Boxcar 66

With the conclusion of tonight’s Boxcar 66 mission, my 3-month rotation on night shift is now complete. Although the flying is not as challenging as the daytime, low-level tactics---night operations encompass the major thrust of the offensive war effort in Iraq.

The night tour has confirmed that real-life warriors do exist…Great strides are being made in dismantling a network of terror…The will to battle evil has not diminished.

The question remains---will the sacrifices made by our troops be in vain?

Next stop: Tennessee for a visit with my girls, whom I have not seen since Thanksgiving.

Water Survival

Every month the unit participates in a safety meeting to discuss current procedures and conduct training. With summer half over, this was the ideal time to review water survival techniques.

Although you wouldn’t expect it, Iraq contains several large lakes. Our tactical flight routes frequently require crews to over fly water for 5-10 minutes. In addition to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the following areas can appear as an oasis in the Iraqi desert;
Lake TharThar, located west of Balad, has a surface area of 1,316 miles (62 miles long by 21 miles wide).
Lake Habbaniyah, located south of the towns of Ramadi & Fallujah, has a surface area of 155 miles (10 miles long by 15 miles wide).
Lake Razzazah is located southeast of Baghdad and has a surface area of 888 miles (37 miles long by 24 miles wide).
Hamrin Reservoir, east of Bald near Baqubah, has a surface area of 89 miles.
Also, aircraft arrival procedures for Kuwait International Airport will route us over the Persian Gulf, followed by a descent over Kuwait City.

The training focused on how to survive if ditching the aircraft was the only option. So we jumped into the pool in our uniforms to practice removing our gear...the goal was to use our uniform as a flotation device by securing the limbs. We also refreshed on CPR and conducted a review of the items contained in our aircraft survival kits.

The training was concluded with a raft relay race…won by 2nd Squad. This photo captures the victorious squad members, as they meet with the media, following the awards ceremony :)
A special acknowledgement to PA Pat for organizing the event and then destroying all challengers in the individual freestyle competition…somehow he forgot to mention he was on the high school swim team---until after the wagers were placed.

A Fallen Brother

In memory of a fallen Brother In Arms, CW3 William "Tim" Flanigan, who died in Kandahar, Afghanistan on July 2 when his AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Offer prayers in support of his family and for members of my previous unit, Company R, 4th Squadron, 278th Armor Calvary Regiment…may they remain strong and courageous.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." Isiah 6:8

Independence Day

Upon hearing another version of the sentiment “I support the troops, but not the war”, the soldier replies with a cordial “Thank you for your support”… He refrains from a passionate explanation on how freedom is never free. How freedom has cost the blood of American fathers, sons, and now daughters. How freedom requires sacrifice and must be defended. How freedom in America is being taken for granted.

For in his heart, the soldier knows that only 1% of American families are making a sacrifice for the “Global War On Terror”. Americans are immune to the demands of war---no rationing of supplies, no war funding efforts and no requirement for citizens to serve our country in any capacity. After his courteous reply, the soldier is left to ponder if Americans have begun to think freedom is now free…is it truly possible to support the troops, but not the war being waged against our freedom.

On this post 9/11 Independence Day, we are honored to take our turn in carrying on the spirit of freedom, established by our forefather's and passed along through generations of American military service members. Our thoughts are with those who have served in times of peace, and gave their lives in times of war. On this 4th of July in Iraq, we celebrate the birth of two nations. “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling, which thinks that nothing is worth war, is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight--- nothing which is more important than his own personal safety---is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)