E-Mail I Received from Iraq

[Aerosoul]

My brother forwarded this to me from one his friends...thought I would share. Similar to other letters but I know this one is legit. He talks about daily life a little bit, and his overall experience.

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED


Okay,

I finally had time to sit down and write an update. I finally felt like
writing one too. Sometimes I have had the time but haven't felt like it
but hey what can ya do. Well since the last email a lot of things have
happened, some of which I can't talk about but some I can. I first off
wanted to say thanks for all the emails and thanks to those who have
sent care packages out this way. I have received several so far but our
mail is really slow out here and hope to get the rest of them soon.
Once again a big thanks to all those that have sent something this way,
it means a lot not only to me but the people that benefit from them as
well since we share most everything here.

So since I got to Camp Korean Village things have been going okay. Like
I said it's located out by the borders of Jordan and Syria and right
next to the city of Ar Rutbah . Lots of smuggling operations here. The
Camp itself is nice now that I have got settled in and in a routine for
the first time since I left JAN 2. Wow, I can't believe I have been
gone for four months already....well back to my email. So the camp
itself has pretty much what you NEED, nothing that you want though. We
get decent chow and have actual toilets and showers. The Marine
Expeditionary Unit left out of here and we moved in but that wasn't for
a couple weeks after I got here. I got my own room and I share the
building with the civilian technical experts on the systems I am in
charge of and run on the military side. They are good guys and we get
along. I built a really nice poker table and we play a lot for fun.
Have a cigar/poker night weekly on Sat nights and sometime more
frequently. There's no staff here so that means no officers which means
no stupid rules and a more relaxed environment which is the way it
should be in a war zone but its not throughout most of the country. I
got lucky I guess. My boss also lives 250 miles away so that's nice as
well, I run this place how I Want, which in the military is unheard of
but I got it and I love it and I am doing very well with it. When I got
here it became apparent to the bosses that the O-4 who I relieved didn't
do much, I have spent a month fixing his **** and getting this place up
to a standard.

The weather is starting to warm up and the hot months are close by. The
weather is so dry out here and dusty and sandy. I get nose bleeds just
sitting at my desk and they aren't little ones. Every couple days
usually. The sands storms still suck really bad as when they come in
your not even "safe inside" The dust comes in all the nooks and crannies
and fills the rooms. The mud is just as bad. When it rains it is muddy
from your door to the chow hall, about a quarter mile. It doesn't dry
for days and mud is everywhere. You don't even clean your floors till
everything is dry because it would be a full time job. We had hail the
size of softballs the other night and I was grateful I was in a concrete
building instead of a tent because half of them came ripping down.

So this is probably the most rewarding job I have ever had in my life.
My efforts save lives daily. I have been going on operations with some
of the units to evaluate how they operate. I learn new things every
time we go out. I learn new ways to protect them as well just by
watching how they operate which helps me do my job better. I wouldn't
say its fun because being in the city sucks. Everyone is nice but the
little boys. They throw rocks mainly because they think its cool. Its
funny when we catch one and bring them back to their parents and tell
them what they were doing. Let's just say there's no child abuse laws
here. One of our guys almost got a boulder pushed on top of his head
from the second story, he moved in time though.

The city is the biggest **** hole I have ever seen in my life. It is
worse than Fallujah. There's no such thing as plumbing and trash cans.
Everything is everywhere. It's so nasty I cant even describe it but the
people some how seem happy to live their lives this way. Giving
chocolate to the little kids and seeing the look on their face is almost
tear jerking at times. Knowing they have nothing and the look they give
you when you take a second to knell down and say hi and give them
something is priceless. You do have to watch for gangs though they will
do a "drive by" on the kid you just gave candy, whip his ass and take it
from him. We don't let this happen when we are there but sometimes it
does it's just the life they live. We are not allowed in interfere with
their culture or customs unless it threatens the life of one of us or
them, everything else goes.

Had a couple guys get hurt while I was out. I know it's not my fault
but I take a little responsibility and it's heavy on the heart at times.
I just keep doing what I do and look for ways to make it better. I
actually found some new things and countering objectives and they were
implemented theatre wide. I got an email from one of the other guys
doing what I do in Baghdad saying the tactic saved some of his marines'
lives the other day. This job has its ups and downs, the bad part is
when it's the downs, it's usually pretty bad.

So back to out in town the other day.....An IED went off and some of the
guys took some very heavy and serious shrapnel. That's about all I can
say about that but please pray for them and I got word that they will
live. It was an eye opener and just made me want to do my job more.
The situation was not preventable on my end because of where we were and
what we were doing the systems couldn't go there., which I was kind of
glad of because I don't know how I will face the person that gets hurts
if my systems are not working although it does happen all over Iraq ,
they are not full proof. It is why I spend countless hours keeping them
operational.

Here's where I vent a little, sorry but I don't get to talk to many
people so your going to have to listen or quit reading one...LOL:

I have a lot of respect for these guys and read an article in the Jan
2007 edition of Esquire Magazine titled "The meaning of life". If you
get a chance try,.....no I'm telling you to go and find it on the
internet and read it. It's pretty sad but it's an awesome story of a
triple amputee living his life in America after getting wounded in Iraq .
These guys out here seriously lay their life down everyday. For what?
.......Because it's their job and that's what we do. Are there people
here that hate it, absolutely, but they do it. If someone told them
they could go home and leave all their brothers behind to fight they
would probably punch that person. The people here in Iraq have nothing;
we are providing so much to them and these insurgents blow up a water
treatment facility we just built so people still get sick. The things
you don't see on the news, all the good we do and all the things we give
to these people. Trying to make their lives better, is that such a big
deal. Trying to fend off the insurgents from fighting us and fighting
them. I wish every single person that badmouths out military and
badmouths why we are here and focuses on that would turn their negative
attention to positive attention in supporting our troops. These guys
need it, morale sucks when you have no family, no loved ones, no friends
from home, no routine, no showers, no phone, no nothing, and mail even
takes months to get, yet they get up every morning and do their job.

I wish everyone were made to stay out in the city for one week and go on
patrol and talk to these marines....... they would think twice about
complaining the next time they have a flight delay or cold Starbucks
coffee because yesterday they were worried about getting blown up on the
corner of Michigan and Mobile because a bomb went off there a couple
days ago and there could be another waiting but you have cross the
street, no choice............. I have really learned a lot about not
letting the small things get to you and having patience with even the
most annoying things. Life is too short to be stressed out all the
time. Its funny how as soon as these guys get back in the wire they
turn off their combat face and go straight to laid back, chill, not a
care in the world attitude, laughing and joking........as they are
eating their ice cold chow and ****ting in a bag.

Well enough of my soap box, I'm going to step off now. I just wish they
would give me a 30 minute TV show for a day....LOL Things have been
okay and they are staying that way. They days go by slow and fast.
Wish there were more fast ones. I am eating extremely well and running
four times a week and going to the gym daily, well the days I'm on base
that is. Well I think that's about all in a not so brief email that I
can think of. Any questions please ask and like I said before I respond
to any and all emails I get. Some emails get lost in cyberspace and
sometimes I'm gone and don't get them for a little bit but please
continue to send emails as they are a welcomed distraction from reality
and that's always nice over here. Well thanks again and I will keep you
up to date when I can. Hope to hear from you soon.

[HOLLiS]

Aerosoul,

Thank you for sharing the letter. Give your Brother the best from me.

Semper Fi

Hollis

[Aerosoul]

You're welcome.
Just to clarify though, it was one of my brother's friends that is in Iraq that sent the email.

[socom6]

Hey bro much respect to your brother's friend from me man. I hope your brother and him take care and come home safely.

[Alex-L]

thanks for sharing, send our support

[Whitcomb]

Hope they all come home safe, tell him thank you for the letter