A Line In The Sand

Updates

Sometime about a week and half ago I was sitting in the chow hall when all of the sudden I felt an extreme wind of fatigue force me to finish up my meal and head back to the tent. I definitely felt like something was wrong so I decided to go right to bed and catch up on some sleep. By the time I had woken up that night at 2300 to get ready for my shift at midnight, I felt absolutely terrible. As soon as I sat up in bed, I had one of those coughs that make it sound as if you are doing irreparable damage to your lungs, and my nose simply would not stop running. Up until I had woken up, I had a feeling I was going to get sick, but kept denying that it would happen. After all this time in theater, I had yet to even catch a cold and I was hoping I could go the entire year without catching anything. Little did I know, all those times I had looked at the other soldiers who were sick for a day or so out here were accumulating to inflict on me a horrible combination of cold, flu and sinus infection.

In the Army, any ailment you have will generally be treated with one of three methods. First and foremost of the traditional military medicinal aids is water. You learn this in Basic Training, and it almost becomes a bit of joke. I can still remember the Drill Sergeant saying, “Privates! If you get a headache, make sure you drink water. If you are feeling sick and like you can’t go on, make sure you drink water. If you’re on a road march and fall down and break your leg, suck it up and drive on. You’ll be fine if you just drink water.” So all night on shift, that’s what I did, I drank water and did my best to stay focused and not fall asleep, but by morning I was definitely in bad shape. When you’re sick here on my camp, you can go to the TMC for sick call and receive whatever help you may need. Like most soldiers, I have an aversion to sick call. For some reason, it just seems like a restraint on your manhood, a foolhardy way to prove you can put up with anything. My NCOIC wanted me to go though, so I did, and it was there I received the two Army prescriptions for getting over any ailment, Motrin/Tylenol and Sudafed.

For nearly eight straight days I felt just about as sick as I ever have, and found myself sleeping nearly every second that I wasn’t on duty. There was only one time in my life where I felt as fatigued and sick as I did the last few weeks. Early in college, I think it was my sophomore year, I was working 2 jobs and enrolled in 21 units and found myself sleeping at most 4-5 hours everyday. As a result of the strain, I came down with mono and it took me nearly three months to get over it. At one point, I began to wonder if that was what I had again, but thankfully, about the time those thoughts started, I began getting better. I still have the remnants of the perfect storm that wreaked havoc on my body, but I feel like a new man today compared to how it’s been the last week or so.

Feeling better couldn’t have come at a better time either. Our contingent found out a few days ago that we will be changing camps again. Even out here, it’s amazing how much you accumulate. All the CD’s and books I have ordered off Amazon, and even more important to me, the letters and packages I’ve received from so many of you, forced me to purchase another storage trunk a while ago. I consolidated a lot of the things I know I wouldn’t need the rest of this deployment, and packed up the books I’ve already read, and sent them home yesterday. No matter where you are, moving is not an enjoyable thing, and I’ve wanted to scale back on what I have out here for a while. Fortunately, this change of assignments allowed me to do just that.

We will be heading to a different camp to meet up with our company headquarters and then possibly moving back out to a different location. Of course, I can’t describe the purpose of these movements or why they are occurring, but it is all part of a changing plan for our battalion for communications operations here in theater. I can say that our company and our individual contingents have apparently done a great job because the level of responsibility we will be undertaking in the new assignments will actually be quite impressive. In all honesty, I am not looking forward to moving. I’ve done the one thing you should never do on a deployment, I got comfortable where I was. I really like the camp I’ve been working at, the other soldiers I’ve met, and the team we’ve been working with. Change had to come at some point though, and I guess we knew we would be moving again. It may sound strange, but I am already becoming kind of nostalgic for the places where I’ve worked and the people I’ve worked with from other units. I’m really gonna miss this patch of the desert that’s been my home the last 5 ½ months.

Hopefully I’ll be able to keep a good pace on blogging for a little while again. It may be kind of difficult considering the upcoming changes, but I’ll be sure to keep you all updated. I should have a bunch of new pictures to be adding to documenting the latest phase in our lives here. Also, I am going to try and catch up on my e-mails. I haven’t been ignoring all of you, I was just feeling so sick for a while I didn’t check my mail. Oh yeah, and I’ll try and call you soon Mom and Dad!

Gradualist vs. Confrontationalist

As David Brooks points out in the New York Times today, there is really only two approaches to dealing with the insurgency in Iraq, the gradualist approach and the confrontationalist approach. For some time, I have wrestled with which approach I would be inclined to take if I were President Bush. After some deliberation and careful consideration, I believe I am forced to agree with Mr. Books that the gradualist approach is our best hope of attaining a longterm stability in Iraq.

"The gradualists clearly have the upper hand within the Bush administration. When administration officials talk about Iraq, they emphasize that this is a deliberate process, leading to elections in January but continuing long after. But when pressed, they tend to search for some compromise approach, emphasizing political solutions in places like Sadr City and the military approach in Falluja.

It's depressing to realize how strong the case against each option is. But the weight of the argument is on the gradualist side. That's mostly because people like Ayad Allawi deserve a chance to succeed. These people in the interim government are scorned as stooges and U.S. puppets, but they're risking and sometimes giving their lives for their country. Let's take the time to give them a shot."

Rallying Around The Buring American Flag

Like many of you, I saw the comments posted by reader Alter Ego yesterday. I don’t always have the opportunity to read comments thoroughly but had some time this morning and was surprised to see them there. As most of you know by now, I am very fair to those who dissent and am more than willing to engage in conversations and discussions on these issues. My 23 years on this earth have continually showed me how much more I need to learn. I do feel the need however to refute the claims written yesterday, and to wholeheartedly disagree with AE’s assertions.

For the most part, American’s respect their soldiers, and regardless of how they feel about the politicians that place them in dangerous situations, the soldier in our post Vietnam era rarely takes criticism for simply doing the job their country has called them to do. Although some of my readers may not support the war, they still love the men and women who volunteer to defend them. When folks begin throwing the word murderer at the American soldiers, the reaction is generally one of disbelief. The US has an imperfect history of times of great cruelty, the story of the Native Americans and America‘s slave trade will forever haunt the pages of history, regardless of how much we have accomplished. I agree that we should never forget when our nation faltered and failed to live up to the ideals established by the Framers in the Declaration. In many ways, it hasn’t been until recent American history where we have even begun to implement the ideals adopted by the original 13 colonies on July 4, 1776. However, I also feel that we have worked as a society to correct our wrongs and ensure that they will never happen again. World history has been a story of ever increasing freedom and opportunity, led by American soldiers and Presidents of both parties, with values of human rights being championed by American NGO’s, national leaders and administrations. Additionally, no nation has done more than the United States to bring aid and human rights to the world. We are by no means perfect and we must still answer for grave wrongs we commit. On the whole however, say what you will about the American soldier, as for me, I know the reality. We live in an imperfect world where life can be nasty, brutish and short. No Leviathan can make the world a safe place and guarantee all pursuits of life and liberty are protected. However, I believe that the American model, the model which has flourished around the world and provided more people with better lives than Marxism or feudalism was ever able to, is better than any of the alternatives.

I will not admit that every life lost in Iraq has been a tragedy in the way AE did. Those terrorists and insurgents who deliberately kill innocent Iraqi’s, who place their cross hairs at American soldiers and who willfully torture and behead the innocent deserve to die. I have no sorrow for them and support the brave forces whose role it is to find them and kill them. And yet, my heart does bleed for the innocents lost on both sides. For the American soldiers sent into action to bring stability to the people of Iraq and never return, they are heroes of the highest order. For the innocent Iraqi who’s killed, who is a father or child or mother to someone else in the country and who never wanted anything but peace, I feel as all humans ought to feel. The death of those people who’s lives were cut short and who’s families must live with the tragedy is heart wrenching. I wish there was a way to avoid it, I wish it didn’t have to happen. The fact is though, their nation is now in a state of serious crisis, and the only hope is the Coalition soldier and the Iraqi defense forces. I pray for all of them everyday. The difference from the vehemently anti-American crowd that uses the veil of human rights, and those who truly want the bst for the people of Iraq is this: I want to see as few people die as possible and want stability for the whole country. The aforementioned crowd yearns for mounting American and Coalition casualties, greater unrest and international humiliation, with the belief that America will be humbled and defeated. The difference is, I really do value life above politics, sadly the same can not be said for those who rally around the burning American flag.

Chemical Weapons Used In Darfur

I have been following the crisis in Darfur intently for several months. I am part of a group that monitors news pertaining to international law and the ICC and includes contributors from three continents and five countries. Although we remain anonymous within the report because of its non-partisan nature, I wanted to bring it to your attention today. Over the last few weeks, we have been increasingly writing about Darfur because it will ultimately be an issue that will be dealt with by the international community, both through humanitarian aid and ultimately either the ICC or an International Criminal Tribunal. While reading today, I saw a striking article in Channel News Asia, originally printed in Germany, that implicates Syria with the Sudanese government in testing chemical weapons on the people of the Darfur region. Although I have seen relatively sparse coverage of the situation in other media so far, I imagine this will become major news if it pans out. All of us have heard the theories written about in news reports that Saddam's WMD program was disassembled and transferred to Syria and/or the Beka Valley in Lebanon. The US had expressed in the past, its belief that Sudan also was working to develop such a program. The teamwork of terror apparently at work, combined with the gruesome situation in both Darfur and Southern Sudan where an active slave trade still exists, makes Bashir's government a truly horrific regime. I sincerely hope the "international community" gets serious in the coming days to end the suffering of the Africans of Darfur. To learn more about the Darfur crisis and review the latest news coming from the region, check out the ICC Report, iccreport.org.

319th Signal Battalion Article

The Sacramento Bee printed an article on the event I mentioned yesterday commemorating the 319th Signal Battalion. Check the link out here!

Here's an excerpt:

Sept. 11 is now a federal holiday called Patriot Day, and some other activities Saturday centered more on the troops stationed overseas than the anniversary of the attacks.

The 319th Signal Battalion, an Army Reserve unit based in Sacramento, was honored at Country Club Plaza. Nearly the entire unit has been deployed to Iraq and Kuwait.

"Our emphasis is on recognizing the families of soldiers," said Sgt. Jeremy Kingley. "Politics aside, people are making sacrifices, and that's what this is all about."

Families of the 319th gathered to share experiences, support one another and collect donations for Christmas care packages for the troops.

Rose Gutierrez, whose son David was deployed in March, drove from Atwater to meet fellow military moms.

"It is really hard for me, especially when he first left," she said. "He's not around for the holidays and family functions."

Inside the mall, there was a photo exhibit of the soldiers on duty and their families at home.

"Everybody is going; it's not if you're going to deploy but when," said Jim Akers, a chief warrant officer, who returned from Iraq in August.

Preparing For Deployments

Throughout my deployment here, I have periodically received e-mails from soldiers who had just been mobilized and had questions about the process and things they may need. Most soldiers in the reserves or guard have not been deployed before, and those who have probably experienced much different conditions than what we experience today. I received an e-mail a few days ago from one such soldier who requested I write about this in a blog and have the readers post any additional comments they may have. I want to stress that my experience is just that of one soldier, and different units certainly have different conditions they are forced to endure, but overall these will be some basic truths for anyone who will be arriving in theater. My priorities (besides the military necessities) were a few books, plenty of paper and pens and an mp3 player.

Toiletries
When we were mobilized last November, a letter circulated around my unit with a list of things we may need to bring. At that point in the war, conditions were not nearly as good as they are now and we were told to be pack as if we’d be there for a year. As a result most of my platoon loaded up our connex and boarded our plane after a mobilization period in Texas with far more than we actually needed. The toiletry products such as soap, shampoo and toothpaste were definitely in full supply those first few months, and we had no need to buy more until around June. Regardless of your camp, you should have sufficient access to the “everyday items” you may need. Aside from PX’s which are either in trailers or portable buildings, so many great folks back home have been diligent about sending care packages that most of the things you may need will already be here. Most items at the PX are generic though, so if you have a favorite shaving cream or something like that, you may want to pack a little extra of that. At my camp, we have something called the Sergeant Major’s General Store, which is basically just a small wooden shack full of surplus toiletries. If people get care packages and don’t need any of the items, they place the extra’s in there. As a result, there is a constant and steady supply of toothbrushes, q-tips and even sun block. For a while, we had a little problem getting insect repellent here or lotion for bug bites, but thanks to some of my readers, that was remedied very quickly. I would also recommend a little extra supply of things like Dayquil, allergy medicine, or Imodium AD and any extra medicines you may need. I also found it helpful to have something to help you get to sleep. My mom had sent out some Unisom a while back and that definitely helped, but one of the readers here pointed out that Benedryl actually works even better. You may be changing schedules a lot when you first get into theater, and if you‘re running 24 hour ops and alternating schedules, you may need a little help falling asleep from time to time.

Electronics
Of course I am in a Signal Unit, and we deal with computers all the time, but even outside of my unit most soldiers here have either a laptop or a portable DVD player. If you can afford it, I would recommend a laptop because it is far more versatile. I use mine for everything, from watching DVD’s in my free time, to blogging, to storing my music. I would recommend bringing some of your favorite DVD’s, but you can buy hajji copies here. The hajji movies are basically the latest theater releases on DVD that have been filmed with a video camera. Most of my contingent has probably seen everything that’s come out in the States as a major release within the last few months. I am also with a bunch of soldiers who are very computer savvy, and some of them packed away small routers. Sometimes in their extra time they network their laptops and play video games against each other. One of the things I did was put a few pictures on my computer before I deployed so I could see images of home when I was getting kind of homesick. Be sure you have a good case to keep it in, and even a large plastic Ziplock bag to wrap around it, to keep the sand out. I would also recommend a portable music player. Obviously, an Ipod or mp3 player is best, but an mp3 cd player with just a few cd’s works as well.

It depends on what camp you are at, but many places here don’t have 110 power. They generally have 220 to 110 converters at PX’s or you can by them from the hajji’s. I would also highly recommend a digital camera. You’ll have so many things you’ll want to take pictures of and having a laptop to load them on is extremely helpful. One other electronic item that a number of guys brought was a Gameboy Advance. You can buy the games over here at bazaars for pretty cheap (just make sure you test them first).

Personal/Finance
I would recommend bringing your banck/check card to use at the PX or to buy items at a bazaar. You may need to bring one or two checkbook’s as well. Most camps have a representative from finance that comes around once a week and you can write check’s to get cash if you need it.

In terms of calling home, most camps also have an AT&T phone center set up. You can purchase the AT&T phone cards from the PX shoppette. These phone centers will not let you use any other type of phone card. If you have access to a DSN phone, you may be able to make periodic MWR phone calls and these will accept any phone card if you do not have a local DSN number. Army regulations limit these calls to 15 minutes most of the time. In terms of internet usage, you will probably have access to a Cyber Zone internet café, or an MWR internet tent set up by the camp. The Cyber Zone’s charge about 5-6 dollars an hour and you can recharge the card you purchase with your Military Star card or cash. All of the one’s I’ve been to, (which isn’t that many) also have cable connections for you to use your laptop to get online with. The price per hour is still the same, but you get to use your own laptop.

It may also be important for you to keep copies of your military records. This also includes records of civilian education, military schooling diplomas, awards and certificates… While deployed, you will still have opportunities for promotion and you want to be sure you have everything you need so that there are no snags to getting promoted.

Miscellaneous
Be sure to check with your unit to see if they have any power tools they are bringing. You will probably want to build some furniture out of the scrap wood to make your living conditions more suitable. My dad’s company was able to donate a large amount of tools for us to use on the deployment and it turned out to be extremely beneficial. This is probably something you would want to coordinate as a unit though.

An item that I didn’t think to bring but that has helped me immensely is art supplies. I received a care package that contained water color pencils, a paintbrush, and some blank postcards to paint on. It has been a delightful hobby and is easy to bring along wherever you go.

Although it is starting to cool down, some things you’ll want for the hot weather would be a Misty Mate and a neck cloth. The Misty Mate is basically a water bottle that sprays a mist and helps you cool down immediately, and the neck cloths have some kind of gel inside of them that retains water and helps keep you cool. Although it is still warm, you will want to bring some poly-pro’s. CIF will probably issue them to you, but it doesn’t hurt to have a few extra things to keep you comfortable.

One final thing that I’ve enjoyed here, is the fact that you can order things off Amazon and other websites. I’ve been able to stay up on a lot of the music I like and books I want to read by ordering them once in a while. It takes a little while to get what you order, but it is still great.

Most of all though, do your best to keep a blog. It is the single best way to keep your morale high, to get things you’ve been thinking about off of your chest, and to meet some of the most wonderful patriots in our country and around the world.

Please feel free to add anything else below!

319th Signal Battalion Tribute

On September 11, the Sacramento area had a wonderful dedication to those of us deployed with the 319th Signal Battalion. As a "hometown unit", the Country Club Plaza Mall has dedicated a storefront to the unit, a place where family and friends can go to hang pictures and sign placards that will eventually find their way to us. My family drove up to Sacramento from Southern California to spend the day with the family members of other soldiers who are deployed, as well as meet up with soldiers in our rear detachment. My family had the chance to meet up with my longtime friends and mentors, Pat and Fred Hildebrand for what ended up being a wonderful trip for them. Some of the pictures you see here are ones that my parents took at the memorial.

Links to Check Out Today

Over the last few days I've been trying to point out some excellent sites that have been forwared to me or that I've come across. Below is another round-up of sites I hope you have a chance to check out:

As some of you know, I wrote about an idea I had for the military to adopt a blogger platform for soldiers to use on deployments. Mick Arran, a gentleman who reviewed my blog in the past, liked the idea and discussed it further. I invite you to read it here.

"Operation Sandbox started a year and half ago when my then 13 year old daughter wanted to do something to help show support. It quickly grew and is now nationwide!" Check em out at www.operationsandbox.com

"Adopt A Sniper at www.adoptasniper.org "provides stuff for sniper teams in Iraq and other military hot zones." This site focuses on getting equipment that is essential for the war fighters to accomplish their jobs. (thanks Romell for the tip!)

DVIDS Article on Soldier Blogs

The phenomenon of soldier blogs has now been discussed in major media outlets and throughout the blogosphere. This week we witnessed what happens when the tenacity of bloggers as media watchdogs creates a national controversy over a single document, and a major network is forced to investigate their own newsrooms. Clearly, the power of blogs has created a widespread ability for nearly anyone to convey their thoughts to a global audience. With that said, sblogs (soldier blogs) have been able to touch the hearts of countless Americans with the messages that sbloggers have to share. It has enabled the homefront to connect with real soldiers who are serving their country and have become links in the chain of history as defenders of freedom. The passages of history books are being written today by bloggers such as CB and The Questing Cat who document the fierce struggles they face on a daily basis in Iraq. The experiences of being a Reservist who has been mobilized and readied for war are being published as we speak by men like American Soldier and Steven Kiel. In the past few months, we have even witness the rise of sites like Bloggers for Freedom, dedicated to providing the public with a list of all the known soldier blogs on the web. I for one believe that in the coming years, the Army and other military branches will promote blogging and maybe even develop a Blogger style platform within the AKO service.

Specialist Blair Larsen, who is currently located in Mosul, has written an article on soldier blogs and it can be found here. I was fortunate enough to contribute to the story which was published via Army Public Affairs on DVIDS. The article takes a look at the blogs soldiers are writing while in theater and takes special interest in the security measures currently in place.

CLICK HERE FOR STRYKER BRIGADE NEWS
CLICK HERE FOR DVIDS, Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System (the original site of publication, requires registration) -

By Spc. Blair Larson

MOSUL, Iraq-- With an internet connection, Soldiers can send and post messages around the world. Instants after an event happens, the details can be transmitted back to family and friends in the form of emails and with new simple technology, can be posted in seconds on one of the web’s fastest growing trends, a weblog.

A weblog is a personal website that contains dated entries of personal opinions, thoughts and essays. Weblogs often feature links to news articles or other “blogs” on the internet. Blogs have become popular recently because of web services such as Blogger, which make blogging possible even for those who aren’t familiar with website administration

This new technology is becoming an alternative perspective to traditional news sources. With bloggers in every country, every conflict and from every walk of life, people can access online personal accounts of daily events in addition to news coverage. Soldiers’ blogs give the public a more personalized and realistic view of the military and help to educate the public on the Army’s mission here.

“Very few people can relate to the idealized image of perfection that comes in a GI Joe box, but everybody can relate to a 19-year-old Private who has a real life, and wife, and kids, one who suffers and complains and then saddles up anyway and gets the job done like soldiers always have,” said Soldier-blogger, Staff Sgt. Jack Robison, whose blog, “An American Soldier”, highlights his life as a basic training drill sergeant.

While phones aren’t always accessible in a combat zone, many Soldiers overseas have access to the internet through Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities. Weblogs are an alternative to emails for Soldiers to keep in touch with families and friends.

Through a weblog, Soldiers can post a running personal account of daily events that is always available for view. Soldiers can also receive and respond to comments from readers through the blog’s comments feature.

“At first, my blog was a way to keep my friends and family updated, but as folks outside my immediate family and friends began hearing about it, it grew rather quickly,” said Sgt. Chris Missick. “With more people reading it, I became much more cognizant of what it was I was writing.”

Just as blogs can provide family and friends with information, blogs can also provide an opportunity for the enemy to gain valuable information that can be used in future attacks. What may seem like innocent information could be valuable knowledge to someone who knows what they are looking for. Much of the information that is collected by terrorist organizations is a compilation of information gathered from unclassified sources.

Soldiers are representatives of the U.S. military and their words can be taken to reflect the views of the U.S. military. Something as simple as a negative comment, written in frustration, can be used by the enemy to portray the Multinational Forces in a bad light.

Because what is posted on a weblog is free to the public, it can be used by the media and quoted to represent the facts and opinions of the military. In this sense, the views of a disgruntled specialist could be published as the views of all servicemembers, putting the military in a bad light.

“I try not to divulge any information in my blog that I don’t have to. I know that things that seem innocent to most people could be put together by a skilled analyst and paint a bigger picture,” said Robison.

Subjects that are not acceptable to speak about on the phone or in letters or emails are also off limits to publishing on the web. There is currently no specific military policy regarding weblogs, but the Department of Defense lays out basic Operational Security guidance in its Directive 5205.2.

Some important areas of sensitivity in military situations are: military movements, activities, specific unit information and base security.

Specific times or dates of future operations or movements should never be disclosed. Even figures such as guard duty hours or specific work hours shouldn’t be discussed. The enemy, like a thief or robber, watches for patterns to learn when the best time to strike is.

The element of surprise is an important factor in many operations. The location of future or current operations should not be disclosed if the knowledge of this location could tip off the enemy to attack. If terrorists know there will be a raid in a specific neighborhood on a specific night, chances are they’re not going to be there.

Details about military activities can also be revealing. If a terrorist knows that “every time we raid a house we enter from the front door and we bring ten people…” or “when we go out on patrol we always leave at the same time and take the same route…” it could assist him in planning an attack.

Information about how base security is handled can help a terrorist to breach security for an attack on the base. Never disclose information about how many guards there are at the gate, the hours they usually perform vehicle searches, where the perimeter is the weakest or the location of weapons systems that are used to guard the gates to military bases.

Some bloggers have come up with suggestions about how to keep sensitive information out of their posts.

1st Lt. Jason Van Steenwyk served as the executive officer for a light infantry company in Iraq before he returned to the U.S. in March. His blog, “Countercolumn”, was seen by an average of 2000 people each day in January. His advice to other Soldiers who want to start blogging is to, “concentrate on how the war affects the people around you, and how those around you cope with fear, stress, boredom, loneliness and tell those stories honestly and you won’t violate OPSEC.”

As a communications specialist, Missick deals with Operational Security issues every day. He knows the consequences that can occur when information gets into the wrong hands.

“My one suggestion is to question everything you write. I look at every post and say to myself, does this put any soldiers’ lives or security at risk or does this reveal any information that would be beneficial to the enemy and does this portray the military in a negative light? If I ever have to answer yes to any of these questions, I simply won’t post it,” he said.

In addition to proofreading, leadership can offer suggestions and a second opinion when operational security is in question. A noncommissioned officer or officer in your chain of command can provide a more specific idea of what may or may not be sensitive information in your area of operation.

After reading his blog, Missick’s command set some basic rules and encouraged him to continue writing. “My commander said that my blog so far was great and gave me a list of items that I need to stay away from discussing. I have followed his suggestions thoroughly. From day one they never discouraged me from writing and said they felt it was beneficial for me and my readers.”

The Army has always encouraged Soldiers to write about their experiences as a way of dealing with the psychological impacts of war. Blogging can be a way for Soldiers to do this, as long as they keep operational security in mind.

“I think most soldiers, once they step back and look at the big picture, would understand the need for some moderation. I am proud of the Army and of my job, so I let that show in my writing,” said Robison.

Where Were You?

It is September 11, and I find it difficult to write exactly what I am feeling. The anxiety that we all experienced three years ago, and the haunts us still has changed millions of lives forever. Three years ago today, I had completed Basic Training, was in the middle of AIT, and had just headed back into the barracks after PT. The radio broadcast I listened to that day as I was getting ready to take a shower at 0900 haunts me to this day. The radio station that played modern rock was cooped by broadcasts talking about a plane that had just crashed into the World Trade Center. The exact details are extremely vague now, listening to the broadcast I felt like I was in a whirlwind of thoughts and fears and questions that no one had answers to. I remember standing in a room full of other soldiers who were listening as intently as I was, confused and frightened. All of us had come into the military at the start of that summer, and none of us expected that within a few years time we would have all spent time in either Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom, or both.

I am currently reading a short book, Defending Baltimore Against Enemy Attack, by Charles Osgood. It is the story of a single year in the life of a nine year old boy in 1944, and how the world existed before him. A major theme is the realism that radio brought into the homes of every American that year. In many ways, I could never have understood exactly what he meant if I hadn’t have been standing in that room with the other men who were also so new to Army life. We didn’t need to see the horrific images and video feeds of ground zero, we had it all in our minds already, spelled out before us with frightening descriptions of falling bodies and tumbling buildings. What was an unimaginable thought on September 10th was now a painful reality, and although none of the 10 or so soldiers I was with that morning had seen anything from CNN yet, the images were already being etched in our minds. I do remember the shock when I finally saw footage of the scenes from NY and DC later that day though. I couldn’t believe that the towers had completely collapsed. Even in my minds eye, the tragedy I expected to see at lest left shells of the buildings still extending towards the heavens. That was not the case, and before long we were all posted to guard duties or some sort of quick reaction force.

Today, most of us now live in with an ever present mindset that we are in a post September 11th world. This means something different for millions of Americans. For me and my family, it means having they have a son and a brother deployed to the Middle East. For thousands of Americans, it is the knowledge their loved one has lost their life, either to terrorism or in fighting terrorists. For millions of American’s, it is knowing that their nation is fighting two large wars on the other side of the world. Above anything, on this anniversary, we know that our lives are more temporary than we ever used to realize. Our country requires more sacrifice from more Americans than at any time in the last fifty years, and yet we promise the world, whether they work with us or not, that freedom is on the march, we will not be deterred and in this generational struggle we will succeed.

Please feel free to leave your own comments on 9/11 today.
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In an ongoing project over the next few days, I am creating a list of some great articles on 9/11:

Washington Post: The Day Before
National Review: How To Remember
National Review: Where Were You When...