Hey all I'm not trying to be disrespectful or ask a stupid question if it seems like I am. I'm just trying to find out and know more so I can figure out how to be more helpful to those in, over there or back home and trying to re-adjust. There are movies, the media, and heresay but I'd rather have the truth and reality from those that have lived it. If you don't want to say that's understandable and I don't want to put security at risk but just thought I'd try to understand more so I can offer up whatever I can do to help. I've done other troop support work and even volunteered at the moving Vietnam wall a couple of years back in the Seattle area and each time I talk to someone I get a clearer picture of how it really is. It's not an easy thing to hear about, I must admit, but unless I join up or figure out another way to help I feel on the outside looking in without knowing what to do to support. Thanks for you service all and if you want to send me mail that works too . -Kim
Every day is like Groundhog day- Get up ,clean weapon, prep for Patrol, go out on Patrol, possibly shoot, possibly get shot at, do some good for the locals.
come back in, clear , clean weapons, re-fuel, Maintenance, de-Briefings, repeat as Neccessary for 12 to 16 months.
Originally posted by LineDoggie: Exhausting, mentally, physically, spiritually....
Every day is like Groundhog day- Get up ,clean weapon, prep for Patrol, go out on Patrol, possibly shoot, possibly get shot at, do some good for the locals.
come back in, clear , clean weapons, re-fuel, Maintenance, de-Briefings, repeat as Neccessary for 12 to 16 months.
yep.... Your no longer human. your a robot with no life.
Thanks for the insight. I don't think most civies have a clue. Well, I don't for one but I think it's important to know...so we don't take it for granted...the freedom and what you are all out there doing for us so we can be comfortable and safe. I feel guilty at times and don't know what I can do or what I do do will ever be enough for what you go through. All I can say is thanks I guess and try to be there for those that want a friend . I know you choose the job but for me it's important to remember that you are all human beyond your tasks of war and being a robot at times. When you come back to WA or if you are here already I'd be glad to buy you a meal and a bev if you'd like...just let me know. -Kim
I just got back from picking up a few things for a buddy over in the desert. I feel sad. It's hard to admit that things are really that rough over there and the few things that I pick up off the shelves to send just never seem enough.
Again, thanks all for what you do and if it's rough and you get discouraged just know that we here at home are thinking about you and waiting for your safe return .
So here's what I realized late last night as I was back and forth emailing with my buddy (in the desert) for a couple of hours over there. I'll never fully get it, but I don't think I'm supposed to. I can't know what it's like as I'm not walking in a soldier's boots, eating his/her chow, sleeping in their bed, dreaming their dreams, seeing/hearing/feeling what it's like to be at war, searching for the enemy, or getting shot at, etc. Each experience is different, as each person and war is no where alike. Even if I could know, would I be able to handle it...probably not. When I was working at the moving Vietnam wall a few years back it was tough. We were told to go up to each person, thank them for their service, and say "Welcome Home". Most of the time the Vets didn't come until dark, some for the first time, and on approach it felt so heavy and dense with emotion that I wanted to run away. It's hard to admit and acknowledge the things in life that aren't always pleasant. We live in America where we are shielded from so much of the hardships that go on in the rest of the world. There are people, you in the military, that make us feel safe and help with our freedoms. I will never know what it's like to be there or at any war...but that's ok. What I can do…is to listen when someone wants to tell, and take the hint that most times I'm not the one they will want to share with...because I wasn't there too and wouldn’t fully understand. But what I can do is say thanks, support when/where/how I can, appreciate what I've been given by the sacrifices of all of you, and not turn my back when you come home a different person than before…and maybe your personality or appearances or behaviors aren’t so pleasant as you’ve been to war. THANKS!!! -Kim
War... Humanities resolution to uncompromisable differences... History repeats it's self unnsecessarily, yet repeatedly...
I was a Sniper... Served in Iraq in 2004-2005 in the Al-Anbar province in Husaybuh on the Syrian border and my AO covered a good portion of the Euphrates river...
I wrote this after nutralizing my first hostile target...
To kill a man... Is to kill a part of yourself... Humanity... Like that man, that part of you stops breathing and dies... There is no resurection... Just a cold silent stillness... What is left is an anamalistic will to survive... And the memory...
There will be those who mock me here and say things about me... And they are not far off... However they know nothing of Honor... Or sacrifice...
Bravery... Is being the only one who knows your afraid...
The good tidings that the Sufi Message brings to the world is the recognition of the Divine in the soul of the human being. Humanity is one body, the whole of life being one in its source and in its goal, its beginning and its end.
If one could only see how marvelously, in the diversity of the conception of the Divine Ideal, wisdom has played its part, guiding the souls of all grades of evolution towards the same goal, which in the end becomes spiritual attainment!
Through all channels, wisdom must flow.
The Message is to make humans conscious of the words in the Bible, where it is said "We live and move and have our being in God", to realize this and recognize the kinship of humanity in the realization of God.
This is not the time to advance any particular sect, church, or belief. We have too many sects. They are only outer forms. The things that really matter are deeper.
— Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
I really didn't mean to highjack the thread... but I'll go nuts if I don't finish a point. Just a little anal idiosyncracy(sp?). Carry on Kim. LOL.
GOOD JOB Everyone!!! I think more than anything we can't forget those that have a hard time re-adjusting once they are at home. I may try to focus on that but I'm not sure how yet. It's easy to "support the troops" while at war, and so needed, but it's harder to do once they are back. Society doesn't want to acknowledge much that isn't perfect or no longer fits into a PC box. I'm just saying I want to reach out to the Vets that need some understanding for all the horrific things that they might have gone through. I'm not a trained professional, I wasn't there, nor can I truely know what it was like...but I am human and can be, should be, at least compassionate to those that were. THANKS ALL. -Kim
Thank you for your support. I know that we as Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen are thanked for what we do for our country. I appreciate the support. It actually goes a long way. That is why I feel the need to thank you as you thank us.
Thanks Jason. Today I found numbers for the VA in my area and Madigan Hospital at Ft. Lewis. I want to see if I can volunteer with the returning disabled vets as I think it's important not to forget and because it's the right thing to do...reaching out to others as you've done here with me . I also pin-pointed my first training dates for Search & Rescue and Coast Guard Auxilary...I'm really excited. I know this is a high goal but maybe someday I can do homeland security, search and rescue on a larger scale or detective work with the FBI. For now, I'm just doing the research so that one day I can try and make a difference. I don't want to just thank people, although it's important and will continue to do it...I also want to do my part, side by side, however I can. Hey my buddy was on the Blue Ridge...good ship from what he said . Thanks and take care! -Kim
Originally posted by M40A3USMC: War... Humanities resolution to uncompromisable differences... History repeats it's self unnsecessarily, yet repeatedly...
I was a Sniper... Served in Iraq in 2004-2005 in the Al-Anbar province in Husaybuh on the Syrian border and my AO covered a good portion of the Euphrates river...
I wrote this after nutralizing my first hostile target...
To kill a man... Is to kill a part of yourself... Humanity... Like that man, that part of you stops breathing and dies... There is no resurection... Just a cold silent stillness... What is left is an anamalistic will to survive... And the memory...
There will be those who mock me here and say things about me... And they are not far off... However they know nothing of Honor... Or sacrifice...
Bravery... Is being the only one who knows your afraid...
Simper Kill
Wow! Outstanding words.
It is hard to express what it does to you to kill and see the face or faces. Hard to deal with the experience of working the radio for a medivac while your other hand helps the medic hold a friend's partial jaw in place so he can tape it.
In 2003 on my first tour we had spend 7 month's trying to rebuild and operate a railhead op in AD DIWANIA(spelling not inforced on Iraqi towns). We had to work with and train such ones as the spainards, dominican republic, the Polish and mongolans and Iraqi's . (agian forgive the spelling on some of these names) makes for long painful day's when you dont speak their language and they dont speak your's and there's no translator's. But we made it through. Like Clint said in Heartbreak Ridge, Improvise, Adapt, Overcome...... In the end though the big wigs relized it wasnt going to work because you can secure the railhead all you want but you cant secure the other few hundred's of miles of track. They can't blow up the railhead they just go down the track and blow that. Alot of wasted time and effort but that's war for ya.
Sorry I forgot to answer the first question. what's it like there or being at war? mmmmmmmmm my answer is Very hot,alot of boredom interupted by brief moment's of terror. Then the worst of it all...........................The HOMESICKNESS kicks in!
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