Received by Soldiers' Angels from one of our adopted Heroes...Today marks our units 125th day in Iraq and the days are dwindling fast. The Marines here have been working hard to keep the flight line running and insurgents from planting road side bombs and various other tedious tasks.
I want to share a moment when a Marine from our unit really had a gut check and to tell you how serious road side bombs can be here. A SSgt here, now GySgt; was called to duty one evening for a possible roadside improvised explosive device (IED). The IED found was about 45 minutes drive from our base. Once on site the SSgt was unable to see with the night vision goggles any visible signs of buried munitions past were the unit that had called in the threat had showed our security the location of a presser switch. Approximately 75 to 85 feet away from the pressure switch the SSgt, on his hands and knees started to shuffle his hands slowly back and forth just under and over the top soil along the road. After nearly 60-65 feet the SSgt located the explosives that were buried in a shallow hole, just enough to not be spotted by passing convoys. The SSgt ran his hand the length of the round only to feel that the detonation cord was taped along the length of the round and that there may have possibly be munitions right under the very round he was feeling. After the discovery, the SSgt's team was able to dispose of the ordnance in a proper manner in which they have been trained. Once the ordinance was removed they later found out that if the SSgt had attempted to move the top round at all he would no longer be with us today. His courage that night meant the world to me and to my Marines. In his eyes he is just doing his job, in mine he saved someone's loved ones and or one or more of our own that night.
So when we say thanks for the support me mean it! After a night like this and then receiving packages and letters from the US, our day is brightened for that moment in time. As we all know; our days are numbered but our brother'en will stand in our shoes and carry forth the mission after we are long gone.
Thanks again....
RADIO REPORT —U.S. Army Capt. Chad Foster, from the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, delivers a situation report over the radio during an Air Assault raid on suspected insurgent sanctuaries in Mushahda, Iraq, June 23, 2006. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Larson
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