So, here’s the update on that story of the contractor calling his U.S. army convoy security cowards.  I’m not really sure why I’ve become so inflammed by his allegations (that the U.S. army vehicles abandoned the convoy… leaving 3 contractors dead).

This article seems more like the truth to me:

Convoy leader details Iraqi ambush

As many as 100 to 150 Iraqi insurgents attacked a supply convoy escorted by Virginia Army National Guard soldiers last year, the convoy commander estimates.

[…]

Hand grenades, gunfire from AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades rained down on the convoy from rooftops, garages, bushes and culverts along the narrow, quarter-mile-long “kill zone,” Herron said.      

The fire was so heavy that the Virginia gunners were firing back with automatic weapons in both hands, he said.

Three American contractor drivers died and three others were wounded in the attack on Sept. 20, 2005, as was one of Herron’s soldiers from the Guard’s 1173rd Transportation Company.

[…]

ABC News obtained a videotape showing Herron’s Humvee racing away after insurgents opened fire and disabled four Halliburton trucks.

“I do not know who the driver was of that Humvee, but he abandoned us,” civilian driver Preston Wheeler of Mena, Ark., who taped the footage, told ABC News.

[…]

The convoy was made up of 12 trucks from contractor KBR, part of the Halliburton company. Fifteen Virginia soldiers 14 men and one woman — riding in five armed and armored Army vehicles escorted the KBR trucks.

Misled by an error on their maps, the convoy turned into the village of Ad Duluiyah in the dangerous Sunni Triangle, according to Capt. Michael Waterman of Virginia Beach, who commanded the 1173rd in Iraq.

Herron, a mechanic with the National Guard in his civilian life, said: “We’re trained, after the initial enemy attack, to push right through. As quickly as you can, get everybody through and . . . return fire on that enemy. That’s what we did.”

(That’s exactly what I said!!)

Overturned tractor-trailers blocked the way for most of the convoy, including two of the Army guntrucks, which were behind Wheeler’s truck, Army officials said.

“They held off the insurgents the whole time,” Waterman said. “What was going on behind Mr. Wheeler was not depicted on the video.”

Herron’s gunner — Spc. Ryan Totten of Sugar Grove — on top of the Humvee was shot through the arm, but Totten continued to shoot back with his .50-caliber heavy machine gun.

At their “rally point” just out of the kill zone, Herron said he immediately sent one of his Humvees back to the ambush site to help protect the trapped drivers.

[…]

A Virginia Guardsman got Wheeler, who was wounded, into one of the Humvees and carried him to the rally point where he was evacuated by helicopter, Waterman said.

An Army investigation of the incident said the soldiers acted bravely and properly, an Army statement said. Complete Article Here.

You see.  This is exactly how facts get twisted in the media.  They tell themselves, “This back woods contractor with the one sided video must be showing the whole truth!  Let’s air it without checking our stories, shall we?  I mean, c’mon, the American public drools over anything remotely scandalous.  It’ll be great for our ratings!”

Way to screw the National Guard soldiers, ABC News.

Popularity: 82% [?]

Report: U.S. troops fled Iraq attack

NEW YORK, Sept. 28 (UPI) — A civilian contractor driving a truck in Iraq for the Halliburton company claims a U.S. military guard sped away from his convoy when it came under fire.

[…]

He said the lead armored personnel carrier was from the Virginia National Guard, and took a wrong turn into an area known for insurgent activity outside the town of Balad, northwest of Baghdad.

Wheeler’s videotape allegedly shows the carrier racing away at high speed after four civilian trucks had been disabled and the shootings.

“To me, they was murdered,” Wheeler told ABC.

Officials at the Pentagon had no comment on the allegations and a spokesman Halliburton declined to discuss Wheeler’s accusations and tape, ABC News said. Complete article here.
 

This story is quite hard for me to believe…. that a U.S. Army convoy escort would just abandon what they’re here to protect.  I find it almost preposterous.

During convoy training they tell us over and over again:  “When in direct contact with enemy fire, drive through it!  Do not stop!”  In essence they say, Put the Pedal to the Metal!  To stop during direct fire would make the convoy a sitting duck. 

Did the U.S. vehicles react the way they were trained to react?  Did the Halliburton vehicles relay to the lead vehicles that they were disabled?  Didn’t they have a radio on board?  Did the U.S. vehicles take direct hits too? And why aren’t officials saying anything!?

Popularity: 29% [?]

This entry is kind of a roll up of the last week. Everything and nothing seems to have happened and I’m gonna try and touch upon each one briefly. (Mostly for documentations sake.)

For starters my birthday was on the 21st. Woop-de-doo! I didn’t expect much seeing as how I’m way out here in Iraq. Then again, I don’t expect much no matter where I’m at. Birthdays are nice and all, but age is just a number. Not to mention I honestly didn’t do much work to be in this world. I think we’ve got the whole birthday celebration backwards. Instead of honoring the person who was born on that day, I think we should celebrate the parents who brought us into the world. The mother is the one who suffered in order to give us breath. She is the one who felt the pain and joy and amazement at seeing something that began within her grow into an independent person. Moms are so amazing. I honor every single one of them. Especially my own. And with that being said:

For my birthday, my Mom devised a Birthday Card Shower. She dug into her book of addresses and sent out a postcard announcing my birthday. She asked everyone to send me a card out in Iraq. My grandmother caught wind of it and followed suit as well. And let me tell you! The mail that came in certainly was a shower! In the last week I’ve gotten over 70 cards and letters from all over the country. (And one from Canada.) They’re still trickling in and I’m wondering if I’ll be able to write ‘Thank You’ letters to them all before I go home! Plus I got a box of presents from my Dad & Step-mom (which, I’m told, my Dad wrapped all the gifts himself. Impressive!), Grandparents, friends, etc. Everyone really pulled through for me and made the day feel a bit more special than the other ones behind me.

Back in Iraq, we had two sand storms on my birthday; one in the morning and one in the evening. I walked into my room to blue skies and sunshine and walked out 30 minutes later to an orange fog. Overall, a pretty spectacular birthday.

Today, August 25th, is my ETS date. That just means it’s the official day that my contract ends with the military. On August 25th, 2000, I raised my hand and swore into the U.S. Army. I swore in with a friend who enlisted at the same time. We said our oath separately than the rest of the bunch because everyone else was going into the full time regular Army. At one point in repeating the National Guard oath, N and I started mumbling a line because we couldn’t understand what the officer wanted us to repeat. We both looked at each other with our right hands still raised and got a fit of giggles which in turn made the officer giggle too. I’m sure he was thinking, “Great. Two more crack heads enlisting in the National Guard.”

At that time, a National Guard unit hadn’t been activated for a war since Vietnam or something (and even then, the Guard was considered a way to GET OUT of Vietnam. ah hem…Bush). Units were barely even used for stateside emergencies when I enlisted (which is the primary purpose of the National Guard) and I had zero worry about actually doing anything important. I had just turned 21.

Of course now that my ETS date has finally arrived, it doesn’t mean that I can go home now. I had to sign an involuntary extension form that basically says that the military is forced to hold me past my original contract. And the date they arbitrarily decided to extend me to? (Because they couldn’t determine how long I would be staying in Iraq)… December 31, 2031. Yep. You read that right! BUT they assured me (in their most sincere Army voice) that it would be changed to a much earlier date once I returned from Iraq. Whew! What a relief! Cause the Army never lies, right? Oh and I got a $17 pay raise on my check for having 6 years in service. With a pay raise like that, the last 6 years make it all seem worth it!! Ha.

Moving on.

Three days ago our civilian computer guys told us they needed to fix the internet we use to check our e-mail. They then proceeded to take apart the satellite and give a piece of it to another group out here. We can only assume that they’re making a little extra cash on the side. Another unit is most likely paying them for their services. We, of course, were not paying them out of our own pockets because it was being used for military purposes. Even though the service isnt supposed to be shut down for another month, they just decided to take it away from us early. And until proven otherwise, I can only assume it’s for a fatter pocket.

Oh, did I mention they’re making a six figure income already???

It’s all total civilian B.S. The contractors that come out here are all just looking to make as much money as possible. They don’t care who they screw over. They don’t care how they make it. It’s war profiteering at its finest and I’m really sick of seeing them push soldiers out of the way at the chow hall (while stuffing as much food into their pockets as possible) or complain about not getting FREE medical service fast enough. I hate that they can get into our Post Exchange and feel no remorse for taking the last of something. I think it sucks that they roll around post in their new SUVs with tinted windows (all for free of course) cutting soldiers off that are trying to walk across the street. I see people like that and think of how much little character they have and hate the fact that American society breeds people to be entrepreneurs without remorse.

So, with much begging and pleading on our part our computer guys finally came through for us 30 minutes ago. They begged/stole/borrowed another satellite head for us. Thus, this new blog being posted while I’m sitting at my desk “working”. I can’t go so far as to say all the contractors out here are bad or greedy. But I’ve certainly seen enough of their crap to have a bad taste in my mouth from the experience.

And a little side note before I conclude. One of our soldiers was awarded the Bronze Star last weekend. He was one of the medics chosen to ride in convoys all over Iraq. He told me he logged something like 6000 miles cruising around the country. Congrats to him!

Popularity: 26% [?]