Just a quick word

I must apologize for the amount of time it has taken me to write again. While reading the news and even some of the actual significant events reports may lead many to believe that there isn't much to do over here, most Marines are pushing 3-6 hours of real down time at best between post, working parties, patroling, briefs, etc, and most of that time is spent uncounscious. The good news is that Marines and Sailors of Fox are doing the things that are going to win the fight over here, building on the sweat and blood of those who have come before. We are finally getting a real handle on the AO, some Marines having hit their 100th patrol since they got here (I personally have been outside the wire 30 times, with 5 actual foot combat patrols), and we have integrated well into the population. It can be tough on the young devil dogs though. Where wars before can be viewed in battles won, ground gained, and enemies dispatched, Iraq has few tangible, simple measures of victory. "Winning the hearts and minds", "bringing normalcy to the people", or "allowing the Iraqis to stand up on their own" are great catch phrases, but how does that translate to the Private First Class going condition 1 as he steps outside the wire? And the transition from tactical to cultural always comes into play. Wear your gear so that if the IED goes off you will be protected, but take your gloves off to show respect to the city leader as you meet in on the street and shake his hand. What impresses me most is that Marines who have been trained since day one to kill those who threaten them, and even those who were in a constant fire fight not 2 years ago in this very country, are able to make that transition back and forth at the flip of a switch. It doesn't matter if you like the Iraqis, or even if you care what happens to them, we understand that doing what needs to be done to make their lives better translates to a safer environment and all the boys coming home. I'm not saying that there isn't anything to relate to with the Iraqis, or that there is nothing but resentment. In fact many of us have already made some friends here. The language barrier may make things difficult, but we bridge that gap with our shared goals. I appreciate all the thoughts of good will and prayers from back home, for the Marines, Sailors, and their families. Time is already flying by, and soon we will be back home, getting ready for the next deployment.