The Final Chapter, The Final Page

This is it. This is the final blog from FOB Brassfield –Mora. My bags are packed and the birds are inbound. I am headed out to LSA Anaconda for a few days where we will link back up with our orginal battalion and then we will all head back to the Mother Land!

I honestly can not believe that it is finally here. We are finally going home. We have fought the fight, we have fought it to the standard and we have made a difference. We helped the people of Iraq, we made this area safer, stronger and have helped get them on the path to a better future. There are so many things I will never forget from my times here. This place is full of surprises, horror, and complete and total craziness. Even through all the war and poverty there is still some bleak form of beauty in all the chaos.

More than anything else, I will never forget the soldiers and friends I lost here. During the past 14 months here we have lost 24 guys from this FOB. Six of those soldiers were from my company, a company that consisted of only 75 soldiers that left the safety of the FOB. They were my friends, they were guys I use to joke with and guys I fought side by side with. All good men and all will never be forgotten.

For the past 14 months you all have been so supportive and gracious with all the care packages, comments and cards. You all have been so great and made my life so much better over here. I know I have told you all before, but once again, with all seriousness; Thank you. And finally for the last time from my CHU, take care and I will see you soon and Thank you.

"NEVER FORGET"

1LT Ceroni, KIA, Samarra, Iraq - VBIED
SPC. Winkler, KIA, Samarra, Iraq - VBIED
1LT. Bacevich, KIA, Samarra, Iraq - Suicide Bomber
SGT. Dunn, KIA, Samarra, Iraq - Culvert Bomb
SPC. Jaraguie, KIA, Samarra, Iraq - Culvert Bomb
SPC. Millard, KIA, Samarra, Iraq - Culvert Bomb

SPC. Hall, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Lost his leg from an IED

SGT. James, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Lost his leg from an IED

SGT. Cowart, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Lost his leg from a Suicide Bomber

SGT. Roberti, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Shrapnel from a VBIED

SPC. Ashby, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Shrapnel from a VBIED

SGT. Ford, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Broken Back from a Culvert Bomb

SGT. Brong, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Paralized from a Culvert Bomb

SPC. Hardin, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Lost his hand from and RPG

SGT. Parsons, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Shrapnel Wounds from an RPG

SSG. Crumpler, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Broken Leg from and IED

SGT. Uber, WIA, Samarra, Iraq - Trama to the head from and IED

Team Delta, 2nd Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment

82nd Airborne Division

Samarra, Iraq

OIF 6 - OIF 7

OCT 1st 2006 - DEC 1st 2007

“DRAGOONS”

The Farewell Tour

Mission Complete. Finally after 415 days in Iraq, after countless trips up and down Route Tampa, after so many nights at Patrol Base Love; I am complete. I left Holly, my friends, my family and my life on October 1st 2006. From there I had no idea what to expect. It was all still unsure where we would be fighting and what our mission would truly be. All we knew is that we were coming over here and we weren’t coming back anytime soon.

My first patrol was on October 17th 2006. My first IED attack was on that same day. The first time I fired my weapon with intent to kill was that day. That day, that attack just south of the small canal bridge set the pace for what became the wildest 14 months of my life. A year was packed full of roadside bombs, mortar attacks, RPG attacks, small arms attacks, culvert bombs, car bombs and guys wearing suicide vest. I witnessed two IED’s up close and very personally and have the Purple Heart to prove it. I saw it all with my own two eyes and no longer through CNN and FOX News. I finally saw just what it was all about over here, what it truly is to be a soldier and what it is to fight for your life.

But finally here I am, after all of that, sitting in my CHU typing what will be one of the final pages in this chapter of my life. I only got out of my tank and unloaded my weapons just a little over an hour ago. But unless something way out of left field or something terribly tragic happens, that should have been and hopefully will be my last patrol. I am done. I am passing the torch to the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division and wishing them the best of luck with this little slice of Hell on Earth. No more Route Tampa. No more Patrol Base Love.

I can’t really describe the feeling. Part of me, if not most of me feels like it’s not even true. Like it’s all a cruel joke and we aren’t really leaving and until we go, “wheels up” and head to Kuwait I imagine it will continue to feel this way. But tonight was my last patrol. Only eight more days on the FOB. Twelve more days left in Iraq and only fifteen more days until I am standing on that parade field… Only fifteen more days…



Note: Due to a blackout this blog not quite so hot off the press. It's like 3 days old.