Soldier's Perspective in Iraq
Submitted by kpaul.mallasch on Sun, 06/21/2009 - 4:36pm.
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Gone are the Thursday night BBQs, corn-hole tournaments, volleyball against 991st, water balloon fights, and fellowship we all enjoyed.
For almost a year, the 1538th Transportation Company has called Camp Taji, Iraq, home, and a home it was. It was a home that did what a home is supposed to do – one that brought us all closer together.
Before we left Indiana to come to our final destination on Camp Taji we were a group assembled from all reaches of Indiana, both city and country alike. From all walks of life we formed, what the Army likes to call, a team; but we became more than that ... we became a family. We had our good times and our bad times; our happy times and our sad times; and it is those times that any family like ours enjoys.
We will always remember Trinidad behind the grill; the twins ... I mean chief and Capt. Phillip Anderson, a native of Plainfield, Ind., the stories of home; the Indy 500 we couldn't be home to enjoy, and corny AFN commercials (What was the capital of Arizona again?).
The 1538th Transportation Company has had many crowning achievements throughout the course of a year. However, there is one we are most proud of, we are returning home the same way we left it; there will be no flag-draped caskets containing a single lost family member of the 1538th as we just conducted our last official outside-the-wire mission, June 5.
Some of us have struggled, all of us have succeeded, and all of us will return with a new determination and drive to the lives we left behind.
We are leaving with our heads held high and a new swagger in our step, that of combat veterans, proud members of the Indiana Army National Guard, and the knowledge of having served our Nation and Indiana proudly. We have often marveled at the achievements of those that have come before us, but after the thousands of miles driven and the gallons upon gallons of fuel delivered, we step back and marvel at ourselves. It is our legacy, our story, and what a story it was.
It has been a long year, and difficult one at that – the improvised explosive devices, lateral transfers, transfer of authority's, and convoys only cement that fact in our psyche, but we are stronger and better for having experienced it.
We have seen many come and many go, but it is our time, our moment. We leave Taji, Iraq for what feels like a new beginning – a new beginning at an old life. We hope to return to the lives we left, but will always remember the time we had. The day of our homecoming will no doubt be festive and full of pomp, complete with streamers, balloons, and plenty of smiles with tears. That homecoming is fast approaching and frankly it could not come any faster; the expectation of going home, like our first kisses, is complete with butterflies and anticipation.
We are leaving to return to our real homes, our children and our loved ones; however, we will never forget our home away from home and our 1538th Trans. Co. family. Cyclone 5, out!
Area: World Tags: Iraq, Iraq 2009, Cyclone 5, Camp Taji, 1538th Transportation Company Topics: Military Types: Opinion
For almost a year, the 1538th Transportation Company has called Camp Taji, Iraq, home, and a home it was. It was a home that did what a home is supposed to do – one that brought us all closer together.
Before we left Indiana to come to our final destination on Camp Taji we were a group assembled from all reaches of Indiana, both city and country alike. From all walks of life we formed, what the Army likes to call, a team; but we became more than that ... we became a family. We had our good times and our bad times; our happy times and our sad times; and it is those times that any family like ours enjoys.
We will always remember Trinidad behind the grill; the twins ... I mean chief and Capt. Phillip Anderson, a native of Plainfield, Ind., the stories of home; the Indy 500 we couldn't be home to enjoy, and corny AFN commercials (What was the capital of Arizona again?).
The 1538th Transportation Company has had many crowning achievements throughout the course of a year. However, there is one we are most proud of, we are returning home the same way we left it; there will be no flag-draped caskets containing a single lost family member of the 1538th as we just conducted our last official outside-the-wire mission, June 5.
Some of us have struggled, all of us have succeeded, and all of us will return with a new determination and drive to the lives we left behind.
We are leaving with our heads held high and a new swagger in our step, that of combat veterans, proud members of the Indiana Army National Guard, and the knowledge of having served our Nation and Indiana proudly. We have often marveled at the achievements of those that have come before us, but after the thousands of miles driven and the gallons upon gallons of fuel delivered, we step back and marvel at ourselves. It is our legacy, our story, and what a story it was.
It has been a long year, and difficult one at that – the improvised explosive devices, lateral transfers, transfer of authority's, and convoys only cement that fact in our psyche, but we are stronger and better for having experienced it.
We have seen many come and many go, but it is our time, our moment. We leave Taji, Iraq for what feels like a new beginning – a new beginning at an old life. We hope to return to the lives we left, but will always remember the time we had. The day of our homecoming will no doubt be festive and full of pomp, complete with streamers, balloons, and plenty of smiles with tears. That homecoming is fast approaching and frankly it could not come any faster; the expectation of going home, like our first kisses, is complete with butterflies and anticipation.
We are leaving to return to our real homes, our children and our loved ones; however, we will never forget our home away from home and our 1538th Trans. Co. family. Cyclone 5, out!
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Thank you for a job well done troops.