Reasoning With Evil Men?

18 August

I was watching the Beltway Boys on Fox News and they flashed the results from a poll that was conducted. The pole said that roughly 60% of those poles thought we needed to pull our troops out of Iraq by years end or sooner. Only 33% of those polled said we need to remain in Iraq until the Iraqis are ready for us to leave. I agree that we need to stay here until the Iraqi government and its army can take control and stop the spread of sectarian violence on their own.

I believe this because, unlike those polled, I’m in Iraq and I have asked an Iraqi friend what needs to happen in order to avoid a civil war and put an end to the sectarian violence. He said a strong Iraqi government and military is the only way to avoid a civil war. Iraqis feel safe with a strong government and military, neither of which they have right now.

We cannot “cut and run!” If we do then we will show the terrorists that Americans are weak and all they have to do is “stay the course” and they will win. I want to remind everyone that on September 11th 2001, we were attacked by Muslim extremists that would not have been stopped by diplomacy. If diplomacy with terrorists is the answer the why is Israel being engaged by Hezbollah, a Muslin terrorist group. Why isn’t the United Nations the best and most successful organization in the world at stopping terrorism? It’s because diplomacy with terrorists and evil men in general does not work. Diplomacy did not work with Hitler and the Nazis and it will not work with Islamic terrorist. Sometimes evil men cannot be reasoned with.

To Hot For Coffee?

16 August

Today a question crossed my mind while I stood at the coffee shop and waited for my Spiced Chi’ Latté, is it ever to hot to enjoy a cup of HOT coffee? I know this is not usually a thought one usually contemplates while at war but no matter. Though this is not going to help end the war here in Iraq, it is a question that must be wrestled with. Growing up I enjoyed coffee at an early age, usually sipping it off a spoon from my mothers’ coffee cup. (To answer the two questions you are now asking yourself, Yes coffee did stunt my growth I should be between 6’7 and 7’1 instead of just 6’1. Also it’s never to early to start your kids drinking coffee. The young they start the better I say. Yes that is sarcasm).

Growing up I drank my fair share of coffee and in high school, I would go to Perkins resturaunt for hours on end to sit and drink coffee while write poetry or do other homework. In the military, I would drink a cup after Physical Training (PT). And was known to down a pot throughout the day. In college, I tried to substitute coffee for sleep, but that only worked for about a week. When I became a manager of a convenient store, aka gas station, I had to have at least one cup a day. My dad is an avid coffee drinker and I doubt he goes a single day without a cup of coffee. My wife and mom however, drink tea. (and your point here is…)

The reason I wondered if it was ever to hot for coffee is because where I’m at in Iraq it was 118 degrees in the shade, with a wind chill factor of 120-125. Yet here I am enjoying, yes enjoying, a very hot cup of coffee. So this begs the question when is it too hot to drink coffee, or is it ever to hot for a good cup of coffee? One thing is for certain, over here I never have to worry about my coffee getting cold.

I’m No Hero

15 August

In a few months I will be going home on leave and some time next year I will leave Iraq a “combat veteran,” I do not see myself as a hero. In World War II, Vietnam, and Korea soldiers fought long battles for days on end. They slept in the same trenches or foxholes they fought in, if they slept at all. They went days without hot showers and a warm bed. They marched straight into hell and many never marched out. The one common thing I share with them is that I am deployed half way around the world, fighting for the freedoms of another country, and people.
The reason I don’t consider myself a hero is because I have it so much easier than they did. I eat three hot meals a day, sleep in an air conditioned building, work out in the gym five days a week, use the pool, movie theater, and if I get tired of the chow hall I can eat at BK, Subway, Pizza Hut, or grab a cup of coffee at the coffee shop. There are internet cafes and phone centers I can use, daily. My missions are different from the men who fought before me, but I have more luxuries than any of them.
This war is very different then any the United States has ever fought. The enemy does not wear a uniform, which makes it easier for them to go unnoticed. The insurgents use roadside bombs and mortar or bases and they are constantly changing their tactics, and we change ours as well. As a side note the enemy will not be defeated through negotiations nor will negotiations win this war. If you don’t believe me ask Israel how well negotiations have worked in fighting Hezbollah.
This war is a long fight in which we cannot “cut and run,” and leave the Iraqi people to face a civil war. Yes over 2600 troops have died, one of which was my brothers best friend, however I believe we are winning the war, despite what the news media would have you to believe. I have talked to some Iraqis who want us here. Unlike many in the U.S they think President Bush is doing a good job and was correct in removing Saddam. Iraq must have a strong government and military in order to avoid an all out civil war. We need to continue to help the Iraqis and build up their military and finish the job.

Changes

I see that it has been a very long time since I have updated my blog so I will try to this in about 30 minutes. I drew Computer lab duty today and am very happy for it as I was able to finish some things up, chat with Liz, and two of my friends from college, Scottie and Trey. Scottie has a blog sit that I encourage you to check out. I hope you enjoy it.

Let's see, as for me, there have been a few changes. I decided to let the hair on the top of my head grow out a little. Instead of a quarter of an inch on top I have almost a full two inches, which is the maximum length of hair in the military. I think it makes me look a bit better, or more human anyway. Speaking of looks, I have been hitting the gym 4 times a week for the last month. I have started to lose weight again and I am getting stronger, physically. I am also trying to get enrolled in the Chaplain's assistiant course and get the first phase completed while I am over here.

One other change to mention is our change in mission. We have had a relitively safe mission since we arrived in Iraq but we nave begun doing patrols, which is a little more dangerous, but we get to see more of the areas outside our base and interact with more of the people of Iraq. This gives the unit we are taking over for a chance to take a break and catch there breath, so to speak. I'm looking forward to this because it will give us a sence of actually being involved in helping put an end to the conflicts in our area. I know what we do will not bring an end to the war entirly but maybe we can help make the villages and towns around us safer and more friendly towards the U.S.

Who knows.

I hate to keep it that brief and short but my time is nearly up. take care all and I hope to update this more often.