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DEL.ICIO.USLife inside the Bradley
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Curtis Compton
Spc. Robert Lloyd of Sandy Springs peers through a narrow sliver of bulletproof glass in his Bradley Fighting Vehicle on patrol in Baghdad.
Baghdad, Iraq — A narrow beam of light pierced the darkness, illuminating Spc. Robert Lloyd’s face.
Lloyd’s window on the war is a small sliver of bulletproof glass at the bottom of a periscope in the back of a 25-ton armored Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The window is designed to keep out deadly pieces of shrapnel and bullets while permitting Lloyd to see out the back.
“I’ll sacrifice the comfort for the safety,” said Lloyd, 31, of Sandy Springs. “This thing is like being in an easy bake oven in the summer and a Frigidaire freezer in the winter.”
During the summer, the heat often tops 150 degrees inside the Bradley’s cramped troop compartment. There is no air conditioning. In winter, the temperature outside plummets, sometimes into the 30s. It feels even colder inside. The only heat is from the engine, but it’s in the front of the vehicle, too far away to benefit Lloyd.
When the Bradley is moving, a horrific vibration originates from the pair of tracks rolling across the pavement beneath the steel-plated floor. It numbs Lloyd’s feet, makes its way up his legs, travels through his spine and the plates in his body armor and exits by rattling the fillings in his teeth and numbing his mind with a monotonous, clanking hum.
“You get used to it, or become numb,” he said during a recent patrol along Route Tampa, a main supply route into Baghdad. “I get tired of trying to keep up with ear plugs, and talking on the radio prevents me from using them.”
Lloyd compares the noise to being inside a giant steel blender grinding up concrete blocks.
“I always find I’m grinding my teeth,” the BellSouth phone technician said. “If I don’t have gum in my mouth, I end up chewing the side of my jaws. I’m scared I’ll bite my tongue off if I don’t.”
The Bradley is prone to sudden, violent motions when it hits bumps or holes in the road, or when the driver has to make a sudden stop. Lloyd, who is looking out the back, never sees any of those things coming.
As if the noise and vibration are not enough, Lloyd also has to deal with constant dust and the smell of diesel fumes and sulfuric acid from the Bradley’s batteries.
Despite the tough working conditions, Lloyd is as upbeat as any soldier you could find in Iraq. After spending four years in the Air Force (1994-98), he joined the Georgia National Guard following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He re-enlisted when he found out his unit, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment out of Lawrenceville, was being mobilized for Iraq.
Lloyd wanted to serve in Iraq, but after seven months of patrols around Baghdad, he, like most of his fellow 48th Brigade Combat Team soldiers, longs for home.
“I think about Krystal chili cheese pups. Most of the time it’s home or food,” said Lloyd, who was married in October while on leave.
Staring through his tiny window, looking for possible trouble, Lloyd knows that a moment of inattention could be disastrous. But often the patrols are long and boring.
“Sometimes you just get off into the stare,” he said. “I’m always thinking about how I’m going to react to a situation. I’m hoping to make a difference.”
Comments
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By steve johnston
December 10, 2005 10:22 AM | Link to this
Itwas good to read about our 1/121st from Lawrenceville.Our thoughts and prayers are with all of these soldiers (one is our son)daily.These Bradley units are part of a handful of 48th Brigade platoons that were left in the Bagdad area when the Brigade was moved.We are very proud of the service and sacrifice of these soldiers. We pray that the election process will be peaceful and successful and that the 121st can soon rejoin the rest of the 48th. Moreso, we pray that all of our sons/daughters will be home safely as soon as possible.
By Glenda Cowan
December 10, 2005 12:22 PM | Link to this
I would like to wish Daniel Morgan of the 48th Brigade from Georgia a Happy Birthday. He is celebrating his 20th birthday today. He has been in active duty in Iraq since May. He was a student at North Georgia Military College. Daniel we are proud of you for serving your country and for all your buddies there. Love you! Nana
By Marie
December 10, 2005 05:28 PM | Link to this
My husband recently came home from Iraq after serving for almost 2 years with just a few months in between. I have to say that I thought I would be so relieved to have him home alive and although I am so very thankful that he is home in one piece I find that I am not at all relieved…I still feel so very worried for all of our soldiers still deployed and in harms way. I want all of the soldiers and their families who read this to know that I will continue to pray for you and your loved ones safe return and I will continue to feel unsettled until our job there is done and all of our men and women come home. Unlike the person that Tammy mentioned I do not feel like it is no longer of any issue to me. In fact I feel that I need to be even more thankful and grateful to all of you who contribute to our countries welfare and in some way made it possible for my husband to come home safe. Your sons daughters husbands and wives are what made it possible for him to be here whether directly or indirectly… some of your loved ones may even have given their lives…for that I can never repay you and you will continue to be as always in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you for making me so very proud to be an American. It is the soldiers and “average American” that make this country what it is. From the bottom of my heart thank you. God Speed our success and recovery as a nation and people and make our sacrifices for the Iraqi people fruitful and meaningful.
By jennifer c lloyd
December 12, 2005 06:08 PM | Link to this
Spc Robert L Lloyd is my brother, and I am so proud of him for fighting for the freedoms that I, along with every other American, enjoy every single day. Since my family misses him so much, it was great to see this article! I pray for his safe return along with every other soldier in Iraq. Thank you, Rob…we love and miss you!