Welcome to the Dora High School Alumni Web CommunityKeeping the Alumni in Touch
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
||
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
|
||
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
||
|
|||
| Letters From Iraq
by Tate Shaneyfelt I took this picture as we approached the town of Tarmia. A welcome sight. The road leading to  Tarmai
is only a few miles long, but it is one of the most dangerous in Iraq.
I say its a welcome sight not only because the worst part of the trip
was over, but also because the town was busy. That's always a good
sign. When the streets are empty we know somethings up. I was asked recently how we live here. Unlike previous wars where the grunts lived in foxholes, here its quite different. This is a counter-insurgency war. One of the hardest fights to fight. The bad guys are everywhere, and nowhere. Not unlike the viet-cong my brothers fought in Vietnam. (these guys arent as smart in my opinion). In a conventional war the enemy wears a different uniform. There he is, kill him. Our enemy is amongst us. The only relatively safe place is the FOB (forward operations base). On the base we have excellent food thats served four times a day. Enough to make you fat! Thats not as much an issue now as it was my first few months here though because now its so hot no one wants to walk that far! I wont bore you with the main menu, but its great. A huge salad bar, ice cream bar, and dessert bar (they have peach cobbler ya'll!!!) Also we have a Subway, Popeyes Chicken, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Burger King. Sounds nice, right? These are Iraqi resteraunts guys. Not like what you have there. Trust me its not what its cracked up to be, but they try. Our common areas (bathrooms) are really good too. Trailers that are cleaned twice a day with ten shower stalls and six toilet stalls are placed all over our living areas. That is the best of all. Going without a shower for weeks at a time isn't any fun. Take my word for it. We still do sometimes depending on our missions, but at least we have a hot shower to look forward to. We live in air conditioned trailers. Four troops to a trailer. Two in one side, and two in the other. So I have a roomate. However, we work opposite 12 to 14 hour shifts. When I'm at home he's at work, and vice versa. So we do get privacy. Internet access, refrigerators, microwaves, TVs, etc...are available. Personally, my room is kind of bland. I see no reason in buying all that stuff here. It's not like I can bring it back! Im not planning on staying here either! Sounds like we have it made, huh? Thats the crazy part. 200 meters from where we sleep are the walls covered in razorwire. Countless soldiers will spend their whole deployment (a year) having never seen the outside. The biggest threat to these people are the mortars. Lucky for these "F.O.B.BITs" the bad guys can't take time to aim, or they'll die.They just fire and run. "Outside the wire" is a whole different world. It reminds me of the Bible verse that says the devil "is a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour". The Bible also says we are "not given a spirit of fear". I see this everyday. These men and women who risk their lives day in and day out in the kill zone are amazing. One minute we are perfectly safe surrounded by hundreds of our brothers....the very next, 11 of us are on a combat patrol on hostile ground. I've witnessed this transition dozens of times, and each time it amazes me. Like a "game face" in football I guess. Yet this is more serious than any Superbowl. Our lives are at stake. The unknown, but fear isn't evident. All we concern ourselves with is doing the job, and bringing everyone back. Believe it or not we laugh alot while in harm's way. The humor on these missions is kind of wild too. We joke alot out there. It cuts the stress. However, there is always the ever present scanning. Every eye back and forth. Up and down. Searching...waiting...daring him to show his face so we can send him to his virgins. The base creates an illusion of safety. Those of us who venture outside know this. Out there is the beast. Yet we fear no evil. God Almighty is out there too, with His rod and staff. He is my Strength, my Shield, and He in whom I trust. Praise be. God Bless America. If you want to know anything specific,
write me! or Rick! I love questions! |