Greeting from Iraq!

[pito189]

Dang Doobie, you guys carry out all that stuff when you are out scouting? No wonder your 50lb Mag doesn't bother you.

Truley glad you made it back safe buddy.

[breg]

DOOBIE!
It's great that you are back!! I can only begin to imagine just how hard the pucker factor was kicking in when that had gernade went off. Though I have a few questions :

Did you happen to find any IED while you were there? I heard that those were quite a problem.

Does Doha still have that huge PX? That one beats the heck out of the one here at Kirtland AFB.

It must be nice to have a water tap where the cold water is actually cold, and not hotter than the hot water. It was like that in Kuwait when I was there last summer.

Did you ever get asked by any of nationals about "Same Same?"

It's amazing about how social and friendly the average Arab is, isn't it? Also, did you notice how if they had any food or anything, they would offer you some before they ate? I felt bad, because we were not allowed to take anything from the TCN's and to refuse and offered gift was an insult to them. I felt so bad. But, it was policy and we were not to question policy. You know?
Though to quote King Edward from Braveheart: "And so you return unkilled by the heathens."

WELCOME BACK, GREAT TO HAVE YOU HOME!!!

[Doobie]

Recon- Yep, were 11B's. Our Scouting is a little different than 19D. I can break my team into 2 sniper teams. One 7.62 team and one .50 cal team.

Pito- Waz up dawg! Yea, I actually missed the 50 pounder. That will all change when I get the new Hotness!

Breg- Never found any IED's. Kinda sumfin I didn't wanna find, ya know?

Wasn't in Doha. Camp New York out in the desert.

I can only asume "same,same" means homosexuality. I heard about that. At least in Northern Iraq, homosexuality is strictly forbiden.

Very nice people on average. If you expressed any interest in something they owned, they would give it to you. It did kind of cause some awkward situations. ("No, I can't accept your mule. No, there is nothing wrong with it, I just can't" )

[breg]

Yeah, the TCN's would come up to us and ask if "You like Same Same." Really made a person uncomfortable. 'Course, I got more exposure to the natives than most, since I was a Force Protection Escort. I can honestly say that that was the worst job I ever had. It's just that you had to over come the language barrier, keep an eye on them as they were doing all sorts of work on base, not help them when they worked, and stay awake. No small feat when half of the TCN's are sleeping, it's 130 degrees and you didn't get much sleep the night before.

I guess that Kuwait was a little less strict about things than Iraq.

One thing I noticed when I was out there was that a lot of the women had AMAZING eyes. It was really strange.

One of the most interesting thing I got to expirence while was out there was the Arab Vendor. We cvould go downtown in Kuwait while I was there and it was really interesting. They would see you walk by and start yelling for you to come to thier stalls and try to get you to buy all manner of things. One really popular item was jewelry. There was a couple of vendors that would do just about any piece of jewelry that you could think of. And, it was for a decent price.

All in all, I learned a lot about that area of the world. I learned that most Arabs are as indifferent to us as we were to the people from the next town over. They showed a poilte interest in you, but could care less that I was a Westerner.

Also, I heard that the coffee from that area is awsome. Did you try any?

Also, did you bring back anything cool? Everyone in my unit was asking for sand from Kuwait while I was out there. I have a few friends out there right now, and I pray for them daily. I can't say exactly where, you know the whole OPSEC thing...

Well, in closing, it's good to know that one more made it home.

[H.K S.O.C.O.M.45]

Due wouldnt you rather have an mp5

NOT to sound like a gun freak wait i am . did you ever even fire your COLt -m4 carbine ? and what did you carry as a sidearm a 92 fs or a H.K .45 soccom / AND I WOULD THINK THAT FORM A REACON TEAM YOU GUYS WOULD USE MP5S. but did you ever get a chance to like sit in sudams chair ? i would sit in it than drop a couple of .12 ga shells itno it . well hay man glad you mad eit back saftly hope your squad kicked some major a$$.

[kosmo]

WTF man. Its not a video game, youve probably never shot a weapon, you have no freakin clue how an Army recon team operates, and nobody is impressed that you know that Colt makes M-4's. Now go back to playing Rainbow Six until you grow up a little more.

[Recon by Fire]

Recon with MP5's? LOL A scouts main weapon is a radio If you are shooting while performing reconnaissance, you're doing it wrong!

[Doobie]

Easy Kosmo...it's obvious he knows not what he says.

H.K S.O.C.O.M.45 : Here's the thing. An MP5 is an excellent weapon, but not well suited at longer ranges(150meters+) as it shoots a 9mm round. The MP5 is great for room clearing. The M-4 is good for both. When you move from open desert to urban environments and back to desert, you need something for both environments. The only guy who carried a sidearm in the squad was the M24 sniper. This is because he carried a bolt action 7.62mm rifle as a primary. His sidearm was a standard gov model M9 Beretta. We may have been recon scouts but we did't get the $$$ the Special Operations guys did. We didi get better gear than the standard Infantry guy though. Didn't see Saddam's chair, I was never in any of his castles. Sorry. I probably would have left a steamer in his chair.

Recon- Your right! The radio is the best weapon we had and we trained hard on fire missions, close air support, and CCA calls. If i'm shootin'...I'm runnin' too. 5 guys are a little out numbered. Break contact...the only battle drill we practiced.

[G-Rock]

Originally posted by Doobie
If i'm shootin'...I'm runnin' too.

Not this weekend when I am shooting at you bro!!!!! Hey if you are lucky, I might let you hold my X-Mag!!!

Glad to see you back man, some of us will be at the field this weekend, come see us man, and Sue, she is dying to see you!!

Welcome back, and look a brother up when you got time man!!

Chris Geiger

[MidnightRider]

My utmost respect to you and all of the people in the armed forces. You do something I know I could never do.

Now if you are still answering ?'s I got one for you. How big is the 101st? The reason I ask is that I have a cousin in the 101 and in the only letter to the family I have yet to read mentioned he was stationed in the northern part of Iraq too. His last name is Snook. Is the rest of the 101 still over there or are they planning on coming back anytime soon?

Again I stand and applaud(sp?) you and everybody else who fights for this country.

Peace

MR

[G-Rock]

Well I live in clarksville, right next to Fort Campbell. My mom works on post, and the word going around here is Febraury or March right now.

As for the size of the 101st, it is a full division. Maybe doobie could answer alittle bit better of the actually numbers, I am tired and half asleep.

Chris

[H.K S.O.C.O.M.45]

ddue i no bouty guns

ddue trust me i no about guns man i shoot .22 target rifles and i used to do skeet shooting and no i dont play rainbow six i dont play vido games .and i bet i have shot a gun i have shoot many ar 15s m16 beret light fifty (thats a 50 cal rifle ) many shotguns all types of pistols desert eagles, colts, s&ws ,rugers ,berreta ,H.Ks ........etc and if you dont think i no how ask some of my friedns thay all no i no bout guns

[G-Rock]

Re: ddue i no bouty guns

Originally posted by H.K S.O.C.O.M.45
ddue trust me i no about guns man i shoot .22 target rifles and i used to do skeet shooting and no i dont play rainbow six i dont play vido games .and i bet i have shot a gun i have shoot many ar 15s m16 beret light fifty (thats a 50 cal rifle ) many shotguns all types of pistols desert eagles, colts, s&ws ,rugers ,berreta ,H.Ks ........etc and if you dont think i no how ask some of my friedns thay all no i no bout guns

Okay I think he meant know at these points!!

All joking aside, H.K.S.O.C.O.M.45 asked a good question...In school we all learned (well if you went to school) that the only dumb question is the question you didn't ask. He had a question and asked the individual who could best answer it...

Hence he asked Doobie (oh and by the way I will be welting you doobie, hehehehe)!!!!! Gosh I am so glad you are back so I can trash talk to you instead of pito, I mean pito was getting old with me pimping him all the time!!!

Oh and what is wrong with playing computer games...I do, man I love Ghost Recon, especially with the ming gun mod...OH MY REAKING GOD!!!!!!!!!!! 1134 rounds a minute!!!!!!!!!!

Peace out all,

Chris

[H.K S.O.C.O.M.45]

Aot nothin wrong wit vido games

there aint nothin wrong with computer games but i will take a real gun over any vido game any daY. i would rather be playin airsoft or paintball or shotin guns than vido games that all ! sorry but i like target shootin its fuj my friedn jake can put a bullet through a life saver )thats .22 ) i can hit the life saver but i can only get a pellet through it well welcome back

[Doobie]

G-rock,
Waz-up brutha! I saw Sue at the PX Thursday. She looks great and it was good to see her. I will TRY to stop by Saturday morning, but no promises. I have "family obligations" down in Nashville. It's my Mom's B-day and all the kids will sctually be there for it. It's the first time, in like...forever! Like I said though, I will Try!
Also, I've been dodging REAL roounds for the last 5 1/2 months...What cho got!?

I'll call you man


The size of the 101st? It is 3 infantry brigades and an Aviation brigade. Each brigade has about 1000 to 1250 people in it so about 5,000 or so. That is a rough guess as there are a lot of support elements also. They won't be returning until Feb or Mar '04 and the whole 101st minus one Battalion is in Mosul, Northern Iraq.