unsoshabl

The average age of the military soldier is 19-22 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. She is a beyond average strength, small power house…considerent by all as a hidden package…a diamond in the ruff yet to show her beauty. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for their country. They never really cared much for work and they would rather wax their own car than wash their father’s; but they has never collected unemployment either. Their a recent High School graduate; probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend or boyfriend that either broke up with them when they left, or swears to be waiting when they returns from half a world away. They listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155mm howizzitor. They are 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when they were at home because they are working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. They have trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for them, but they can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. They can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if they must. Soldiers dig foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. They can march until they are told to stop or stop until they are told to march. They obey orders instantly and without hesitation, but they are not without spirit or individual dignity. Soldiers are self-sufficient. They have two sets of fatigues: they wash one and wear the other. They keep their canteens full and their feet dry. They sometimes forget to brush their teeth, but never to clean their rifle. They can cook their own meals, mend their own clothes, and fix their own hurts. If you’re thirsty, they’ll share their water with you; if you are hungry, their food. They’ll even split their ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low. They have learned to use their hands like weapons and weapons like they were their hands. They can save your life – or take it, because that is their job. They will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find ironic humor in it all. They have seen more suffering and death then they should have in their short lifetimes. They have stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them. They have wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and are unashamed. They feel every note of the National Anthem vibrate through their body’s while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to ’square-away’ those around them who haven’t bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, they defend their right to be disrespectful. Just as did their Fathers, Grandfathers, and Great-grandfathers, they are paying the price for our freedom. They are the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years. They have asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember them, always, for they have earned our respect and admiration with their blood. As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot.. A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.

8 JANUARY 2005  

141 ENGINEERS, NORTH DAKOTA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD-
TRAILBLAZER DESERT LEGENDS OF TASK FORCE DANGER  

Dear Editor,  

Last fall I arrived in Kuwait for active duty in support of Operation  Iraqi Freedom. From the moment I began the process of getting into theater I was approached by officers, soldiers and contractors about the NDARNG  patch  on the left shoulder of my desert camo uniform. “Are you with the 141? Go Trailblazers! Thanks for the security. You guys are great!!” and of course the ever present army mantra which is affirmative and emphatic for  everything in the universe, “Hooah!”. Initially I was confused by the patch attention and elicited response especially, since I was not part of the 141  (fortunately I ended up serving with the same division command). Nonetheless, one thing was quite apparent – there was a military legend in the Iraqi desert to the north.

Most North Dakotans will never realize the contributions, service, sacrifices, commitment and down right raw courage that the men and women of the 141 have demonstrated in Iraq.  Accolades from the commanding general, division commander, brigade commander have been unwavering for the mission focus and accomplishments of the 141. A senior officer who was awarded a purple heart and bronze star for his battle valor and served with the 141, made it clear to me, “The 141 are true heroes”. Not bad praise considering these career officers are fulltime active duty leaders who lead and command the finest professional soldiers in the world. As the brigade commander said of the 141, “We love those guys and they are part of us through and through. Its amazing what they have done”.  As 141 soldiers may confess early on during the mission there was even a concern the unit wouldn’t be able to carry out its mission. No one ever imagined the 141 would be the wartime mission benchmark. The leadership of the 141 in LTC Fode and CSM Brager deserve recognition for the enterprise they have welded. The camaraderie and ingenuity of the unit is unsurpassed in this war effort. It is impossible to put into words the experiences a ND impact of removing 300 plus improvised explosive devices, daily dodging of vehicle borne improvised explosive devices, bullets, mortars and RPGs, confiscating weapon and ammunition caches, awarding 30 plus purple hearts, logging, tens of thousands of lethal, hard and monotonous convoy miles in vehicles they armored, maintained and built to their mission specs. There was even community medical assistance work and community building  projects.  

Then there is the emotional component of dealing with fellow soldiers paying the ultimate sacrifice, their lives. Their stories are all heroic.  Chapels, helipads, vehicles at forward operation bases also bear the work, craftsmanship, faith, artistry, of the 141. Not bad for a unit of engineers who many fulltime folks thought would fail! So as preparation is made for the 141 to return home I would like to tell everyone there is a legend in Iraq and the legend is the 141 Trailblazer desert legends of Task Force Danger.  These soldiers are so anxious to return home and I pray they stay mission focused until they are out of enemy sites. When the 141 returns to North Dakota many of the soldiers will find it difficult to share their accomplishments or be able to communicate the accolades of what military leadership in a theater of war has said about these accomplishments and their successful overall mission.  So, please say a prayer for the safety of the soldiers and for the families of those soldiers killed in action. When the 141 returns to North Dakota go out of your way to say thank you and you just may be fortunate enough to hear some of their extraordinary stories- they are the stories legends are made of, and you will be proud of.  

Colonel Craig Lambrecht  
First Infantry Division  
Division Support Command  
Iraq

Does anyone understand that our soldier truly do have ears and can hear the negative things that are said, and also have feelings too, even though we arent sappose to use them. We are still affected by the things ppl say and do. How hard is that to believe.

    I just dont get why People have to be so insensitive. I mean, alot of ppl are really greatful for the fact that I was willing to risk my life for the Great USofA, but that I risked it all for the wrong reasons. So in other words I risked my life no reason at all. Do any of you understand that I didnt risk my life for no reason, or the wrong reason? I did it with reason, purpose and pride. how many Iraqi’s have you spoken to lately? How many have told the stories of saddam killing thier father, sister or uncle? Yeh once in awhile you will hear on the news an Iraqi saying they dont want us there, but the fact is that most of them want us there.

    Another thing that really gets to most of the service members when they come home is the fricken news that is played showing only negative stuff on the TV or radio. When I came home on leave I was so hurt that noone wanted me in Iraq and that the only thing they showed is Americans geting killed or that we were up to no good in that country. That is bullshit, what about he nasty dictator we overthrew, or all the weapons we are destroying each day, or the schools and hospitals we are building or the economic and military stability we are creating within that region?

    When I came home on leave, I was seriously hurt do to the negativity, I cried often. I had almost lost my life a few times over in that country, but the closest I came is when a few buddies and I were on our way home for leave. We were at FOB Anaconda for the night so we could catch a C-130 (plane) to goto kuwait. We had just gotten done eating Dinner Chow and started walking to the PX. The alarms for “incoming” (mortars/rockets) started going off.

Well normally you would go get your Kevlar and IBAS (Individual Ballistic Armor System) and carry on with what you were doing. But in our cases we had just turned it in for the reason of going on pass. We live at FOB Spiecher and we are kinda use to mortars, as they hardly ever come close to any populated areas. So just carried on to the PX and started shopping for little odds and ends like pop and snacks as we were going to see a movie at the theater because we dont have one at Spiecher.

I had gotten done first with shopping and went into the little entrance way to the PX to wait for the others to finish. I was just about to go out and smoke on the stairs when I noticed that my buddies were heading to the checkout line and decided to wait as I knew they would wanna smoke too. I was looking out the glass doors past about 7 or 8 ppl when the loudest BOOM I had ever heard surrounded me and sent a concusion through my body.

I instantly crouched down and put my arms over my face and head. I took a look at the door between my arms to see what had happened. It was like I was in a Rambo movie or something. I remember the sight, and it is a sight I will never forget as this is truly horrific. When I took a look, it seemed as if the sun had dissapeared and I seen glass flying in at me faster than shit. Beyond the glass was the largest dust cloud, and through the dust cloud was 3 bodies flying through the air.

It was like a movie in slow motion, I swear on my life it seems to take 45 seconds just for that scene to play through when in actuality it was more like 2 1/2 seconds. Suddenly I was pushed from behind and then from my left side and through the inside door of the PX. I got next to the cash register when I got shoved again and went sliding down the aisle on my stomache. I dont know who shoved me but I believe it was a black man and black woman standing behind me when the blast occured.

I sat inside for about 20 seconds when they started calling for all medics and combat lifesavers. I am a combat lifesaver. I had to find my buddies to make sure they were ok first. I ended up running into them torwards the door. Spc. Black was a CLS too, so we walked through the doorway I was just shoved through and then out the doors that hald the glass that few in at me. I remember looking down the 4 or 5 steps and seeing blood and glass everywhere. After seeing the blood and glass I remember my stomache dropping and realizing what had just occured.

I looked around from the top of the steps and seen about 10 to 15 bodies laying all over. I ran to the first “downed” that had about 5 ppl already around him giving him aid. I look at his face, what a thing to see. His skins was the most chalky grey I had ever seen, worse than a dead person. He wasnt moving, just there. He was 37 years old I later found out and it was his last day in country because his tour was up. I notices a lump in his face about the size of a baseball located on his left cheak bone.

His leg and arm were obviously broken and you could see into his chest through the 3 inch wide and 7 or 8 inch long gash. Blood covered the ground under his entire body and blood trickeled out his ears. The baseball in his cheak was a piece of shrapnel that his cheakbone had stopped after entering behind his right ear.

There were already to many ppl there to help and I looked around at the other motionless or frantic bodies laying on the ground covered in blood and all were being helped. It would have been unwise to assist as we would have gotten in the way. Everyone was hustled into the PX for shelter except those where rendering aid to the victoms.

It was about 15 to 20 minutes later when we met up with the rest of out group that was going on leave at the same time we were and we got the hell outta there. We drove by the movie theater and my buddies went to go see one. I couldnt, I had to get as far away from that PX as possible. Me and the rest of the group went to the tents we were held up in for the night. I smoke about 3 smokes and then laid down. I was out. I talked to a medic later and she said that is a normal and good thing, as that is how a mind shuts it’s self down for a insane amount of stress it cannot handle at the time.

Well that is the story of my PX adventure at Anaconda. I am sure you are asking what happened. Well 122mm Rocket hit the PX roughly 10 meters from where I was. Soldiers had notices a hodgie outside the PX on a cell phone and acting frantic Prior to the explosion. He dissapeared a few minutes before hand. The MP’s cought him and 2 buddies outside the perimeter of the base and arrested them. Should have shot the fuckers in my opinion.

I ask, for the sake of all the military over there, coming home, or going over there, dont talk trash about them being there, or going there, be positive, it will indeed make a difference to them. Even if they say something negative, stay positive, because later they will think about it, and they will feel better that someone is proud and backing them, no matter what.

Enough complaining for tonight. Take care folks, and make sure you do what you can for the world today, cuz it may not be there tomarrow.