Monday, September 04, 2006
Rest In Peace
One of our interpreters, Tom (not his real name, obviously) didn't return from leave last week. It wasn't the first time he had been late, so no one thought too much of it at first. However, his family reported that he left his house in Baghdad on time, so we began to get concerned. Two days ago we confirmed that his family located his body, he was killed by insurgents while trying to return to the COP.
Tom carrying a M249 ParaSAW on patrol near the Euphrates River
On the face of it, Americans might think that it shows a lack of commitment on the part of the Iraqi interpreters and jundi to take 10-15 days of leave every month. Most of us go without seeing our families for 6-7 months, so you would think that the Iraqis could go without taking a "vacation" every month.
Posing on top of an Amphibious Assault Vehicle from a platoon that wandered into our COP
A little digging would reveal the ignorance of that assumption, however. For one thing, Iraq does not have a working bank system, so the soldiers have no way to get money to their families without physically carrying a wad of cash home.
Me posing with Tom in front of the same AAV
Additionally, one of the ironies of this war, from the Iraqi perspective, is that the terps and soldiers are frequently in more danger at home than they are here in Jazirah. Many of them are from Baghdad, and have to conceal the fact that they are in the Iraqi army, or else they face kidnapping or murder by criminals or insurgents.
For those who doubt the dedication and commitment of the Iraqis who are fighting alongside of us, never forget that their tours never end, and they have to deal with the dangers of this war not only while fighting with their units, but also when they return home.
To get back to the real subject of this post, Tom was a friend to all of us here, and dedicated to helping the Coalition and the Iraqi Army improve the security of his country. Rest in peace, good friend. ¶ Monday, September 04, 2006
One of our interpreters, Tom (not his real name, obviously) didn't return from leave last week. It wasn't the first time he had been late, so no one thought too much of it at first. However, his family reported that he left his house in Baghdad on time, so we began to get concerned. Two days ago we confirmed that his family located his body, he was killed by insurgents while trying to return to the COP.
Tom carrying a M249 ParaSAW on patrol near the Euphrates River
On the face of it, Americans might think that it shows a lack of commitment on the part of the Iraqi interpreters and jundi to take 10-15 days of leave every month. Most of us go without seeing our families for 6-7 months, so you would think that the Iraqis could go without taking a "vacation" every month.
Posing on top of an Amphibious Assault Vehicle from a platoon that wandered into our COP
A little digging would reveal the ignorance of that assumption, however. For one thing, Iraq does not have a working bank system, so the soldiers have no way to get money to their families without physically carrying a wad of cash home.
Me posing with Tom in front of the same AAV
Additionally, one of the ironies of this war, from the Iraqi perspective, is that the terps and soldiers are frequently in more danger at home than they are here in Jazirah. Many of them are from Baghdad, and have to conceal the fact that they are in the Iraqi army, or else they face kidnapping or murder by criminals or insurgents.
For those who doubt the dedication and commitment of the Iraqis who are fighting alongside of us, never forget that their tours never end, and they have to deal with the dangers of this war not only while fighting with their units, but also when they return home.
To get back to the real subject of this post, Tom was a friend to all of us here, and dedicated to helping the Coalition and the Iraqi Army improve the security of his country. Rest in peace, good friend. ¶ Monday, September 04, 2006
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I cried reading this. I am so sorry to hear about "Tom" and I grieve for his family and for you all who knew him. Your tribute to him was very touching. He was a brave soul, doing what he did despite the risks. I will keep him and his family in my prayers.
Love,
Sis
Love,
Sis
Mary Katherine said everything I would've; your post brought tears to my eyes as well. He and all of the Iraqi soldiers who risk their lives will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.
Stay safe. I love you.
Stay safe. I love you.
# posted by 
: 1:40 AM, September 05, 2006
: 1:40 AM, September 05, 2006
Doc, it's good to hear from you, although I wish it was under better circumstances. As you know, I lived in the same room with Tom for 3 months, so his death hit me pretty hard too. Before he left I was joking with him that Master Guns was going to deny his leave because he didn't do any work. Now I wish that he really had been denied leave.
I'm glad you guys got home safely, and if you see the other guys from 3/5 please tell them I say hello. We'll be headed home ourselves before much longer, I'll keep everyone updated as we start making our way out of here.
I'm glad you guys got home safely, and if you see the other guys from 3/5 please tell them I say hello. We'll be headed home ourselves before much longer, I'll keep everyone updated as we start making our way out of here.
This looks like a worthwhile blog and the background photo is beautiful, however, it is impossible to read the type against the sunset itself. The type can only be read against a dark background. Can you please improve this for me and other older readers like me? Thanks.
# posted by : 7:55 PM, September 07, 2006
: 7:55 PM, September 07, 2006
You must be using Mozilla. The content table actually has a semi-transparent black background that makes the type easier to read, but for some reason Mozilla won't recognize the background color. It works fine in Internet Explorer. Once I get back to the States I'll see what I can do about fixing it.
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