News From Iraq!!!!

[jon_forward]

just recieved this from my bro, thought you all would like to hear the news...

News from the front, good news concerning waht the USMC did to protect
marines from IEDs.

Subject: FW: Marine SitRep from Iraq (Vehicle Hardening)


Story from the front lines.


Subject: Marine SitRep from Iraq


This is the first SitRep I've seen since the Marines arrived back in
Iraq.
We all pray it continues to go as well for them as their first taste of
combat this time around...

We arrived at Taqaddum yesterday. It took us a week to get here. The
trip
was uneventful until 11 March, when we spent the entire day running
through
a gauntlet of IEDs, (Improvised Explosive Devices). Four in all. These
were
big rounds, not soda cans. They were mortar rounds and 152/155 mm
artillery
rounds. Big explosions. I was inside the blast radius on the first one,
but
no scratches. By the Grace of God we have no casualties.

We put armored doors on all of our vehicles, and the reinforced glass
on the
windshields worked. I pulled golf ball size pieces of shrapnel out of
the
windshield that were stuck in it, but did not penetrate. Death came
knocking
at our door that day, but we denied him access. All of you need to be
aware
that the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force has up-armored all of it's
vehicles,
and it works. Myself and several other Marines are alive and uninjured
because the Marine Corps saw fit to protect our Marines. I am grateful
to
you all for spending the money. One of these IEDs was covered by small
arms
fire, that is they started shooting at us right after the bomb went
off.
They discovered quickly the fury of p***ed off Marines.


I will update again after I get settled.


Sergeant Major Dale W. Miller
3rd Bn, 24th Marines

 

[Annie]

Wow Jon, that was something. Well I'm glad to hear they are getting those trucks reinforced. I remember something a while back about a US company, steel I think, that was sending stuff to the troops to do on their own. Seems the Pentagon said that was a no-no; I'm pretty sure they caught a lot of flack for that.

When you write to your brother, tell him thanks for me.

 

[kcmcdonald]

you're brother is in the 1st MEF?
Where is he orginally bassed out of?
Any way good to hear that he avoided what have could been a tragedy. Keep up the good fight, and keep your head down.
OORAAHH!!

 

[sitarro]

:hail: :hail:

Jon ,
Sounds like your brother is one badass son of a lady , please pass on my thanks for the protection he and his buddies provide us all . They are all HEROES in my eyes and may God take care of them . Sergeant Major Dale W. Miller 's name has been added to my prayer list .
Thanks a lot Jon for sharing.

 

[5stringJeff]

Marines are some bad-ass mo-fo's.

Hope he continues to kick ass and take names!

 

[jon_forward]

Jeff, I am sure he will do as you ask. only as of May 15th approx.. he will be a retired Master gunny in the corps! 29 years and he is to the point of no more PT. I am not sure how he is going to react as the corps has been his life since High School. I think he is going to be a privite contractor to the military and continue to do the same job as before...NCB officer.

 

[kcmcdonald]

yeah man PT is a son-of-a-bitch. I hate doing that shit. My company C-O is a HORAH mother Fucker and some of the excersises he soes I'll never be able to do. But any way to get back tell you're brother thanks for his service and hope he keeps safe, hey ask him if he knows a Private(mabey?)A Flin, he's from minnesota. I think he's in the 1st MEF. I know it's a big unit but mabey he's in the same company or platoon? you never know!

 

[jon_forward]

what part of Minn? I just moved to tenn in aug from jackson.minn about 100 miles straight east of soiux falls ,SD. Yea, on the P-T shit. Bro said these gunho asses would smoke out of the shute and be way ahaed and giving my bro major grief, toward the end of the run they were all screaming as a 45 year old overweight huffing puffing ashmatic was passing bodys left and right. slow and steady do win most everytime. as for myself, I cant run, bum hips. I just point the barrel and watch the others run

 

[kcmcdonald]

minneapolis area, the kids from Eden Prarie. I grew up there until i moved to Montana to go to the University out here.