farmgirl
02-04-2004, 07:28 PM
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usnews/20040202/ts_usnews/twowarzonesinoneyear
BY KEVIN WHITELAW
CAMP FALCON, IRAQ--Exactly one year before they arrived in January at this massive new military base on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, the men of Charlie Company were suffering through one of the most unpleasant days of their young lives. After landing in a remote valley in southeastern Afghanistan (news - web sites), they had to climb 6,000 feet in 24 hours while being pelted by freezing rain. That interminable day and night fell near the beginning of their mission in Afghanistan, where they slept in tents for eight months.
When they finally returned to Fort Bragg, N.C., in July, their homecoming was short-lived: just six months, the bare minimum under military rules. Now, this 130-man unit in the 2nd Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the storied 82nd Airborne Division finds itself posted in Iraq (news - web sites). Like many other soldiers, these Army paratroopers are spending more and more time away from home.
For now, Charlie Company is simply trying to settle in. "It's a surreal strain on the senses," says Spc. Peter MacMillan, 27, of Richmond, Ind. His unit did not lose anyone in Afghanistan, but the men know that the risks are, if anything, higher here. Eight soldiers in the battalion they are replacing were killed.
Urban front. On their first solo patrol in Iraq, a group of soldiers from the unit is jumpy. Their mission: to pick up four prisoners being held by the Iraqi police. The soldiers lurch at high speed through Baghdad's traffic, screaming obscenities at any drivers in their way. "The threat tempo is a little bit faster here because there is so much more daily interaction," says Capt. Chris Nyland, the company commander. In Afghanistan, they accompanied U.S. Special Forces soldiers on raids searching for militants and weapons. Many operations here will be similar. "We definitely know a lot about patrolling and performing searches and raids," says MacMillan. But most of their previous experience was in small towns and remote villages. Now, they have to adjust to working in densely populated Baghdad neighborhoods. Says Nyland, "It's the most complex kind of battlefield."
Still, the soldiers insist they are up for the duty, despite the short stint at home. Spc. David Van Atter decided to marry his girlfriend when he received his deployment orders, saying "I do" just a few days before saying goodbye. "Everyone wants more time in the States," says Van Atter, 21, from Sicklerville, N.J. "But a lot of guys come into the Army and train for their whole lives and never do their jobs." It is, of course, tougher on the families. "My family is pretty upset about it," says MacMillan.
The living conditions are slightly better here than they were in Afghanistan. The Army's barracks include a full mess, high-speed Internet access, and Armed Forces television. Charlie Company has been told to expect to stay four to six months. But the unit it is replacing had been told the same thing back in February 2003. Those soldiers finally returned home last month.
BY KEVIN WHITELAW
CAMP FALCON, IRAQ--Exactly one year before they arrived in January at this massive new military base on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, the men of Charlie Company were suffering through one of the most unpleasant days of their young lives. After landing in a remote valley in southeastern Afghanistan (news - web sites), they had to climb 6,000 feet in 24 hours while being pelted by freezing rain. That interminable day and night fell near the beginning of their mission in Afghanistan, where they slept in tents for eight months.
When they finally returned to Fort Bragg, N.C., in July, their homecoming was short-lived: just six months, the bare minimum under military rules. Now, this 130-man unit in the 2nd Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the storied 82nd Airborne Division finds itself posted in Iraq (news - web sites). Like many other soldiers, these Army paratroopers are spending more and more time away from home.
For now, Charlie Company is simply trying to settle in. "It's a surreal strain on the senses," says Spc. Peter MacMillan, 27, of Richmond, Ind. His unit did not lose anyone in Afghanistan, but the men know that the risks are, if anything, higher here. Eight soldiers in the battalion they are replacing were killed.
Urban front. On their first solo patrol in Iraq, a group of soldiers from the unit is jumpy. Their mission: to pick up four prisoners being held by the Iraqi police. The soldiers lurch at high speed through Baghdad's traffic, screaming obscenities at any drivers in their way. "The threat tempo is a little bit faster here because there is so much more daily interaction," says Capt. Chris Nyland, the company commander. In Afghanistan, they accompanied U.S. Special Forces soldiers on raids searching for militants and weapons. Many operations here will be similar. "We definitely know a lot about patrolling and performing searches and raids," says MacMillan. But most of their previous experience was in small towns and remote villages. Now, they have to adjust to working in densely populated Baghdad neighborhoods. Says Nyland, "It's the most complex kind of battlefield."
Still, the soldiers insist they are up for the duty, despite the short stint at home. Spc. David Van Atter decided to marry his girlfriend when he received his deployment orders, saying "I do" just a few days before saying goodbye. "Everyone wants more time in the States," says Van Atter, 21, from Sicklerville, N.J. "But a lot of guys come into the Army and train for their whole lives and never do their jobs." It is, of course, tougher on the families. "My family is pretty upset about it," says MacMillan.
The living conditions are slightly better here than they were in Afghanistan. The Army's barracks include a full mess, high-speed Internet access, and Armed Forces television. Charlie Company has been told to expect to stay four to six months. But the unit it is replacing had been told the same thing back in February 2003. Those soldiers finally returned home last month.