Monday, March 31, 2008

Killing Field...

Excavations continue in Diyala province, where the graves of more than 50 people have been found. Only about a third of the orchard has been searched, and it could become one of the largest al Qaeda killing fields found in Iraq. (Photo: Washington Times)

"Some of you young men think that war is all glamour and glory,
but let me tell you, boys, it is all hell!"

-General William T. Sherman,
speech in 1880 from which we derive the phrase "War is hell"

Evening...

Yes, whether we want to admit it or not...General Sherman had it right...

These past few days have been filled with emails to the combat zone with a simple inquiry..."are you ok?" The responses are short and to the point..."I'm ok; been too tired to write; we are fine"...and we all breathe a collective sigh of relief...until the next flurry.

So, how are you doing? How am I doing? I am ok - not great....I seek God's strength every day to stay above the emotional waterline. Make no mistake, we are all being challenged to press on....we will get through this together.

Tonight's blog is as ugly as ugly can get...so please, if you would rather not see what General Sherman was talking about stop now...move on to something else and return tomorrow.

I wish this deployment was all about our warriors handing out candy to Iraqi kids on street corners filled with fruit stands...but that is not a complete picture of what our men and women are encountering on this deployment...

I want to know what they are doing...I will let you decide if you want to know...

The stories you are about to read reveal some of the most despicable sights, scenes and smells our warriors will encounter in Iraq...left by an enemy that knows no bounds, but one day will be held accountable.

These events strengthen my resolve and belief that Chris and the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment are doing the right thing...and I couldn't be prouder of them.

Again, fair warning...this article is not for the faint of heart...

Tip of the hat to Iron Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd SCR for their tremendous courage, determination and tenacity...

Iraq: Al-Qaeda Killing Field Found Near Farming Village Monday, March 31, 2008
By Richard Tomkins
Radio Free Europe

ZAHAMM, IRAQ -- Villagers digging in an abandoned pomegranate orchard in the Diyala River Valley have unearthed the remains of at least 52 people murdered by Al-Qaeda in Iraq during its two-year reign of terror in the area.

The first victim, whose head had been placed at his feet, was found on March 26 by a local village head and a U.S. Army officer who had been given the orchard's location by a man who said he had been kidnapped by Al-Qaeda last August and taken to a "jail" there but managed to escape before execution.

"Smell that?" Captain Vince Morris, of Iron Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, asked when he approached the orchard on that exploratory visit. No one answered. No one needed to. The gagging stench of rotting flesh was unmistakable. And it was much too strong for the contents of just one grave.

At least 51 additional clumps of remains were uncovered in two, two-hour digs by volunteers from surrounding villages later in the week. The oldest remains were in separate, shallow graves. The freshest remains -- the skeletons still had muscle and flesh holding the bones together -- were in several mass graves, the bodies heaped upon each other.

Most were unearthed with their wrists tied behind their backs and with a bullet hole in the skull. Some were covered with a piece of cloth when dumped into the hole; others were not. And then there were the bodies that were wrapped in plastic.

"The ones in plastic are really bad," an American soldier said. "They're just bags of mush."

Zahamm is a village located about 5 kilometers north of the town of Himbus in Diyala Province's "bread basket." When Al-Qaeda declared Diyala Province the seat of its so-called Islamic State of Iraq caliphate, the Himbus area became the terrorist group's main training, weapons storage, and transit area.

No Music, No Smoking

"When they first came into the area they said they were mujahedin fighting the occupation forces. But later they started forcing people from their homes and taking money. People who worked for the Iraq Army or the Iraqi Police were punished," said Sheikh Abbas Hussein Khalaf, the leader of Taiyah village.

"They imposed their rules: no music, no smoking, the women had to wear the veil, and there were no wedding celebrations. No one was allowed out after 5 p.m. Some people were shot in front of the people in the street, others were kidnapped, killed, and put in the mass graves."

Sheikh Abbas, sentenced to death by Al-Qaeda for "stirring up people" against them, fled north and hid with relatives, returning to Taiyah only infrequently and surreptitiously. Fourteen people from his village were snatched by Al-Qaeda, he said, including a cousin -- the brother of the man who led soldiers to the killing field.

Last week's excavation sessions only lasted about two hours each. "They're beat. Just look at their faces," Captain Morris, who had helped organize the search and was present to document the finds, said of the volunteers. "I don't think they'll do this much longer today."

His hunch, voiced early in the digging, proved true. The eyes of the volunteers were a mixture of fatigue and trauma -- the horror of Al-Qaeda's rule had revisited them in a particularly brutal fashion. And discarded clothing found nearby -- including children's clothing -- held the promise of things to come.

Only one portion of the orchard -- Al-Qaeda acquired it by killing its Shi'ite owner -- had been excavated, and there were two more orchards nearby that needed to be searched as well.

"If you find them [Al-Qaeda] kill them. Kill all of them," said Kareenhi Marzi al-Shumari, an elderly woman from the village of Haruniya who was watching the disinterment.

The elderly woman said her son, Muhammad Jaber, 42, was taken away by Al-Qaeda last July when he repeatedly refused to join the group.

As she slapped herself, wailed aloud and raised her hands skyward, other women scoured the field and picked up scattered bits of paper, trying to find information as to what happened to their loved ones.

Those unearthed so far have had proper burials. Villagers cut bed sheets to make shrouds and took the remains by truck to a cemetery.

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Chris, stay strong son. I love you more than you will ever know...

Be safe!

v/r,
- Collabman

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Power Struggle...

Evening...

As we begin a new week the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment continues to push the envelope, engage insurgents and conduct operations in the Diyala province and all across the Baghdad area. Here are a number of articles that will provide insight into their operations and activities...

MND-B Soldiers Kill 8 Criminals in Separate Operations

14 bodies discovered near Muqdadiyah

Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition Forces Target Terrorists, Kill 26

ISF, CF take fight to terrorists

24 Terrorists Killed in Baghdad

We have not heard from Chris for some time now...we know he is busy and taking care of business.

Please continue to lift him and the entire 2nd SCR up in your thoughts and prayers...it is a very fluid situation on the ground as the power struggle amongst the various factions in Iraq continues...

Al-Sadr pulls fighters off streets

ANALYSIS: Iraq fighting a reality check

We will get through this one day at time...hold fast...

Chris, I love you buddy. We continue to cover you with our prayers...we remember your sacrifice and commitment!

Be safe!

v/r,
- Collabman

Friday, March 28, 2008

Fallen Angels...


"God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt


I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You"
Bebo Norman and Jason Ingram

This pain never goes away. Some would say that the hurt we hold inside for the families who have lost a loved one just goes with the territory. Maybe it does but that definitely does not make it any easier...

As I read the flood of notices yesterday afternoon rippling across the web I was heartbroken to learn it was two of our own. I attended a National Hockey League game last night and as our national anthem was played my tears freely rolled...while it was playing I looked at those around me...they had no idea of the sacrifice that had been given. Many probably wouldn't even care...I wondered if they could even grasp the meaning of words like" Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave...O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

Well, my wife and I did...and I expect if you are reading these words you do too...

This never, ever gets easy..let the words wash over you and remember that these announcements are far more than numbers in a conflict. These are men who paid the ultimate price for you and me...you and me...

For the Molina and Gamboa families our prayers and thoughts are with you in this very difficult time. Thank you for your son's sacrifice...we will not forget...

Spc. Joshua A. Molina, 20, of Houston, Texas, died Mar. 27 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.

Staff Sgt. Joseph D. Gamboa, 34, of Yigo, Guam, died Mar. 25 of wounds suffered when he came under indirect fire in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.


In times like these...I will lift my eyes to the Healer of the hurt I hold inside...

v/r,
- Collabman

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

4,000

LT Sean Walsh patrolling the streets of Baghdad.
Photo: Maj. Pat Garrett

I'm 25, yet I've received more notifications for funerals than invitations to weddings. The number 4,000 is too great to grasp even for us that are here in Iraq.
LT Sean Walsh


The info hounds tipped this one...it is well written and from the heart...it stands on its own...give it a read.

I can't be sure but...the patch on LT Sean Walsh's uniform looks like the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment to me...

4,000...in the words of a warrior....

The Real Meaning of 4,000 Dead
By LT Sean Walsh
26 March 2008
Time

The passing of the 4,000th service member in Iraq is a tragic milestone and a testament to the cost of this war, but for those of us who live and fight in Iraq, we measure that cost in smaller, but much more personal numbers. For me those numbers are 8, the number of friends and classmates killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 3, the number of soldiers from my unit killed in this deployment. I'm 25, yet I've received more notifications for funerals than invitations to weddings.

The number 4,000 is too great to grasp even for us that are here in Iraq. When we soldiers read the newspaper, the latest AP casualty figures are glanced over with the same casual interest as a box score for a sport you don't follow. I am certain that I am not alone when I open up the Stars and Stripes, the military's daily paper, and immediately search for the section with the names of the fallen to see if they include anyone I know. While in a combat outpost in southwest Baghdad, it was in that distinctive bold Arial print in a two-week-old copy of the Stars and Stripes that I read that my best friend had been killed in Afghanistan. No phone call from a mutual friend or a visit to his family. All that had come and gone by the time I had learned about his death. I sometimes wonder, if I hadn't picked up that paper, how much longer I would have gone by without knowing — perhaps another day, perhaps a week or longer until I could find the time and the means to check my e-mail to find my messages unanswered and a death notification from a West Point distro list in my inbox. The dead in Afghanistan don't seem to inspire the keeping of lists the same way that those in Iraq do, but even if they did it wouldn't matter; he could only be number 7 to me.

I'm not asking for pity, only understanding for the cost of this war. We did, after all, volunteer for the Army and that is the key distinction between this army and the army of the Vietnam War. But even as I ask for that understanding I'm almost certain that you won't be able to obtain it. Even Shakespeare, with his now overused notion of soldiers as a "band of brothers," fails to capture the bonds, the sense of responsibility to each other, among soldiers. In many ways, Iraq has become my home (by the time my deployment ends I will have spent more time here than anywhere else in the army) and the soldiers I share that home with have become my family. Between working, eating and sleeping within a few feet of the same soldiers every single day, I doubt I am away from them for more than two hours a day. I'm engaged to the love of my life, but it will take several years of marriage before I've spent as much time with her as I have with the men I serve with today.

For the vast majority of Americans who don't have a loved one overseas, the only number they have to attempt to grasp the Iraq War is 4,000. I would ask that when you see that number, try to remember that it is made up of over 1 million smaller numbers; that every one of the 1 million service members who have fought in Iraq has his or her own personal numbers. Over 1 million 8's and 3's. When you are evaluating the price of the war, weighing potential rewards versus cost in blood and treasure, I would ask you to consider what is worth the lives of three of your loved ones? Or eight? Or more? It would be a tragedy for my 8 and 3 to have died without us being able to complete our mission, but it maybe even more tragic for 8 and 3 to become anything higher.

--------------------------

v/r,
- Collabman

Back on Edge...

A US soldier from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, steps out of a bathroom newly renovated by coalition forces and painted with cartoons of Mickey Mouse in the restive Diyala province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 26, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)

BAGHDAD -
"Shiite militiamen are everywhere. Police and Iraqi army checkpoints are nowhere in sight. U.S. soldiers are keeping their distance."
HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press Writers



Evening and happy hump day...

Lots going on in Iraq...in fact, based on news reporting it's turning down right nasty. If you have been busy and unable to track the developments...you can catch up with this article - Shiite enclave back on edge

Please continue to cover all our soldiers with your prayers and thoughts...the situation on the ground is unsettled and unpredictable as ever.

I trust you are enjoying the work of David Furst, AFP as he photographs Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment operating in the Diyala province supporting Operation Grim Ghost. The photos provide a great look at a soldiers life in Iraq and the challenges they confront...

Note the photos below of the Iraqi policeman arrested. Who is friend and who is foe on this battlefield? How do you tell? Who can you trust? Only someone with a US flag on their shoulder...


US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, stand guard at an Iraqi army checkpoint in the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad on March 26, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, stand guard at an Iraqi army checkpoint in the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad on March 26, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


An Iraqi police officer is led away by US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment after they detained him for links to local militias, in the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 25, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


An Iraqi police officer is surrounded by US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment after they detained him for links to local militias, in the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 25, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


An Iraqi police officer sits in the back of a Stryker armored personnel carrier surrounded by US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment after they detained him for links to local militias, in the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 25, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)

--------------------------------------------

Chris, I love you son. Be safe!

v/r,
- Collabman

Monday, March 24, 2008

Photo in a Helmet...

A photograph of the wedding of a US soldier from Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment sits affixed to the inside of his helmet, on day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


"You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me

You knew my name and You called it

Long before I learned to breathe"

(Mercy Me - In the blink of an Eye)


Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment...they grind on in the restive Diyala province, hunting insurgents in some of the most hostile terrain imaginable...

What keeps them going?

A photo in a helmet...a note from home...a lingering scent on an envelope from a special lady...a purpose...

Take a close look at the pictures, courtesy of David Furst, AFP of Operation Grim Ghost - day 2.

Tell me what you see...

Chris, I love you and I remember your sacrifice...I am so very proud of you son.

Be safe!

v/r,
- Collabman


Iraqi men look at a US soldier from Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment during a search of a desert village during day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


A US soldier from Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment gestures toward Iraqi men queued to be photographed by the soldiers on day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


US soldiers from Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment take a rest during a search of a desert village on day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008.(DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


An Iraqi Sunni fighter allied with US forces against al-Qaeda in Iraq rides in a Stryker armored personnel carrier alongside US soldier from Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment on day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


A US soldier from Ghostrider Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment photographs an Iraqi man holding a whiteboard with his personal information on day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


A US soldier from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment speaks with local villagers on day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


An Iraqi man hands some money to an Iraqi boy as US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment rest beside them on day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


Iraqi men lay face down as US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi Sunni fighters, allied with US forces against al-Qaeda in Iraq, question another man after a small cache of weapons was found in their home, during day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


An Iraqi man gestures toward US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment as they question him about a small cache of weapons found in his home during day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


An Iraqi man gestures toward weapons found in his home as US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment prepare to photograph him during day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


US soldiers from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol through a desert village during day two of of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)


A US soldier from Ghostrider Company 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment gestures toward Iraqi men as fellow soldiers gather the personal information of other men during day two of Operation Grim Ghost in the deserts of the restive Diyala Province, located northeast of Baghdad, on March 24, 2008. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Operation Grim Ghost...

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)

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Chris, thanks for the phone call today son. We love you - keep your head on a swivel and be safe!

Love,
Dad

Friday, March 21, 2008

More Than Meets the Eye...

Spc. Ross Gray from Lubbock, Texas, and a generator mechanic for the Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, stands in front of a little shop he helped build inside the compound of the 2nd SCR area. (U.S. Army photo/Staff Sgt Arron Schille, 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment)


Sgt. 1st Class Chris Russel from Vancouver Wash., assistant operation non-commissioned officer, and Spc. Ross Gray from Lubbock, Texas, a generator mechanic, both of Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2SCR, work on a project, March 21, inside the shop they built from scrap wood and throw away tools, inside the compound of the 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment. (U.S. Army photo/Staff Sgt Arron Schille, 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment)


"So if you see this shop in the Dragoons compound don’t judge a book by it cover, there is a lot more to this little shop than meets the eye."


Happy Good Friday!

As I prepare for the Easter weekend I will tell you that the warriors of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment are on my mind and heart. I continue to pray for the safety of Chris and the entire Regiment. My wife and I know that you all share in these thoughts and prayers...

The work our warriors perform on the ground in Baghdad places them in harms way every day...yet they press on, never complaining and rarely asking for much of anything. They truly are the tip of the spear.

We have no idea what they see, experience and feel on a daily basis. I wonder about the hidden scars....maybe I am alone in all this....maybe not?

However, I am grateful for each one of them and their loved ones back in Germany and/or here in the U.S. Thanks for all you do...you are all heroes.

Let me leave you with a great story of the work performed by soldiers assigned to the Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd SCR. This is a story of self-help and can do attitude in action...

By Staff Sgt Arron Schille
2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment

BAGHDAD - Within the compound housing, the headquarters of the 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment is a small shop made up of four plywood walls and a tarp for a roof. It’s what takes place inside this makeshift shop that helps the Dragoons of the 2SCR accomplish their mission with a little more ease.

Two Dragoon Soldiers; Sgt. 1st Class Chris Russel from Vancouver Wash., assistant operation non-commissioned officer, and Spc. Ross Gray from Lubbock, Texas, a generator mechanic, both of Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2SCR, took an empty spot in the back of the compound and within a week turned it into a self-help workshop for the Soldiers of the regiment to use to better their professional or even personal lives.

“This shop was mainly built to insure mission readiness,” said Russel. “The tools found in the workshop, as well as the building materials are available for use by any of the 2nd SCR Soldiers, and were found in the garbage, abandoned.

“If I see something sitting in one place too long, I just go ask if I can have it. Most people say it is OK with them, and then I just take and fix it,” he added.

Many different types of tools can be seen within the shop, and there seems to be a tool for almost any job. Among the tools, Soldiers can find several table saws, a lathe, air compressor, a power washer, and a variety of hand tools.

One of the previous projects that Russel and Gray have completed is the building of weapons racks for soldiers to put their weapons. They also just completed fixing a wall locker, for any Soldier who might need it.

“We just fix it and if some one needs it then they can have it,” Russel said. This shop has been operational for about two and a half months, and since its construction has greatly contributed to over all mission readiness of the regiment.

Gray said, “It took about one week, we put up a wall a day.”

Russel has a back ground in wood finishing and also some schooling in Engineering.

“It was primarily him I just basically pointed him in the right direction, he is a pretty motivated and intelligent guy,” stated Russel, referring to the building of the shop.

Any Soldier can use the shop to create a special project or fix a piece mission essential equipment. No mater what the Soldiers reason for using the shop they are encouraged to stop by, but first they must be able to show that they have a working knowledge of the equipment they intend to use.

“Every soldier has to prove to me that they can operate the equipment that they are using,” Russel said.

If the Soldier doesn’t know how to use a piece of equipment then they are trained by Russel and have to take a test to show that they are able to use the equipment safely.

Although Russel and Gray are able to conduct almost any task within the shop, they are available to aid other Soldiers in completing their own projects.

“I like it when some one wants me to help them with something instead of just wanting me to do it for them” Gray said.

Despite the shabby outside appearance of the 2nd SCR workshop, inside the tools and troops who work there more then make up for it in their quality of work and knowledge.

So if you see this shop in the Dragoons compound don’t judge a book by it cover, there is a lot more to this little shop than meets the eye.

”I can fix just about anything right here in this shop, instead of having to send it some where else to get it fixed,” Russel said.

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Chris, thanks for the note. I love you son and can't wait to see you in May!

Be safe!

v/r,
- Collabman

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Walk a Day in Their Boots...

US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. The US-led war on Iraq that toppled the brutal regime of dictator Saddam Hussein entered its sixth year today with millions of Iraqis still battling daily chaos and rampant bloodshed. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)

Evening...

This is a simple blog tonight...then again, aren't all of my blogs? :-)

Here are some current photos of the great work being done by the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in the Diyala province...

Walk a day in their boots...tell me what you see...

Enjoy!

A US soldier from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment helps a fellow soldier adjust his gear in the house of a local Iraqi tribal leader in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment gather around a cache of mortars and artillery found buried in an orchard during a patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


A US soldier from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment helps a comrade adjust his radio to get better reception during a patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment sort through a cache of mortars and artillery found buried in an orchard during a patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


A US soldier from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment searches through an Iraqi home during a patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


A US soldier from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrols in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


An Iraqi man adjusts his headscarf as US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment search through his house during a patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment walk past the rubble left behind after a booby-trapped house exploded killing six of their comrades on January 8, 2008 during a patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008.(Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


An Iraqi woman stands amid a throng of US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment as they prepare to set off on patrol after finding a cache of weapons buried in a nearby farm in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)



An Iraqi man wearing a t-shirt bearing the image of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that reads in Arabic "We love you" pushes his bicycle past US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment on patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment pause during a patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 20, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


A US soldier from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment gestures toward an Iraqi man standing behind him during a patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 19, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


A US soldier from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment rests in the back of a Stryker fighting vehicle in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 19, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)


US soldiers from 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol in the restive Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on March 19, 2008. (Photo by David Furst/Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images)

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Chris, I love you son! We are counting the days...

Be safe!

v/r,
- Collabman