Day 328

We have been given a redeployment (return) date from the commanding officer. Our company is to leave Iraq by the 25th of May. That leaves eighty-six days plus the leap year day tomorrow. The rest of our battalion will be leaving a little before us. We are actually separated at this point from the other three companies of 4-9 Infantry and are currently attached to 2-12 Cavalry Regiment. Our infantry company was assigned to cover the area of old Baqubah because 2-12 Cav doesn't patrol. Cavalry, or tankers as they are called, fire the big artillery guns and drive the tanks. They stay mounted in their vehicles and don't know the regimen of a footsoldier. This is only true to a certain extent however. The 4-9 Infantry battalion commander was a tanker before this assignment and he knows his job well.

Today headquarters platoon went to pick up third platoon after a patrol they were doing outside Baqubah. They were assisting a 2-12 Cav outpost in retrieving weapons that were found in the bushes on the roadside. Specialist Meek, who I went to basic with, was injured breaching a door. The barrel of his shotgun came up and bust his lip pretty good because he wasn't holding the stalk tight enough. A few months ago he was sent back to Camp Warhorse after his third concussion due to IED's. And now immediately after coming back he had another accident. This might be the end of his deployment.

It is almost pleasant to go out on patrol now that the weather is getting warmer. It's a chance to get your legs moving and get some fresh air. There have been a few small sandstorms in the past week as winter fades out. We can't patrol at that time and riding up in the hatch of a vehicle is torture. Riding up in the hatch of the stryker with the 240B machine gun is about the only time I'm glad we wear eye protection. Being in the desert there is always sand in the air and it gets in your eyes even with glasses on.

Standing elevated in the stryker is the best way to see the country in my opinion. There are always kids waving to you; giving you thumbs up, thumbs down or the peace sign. The Iraqi Army soldiers wave from their roadside posts or salute with their palm facing you. Riding from the JCOP to Camp Warhorse on Route Venessa, there are so many Iraqi soldiers and police that there is no point to scanning for possible enemy. The area is completely covered. I'm more worried about one of the drivers rolling the vehicle or running into another Stryker.

In the past week there have been reports of women intent on attacking us with suicide vests. There is hardly a way to stop them because they can just step out of a doorway and blow themselves up as in the past. One of our soldiers is still in a coma from the blast that hit fourth platoon. Last night a dog attacked our section sergeant and he shot it with a non-lethal round. The loud bang came as a shock and the RTO called it in on the radio thinking it was a bomb blast. I just looked down to make sure I was OK, nothing serious.