|
A Soldier’s Story First Sgt. Robert Jennings |
See also: In the Military
Rocket attacks
mar relatively quiet
post-transfer daysThis week, we witnessed the first step for this country's new beginning, the transfer of power from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the Iraqi interim government. The transfer was supposed to take place on June 30, but instead was completed on the 28th. We had been getting reports of planned violence prior to the transfer, so the decision was made to hold the ceremony early with just a handful of people in attendance. All of us here hope this country can turn itself around and become self-sufficient in a short period of time. They have appointed some very capable people to get things started until the national elections in January.
Since the transfer it has been relatively quiet throughout the city. We increased our presence in the city to deter our hidden enemy from showing his face.
Yes, we have had the occasional burst of automatic fire or artillery rocket heard from the rooftop observation posts, but nothing out of the ordinary that would lead us to believe there was any sort of coordinated uprising or attack.
Spc. Omar Jaber takes time to visit with some Iraqi children at school.
28 Jun 2200 hours >> Two rockets are heard launching from the riverbed about 700 meters from the patrol base. One explosion is heard in the direction of the air base.The "rocket man" is back. There have been quite a few prisoners released from Abu Ghraib prison of the last few weeks, some from the Kirkuk area. Ever since the large release, we have seen spikes in violence across the country, leading some of us to believe they are at it again. Daytime rocket attacks have increased in our area over the past two or three weeks. No injuries because it skipped across the parking lot and down the street. We haven't seen daytime rocket attacks in some time.
In the upcoming weeks we hope to continue to work with local police and communities in cleaning the garbage back out of the street. We can only hope they are not able to inflict very many casualties along the way.
As we close in on the six-month mark of our deployment, it is time to reflect on the people that have supported and kept us informed on things back home.
Myrna Bein, mother of Spc. Charles Woolwine. She has been able to work through the pains of her son and still provide personal and medical information concerning our injured soldiers. Without your regular e-mails, we here in Iraq would have been guessing as to the condition of our comrades.
Barbara Sanders, wife of Spc. Kevin Sanders. She has spearheaded an organization that collects clothes and toys by donation. We have received more than 20 large boxes, which we try to evenly distribute throughout the city.
Sgt. Wes Cleland, rear detachment at Schofield for Alpha Company. He has volunteered much of his time to assisting family members back in Hawaii. He is also the go-to guy when we cannot handle an administrative situation from here. He will soon be departing for school and will be sorely missed by all of us.
And last but not least, all the veterans past and present. Because of your sacrifices, our country is the model of democracy.
So when you had your Fourth of July weekend barbecues, enjoying the freedoms that the men and women of this country have laid their lives down for, you could thank a veteran. Because of them, you have an Independence Day.
Jon Prehn, Vietnam veteran and close friend of mine who has been sick the last few months. Rest, recover and I'll see you when I return, old friend.
God Bless and Aloha
Due to e-mail problems, this week's "A Soldier's Story" did not arrive in time for publication yesterday.
1st Sgt. Robert Jennings is deployed in Iraq with 4,000 25 Infantry Division (Light) soldiers from Schofield Barracks. He writes a Sunday column for the Star-Bulletin that began Feb. 1, 2004. Jennings, a 20-year Army veteran, has been assigned to Fort Riley, Kan., Fort Campbell, Ky., Fort Lewis, Wash., and Camp Casey in South Korea. He is now on his second tour at Schofield Barracks. He has been deployed to Panama, Japan, Germany, Egypt and Thailand. As the first sergeant of Alpha Company, Jennings is in charge of 135 soldiers.
See the Columnists section for Jennings' earlier dispatches.
