Absinthe & Cookies (a bit bitter, a bit sweet)

A Letter To The Folks Back Home

This is from our local Carmel paper, the "Pine Cone":

Editor’s note: There are more than 120,000 American soldiers in Iraq. To the big city news media, however, only a handful of soldiers are newsworthy — the ones who had something horrible happen to them, and the ones who did something bad to somebody else. In an effort to give a voice to the vast majority of the troops on the front lines, we have asked several local soldiers to send us essays about their experiences in the Iraq War. The first comes from a soldier serving in south Baghdad.

Dear readers of The Carmel Pine Cone,

My name is Captain Kevin M. Polosky and I am currently the Company Commander for A Company, 515th Forward Support Battalion. We are part of the 1st Cavalry Division, stationed out of Ft. Hood, Texas. I am a California native, having grown up in the Bay Area, and currently both my parents and grandparents are residents of Carmel. My company is deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and we are stationed in southern Baghdad.

My company is unique in that we were set up with the sole purpose of deploying to Iraq and providing logistical support to units of the 5th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. We were formed on 14 January 2004 and began putting vehicles on a ship on 23 January. I received around 200 soldiers from various units within the Division, all with specific jobs that will help provide the support the units in Baghdad need. We were forced to quickly come together as a unit, and my soldiers responded. They immediately began bonding and are now as close as any unit I have ever been affiliated with.

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We deployed to Southwest Asia on 10 March, and spent about two weeks in Kuwait preparing for the long move up to Baghdad. On 23 March we got the call to move forward and start the convoy up. Crossing into Iraq was a surreal experience. The border is nothing special, a small U.S.-presence, a couple of buildings and some barricades. There is no difference at that point in the terrain between Iraq and Kuwait, but when we crossed that border I knew things were different. A feeling came over me where I knew that we were in a totally different environment, and we had to be prepared for anything.

The convoy itself was a difficult mission. I led about 90 troops and their vehicles on that long march from Kuwait to Iraq. We spent most of the time on highways and I was amazed at how normal things looked. I was expecting to see just complete chaos; instead I saw what seemed to be everyday life. Vehicles driving up and down the roads with locals taking themselves to where they needed to go. There are military checkpoints along the route that served as welcome refueling and rest stops.

The convoy took about two days, but thankfully we all arrived safely.

Once we arrived, we immediately began work. As stated earlier, my company’s main mission is support, and we started setting up all the things that we needed to support the troops. We established a retail fuel point, basically a gas station. However, instead of Fords and Chevy’s, we fill up tanks and Humvees. We established a water point, and began producing water. We basically have what would equate to a giant Brita, which turns dirty water clean. That way the water that gets used is fit for American soldiers. We set up a warehouse which is like the Army’s Wal-Mart. Units order parts, and they are all received in my warehouse. My soldiers then inventory them, sort them and issue them to the units. I also have about 100 mechanics in my company and they began fixing anything they could get their hands on. We can fix just about anything in the Army inventory, ranging from an M16 to a tank.

All of my soldiers have a second mission, which is convoy operations. We go out everyday in search of supplies that will help us better support the soldiers with whom we are stationed. Convoy operations are without a doubt the most dangerous thing we do, and we take it very seriously. Driving in Iraq is crazy. Unlike the highways, the roads in the towns have no lines. Vehicles make their own way with little to no concern for those around them. Our convoys end up turning into mini-Nascar races, but the professionalism of our soldiers ensures that the highest safety standards are always maintained.

My soldiers’ lives in Baghdad are definitely different then what they left in the States. They work hard, most of them pulling 16- to 18-hour days. There is a constant fear of attack, but at the same time a calming knowledge that we are prepared.

The conditions in our camp are great. My soldiers have a gym, a great chow hall and access to internet and phones. The lines are sometimes long, but most soldiers are able to contact home a couple times a week. We live in barracks that have power and running water, and most soldiers are able to watch DVDs in their room in their limited off time. The happiest time around here is mail call. We get mail about four times a week and receiving mail is without a doubt the event that lifts my soldiers spirits the most.

Whether it’s a care package or just a card, mail has a tremendous effect on my soldiers. So if you are asking yourself what can you do to show your support, sending some mail is the best way. If you would like to write to my soldiers, you can send letters or packages to:

Any Soldier,
A Company, 515th FSB
Camp Huggins
APO AE, 09310

Finally I just want to thank the American people for their support. No matter what your personal opinions are on the war, remember that we have soldiers over here everyday fighting for your freedom. These soldiers are making great sacrifices for their country everyday, so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. And like the Toby Keith song says, “sleep in peace tonight,” knowing that my soldiers are over here, and will never quit until our mission is complete.

-- Captain Kevin M. Polosky, Baghdad

Posted by Ithildin at May 19, 2004 1:41 PM | PROCURE FINE OLD WORLD ABSINTHE