Day 5:

The Sham was a mess. Our guys got completely bogged down… the entire BN was committed. We are pushing on through the night, CH DD and I are worn out. Honestly, I really don’t want to write about it. It was bad man, really bad. We are headed to some town called (REDACTED). Me and CH DD are going in right behind the lead elements.

Check out this photo I snapped moving over route lightning from a FARP to a CASH.

Few more as we advance along route lightning.

Day 4:

We are moving past the border now… Headed for some place called Ash Shammy... We are calling it Ass Sammy. sorry to take so long getting word out to you. Sorry for the typos too, never been good typing with my thumbs on these little keypads. Guess you know that if something happened to me, it’s not like WWII. You would know in a matter of hours.

Here are some photos like I promised. Mainly all were taken near the berm. It’s not like I would be up with the assault elements.

More later.

M1 letting loose.

My new favorite toy.

Glad I was one our side of the berm.

Hit! You sank my main battle tank!

Day 3:

Man, I am tired.
We crossed the berm yesterday morning about 3 hours after I emailed you. The Chaplain and I spent all night going from platoon to platoon giving mini services. Lots of nervousness out here, but these guys are ready for a fight. This is not Iraq, everyone KNOWS why we are hear and what we need to do.

The CH was in the TOC and I hung out with some of the BN scouts who got stuck on guard duty. Talk about a grumpy bunch of troopers. I can sympathize from my scout days. Nothing worse than being a high speed scout and getting stuck guarding the perimeter of the TOC.

But their bad luck was my good luck. I convinced one of the squad leaders to let me play with the optics on a Stryker and watch part of the fight.

They are headed into the fight now.

You probably already heard we took casualties. Our firepower is intense, but even so, the Stryker is vulnerable when facing enemy armor. We lost two in our BN. I don’t know the status of the guys on board, and can’t really say even if I did. But I know it was not good.

Funny, yesterday I mentioned the Javelins. We had guys on the berm with them this morning as the Syrians tried a counter attack to stop up the hole we were advancing through. The Javelin gunners did a great job.

“POP! Woosh!”

“BOOOOOOM!!!!”

It was intense to watch. I’m surprised the enemy gunners did not return much effective fire on the berm we were firing over. Granted, they had M1’s advancing on them, MGS in support pounding their emplacements and 155mm raining down on them.

I have a super secret way to get emails to you, so I’ll keep you posted as long as that lasts. I also have pictures, but need to get them off my camera. Gotta go.

Day 3:

Man, I am tired.
We crossed the berm into Syria yesterday morning about 3 hours after I emailed you. The Chaplain and I spent all night going from platoon to platoon giving mini services. Lots of nervousness out here, but these guys are ready for a fight. This is not Iraq, everyone KNOWS why we are here and what we need to do.

The CH was in the TOC and I hung out with some of the BN scouts who got stuck on guard duty. Talk about a grumpy bunch of troopers. I can sympathize from my scout days. Nothing worse than being a high speed scout and getting stuck guarding the perimeter of the TOC.

But their bad luck was my good luck. I convinced one of the squad leaders to let me play with the optics on a Stryker and watch part of the fight.

They are headed into the fight now.

You probably already heard we took casualties. Our firepower is intense, but even so, the Stryker is vulnerable when facing enemy armor. We lost two in our BN. I don’t know the status of the guys on board, and can’t really say even if I did. But I know it was not good.

Funny, yesterday I mentioned the Javelins. We had guys on the berm with them this morning as the Syrians tried a counter attack to stop up the hole we were advancing through. The Javelin gunners did a great job.

“POP! Woosh!”

“BOOOOOOM!!!!”

It was intense to watch. I’m surprised the enemy gunners did not return much effective fire on the berm we were firing over. Granted, they had M1’s advancing on them, MGS in support pounding their emplacements and 155mm raining down on them.

I have a super secret way to get emails to you, so I’ll keep you posted as long as that lasts. I also have pictures, but need to get them off my camera. Gotta go.

Day 2:

CH daredevil and I have been out and about doing prayers and such with all the various units. Moral is high as can be, I think the guys are just stoked to be a part of something big. Especially the new guys who were not around for OIF1. The old timers seem a bit more apprehensive. This is not going to be like OIF in the least bit.

I got to watch one of our platoons doing alive fire with Javalins today. Those things make me think of bottel rockets for some reason.

Oh crap, CH DD just walked in, we are going to a media black out. Not sure when I’ll have access to email again.

It’s a go man. I’ll email you once I have a chance.

I feel like Indiana Jones in the search for the holy grail… You know that scene with the old WWI tank. My chaplain is Dr. Jones Sr. and the BN XO is that absent minded professor.

Day 1b:

Hey man,

Hope the wife and kids are good. I’m going to shoot you emails as time permits. We are ramping up big time, so time is limited. I’ll do my best to keep you up to date.

News is not very easy to get here, even if we had time. So you may know more than me about what is about to happen, but I’ll give you play by play as it comes about.

So far we have moved out into BFE. I kid you not, no FOBits here! Just sand, dirt and more sand. The Chaplain they stuck me with cracks me up. Former infantry from the 82nd, he is having trouble remembering he’s not a trigger puller anymore. I suspect there is going to be a lot of adventure working with him.

We’ve had M1’s and Bradleys attached, so I don’t think our mission is staying local. There is a lot of hardware out here.

Man those things are cool. I would so much rather be in a Bradley than a Stryker for what we are about to do. But then again, they are slow and noisy. Still I love that 25mm when it fires. Oh well, guess I should have gone 19K or 11M in my youth instead of 11B.

More later, need sleep.

Day 1:

My buddy in Iraq has been sending me emails and I’m going to be posting them here as I get them. I’m scrubbing them for OPSEC stuff though, so as not to get him in trouble or anyone killed. He’s a chaplain assistant for an SBCT. It looks like his unit may be going into Syria soon!

So far what he’s told me is something big is going down, and soon.