Report from Iraq: Counting Down
Category: War on Terror...
Posted Thursday, October 13, 2005 at 08:20 AM [GMT-6]

It's been a while since we had a report from SSG. Will, stationed south of Baghdad. He checked in yesterday via email and I'm happy to report that he's doing well and is relatively bored.

I've never been in war, but I would think that being bored is a good thing during a war. It tends to mean that no one is shooting at you at the moment, and that's a very good thing.

On a more somber note, he reports that his brigade has suffered its first fatalities, two in combat and three by accidents, the nature of which he didn't specify. The latter is a strong reminder that Iraq is a dangerous place to reside, regardless of your combat status.

Will is in the tail end of his deployment, although that is certainly subject to change, especially depending on what happens after next week's constitutional referendum in Iraq. But, the best case scenario is that he'll be home in time for his daughter's first Christmas, and that will be a special occasion beyond description.

Will also asked me to convey his deep appreciation for those who made contributions to the "SSG Will Fund" over the past year. The extra money was nice, of course, but the show of support was the special thing...just knowing that Americans back home were thinking about him and his fellow soldiers and standing firm in the support of what we're trying to achieve in the area.

This is a good time to reflect that even as the war is sometimes being pushed off the TV screen or the front page by a steady procession of natural disasters, real and imagined, we should take care not to forget the men and women who are in harm's way, securing freedom for people who haven't experienced it for a long time. Let's not take their service for granted.