22 April 2003

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Well, this is my last SITREP. I've been humbled by all of the support from back home. I just wish that kind of support made its way to the media more often when there aren't times of crisis. It's blatantly apparent to me that the patriotism and support from the silent majority is deafening. Keep it up! Unfortunately, history shows that when the press fades, the laissez-faire elitist will slowly take back over command of the microphones and the silent majority will be silenced once again... That's ok. It's a reflection of the humility that goes along with being enlightened by the differences of knowing between right and wrong. Just remember that as the press fades, there are still soldiers that will still be here in harms way, making the same sacrifice that those before them endured. The fact of the matter is that we've always had, and always will have, military personnel in some far off lands making the same sacrifices promoting freedom that the soldiers made here. It is just not always so apparent, but it happens everyday.

I would say that this whole experience was a humbling one for me. I was humbled by the support. The folks who worked by my side humbled me. The scale of this effort humbled me. The coalition forces that worked with me and were here fighting this fight with us humbled me. The weapon systems that the American defense infrastructure provides us humbled me. The children in Iraq that have so little humbled me. But most of all, I was humbled by the American soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors that fought this fight and gave so much. There were around 190,000 troops on the ground in Kuwait before G Day on March 20th, and I was just one of them. Of those 190,000, over 500 were casualties of war. In my opinion, this fight was bigger than WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) and terrorism. This fight was about the universal ideals of freedom and the American military personnel that proliferate it; and at times bring it to the oppressed by force of liberation and asking for nothing in return except maybe the smile of an impoverished child. I want to believe that there is also a silent majority throughout the world that can see through the rhetoric of world, and at times, American politics. I want to believe that this international silent majority can see past the envy of those skilled in the art of self-serving misinformation and take it to the lowest common denominator, that America is on the side of good and only wants to make the world a safer place. I'm naive enough to think that this majority can silence those self-serving protagonists that discredit America with innuendoes and speculation and ignore the facts of history that we liberate and rescue, as opposed to oppress and detain. I hope intelligence will win the day, and common sense will prevail over ignorance in that it dictates that we do not want, nor do we need, to profit from Iraqi resources. I hope the world realizes that we only want to go home and be overjoyed when the first Iraqis are finally able to benefit from the fruits of their own labor. We are a conquering Army that only asks for happiness and prosperity for the soldiers that belonged to the Army we just conquered, and we hope to leave as soon as possible.

I'll part by setting the record straight about one thing. There will always be an American presence in Iraq. It'll be a dominant American military force that will be here for the rest of time. It will be the presence of the souls of American servicemen and women that could give no more than all they had. Remember these names because while I'm going home to get the biggest hug of my life from my little girl, there are 100's of little girls, little boys, and loved ones around America who only got to hug an American flag. They only got to hug a flag and be told by a choked up military funeral detail officer, "This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation, as an expression of appreciation for the honorable and faithful service rendered by your loved one." Unfortunately, this list is not complete, as the job is not yet done. My faith is strong enough to know that these brave souls were looking down Saturday when that little Iraqi girl smiled and waved at them: Godspeed and God Bless America.

John T. Rivero, 23, of Tampa, Fla.
John E. Brown, 21, of Troy, Ala.
Thomas A. Foley III, 23, of Dresden, Tenn.
Armando Ariel Gonzalez, 25, of Hileah, Fla.
Richard A. Goward, 32, of Midland, Mich.
Joseph P. Mayek, 20, of Rock Springs, Wyo
Jason David Mileo, 20, of Centreville, Md.
Gil Mercado, 25, of Paterson, N.J.
Jesus A. Gonzalez, 22, of Indio, Calif.
Riayan A. Tejeda, 26, of New York, N.Y.
Jeffrey E. Bohr, Jr., 39, of San Clemente, Calif.
Terry W. Hemingway, 39, of Willingboro, N.J.
Henry L. Brown, 22, of Natchez, Miss
Juan Guadalupe Garza, Jr., 20, of Temperance, Mich.
John W. Marshall, 50, of Los Angeles.
Jason M. Meyer, 23, of Swartz Creek, Mich
Scott D. Sather, 29, of Clio, Mich
Robert A. Stever, 36, of Pendleton, Ore.
Andrew Julian Aviles, 18, of Palm Beach, Fla.
Eric B. Das, 30, of Amarillo, Texas.
Lincoln Hollinsaid, 27, of Malden, Ill.
Jeffrey J. Kaylor, 24, of Clifton, Va
Jesus Martin Antonio Medellin, 21, of Fort Worth, Texas
Anthony S. Miller, 19, of San Antonio
George A. Mitchell, 35, of Rawlings, Md.
Gregory P. Huxley Jr., 19, of Forestport, N.Y.
Kelley S. Prewitt, 24, of Alabama.
Stevon A. Booker, 34, of Apollo, Pa
Larry K. Brown, 22, of Jackson, Miss.
Edward Smith, 38, of Vista, Calif.
Tristan N. Aitken, 31, of State College, Pa.
Wilfred D. Bellard, 20, of Lake Charles, La.
Daniel Francis J. Cunningham, 33, of Lewiston, Maine
Travis A. Ford, 30, of Oceanside, Calif
Bernard G. Gooden, 22, of Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Devon D. Jones, 19, of San Diego.
Brian M. McPhillips, 25, of Pembroke, Mass.
Duane R. Rios, 25, of Hammond, Ind.
Benjamin Sammis, 29, of Rehoboth, Mass.
Paul R. Smith, 33, of Tampa, Fla.
Wilbert Davis, 40, of Hinesville, Ga
Mark A. Evnin, 21, of South Burlington, Vt
Edward J. Korn, 31, of Savannah, Ga
Nino D. Livaudais, 23, of Ogden, Utah
Ryan P. Long, 21, of Seaford, Del.
Chad E. Bales Metcalf, 20, of Coahoma, Texas.
Donald Samuel Oaks, Jr., 20, of Harborcreek, Pa.
Randall S. Rehn, 36, Longmont, Colo.
Russell B. Rippetoe, 27, of Arvada, Colo.
Todd J. Robbins, 33, of Hart, Mich
Erik H. Silva, 22, Chula Vista, Calif
James F. Adamouski, 29, of Springfield, Va.
Brian E. Anderson, 26, of Durham, N.C.
Mathew G. Boule, 22, of Dracut, Mass.
George A. Fernandez, 36, of El Paso, Texas.
Christian Daniel Gurtner, 19, of Ohio City, Ohio
Erik A. Halvorsen, 40, of Bennington, Vt
Scott Jamar, 32, of Granbury, Texas.
Michael F. Pedersen, 26, of Flint, Mich.
Eric A. Smith, 42, of Rochester, N.Y
Nathan D. White, 30, of Mesa, Ariz
Jacob L. Butler, 24, of Wellsville, Kan.
Joseph B. Maglione, 22, of Lansdale, Pa.
William A. Jeffries, 39, of Evansville, Ind
Brandon Rowe, 20, of Roscoe, Ill
Aaron J. Contreras, 31, of Sherwood, Ore
Michael V. Lalush, 23, of Troutville, Va
Brian D. McGinnis, 23, of St. George, Del.
James W. Cawley, 41, of Layton, Utah.
Michael Edward Curtin, 23, of Howell, N.J
Diego Fernando Rincon, 19, of Conyers, Ga
Michael Russell Creighton Weldon, 20, of Palm Bay, Fla
William W. White, 24, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Eugene Williams, 24, of Highland, N.Y.
Roderic A. Solomon, 32, of Fayetteville, N.C.
Joseph Menusa, 33, of Tracy, Calif.
Robert M. Rodriguez, 21, of Queens, N.Y.
Jesus A. Suarez Del Solar, 20, of Escondido, Calif.
Kevin G. Nave, 36, of White Lake Township, Mich.
Francisco A. Martinez Flores, 21, of Los Angeles.
Michael Vann Johnson, Jr., 25, of Little Rock, Ark.
Donald C. May, Jr., 31, of Richmond, Va.
Patrick T. O'Day, 20, of Santa Rosa, Calif.
Gregory Stone, 40, of Boise, Idaho.
Evan James, 20, La Harpe, Ill
Bradley S. Korthaus, 28, of Davenport, Iowa.
Gregory P. Sanders, 19, of Hobart, Ind.
Jamaal R. Addison, 22, of Roswell, Ga
Michael E. Bitz, 31, of Ventura, Calif
Brian Rory Buesing, 20, of Cedar Key, Fla.
David K. Fribley, 26, of Fort Myers, Fla
Jose A. Garibay, 21, of Orange, Calif.
Jonathan L. Gifford, 30, of Decatur, Ill.
Jorge A. Gonzalez, 20, of Los Angeles.
Howard Johnson II, 21, of Mobile, Ala.
Phillip A. Jordan, 42, of Enfield, Conn.
Patrick R. Nixon, 21, of Gallatin, Tenn
Frederick E. Pokorney, Jr., 31, of Nye, Nev.
Randal Kent Rosacker, 21, of San Diego.
Thomas J. Slocum, 22, of Thornton, Colo
Michael J. Williams, 31, of Yuma, Ariz.
Thomas Mullen Adams, 27, of La Mesa, Calif.
Eric J. Orlowski, 26, of Buffalo, N.Y
Christopher Scott Seifert, 27, of Williams Township, Pa.
Brandon S. Tobler, 19, of Portland, Ore.
Therrel S. Childers, 30, of Harrison County, Miss
Jose Gutierrez, 28, of Los Angeles.
Jay Thomas Aubin, 36, of Waterville, Maine.
Ryan Anthony Beaupre, 30, of St. Anne, Ill.
Brian Matthew Kennedy, 25, of Houston.
Kendall Damon Waters-Bey, 29, of Baltimore.
Thomas A. Blair , 24, of Wagoner, Okla
George Edward Buggs, 31, of Barnwell, S.C.
Tamario D. Burkett, 21, of Buffalo, N.Y.
Kemaphoom A. Chanawongse, 22, of Waterford, Conn
Donald J. Cline, Jr., 21, of Sparks, Nev.
Robert J. Dowdy, 38, of Cleveland, OH
Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, of El Paso, Texas
Nicolas M. Hodson, 22, of Smithville, Mo.
Nolen R. Hutchings, 19, of Boiling Springs, S.C
James M. Kiehl, 22, of Comfort, Texas.
Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, of El Paso, Texas
David Edward Owens Jr., 20, of Winchester, Va.
Fernando Padilla-Ramirez, 26, of Yuma, Ariz.
Lori Ann Piestewa, 22, of Tuba City, Ariz
Brendon C. Reiss, 23, of Casper, Wyo
Brandon Ulysses Sloan, 19, of Bedford, Ohio.
Donald Ralph Walters, 33, of Salem, Ore.

Very Respecfully,
MAJ Tim Hale
LNO ASA (ALT) Task Force
timothy.hale@us.army.mil