27-05-2003 09:33									#1
	Letter's from the front. Got spare money?

Hey everyone I just got a letter from one of my old Army buddies who's currently stationed in Baghdad. In an effort to keep my fellow poly tubbies informed as to what the soldiers are seeing on the ground I'm going to reprint it here. If anyone else has letters they'd like to share then please do so in this thread but first remove names, APOs, and other such stuff.

*NOTE* The stuff in parentheses was added by Oerdin.

quote: John (that's Oerdin to the rest of you) I have very limited resources to communicate, It will only get better with time. I am doing good. It took a long time to get to get to Baghdad from Kuwait.. 48 hours. It was a very long and interesting road trip to say the least. I am safe. The whole way here the Iraqi people are waving to us and giving thumbs up. So it is much better than perceived. I have had machine gun fire at us on the way over here, individual "pop shots", and seen oil fields engulfed in flames. I am going out on my "missions" everyday. I am living in old Iraqi Army barracks. So it is much better than a lot of the other guys. I don’t have electricity or running water. I wash out of a bucket and a cup. I have a cot that I sleep on and hard floors so it is not too bad. It is VERY hot here and been averaging in the mid 100s and will only get hotter. No AC. I sweet my butt off!! I have never drank so much water in my life. My mail is still going to Kuwait so effective immediately my address will be: (Address removed by Oerdin) This will be my address that goes directly to where my detachment is. I know you have been sending me stuff and it will get to me eventually. Keep sending it. This movement into Iraq puts even more of a delay into my mail system. I am sorry for not writing you but I will start now!!!! My moral is good. I am trying to pace myself. Mosquitos are biting me 5 times a day. They itch VERY bad too. I am taking daily malaria pills. I have a mosquito net up around my cot so I dont get ambushed at night by those bastards. I have hot chow once a day and then the other two meals are MRE. I am pretty safe. I am escorted my MPs and Scouts when I go out. I dont want to worry you but there are places that are still crazy here. I here shots fired here EVERYDAY. Especially at night. Its a good thing I dont have an agressive job like these Infantry guys. Those are the guys who arent liked. People like me. I have been inside several houses drinking soda and coffee. Places of Iraq are pretty organized but as Americans we have alot to do to improve their infrastucture. I would be surprised if it is complete by X-mas. We are working on it. The problem is that half of these areas of the country were not up and running prior to the war and now they are demanding an improvement. Thats our obligation and unfortunatly we owe it to them. I have not heard of a time when I will be coming home. Every single effort is being placed on getting the units that were in war out of here first. So when I hear something, I will let you know. Its stil going to be a while. Always, (Oerdin's friend's name)

	27-05-2003 09:42									#2
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whats his job if hes not infantry?

	27-05-2003 09:42									#3
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Cool! Is your friend an engineer?

	27-05-2003 09:43									#4
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Psyops. The same thing I was for six years and the fellow who wrote that letter was the SSG who was directly over me when we were in Kosovo together. He called me and asked me to reenlist and come with our old unit to Iraq when they shipped out three months ago but I'm afraid I declined to do that. Six years was enough for me.

	27-05-2003 09:44									#5
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Oh, that's right. I forgot you were in Psyops. Was he with you in Kosovo?

	27-05-2003 09:44									#6
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My cousin is out in Baghdad. He gets a house tho'.

	27-05-2003 09:45									#7
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forgive my ignorance, but whats psyops?

	27-05-2003 09:47									#8
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Psychological Operations. Propaganda, etc. aimed at the enemy

	27-05-2003 09:48									#9
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Psyops=Psychological Operations. We're the guys that design the leaflets, the radio broadcasts, the e-mails which were sent to senior Iraqi military personal, and other such stuff. Psyops has the job of convincing the enemy to do what we want them to do. It's was a fun job but very high stress sometimes.

	27-05-2003 09:49									#10
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no wonder the people like him

thats cool that you get mail from him, do keep sharing please

	27-05-2003 09:50									#11
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What would a Psyops guy do with his day now that it has turned mostly to peacekeeping?

	27-05-2003 09:53									#12
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I keep hoping Spraybar will stop by again and give us an update. He should be settled in on base in Iraq by now.

	27-05-2003 10:00									#13
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quote: Originally posted by DanS What would a Psyops guy do with his day now that it has turned mostly to peacekeeping?

The peace keeping side of Psyops turns into a public relations type mission where they go from town to town talking to the mayors and other important people, trying to make lists of what the towns need to survive, they pass out information about relief efforts, food & medicine distribution, they try to figure out intel regarding criminal acts and/or armed attacks. They assist in setting up radio & TV stations and newpapers who will agree to disseminate information for the allies; mostly stuff like "ell your kids not to play with UXO, if you know where a minefield is tell so and so and we'll get it cleaned up, a doctor will be visiting town X on this day. Things of that nature.

Mostly stuff like that.

	27-05-2003 20:36									#14
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Cool!

	27-05-2003 20:48									#15
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Thanks for posting that, Oerdin.

-Arrian