[Spc. Kibbey]

Well, as the guy who wrote this article, a few things I'd like to say:

I think one of the things that took me aback the most was when an Iraqi translator asked a Polish army doctor we were with what he thought of Iraq. He said it was not very different from Poland. I hadn't really thought about it until then, but for the Polish and Bulgarians, the Iraqis don't seem to have it so bad economically.

From my experiences, they have a little harsher, more cynical approach to the Iraqis than the Americans, but I can not find it in me to fault them for that.

I can say this though, and many will dissagree with me, but after I saw the way Kerbala immediately began to fall apart when the Marines left (the police started a turf war with a near-by town the day after the last Marines pulled out), and after seeing some of the way things are going in the North, I am eager to have the Marines back in Iraq, and eager to see whether or not things take a dramatic turn when they roll into their new AO in the North. Semper Fi, good buddies.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Spc. Kibbey, let me first say THANK YOU. You do good work.

I especially enjoyed this Christmas "gift":

8 Toppled Saddam statues reborn as memorial for U.S. soldiers ~ Killeen Daily Herald  | 12/23/03 | Spc. Benjamin R. Kibbey

Thank you for sharing your observations, as well. We hear little from the Multi-national forces down south ~ except for an occassional piece from CJTF7 or CENTCOM.

I'm just a civilian who is fortunate enough to have the time to find and share the good stuff ~ like yours ~ with others, show a few other naive civilians what our troops are made of, and what they're accomplishing.

You will find many kindred spirits at FR...including a few Marines... though heaven knows why you would choose to abandon the Fourth Infantry Division ~ miss all the action around Saddam's hometown ~ just to join the Marines. (^:

[SandRat]

Welcome to FR and welcome home. Keep working to get those GOOD Stories out there so that we be over with this action and bring the rest of the troops home for a BIG CELEBRATION for all of them.

Again Welcome Home!