[krzyabncanuck]

Good to see they are coming along nicely.

I remember when we first started trying to train them. What a joke that was for most of them.

Now the specialized Afghan unit we trained in Afghanistan was great to work with.

Stay safe over there.

[concretejungle]

Awesome pics and write-up!! Thanks again for this and your service. Hope you get home safe and soon.

[PacToy]

Originally Posted by krzyabncanuck

Good to see they are coming along nicely.

I remember when we first started trying to train them. What a joke that was for most of them.

Now the specialized Afghan unit we trained in Afghanistan was great to work with.

Stay safe over there.

Darin, it is because of the frustrating and hard work that servicemembers like yourself put forth in years past that have led to what we are seeing now.

They are coming along nicely and I mean that for the ISF and the local populace as well. Lots of things have changed and all for the better in most cases. The demeanor and attitude of the people has had a huge positive swing for the ISF and CF in this AO. I'm not trying to imply that it is not still dangerous outside the wire but now you have locals calling the ISF when they see something wrong happening where as they use to stay quiet in fear of retribution to them and their families.

Again, thank you all for the well wishes!

1) MV-22 Osprey Western Desert

[PacToy]

1) Osprey
2/3) Iraqi Army officer lets a mortar drop.

[PacToy]

A few pics for Calstyl

1)HZJ-105
2) FZJ-79
3) FJ-55 (Taxi)

[reconranger]

Hey Pactoy, good luck and good hunting. Enjoyed your pics.

Semper Fi!

[Blue Phoenix]

It has been over a year since I have posted in this section and it is with the anticipation of another deployment that I pick up where I left off in December of 2007.
All who remember me remember that over a year ago I contributed to this thread about my deployment in Baghdad, Iraq.
To refresh those memories that may have become lost in life, I am a medic. I was in Iraq with an Infantry company as their Senior medic, and as such, I was lucky enough to accompany our Sniper team on several missions, some of which I talked about in long forgotten threads.
This year, this month, I am on my way to Afghanistan. For now, I will withhold the exact location, but I can divulge that there are mountains much bigger than the Pikes Peak which stares down at me at this moment.
My job this time as it stands now will not put me in the same precarious situations I once enjoyed as a line medic on my last tour, but it will be equally, if not more challenging at the level I have attained as a medic.
"How do you feel about it?" is a question I am often faced to answer. For starters, my enlistment ends in August, and for those of you familiar with the times, you already know that date is "tentative". Yes, I am one of the many, the thousands, of soldiers who have been stop-lossed. So as that weighs on my mind when I answer the question, I reply with a simple...."I"m Ready". Not in the sense that I cannot wait to go, but Afghanistan is something completely different than Iraq.
The Taliban are well-trained for one thing and they love nothing more than pitting their best against our best on their turf. Their beliefs are more than beliefs, but a code to live by. Their religion, or at least their interpretation of it, skewed so much that they are compulsed to die for it.
Add to that one of the most beautifully stark regions on the planet and I have sort of a paradoxical state of being awaiting. Terrifying beauty I would call it.
So as I pick up where I left off I am confronted with one resounding question...What can I expect this time? Over the course of the next year, I will do my best to I guess basically blog about my experiences over there.
Thank you to all of you who continue to read these stories, these autobiographies in the making and thank you to all of my brothers in arms. Divided We Fall, Together We WIN.

[reconranger]

Phoenix,

I will keep in you in my prayers.

Remember, in the maelstrom that may come, who you are.

In times of crisis and stress, it is easy to become lost and forget who you are.

Those who have found the center of their being will alway have the conviction of their beliefs, determination for their actions, and the resolution of any crisis.

Good luck, enjoy life, observe 24/7/360.

If the enemy wants the best, give them the best and expect the unexpected.

Semper Fi.

Also think long range plans.

Combat medics, who are cool under fire, make great trauma docs.

[fjdemon]

the good old Aegis Land Cruisers, I wish we used those more instead of Suburbans.

[krzyabncanuck]

Phoenix,

Having been in said country surrounded by mountains on most sides i know what you are going thru. Though luckily i never stayed in the wire long enough to watch the mountains around camp.

Always watch out for the Rocket Man.

[CDUFF7]

Wishing you guys all the best!!!

[PacToy]

11 May 09

It is again that time of year when the temperatures start getting hot. Yes, the summer heat is once again upon us. With the heat index rising we have a new batch of problems presenting themselves that were not prevalent during the winter-spring months. Now when we go outside we don’t only get a blast in the face by a hairdryer, we also get a face full of little black bugs. These little jokers swarm around your face like you wouldn’t believe. We also got at least one HMMWV that doesn’t like the higher ambient temperature and will run hot not matter how much cooling and preventative maintenance is done on it. We also are having a quite a few sand storms (brown outs) nowadays and it has become clear that our generator will cake the radiator with fine dust and eventually overheat on us, which is not good as it is the only generator that supplies us power and water. It is an all new learning curve on what our equipment will allow and what it will not allow to keep working properly.

The Good: On the Iraqi civilian side of the house, there is some definite changes going on. Now, when we travel to and go through a few of the big cities here in Al Anbar, we see lots of new construction going on. New and bigger houses being built. New roads are being laid out and old roads are being repaved. We have also seen an increase in new businesses and restaurants. All of it is a sign of a country getting back on it own feet.

The Bad: There has been a increase in in-fighting and power struggles. It seems that as everything else gets back on track, everybody is vying for their piece of the pie or a bigger piece of the power that is to be had. A lot of the incidents we respond to with the Iraqi Army is Iraqi on Iraqi stuff. A lot of posturing and the counter posturing and then it leads up to someone having small bomb attached to his car or a good old fashion shoot out. I guess if you think about it it is the same here now as the growing years that occurred in the US as it was expanding and coming of its own.

I can’t speak for the other provinces or cities in Iraq but this is what we are seeing in the cities of Al Anbar that makeup our AO.


I got plenty of pictures but this time I don’t feel that they are all that great. So, therefore, I have a theme for the pics I’m going to post. .

1) In the vast western desert there is an oasis of green with a village. Boys over here.

2) Oasis village. Girls over….there.

3) New welding shop

[PacToy]

11 May 09

1) New Tire and wheel store

2) New homes being built

3) A pic for the plane guru down in New Mexico

[PacToy]

Because calstyl2 nags me for cruiser pics and he did send me/us a care package.

For Rob's viewing pleasure

1) FJ60

2) FJ55

3) 200 series?

[PacToy]

A few pictures for the fireman and bonehead fisherman down in south Florida because he is a funny guy.

[PacToy]

11 May 09

LoLs. Get the camera pics

1) No explaining needed.

2) Again, no explaining needed because it is written on the side of the vehicle. Wait...WHAT?

3) Yes, we have pirates too.

[sirenmoses]

great pix! keep 'em coming, & stay safe.

[Blue Phoenix]

Well it took longer than I thought it would, but Im here in the mountains of Afghanistan. What I really didnt expect was to be able to see Pakistan less than 5 miles away.
All in all, Iraq compares nothing with this. The sheer size of the mountains here are staggering, as well as the scenery they produce. There is no stench of trash and human waste, and overall the local population is amiable.
I dont think this is a deployment where I will be making many contributions to this thread, but when I have the oppurtunity, like now for refit, Ill do my best. As for now Im on a mountain top surrounded by wilderness. Pretty wicked.
Of course pictures never do justice to anything, but Ill do my best to post what I capture.

[PHAT MAX]

Originally Posted by Blue Phoenix

Well it took longer than I thought it would, but Im here in the mountains of Afghanistan. What I really didnt expect was to be able to see Pakistan less than 5 miles away.
All in all, Iraq compares nothing with this. The sheer size of the mountains here are staggering, as well as the scenery they produce. There is no stench of trash and human waste, and overall the local population is amiable.
I dont think this is a deployment where I will be making many contributions to this thread, but when I have the oppurtunity, like now for refit, Ill do my best. As for now Im on a mountain top surrounded by wilderness. Pretty wicked.
Of course pictures never do justice to anything, but Ill do my best to post what I capture.

Definitely keep us posted!

Thanks for your service

[Red Herring]

Awesome Randy!

Thanks for the updates :~))

All that sand must drive the mechanics bat shit crazy!

[silverhorse]

Hello from northwest Florida! A "Big" Thanks for your service, God bless you and your family, stay safe.

[krzyabncanuck]

Originally Posted by Blue Phoenix

Well it took longer than I thought it would, but Im here in the mountains of Afghanistan. What I really didnt expect was to be able to see Pakistan less than 5 miles away.
All in all, Iraq compares nothing with this. The sheer size of the mountains here are staggering, as well as the scenery they produce. There is no stench of trash and human waste, and overall the local population is amiable.
I dont think this is a deployment where I will be making many contributions to this thread, but when I have the oppurtunity, like now for refit, Ill do my best. As for now Im on a mountain top surrounded by wilderness. Pretty wicked.
Of course pictures never do justice to anything, but Ill do my best to post what I capture.

If you are there in winter you will find if you are in the upper mountains you will be in snow. Also in spring if it rains enough it is actually a very green country up there.

[toy4xfun]

Originally Posted by krzyabncanuck

All I have to add is it is not hand bread, It is foot bread.

Least the locals where i was in both the Stan and Iraq made it with their feet.

your sig line has more truth than most want to admit.

[thisilldefend]

Hey all I havent visited this thread since I was in Baghdad. I am currently stuck in a Warrior Transition Battalion here at Ft Lewis. I had a "sports injury to my knee" no big deal. Had surgury last week. But it feels so good to be back home in the states and working on my baby (80) after 18 months deployed. If you check out the you tube links in my sig line you will see where I was. I already volunteered to go to Afghanistan next July with an Infantry Co. I have to get my knee back in shape and play with the 80 till then. Did you see my pics in 4wdtoyota magazine?
Hey you guys over there watch your 6 and save some for me.

[Sparky97LX]

I hope all you that are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan come home safely. No matter how many years go by, one never forgets what its like to serve in a "police action". Stay safe, stay cool and come home. You are not forgotten but remembered daily in all our prayers.

[PHAT MAX]

Originally Posted by Sparky97LX

I hope all you that are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan come home safely. No matter how many years go by, one never forgets what its like to serve in a "police action". Stay safe, stay cool and come home. You are not forgotten but remembered daily in all our prayers.

AMEN!

[Arleaux]

Well I'm back at Al Udeid.
If anyone is passin thru, give me a heads up & I'll do what I can to take care of ya!

[NaterGator]

Just got word from one of my buddies from school, drives Spykers in Afghanistan.

He was involved in this incident:
Afghan Journal Blog Archive An Afghan mission that went wrong | Blogs |

That photo with Obama saluting caskets in Delaware were 7 of his friends in his brigade. Sad to hear it from him and hits home how brutal Afghanistan is despite all the Iraq press

[NaterGator]

Shit, just got more news his best friend gooch was killed two days ago by another IED.
http://unjobs.org/duty_stations/afgh...ghandab/photos

His parents are absolutely beside themselves. They're all but planning his funeral

['74 UA FJ]

Originally Posted by NaterGator

Just got word from one of my buddies from school, drives Spykers in Afghanistan.

He was involved in this incident:
Afghan Journal Blog Archive An Afghan mission that went wrong | Blogs |

That photo with Obama saluting caskets in Delaware were 7 of his friends in his brigade. Sad to hear it from him and hits home how brutal Afghanistan is despite all the Iraq press

I think you mean "Strykers."