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The Iraq War - Chapter 5

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  • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

    In The Star Bulletin http://starbulletin.com/2007/05/09/news/story04.html
    Stryker unit set to deploy to desert fight

    4,000 more from Oahu to join combat in Iraq

    By Gregg K. Kakesako

    "Despite setbacks brought about by environmental lawsuits that restricted training, leaders of the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team say they're on track to deploy to Iraq in December.

    This will be the 2nd Brigade's second combat tour to Iraq. It lost 13 soldiers during its 2004 deployment to the Kirkuk area.

    They are among the nearly 4,000 Schofield Barracks soldiers who received deployment orders for Iraq yesterday. The 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team is one of 10 brigades that will be sent to Iraq beginning in September.

    Schofield Barracks leaders estimate that about 30 percent of the nearly 4,000 deploying soldiers will be headed into combat for the first time."

    My son, Conrad will be returning to the Middle East for his third deployment. He is a Soldier's Soldier. Although he is station here, I hardly see him. He is always training. It comes with the job. I don't mind and I don't grumble. I rather him be well prepared when he returns to combat.

    Each Deployment is a nightmare in itself. Sleepless nights filled with cold sweats and endless tears. I am not by myself. Parents, spouses and loved ones from across the Nation go through it day and night. My Gaya has been going through it over a year. We are a Military Ohana.

    I won't lie and say my heart is not heavy. It is. Am I scared? Of course. As a Christian, we are told "Fear does not come from the Lord." As a human...fear is a word that grips at my soul which I can't seem to let go. I am his MOTHER.

    No matter how hard I try and say I am going to be strong, It is a lie. I am weak...when it comes to my children. How I wish it was I who could go in his place. But it's not reality. He chose to be a Soldier. He loves being a Soldier!

    My Son, My Hero, My LIFE!!!



    HOOAH!

    God Bless the Men and Woman of our Armed Forces!

    In Jesus Mighty name, amen.
    Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
    Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

    Comment


    • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

      Tita: You know that everyone in this country is praying that your son and son-in-law will be safe while they are doing their duty. And you also know now that the overwhelming majority of people in this country don't want your son and son-in-law to be over there. By September I think we will know how long they will have to be there...and I hope it won't be any longer than the Spring of next year and not the full 15 months that they are now thinking they will have to be there.

      I especially pray that they don't have to go to Kirkuk or Bacquba (where Hawai'i soldiers have been sent in the past) because it is more dangerous there than in Baghdad, which is dangerous enough!

      Malama pono,
      Miulang
      "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

      Comment


      • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

        Tita Miulang, Justin has been there since Kiana was one week old. She will be one years old on June 30th. He will miss her birthday. We already know he was extended for another three months so he'll be back around October. The time Conrad deploys. One coming home, another going in.

        We have FRG (Family Readiness Group) which is the only source of information we depend on. All others are Rumors as far as we are concern. I've been through this before and know the drill. However, this time...I am scared deep in my gut. Call it Mother's instinct.

        They say the Stryker is a safer, lighter and fast moving weapon. As a Mother of a Soldier in one, I can only hope and pray they're right. My son's LIFE depends on it.

        My own feelings about this War is like all others ~ I hate it! I wish it would end. But I understand and support my children and those who fight for our Freedom in the Middle East. It's not about Politics to me. It's about Terrorists. They fight and put their lives on the line so that Terrorists will not come to our shores. We can continue to live our lives and go about daily because of men and women who volunteer knowing they may never come back.

        Both Gaya and Conrad have seen the the horrors in Iraq. They have witnessed the good what our presence there have brought. The Media doesn't always write everything. Someday, History will show the truth in what this War was all about.

        Yes. Many have died, been injured and come back to broken homes. War is like that. We are a Nation who has a history of being in Wars. It is because of Wars ~ we remain Free.

        Lynn
        Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
        Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

        Comment


        • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

          Originally posted by 1stwahine View Post
          Tita Miulang, Justin has been there since Kiana was one week old. She will be one years old on June 30th. He will miss her birthday. We already know he was extended for another three months so he'll be back around October. The time Conrad deploys. One coming home, another going in.

          We have FRG (Family Readiness Group) which is the only source of information we depend on. All others are Rumors as far as we are concern. I've been through this before and know the drill. However, this time...I am scared deep in my gut. Call it Mother's instinct.

          They say the Stryker is a safer, lighter and fast moving weapon. As a Mother of a Soldier in one, I can only hope and pray they're right. My son's LIFE depends on it.

          My own feelings about this War is like all others ~ I hate it! I wish it would end. But I understand and support my children and those who fight for our Freedom in the Middle East. It's not about Politics to me. It's about Terrorists. They fight and put their lives on the line so that Terrorists will not come to our shores. We can continue to live our lives and go about daily because of men and women who volunteer knowing they may never come back.

          Both Gaya and Conrad have seen the the horrors in Iraq. They have witnessed the good what our presence there have brought. The Media doesn't always write everything. Someday, History will show the truth in what this War was all about.

          Yes. Many have died, been injured and come back to broken homes. War is like that. We are a Nation who has a history of being in Wars. It is because of Wars ~ we remain Free.

          Lynn
          Please accept my heartfelt encouragement to you and your ohana. Most who post here don't have family who serve in Iraq and rely solely on the Media or internet for information. I agree with you that history will view this war differently than we see it now. We are free because brave men and women were and are willing to spill their blood and the blood of tyrants to water the tree of liberty. [Nod to Thomas Jefferson for the sentiment.]

          Comment


          • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

            Originally posted by glossyp View Post
            Please accept my heartfelt encouragement to you and your ohana. Most who post here don't have family who serve in Iraq and rely solely on the Media or internet for information. I agree with you that history will view this war differently than we see it now. We are free because brave men and women were and are willing to spill their blood and the blood of tyrants to water the tree of liberty. [Nod to Thomas Jefferson for the sentiment.]
            Glossyp, I accept with Pride and ALOHA. Although my heart is heavy and I worry of what is to come...I don't allow myself to listen to "Rumors."

            RUMORS are worst than the ENEMY!!

            I have learned to stay away from CNN News and Local News Stations when there has been a crisis in Iraq. Especially, when it concerned my son's unit. Like I said earlier, I only listen to our FRG. All others are "WAHA!"

            My three children were deployed at the same time. Two to Iraq and my youngest to Korea. I stood tall with pride but in private...I was scared! No one knew the loneliness and frighten woman needed hugs and reassurance that her children were coming home.

            They survived. My son came home with shrapnel embedded in his head and chest after his first deployment. Less than a year, he was sent to Afghanistan.

            Now he goes again.

            This time a Mother is ready? Hell NO!!! Alone? No. This time, I got plenty of friends and Ohana who will be there from the start.

            Mahalo

            Auntie Lynn
            Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
            Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

            Comment


            • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

              Another Excellent American Web Site ~ Central Intelligence Agency!!!
              https://www.cia.gov/

              Wap ya Jaws!!!

              Lynn Vasquez
              Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
              Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

              Comment


              • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                One American was able to make radical changes that helped end another war in another time...perhaps we can hope that lightning, in this case, strikes twice.

                $20 billion a week...for what? What could $20 billion buy for people in the US IN A WHOLE YEAR???? (I just saw "Sicko")

                Miulang
                "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                Comment


                • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                  Here is the latest National Intelligence Report. And this is just the part of the report that the White House will allow us to see (heaven forfend what was redacted in the "interest of national security"). Bring the National Guard troops home so they can defend us from attackers on our own soil, attacks which this report indicate are likely to happen within the next 3 years.

                  An interesting "coincidence"? The Senate is engaging in what potentially might be an all-night session debating continued funding for Iraq (being televised live right now on C-Span), and this NIE report was released on the very day that the debate started???? Actually, I think the NIE supports the premise of the Levin/Reed bill being discussed but my guess is the White House timed the release of the report hoping that it would help sway the voting in the other direction. Not.

                  Miulang
                  Last edited by Miulang; July 17, 2007, 12:56 PM.
                  "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                  Comment


                  • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                    The most interesting thing I learned from the overnight Senate Hearings on Iraq funding was that 70% of all casualties sustained by our troops were from IEDs exploding under up-armored Humvees, which are the primary transport for our troops when they are out in the field. That means that more than 2,500 of the more than 3,600 troops deaths could have been prevented if the transportation that our troops use were built better. More than 15,000 of the troops who lost limbs or sustained traumatic brain injuries would have been spared lifelong medical complications.

                    The next generation of armored vehicles, called MRACs (or MRAVs in Europe, where they have been built since 2000 or so), has only been built in this country since 2005, and then it was only the Marines who had the foresight to contract with one company to build equipment. This sole source manufacturer ran into some production problems which caused a huge backlog in production so even now, only dozens of these vehicles are currently in Iraq, where 18,000 are needed. An MSNBC report on the manufacturer said that at current production rates and due to logistical problems with getting the equipment to Iraq, it will take another 1 1/2 years to get all the MRACs required into the field. By then, the war should be over, and how many more troops will be killed and maimed? Congress is debating an amendment that will give this company billions more dollars to complete the project. I have no problems with spending the money to give the troops the protection they should have had in the first place. But I do blame their leadership for not having the foresight to give their troops the training and proper equipment.

                    There is another amendment that was proposed this morning by the 7 freshmen Senators (first term members from both parties) which sets up a commission to investigate military spending and the misplaced/misused allocations that have gone into the black hole called military contracts. I hope this commission is allowed to operate and really look at where all the billions of dollars we, the taxpayers, have spent to fund the military-industrial complex. We are not getting the value for the money we have spent, nor are our troops getting the support they need in order to do their jobs safely and efficiently.

                    Miulang
                    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                    Comment


                    • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                      <yawn> I think you'll find the real issue is that somewhere, someone miscalculated the threat. IEDs weren't on the radar. Seems like it happens quite a bit in the military. The enemy never plays by the rules you expect them to - damm them.

                      Of course, the whole reason the enemy is using IEDs is because they are effective on us. There's a very real problem known as "fighting the last war". That is expecting a future enemy to behave like the last one. But just because one is aware of it doesn't make one immune to the problem.

                      Comment


                      • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                        Originally posted by GeckoGeek View Post
                        <yawn> I think you'll find the real issue is that somewhere, someone miscalculated the threat. IEDs weren't on the radar. Seems like it happens quite a bit in the military. The enemy never plays by the rules you expect them to - damm them.

                        Of course, the whole reason the enemy is using IEDs is because they are effective on us. There's a very real problem known as "fighting the last war". That is expecting a future enemy to behave like the last one. But just because one is aware of it doesn't make one immune to the problem.
                        Gecko:
                        Pretty much every one in this country (and the world)---except for the White House has acknowledged this, but they proceed as though staying the course will produce different results. In the meantime, thousands of our soldiers are put in extra peril, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are being displaced and billions of our tax dollars are going into a black hole. If we really wanted to help Iraq, why not spend some of the $12 billion a week we're burning over there now to provide money to create jobs for some of the Iraqis so they can start rebuilding their country? One of the main reasons why there is so much violence now is because so many Iraqis don't have money because they don't have jobs and they all have wayyy too much time on their hands. After the first Gulf War, the Iraqis rebuilt their own infrastructure in a matter of months because the government put their people back to work. This time, we're treating the Iraqis like people on welfare, and we think they should be damned grateful for our "help". Perhaps that's why 2/3 of Iraqis think that it's OK for the insurgents to be taking pot shots at our guys.

                        According to reports coming out of the special Pentagon briefing that Senators got this morning via videoconference with Gen. Petraeus and our Iraqi Ambassador, there is virtually no way that the news in Sept. is going to be any different than the news is today...the Iraqi government either cannot or will not try to meet the benchmarks that they agreed to by Sept. 15. On Sept. 16, 2007, there WILL be a change of course. If the Iraqi Parliament really cared about its commitment to us and to their people, they would stay in session next month to try to work things out instead of taking a one month "vacation", which our White House said they deserved because "it's hot over there." Perhaps the White House is forgetting that our soldiers are in the same heat, with their flak jackets and helmets and no air conditioning.

                        Miulang
                        Last edited by Miulang; July 19, 2007, 09:41 AM.
                        "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                        Comment


                        • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                          In The StarBulletin http://starbulletin.com/2007/07/19/news/story12.html
                          Hawaii senators vote to withdraw troops from Iraq

                          Vote fell short of number needed to advance the measure
                          Associated Press

                          "Hawaii Democratic Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka were on the losing side today as Senate Republicans turned back legislation to force the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

                          The 52-47 vote fell short of the 60 needed to advance the legislation.

                          The Democratic proposal would have required President Bush to start bringing home troops within 120 days and to complete the pullout by April 30."

                          As a Mom, I DON'T want my son to go. As a Mom of a Soldier, I back him and all Soldiers in doing their jobs and pray for their safety that they ALL return Home safe and sound.

                          God Bless AMERICA!

                          Auntie Lynn
                          Last edited by 1stwahine; July 19, 2007, 10:05 AM. Reason: Conrad neba leave yet.(3rd Deployment)
                          Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
                          Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

                          Comment


                          • The Enemy of my Enemy is my friend?

                            Hopefully, this new tactic being used in Anbar will not blow up in our faces:

                            U.S. forces in Iraq are striking a variety of "handshake agreements" with Iraqi insurgents and militia groups, sometimes resulting in the release of fighters detained for attacking coalition forces, U.S. military officials said in several recent interviews.

                            Such informal deals mark a significant tactical shift in the Iraq war and represent a potentially risky effort to enlist former U.S. foes in the battle against hard-line militants. Despite a White House report last week concluding that a formal amnesty initiative would be "counterproductive" for Iraq today, U.S. military officials in Iraq believe that successful counterinsurgency campaigns almost always involve some form of forgiveness as a means to ending the fighting and achieving political reconciliation
                            What this means is we are getting Sunni insurgents to turn their guns away from our troops and towards the Shia militia. Unfortunately, this puts us into a very uncomfortable position of supporting BOTH sides of the civil war right now, since the US-backed Iraqi Parliament is controlled by the Shia, and the Shia are also being supported by the Iranians.

                            Miulang
                            "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                            Comment


                            • Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                              While the headline on this Zogby poll reads that just 54% of Americans have confidence in Pres. Bush as Commander in Chief (no surprise there), the interesting stuff is in the body of the article. Congress gets a whopping 3% approval for their handling of the war, Bush gets 24%, not a stellar mark, but still eight times better than Congress. More interesting still are the responses for how the troops in Iraq should be supported: 42% say Congress should maintain funding and troop levels, 34% favor linking funding to a timeline for withdrawal and just 18% favor cutting funding as a means to end the war. 49% favor a bill funding the war while requiring most troops to withdraw by next Spring, 44% do not support such a bill. Regardless of these results, 55% do not support the war while 44% do. See the full poll results.

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