The war is over for me. I'm coming home soon.

5/2/05 | socomofficer

[Socomofficer]

My fellow FREEPers,

I know it's been a while. Well i forgot to duck. By the time most of you see this I will be on my way to Germany for treatment. The war for me is done. My men continue to do the job. This last rash of bombings and attacks are being under reported and I don't know why. Al Queada is getting desparate. I don't know when I'm will RTS. But I do imagine that it will be soon. God I love wireless. LOL! Please keep praying for us.

Socomofficer

[proud American in Canada]

Hi, Socomofficer,

I don't know you but I'd like to thank you for your service and I hope you have a quick and thorough recovery.

All the best...

[airborne]

If you read my post, you'll see that I was both humorous and respectful.

When in doubt, being nice works!

[RonDog]

It appears to me that this guy is seriously wounded and one of the things on his mind was the support he was getting from FreeRepublic.

Bingo.

I kind of dragged Captain Mike into this crazy forum...

...and he has had not had much free time to learn about the "proper" way to post here.

But, he e-mailed me (a few weeks ago) that he had been sharing the FR threads about him with his men...

...and that THEY really liked reading so many positive things here -- particularly about our support for their mission.

[Billthedrill]

Sometimes ducking doesn't help anyhow, as my Dad found out from a butt-full of shrapnel. Best news is your number isn't up and you're headed Stateside. Prayers out for your recovery, and thank you for your service.

[Eagle Eye]

What you seem to be saying is that this guy is so unaware of how 'real' Freepers act that he posted in such an unFreeperlike way that it aroused suspicion.

Quite frankly, I don't know that unsecured wireless is available in the Baghdad CSH. And if he's not in Baghdad, he's in Anaconda CSH and I'm pretty sure that they don't have wireless internet access there either.

And I can assure you that if I'd been hit bad enough to require meddevac that I would not post such a vanity. In fact, I didn't post a vanity to say I was deploying or that I was returning. Heck, I had some freepers expressing open skepticism about MY deployment, so what is so startling about people not believing this guy?

[U S Army EOD]

Sorry partner, I wasn't aiming at you, I was just getting back in the forum. As far as being humorous, let me related this story about an EOD friend of mine who was wounded (By the way, we had very few people JUST wounded).

This guy had a fuze go off in his hand and was flopping around on the ground, bleeding quite a bit and in a lot of pain. He started hollowing, "Call me a medic, call me a medic". The guy next to him smiled, pointed his finger at him and said, "OK you are a medic".

[blu]

No disrespect intended (really!) but was your picture posted all over the net? Did you meet IRL other Freepers? I think maybe the reason he didn't post more was because he might have been busy. He also might have been shy. He ALSO may have seen how some newbies are treated 'round here. Again, I mean no disrespect to you, and thanks so much for your service!!

[Eagle Eye]

Yes, I met at least one other freeper in Iraq and I've been here more than a month.

This guy just comes across as a spotlight seeker and we still don't have any proof that he is/was in Iraq.

[teenyelliott]

I certainly hope you are feeling better as I write this. Thank you for your service. Tell all of your guys back in Iraq that FR loves and appreciates them. You are all heroes in my book. Forget about Superman; you guys are the real deal.

[deadhead]

"I assume that he gave his FR password to LT Owens as well." "This is NOT a hoax, imho - although the recent thread by Socomofficer may have been posted by one of his men."

If Captain Pierce gave LT Owens his FR password, then it is LT Owens that started this thread. Please note the way FREEPers are written by both, a little odd that they should write it exactly the same way.

My Prayers for our Military

Posted on 05/02/2005 8:30:53 PM CDT by Socomofficer (assumed to be written by LT Owens since Captain Pierce's injuries were too severe for him to write)

My fellow FREEPers,

I know it's been a while. Well i forgot to duck. By the time most of you see this I will be on my way to Germany for treatment. The war for me is done. My men continue to do the job. This last rash of bombings and attacks are being under reported and I don't know why. Al Queada is getting desparate. I don't know when I'm will RTS. But I do imagine that it will be soon. God I love wireless. LOL! Please keep praying for us.

Socomofficer

____________________________________________________________

An email written by Socomofficer, sent to RonDog

Posted on 03/30/2005 5:58:06 AM PST by RonDog

Here is an e-mail that I received last night from Captain Mike [US Army, Special Forces] -- who is reporting in, from the front lines in IRAQ:

Well, it's early morning here and we are headed east. We have taken some light casualties but for the most part we are combat effective. The young boy was waiting at the airport when we got back and took myself and my senior staff to his folks house for dinner.

I am seeing signs of a stabilizing electric grid and consumer goods are starting to come in. Of course I am certain that none of this is reaching you folks. The tangos are getting desperate and are running scared.

We are still subject to daily shellings from mortars and RPGs. However, organized attacks against American troops are down but they continue to kill the locals in large numbers and are targeting foreign reporters.

I hope you and yours are healthy and doing well.

Please forward this to the FREEPers.

Sincerely,

Socomofficer

[RonDog]

Perhaps.

But most military guys like acronyms, like RPG, RTS (as above)...

...and LT Owens probably knows a little about this forum (and our abbreviations) as Captain Mike...

...so it is equally likely that LT Owens just used the same FREEPer acronym that he read from Capt. Mike's previous message, which was presumably forwarded to him.

Either way, we will know more soon.

Captain Mile will have LOTS of free time soon -- as soon as he recovers from the worst of his injuries, God willing.

[RonDog]

Er, make that Captain Mike.

[tuliptree76]

Prayers sent.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Let's support and pray for our wounded. Thank you.

Let's not. He's impersonating an officer.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Being the spelling expert, can you tell me if it's "Osama" or "Usama"?

It's the same once it is anglicized--like Al Qaeda and Al Qaida. (never Al Queada, tho...)

Some of the letters in arabic don't transliterate well.

He's an f'n fake.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

"He's impersonating an officer."

Would you please state, without breaching any military secrecy protocols of course, exactly your reasons for having accused this man in this way? Have you met him, ever? Are you not overlooking the fact that he has not sought inordinate attention and has sought no money? Are you not relying strictly on circumstantial evidence that supports your judgment? I call on you to justify your accusations.

[thoughtomator]

I just asked a question, nothing more.

[Cogadh na Sith]

I've, um, 'interacted' with those guys (spec ops). They are highly skittish about photographs--remember how many photos we saw of them in Afghanistan and Iraq covering their faces? Hmmmm?

Remember how many news stories we saw of them with first names only, no ranks?

Notice that even the names of the regular joes are redacted out of the Italian report that they then 'outed'?

Now we've got another name and rank of a guy in his unit, his name, rank and picture?!

And he can't spell 'Al Qaeda' (coloquially, 'AQ').

Besides, they don't even refer to them as 'AQ' in Iraq....

I'm still calling BS.

If it's true, you should ask the Admin Mod to yank this thread 'cuz we have a serious case of 'loose lips'!

Now how did he have all this time to freep with you and do 3 tours in Iraq and all the Spec Ops training?

I've never even heard of a special ops officer participating in a political rally--it's not forbidden, just too high profile.

Guys try to impersonate spec ops types all the time, there are entire websites dedicated to busting them out....

We have a few actual sneaky types here on FR. I have never called BS on them and they do not advertise it and no, I won't tell you who....

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Thanks for the reply.

1. I don't recall him referring to himself as Sp Ops anywhere in person (two occasions) or his very few posts here. I confess to not being an expert in Mil. acronyms and abbreviations.

2. If he IS Sp Ops but badly wounded and sure to be discharged for that reason, his cover is no longer an issue.

3. I'd rather have great fighters than great spellers in our uniforms, if I have to make the choice. I'd rather have a crude article posted by a genuine soldier in a battle zone--than a perfect article posted by a fraud.

4. I don't see anything that I consider compromise of security or strategy--and I am VERY touchy on that topic.

5. I could be wrong but am certain I am right unless proven otherwise.

[Cogadh na Sith]

1. I don't recall him referring to himself as Sp Ops anywhere in person (two occasions) or his very few posts here. I confess to not being an expert in Mil. acronyms and abbreviations.

I am an expert--that's what socomofficer is 'Special Operations Command'. While he could just be a pogue attached to a spec ops unit, he has posted about 'being on the front in Iraq' (there ain't no front) and 'taking light casualties (I have been in the Army a while and no one would ever use that term). So, yes, he is claiming to be a spec ops officer....

2. If he IS Sp Ops but badly wounded and sure to be discharged for that reason, his cover is no longer an issue.

That's not for him to decide. Besides, he wasn't wounded when all those pictures were taken and he gave out his name.

3. I'd rather have great fighters than great spellers in our uniforms, if I have to make the choice. I'd rather have a crude article posted by a genuine soldier in a battle zone--than a perfect article posted by a fraud.

It's incumbent that the spec ops officers in the theater speak a little arabic--I don't think a real one would botch transliterating 'Al Qaeda'. Besides, no one refers to the insurgents as that over there. If you want to get technical, they are 'former Baathists'. Besides, actual spec ops officers are doggone smart...

4. I don't see anything that I consider compromise of security or strategy--and I am VERY touchy on that topic.

Only, y'know, his picture, his name and rank and the information that he was just wounded in an attack. Oh, yeah--and the name and rank of another guy in his unit. I'm sorry--you're being swindled.