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DEL.ICIO.USMarking time in Iraq …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ninevah province, Iraq — The concept of time is altered out here in the northern Iraqi desert, where the days of war are marked not by calendars but by the sun and moon. And when the next mission begins.
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| Louie Favorite/AJC |
| Staff Sgt. Brett Paul of 2nd platoon of Company H, 121st Infantry (ABN)(LRS) detains an Iraqi briefly after weapons were in his family’s home. He was released because he had the proper permit for the weapons |
• More photos from Company H patrol
The birth of Tuesday, March 20, 2007, is heralded by three distinct sounds:
Staff Sgt. Damon Russell yells, “It’s 06:00. Time to wake up, ladies!” and soon afterward there is the revving of engines as drivers warm up their Humvees. And then, a lone soldier’s song: “It’s a Beautiful Morning …”
The dew has barely dried off weeds sprouting on sand-swept dunes when 2nd Platoon, Company H, 121st Infantry (ABN) (LRS) rolls out of the gates of this Iraqi border outpost, where they have been camping out.
It is a day like countless others for these Georgia men who belong to a long-range surveillance company based at Fort Gillem in suburban Atlanta. In daylight, they gather information on suspicious people. At night, they hide near ramparts separating Iraq from Syria, trying to catch illegal border crossers and their smuggled goods and weaponry.
The Humvees traverse rugged terrain through the Sinjar Mountains to surprise the residents of Barrah, a densely populated village in the valley. On the way, Spc. John Giunta, a student at North Georgia College and State University, notes a giant crater created by a bomb that disabled an armored vehicle a while back.
That’s another way American soldiers mark time in Iraq. When was the last bomb? The last firefight?
The Sinjar Valley is inhabited in part by Yezidis, an obscure community who follow a little-known religion. They are not Muslims and have few allegiances to sectarian factions in Iraq. But poverty can propel anyone into wrongful acts. That makes few in Iraq free from suspicion.
In Barrah, Staff Sgt. Jon Hughes of Gainesville talks to the mayor while his men search the house and surrounding compound. The soldiers empty out cabinets and toss weapons and ammunition onto an open verandah.
“It’s another day in the office,” says Spc. Andrew Prater, 2nd Platoon’s young medic from Newnan, repeating a line often heard from soldiers.
It’s another day that takes Prater and his comrades closer to home. That is a soldier’s mental calendar.
Not that the significance of every day is lost amid war. Sunday was 1st Sgt. John Gunning’s birthday. Saturday was St. Patrick’s Day — the soldiers chowed down on green corn bread and cake at the dining hall back at Forward Operating Base Sykes in Tal Afar.
They never forget a child’s birthday. Or a wedding anniversary. But ask a soldier what day of the week it is and the answer might require some calculating.
On this Tuesday in March, while Hughes is inside speaking with the mayor, Staff Sgt. Brett Paul of Columbus takes three soldiers with him to a small shed at one end of the property.
Sgt. Ryan Stephens, another student at North Georgia College and State Univerity, opens up a wooden box. Inside are 5,000 rounds of 7.62 ammo that can be fired with an AK-47 automatic assault rifle. Iraqis are allowed only one AK-47 per household and only one magazine, or about 30 rounds of ammunition.
Hughes gets on his radio and calls Capt. Kenneth Hutnick at the Company H headquarters at Sykes. “Do you want us to confiscate the rounds?” he asks.
The answer is yes. The soldiers pack the ammo into the trunk of a Humvee, and soon they are racing through the desert again, in full body armor, machine guns pointed outward from the gunner’s turrets.
Second Platoon has to get back to the border fort. By 7 this evening, they are due to head back out on reconnaissance.
In the Iraqi fort’s courtyard, Sgt. Billy Massingale gathers his usual group for a round of Yahtzee. Prater knifes open his second MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) of the day. Others use the precious down time for a nap.
Theirs is a world far removed from the streets of Washington, where anti-war marchers voiced their sentiments this weekend, and from the streets of Baghdad, where bloody attacks marked the start of the war’s fifth year. Those are the images that America saw this Tuesday, March 20.
But Company H soldiers took no notice of the date. The war’s anniversary is a milestone unobserved on this edge of Iraq.
As the sun sets, 2nd Platoon soldiers are back outside, gearing up. All they know right now is that it’s time for another mission.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Categories: Reports from Iraq
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By James
March 20, 2007 9:45 PM | Link to this
Today on the way home from work I stopped and picked up a soldier outside Ft. Mac on S.R. 166-Langford Pkwy that was hitch hiking his way home to Hogansville. It puzzled me at first but my instinct told me to stop for a solider in need - see if there was something I could do to help. There was no vehicle broken down, no evidence that he had been dropped off. I jsut knew he was near Ft. Mac.
I won’t give his name, but he was obviously drunk, said he had just returned from Iraq and was home for 2 weeks and was holding a cardboard sign that simply said “85 South”. He wanted to surprise his family and had not told anyone he was coming.
Whether or not his story was true, his uniform, names badges and single backpack - typical for a soldier on a 2 week LOA - made me a believer. So I took him as far as I could. I stuck up as much conversation as possible to keep him awake and took him as far as I could. I feel bad for not being able to set aside my own personal schedule this evening to take him all the way to Hogansville from where I had picked him up outside Ft Mac. I offered him money for dinner and he refused. He’s a man fighting not only for the freedom’s we share in the U.S. but that we hope to someday share with the citizens of Iraq. All I could do when I dropped him off at the next stop was thank him for his service, for sharing his story and share a salute. And to this very minute I feel like I didn’t do enough.
By Carolyn
March 21, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
The “images American saw” were the images the liberal media wanted us to see. Another side to the story was that the pro-war supporters outnumbered the anti-war marchers but since this does not fit the liberal agenda, it is conveniently left out. Journalism should be fair and balanced!
By KG
March 21, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this
I suppose it’s also the fault of the “liberal media” that over 3,000 of our troops have died in Iraq.
By Carolyn
March 21, 2007 12:32 PM | Link to this
I do not blame the liberal media for the 3000+ deaths of our soldiers. America is at war and unfortunately, deaths occur when fighting for freedom. I do blame the liberal media for only reporting one side of a story, simply to further their agenda.
By Pedro
March 21, 2007 1:05 PM | Link to this
Carolyn,thanks for reporting what the media won’t. KG, look up the term moonbat. If you’d seen the motley collection of anti-war protesters last week even you’d not likely want to place yourself among them unless you too are still mourning Che Guevara and saluting Hugo Chavez. That’s why there were no closeup pics of the patriotic protesters.
By Tony
March 21, 2007 1:37 PM | Link to this
I agree Pedro. As a Viet Nam Vet and the proud father of a young man serving in the Army, I believe that the war protesters night as well be spitting in the faces of our young men and women giving their all by serving. What would they have us do, disband all of our military and intelligence agencies? Before we do, lets make sure we register all of the protesters so that all the terorists will know who to thank first when they land in New York or Atlanta.
By Tracey
March 21, 2007 6:47 PM | Link to this
Yes, most of the ones that protest arent even American. I think each and every one of them should be forced to have a terrorist live with them, since they have so much empathy for them. Oh wait thats why our soldiers are over there now, making sure those people are free to march up the street acting like the morons they are. If it were up to me I`d take a tank down the middle of the street and mow them all down. Even if they were forced to live with a terrorist, it wouldnt be long before those same people would be whining that the government wasnt doing enough to protect them. You cant win. Anyway I thank all of our troops and have the utmost respect for them. My brother is there with Co H 121st 2nd Platoon. GOD BLESS THEM ALL AND MAY THEY ALL RETURN HOME SAFELY!
By Sandra
March 22, 2007 7:54 PM | Link to this
Tracey, I think every American Wants our soldiers home and Safe and have the terroists depleted, How many times have you heard “Just blow up Iraq and send our guys home?” I too have a brother in Co H 121st 2nd platoon. Sometimes I wish I could go to Iraq and help them clean up the bad guys. Hopefully The war will end soon and we can stop worrying about our families. My brother was home about a month ago and he is a more mature and confident man. War is never easy but either is freedom. Bless our troops!!
By 3rd Block
March 23, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this
Be safe Co H. Come home soon Spc. Prater
By 3rd Block
March 23, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this
Be safe Co H. Come home soon Spc. Prater
By 3rd Block
March 23, 2007 12:07 PM | Link to this
Be safe Co. H Come home soon Spc. Prater <3
By 3rd Block
March 23, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this
Be safe Co. H Come home soon Spc. Prater <3