e-mail from Iraq (serious)

ohsix · Posted: Apr 08, 2003 8:30 am Post subject:

I think he was referring to what a recruiter may have told them about ever going to war. not this specific one. and you're right, marine boot camp is 13 weeks then you get 10 days leave then go back to train for your specific job such as infantry or whatever your job will be. i think infantry and artillery are both 10 weeks of training, then sometime, usually shortly, after that you will have a 3 week field exercise.

i talked to one of my friends in the marines last week. he left the week after we graduated high school (which was last may) and last week they were just about to leave for their 3 week field exercise. he said they're on 96 hour standby to go to kuwait and have been told they're going somewhere near north korea by june 20th.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Leggester...Rob has a healthy sense of humor, in case you couldn't tell. Remember, these are just emails to his friends BSing about what his experience over there is like. He isn't a reporter getting quotes for a news story. It's all anecdotal.

Leggester · Posted: Apr 08, 2003 9:19 am Post subject:

Ah, all's copecetic now!

Thanks

Rocko · Posted: Apr 08, 2003 11:08 am Post subject:

Always play with their minds.

tyybo · Soul Rider Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 340 City: Fargo

ya that one sounds kinda like BS, sorry for "questioning" or sounding insensitive but come on now, I know for a fact that a recruiter isnt going to lie about whast goin on and i dont think that our marines are in a 5 star resort with nice towels or some sh#t, But who knows maybe im wrong

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

You kill me! Can you not read the sarcasm? Or the bs tone? I love how you take so seriously the "camp...fireworks...parade" comment, but the fact that he called it "Operation: I thought the war would be over by now" hasn't phased you a bit. I mean, surely that came from officials, right? Don't you have a sense of humor? If you have watched any of the MTV stuff on the young troops getting deployed, you will see similar type comments...along the lines of "damn, I went into the Army to pay for college and now I am getting shipped off to war."

Rob isn't lying about anything. If he says they are staying in the Hilton, they are. He may be giving plenty of anecdotal evidence...ie. the stuff about the name of the operation and what the recruiter told them about the clean towels, etc. (BTW - no recruiter has said anything to any of the guys over there about this war. The math doesn't work on when they joined up to when the war started.) Also - I know the British Royal Marines are staying in one of Saddam's palaces in Basra, so anything is possible.

Again, consider the source...just a guy doing camerawork emailing his buddies back home. It isn't a news source. It isn't meant to be picked over for facts. It's just a guy talking to his friends. Rob is a fairly anti-Army/Republican/structure type of guy. He rides a bmx cruiser anywhere he can and smokes herb a plenty. My guess is he gets the "left" side of most conversations he has with any military types....we all hear what we want, right?

Lighten up - at the very least, it a pretty funny depiction of what's going on over there.