3/19/2005
Alright! Earlier in the week, I typed a long email that explained everything that has been happening. When I went to send it, it disappeared on me and all my work was lost! So, here we go again. Ding, ding, round 2!
We moved FOBs at the beginning of the month. We moved about two miles down the road to a place that was under construction at the time of the war. It was to be the Ba'ath Party Museum. On the grounds is a mausoleum that contains the founder of the Ba'ath Party founder. He is entombed upstairs on the main level, right in the middle of the 30 some foot dome. I live in the basement and my room is in a hallway that houses all the platoon sergeants and platoon leader. Since I am the 2nd platoon platoon sergeant, I took the second room. It happens to be the largest room of the three! I like it! It is only walls and they do not go all the way to the ceiling. It can be a little noisy when everyone is awake. At the end of our hall is a little enclosed patio. I move a soda cooler, like one at a store, out there and keep it pretty well stocked. We also have a patio that is under ground but open over head. There is a fountain there that is in the shape of the Ba'ath Party Star (8 point star). I am thinking of ways to turn it into a hot tub or something! There is also a shower out there but it has hardly any water pressure. I like the area.
The Transitional National Assembly (called the TNA- I didn't name it!), which is the newly elected 275 member government, met this past week on Wednesday. It was the first time that they have ever met together. It was at the convention center. About a week before the meeting, we my platoon, was assigned to take over the observation posts on top of the Al Rasheed Hotel. It was a premier hotel back in it's day. We have two locations on top of the hotel that has a LRAZ system. It is a infrared laser range and azimuth finder. I can locate targets about 4,000 meters out. Also, we have a JLENS system that is monitored from a room on the 14th floor. It has something like a 9,000 powered spotting scope. It can locate targets out to 21,000 meters. A lot of that has to do with how much haze or smoke is in the air. We are the eyes for the 4th brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division. We are responsible for reporting any fire fights, explosions, or anything out of the ordinary.
Our first big mission was the TNA becuase it is directly across the street from the hotel. I has worked midnight to noon a few days prior and the day of the meeting. Around 11:00a.m., there was a rocket impact near the Tomb of the Unknown, which is also in the area of the convention center. It landed 500 meters away from my location and only 100 meters behind an OP in the zoo, which is occupied by my unit too. Then, I heard three more "thumps," launches! That was probably the most nervous I have been since being over here! It is a shitty feeling being 160 feet in the air and nowhere to go and know rockets or mortars are coming your way! Luckily for me, they landed about 700 meters away from me. They landed in another FOB and no one was injured or killed! Thankfully!
The deligates were sworn in and are planning to meet sometime next week so, we will get to do it all again!
My adopted family have been doing pretty well. I have not seen much of them, except for three of the sisters that work near the hotel. Two of them are losing their jobs on Monday because soldiers from the country of Georgia (over in the Russia area) are taking over the security at the hotel. The sisters speak English and Arabic and the Georgians speak only Russian. They now have to find a job somewhere else. We are doing what we can to help them out. I think they only get paid $600 per month but, that is a decent salary for them over here. Their mom considers me her son and kisses both of my cheeks when I come by. She asks her daughters everyday about me and if I am doing alright. She sent tea with one of them today. She is an adorable older lady and is about the height of my Mom (5'2"-sorry, Mom). Actually, the whole family is not much taller than that, it's funny to see them all togther.
Well, that is about it! I think the email is long enough. I will be adding pictures as soon as we get our satellite internet system. It will upload quicker than this system and I do not have to pay for it. This one, I have to pay $2 per hour. Hope all is well with everyone and everyone is doing alright? Talk to everyone soon! Thanks for all the support, prayers, and mail. Be safe!
Matt Cousins
SSG, INF
Staying Low, Checking 6!
2/13/2005
5/27/2005
6/12/2005
7/06/2005
7/30/2005
Click Here to read Matt's next mail.