"The question is not how far, the question is do you contain the constitution, the depth of faith, to go as a far as is needed" -Boondock Saints.
We are leaving this month to go back home. We all can't wait to see our families. It has been far too long. It is going to be a long flight back. Though we miss our families this had to be the best Fourth of July ever. My ears are still ringing. We shot our M240B Machine gun, M203 grenade launcher, two AT4 rocket launchers, a few shot thier rifles, the cook threw a grenade, and a bunch of parachute flares. I have to admit that a AT4 beats the best package deal from the corner fireworks place. The M203 definitly beats those whistling ones. I'm partially deaf now but I was before, so its now much of a difference. It definitly was one of my highlights over here. There is nothing like rocking a M240B and watching the tracers shoot off like falling stars towards a target.
To those who have not been to a third world country like Iraq, Colombia, Kuwait or the many others, you need to know how well we live in the US. The insurgents in third world countries thrive off of conflict and keeping the population afraid and under thier control. To do this they kill doctors, teachers, people in office, and other people they deem as a threat. I was just told of a woman here in Iraq that was murdered by insurgents because she was the head of a school. The interpreter told me that she was a good woman and very humble, yet they killed her anyway. There are instances of attacks on civilians that are horrible. I have seen pictures of when our soldiers found a car with four males in it all shot in the head, one of them was a 15 year old kid. My personal hero, Ingrid Betancourt who was a Presidential Canidate went to the FARC genereals and on TV criticized them. She had been threatened and almost got killed several times and was able to leave Colombia, but she didn't want to. She stayed and publically humiliated the FARC. She wants to see Colombia rise from the 40+ year civil war. She was kidnapped and still is to this day. Murders and kidnappings happen every day. These insurgents and guerillas need to be stopped not only at our doorstep but in other countries. I refuse to have my family worry that some extremist is going to bomb the grocery store because he feels he'll get more virgins in the after life or that people will follow his political views. I believe that despite the fact that I don't like politics they are needed, but there is a time for diplomacy and a time for fighting back. I'll let the politicians deal with politics but I am here to fight back if necessary. Wether I am a soldier or civilian I will strive to help people in Colombia and other countries if I can. I refuse to let there be anymore child soldiers in other countries. Many were kidnapped at birth and don't know anything else but war. Those that try to go back to thier families are killed as well as thier families. These children only know to pull the trigger and try to live to the next day. What I have been through in this one year they have thier whole lives. In Nepal Moaist terrorists kidnap high-profile targets and torture them to accept the Moaist doctrine. Myanmar (Formerly Burma) military and Karen National Union guerillas are fighting along the Thai border. On the Mexican border there was a weapons Cache found including two IEDs. The Shia and Sunni and Kurdish tribes are still fighting each other not only in Iraq but in Yemen and other countries. To those that say that its over there and we shouldn't worry about it, I want to keep it that way. To those who curse soldiers, we gave you that right to hate us, in any other country you'd be dead. To those in the Westboro Baptist group that protest at our brother's funerals because you believe that we are over here fighting for gay rights, we gave you that right even though you don't have your fact straight, but I personnally will punch you in the face if you come to any of my guy's funerals. War is still being waged and it is horrible as terrible things are being done. It is a sad part of war and we soldiers of the United States are bearing it so we don't come home to the same stuff we have seen over here. So while I am stil over here enjoy your freedom and for you that drink take a shot for our fallen, I will be back soon and will do the same.
This is the Euphrates River
We are leaving this month to go back home. We all can't wait to see our families. It has been far too long. It is going to be a long flight back. Though we miss our families this had to be the best Fourth of July ever. My ears are still ringing. We shot our M240B Machine gun, M203 grenade launcher, two AT4 rocket launchers, a few shot thier rifles, the cook threw a grenade, and a bunch of parachute flares. I have to admit that a AT4 beats the best package deal from the corner fireworks place. The M203 definitly beats those whistling ones. I'm partially deaf now but I was before, so its now much of a difference. It definitly was one of my highlights over here. There is nothing like rocking a M240B and watching the tracers shoot off like falling stars towards a target.
To those who have not been to a third world country like Iraq, Colombia, Kuwait or the many others, you need to know how well we live in the US. The insurgents in third world countries thrive off of conflict and keeping the population afraid and under thier control. To do this they kill doctors, teachers, people in office, and other people they deem as a threat. I was just told of a woman here in Iraq that was murdered by insurgents because she was the head of a school. The interpreter told me that she was a good woman and very humble, yet they killed her anyway. There are instances of attacks on civilians that are horrible. I have seen pictures of when our soldiers found a car with four males in it all shot in the head, one of them was a 15 year old kid. My personal hero, Ingrid Betancourt who was a Presidential Canidate went to the FARC genereals and on TV criticized them. She had been threatened and almost got killed several times and was able to leave Colombia, but she didn't want to. She stayed and publically humiliated the FARC. She wants to see Colombia rise from the 40+ year civil war. She was kidnapped and still is to this day. Murders and kidnappings happen every day. These insurgents and guerillas need to be stopped not only at our doorstep but in other countries. I refuse to have my family worry that some extremist is going to bomb the grocery store because he feels he'll get more virgins in the after life or that people will follow his political views. I believe that despite the fact that I don't like politics they are needed, but there is a time for diplomacy and a time for fighting back. I'll let the politicians deal with politics but I am here to fight back if necessary. Wether I am a soldier or civilian I will strive to help people in Colombia and other countries if I can. I refuse to let there be anymore child soldiers in other countries. Many were kidnapped at birth and don't know anything else but war. Those that try to go back to thier families are killed as well as thier families. These children only know to pull the trigger and try to live to the next day. What I have been through in this one year they have thier whole lives. In Nepal Moaist terrorists kidnap high-profile targets and torture them to accept the Moaist doctrine. Myanmar (Formerly Burma) military and Karen National Union guerillas are fighting along the Thai border. On the Mexican border there was a weapons Cache found including two IEDs. The Shia and Sunni and Kurdish tribes are still fighting each other not only in Iraq but in Yemen and other countries. To those that say that its over there and we shouldn't worry about it, I want to keep it that way. To those who curse soldiers, we gave you that right to hate us, in any other country you'd be dead. To those in the Westboro Baptist group that protest at our brother's funerals because you believe that we are over here fighting for gay rights, we gave you that right even though you don't have your fact straight, but I personnally will punch you in the face if you come to any of my guy's funerals. War is still being waged and it is horrible as terrible things are being done. It is a sad part of war and we soldiers of the United States are bearing it so we don't come home to the same stuff we have seen over here. So while I am stil over here enjoy your freedom and for you that drink take a shot for our fallen, I will be back soon and will do the same.
This is the Euphrates River
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
i read your journal and i can check that you write about ingrid betancourt did you know what she did before she get kidnaped? oh well this is something that news never tell about her but she stole a big part of the money that was for the indigenas i dont know the translation for this. and is a very nice pic of the euphrates river!