Sad News from 1 of \'my boys\' in Iraq

[DocRKS]

Just received this email... Some of you on this forum have sent cigars and sundries over to this outstanding young man and Lisa even posted a few pix from my daughter's wedding last November where our LT was shown smoking cigars - please keep all the men mentioned in this email and their families in your prayers.

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Dear Friends,

For once I’m going to send out an update without waiting too long since my last one. Mostly this is due to the fact that a lot has changed/happened recently. Two days ago I gave up my platoon and moved to battalion staff. I’m trying to learn my job but it isn’t easy because there is a lot to learn and there isn’t anyone to teach me most of it. I traded places with the LT who just took over my platoon but because of the operational set we have these days, he was not able to show me around his job before I took over. Anyway, it isn’t that big of a deal because there isn’t anything I can’t figure out with some work and maybe a little pain.

I’ve submitted my paperwork yesterday for the medical request to send me home for surgery. I don’t foresee too much difficulty getting it approved because the doctors have been telling me I need to do it for a long time now, my company commander and battalion commander removed me from my platoon so I could get this surgery, and my brigade commander talked to me and said he thought I needed to take care of my back.

Sadly, I do have some more bad news for this update. One, we lost another West Point graduate a few days so I’m sure his family could use your prayer. He was a captain who graduated a few years ahead of me. And a little closer to home, during my last rotation to our company patrol base in Tarmiyah, we lost two more men. The tank platoon leader who has been attached to my company for the past 8 months was killed along with a young medic when the M1 Abrams battle tank they were riding in was destroyed by a large IED. Unfortunately, I was not able to get to the scene myself because I was the officer in charge of the company patrol base at the time but I sent half a platoon to secure the scene and help the men. Due to the extreme damage to the tank, it took my men over an hour to extract all the soldiers from the twisted metal of the wreckage. The wounded medic was calmly telling the soldiers to provide aid to the other wounded first and even guiding them in treating the injuries . He continued to help almost up to the point where his own life slipped away. My good friend, the LT, survived long enough to get on the helicopter but died almost as soon as it landed at the hospital. There are two men who survived, one seriously injured and one with only minor injuries. Please remember these guys and their families in your prayers. A lot of the soldiers are also having a hard time with this right now, especially the men who were on the scene trying to save the injured men. One more set of people that could use your prayers, two men lost their legs today when their truck was hit by an IED. I can’t imagine how hard it is going to be for them learning to live without the use of their legs.

I think that about wraps it up. I may be heading home for surgery pretty soon but I still don’t know if that will be for good, or just for a few months or so. I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated.

Respectfully,

1 LT J.T.

[purosdave]

Prayer sent Doc!

[Jimmy2]

Prayer's sent. God Bless them all..:-(

[RPB67]

Prayers sent !

God bless them all and stay safe !

[genevapics]

Prayers sent DocRKS.

[El Presidente]

Prayers sent. What a fricken mess.

God speed home.

[n2advnture]

I can't begin to express how this infuriates me without using some expletives...no matter what side of the debate you are on, these are OUR men!

Prayers and thoughts from my family to theirs!

[ironman]

Prayers sent Roman :-(

[stogies&hoagies]

» Prayers sent Roman :-(

Same here. I am so sorry for your (our) loss.

PLease tell the people fighting, that the American people are behind them 100%, and tell them all Thank You.

[Loyoyo]

Sad news indeed. Prayers sent for their families.

[Duckguy]

Son of a *****...

My thoughts are prayers are with all of those men.

Josh

[Maverick]

There are no words that would really do this situation justice, other than to say we will pray for everyone over there and I wish for their speedy return.

We can't keep this up.

Ross...

[maestro]

With such selfless and brave people fighting to put such hate into "history's unmarked grave of discarded lies", the terrorists will never be able to keep up with the finest the world offers...