Moments in Mosul

Fly Boy’s troop is currently in Mosul, finishing up several days of "training" in order to assume the mission of the current Kiowa troop that’s stationed there.  In the next month or so, Fly Boy and his buddies will swap bases with those in Mosul for a whole different and very dangerous urban war zone.  I was fortunate to receive several telephone calls from him over the past few days, including this morning (his evening-with 11 hours difference) and I heard graphic details of one of his most "intense" combat situations since the one where he’d received his medal of valor.

Mosul is a city of 1.3 million people in the North West part of Iraq on the West bank of the Tigris River.  It is famous for its ancient buildings and beautiful mosques…Great Mosque, Red Mosque and the Mosque of Nabi Jarjis. The city has freeways and other modern conveniences, plus crowded housing areas topped with antennas and wires, which make it very dangerous for low flying helicopters.  Fly Boy is learning the evasive methods necessary for this sizzling hot spot from the pilots that have been there for the past 6 months.  "Low and fast", he says and "Fly it like you stole it!" since they’re going to shoot at you any chance they get!  In Mosul, they will have Apaches flying above and behind them as added firepower.

Today, he said they were dodging insurgent bullets, rockets and explosive devices, some of which blew up right in front of them. Then a suicide bomber, (nearly a daily occurrence) headed toward an Army Stryker vehicle, and blew himself up in an automobile right next to an innocent roadside vendor, who was minding his own business selling soda.  The soldiers survived with minor injuries, but the vendor was not so lucky.

My son was amazed at the 100’s of "looky-loos" that descended on the bloody carnage, then move along with their daily lives.  The collateral damage to the roads and electrical wires at the scene are quickly repaired and their Iraqi life returns to "normal" until the next car bomb explodes.

A day in the life of my American soldier.    ::SIGH:: 

However, after hearing how often our ground troops lose their lives when their Stryker vehicles are hit by suicidal martyrs, I can be grateful my son is in the air.  But my heart is heavy for the families of those 4 soldiers who gave their all just the other day in a horrible Stryker attack.

All considered, Fly Boy says at least their living accommodations in Mosul will be a great improvement over MacKenzie, offering very tasty food, including occasional steamed lobster tails, yummy Baskin-Robbins ice cream, and better choices for recreation.

In the meantime, he is anxiously awaiting his mid-tour trip home in May to spend some quality time in the safe, loving arms of his wife and family.

God Speed Son!