Anyone "vacationing" in Iraq this spring/summer?

[Branhammer]

A lot of my old CSAR buddies are on the slate to go to Iraq. Or at least that is the talk around their shops. My last trip was 2011 and we were the final AF HH-60G unit to deploy to JBB. I remember how crazy it was being part of the clean up for that draw-down, and now it looks like 4 years later a lot of my friends that I was there with that are still CSAR are going back to that shit hole country. Absolutely ridiculous.

Anybody on here having to go back? I hope not. But if so, take care of yourselves out there. I worry that after closing so many bases in Iraq, this is going to be like Afghanistan back in 03-04.

 

[Branhammer]

And I just immediately realized I put this in the wrong forum. My apologies.

 

[03cobra#694]

Moved to Chow Hall ok?

 

[Branhammer]

Thanks. That's where I meant to post it in the first place.

 

[ImThatGuy]

I vacationed there 2009-2011. I was at Mosul, as much as I'd like to go back, Im kinda iffy because they know what to expect. Not to mention that city is pure hell. My brigade is up for deployment right now, so I've been wondering if we were going back.

 

[RDJ]

I am headed back in a month or so. I spent 03-2011 there as a contractor. leaving Afghanistan to go back. it will be interesting to say the least

 

[Branhammer]

I vacationed there 2009-2011. I was at Mosul, as much as I'd like to go back, Im kinda iffy because they know what to expect. Not to mention that city is pure hell. My brigade is up for deployment right now, so I've been wondering if we were going back.

Army or Marines?

I don't envy you. Then again, being in the Air Force, I never envied you guys. The worst thing I've had to do is clean a shit-load of blood out of an HH-60G cabin. These days I live the stereotypical Air Force life of sitting on my ass at a computer.

Take care of yourself over there. It sucks that some people are having to go back.

I am headed back in a month or so. I spent 03-2011 there as a contractor. leaving Afghanistan to go back. it will be interesting to say the least

Well I don't know enough about the situation as of late to tell you if you're going to a better or worse situation. Afghanistan can be rough but the current situation in Iraq is definitely not what is was in 2011 when I was there. Good luck and, unlike when I was there, take the klaxon seriously. People were way to complacent with that alarm when I was there.

 

[RDJ]

Well I don't know enough about the situation as of late to tell you if you're going to a better or worse situation. Afghanistan can be rough but the current situation in Iraq is definitely not what is was in 2011 when I was there. Good luck and, unlike when I was there, take the klaxon seriously. People were way to complacent with that alarm when I was there.

complacency is always an issue. and there is a fine line between being complacent and knowing when to actually worry. Most of the time by the time the klaxon goes off the damage has already been done, and while sheltering in place is the thing to do, waiting for the all clear is even more important. You get to the point where your reaction is more determined by how close the initial hit was to where you are than the klaxon.

 

[Branhammer]

complacency is always an issue. and there is a fine line between being complacent and knowing when to actually worry. Most of the time by the time the klaxon goes off the damage has already been done, and while sheltering in place is the thing to do, waiting for the all clear is even more important. You get to the point where your reaction is more determined by how close the initial hit was to where you are than the klaxon.

That's true. A couple of months before I was there, two guys got hit because the Klaxon went off and they ignored it. One died and the other was injured. The funny thing is a lot of guys don't believe that just getting down on the ground can save you. But I've seen shrapnel mark on a T barrier and they didn't start until about 2 feet or so up from the ground. Unless the damn thing lands right on top of you, just hitting the dirt is really all you need to do if it's really coming down in your area.

And yeah I think I hit the dirt once while I was there. Most of the time we new if it was a real threat or not.

 

[RDJ]

That's true. A couple of months before I was there, two guys got hit because the Klaxon went off and they ignored it. One died and the other was injured. The funny thing is a lot of guys don't believe that just getting down on the ground can save you. But I've seen shrapnel mark on a T barrier and they didn't start until about 2 feet or so up from the ground. Unless the damn thing lands right on top of you, just hitting the dirt is really all you need to do if it's really coming down in your area.

And yeah I think I hit the dirt once while I was there. Most of the time we new if it was a real threat or not.

had a similar situation in BALAD when I was there in 05 IIRC ... the alarm went off and the rule was if you were in a hard building you stayed there till the all clear sounded. ... well three guys at the PX decided that smoking was more important than staying inside till the all clear sounded, and they went outside on the front steps to smoke. some 15 minutes later a 2nd rocket hit and it hit about 3 or 4 feet from the PX wall. 20+ people inside were injured most by flying glass and debris. the three guys outside? dead. supposedly it was their last night in iraq as well.

 

[Branhammer]

had a similar situation in BALAD when I was there in 05 IIRC ... the alarm went off and the rule was if you were in a hard building you stayed there till the all clear sounded. ... well three guys at the PX decided that smoking was more important than staying inside till the all clear sounded, and they went outside on the front steps to smoke. some 15 minutes later a 2nd rocket hit and it hit about 3 or 4 feet from the PX wall. 20+ people inside were injured most by flying glass and debris. the three guys outside? dead. supposedly it was their last night in iraq as well.

Oh that was a bad time to be there. I think I remember hearing that sometime around 2006 someone got sniped off the high-dive of the pool.

 

[ImThatGuy]

Army or Marines?

I don't envy you. Then again, being in the Air Force, I never envied you guys. The worst thing I've had to do is clean a shit-load of blood out of an HH-60G cabin. These days I live the stereotypical Air Force life of sitting on my ass at a computer.

Take care of yourself over there. It sucks that some people are having to go back.



Well I don't know enough about the situation as of late to tell you if you're going to a better or worse situation. Afghanistan can be rough but the current situation in Iraq is definitely not what is was in 2011 when I was there. Good luck and, unlike when I was there, take the klaxon seriously. People were way to complacent with that alarm when I was there.

I was with the Army. Loving the life of an Infantrymen.

 

[Branhammer]

I was with the Army. Loving the life of an Infantrymen.

Did you get out? What did you do after?

 

[RDJ]

Oh that was a bad time to be there. I think I remember hearing that sometime around 2006 someone got sniped off the high-dive of the pool.

had not heard about that one. I was on Balad from 03-05 then went to Al-Taqaddum. Snipers did shoot a soldier in the eye while I was there. She and a couple others were up on a hill looking over the fence when she got hit.

 

[ImThatGuy]

Im currently still in the Infantry, as much I hate to embrace the suck, I really like it a lot. Outside of the Infantry the only other branch I could see myself doing is Aviation, for rotary wing, preferably AH-64.

 

[Weather Man]

A lot of equipment from Afgan went to Kuwait. Interesting times. I retired 6 months before GW2. I got letters asking me to come back. They promised I wouldn't deploy for the first year I was tempted, but my wife would have shot me!

 

[truefiveo]

had not heard about that one. I was on Balad from 03-05 then went to Al-Taqaddum. Snipers did shoot a soldier in the eye while I was there. She and a couple others were up on a hill looking over the fence when she got hit.

You know whats crazy?
That same soldier came back as a contractor in 2008 with me, really nice girl.

I just got an email looks like I may be getting hired back to work the Bagram extension.

 

[ben_gone]

when you guys go back, give em hell for my buddy SGT Sean Callahan, USMC. They stole him from us in Helmand in 2011.

thanks gents

 

[Stanger00]

A lot of my old CSAR buddies are on the slate to go to Iraq. Or at least that is the talk around their shops. My last trip was 2011 and we were the final AF HH-60G unit to deploy to JBB. I remember how crazy it was being part of the clean up for that draw-down, and now it looks like 4 years later a lot of my friends that I was there with that are still CSAR are going back to that shit hole country. Absolutely ridiculous.

Anybody on here having to go back? I hope not. But if so, take care of yourselves out there. I worry that after closing so many bases in Iraq, this is going to be like Afghanistan back in 03-04.

I was there in late 2010 to August 2011 as a civilian at the TF side of JBB. I was also there in summer of 2005 and it was pretty sketchy and I'd imagine if people are going back its going to be worse than before.

 

[RDJ]

You know whats crazy?
That same soldier came back as a contractor in 2008 with me, really nice girl..

wow that is wild. I didn't know her or even her name. but I was talking to a couple of guys that knew about what happened. girl has balls that's for sure, going back like that

I just got an email looks like I may be getting hired back to work the Bagram extension.

interesting times for sure right now. been up to bagram a few times now .. not a fan but it really isn't too bad.

I was there in late 2010 to August 2011 as a civilian at the TF side of JBB. I was also there in summer of 2005 and it was pretty sketchy and I'd imagine if people are going back its going to be worse than before.

you were there when I was then. I didn't leave till Oct 2005. my dates have been pushed back to june apparently they are still building stuff out.