Insurgents or Terrorists?

I for one am getting tired of new organizations sugar coating the name of these ruthless barbarians. Why do they call these groups conducting suicide bombing and killing hostages insurgents? Why don't they just call them what they are? Terrorists plain and simple. Lets forget about the whole argument about whether there were terrorists in Iraq before the war. There seems to be a real fundamental problem in the middle east. These people frustrate the hell out of me, it's like they want to live in the dark ages. Al-Jazeera is very guilty I think of trying to glamorize this terrible movement going on inside Iraq. Other news organizations need to grab their balls and not worry about controversy and call these animals what they really are. I also think it is shameful for people to use the argument these people have the right to resist. Since when is Resistance setting up a check point, kidding napping everyday normal Iraqis and then forcing them to dig their own graves and then executing them. Since when is Resistance putting a thousand pounds of explosives in a car and blowing yourself up in a crowd hoping to kill as many people as possible resistance? Since when is holding hostages for a complete false reason like women being in US guarded prisons resistance? This really upsets me about people, because they are against the war, they can't see past how wrong and horrible these acts of terrorism is. If you call this resistance, I think you need to get your head examined, because all of these is painfully obvious to terrorize Iraqis and stop the political process going on in Iraq. It is so ignorant that people can sit there and say they have the right to resist. How the hell can you call this terrorism resistance????? These people are Terrorists, they are not "insurgents" or "freedom fighters" or any other kinds of words used to glamorize them, they are TERRORISTS plain and simple.

EIB Lost Forever

Yesterday, was a huge upset for me. I lost the chance to get a EIB forever. The way EIB is earned, is you must complete at 12 mile road march within 3 hours. You have to find 3 points in the woods on a map using nothing but a map, pro-tracter and compase. You must also find 3 points in the dark in the woods only using a compass, no flash light. Once that is done, you have to do tests were you get a "no-go" or a "go" if you pass them. Each has their own standards, such as putting a machine gun together in a certian amount of time in an exact order. Each station has a different Infantryman's task, call for fire in under 3 minutes, shift from known point in 30 seconds, plotting a grid point on a map in 1 minute, clear/assemble/disassemble/functions check on a m249 SAW in 3 minutes. There are about 30 different tasks all together out of around 20 stations. We had 3 days to do all this testing, and I was blade running with 2 no-goes (If I got one more no-go I would be kicked out of EIB). On the second to the VERY last station I had, I got a no-go on the m240 Bravo machinegun. I forgot to put the weapon back on safe before loading it. A really dumb mistake! I couldn't believe it. I was out of the EIB, after knowing for SURE that I was going to be one of 10 guys out of 100 who was going to get it. The 240 is supposed to be an easy station, I only had plotting a grid and identify terrain features, which is also a really easy station. I messed it all up on the damn M240. I can never get it now, since I have less than a year left, and by the time EIB starts up again I will either be overseas in Iraq or I will be home and out of the service. I already have the CIB, which you must earn by being in combat for 30 days. It is probably the most important badge you can earn as a Infantryman, but I'm still very upset about not getting my EIB after being sooooo close to getting it.

Remembering September 11

Yesterday was the anniversary of that horrible day. I watched some of it on tv, about what was going on at the WTC site to remember that day. Watching some of the family members call off their loved ones name, it got me choked up a few times. It's funny how you think you have moved on, but when they have this anniversary, you realize it's still very much apart of you. I remember telling my buddy in the year 2000 when we were in Florida and our spy plane crash landed within China territory. I told my friend and my family right there, that if we went to war, I would join the Army to go fight for my country. For several reasons I wanted to join when a major conflict took place with the USA being involved was, I didn't want to have kids in the future and not tell then that I didn't serve when there was a major conflict. I was fascinated with the brotherhood of men-in-arms, it was like a second family, I wanted to have something like that. I was also very very patriotic. I said it with the thought back in my head that I would probably never have to join the military at all.

Until, when I was sleeping one day, the phone was ringing and ringing for about 15 minutes. I kept laying down and ignoring it. Until, my sister's friend who was staying the night over ran out of her room and picked up the phone. I remembered her saying "oh my god" and then yelled at my sister to turn the TV on. So, I quickly got out of bed too, interested in what was going on and saw one tower in flames. My first reaction, was some idiot pilot probably flew into the building. Then, before my very eyes, a few moments later, LIVE on TV, I saw the other plane hit the other tower. This took me by complete surprise, I knew this was an attack by terrorists.

I felt empty, because I wasn't able to help those people at the World Trade Center. I was far away, at my home in Michigan. I needed to help in some way, I wanted to go and fight the terrorist fuckers that attacked our nation. In March, I joined the US Army, as an Infantryman. I went to Basic training and got out in July. I was sent to the 10th Mountain Division, one of the best trained and most disciplined units in the Army, because they are one of the most deployed units. I was happy, because the 10th Mountain was already in Afghanistan. I wanted to goto war with the best, and feel like I was helping by preventing what happened on Sept 11 from ever happening again by fighting and killing those responsible. Around 8 months later, I found myself going to war with Iraq in March. I was finally going to be apart of what I was defending my country. I was finally going to get my chance to fight terrorism.

Now, after watching on TV. Having a combat infantry badge, stating that I have been in Combat for over a month. I helped busted as many as 3 terror cells in Iraq with links to Al-qaeda, and freeing 20+ million people from a ruthless dictator. I still watch TV about September 11 and I still feel empty and have no done enough for those people.

A Honost Days Work

Yesterday we had the grueling 12 mile road march that had to be completed in 3 hours. It was a perfect day for it too, cloudy and a nice breeze and relatively cool. I came in 7th place out of about 80 guys. I felt really good about myself, but my legs and hips were very sore, surprising my feet didn't hurt too much. I didn't try to race to beat everyone, because there isn't really any point to it, I just wanted to make sure that I would make it for sure. Now, all there is left to do for EIB is to run through the testing lanes, and I'll get my Expert Infantry Badge. Once I get it, I will never have to worry about a 12 mile road march that has to be done so quickly. I am so looking forward to getting it pinned on.

For laybour day my Mom, Sister, Cousin and his Fiance came to post, picked me up and we immediately went to New York City. It was my first time being there. I was quite impressed with what the city looked out from outside, just a big island full of sky scrapers. We did alot of walking around and went up the Empire State building and looked around, even where the Twin Towers once stood. It made it seem that much more real what happened that day. It made me very sad to see that, but it also gave me strength in feeling that it is my job to help keep this from ever happening again.

We even got to see the FDNY in action, a bunch of people were taking pictures, I guess the admiration for those fire fighters is still very alive in the city today. My cousin said I should go and be NYPD or FDNY. Fuck that, I already know what it's like to be over-worked and under-paid.

What also surprised me alot in NYC is to see all the flags. There were still many many American flags hanging from buildings. Especially around Rockefeller Center.

I got upset when I would see one loser with a little board that said "Beat Bush." Usually when I see this on TV it doesn't bother me to see protestors, but to see it REAL and in my face, it really pissed me off. The funny thing is, he was passing around papers. I was wearing my Army shirt, and he skipped giving little paper filled with propaganda about how Bush lied while soldiers died, blah blah blah and whatever those ignorant fools like to print and show the world. He is still in my Chain of Command, and I still must respect him as such, because I am a professional and well trained soldier. Whether I agree or dont agree with his policies, and views, he is still my commander and I must respect that.

To Russia With Love

100 or so dead bodies were tragically found after raid by Russian commandos on a school. "Rebels" took control of a school and held teachers, parents and children hostage. This is one of the most cowardly acts of terrorism I can think of. I guess this sort stuff happens in Iraq too, but I can't confirm that of course. What kind of people would do something like this? These groups of rebels aren't showing any glorious causes, they just make themselves look like animals. This is a tragic day for Russia as I can tell, I think this will haunt them for a very long time. This doesn't help their cause at all. However, we have to accept the fact that war is a very dirty business. I wouldn't be surprised if more of this type of stuff happens in the future. It just sounds insane to me how these so called "rebels" which really are nothing more than terrorist thugs are going to win a war by taking hostage of parents and their children.