy job that keeps you safe from any real fighting, POG
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