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DEL.ICIO.USLouisiana soldiers Iraq anxious as Katrina updates roll in
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Camp Striker, Iraq — It was supposed to be time of joy for the soldiers of the Louisiana Army National Guard’s 256th Brigade Combat Team. After a long year in Iraq, they were finally heading home. But now, home has become a national disaster.
At the dining hall and recreational facility here, stunned soldiers have been glued to TV sets, following the death and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. They have watched as the rising waters submerged their hometowns and neighborhoods. With no news from friends and family at home, excitement over going home has turned to anxiety.
“I’m just worried about what shape my house will be in,� said Pfc. Chris Ashbey, a veterinary assistant from Covington who has family there and in New Orleans. “Hopefully, we won’t be going back to a total wreck,� he said. “All the phone lines are down. I haven’t been able to talk to anyone in my family.�
Many of the 256th brigade’s soldiers have already left their trailers at Camp Liberty and are temporarily housed at Camp Striker, preparing for their journey home.
“We’re all very concerned,� said Staff Sgt. Robert Laha III of Shreveport. He said some of the soldiers also feel bad that they are not available to help their home state.
Hurricanes have traditionally been identified with the National Guard, which is called up in times of natural disasters to provide emergency relief services. Many of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team soldiers, also stationed at Camp Striker, were sent to Florida last year to help with hurricane cleanup. But since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, several Guard units have been sent to the combat zone in Iraq alongside active duty units.
“It’s part of our job as National Guard to help,� said Laha, who studies acting and helps build theatrical sets in Shreveport. “And we’re not there.�
Louisiana Guard troops left behind have been getting help from the neighboring states of Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. That’s the way it ought to be, said some Louisiana soldiers. Their service to the country, they said, took precedence over hurricane duty.
Spc. Dustin Roberts, a construction worker from New Orleans, said he had done his part to “help the country.� No matter what shape his apartment was in Kenner, he was glad to be going home.
“The hurricane is bad but it doesn’t seem that way compared to what we’ve been through,� he said.
Comments
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By Penny
August 31, 2005 12:00 PM | Link to this
To the Louisiana Guard Congratulations on going home and I hope that you find your things and your loved ones okay when you get back.
By M
August 31, 2005 12:56 PM | Link to this
I pray that the soldiers who are returning to Louisana will find their families, homes and jobs waiting. I have watched the news on this devastation but you get to where you can recognize the same photos over and over. A lot of the ‘reporting’ is sensationalism. So, I hope when these soldiers arrive in Louisiana they will find the media has made it look worse than it is. God be with all.
By Sherri
August 31, 2005 01:38 PM | Link to this
Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do for your family and your country. I hope all is well with your family when you return!
By Karen McDaniel
August 31, 2005 05:19 PM | Link to this
Pray for my son, Spc. Ronald Lee Raymond, III. On Monday, August 29th, on a routine patrol outside of Camp Taji, my son was hit when a suicide bomber exploded his car. My son is in serious condition. He has not been able to leave Iraq as of yet because he has not been stable enough and also because of flight scheduling difficulty. Please pray for him. We want him stateside as soon as possible.
By michelle
August 31, 2005 05:21 PM | Link to this
adds insult to injury….i’m terribly, terribly sorry.
By Marie
August 31, 2005 09:43 PM | Link to this
Karen, My heart and prayers are with you, your family, and your son.
By Lillie
August 31, 2005 10:01 PM | Link to this
I love you all. I used to live in New Orleans, Lake Charles & Ruston. I pray for all of you. But mainly for the New Orleaneans. I pray you find your families. Knowing you are coming home there is no way they’d go too far. You are New Orleans future to rebuild! I can’t go too long without Red Beans and Rice with andouille sausage! Hurry!
Stay safe and God bless all of you.
By Debbie Hayes
August 31, 2005 10:09 PM | Link to this
My heart goes out to all of our fine soldiers from Louisiana who are trying to get in touch with their loved ones and get home to them. God bless each one of you and take you home safely to your families and friends. My prayers will be with each of you…you’ve been through enough already…thank you for your sacrifices for our country.
By Mom of Spc McCaslin's (48th BCT)
August 31, 2005 10:34 PM | Link to this
As the mom of a GA Guardsman whose family roots are in LA, let me say to M that you are very wrong. It doesn’t matter how often you see the same pictures. There is no media sensationalism and I think that you are very insensitive to say that. Are you suggesting that the video footage of New Orleans is also sensationalism since they are showing it more than once? Do you possibly think that only a few blocks are flooded, rather than a city, simply because they show the same breeched levee area over and over? My son is trying to concentrate on the task at hand in Iraq knowing that one of his uncles is missing since the city flooded and that every family member he has in New Orleans has a home that is now underwater. Since these were the older members of our family, much of our physical history and heritage is lost - they were the keepers of these precious things. I cannot tell you how painful your words are. It amazes me that you could downplay our devastation so much. My son and the other soldiers with family and family history lost in the Gulf Coast have enough heartache right now….I’ll thank you to keep your insensitive thoughts to yourself so he doesn’t have to also feel and consider the anger your words will make him feel.
By ARMY MOM
August 31, 2005 10:48 PM | Link to this
MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO RONALD AND HIS FAMILY. MAY GOD BE WITH HIM AND HIS FAMILY…LETS ALL JOIN OUR HEARTS AND SOULS AND PRAY FOR ALL OUR SOLDIERS SAFE RETURNES. GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM. WE LOVE AND APPRECIATE EACH OF YOU… GOD BLESS AMERICA——AMEN
By AM
August 31, 2005 11:04 PM | Link to this
I hope and pray that your son gets better, I will keep you and your family in my prayers. I Pray day and night that my husband is ok, and that God will take care of him and his fellow soldiers.
By My Opinion
September 1, 2005 01:12 AM | Link to this
Mrs McDaniel, I prayed for SPC Raymond when I read your post and again when I said my evening prayer for all our military and my soldier. I will continue. I hope he will be moved stateside soon and that you will get to be with him. Please keep us informed. It is so sad when we hear of any solder being wounded but it is sadder when it is one of our own.
God, please bless SPC Ronald Raymond and his family. Help the doctors stablize him and bring him stateside. Bless all our troops, Lord, and keep them safe. In Christ’s holy name - Amen
By Michael Wife
September 1, 2005 08:01 AM | Link to this
Karen, I am so sorry that you are going through this. I will be lifting you up in prayer daily. We appreciate his serving and sacrifice. I pray for you that he will come through this just fine and be the same person you have always known. I have a husband at Michael, and you are going through what we all fear.
To the soldiers going home to devastation, my heart goes out to you. It is just not right to have your homecoming marred by something like this. Your service is so appreciated by all and I am sorry that you have to worry about your families and homes. God Bless you all and may he comfort and keep you.
By Mary
September 1, 2005 08:12 AM | Link to this
M, I’m sure the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and all their belongings will be relieved to hear your words, that it’s just “sensationalism” and that the media simply made it all up.
Get real.
By Stockbridge
September 1, 2005 09:04 AM | Link to this
I love you and miss you Jonathan Naquin. I pray for your family in Louisiana and that they are all safe and here waiting for your safe return. Please don’t worry about your family here, honey we are all doing everything we can to help in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
By Elaine
September 1, 2005 10:49 AM | Link to this
Nothing to say except to all of our soldiers and their families as well as any one impacted by the hurricane are in our hearts and prayers and will remain there as long as needed.
God Bless Us All Elaine
By LuvMySoldier
September 1, 2005 10:58 AM | Link to this
I hope and pray that the Louisiana soldiers find their homes in fair condition, but let us not also forget about the Alabama and Mississippi soldiers who are fighting in Iraq and may not know where there families are and if they even have homes to come back too. God be with all the troops and their families especially those who need you so bad right now. I love you Spc. Thomas Clark
By Wendy
September 1, 2005 01:02 PM | Link to this
To Pfc. Chris Ashbey:
I hope you get this. My brother is serving in the GA Natl. Guard, but we’re from Mandeville,LA,so I check this paper every day for news on him.
Don’t stress too much about Covington. It’s true that a lot of trees are down, and they have no phone or electricity, but there’s little flooding in the Covington area. Lacombe and Slidell got hit pretty bad, and the lake was into Mandeville for 4 city blocks. But Covington is trying to clean up from wind damage.
Please take care of yourself in Iraq. We may be dealing with a hurricane here, but we have not forgotten you there and we are constantly praying for you.
By Audrey
September 1, 2005 02:54 PM | Link to this
God bless all our soldiers in Iraq! Keep them safe and bring them home soon! We pray for all the victims in the hurricane as well and hope the soldiers find their families safe. God bless America! Thanks to you, our American Soldiers!
By M
September 1, 2005 03:28 PM | Link to this
Sorry for the remark about sensationalism. I did not finsh the post and it was meant to convey the thought that I hoped it was another of the local TV making it look worse than it is. I hit post before I had finished the thought. Thanks folks for responding to a message I sent before I finished it and read it.I apologize for seeming so unconcerned by that idiotic remark. I am distressed by the devastation. I did not mean to seem insensitive. My later post (above at !5:36) is how I truly feel.
I saw CNN yesterday on TV and it is the most devastating event to happen to this country. These people are in my prayers and my purse. I hope the Guardsmen came home to find their loved ones safe.
I did not mean to post what I had written but had an interruption and hit post in error. I did not realize the cursor was on the post block when I touched it. I intended to post nothing and take care of the business before posting. I will be more careful from here on. Thanks for the rebuttal folks, that statement certainly deserved critism yours and mine. It was a statement that, had I completed the post, would not have been insensitive. Again I sincerely apologize.
By SPC's Wife
September 1, 2005 05:30 PM | Link to this
Ms. McDaniel - your son is our prayers as well. I pray that he will be stable enough to be moved and be on his way home.
By Lydia
September 1, 2005 10:04 PM | Link to this
You are such examples of strength and sacrifice yet humble. I wish you all true happiness and good health as well as your families. And God bless all the people who wrote before me.
I love all of you very much.
By regina
September 2, 2005 09:02 AM | Link to this
TO EACH AND EVERYONE JUST REMEMBER -PEOPLE ARE GOING THRU A VALLEY NOW. BUT WHEN THEY REACH THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WHAT A BLESSING IS WAITING FOR THEM. MY SON IS IN IRAQ DOING WHAT HE FEELS HE HAS TO DO. I’M VERY HONORED AND BLESSED TO HAVE HIM FOR A SON. MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO YOU MS. MCDANIEL. I PRAY YOUR SON GET’S TO BE STATESIDE VERY SOON. I KNOW YOUR FEELINGS. GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS. OUR TROOPS ARE GREATTTTTTTT. I’M A VERY PROUD MILITARY MOM.
By SnottyNozeBratt
September 2, 2005 04:18 PM | Link to this
Ms. McDaniel,
Please contact:
www.soldiersangels.org
if you have needs concerning your son, they may have some assistance to offer you.
Prayers are with him.
By IGHR
September 2, 2005 05:17 PM | Link to this
To all national guard and military servicemen: Thanks for your service to this nation and for being ready, willing and able to protect our freedom and well-being at a momemts notice. Your sacifice for the common good is greatly appreciated.
By barry squillace
September 2, 2005 07:12 PM | Link to this
As I sit here and read peoples posts and comments, I cry. I cry because I can’t do too much to help. I am a college student, living with my sister in an enormous beautiful house in Dundoody GA. Although I have suffered and survived 7 open heart surgeries, the mere idea of me sitting in my room, online, eating…I’m appauled at myself. I want to help. I want to do so much. I want to offer everyhing I have. We have opened up our home to anyone to come and stay here with us. We posted on the AJC for our spare room and full basment to be used for 2 familes, but it’s just not enough…I feel that praying isn’t enough. I just want to be there with everyone and experience what theyre experiencing and help them in any way I can. I am deeply sorry ANYONE AND EVERYONE who has family that was affected by the hurricane. I am deeply hurting inside for the people affected by 9/11 and the tsunami! So much sorrow, it’s hard to maintain a positive attitude..and it’s almost seemingly difficult to go about my day as priveleged as I really am. Just my thoughts for the day… I’m sorry for everyones losses and hurt, I truly deeply am.
By Paul
September 3, 2005 12:34 AM | Link to this
There are many organizations that are raising funds to assist those folks that have been affected by Katrina’s destruction. I’ve found one organization that is dedicated to helping those service members that have been deployed in the service of this great nation and are returning home to find their belongings ruined and their families dislocated. The charity is called Soldiers’ Angels and they are dedicated to aiding those soldiers who have already sacrificed so much. If you want to help, please take a look at their website. All proceeds are tax deductible and 100% of every donated dollar goes to the soldier’s and families that need it.
By Three War Veteran
September 4, 2005 04:26 PM | Link to this
It took the army’s know how to move most people to safety. We are the professionals and know how to move and provide. Thank all our soldiers and be grateful they are who they are. I’m sure the people of New Orleans know this now. The FIMA people did not know how to do this. Soldiers everywhere-be proud of your selves and your fellow soldiers at home helping the homeless and now poor people of New Orleans
By Rebekah
September 5, 2005 12:52 AM | Link to this
My prayers are with all of our soldiers. As for Spc. Raymond, he is one of my husband’s closest friends over there AND his roommate. My husband usually drives the truck that they were in, but was home on leave when all this happened. We have been praying for him and the other soldier injured in the blast. My husband spoke with Spc. Raymond yesterday and he was in good spirits. Also, he said that he would be en route soon for the US. Thank God for answered prayers. God Bless all our troops.
Proud Wife of Bravo Company 1-115th Soldier Spc. “Beaver”
By Thoughts
September 5, 2005 07:30 PM | Link to this
Three Veterans - We should all be grateful for and to our military. God bless them. I support them fully.
There was no emergency preparedness. That is currently the responsibility of Homeland Security. However, the military would be much better suited for the job. Imagine LTG Honore Or another like him in charge from the beginning. It is the military that came to restore and maintain civil order and rescue. They are augmented by civilian voluntees who are trained and equiped for emergencies. Teams from many states long distances off are there. Some arrived first and did the best they could.
Maybe this will be a wake up call to put emergency preparedness in more capable hands than Homeland Security and to take preparedness seriously. To heed warnings. And to have necessities stockpiled for distribution, transportation in place with the help of civilian companies, places for evacuees and knowing about how many people will need to be evacuated. Preparedness! Planning.
Those who received bottled water, MRE’s and cots were thankful to see the National Guard. Those stranded without shelter would have been happy to have a tent over them while they waited. More than one asked where is the National Guard. They knew from where their help would come.
One person voiced his feelings - after 4/5 days without help arriving he felt his country had abandoned him but when he saw the National Guard arrive he felt like he really wasn’t forgotten after all. If the water was too high for amphibs to come in where were the boats?
Naturally - when looters stole guns and ammo and started shooting at rescuers volunteers were going to be slow to come. Who could blame them? They didn’t think to bring along armed guards. After all - this is America!!!