Joshua Silver, MHS '01. |
BAGHDAD, IRAQ -- Hello from Baghdad.
Sorry it took me so long to write [Silver's last article was Sept. 4], but the computers have been messed up and were moving really slow, so I only had time to email my wife. Things are going OK here, for me.
Attacks have become a very frequent thing. Since I last wrote to you our compound has been mortared twice.
I also watched the Al Rasheed Hotel get hit by the rockets that attacked it. The terrorists are getting more sophisticated, and are making some pretty deadly stuff. The rockets that attacked the AL Rasheed were [fired from] a homemade launcher that was supposed to shoot 40 rockets, but only 8 went off, luckily.
I also have been doing patrols. We go out at night and patrol the area. While out on patrol we found a good number of IED ( Improvised Explosive Devices). It's good we found them, before they could hurt any more soldiers. We had the first humvees from our company hit. The humvees were damaged, but luckily there were no injuries.
Right now, my platoon has the job of checking on police stations. The stations of Baghdad are up and running on their own, now, and it is our job to go out and moniter them, and make sure they are running smoothly. The stations that we have seem to be running really well, and the IPs are working harder and better, now that they have control over things.
They feel like thay are true police officers, and feel that they are ready for the job, some of them told me. They are excited now that they can be trusted to do the job on their own.
The new Iraqi army is getting up, too. They recently have been running checkpoints and things of that nature. They are still in the earlier stages, but seem to be eager and excited about their job.
Well that is about all that I can tell you for now. There has been a lot going on, but for security reasons I don't think that I can disclose that to everyone.
Thank you all for your support, and I am sorry that I cannot write everyone, but am making my best effort to contact people. I have been overwhelmed with responses due to my emails to ridertown, and I want you all to know that I am very appreciative of this. Thank you again and I will write again as soon as I can.
SPC Joshua Silver, United States Military Police Corp.
Email Joshua Silver.
A Topic entitled "From the Theatre" has been set up in the Iraq Forum in Ridertown Forums. Please see the Forums for additional response from Ridertown Military personnel such as 1Lt. David Simms, who sent an email Tuesday August 26, 2003.