A Day In Iraq: Ahmed

A Day In Iraq: Ahmed

Hey All...here is a post by another soldier here in Iraq...please read it, it is the same kind of message I am attempting to make known.

MDG

Havin Fun

A Lighter Moment at Kirkuk IP HQ

In my right hand, the US M4 Carbine, in my left, the ubiquitous AK47.

Support

WOWWWIE!!! I am so very excited to see all the support for Omar that I am getting. Thank you all so much.

I have been very busy lately, but expect an update soon.

MDG.....OUT

Thump-thump, thump-thump

PFC. Christy, one of my medics, from Burley, Idaho, finds the heartbeat of a boy, age about nine. After finding the child's heartbeat, he let the boy hear his own heartbeat. The kids were amazed to hear the thump-thump of their own hearts. He did this for each and every kid who was interested.

Minor effort sometimes results in major reward. I believe that these small things we do will change the face of Iraq. These children will hopefully grow up with a love of freedom, and hopefully, a love for, if not just a respect for America.

Whenever feasible, and the mission allows, or our activities do not take from the mission or degrade situational awareness, we do our best to interact with the community. I have seen mothers rush their children inside when we roll through their neighborhoods, scared that something as innocuous as a wave will bring a severe beating or worse from a soldier. They were conditioned to this by the way Saddam's soldiers treated them. Now, after occurrences like this, we hopefully have shown that we are here to help, not to harm.

Heroes and Patriots

Earlier, I related a story to you about an Iraqi Army soldier named Ali. I said that Iraq needs heroes and patriots. I bring you a story about another such individual: a hero and a patriot.

The man's name is Omar. (This of course is not his real name, I have changed it to protect him and his family.) Omar is an interpreter for my platoon. He is a member of our team. He goes with us on patrols to assist us in dealing with the general public. Six days a week he lives in our compound. Omar has suffered great personal loss due to his dedication to his country. His family was persecuted and attacked by the cowardly terrorists. One of his children was killed. Two other of his children were wounded. His home was DESTROYED. He and they were targeted because of his work with the US. He has moved his family to an unfamiliar city, where they know no one. He and his family are Sunni Muslim, while they live in a city that is primarily Kurdish. Yet he still works for us, and makes our job so much easier when we have someone who can communicate for us. He still is here, by our sides, assisting us in bringing order from chaos, safeguarding liberty for the formerly oppressed.

As I said before, his house was destroyed. Not wrecked, tossed, or robbed, but blown to the ground by terrorists. The people we fight are not insurgents, they are not rebels, they are not freedom fighters. They are TERRORISTS. They use fear as their greatest weapon in their attempt to destabilize the fledgling, LEGITIMATE government. They attack their own people, at their own houses of worship, at their own police stations, in their OWN HOMES. They do it by deception, using hidden bombs and drive-by shootings, covering their faces with masks or veils, because they do not have the gumption to reveal their identities. They do this because, contrary to popular belief, the general populace would turn them in to authorities. Not everyone here in Iraq hates us. Not everyone sees us as an occupying army. I do not think I can say this enough...we are constantly hailed as liberators.

This man, Omar, is a patriot. He is willing to face the same dangers we do, and spit in the face of our mutual enemy by not submitting to their terror and continuing to serve his country by assisting us.

Omar's family is very poor. They lost everything when their house was destroyed. If anyone feels compassion for this man and his family, and would like to donate anything to his family or his children, please leave a comment with a way for me to contact you. I will not publish my information here, but I will contact you in order to coordinate delivery of these items to Omar.

More kids....they flock to us everywhere we go. It's probably the candy, stuffed animals, and school supplies we hand out.

Ali

This is a re-post of one I put on my friend Pete's blog.

I have the solution to Iraq: Heroes. Iraq needs heroes. Iraq needs men like "Ali" (name changed for his protection). He said to a buddy of mine, "I am not Shiite. I am not Sunni. I am not Kurd. I am Iraqi." He is a patriot. Hooah! While other IA (Iraqi Army) cower and hide under fire like scared children, "Ali" fights with courage and valor. He has killed so many AIF (Anti-Iraqi Forces e.g. "insurgents") that he has a price on his head. He does it not for the money, as there is a bounty paid on each AIF killed, but he does it for Iraq. "I do not kill for America," he says, "I kill for Iraq." Men such as this are the correct prescription for the ailments and disease that savage this country. They are the cure.

We are here to ensure stability, not to occupy. We made the bed, we must sleep in it. Some call for all the troops to come home now. This would spell disaster for this country. Some maintain we are here to rule, to take oil. NO, we are here to prevent Iraq from destroying itself. Until Iraq has more men withn the attitude of pure patriotism, free from religious polarization, the country will need our support. Heroes, men and women like "Ali" that the general populace can rally around based upon their actions, deeds, and love of country are what the new Iraq needs. Heroes and Patriots.

(Note... this was originally posted 23 Jan 05)

Comments

Sorry to beg for comments and not have them open to everyone. I have since corrected the fault.

Only got time for some links

David at usless-knowledge.com had this to say about ANWR.

Matt at Blackfive.net got mentioned in the Army Times. Make sure to read his first post. They had a good article about Milbloggers. I guess I am one of them now.

Frank J. of IMAO has a hilarious post about St Paddy's Day and the Irish. (Language Warning)

And thats about it for now...might have something later tonight.

Oh.....yeah,.....if ya'll have anything you would like for me to discuss or write about....leave me a comment below. Please. I would like at least one comment. Just one is all I ask. (groveling)

MDG..........OUT!!

See, I made a difference!!! (Or so I would like to think)

Ok, so, it probably wasn't because of me, but the Senate yesterday narrowly approved a measure to open the ANWR to drilling. Yay for me, I am the voice of change!!

MDG

Heh Heh, Sucka!!

Oil

Well, I don't hear it much anymore, but we are not in a war for oil. If this was a war for oil, wouldn't gas prices be going down?? I am not totally up to date about the happenings back home in the US, but I constantly hear snippets and read that gas prices may top $2.15/gal this summer.

I support opening of the Arctic National Wildllife Refuge to oil and natural gas exploration and drilling. While not immediate, effects of increasing sourcing of oil from a domestic supply and relying less on imported oil (which, a lot of it comes from countries that hate us), would be large in the long run. It would bolster our economy. Estimates at job creation alone range from 235,000 to 700,000+!! You'd have to live in Alaska, so, maybe it's not all that hot. (Pun intended). New job creation bolsters the economy. Isn't that what the Democrats are always whining about?? "We need to keep more jobs in the US!" That should satisfy some of them.
Plus, gas prices would go down, due to the lessened cost of crude in the US. Yay, Joe and Jane Shmuckatelli can keep more of their money!!

ANWR.org has a wealth of information on the issue. Click it.

I am not opposed to alternative fuels. Cars that run on ethanol, recycled french fry grease, gas/electric hybrids, or just plain electric cars are OK with me. The more the better. But, if you drive one, I still will call you a hippie. Check out this great shirt. Alternative fuel cars are not for me though, I want a new truck when I get home. I like this one. A coming home present, maybe?? Yeah, I wish.

Let's drill for oil in Alaska's ANWR. Lets reduce our reliance on imported oil, bolster our economy, and visit our relatives for less.

MDG........OUT!!!!!

How not to get shot by me, the MDG, or my fellow Joes

8 Ways Not to Get Shot by the US Military

Now, while I can't tell you specifics of our tactics, techniques, and procedures, I can tell you that this Italian journalist is not telling the truth. She should have known that approaching a checkpoint at high speed is not the way to conduct yourself around a US checkpoint.

This woman is a liar. She is a reporter for a communist newspaper. Does that not already make her a liar?? I am sure "Fair and Balanced" is not any part of their aim. Come on now, this is a blatant attempt at bringing more international pressure on the US effort to re-build Iraq.

I see it this way: The media that have a negative view of this effort are running out of bad things to report. Daily I personally see the elation of the populace when we hand out school supplies to children, when we drive through their neighborhoods, ensuring their safety, keeping "Ali Baba" (their name for the insurgents) out of their neighborhoods, making sure they have power and water. This is a concerted effort to twist an unfortunate event and place blame on the innocent party.

Yup, I said it, the soldier who shot is innocent. Know why?? He was
1) shooting to protect himself
2) shooting to protect his squadmates
3) following the rules
4) feeling threatened

I can tell you I have been in same shoot/don't shoot situation, and I can tell you that the driver was COMPLETELY WRONG. The driver should have known the correct protocol for approaching the checkpoint. Most every average Iraqi driver knows how to deal with us on the roads, Italian Intelligence sure as hell should have known how to and not to approach a checkpoint.

Good shooting, Joe Soldier; he got the car and driver. Disable the car, kill the driver. Eliminate the threat of a Vehicle Borne IED. Kudos, from one gunner to another. I bet it was a Ma Deuce.

MDG.....OUT!!!!!

This little girl's smile made my day...she was so happy to see us, she was just oozing joy. We are constantly swamped by kids, who scream, yell, cheer and wave when we drive by; or when we stop, they surround the vehicles. If the current generation of Iraqis don't like us (but they do), then the next will love us. They hail us as liberators. Don't believe everything you read on the news.

Me and Ma Deuce patrolling Kirkuk

It worked!!

Ma Deuce Gunner

yay!

Me with a Russian Built PKC, a Russian Built 7.62mm Light MG, at Kirkuk Police HQ

Having trouble and I am doing fine

Well, guys, I'm having trouble uploading pictures......still trying, though....just wanna let everyone know I am well, should have a post with some meat by Thursday.

First Post

Well, I make my spash into the blogosphere with this post. Look out world, MDG is on the loose.

BLOGFATHER

Check out this blog; it belongs to Pete, one of my best friends -- and who I would call my Blogfather, for he got me started on this ride. http://peterclute.com