I can't really talk about what happened yesterday. Not yet. I can't tell you anything more than you've already learned on CNN. Just know that yesterday, we suffered tragedy. Not the platoon, not the company, not the battalion, but the whole brigade. Five good men were killed, right inside my own sector, by a suicide car bomb. Four American soldiers and one Translator.
When my platoon arrived on the scene, the unit that was hit was just starting to recover bodies. The blast was tremendous. I found parts of the car bomb 200 meters away. The hole was a good eight feet deep. Our truck was thrown across the road... I'll spare you what happened to the bodies. God be with their families. I'll be able to comment on the significance to greater effect once the information is declassified. For now, just understand that we are all shaken and angry. We are taxing ourselves to maintain our composure when every ounce of our being is crying for retribution. The attack struck us to the core. We want vengeance. Nevertheless, 99 percent of this city had nothing to do with this. So we can't just vent our rage on the populace.
Such a damned waste.
Last night, the Standard Operating Procedure was out the window. We were busting down doors and inside the houses. I spent a good hour in a traffic circle, staring every driver/passenger in the face before letting them proceed. The new method, coordinating with our Iraqi counterparts and having them take the lead in the operation, was scrapped for the day. OUR men were dead. OUR men responded. Today was much the same; we saw two individuals on a rooftop holding what we initially assessed to be an AK-47. National Police in the area verified that none of their men were on that roof. So up we went, ready to engage, and our Iraqi counterparts could tag along if they wanted to. But we aren't waiting for them anymore. If they can't act on the target in time, we'll do it alone. That's fine by us. Because today I assess it as more important that we kill the enemy than build our partner's self-esteem.
Turned out that the AK-47 was just an unfortunately shaped piece of wood, and we scared the living daylights out of two young men who were trying to build a birdhouse for the pigeons on their roof. I felt a bit foolish. It would have been all right if they had been doing something shady. But coming up, weapons at the ready, and forcing two men to spend thirty minutes crouching with their hands up because we spotted them doing something ADORABLE? Embarrassing. Especially as I had to climb over a series of rooftops with a fire team to get to them. Not easy in all that body armor. Couple that with last night, when I dragged a different fire team through knee-deep open sewage to get them into a battle position in time, and I think they're actually getting reluctant to roll out with me.
So, as you may have noticed, I have internet. Kind of. This is a sluggish abomination, slouching towards an eventual connection, that will have to do until the wireless they promised comes online. But I can't really complain. The guys who came in the initial invasion certainly didn't have internet. Thus, my updates will be more frequent. I won't have to stockpile a month worth of entries before I post them. Expect a more regular update.
Hope is doing well, all things considered. She's having a time of it this term with her overloaded schedule. I told her not to, but God help her, she's just frolicsome like that. She's off debating today, so I'm missing contact with her, but this internet will make both of us much happier.
And a big shout out to my brother and sister-in-law. Tom and Alicia, thank you. The packages are great. The photos are great. The oatmeal is in hilarious quantities, and thank you for it... but extra credit for the jerky, the fruit/nut mix, and the CHILI SAUCE. Whoever told you about that (I imagine either Hope or the Marine in Alicia's family) was spot on. This is not a request for more chili sauce. I now have more than enough. But I am SO HAPPY about it. I've tried putting it on everything. Additionally, a big thank you to my own in-laws. Hope hates summer sausage, but as she grudgingly admits, I kind of like it. A lot. A guilty pleasure. And now I have the whole collection: cheese, condiments, sausage, and crackers. Let's face it. My life is actually pretty good right now. Minus the exploding and shooting stuff. But hey, what existence doesn't have its drawbacks?
I'll have more updates on the situation here once we are cleared to communicate. Everything else remains classified until further notice. Just know that everyone in Blue is safe and sound. Keep the families of the deceased in your prayers; they will need your support tonight. The tragic loss of life can only be answered by unwavering support for the poor souls who will be awakened in the dead of night and informed that their loved one made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of our country. May God watch over those families and may the dead find peace in His infinite Grace. May the country they died for know of their character, their bravery, and their final sacrifice. And may we never have another day like this.
