Oerdin's Iraq thread.

[chequita guevara]

Oerdin, you be careful, okay? From over here it looks like things just got real hairy.

[Dr Strangelove]

Yes, very much so. Would you consider sending Sadr's address to one of the more violent Sunni factions? "Divide and Conquer" worked marvelously 100 years ago. Maybe it's time to give it another try.

[The Mad Viking]

I've been trying to come up with ideas for the best possible solution to our sadr problem (not that I have any control over the matter) and I'm certain the worse thing we can do is go into Sadr's compound with guns blazing. Sadr wants to be a martyr for the cause like his father and his brothers and this would only give that to him. The best thing we can do is empower his shi'a rivals to undermine him so that it is Shi'as solving a Shi'a problem instead of the Infedels knocking off people they don't like.

It's too bad that you don't have any control over the matter. Sounds like an excellent idea.

Be safe.

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Sorry Cruddy, I must have missed that post or else I would have responded. Thanks for the tip about tea tree oil though.

Should you get your hands on some (very doubtful but) do remember it's extra super concentrated and one drop for half a gallon of water is plenty.

A friend of mine knocked back half a bottle of TTO and suffered a 3 day allergy reaction. So handle with care.

It's supposed to be external use only, I know, but it actually does work on internal stomach infections. Being a blend of 40 or so natural anti-nasty chemicals, it's not too surprising. Oh, non-irritant as well, so eye infections are easily dealt with.

Originally posted by Oerdin
The AK seems to not have the original firing pin and the new one looks to be a bit to long. There were carbon marks on the bolt which seemed to indicate blow by was occuring when the weapon was fired so I'm not to egar to fire it.

I assume you haven't managed to lay your hands on a Soviet 7.62mm headspace gauge set?

For those not in the know, these are 3 dummy rounds - one is too big, one is too small, one is just the right size.

If the too big one fits, the headspace is too much.

If the too small fits, the headspace is not enough.

If ONLY the just right size fits - the headspace is OK.

The point being, if that firing pin really is too long, the gauges should tell you.

Even if you can't find a set - maybe ask an engineer squad if they can knock a set up?

Just a thought... but I'd be scared witless with an untried weapon that looked so dangerous.

Best of luck!

EDIT: US English is "gage", UK English is "gauge". Bit like "colour" and "color".

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I've been trying to come up with ideas for the best possible solution to our sadr problem (not that I have any control over the matter) and I'm certain the worse thing we can do is go into Sadr's compound with guns blazing. Sadr wants to be a martyr for the cause like his father and his brothers and this would only give that to him. The best thing we can do is empower his shi'a rivals to undermine him so that it is Shi'as solving a Shi'a problem instead of the Infedels knocking off people they don't like.

Is there anybody that can be bought and do it on the DL?

This guy is seriously starting to piss me off.

I hope you guys get this wannabe soon.

[Oerdin]

Last night at around 2300 a Specter Gunship from Kirkuk Air Field finally caught three of our local mortarmen. Unfortunately for them the crew of the specter spotted their red VW Golf Cabrio right after they had fired off a mortar at the air field. A few seconds, a belt of depleted uranium chaingun rounds, and a few high explosive shells latter our friends were nothing more then an unpleasant memory and their VW looked more like a mangled soda can then a car. Let's hear it for our friends in the Air Force.

On a more somber note this morning I went to the memorial service for PFC John Amos of Galveston, TX. John was an infantrymen in C Co, 1-21, 25th ID and he was killed by the car bomb that went off two days ago behind my compound. John was manning the check point near our compound and when the bomb went off he was standing behind the steel door of an uparmored humvee. The blast of the explosion trapped him between the slamming armored door and the humvee's body; his right leg was completely severed and his left leg was mostly amputated. John died of a cardiac arrest while he was being life flighted to the coalition hospital in Baghdad.

The two main theories floating around are that 1) the car bomb was targeting the CMOC where I was at but found the road closed (we had literally closed the road three minutes before the explosion because the Shi'a demonstration was approaching) or 2) the Car Bomber wanted to blow himself up in the crowd of Shi'a protesters.

I had strange feelings going to John's memorial. I never met him while he was alive but we worked around each other a fair amount (hundreds of people work close to each other every day in the army but if you're not in the same unit the odds are good you'll never talk) but he just might have did because I suddenly became unavailable as a target. When you walked into the make shift chapel at the center of the front was a small podium with John's M-16 pointing muzzle down with his helmet placed on the buttstock and a pair of his combat boots aranged in front of them. Behind the soldier's memorial were two crossed flags; one of the United States and the other of the US Army. From John's rifle was the shiny pair of dog tags he was wearing around his neck the moment he died.

The service itself was fairly brief; 20 minutes from start to finish. A chaplin said a few words then John's squad leader stood up and saluted the memorial and was followed by John's Platoon leader, his CO, and so on up to General Sanchez. Some nelt down to pray before the memorial, a few cried, but most saluted. In the background played a somber track from the movie Braveheart. I was told by one of the chaplin's assistants that Brave heart was PFC Amos's favorite movie so it seemed somewhat fitting that his memorial service would be filled with the sound of bagpipes.

When it was my turn I stood before the alter and Saluted, this seemed like the most dignified thing I could do for a fellow soldier, then i signed into the guest book. I wrote "John, may god speed you on your journey" and that was it. I took a bit of time to look at some of the pictures. There was one with him along with his wife an infant daughter and another one of him in military uniform taken the day before he died. I'm still not sure what to make of this.

[Chemical Ollie]

Very emotional post, Oerdin, it made me cry behind the computer screen.

I was against the war, and I still am, and things like this is the main reason. Having two small girls myself, I really feel sorry for Johns family.

But the suffering on the Iraqi side is about ten-fold the suffering on the American side, or even more. America started this war, and now is time to pay the bill. Remember to duck and keep us posted!

[pchang]

I think you experiencing a little survivor's guilt. Not to worry. Celebrate the fact that you are still alive.

[Bloody Monk]

Originally posted by pchang
I think you experiencing a little survivor's guilt. Not to worry. Celebrate the fact that you are still alive.

I was just thinking the same thing. Grief needs somewhere to go and often gets misfiled under guilt. Shake that off; you don't need it and it won't do him any good either. This is perhaps too simplistic but, never the less, it was his time and not anyone else's. Focus on doing your job, and yes, celebrate that you are alive. We are.

Monk

[Oerdin]

I don't think I'm feeling guilty per say. Somber is more like it.

[pchang]

Well, the "He died because I suddenly became unavailable as a target" would usually be interpreted as some level of survivor's guilt.

[Pekka]

Is it the same thing as feeling great because you survived and the other one died? And from that comes the guilt of feeling joy? I don't mean if you kill someone, I mean if you just survive something and the other one dies, you feel joy because you wittnessed it and it could have been you just as easily, and then you feel ashamed for feeling that.....

[oerdin's sis]

This makes it very difficult for me to pretend Oerdin is sitting in a dorm, playing a game......

[Sirotnikov]

Oerdin - I was really scared for you man. I had access to newspapers and read about the **** going on in Iraq, but had no net access (bootcamp, duh) and hoped you're alright.

I'm gladf your ok. Hang in there, tiger

[Oerdin]

Originally posted by pchang
Well, the "He died because I suddenly became unavailable as a target" would usually be interpreted as some level of survivor's guilt.

I didn't use the definate article. I said possiblely. Which is not guilty feelings at all just a statement of fact. It sucks but I'd much rather have things go down the way they did then for me to die.

[monkspider]

What a post Oerdin. Thank you so much for sharing that. We you, stay safe.

[Tripledoc]

Oerdin!

"In the pipe, five by five"

"Keep it tight people"

"Let's rock!"

Quotes from my favorite movie Aliens.

Stay safe! Are there any female officers where you are at! :0)

[Patroklos]

Rather frustrating to be siting here inport in UAE with a full magazine of Tomohawks when you are in Iraq fighting.

Stay safe.

[CorpusScorpius]

Man Oerdin I am catching the end of this & it does hit home (I live In Houston) .....I am x miltary & anytime U hear or see someone passing on in the military W/ a personnel account it is hard to deal with.......Take Care Man..........

[Lancer]

It's a sad thing when a good man dies, but in the end we all do. John Amos died before his time, certainly so as he left so much behind.

I'm thinking on his favorite movie and the stirring words of the William Wallace character to a Scottish army about to leave the field in the face of a powerful enemy. How could the army of his countrymen leave and forever wonder all their lives if they had stayed might it be different? They stayed and the English heavy cavalry met the Scotish pikemen.

I like a guy that likes that flick. So deeply sorry he had to die like that.

[Oerdin]

I read this article the other day and it made me think of Roscoe. http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?...ebook%2f040504

The article talks about the various pets which GIs have adopted here in Kirkuk. I've seen the ratz's two dogs as well as 1-21 TOC's six geese though I never got to see the hedgehogs before they were released back into the wild.

Here at the CMOC we have four unnamed stray cats, one named cat named Linus, a small white female dog named lady, and an old scared and beat up male dog named Scareface. The CA company bought two black goats which we've named Bill & Bob. Bill & Bob are two confused little boy goats who keep trying to hump everything in site. They've tried to hump the dogs, a humvee, and even each other but they're single favorite past time is to eat everything in site. I've seen those two chew on everything from tin cans to drop down ceiling material (from the Mahoberat building that got hit with two JDAMs during the war) and they do a nice job of trimming the grass.

One day we're going to have a goat roast and then B&B will become Kabobs but until then we have mobile trash collecters.

[Last Conformist]

Is 'Mahoberat' the same word as 'Mukhabarat' (the Egyptian security service)?

[Oerdin]

I have probably spelled it wrong but the Mahoberat was Saddam's secret police. The compound I live in used to belong to them and it comes complete with torture cells, "guest housing", barracks, and a 15 foot high security wall though the main office building had an unfortunate incident with two 2,000lb American bombs.

[Last Conformist]

Transliterating from Arabic isn't an exact science. Seems likely they're the same word, then.

Thanks, and take good care!

[Mercator]

That link was messed up Oerdin... Here it is unscrambled: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/di...otebook/040504

Still an excellent read, this thread. Unfortunately it's not all good news. Stay safe.

[Barinthus]

Torture chambers?!? Have you seen those up close? It must felt strange to be in one. :shudder:

[pchang]

Of course, you can also use it to violate general order #1 in spectacularly kinky ways.

[Sirotnikov]

Mukhabarat is an arab word usually meaning Intelligence, like Istakhbarat. Akhbar means information or news. It's the same 'root'.

[Sirotnikov]

In arab countries there are usually only one major intelligence service that deals mostly with inner intelligence and suppression of revolt.

[Space05us]

cute lil' mutt.