There is a REAL war going on.

Before I get to the main point of this post, it rained today. IT RAINED! I am so happy not to see the sun its frightening. Today was a usual day, PT at six, Chow at 7, then we did Advanced Rifle Marksmanship (ARM) Training consisting of reflexive firing movements and firing around obstacles. It was actually pretty fun!

While doing some of the ARM training my platoon spoke to a Sergeant/Instructor who has deployed 3 times and has seen much of the battlefield. This Instructor is an 11B (Infantry, The Queen of Battle, HOOOAH!!!) He has also lost troops, been hit by several IED's, survived a near-ambush (a "near" ambush is defined as an ambush in which the killing zone is within hand grenade range or 15M maximum) and has lived to tell about it. He told us many stories about things he saw over there (I wont go into detail, but there were some horrific stories told) and he also stated that wishes no one else has to go there.

It was at that point that I went into shock!

The horrific stories didnt shock me, I have heard those before. That statement (where he wishes no one else has to go there) shook me because when you talk to other people that have been over there, the response is different. They state things like, "it will be good for you" or "its good to have combat experience". I don't know if the people that make statements similar to these are simply ignoring the Hell that is Iraq, or they have conditioned themselves to look past that Hell. In either case, I have been hearing a slanted story. I have been hearing only from those that have seen small segments of the battlefield. I am a Quartermaster Officer (QM), who generally talks to other QM's. Inherently, QM's dont get to see all the action up close, we get hit by IED's and mortars, but we don't do fighting door to door, street by street. This Sergeant (Staff Sergeant Actually) did every type of combat mission in theater. Everything from sector clearing, patrolling, fob security ops, etc. Anything you can name, he did it. And as a result, for the first time since I have been an Officer, I have seen the eyes of an individual who is tired of and beaten by war. A war being fought by hard men everyday while I sit here and complain about heat in Fort Sill, and you read my rants.

Its important that I first understand that it is my duty as an officer to lead these hard men into battle, and the immense responsibility that accompanies that task. The point of him telling war stories was to paint a picture that leadership is essential to saving lives over there, and when leadership fails people die in bad, bad ways.

It is equally important that you all remember that there is a REAL war going on. One where lives are lost, lives are broken, and lives are being altered forever. Iraq seems so far away, most of us are only connected to it through the media. Its so easy to forget the war, and its so easy to forget the sacrifice of those that serve. Please don't, keep us all in your prayers.