notes from Iraq

Another note from the front.  Thanks to Sgt. George E. Heath, 3/3 ACR 

The shake started slow; somewhere around his knees it was hard to tell at first he was so involved in the movie he was watching. After a couple more minutes the urge hit his head. Pause. The soldier got up threw on his hat and top and walked out of his room down the hall, down the stairs, makes a right turn and is outside. He fumbles around in his pocket for a pack of smokes and lighter. Whoosh, the urge starts to subside and he glances at his watch. "Damn, I'm not going to be able to finish my movie." Aggravated he finishes his cigarette in silence, and stubs it out on the barracks wall as he walks back to his room. The soldier passes his vehicle commander " You going to get the track?" He asks in a slightly annoyed voice. The soldier stutter steps just long enough to say "Roger", receive a nod and continue his move.  Opening his room door he sighs as he sees the paused movie and has to walk over and turn it off.

    He spins a slow circle in the 2-foot walkway through his room, checking to make sure his gear and items are ready for mission. Helmet, check, vest, check, armor, check, weapon, check, nods, check, water, check, jump bag, check, cold weather gear, check, extra smokes, check, working lighter, check, pen, check, paper, check, ID, check, tags, check, he sighs and mumbles, "ok".

    Grabbing his weapon he walks back out of his room turns left and goes down three doors and knocks. "Yup" comes the reply, the door swings open and his driver is ready to go as well. " Good your ready, lets go."

"Roger"

The two soldiers walk to the motorpool where all the vehicles are kept. It's about a ten-minute walk usually but the two soldiers step it out and drop it down to about 4 or 5.

The driver swings his hatch open and jumps in as the other soldier waits for him to drop ramp in the back. He gets in crawls up into the turret, and flicks on the power to his new home for the duration of the mission, vehicle gunner. 

   The gunner crawls out through the top of the turret and guides the vehicle out of the motorpool and jumps back in the turret. "Got me?” "roger" "Roll out"….  

They pull up to the barracks and stop. "Drop ramp,” The gunner says and the distinctive whine and thump of the ramp, lowering and hitting the ground.

The driver is fumbling around in his hole pulling out stuff for the Pre Combat Check/ Pre Combat Inspection (PCC/PCI), which occurs before every mission. He gathers up all the pertinent tools and paperwork that might be required should anything breakdown "outside the gate".

  The gunner begins his owns checks to ensure the vehicle will be ready to fire and engaged the enemy should they be stupid enough to show their ugly heads.

 From George W. Heath.

My son says these are not of much interest.  I disagree.  These are the things that we on the home front need to know.