Okay so this is a view of our COP from the West entrance. On the left are the enlisted barracks/hooches. On the right you see two big bladders that hold the water to the showers.
Monday, April 26, 2010
COP Taghaz
Okay so this is a view of our COP from the West entrance. On the left are the enlisted barracks/hooches. On the right you see two big bladders that hold the water to the showers.
Kites
This is one of the Council of Elders sons. The elders name is Haji Bailal. He is a nice man. His son goes everywhere with him but it is hard to get him to smile.
a little story
So let me tell you a little story,
It was 0200 and I was getting up after not really getting a good night sleep. I had about 5 hours to get some rest before we stepped off on our mission to do what we came to the Stan to do….fight the Taliban. I had a lot on my mind at the time…..would we find what we were looking for, would we find who we were looking for, and would we all make it back safe and sound. It was chilly that time of morning and the half moon had already set. Our NVGs were not going to work as best they could because of the low levels of ambient light. No moon light in an area of the world that has no city lights means we’ll be operating in the dark. It’s not uncommon for us to operate in the dark…in fact we are pretty good at it, respectively. But it’s always harder for an offensive unit to move under the cover of darkness trying to walk miles in fields, muddy terrain and in large groups. Confusion, time slowing down because you are following someone (almost blindly) and you know that the dogs will bark and give you away. I walked hoping that I wouldn’t trip and fall too often and when I did I hope I didn’t twist an ankle or break my wrist. But the ambient light from the stars was good enough to keep my NVGs working. We were heading East and the planet that was 15 degrees above the horizon helped light the way like God was helping us achieve success. Yeah I know: how could I tell it was a planet and not the stars? Well stars twinkle….and planets shine….with my NVGs on things illuminate like nothing you can imagine. You have to use them for yourself to believe.
So we stepped on time….well four minutes later than planned but that’s good enough for this mission. And we took the ANBP with us. I had to wake them up….it was part of my plan…..because I’m not going to fail just because they are not Marines and can’t be trusted to get their lazy butts up. So we pushed…..three separate squads each with an important part of the mission. Three separate initial objectives but all with the same goal: Catch the bad guys with weapons and drugs. If we weren’t successful I wouldn’t be writing this now…so there is your climax.
We were on the hunt. Looking for prey that hides behind innocent people, they hide behind their ignorance, and they think that the shadow government the Taliban has provided for them will keep them safe. The think that because we’ve been kind to them learning how they work, live and operate that we are all friends. But they forget about their own customs……and I haven’t been invited to have Three Cups of Tea with these jerk offs so we are not friends and we are not on the same side.
The Marine Corps didn’t come to Afghanistan because we wanted to concur these people and take their lands. We don’t care for their women or their poppy. Before 9/11 they didn’t have anything I wanted……but after 9/11 they forced us to realize that there is something here that we wanted……his name is Osama Bin Ladin. He isn’t here in the village of Taghaz. Actually I’ll be my ridiculous government pay check that he isn’t even in Afghanistan…..he is probably in Pakistan with the last remnants of the TB…..hiding in the shadows like a coward. But he is smart to do so…if I was wanted by half of the world I’d hide to….but I’m not a wanted man and I wasn’t involved with the planning of the events that killed 2751 people in Manhattan, NY on a day that no one expected.
Instead the Marine Corps was invited by the Government Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to rid their country of bad men…..men that don’t believe that women should be used for more than procreation. A place where men were once forced to grow their beards and grow poppy to fund terrorism. A place that God didn’t forget…..but since I’ve been here it feels that way.
As I walked through the fields I was cold because the river I just walked across chilled my bones. The sun wasn’t going to be up for 3 more hours but we had a mission to complete thus my comfort took a back seat….actually I put it in the trunk….I wasn’t going to be comfortable today. I knew it was going to be hot, I was already tired, and I couldn’t get down any chow but I did have a cup of Starbucks! LOL
We pushed too far and crossed a canal I should have realized was the point in which we were supposed to make the Left turn….but I put my trust in my Marines I knew they wouldn’t fail me. So with the canal on my left instead of on my right I knew we were going to have to cross back and the crossing was going to be challenging. The berm was short but the drop off was steep. About 15 feet the bank went almost straight down to the water that was knee deep. We crossed it anyways because our time was short…..the first call to prayer had already sound and the people were getting up. Or at least the good Muslims were. I just hoped the bad guys were still too sleepy to get up after enjoying a night smoking opium and having a good time. So I slid down the embankment and into the water. I watched as the two Marines in front of me struggled to get up the other side. But as good Marines do they helped each other out…..and they helped out their old man the platoon commander. As I stood on the top of the berm I saw my Marines surround the compounds like we had planned. Now I only need to have my ANBP counterpart get next to me so we could go knock on the door. As I looked back over my shoulder to see how his progress was coming I witnesses something that almost took my breath away. The Commander was being carried across the water by one of his men. I had to scratch my head a little bit because at first I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Was he hurt, was he sick, or was he just being a wimp because he didn’t want to get his only pair of boots wet? I looked at my Sergeant and asked him, ‘are you seeing what I’m seeing?’ He said, ‘yeah and his man carried him across the river we all walked through too!’ The river is as wide as half a football field……so I had to laugh but I wasn’t worried about giving my position away…we already had the advantage of surprise and we were already in position. So I had to think to myself……could I get my Marines to carry me across the water next time? :P Nope…I tried and with a respectful reply they laughed at me.
So we grabbed the elder of the area and told him what we were going to do and asked him if he would go with us. We moved on to the next objective and made our play. The Marines had already done their job waking everyone up and saking for the women and children to be separated. Then with the help of the ANBP, the Marines, with the Elder and Me watching we started our search. We knew we wouldn’t find anything in the house but we start there anyways……the ANBP commander, who has little patience for poppy farmers less with TB friendly bad guys, did his own questioning of our one bad guy in question. I didn’t see the slap or any physical abuse but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened ;). I did have one of my Marines watching just to ensure that there was no excessive abuse going on. We were just about to wrap it up after finding nothing and the old man that lived there cracked! He told us that there were drugs there…..it was where the dog was tied up. The mean Afghan dog that was barking the whole time. So one of the kids dug it up and it was on like Donkey Kong after that. A bowling ball size bag of freshly harvested opium. And so we continued our search….only to find one more bag a little bigger than the first. So we bagged him and tagged him and pushed to the next compound.
Our second objective was much bigger than the first. It was a very large family with roughly 10 women and 10 men. All of the men we know are dirty. They have some of the best poppy fields in the area so we hoped to find a lot of what they have been collecting. We were there for hours searching the house. Finding little bits of drugs here and there….when I say a little I mean we only found on main bag that probably was the size of a honeydew melo. Then I had chai with the elder…..we talked and he pleaded to me saying that there were no weapons. Then we found them. 2 Ak-47 buried next to an animal pen. With lots of ammo. The Marines also found RPK rounds (medium machine gun) rounds in the goat pen in a different area. We found other bomb making materials as well…..and some items that the enemy uses to communicate with. It was a good find but not all that we were looking for. So I made a deal with the elder….if we found weapons that he didn’t know were there I had his permission to arrest everyone that was there to include himself. Well with that I took him to our findings…he told me that I had permission to kill his sons because they brought shame to his family. I told him that was not our way and we would turn them over to the proper authorities like we planned on doing. I left the old man with all the women. I’m not sure who had it worse!
We pushed to the next objective and repeated the process. Normally I don’t ever talk to Afghan women but the oldest was talking to me. All the men were in a different part of the compound and they couldn’t see the women. The eldest woman pleaded with me not to take the all the men to jail. She said that no one would take care of them and they would all starve. I told her if she showed me where the drugs were I’d leave her husband here to take care of them…..she jumped up and threw out a cantaloupe size bag of raw opium……yup….just like that! So we collected it and found little stashes here and there. But we had enough to put everyone away…..everyone was going to jail and we had accomplished our mission.
We detained 22 men yesterday…..we only wanted to get 10 of them specifically and we got everyone we expected to be there. We let one go this morning when a group of elders came to vouch for some of them. So I let him go as a sign of good faith. He was an old gentleman and we didn’t want him anyways….but you never know who will roll over and spill the beans. No one wants to go to jail….especially in Afghanistan.
The important thing is that all my Marines made it back to the base safe and sound. We have over 30 kilos of raw opium and a few weapons and assorted bomb making materials. Some of those we captured are part of the IED cell that took responsibility for killing Sgt. Major. It’s just a little payback the right way. I hope he is proud of us….I know he is watching.
So I won’t say that I did all this hard work. It all came down to two of my Sergeants that for weeks have been collecting information on these bad guys. They deserve all the credit not me. I just put the plan together that they made. I was just there to be the leader…they did all the hard work. When you think of who the heroes of the day were it was them…..not me.
Semper Fi,
ws
It was 0200 and I was getting up after not really getting a good night sleep. I had about 5 hours to get some rest before we stepped off on our mission to do what we came to the Stan to do….fight the Taliban. I had a lot on my mind at the time…..would we find what we were looking for, would we find who we were looking for, and would we all make it back safe and sound. It was chilly that time of morning and the half moon had already set. Our NVGs were not going to work as best they could because of the low levels of ambient light. No moon light in an area of the world that has no city lights means we’ll be operating in the dark. It’s not uncommon for us to operate in the dark…in fact we are pretty good at it, respectively. But it’s always harder for an offensive unit to move under the cover of darkness trying to walk miles in fields, muddy terrain and in large groups. Confusion, time slowing down because you are following someone (almost blindly) and you know that the dogs will bark and give you away. I walked hoping that I wouldn’t trip and fall too often and when I did I hope I didn’t twist an ankle or break my wrist. But the ambient light from the stars was good enough to keep my NVGs working. We were heading East and the planet that was 15 degrees above the horizon helped light the way like God was helping us achieve success. Yeah I know: how could I tell it was a planet and not the stars? Well stars twinkle….and planets shine….with my NVGs on things illuminate like nothing you can imagine. You have to use them for yourself to believe.
So we stepped on time….well four minutes later than planned but that’s good enough for this mission. And we took the ANBP with us. I had to wake them up….it was part of my plan…..because I’m not going to fail just because they are not Marines and can’t be trusted to get their lazy butts up. So we pushed…..three separate squads each with an important part of the mission. Three separate initial objectives but all with the same goal: Catch the bad guys with weapons and drugs. If we weren’t successful I wouldn’t be writing this now…so there is your climax.
We were on the hunt. Looking for prey that hides behind innocent people, they hide behind their ignorance, and they think that the shadow government the Taliban has provided for them will keep them safe. The think that because we’ve been kind to them learning how they work, live and operate that we are all friends. But they forget about their own customs……and I haven’t been invited to have Three Cups of Tea with these jerk offs so we are not friends and we are not on the same side.
The Marine Corps didn’t come to Afghanistan because we wanted to concur these people and take their lands. We don’t care for their women or their poppy. Before 9/11 they didn’t have anything I wanted……but after 9/11 they forced us to realize that there is something here that we wanted……his name is Osama Bin Ladin. He isn’t here in the village of Taghaz. Actually I’ll be my ridiculous government pay check that he isn’t even in Afghanistan…..he is probably in Pakistan with the last remnants of the TB…..hiding in the shadows like a coward. But he is smart to do so…if I was wanted by half of the world I’d hide to….but I’m not a wanted man and I wasn’t involved with the planning of the events that killed 2751 people in Manhattan, NY on a day that no one expected.
Instead the Marine Corps was invited by the Government Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to rid their country of bad men…..men that don’t believe that women should be used for more than procreation. A place where men were once forced to grow their beards and grow poppy to fund terrorism. A place that God didn’t forget…..but since I’ve been here it feels that way.
As I walked through the fields I was cold because the river I just walked across chilled my bones. The sun wasn’t going to be up for 3 more hours but we had a mission to complete thus my comfort took a back seat….actually I put it in the trunk….I wasn’t going to be comfortable today. I knew it was going to be hot, I was already tired, and I couldn’t get down any chow but I did have a cup of Starbucks! LOL
We pushed too far and crossed a canal I should have realized was the point in which we were supposed to make the Left turn….but I put my trust in my Marines I knew they wouldn’t fail me. So with the canal on my left instead of on my right I knew we were going to have to cross back and the crossing was going to be challenging. The berm was short but the drop off was steep. About 15 feet the bank went almost straight down to the water that was knee deep. We crossed it anyways because our time was short…..the first call to prayer had already sound and the people were getting up. Or at least the good Muslims were. I just hoped the bad guys were still too sleepy to get up after enjoying a night smoking opium and having a good time. So I slid down the embankment and into the water. I watched as the two Marines in front of me struggled to get up the other side. But as good Marines do they helped each other out…..and they helped out their old man the platoon commander. As I stood on the top of the berm I saw my Marines surround the compounds like we had planned. Now I only need to have my ANBP counterpart get next to me so we could go knock on the door. As I looked back over my shoulder to see how his progress was coming I witnesses something that almost took my breath away. The Commander was being carried across the water by one of his men. I had to scratch my head a little bit because at first I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Was he hurt, was he sick, or was he just being a wimp because he didn’t want to get his only pair of boots wet? I looked at my Sergeant and asked him, ‘are you seeing what I’m seeing?’ He said, ‘yeah and his man carried him across the river we all walked through too!’ The river is as wide as half a football field……so I had to laugh but I wasn’t worried about giving my position away…we already had the advantage of surprise and we were already in position. So I had to think to myself……could I get my Marines to carry me across the water next time? :P Nope…I tried and with a respectful reply they laughed at me.
So we grabbed the elder of the area and told him what we were going to do and asked him if he would go with us. We moved on to the next objective and made our play. The Marines had already done their job waking everyone up and saking for the women and children to be separated. Then with the help of the ANBP, the Marines, with the Elder and Me watching we started our search. We knew we wouldn’t find anything in the house but we start there anyways……the ANBP commander, who has little patience for poppy farmers less with TB friendly bad guys, did his own questioning of our one bad guy in question. I didn’t see the slap or any physical abuse but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened ;). I did have one of my Marines watching just to ensure that there was no excessive abuse going on. We were just about to wrap it up after finding nothing and the old man that lived there cracked! He told us that there were drugs there…..it was where the dog was tied up. The mean Afghan dog that was barking the whole time. So one of the kids dug it up and it was on like Donkey Kong after that. A bowling ball size bag of freshly harvested opium. And so we continued our search….only to find one more bag a little bigger than the first. So we bagged him and tagged him and pushed to the next compound.
Our second objective was much bigger than the first. It was a very large family with roughly 10 women and 10 men. All of the men we know are dirty. They have some of the best poppy fields in the area so we hoped to find a lot of what they have been collecting. We were there for hours searching the house. Finding little bits of drugs here and there….when I say a little I mean we only found on main bag that probably was the size of a honeydew melo. Then I had chai with the elder…..we talked and he pleaded to me saying that there were no weapons. Then we found them. 2 Ak-47 buried next to an animal pen. With lots of ammo. The Marines also found RPK rounds (medium machine gun) rounds in the goat pen in a different area. We found other bomb making materials as well…..and some items that the enemy uses to communicate with. It was a good find but not all that we were looking for. So I made a deal with the elder….if we found weapons that he didn’t know were there I had his permission to arrest everyone that was there to include himself. Well with that I took him to our findings…he told me that I had permission to kill his sons because they brought shame to his family. I told him that was not our way and we would turn them over to the proper authorities like we planned on doing. I left the old man with all the women. I’m not sure who had it worse!
We pushed to the next objective and repeated the process. Normally I don’t ever talk to Afghan women but the oldest was talking to me. All the men were in a different part of the compound and they couldn’t see the women. The eldest woman pleaded with me not to take the all the men to jail. She said that no one would take care of them and they would all starve. I told her if she showed me where the drugs were I’d leave her husband here to take care of them…..she jumped up and threw out a cantaloupe size bag of raw opium……yup….just like that! So we collected it and found little stashes here and there. But we had enough to put everyone away…..everyone was going to jail and we had accomplished our mission.
We detained 22 men yesterday…..we only wanted to get 10 of them specifically and we got everyone we expected to be there. We let one go this morning when a group of elders came to vouch for some of them. So I let him go as a sign of good faith. He was an old gentleman and we didn’t want him anyways….but you never know who will roll over and spill the beans. No one wants to go to jail….especially in Afghanistan.
The important thing is that all my Marines made it back to the base safe and sound. We have over 30 kilos of raw opium and a few weapons and assorted bomb making materials. Some of those we captured are part of the IED cell that took responsibility for killing Sgt. Major. It’s just a little payback the right way. I hope he is proud of us….I know he is watching.
So I won’t say that I did all this hard work. It all came down to two of my Sergeants that for weeks have been collecting information on these bad guys. They deserve all the credit not me. I just put the plan together that they made. I was just there to be the leader…they did all the hard work. When you think of who the heroes of the day were it was them…..not me.
Semper Fi,
ws
Friday, April 23, 2010
Field of Honor
Armed Forces Day Weekend
Friday, May 14 to Monday May 17, 2010
Join us in celebrating and honoring the men and women who are now serving, those who have served our country, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Come see the 1776 American Flags measuring 3 by 5 feet, displayed inCastaways Park overlooking the Newport Bay in Newport Beach , California.
A flag has been dedicated to Wendell - you can visit the flag on the days listed above.
Video: Link
For more info: Website
Friday, May 14 to Monday May 17, 2010
Join us in celebrating and honoring the men and women who are now serving, those who have served our country, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Come see the 1776 American Flags measuring 3 by 5 feet, displayed in
Video: Link
For more info: Website
Hola
Please say a quick prayer for a safe and successful day.
Thanks
Lynne and Jason
-----Original Message-----
From: Simmons Jr 1stLt Wendell R
To:
Sent: Wed, Apr 21, 2010 3:10 pm
Subject: hola
Well we have an important mission we are about to go step off on. Got a good idea who was involved in the killing of Sgt. Major Cottle. We are about to go knock on the door and introduce ourselves. Don’t plan on introducing any of them to Allah but if they want to meet him we’ll provide arrangements.
Just wanted to say that I love you guys and I’ll be writing more this afternoon.
ws
Thanks
Lynne and Jason
-----Original Message-----
From: Simmons Jr 1stLt Wendell R
To:
Sent: Wed, Apr 21, 2010 3:10 pm
Subject: hola
Well we have an important mission we are about to go step off on. Got a good idea who was involved in the killing of Sgt. Major Cottle. We are about to go knock on the door and introduce ourselves. Don’t plan on introducing any of them to Allah but if they want to meet him we’ll provide arrangements.
Just wanted to say that I love you guys and I’ll be writing more this afternoon.
ws
Hunting
Well I don’t get up at 0200 in the morning because it’s the thing to do. We are going hunting this morning for a few shit heads, I mean jerk offs , I mean….Taliban.
Semper Fi,
ws
Semper Fi,
ws
Bridge
Okay all…..this picture is of me, of course, but I’m standing on the bridge that was blown up 3 times in the past. It was completed last week and the concrete was dry enough to stand on it today! Just thought I’d share it with you all.
ws
Yesterday...
So I was out on patrol yesterday enroute to the shura….this is what I was thinking about as we pushed:
So we stepped out…. I gave a brief to the Marines going with me and the CO was accompanying us. He is a good leader and always likes to lead from the front. Normally Officers don’t take point but the Major always insists on doing so and we let him. I too have taken point several times but any Enlisted Marine will tell you that Officers belong in the back because we just don’t take the point…..it’s probably the most dangerous position on patrols because if the enemy wants to hit the most vulnerable part of the movement it’s the front. But he and I are both ‘prior enlisted’ so we can do it…..at least I was an 0311.
We step….75 lbs of extra gear, which by this time is just part of our body, weapon and radios. We always push through the marsh and get wet….doesn’t even bother me to get ‘balls deep’ in the nasty feces infested water anymore it’s just part of the job….plus it cools you off. My feet now look forward to the wetness that will accompany me the rest of the day….trench foot sucks but I have to remind myself that I have it because I don’t even notice the poor condition my feet are in. I had to laugh as I walked through the mud which I sunk 6 inches in with every step. I brought up the rear and as ‘tail end Charlie’ it’s my job to ensure no one is following us, watch our six, and to keep up with the rest of the of the section that is pushing…..I walk backwards a lot of the time and I’m constantly keeping my head on a swivel as I look back every 4-8 steps.
So I slipped and ate….mud but my training kicks in and I keep my finger ‘straight and off the trigger’ all the while I keep my weapon above my head so it stays dry. Me without my weapons makes me almost useless….I have the radio so I can still call for help if I don’t get to shoot back. My weapon without me is just a paperweight.
As we patrol I don’t know why but my sense of smell is heightened. I can smell all the goat poop as we push through the fields where the goat herders bring their animals to graze. First time I’ve noticed it in months. I push across the dirt road that has been flooded because a farmer allowed too much water to flood his fields and it’s spilled over. Or is he using an old tactic that will just slow our movement down and bog down heavy tactical military vehicles? It doesn’t matter because like my mom used to say, ‘shoe leather express will take you wherever you need to go.’ Sometimes I wonder if she too was a Marine…..maybe that’s why she is just as badass as Gunny and I still think of her as my hero…..not some asshole sports figure that makes so much money he forgets that he’s playing a game and relying on his talent to make it in this world.
I push past a compound that has four children outside. They are always there. A boy, the oldest, who is about six…he always watches me like a hawk and pushes his two younger sister aside because he’s already learned that women don’t have as much right to do anything like men do. The oldest girl just waves at me as I wave at her….she is about 5. Next is the 3 year old girl who’s hair has never seen a comb and the last time her parents gave her a bath was months ago. She has her dirty little fingers in her mouth and drools. The littlest one is a boy who is about two. He too is barefoot and wearing a hand-me-down shirt that reaches his ankles. He has a finger in his nose no doubt getting ready to have breakfast….it’s 0740 and still cool outside.
We cross a wheat field that isn’t growing very well. A boy, probably 13, is working the field like he normally does. I make it a point to get close to him and say hello in his native language. He says something else but my terp is so far ahead I can’t ask him to translate what he says. I’m sure it has something to do with us walking through his fields destroying the little crop he is trying to maintain. I hate to say, ‘too bad and if you tell me where the Taliban is I’ll walk around your field’ but it’s the truth. Not that I don’t care but going home on my own is better than being carried by six Marines….I still have a good life to live and having a family with Martha is the next step in my life that I’m looking forward to.
As I cross one of many canals I decide to not take the foot bridge and dip again into the murky water. Balls deep I go into the water but it’s a little refreshing. I haven’t taken a shower in two days and I’ve already built up a sweat and am breathing a little heavier after doing the slip and slide in the muddy wheat field. We cross another wheat field and are into the main portion of the village. The fields are vast and the colors of green are beautiful. The wheat stalks sway back and forth in the breeze like a church choir does at Sunday Mass….but today is Saturday and we are off to our Council of Elders Shura.
We pass another compound with an older man working his little wheat patch. I see him all the time in this same spot. He never looks at me until I say hello. Even then he is reluctant to respond but his culture makes him be polite….really he wants us to leave and stay out of his grape fields. He has two daughters ages 10 and 12 respectively. Out of respect for their culture I ignore them but sometimes I give them a smile when I look in their direction. I pass by the puddle that I do my best to avoid every time I’m in that area. It is brown and black nasty water that even the bugs won’t visit. It’s probably filled with urine and feces….only say this because I haven’t stepped in or had to avoid a pile of human shit that is around every other compound that we patrol by. The people have no sense of what hygiene is besides the traditional branch they use to clean their teeth. It’s no wonder 1/5 children die before the age of 5 in this country. Well I step too close to the puddle and the earth gives way…..down I go into the dark water….only my right side gets wet to include, my pistol, Leatherman, and k-bar. Again my training pays off and I keep my rifle above my head so it stays dry. I think to myself, ‘I haven’t had to use my pistol yet and only had to pull it out twice so far.’ I should be good for the day but I keep my fingers crossed just as an added precaution. I smell like shit….quite literally and of all days when my sense of smell is working better than most days. It must be the allergy pills doc gave me to stop the sneezing. I think I’ll need a tetanus shot or a series of them when I get back to civilization. I just got over having ‘Osama’s Revenge’ and I’m thinking I’ll for sure get it again. I’ll try to keep from touching, with my filthy hands, the granola bar I’m looking forward to having for a snack (breakfast) when I get to the compound. Just another day in the Stan.
We make it just outside the compound and run into our good friends the Afghan National Boarder Police. One asks another Marine to help him carry some plywood….the ANBP is willing to carry his M4 while they move the wood. I just have to laugh because it will be a cold day in hell before any Marine hands over his weapon and I’d end some one’s life just by reaching for it….except for the little kids that have done so on several occasions. The Bridge builder is completing his work on the bridge and asking for more money as per usual. Little does he know that he is being fired today because he is 6 weeks over due and we won’t put up with his excuses anymore. To his testament he has
gotten a lot of work done with very little. Still we’ve grown tired of him and even though America is made of money we refuse to spend anymore of your tax dollars for this project. The bridge will probably be targeted by the insurgency soon anyways. It would only be the 4th time it’s been blown up. I just hope with the ANBP presence that the enemy will be deterred…..but I doubt it.
So I expressed to the elders on Wednesday that the shura starts at 0900 Marine Corps time. Not 1030 Council of Elders time. They show up at 0909 only after my Marines go over and interrupt the pre shura shura. I’m sure they had to get their story right before they come to talk to the rich Americans and ask for money.
The first thing they want to talk about the man’s wife that was ‘collateral damage’ or ‘accidentally killed’ in the fire fight a few weeks ago. There are times when I don’t like being the ‘bad cop’ but it’s necessary. We explain that we are here to help the people with problems they cannot solve themselves. Not to pay for things that we didn’t do and the Taliban are responsible for. And I ask the elders, “Have you gone to the TB and asked them to donate money to this man?” You could hear a mouse fart and now I’m the asshole. But I don’t care really. We help them realize that they need to appeal to their District Gov and we move on. Next we talk about security and poppy….I’m over talking about it so I won’t get into that BS with you. We end up having a prior detainee come in and site before the council and tell us how the Marines came to his compound and put a knife to this throat and threatened him. (this is a Taliban threatening technique) Let me get this into all your heads: We don’t have to threaten anyone with knives….we have rifles, pistols, and grenades. Why would I bother with a knife? Not to mention that we don’t have to make threats….we make promises and keep them. Got it? He also says that Marines have come and cut down some of his poppy and we took ½ kilo of opium. Well after 30 mins of this BS the elders asked him to leave. Even they couldn’t stand the BS….later they asked for permission to rid him from the community. I just wish we could do it by making an introduction to Allah…did I just say that? Yes….. I did. But that’s not how we conduct business.
We broke our shura after a bit of arguing and heated tempers. But we were productive believe it or not. Progress was made.
So I got back to the COP and realized that my shoulders were aching and my knees are not as young as they used to be. Pain is a good thing….it lets you know that you are still alive. Fear is good too…keeps you alert and on point.
I dropped my gear, stripped down, and got to take a hot shower in 105 temperatures….but I didn’t care that my sunburned skinned burned under the hot water. I was getting the piss and shit off me and that was a great feeling. My Marines were back and safe and that’s all I ever worry about when they are outside the wire. I was hungry but again my training and guilt kicks in…..they teach us in Boot Camp: Weapon, gear, self…that’s the order in which you take care of things when you get a chance. I took my shower but chow would have to wait. My pistol was muddy and I could see the rust on my barrel already. I knew my crappy clip that held my 9mm rounds was probably bad too. So I spend the next hour and a half cleaning my weapons, knives and Leatherman. I got some chow in me and was ready for a nap. But Awards are due and my Sergeants ask if I could submit a few on their behalf. The dead line was three days ago but I’m going to submit them anyways. It’ kept me up until 0015 this morning but I’m happy to put my Marines first. They’ve earned it……and they are my Marines.
Semper Fi,
ws
So we stepped out…. I gave a brief to the Marines going with me and the CO was accompanying us. He is a good leader and always likes to lead from the front. Normally Officers don’t take point but the Major always insists on doing so and we let him. I too have taken point several times but any Enlisted Marine will tell you that Officers belong in the back because we just don’t take the point…..it’s probably the most dangerous position on patrols because if the enemy wants to hit the most vulnerable part of the movement it’s the front. But he and I are both ‘prior enlisted’ so we can do it…..at least I was an 0311.
We step….75 lbs of extra gear, which by this time is just part of our body, weapon and radios. We always push through the marsh and get wet….doesn’t even bother me to get ‘balls deep’ in the nasty feces infested water anymore it’s just part of the job….plus it cools you off. My feet now look forward to the wetness that will accompany me the rest of the day….trench foot sucks but I have to remind myself that I have it because I don’t even notice the poor condition my feet are in. I had to laugh as I walked through the mud which I sunk 6 inches in with every step. I brought up the rear and as ‘tail end Charlie’ it’s my job to ensure no one is following us, watch our six, and to keep up with the rest of the of the section that is pushing…..I walk backwards a lot of the time and I’m constantly keeping my head on a swivel as I look back every 4-8 steps.
So I slipped and ate….mud but my training kicks in and I keep my finger ‘straight and off the trigger’ all the while I keep my weapon above my head so it stays dry. Me without my weapons makes me almost useless….I have the radio so I can still call for help if I don’t get to shoot back. My weapon without me is just a paperweight.
As we patrol I don’t know why but my sense of smell is heightened. I can smell all the goat poop as we push through the fields where the goat herders bring their animals to graze. First time I’ve noticed it in months. I push across the dirt road that has been flooded because a farmer allowed too much water to flood his fields and it’s spilled over. Or is he using an old tactic that will just slow our movement down and bog down heavy tactical military vehicles? It doesn’t matter because like my mom used to say, ‘shoe leather express will take you wherever you need to go.’ Sometimes I wonder if she too was a Marine…..maybe that’s why she is just as badass as Gunny and I still think of her as my hero…..not some asshole sports figure that makes so much money he forgets that he’s playing a game and relying on his talent to make it in this world.
I push past a compound that has four children outside. They are always there. A boy, the oldest, who is about six…he always watches me like a hawk and pushes his two younger sister aside because he’s already learned that women don’t have as much right to do anything like men do. The oldest girl just waves at me as I wave at her….she is about 5. Next is the 3 year old girl who’s hair has never seen a comb and the last time her parents gave her a bath was months ago. She has her dirty little fingers in her mouth and drools. The littlest one is a boy who is about two. He too is barefoot and wearing a hand-me-down shirt that reaches his ankles. He has a finger in his nose no doubt getting ready to have breakfast….it’s 0740 and still cool outside.
We cross a wheat field that isn’t growing very well. A boy, probably 13, is working the field like he normally does. I make it a point to get close to him and say hello in his native language. He says something else but my terp is so far ahead I can’t ask him to translate what he says. I’m sure it has something to do with us walking through his fields destroying the little crop he is trying to maintain. I hate to say, ‘too bad and if you tell me where the Taliban is I’ll walk around your field’ but it’s the truth. Not that I don’t care but going home on my own is better than being carried by six Marines….I still have a good life to live and having a family with Martha is the next step in my life that I’m looking forward to.
As I cross one of many canals I decide to not take the foot bridge and dip again into the murky water. Balls deep I go into the water but it’s a little refreshing. I haven’t taken a shower in two days and I’ve already built up a sweat and am breathing a little heavier after doing the slip and slide in the muddy wheat field. We cross another wheat field and are into the main portion of the village. The fields are vast and the colors of green are beautiful. The wheat stalks sway back and forth in the breeze like a church choir does at Sunday Mass….but today is Saturday and we are off to our Council of Elders Shura.
We pass another compound with an older man working his little wheat patch. I see him all the time in this same spot. He never looks at me until I say hello. Even then he is reluctant to respond but his culture makes him be polite….really he wants us to leave and stay out of his grape fields. He has two daughters ages 10 and 12 respectively. Out of respect for their culture I ignore them but sometimes I give them a smile when I look in their direction. I pass by the puddle that I do my best to avoid every time I’m in that area. It is brown and black nasty water that even the bugs won’t visit. It’s probably filled with urine and feces….only say this because I haven’t stepped in or had to avoid a pile of human shit that is around every other compound that we patrol by. The people have no sense of what hygiene is besides the traditional branch they use to clean their teeth. It’s no wonder 1/5 children die before the age of 5 in this country. Well I step too close to the puddle and the earth gives way…..down I go into the dark water….only my right side gets wet to include, my pistol, Leatherman, and k-bar. Again my training pays off and I keep my rifle above my head so it stays dry. I think to myself, ‘I haven’t had to use my pistol yet and only had to pull it out twice so far.’ I should be good for the day but I keep my fingers crossed just as an added precaution. I smell like shit….quite literally and of all days when my sense of smell is working better than most days. It must be the allergy pills doc gave me to stop the sneezing. I think I’ll need a tetanus shot or a series of them when I get back to civilization. I just got over having ‘Osama’s Revenge’ and I’m thinking I’ll for sure get it again. I’ll try to keep from touching, with my filthy hands, the granola bar I’m looking forward to having for a snack (breakfast) when I get to the compound. Just another day in the Stan.
We make it just outside the compound and run into our good friends the Afghan National Boarder Police. One asks another Marine to help him carry some plywood….the ANBP is willing to carry his M4 while they move the wood. I just have to laugh because it will be a cold day in hell before any Marine hands over his weapon and I’d end some one’s life just by reaching for it….except for the little kids that have done so on several occasions. The Bridge builder is completing his work on the bridge and asking for more money as per usual. Little does he know that he is being fired today because he is 6 weeks over due and we won’t put up with his excuses anymore. To his testament he has
gotten a lot of work done with very little. Still we’ve grown tired of him and even though America is made of money we refuse to spend anymore of your tax dollars for this project. The bridge will probably be targeted by the insurgency soon anyways. It would only be the 4th time it’s been blown up. I just hope with the ANBP presence that the enemy will be deterred…..but I doubt it.
So I expressed to the elders on Wednesday that the shura starts at 0900 Marine Corps time. Not 1030 Council of Elders time. They show up at 0909 only after my Marines go over and interrupt the pre shura shura. I’m sure they had to get their story right before they come to talk to the rich Americans and ask for money.
The first thing they want to talk about the man’s wife that was ‘collateral damage’ or ‘accidentally killed’ in the fire fight a few weeks ago. There are times when I don’t like being the ‘bad cop’ but it’s necessary. We explain that we are here to help the people with problems they cannot solve themselves. Not to pay for things that we didn’t do and the Taliban are responsible for. And I ask the elders, “Have you gone to the TB and asked them to donate money to this man?” You could hear a mouse fart and now I’m the asshole. But I don’t care really. We help them realize that they need to appeal to their District Gov and we move on. Next we talk about security and poppy….I’m over talking about it so I won’t get into that BS with you. We end up having a prior detainee come in and site before the council and tell us how the Marines came to his compound and put a knife to this throat and threatened him. (this is a Taliban threatening technique) Let me get this into all your heads: We don’t have to threaten anyone with knives….we have rifles, pistols, and grenades. Why would I bother with a knife? Not to mention that we don’t have to make threats….we make promises and keep them. Got it? He also says that Marines have come and cut down some of his poppy and we took ½ kilo of opium. Well after 30 mins of this BS the elders asked him to leave. Even they couldn’t stand the BS….later they asked for permission to rid him from the community. I just wish we could do it by making an introduction to Allah…did I just say that? Yes….. I did. But that’s not how we conduct business.
We broke our shura after a bit of arguing and heated tempers. But we were productive believe it or not. Progress was made.
So I got back to the COP and realized that my shoulders were aching and my knees are not as young as they used to be. Pain is a good thing….it lets you know that you are still alive. Fear is good too…keeps you alert and on point.
I dropped my gear, stripped down, and got to take a hot shower in 105 temperatures….but I didn’t care that my sunburned skinned burned under the hot water. I was getting the piss and shit off me and that was a great feeling. My Marines were back and safe and that’s all I ever worry about when they are outside the wire. I was hungry but again my training and guilt kicks in…..they teach us in Boot Camp: Weapon, gear, self…that’s the order in which you take care of things when you get a chance. I took my shower but chow would have to wait. My pistol was muddy and I could see the rust on my barrel already. I knew my crappy clip that held my 9mm rounds was probably bad too. So I spend the next hour and a half cleaning my weapons, knives and Leatherman. I got some chow in me and was ready for a nap. But Awards are due and my Sergeants ask if I could submit a few on their behalf. The dead line was three days ago but I’m going to submit them anyways. It’ kept me up until 0015 this morning but I’m happy to put my Marines first. They’ve earned it……and they are my Marines.
Semper Fi,
ws
Saturday, April 17, 2010
For Wendell and his guys!
From Mrs. Matland…
From: Maitlandco@aol.com [mailto:Maitlandco@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2010 12:40 AM
To: Simmons Jr 1stLt Wendell R
Subject: For Wendell and his guys!
Wendell,
I'm sending this on with you and your Marines in mind. God bless each of you and THANK YOU!!
Pat Maitland sends each of you a hug
Please watch and forward: The goal is 5,000,000 views.
Watch for the Marine who bends down to shake a little girl's hand. See what she does.
Please watch to the end of the program so it counts as a viewing and then FORWARD!
http://media.causes.com/576542?p_id=92681239
From: Maitlandco@aol.com [mailto:Maitlandco@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2010 12:40 AM
To: Simmons Jr 1stLt Wendell R
Subject: For Wendell and his guys!
Wendell,
I'm sending this on with you and your Marines in mind. God bless each of you and THANK YOU!!
Pat Maitland sends each of you a hug
Please watch and forward: The goal is 5,000,000 views.
Watch for the Marine who bends down to shake a little girl's hand. See what she does.
Please watch to the end of the program so it counts as a viewing and then FORWARD!
http://media.causes.com/576542?p_id=92681239
Friday, April 16, 2010
so i says
“So I says to the Lama”…..Okay if you’ve never seen Cady Shack then you have no idea where I was going with that one.
So I asked my Marine Corps buddies if they wanted to go up stream with me to check out some of the locals on the other side of the river…..they were like….sure, why not? Not much else going on. Let’s go for an 8 hour walk for a total of 23 kilicks with 65 pounds of gear, weapons and ammo. And when we run out of water….we’ll just get a big straw and suck it up!
LOL…..true story
my boat ride
Now who says that when you visit Afghanistan you can’t go on a cruise ship up the Helmand river? Nay say I who has done it in style with my M-4 and all!
ws
scraping
So this is what they do to the poppy after the petals fall off. They have special homemade scrapers…well you can buy them at the bazaar for a discount if you get ten….LOL
high five
Yeah so that’s me teaching the kids ‘high five.’ They get it after a while. They also know how to give pound and fist. You can see they have kites….sorry these aren’t the ones we gave them…..they are home made. But they were inspired to make them and fly them so….I guess it’s working.
ws
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
To my peoples from the Stan
Hello to you all from a place on Earth that God didn’t forget he just didn’t put Americans! A little place I like to call…the Stan! It’s hot, smells like $h!t, it’s hot, and there’s a lot of sand…..did I mention it’s hot out?
So where does the time go? I tell you time out here just flies sometimes. I keep so busy with so many different things that I forget what day is what. I feel like it’s been a month since I last wrote to you but I think it’s only been a week. But a busy week it’s been for me. So this is what has been going on….remember….take what I say with a grain of salt….I’m in a combat zone and yes war changes a person and my ‘give a f**k is partially broken’…..especially if you’ve been shot at, rocketed and found more IEDs that were emplaced to kill you and your Marines. Don’t freak out on me…..we are all still here and that’s just part of my job! ;)
So….the word on the dirt road (I would say street but there are no streets here….LOL) is that the TB is not going to come into the area because of the Coalition forces here. Or so the locals have been telling us. Neither are the drug smugglers for the same reason. I don’t believe a word of what the people are telling us but I do still trust the elders. It’s a difficult thing this trusting that we have going on. Mostly I put a lot of faith and trust with the elders for one reason and one reason alone….we have more guns then they do! I know huh? ….It’s a pretty warped sense of humor and way to look at it but it’s logical. This isn’t Vietnam so we are not going out there and butt stroking people with our rifles, drinking beer, finding Mamasan’s, smoking dope and having a good time. They don’t ship us beer, there are no brothels (and I’ve only see one woman’s face…..yes the ugly witch looking woman), plenty of dope out here but not one Marine has sampled the goods but we find a way to have a good time.
Right now the poppy harvest is in full swing. I mean acres and acres of this stuff is in full bloom and the petals are falling off. Some of the farms have started the cutting, scraping and collecting process….I’ll send pictures later on today to show you. There are a lot of workers (like from Home Depot….but out here it’s more like mud hut Depot) that are coming in from out of town to work in the fields. Most are young military age males looking for work. Almost all get stoned, high or whatever when they are working in the fields. My Marines caught a kid yesterday with about 2 grams of raw opium/heroin on him. Back home the street value would be around $5k but out here it’s not very much. It’s not even enough for us to arrest him! The rules out here just Freaking suck for us sometimes….don’t get me started on rules…..just one thing I hate about being an officer is following and enforcing the rules. (if I was still enlisted I’d be a Corporal by now!)
So one of my squads also found more Marijuana seed a few days ago. I have to laugh because I’ve been to Venice Beach where some hippie guy is always selling hemp seeds and he has like 10 lbs of it. And you look and are like, ‘holy crap look at all those seeds!’ Well that just chump change for my guys. They found another 2500 pounds of it….yeah 25x100 pound bags of seeds alone. I’ll send you the pictures later. That’s their 3rd finding of seeds totaling 5500 pounds of seed that they’ve found. We collect samples, for medicinal purposes only…just kidding it’s proof… and toss the rest into the river/canal. It’s just another day in the Stan.
Had our usual Shura on Saturday and let me tell you….these old timers are tough but not tough enough for my CO. We played ‘good cop’ and ‘super bad cop’…..guess who was the good cop: ME! LOL. The boss played ‘super bad cop’ to a T and we had a good time. It’s actually a good thing because I’d like to drop the ‘F-bomb’ a little more but I don’t think the translators can say it in Pashtu. So I got to swoop in and ‘save the day’ with my grand idea of how to come to an agreement on what the Marines want to do with the harvest and what the elders want us to do about the harvest. Needless to say we didn’t get exactly what we wanted but we are going to get what we want one way or another…..we have more guns….simple as that. But it’s not as simple as that. I get to deal with the fallout from the elders on everything: detainees (which is a whole different ball of wax), farmers that are upset because we walk through their fields and step on their crops, business owners who are upset because they want to lie to us to get more money for damages to their shop from when the initial ‘clearing phase’ happened in the bazaar, compound owners that are mad and want reimbursement because we shot their dog (there are no leash laws and some dogs are aggressive enough to attack Marines or our Military Working Dogs (which are Marines) so we will defend ourselves and kill the dogs without hesitation, so on and so on. It’s a real pain in my A$$ but I’m the appointed ‘Mayor of Taghaz’ (no extra pay included….lol) but really I’m the representative for the Marine Corps to the people.
So our Council of Elders is working out well. At least they are all (mostly) coming to the Shuras on Saturdays. I had to put them to shame last Saturday telling them I’d be here, due to the request of the DG, even if they were not…. Shame goes a long way out here….and I lay it on thick….super thick! (Thanks Mom for all the Catholic Guilt Trips… Your tutelage and examples are being used out here! Lol)
We have regular meetings on Wednesdays out here too. They are called CMOC missions…I was told the name for CMOC but I forget…..we have way too many acronyms in the military….funny side story: there was list generated (true story no joking around) with all the acronyms used in theater so people would understand what the hell was being said….it was 5 pages long! Anyways on Wednesdays we offer micro-grants to villagers who want to start-up, change or whatever a new business. Some rules apply like you can’t grow poppy or do anything that will support drugs, trades, selling etc. That goes for hashish since it is the next crop they would start to grow but it’s not going to happen. We’ve only had one CMOC day and we had NO takers. But there were two elders that were there for the whole thing so I had a long conversation with them while we settled some claim disputes. So it was still a productive day.
Well we had some real meat this week. We had steaks (if you dare to call that thin piece of leather I choked down with lots of fat and no flavor) a steak! Better than Spaghetti from a box like we usually have. Just so you know I have Spaghetti almost every night for dinner…..like NO $H!T every night! We usually have the option of two things. But on a lighter note I’ve received a lot of mail the past two weeks. Mrs. P thank you for sending like 25 boxes! I came back from patrol and had so many on my rack and in my living space that I couldn’t dress down without moving the boxes. I gave them to the Marines in my platoon and they thank you. Momma you too. My guys are very thankful for all the socks you sent. Their feet were getting pretty bad and they’ve been throwing away socks like it’s cool. Martha my love thank you for the kites. They’ve all been passed out and we see kites flying on a regular basis and it’s only been 3 days….in fact the day we started passing them out I was on my way back from a patrol and I saw one flying. I even helped this little boy to fly it before we stepped off on our return. Every kid on the block wants one more than a radio now…..it’s great. If you don’t know kite flying is like a national past time to the people. It was one of the first things the TB banned when they first came into power. So flying a kite is like flipping them ‘the bird’ when they see them. Very cool! Mr. Robinson thank you for your package……Nothing like having a cup of Starbucks in the morning. From one Marine to another Thank you. And thank all of you for sending packages, letters and your love. It means the world to me and I really do appreciate it. I won’t have time to hand write letters to you I’m sorry. I’ll be home before they get to you anyways and I’d rather sit down with you and have a drink together and catch up in person. It’s more meaningful to me and I owe it to you.
We are still doing good things out here. It has been a struggle and it is a challenge every day. Your emails keep my morale up …….way up so please keep dropping me a line when you can. Okay well I’m going to go for a run here inside the wire. I need to keep active or all my old football injuries start acting up. I’m not getting any younger and combat is a young Marines battle.
Semper Fi,
ws
PS: Please pass this to all those not on the above list. I don’t have Tennille’s, Ghetto Mike, and several others email addresses. It would be great if they could get this…..also it’s nice to receive some kind of acknowledgement when I send this out…..I am half way around the world fighting the War on Terrorism for your freedoms where people are trying to kill me and my Marines every day (that’s not a joke). No reply is like…..well let’s just say you’re an asshole for not replying…..if that’s too much well then you’re the asshole and just let me know you’d like not to receive anymore emails. I promise you I will not be offended….there are worse things that I have to deal with on a daily basis!
So where does the time go? I tell you time out here just flies sometimes. I keep so busy with so many different things that I forget what day is what. I feel like it’s been a month since I last wrote to you but I think it’s only been a week. But a busy week it’s been for me. So this is what has been going on….remember….take what I say with a grain of salt….I’m in a combat zone and yes war changes a person and my ‘give a f**k is partially broken’…..especially if you’ve been shot at, rocketed and found more IEDs that were emplaced to kill you and your Marines. Don’t freak out on me…..we are all still here and that’s just part of my job! ;)
So….the word on the dirt road (I would say street but there are no streets here….LOL) is that the TB is not going to come into the area because of the Coalition forces here. Or so the locals have been telling us. Neither are the drug smugglers for the same reason. I don’t believe a word of what the people are telling us but I do still trust the elders. It’s a difficult thing this trusting that we have going on. Mostly I put a lot of faith and trust with the elders for one reason and one reason alone….we have more guns then they do! I know huh? ….It’s a pretty warped sense of humor and way to look at it but it’s logical. This isn’t Vietnam so we are not going out there and butt stroking people with our rifles, drinking beer, finding Mamasan’s, smoking dope and having a good time. They don’t ship us beer, there are no brothels (and I’ve only see one woman’s face…..yes the ugly witch looking woman), plenty of dope out here but not one Marine has sampled the goods but we find a way to have a good time.
Right now the poppy harvest is in full swing. I mean acres and acres of this stuff is in full bloom and the petals are falling off. Some of the farms have started the cutting, scraping and collecting process….I’ll send pictures later on today to show you. There are a lot of workers (like from Home Depot….but out here it’s more like mud hut Depot) that are coming in from out of town to work in the fields. Most are young military age males looking for work. Almost all get stoned, high or whatever when they are working in the fields. My Marines caught a kid yesterday with about 2 grams of raw opium/heroin on him. Back home the street value would be around $5k but out here it’s not very much. It’s not even enough for us to arrest him! The rules out here just Freaking suck for us sometimes….don’t get me started on rules…..just one thing I hate about being an officer is following and enforcing the rules. (if I was still enlisted I’d be a Corporal by now!)
So one of my squads also found more Marijuana seed a few days ago. I have to laugh because I’ve been to Venice Beach where some hippie guy is always selling hemp seeds and he has like 10 lbs of it. And you look and are like, ‘holy crap look at all those seeds!’ Well that just chump change for my guys. They found another 2500 pounds of it….yeah 25x100 pound bags of seeds alone. I’ll send you the pictures later. That’s their 3rd finding of seeds totaling 5500 pounds of seed that they’ve found. We collect samples, for medicinal purposes only…just kidding it’s proof… and toss the rest into the river/canal. It’s just another day in the Stan.
Had our usual Shura on Saturday and let me tell you….these old timers are tough but not tough enough for my CO. We played ‘good cop’ and ‘super bad cop’…..guess who was the good cop: ME! LOL. The boss played ‘super bad cop’ to a T and we had a good time. It’s actually a good thing because I’d like to drop the ‘F-bomb’ a little more but I don’t think the translators can say it in Pashtu. So I got to swoop in and ‘save the day’ with my grand idea of how to come to an agreement on what the Marines want to do with the harvest and what the elders want us to do about the harvest. Needless to say we didn’t get exactly what we wanted but we are going to get what we want one way or another…..we have more guns….simple as that. But it’s not as simple as that. I get to deal with the fallout from the elders on everything: detainees (which is a whole different ball of wax), farmers that are upset because we walk through their fields and step on their crops, business owners who are upset because they want to lie to us to get more money for damages to their shop from when the initial ‘clearing phase’ happened in the bazaar, compound owners that are mad and want reimbursement because we shot their dog (there are no leash laws and some dogs are aggressive enough to attack Marines or our Military Working Dogs (which are Marines) so we will defend ourselves and kill the dogs without hesitation, so on and so on. It’s a real pain in my A$$ but I’m the appointed ‘Mayor of Taghaz’ (no extra pay included….lol) but really I’m the representative for the Marine Corps to the people.
So our Council of Elders is working out well. At least they are all (mostly) coming to the Shuras on Saturdays. I had to put them to shame last Saturday telling them I’d be here, due to the request of the DG, even if they were not…. Shame goes a long way out here….and I lay it on thick….super thick! (Thanks Mom for all the Catholic Guilt Trips… Your tutelage and examples are being used out here! Lol)
We have regular meetings on Wednesdays out here too. They are called CMOC missions…I was told the name for CMOC but I forget…..we have way too many acronyms in the military….funny side story: there was list generated (true story no joking around) with all the acronyms used in theater so people would understand what the hell was being said….it was 5 pages long! Anyways on Wednesdays we offer micro-grants to villagers who want to start-up, change or whatever a new business. Some rules apply like you can’t grow poppy or do anything that will support drugs, trades, selling etc. That goes for hashish since it is the next crop they would start to grow but it’s not going to happen. We’ve only had one CMOC day and we had NO takers. But there were two elders that were there for the whole thing so I had a long conversation with them while we settled some claim disputes. So it was still a productive day.
Well we had some real meat this week. We had steaks (if you dare to call that thin piece of leather I choked down with lots of fat and no flavor) a steak! Better than Spaghetti from a box like we usually have. Just so you know I have Spaghetti almost every night for dinner…..like NO $H!T every night! We usually have the option of two things. But on a lighter note I’ve received a lot of mail the past two weeks. Mrs. P thank you for sending like 25 boxes! I came back from patrol and had so many on my rack and in my living space that I couldn’t dress down without moving the boxes. I gave them to the Marines in my platoon and they thank you. Momma you too. My guys are very thankful for all the socks you sent. Their feet were getting pretty bad and they’ve been throwing away socks like it’s cool. Martha my love thank you for the kites. They’ve all been passed out and we see kites flying on a regular basis and it’s only been 3 days….in fact the day we started passing them out I was on my way back from a patrol and I saw one flying. I even helped this little boy to fly it before we stepped off on our return. Every kid on the block wants one more than a radio now…..it’s great. If you don’t know kite flying is like a national past time to the people. It was one of the first things the TB banned when they first came into power. So flying a kite is like flipping them ‘the bird’ when they see them. Very cool! Mr. Robinson thank you for your package……Nothing like having a cup of Starbucks in the morning. From one Marine to another Thank you. And thank all of you for sending packages, letters and your love. It means the world to me and I really do appreciate it. I won’t have time to hand write letters to you I’m sorry. I’ll be home before they get to you anyways and I’d rather sit down with you and have a drink together and catch up in person. It’s more meaningful to me and I owe it to you.
We are still doing good things out here. It has been a struggle and it is a challenge every day. Your emails keep my morale up …….way up so please keep dropping me a line when you can. Okay well I’m going to go for a run here inside the wire. I need to keep active or all my old football injuries start acting up. I’m not getting any younger and combat is a young Marines battle.
Semper Fi,
ws
PS: Please pass this to all those not on the above list. I don’t have Tennille’s, Ghetto Mike, and several others email addresses. It would be great if they could get this…..also it’s nice to receive some kind of acknowledgement when I send this out…..I am half way around the world fighting the War on Terrorism for your freedoms where people are trying to kill me and my Marines every day (that’s not a joke). No reply is like…..well let’s just say you’re an asshole for not replying…..if that’s too much well then you’re the asshole and just let me know you’d like not to receive anymore emails. I promise you I will not be offended….there are worse things that I have to deal with on a daily basis!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Easter
Dammit, you beat me to the punch… I was just going to e-mail you!
Happy Easter my brother. We are going to see your mom and family today. Won’t be the same without you…
Stay safe, we love you, we miss you
The Tomeo’s
From: Simmons Jr 1stLt Wendell R [mailto:wendell.simmons2@afg.usmc.mil]
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 2:29 AM
To: Adam G. Tomeo; Allison Botana; Amelia Ame Mosley; Ann H; Barbie; maggieoh82@hotmail.com; Bernard Belanger; Betty Z. Collier ; Bill Royston; billy simmons; Bx2; Brittney Donahue; Carolyn Ritchie; Merlotaz@hotmail.com; chris espinoza; Christine Pagtalunan; Argentieri, Colleen; DARIUS SANDIEGO; Dominic Doloiras; yozmitysam@aol.com; Erika Baker; Ernie; Gaczewski, Francine; Fightin25@yahoo.com; gburketek@aol.com; Glenda Boersma; J. Ortega; jason simmons; alisocoach@aol.com; Jenny; jdfan736@hotmail.com; Jim Burke; Jim Robinson; Joan Graves; Jon Shay; coachtribe@yahoo.com; Julie Garza; katie sommerfield ; Keith Caldwell; Krystle Sollie; Lana Tomeo; Leonora Doloiras; Smith, Linda S.; Lucy Doloiras; Maria Gonzalez-Plimpton; Gonzalez, MariaLucia; martharomero77@yahoo.com; maitlandco@aol.com; mfish91@hotmail.com; Dwyer, Meghan; Michelle Child; Mike Minakowski; Millie; MISSY VEEDER; lsimm303@aol.com; Pat Dwyer; mjjprt2@cox.net; pjmorrisette@yahoo.com; pyanka@hydetools.com; Ramirez SSgt Sonia; Ramirez SSgt Sonia; Reashon Taylor; rick doloiras; Boyd, Robert; Robin Colton; Roger Kern; Cintas, Sylvia; Teri Angeline; mrscapocoach@aol.com; Tim Putnam; tracy.dwyer-baker@transport.alstom.com; darthveeder6@cox.net; V. B. Pendergast
Subject: Happy Easter
To all my family and friends.
I just wanted to say Happy Easter to you all. Since there are no pigs in this country (a damn shame if you ask me) we are not having any Easter Ham but we didn’t expect to. But I have a can of Spam that I’m going to whip up and add some honey that Momma sent me. Sounds good to me. I have some canned carrots and dehydrated mashed potatoes to go with it…even some brown gravy! It will never compare to the feast that my Mom makes (she’s gonna freeze another Holiday meal for me so I don’t miss out) but it will do. At least I won’t be eating whatever crap they are serving in the chow hall tonight! LOL.
So just to keep you in the loop on a few things:
-We had our second Council of Elders shura yesterday and it went well. Establishing a new local government has been challenging but worth the efforts. Long hours of talking in the sun (I have great tan lines in all the wrong places lol) wears me out but the end result is worth it. Listening to stubborn old men gets boring but every now and then we have minor breakthroughs. At least now they are coming around and starting to understand what we are trying to accomplish and how we hope to achieve it….I laid the old guilt trip on them yesterday! (Chalk one up for Catholic School Guilt Trips!) I told them I’d be here every Saturday even if they decided not to show up!
-My Marines found a cache of weapons same morning…..foiled the ‘ambush’ we were expecting to have (and who says the military intelligence is useless?).
-They also found a cache of HME (homemade explosives)….this is what they use to make IEDs. We just lessened the threat and got to blow some $h!t up! That’s double cool for Marines….hoorah!
-The Battalion Commander came down that same afternoon. He even came out to link up with me (which means he had to walk a few miles and when a Lieutenant of Marines hears the Lieutenant Colonel is coming to see you out in the field it’s either really good or really bad!) and discuss how things were going in my platoons A/O. I kind of felt special….and not short bus special thank you . We had a good conversation and he is happy with the hard work and results my Marines are producing.
-The bridge builder is responding to the (I don’t want to call them ‘threats’) encouragement we’ve given him to complete the bridge. I bet against him and I was wrong. A little motivation can go a long way if shaming someone works!
All and all it was a busy week. Have another busy week coming up with a little more ‘local business’ improvement opportunities for the locals….I’ll have to tell you about those when I get home. I just wish that when I start my own business the city of Long Beach is willing to give me some money to get started….probably not but it’s the good intentions that counts.
Ok all……Happy Easter.
Semper Fi,
ws
Happy Easter my brother. We are going to see your mom and family today. Won’t be the same without you…
Stay safe, we love you, we miss you
The Tomeo’s
From: Simmons Jr 1stLt Wendell R [mailto:wendell.simmons2@afg.usmc.mil]
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 2:29 AM
To: Adam G. Tomeo; Allison Botana; Amelia Ame Mosley; Ann H; Barbie; maggieoh82@hotmail.com; Bernard Belanger; Betty Z. Collier ; Bill Royston; billy simmons; Bx2; Brittney Donahue; Carolyn Ritchie; Merlotaz@hotmail.com; chris espinoza; Christine Pagtalunan; Argentieri, Colleen; DARIUS SANDIEGO; Dominic Doloiras; yozmitysam@aol.com; Erika Baker; Ernie; Gaczewski, Francine; Fightin25@yahoo.com; gburketek@aol.com; Glenda Boersma; J. Ortega; jason simmons; alisocoach@aol.com; Jenny; jdfan736@hotmail.com; Jim Burke; Jim Robinson; Joan Graves; Jon Shay; coachtribe@yahoo.com; Julie Garza; katie sommerfield ; Keith Caldwell; Krystle Sollie; Lana Tomeo; Leonora Doloiras; Smith, Linda S.; Lucy Doloiras; Maria Gonzalez-Plimpton; Gonzalez, MariaLucia; martharomero77@yahoo.com; maitlandco@aol.com; mfish91@hotmail.com; Dwyer, Meghan; Michelle Child; Mike Minakowski; Millie; MISSY VEEDER; lsimm303@aol.com; Pat Dwyer; mjjprt2@cox.net; pjmorrisette@yahoo.com; pyanka@hydetools.com; Ramirez SSgt Sonia; Ramirez SSgt Sonia; Reashon Taylor; rick doloiras; Boyd, Robert; Robin Colton; Roger Kern; Cintas, Sylvia; Teri Angeline; mrscapocoach@aol.com; Tim Putnam; tracy.dwyer-baker@transport.alstom.com; darthveeder6@cox.net; V. B. Pendergast
Subject: Happy Easter
To all my family and friends.
I just wanted to say Happy Easter to you all. Since there are no pigs in this country (a damn shame if you ask me) we are not having any Easter Ham but we didn’t expect to. But I have a can of Spam that I’m going to whip up and add some honey that Momma sent me. Sounds good to me. I have some canned carrots and dehydrated mashed potatoes to go with it…even some brown gravy! It will never compare to the feast that my Mom makes (she’s gonna freeze another Holiday meal for me so I don’t miss out) but it will do. At least I won’t be eating whatever crap they are serving in the chow hall tonight! LOL.
So just to keep you in the loop on a few things:
-We had our second Council of Elders shura yesterday and it went well. Establishing a new local government has been challenging but worth the efforts. Long hours of talking in the sun (I have great tan lines in all the wrong places lol) wears me out but the end result is worth it. Listening to stubborn old men gets boring but every now and then we have minor breakthroughs. At least now they are coming around and starting to understand what we are trying to accomplish and how we hope to achieve it….I laid the old guilt trip on them yesterday! (Chalk one up for Catholic School Guilt Trips!) I told them I’d be here every Saturday even if they decided not to show up!
-My Marines found a cache of weapons same morning…..foiled the ‘ambush’ we were expecting to have (and who says the military intelligence is useless?).
-They also found a cache of HME (homemade explosives)….this is what they use to make IEDs. We just lessened the threat and got to blow some $h!t up! That’s double cool for Marines….hoorah!
-The Battalion Commander came down that same afternoon. He even came out to link up with me (which means he had to walk a few miles and when a Lieutenant of Marines hears the Lieutenant Colonel is coming to see you out in the field it’s either really good or really bad!) and discuss how things were going in my platoons A/O. I kind of felt special….and not short bus special thank you . We had a good conversation and he is happy with the hard work and results my Marines are producing.
-The bridge builder is responding to the (I don’t want to call them ‘threats’) encouragement we’ve given him to complete the bridge. I bet against him and I was wrong. A little motivation can go a long way if shaming someone works!
All and all it was a busy week. Have another busy week coming up with a little more ‘local business’ improvement opportunities for the locals….I’ll have to tell you about those when I get home. I just wish that when I start my own business the city of Long Beach is willing to give me some money to get started….probably not but it’s the good intentions that counts.
Ok all……Happy Easter.
Semper Fi,
ws
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