US soldiers from Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol are illuminated by moonlight as they wait for Chinook helicopters to transport them for the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images) "Operation Grim Ghost was launched today as part of a concerted effort to kill or capture remaining Al-Qaeda elements in Diyala Province responsible for kidnapping and intimidation throughout the province."
Evening...For those of you who have warriors who are home or are headed home in the coming days for R&R - my wife and I are excited for you and we know that you will enjoy every moment they are home. When you can, look them in the eye and tell them Mr. and Mrs. Collabman have the utmost respect and admiration for their courage and sacrifice...we are so very proud of what they are doing in service of our great country.
We spoke with Chris today for almost 20 minutes. He is doing well and staying busy. He indicated the weather was rapidly turning warm...well, on most days hot. It is the Baghdad he has come to expect at this time of the year. The FOB recently took incoming and as a result Chris' unit wore their battle armor for most of the time they were back. Yes, the threat, just as the weather, is heating up once again.
We spent the majority of the time looking forward to his R&R and talking about local sports teams. It was a wonderful way to spend Easter. There is something special about hearing your son's voice from Baghdad...
Please continue to pray for Chris and the entire 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment...they are in a hostile environment that can turn on them in a heartbeat...your prayers are appreciated!
The Sunday blog...
As we prepare to begin a new week, our warriors with the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment have kicked off Operation Grim Ghost in the restive Diyala province.
Restive - this is a word that almost always appears along side two other words...Diyala province...
What does it mean?
In this context...Resisting control; difficult to control...
Guess that says it all about the fight Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment has on their hands with the insurgency northeast of Baghdad.
Tonight, courtesy of David Furst AFP, there are some telling photos, some just a few hours old.
Lace up your boots and tag along with G Company, 3-2 SCR as they hunt insurgents in Diyala...note the terrain and environment they are operating in...take a look at their 5-star sleeping accommodations...
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol through the desert as they hunt for caves and tunnels used by insurgents during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol through the desert as they hunt for caves and tunnels used by insurgents during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
A US soldier from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment walks to his Stryker fighting vehicle through a flock of sheep during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
A US soldier from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment accompanied by a Sunni fighter allied with US forces against Al-Qaeda in Iraq inspect a cave dug into the desert and used by insurgents, during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment take a rest as they wait for an air-strike they ordered to arrive as they hunt for caves and tunnels used by insurgents during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment watch as a plume of smoke rises from an air-strike they ordered to destroy a desert cave complex dug into the mountain and used by insurgents, during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
A US soldier from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment rests on a mud wall during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment photograph an Iraqi man with alleged links to Sunni insurgent groups in front of a cache of weapons and explosives found hidden in the desert, during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
A US soldier from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment questions a detained Iraqi man with alleged links to Sunni insurgent groups during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
An Iraqi man with alleged links to Sunni insurgent groups sits up against a wall after he was detained by US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment sleep in the bedroom of a mud hut occupied during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment sleep in the bedroom of a mud hut occupied during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment sleep in the bedroom of a mud hut occupied during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
An Iraqi Sunni fighter allied with US forces against Al-Qaeda in Iraq pauses alongside US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment walk toward an abandoned desert village during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol through the desert as they hunt for caves and tunnels used by insurgents during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment inspect a cave dug into the desert and used by insurgents, during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment climb a desert ridge as they hunt for caves and tunnels used by insurgents during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment climb a desert ridge as they hunt for caves and tunnels used by insurgents during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
A US soldier from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrols through the desert as his platoon hunts for caves and tunnels used by insurgents during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)
An Iraqi Sunni fighter allied with US forces against Al-Qaeda in Iraq pauses alongside US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment as they patrol through the desert hunting for caves and tunnels used by insurgents during the launch of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 23, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)---------------------------------------------
Chris, thanks for the phone call today son. We love you - keep your head on a swivel and be safe!
Love,
Dad
Chris, thanks for the phone call today son. We love you - keep your head on a swivel and be safe!
Love,
Dad
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