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by YankeeFan from SPB Florida

Last Post 1 day, 10 hours Ago


Ramadi... Who Knew ??
Apr 21, 2008 | 8:47 AM
Category: News
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Updates from the Marines of the 2/8

Friendfolks & Kinfolks,

 

Yes it has been a minute but I wanted to let everybody know that the Marines and I are doing well.  As it sits, we are getting close to that one-month out mark but even more work remains to be completed between now and the time we step off from Ramadi.  Much in the area has improved significantly since our last update: 

 

Ø The Iraqi Police(IP), close to 24,000-strong, are running IP-only patrols

Ø IP Districts of the city are more cooperative (instead of shooting each other, they work together to apprehend suspected, active insurgents...always good)

Ø IPs are running intelligence-driven operations resulting in the detainment of several high value individuals

Ø In accordance with progress towards Provincial-Iraqi-Control, the battalion has now assumed a decreased presence within the city--shutting down several of our predominately Coalition Force fixed positions

Ø Traffic-lanes have opened up for both local and Coalition Force use (so our convoy operations now resemble driving down "the 5"...or I-95 for everyone at home on East Coast)

Ø The local general hospital has increased its capabilities…now able to care for 800-1000 people at once

Ø More than half of the homes in the city have electricity on a continuous 24-hr basis

Ø Local businesses such as souks, markets, auto-shops, etc are popping up every week

 

You know commerce is thriving when western influence becomes apparent: locals driving BMW X5s,  IPs riding crotch-rocket motorcycles, 7-Elevens & KFCs opening and houses being built that would put some homes in California to shame.  Though we will most likely not bear witness to the total hand-over during our deployment, this city will be a bit better upon our exit than when we first arrived.

 

The Marines have transported an obscene amount of goods thus far with the last big haul occurring on our way out.  They have worked hard and learned valuable lessons in leadership and life that will carry them well from this point forward.  On behalf of all of us out here, I want to say THANK YOU for your support throughout the deployment.  Whether it was care packages, cards for the holidays, the classic letters, emails or insane amounts of deer jerky straight from the ranch, we appreciate every bit of it!  

 

On closing---family, friends and supporters, please take good care of yourselves and your loved ones.  

 Thanks again and many blessings.

 

-Mos

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Member Comments Total Comments: 17
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YankeeFan read my blog view my photos
Apr 21, 2008 | 7:54 PM

As per my "bio"

MY BLOG IS TO SHOW A SIDE OF THE WAR THAT THE MEDIA DOES NOT CHOSE TO REPORT ON AND TO SHOW A SIDE OF THE MARINES FIGHTING IT THAT 99% OF AMERICANS HAVE NO IDEA EXIST

It is not to get into arguments with folks who want to argue salient points and facts put right in front of their face, it is not to debate with folks who ought to pick up a history book prior to attempting to engage in an intelligent debate on subjects on which they are poorly (if at all) educated

Good to "see" ya, Frank, I hope all is well in your neck of the woods.
Hawkeye read my blog
Apr 21, 2008 | 8:25 PM

"You want to tell other countries what kind of government they should have. Anybody who disagrees with you you want locked up or killed. You are the worst kind of socialist liberals."

I didn't say anything of the kind or EVEN remotely similiar to that ,did YOU DF??

Seems to ME that this guy has a problem with reading comprehension as well..Let's see..That's English,,Civics and NOW Literacy that seems to have excaped his education experience..

BTW,,FYI..Saim is NOW known as Thailand...
YankeeFan read my blog view my photos
Apr 21, 2008 | 8:27 PM

I went ahead and deleted all of the posts which had nothing to do with the topic on hand.

If one cares to dispute or challenge the validity of the topis of the actually post that I wrote , by all mean, toss out some facts, figures or a piece of history which would bore out your argument.

If one wants to digress and pontificate about the ills of the US government, by all means, post away.. on your own blog. I would then suggest, if you have so much distain for the US and all that it stands for, get yourself a plane ticket and leave .... If you can't afford it, let me know, I will be more than happy to purchase it for you.

Again, I will be happy to debate, well educated points of view, salient facts, figures and historical data, but I refuse to get into a pissing contest on subjects which have absolutely NOTHING to do with my posts
Hawkeye read my blog
Apr 21, 2008 | 8:28 PM

YF..I see you cleaned up you post..Good for you..THIS kind of news SHOULDN'T be subjected to these attacks by someone who knows NOT of what he speaks..

Feel free to delete MY comments too..
Semper Fi..
YankeeFan read my blog view my photos
Apr 21, 2008 | 8:39 PM

I left one of em which came close to covering the topic at hand :) As I said, I welcome any educated discussion even one which would counter my post.... I just haven't the time or the inclination to debate on subjects not covered on by my original post or to attempt to engage in a debate with someone who choses not to read prior to writing :)

You know I love ya Hawk.. you always have my back :)

Where the heck did this Z person come from? He does the same thing on every one of my posts to which he choses to respond.. And EVERY time accuses me of not being clear that these are not MY statements, merely facts as relayed from those ACTUALLY THERE ... LOL... maybe it's ChAng with a psuedonym ?
Hawkeye read my blog
Apr 21, 2008 | 10:37 PM

Don’t pay him any attention YF..He can’t see past his Moveon.org Education and mentality..NOR will he ever question what his masters there tell him..He’ll follow the typical Liberal playbook of accusing all others of being the Liberals while HE claims to be the LAST of the great conservatives..LMAO..I’m just surprised that he didn’t CLAIM to have voted for Bush before he became enlightened tohis treachery..He must have missed THAT page in the handbook..

What you do IS important,,Make NO mistake about THAT..And it IS appreciated by BOTH the troops whose stories are OFTEN Ignored and/or Distorted by the MSM and by the rest of us at home who crave the other side of the story that we’ll NEVER get from the Jane Fonda Democrat Propaganda machine known as the Mainstream Mass Media who’s been HELL bent on making this a Viet Nam redo....

I put it THIS way..IF someone is too stupid to KNOW why we’re there in the first place,,They’re too stupid to understand WHY we can’t leave before the job is done..NOT done like it was under the auspices of the Unied Nations after the FIRST Gulf War that guarrenteed the inevitability of the second..Done right as in ONCE AND FOR ALL…

We didn’t bring our troops home after we won the battle of Midway OR the Battle of Leyte Gulf..NOR did we do so after Iwo Jima and it was for the SAME reasons..The JOB wasn’t done..THIS war will be over when the LAST terrorist is DEAD or changes the way he wants to accomplish his goals..It was HE that started this war and ONLY He can end it, either Peacably or through his OWN destruction..Either way..As LONG a
Hawkeye read my blog
Apr 21, 2008 | 10:37 PM

As LONG as there ARE active terrorists out there with “Death to America” on their lips,,there will be War..
It’s the troops that YOU write about that stand between US and the MURDER and MAYHEM that IS the Terrorist’s way..

We can at LEAST listen to their stories and show them the respect that THEY show every day for their country..Such a small thing to ask and yet FAR and away too much to expect from those of LIMITED intellect..

As ALWAYS YF..

Keep up the Good Work,,The GOOD fight..If you’re irratating the Liberals you MUST be doing SOMETHING right..And above ALL else;
KEEP the Faith as we do in YOU ;;

Semper Fi..
SnakeMan read my blog
Apr 22, 2008 | 5:05 AM

Deleting a person's blog is not the way to prove your point. I have no idea what they said but it really does not help your cause. Allow others to see them as they are.

I must admit I question the letter. Why? We have thousands of marines, thousands of troops over there and thousands of letters coming home. Yes, the media only shows blood & conflict - that sales papers. But again.. where are those thousands and thousands of letters. I do support the troops.
Hawkeye read my blog
Apr 22, 2008 | 6:11 AM

Nobody's claiming here this THIS is the ONLY story or that ANY other story covered by the MSM is,,in and of itself, untrue..

We get a LOT of News about the negative side regarding our troops without ANY mention of the positive..

If it weren't for such people as YF,,We'd probably end up like we did during the aftermath of Viet Nam..EVEN today I find it HARD to find anyone who DOESN'T beleive that the typical soldier from that era wasn't some Drugged out psycopath running through the jungle killing whole villages..

IF you're satisfied with the Murtha Description of our soldiers in combat,,that they're MURDERERS,,or Kerry's,,That they're Loser Terrorists themselves,,or Durbin's claim that they're agents of an American Pol Pot,,,,,By ALL means,,Skip these posts..

I,for one,,appreciate the OTHER side of the story at LEAST once in a while to give the reality of Iraq a sense of perspective that is NOT necessarilly that of an Anti Bush at any cost,,Anti War at any cost.. Mass Media..
Neanderthal read my blog
Apr 22, 2008 | 6:48 AM

As you may know, I was caste as a comic book villian for having deleted some of the hysterical trash posted on a few Topics on my Blog. I offer no apology for using this option when such intentional vandalism appears. I feel it is the author's responsibility to other readers just as you would maintain a clean and orderly homesite out of respect for your neighbors.

I appreciate your discretion for removing the litter that so often defaces a otherwise healthy neighborhood.
Hawkeye read my blog
Apr 22, 2008 | 7:22 AM

Neanderthal..

Contrary to the claims made by the "Gang of 5"..

I ALWAYS supported your right to remove WHATEVER comments you saw fit to remove..AND,,
I've said so from the beginning..

When personal attacks are substituted CONSTANTLY for honest opinions, to the point where Hijacking the post is the result,,, one MUST certainly do SOMETHING..

Colorado's site has become ALL but a "Ghost Town" fromthis activity..

Personally..I have NO interrest in "Allow others to see them as they are."..
THAT'S not why I caome to these sites,,to show others how people are.....
Neanderthal read my blog
Apr 22, 2008 | 8:05 AM

No problem HE, I am aware of the insidious intentions of the "gang of five" for vandalizing Blogs that run contrary to their liberal politcal agenda. This is so typical of that ilk of "gangland" politics going back to the days of Tammany Hall.

When there is no possible defense left to them, they simply "drown out" rationality and resort to the only ploy left to them...mindless personal rancor and libel. I too have no intention of aiding and abeting their tactic but to simply irradicate the source with no more thought than removing an infestation of lice.
Hawkeye read my blog
Apr 22, 2008 | 10:57 AM

Hell Nean,,YOU'VE deleted MY comments a time or two and I respected THAT too..As the Author of a post one assumes the role of a HOST and JUST like your Living Room the conduct is subject to your approval or rejection..

If people don't like your rules..JUST like in your home..THEY can go somewhere else..
YankeeFan read my blog view my photos
Apr 22, 2008 | 11:57 AM

Snake, I did not delete "a person's blog" , I deleted posts ON MY BLOG which had nothing to do with the post or the topic.

If you go through some of my other blog posts you will find that Zbert has a habit of using MY blogs for his own personal agenda, of making comments which have nothing to do with what I posted and of casting aspersions and making accusations which make no sense. Frankly, I have no "case to make" or cause as you put it. I simply blog and post things from Marines who ARE ACTUALLY FIGHTING THE WAR, to clear things up and give some actual salient facts ...

I don't know about "Thousands of letters" and I am not sure exactly what you are talking about. But, if you will read my bio it is pretty self explanitory. At any given time I have around 1000 adopted Marines in Afghanistan & Iraq some with whom I communicate.

There are many e mails and letters which I receive that I do not post because they would violate OPSEC or for privacy reasons and, a lot of the letters that I receive are simply thanking me for my support. (you can go to my NPO's website if you would like to see more letters etc) www.supportourmarinesinc.org

If you are asking why I post the ones that I do..... simply becuase I got tired of people who have absolutely no clue whatsoever what is going on over there, making statements and comments which are bold faced incorrect.

Another reason is becuase the media generally chooses to ignore all of the positive things which have occured and glosses over the REAL state of affairs prior to us going in.

I thought that I explained
YankeeFan read my blog view my photos
Apr 22, 2008 | 11:59 AM

I thought that I explained it all pretty well in my bio and again by reposting my bio on this blog post, but perhaps I wasn't clear enough.

Hopefully, this clears things up for you, welcome to my blog
J_Darrowin read my blog view my photos
Apr 23, 2008 | 4:52 AM

Zbert has posted a new blog, still demanding an answer. Here was mine:

"Might have something to do with the fact that there are still extremeists out there, blowing innocent people up with thier suicide bombers, while all their victims were doing was trying to get some shopping done. A lot has been accomplished, but there's still a big job to do. The violence has to go down more before we can responsibly leave.

And don't try to tell me that the violence is going on 'only because we're there'."

There are just some people out there who just aren't happy unless they're unhappy. I know, strange, but true.
YankeeFan read my blog view my photos
Apr 23, 2008 | 9:43 AM

Hey J... thanks for sharing. I am pleased that Z grew a set and posted on his own blog.

Frankly, my time is put to better use supporting a thousand or so adopted Marines serving in the Middle East than arguing or debating with someone who refuses to look at facts and figures, who refuses to pick up a history book and who chooses hystrionics over intelligent debate :)

Have a spectacular week and thanks for your post
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YankeeFan

A body transformation specialist by profession, supporting forward deployed Marines is fast becoming a second job. The purpose of this blog is to provide a side of the War and the brave Service Members risking their lives that is rarely seen in the media, which many do not realize exists and which others choose to ignore. "For those who fought for it, FREEDOM has a flavor the protected will never know"

Member Since: 1/10/2007


 

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