Patrols / Email From Friend in Iraq / Request

C4LED

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
463
Location
East Coast, USA
Hello to Everyone at CPF,

This is my first posting, though I've been reading this forum for quite some time.

A friend of mine is in a National Guard Civil Affairs unit working in Iraq. He's looking to get any deflated soccer balls or any other gifts that can be given out to Iraqi children. This should be helpful to the ongoing efforts there. He's agreed that I could post one of his emails about his experiences [with a few appropriate deletions I made in brackets] along with the original request. The email is below. If anyone would like to send anything, here is the address.

Chris/C4LED

----------
MAJ Olaf Shibusawa
A Co 451 CA BN
155 BCT FOB Lima
APO AE 09329

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

Hi there,

It feels like I have been here forever. It's been fast and furious as well as pretty aggravating. Shortly before leaving for Iraq my commander said that I'd have two more teams and that I was to supervise them.

Like I said in the last email it is extremely hot but I've gotten used to it. I just drink tons of water and think cool thoughts. The patrols have been fun but they take a lot out of you with the heat and the heightened state of alert you're on when you go outside the wire. So far
we've only rammed a couple of cars but [SECOND HALF OF SENTENCE DELETED]. In another instance my gunner was providing security for me while I was talking to some Iraqi's and a car came barrelling down the street and the car stopped a split second before he was going to pull the trigger. When the car came to a screeching halt the guy put up his hands and out from the passenger seat popped up a little girl. I think about how close we came to killing that poor kid every time we go out.

We've been rocketed once since we got here but I slept right through it which is a real bummer. Lucky for us they missed by quite a bit. The other day however one of the vehicles on the base let off its siren and some people thought it was incoming mortars and people scattered into the bunkers. When I heard it it was obvious to me that it was a siren
but since everyone was running I thought that the siren was a signal that we were being attacked and so I ran to the bunker myself. Last but not least, the other morning, the mortar guys were practicing and fired off a round. Some of our soldiers didn't get the word the night before that there would be a live fire exercise and thought we were being
attacked. At least one jumped into a bunker in his nderwear and flipflops.

Yesterday the [VIP - TITLE DELETED] came for some meetings and my team was part of the security team for the VIPs while we went into the city to look at some projects. It was a pretty boring detail lasting about 4.5 hours. After we got back I was actually in the meeting with him and his staff and it just seemed kind of funny afterwards how much a single day can vary over here. For the first part of the day I was pretty much a simple private guarding the VIPs while they toured the sites and a few hours later I'm in a meeting with the [VIP - TITLE DELETED] playing an
active role.

As for the way the Iraqis react to us it really varies by neighborhood. In some places they absolutely love us and in others you can see the hate in their eyes. Obviously the ones I like the most are the kids and it kills me that I can't do anything for them directly. The other day
[PART OF SENTANCE DELETED] we did what we call a MEDCAP mission. We pull up with medical personell and start treating the locals. It was bad enough seeing some of the grownups who were in bad shape but seeing some of the kids was really upsetting. One man came in carrying his
daughter but luckily enough I was somewhere else when he came thru.

By the way if anyone wants to send stuff for us to give out you can send it to me at the address below. Our job is not to pass out candy and pencils but we do like to give the kids stuff when we go out on our patrols. The number one thing is soccer balls. I'm hoping I can find an organzation that can send us deflated soccer balls. Other popular
things are colored pencils, regular pencils, candy (anything that wont melt). The other day I went out on a secret squirrell patrol with some intel guys (it was my day off and I was bored) and on our way to our target we were driving along the side of a small canal which Im sure had
filthy water. The vehicle in front of me threw out candy and some fell into the water. You cannot believe how those kids were throwing themselves into that water just to get a few pieces of candy. I was actually pretty pissed off and I better not find out that they did that on purpose. Speaking of which on the 25th I chewed out my first captain as a major. One of my sergeants was the convoy commander and giving his brief and this captain was goofing off and being disrespectful. I jumped in his face so damned close that the other soldiers claimed that I was actually stepping on him. I have to say that it was pretty fun doing that.

Well gotta go. If anyone knows of an organization that can help with the soccer balls or any other gifts please let me know, we can use anything as long as it doesn't have religious messages. My address is below.

-Olaf

MAJ Olaf Shibusawa
A Co 451 CA BN
155 BCT FOB Lima
APO AE 09329
 

C4LED

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
463
Location
East Coast, USA
Update: A co-worker's brother belongs to a soccer organization. They're packing up 12 soccer balls to send shortly. I'm sending one that I have and am throwing a few lights in the box (a multi 5mm LED and Gerber aaa 5mm). I gave him an Ultra-G before going over there and he bought a G2.

All the Best
 

C4LED

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
463
Location
East Coast, USA
Pictures Posting: If I get permission I'll post a few pics I've got of my friend over there - on patrol and in a helicopter w/his fellows.
 

C4LED

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
463
Location
East Coast, USA
Thanks greenLED!

I wasn't sure which one to post in since the original request was not for lights, but I thought people might want to send those too. The other thread has been closed.

I let my friend know that 12 soccer balls were on the way by email today and he said "Dude you're awesome you have no idea how much these kids will appreciate that. I'll make sure we take some pics."

I've asked him if I can post some of the patrol pics he's already sent have and am waiting for a reply (also a couple of general street scenes of Iraq where they patrol; the Iraqis are smiling in those shots...).
 

IlluminatingBikr

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
2,320
Thanks for posting this. It is very nice to read what actual soldiers in Iraq have to say. Seeing pictures would be cool too.

Please wish him the best of luck for me.
 

C4LED

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
463
Location
East Coast, USA
Here are 3 Pictures:

My friend gave me permission to post these shots - there will be more to follow.

- The 1st was taken during transport by helicopter.
- The 2nd was taken during the VIP security detail mentioned in the email.
- The 3rd was taken during the Medcap mentioned in the email.

(IlluminatingBikr, Thanks for your comments. I'll pass them along).

Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3
 

C4LED

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
463
Location
East Coast, USA
Here are 4 More Pictures:

- The 1st is w/a fellow soldier.
- The 2nd is another taken during the VIP security detail mentioned in the email.
- The 3rd and 4th are two more taken during the Medcap.
Pic 1
Pic 2 Pic 3
Pic 4
 
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