Good Morning All,

I hope everybody is doing well.

I've got a project for you if you are interested we've got 90 Northern California National Guard soldiers from my battalion (Company A, 579^th Engineers) currently serving in Iraq. I get periodic updates from them either by e-mail or occasionally by phone. They are serving proudly and are happy to be a part of history as Iraq becomes a democracy. The soldiers are out in the towns every day performing security patrols and making their presence known. Since the TOS (Transfer of Sovereignty) Things have gotten better for security but they are still enjoying 125+ degree days and 100 degree nights. 

These soldiers interact with a lot of the locals including many children and try to give them little trinkets, personal care items and school supplies to help build an understanding one person at a time. The guys over there would love to receive packages and notes from home to let them know they aren't forgotten. This goes toward supporting the troops. I'm not really concerned about whether or not you support the war. If you could find the time to put together a small package of pencils (no crayons they melt), pens, other school type items, travel sized personal products you can send them to:

 1SG Skolnik, Ken

 A / 579 EN / 81 BCT

 APO-AE 09391

First Sergeant Skolnik will make sure that your gifts will be distributed to the local kids. If you would like to send a note or a package to a random soldiers just put the rank or "Any Soldier" and the A / 579 EN / 81 BCT,  APO-AE 09391.

Restrictions are no alcohol, no pork products and no pornography (defined as any thing stronger than a "Maxim" type magazine). All letters and packages are appreciated.

Thank you,

Kevin

I've served with a lot of the guys over there to include First Sergeant Skolnik who was one of my platoon sergeants a few years ago and Captain Turner served with me at Fort Hunter Liggett this past year.

Below is an excerpt from one of the letters from our unit in Iraq...

18 June, 2004

Greetings from Iraq,

     We are starting to do a lot more visits with the local people and interacting with the sheiks who are the leaders of the villages in our area.  They invite us in for meals every time we go to visit and put out large meals, which are really quite delicious.  Our discussions include helping their communities through the construction of schools, health clinics, water filtration systems, electrical power to the houses, and sewers.  It is quite rewarding being able to help these people getting the bare necessities, things we take for granted in the US.  Every place we go there are always large groups of children who are intrigued by our presence.  The men really enjoy interacting with them.  The kids are always asking for food and water as well as our pens and pencils, our sunglasses, or anything else they think we have on us.  We have also been giving them small bottles of shampoo (because they really need it), soap (again need it), and other hygiene items.  We never seem to bring enough supplies with us when we go out.  We have no idea where all these kids come from when we stop.  It is not uncommon for a single male to have four wives with ten or more children with each wife.  Our soldiers are always telling the men here that we could not handle more than one wife, that one is work enough.

     The guys are really putting a lot of work in, pulling long hours and not getting hardly any time off.  We try to give everyone a day off a week but this does not always happen.  Everyone cannot wait to get back home where a 40-60 hour work week will be relaxing.  In spite of the intense mission pace, long hours, and extreme heat, the guys are selflessly putting mission first and hanging in there.  For many of them this is probably the most arduous work pace they have ever endured.

     We have been here in Iraq for nearly three months and we are still living in the tents that we originally moved into.  There are new trailer units set up for us but we cannot move into them yet... two weeks more?  Most of the guys will share three-man or two-man rooms, which is much better than the 30+ man tents we are in now.  The dust and heat, as well as bugs and other critters, will not soon be missed.  Another benefit to the men is a new food court (rumor has it that's what it is going to be anyway) is being constructed near the PX to offer everyone a change from the chow halls.  A new gym has just opened too.  It is really nice with brand new equipment, nice floors, a racquetball court, basketball courts, bathrooms, and air conditioning.  The building itself is a modular frame clamshell building with a center roofline that is about 30 foot tall.  The best part about it is that it is clean, cool, and open 24 hours a day.  There is also an indoor pool that we are able to use and there is a quite large Olympic sized outdoor pool opening some time this summer.  Another thing they can take in is going to a movie at the Sustainer Theatre, which holds 745 people and has three showings a day free of charge.  The guys, in what little off time they get, can go to these places to relax and get away from the stresses here.

     There is a change in the mailing policy for incoming letters and packages into Iraq now, due to security reasons.  Before we got to Iraq we put out that the mailing address included LSA Anaconda, Iraq.  Now the policy is that the letter or package will not be delivered if it includes Anaconda, Balad, or Iraq.  The addresses should look like the following:

     RNK LNAME, FNAME

     A / 579 EN / 81 BCT

     APO-AE 09391

The abbreviations for the ranks are (PVT, PV2, PFC, SPC, CPL, SGT, SSG, SFC, MSG, 1SG, 2LT, 1LT, CPT) which covers everyone in the company. 

     It is amazing to be part of this effort to rebuild this country and help the people here.  It is beyond explanation how these people live and the conditions they are brought up in.  They do not even have clean drinking water.  They drink from the same irrigation canals that they bathe in, irrigate their fields from, and have their livestock drink from.  The families are so large that you would think the country would be extremely overpopulated, but not many people make it to old age.  Their whole concept of life is so different than ours.  The children have no concept of sharing and are constantly taking items from those smaller than them.  It is truly a society of "the strongest will survive".  We are all glad to be part of the change in this society, slow as it is in turning, to where violence is no longer the norm and the people have a say in their community and society.

     Everyone here in A Company, from California, want to extend our gratitude to everyone back home for the support we are receiving here.  The letters and packages make the guys day when they come in.  We all share the food items with each other and talk about our families back home and how much we miss them.  We are getting to know all of you back home from talking with each other here.  The A Company family here in Iraq is really performing a noble mission and performing it well, which is constantly being recognized by the senior leadership here in theatre.

     Until next month, thank you all for your support.  Keep sending your appreciation from your end and we'll keep them safe at this end.

CPT William Turner

1SG Kenneth Skolnik

A Co / 579th Engr Bn