CHRISTMAS 2006 MESSAGE FROM IRAQ

I just wanted to take moment to wish all of you a Merry Christmas from Camp Fallujah, Iraq.

All is well here and I am so busy that the time is flying by... I am usually on the road about 5-6 days out of every week and have had a chance to see a large portion of the Marines' area of operations in Western Iraq. It is still an unpredictable and sometimes dangerous place, but the Marine Corps and those who fight along side her (including a growing force of Iraqi soldiers and police) are making real progress here. It's sometimes disturbing to see so little reported about what is happening in Al Anbar Province. Most journalists don't venture beyond Baghdad, so few know of the strides being made here. I have been asked to write an article highlighting some of this progress and will be sure to pass it along to all of you when it is complete.

They have taken good care of us here for Christmas... we have excellent food every day, but somehow they made it even better for the holiday. People talk about being with their "Marine Corps Family" for Christmas and it's not just a cheesy expression... there is an incredible bond among the people here and even though we would all MUCH rather be home with our wives, children, and parents, we take great comfort from companionship with one another. I have been sharing Christmas cookies and other treats with my fellow Marines. They have noted the regularity of my care packages and I have explained that it is a benefit of living in a small town like Cazenovia!

The Marines here are simply amazing. I am so proud of them and so honored to be among them everyday. They work incredibly hard, assume tremendous risks, absorb terrible losses... without a complaint. The irony is that in unit after unit that I visit, every leader tells me the same thing... the more difficult the mission and the harder they work, the happier they are. They truly believe in what they are doing. It gets hazier the higher you go, but at the street level, these youngsters are putting their lives on the line to make Iraqi communities safer and more stable one neighborhood at a time.

I wish I could be with you today, but I am honored and humbled to be among the company that I do share on this Christmas 2006. Please continue to pray for the safe return of these young Marines and the soldiers, sailors, and airmen here with us... and for a safe future for the brave Iraqis who have stood up for their people by joining the army and police.

Very best wishes to you all in 2007 and Merry Christmas.

THE CHILDREN OF IRAQ are among our greatest joys and greatests inspirations. Like children everywhere, they are innocent, curious, sweet and fun-loving. They are also incredibly resilient. Everywhere I go, I see kids laughing, playing and smiling - often in conditions and circumstances that would make a lot of adults cry. So many of the Marines and Soldiers I meet share my love for the kids... For many of us, they remind us of our own children, which is a passing comfort. For all of us, they represent a hope for the future and and visible symbol of why we are here. Iraq right now in the post-Saddam era is like a patient just after major surgery to remove a cancer. Her condition is in some ways weak and guarded. What we all hope is that this difficult surgery will ultimately lead to a healthy future for these dear children. Troops will go out of their way to do something nice for a child, often exposing themselves to additional dangers to do so. When I ask them about this, the response is invariably that they hope that little boy or girl will always remember that small act of kindness and understand that Americans really do care about them and want to help. We will continue to do all that we can for every citizen of Iraq, but it is in these youngest Iraqis that we place the greatest hope.

CHRISTMAS IN IRAQ... Last night before getting some much-need sleep, I took time to watch a DVD of my daughters’ Christmas Concert and Cazenovia’s Christmas Walk filmed by some dear people back home. The second half of the disc was filled with people from my community sending their holiday greetings and best wishes. It was like being in a parallel dimension for a few minutes… seeing people I know so well, engaging in something so beloved and so familiar. Our "world" here seems far removed. It’s hard to imagine that the old one still exists. I literally had to struggle to grasp the concept that what I was watching on the DVD only happened two weeks ago…while I was at Waleed along the Syrian border, somehow across time and space the people that I know and love were carrying out our familiar holiday rituals. I know in an abstract way that next year, I will be back to those same rituals… but it is very abstract.

The idea of Christmas itself is equally abstract. I only intend to acknowledge the religious component. I’ll go to church, pause to reflect on the meaning of the day, and then carry on. I don’t feel a strong desire to listen to Christmas music or watch “The Grinch.” These are only reminders of what is not. My sense is that many troops feel the same way. There is almost a desire to forget that you’re here on Christmas day, not be reminded of it. The only thought in my head will be that, far away from here, my family is enjoying Christmas in a safer and better place. Please remember and think of, but don’t feel sorry for the troops here. Accept their willing presence here as a gift of love for all of you back home and for a nation that they cherish more than their own comfort or safety.

What’s on the wish list of the Marines I talk to? Of course they wish to see their families as soon as possible. They also wish for the chance to finish their job here. They wish for a victory over the insurgents and for a just and honorable peace that does not cede the people of Iraq to the clutches of extremists and terrorists. Pray for that. And pray for the safe return of all our troops that they might enjoy a REAL Christmas next year with their families and loved ones. Blessings to you all and thank you for your tremendous support... Everywhere I go I see the care packages, cards and holiday treats you have been sending. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A WEEK IN RAMADI... makes one ever more appreciative of the blessings of life in America AND of the amazing job being done by our troops here. The picture above is me interviewing one of the courageous young men who work here each day to help secure and improve the city. It's an honor to be here to document their efforts.

During my time in the Al Anbar province's capital city, I alternated between optimism at the areas that are clearly improving here and amazement at the stark reality of daily life for both the local residents and the Marines, Sailors and Soldiers working by their side to make it better. Nearly four years of combat and countless attacks by violent, ruthless insurgents have been piled on top of years of pre-war neglect to create a situation that would be challenging for civil engineers and workers to correct even under the best of circumstances. The good news is that local residents, encouraged by their tribal leaders who are as sick of the insurgents as we are, are steadily signing up for the Iraqi Army and Police to improve the security situation in their community and allow life to improve. Every day, these local security forces are training with their American mentors and getting steadily better. The common denominator among all rational people, Iraqi and American, in this area is that we all want life to be safer, better and more secure for the local residents. That common ground is a fertile place for cooperation to begin.

OUT WITH THE TROOPS... I must, once again, offer my apologies to everyone back home that I have not been able to write more often or more extensively. But I'm not really sorry because the reason for my sparse posting is that I have been spending most of my time out with the troops, collecting the stories of the young heroes here in Iraq (and a few older heroes too!) As with many other amenities, internet access is limited and slow when you can get it in our remote areas. A few observations...

At a meeting I attended recently, a regimental commander wondered outloud, "Why don't we read more about the great things our Marines are doing? And why don't we hear more about the absolutely evil things that the insurgents are doing to the people of Iraq?" In order to be part of the solution, let me offer a few notes on both points.

First the insurgents. Nearly everywhere I go, I hear about "M&I." This stands for murder and intimidation. This is the systematic campaign conducted by insurgents desined to undermine or prevent any progress in Iraq. People are threatened with death and/or torture if they cooperate in any way with the coalition or with Iraqi authorities trying to make things better. Whether its signing up to be a policeman, opening a school, or agreeing to construct something to better the lives of people in your community; in certain areas anyone who does anything positive is threatened with having their head cut off. Make no mistake, the people we are fighting here are EVIL. What is amazing is that Iraqis are stepping forward to do all the things I described above despite the risks. I wonder how many of us back in America would go to work in the morning if we thought it might endanger ourselves or our families.

The good news: Due to the courage of many Iraqis and the tireless efforts of US troops, good things are happening. Policemen are being trained and patrolling neighborhoods, Iraqi Army units are taking over whole areas of battlespace, municipal projects are underway. A tremendous battalion commander I interview recently put it this way; "It's like parent who is eager to have his children grow up tall and strong who runs home measure his kids every night. It's not very satisfying... but it doesn't mean that they are not growing." Progress is being made, but the key word with every person I talk to is "patience."

Take heart. Good things ARE happening here despite the best (worst) efforts of the insurgents.

OUT WITH THE TROOPS... I must, once again, offer my apologies to everyone back home that I have not been able to write more often or more extensively. But I'm not really sorry because the reason for my sparse posting is that I have been spending most of my time out with the troops, collecting the stories of the young heroes here in Iraq (and a few older heroes too!) As with many other amenities, internet access is limited and slow when you can get it in our remote areas. A few observations...

At a meeting I attended recently, a regimental commander wondered outloud, "Why don't we read more about the great things our Marines are doing? And why don't we hear more about the absolutely evil things that the insurgents are doing to the people of Iraq?" In order to be part of the solution, let me offer a few notes on both points.

First the insurgents. Nearly everywhere I go, I hear about "M & I." This stands for murder and intimidation. This is the systematic campaign conducted by insurgents designed to undermine or prevent any progress in Iraq. People are threatened with death and/or torture if they cooperate in any way with the coalition or with Iraqi authorities trying to make things better. Whether its signing up to be a policeman, opening a school, or agreeing to construct something to better the lives of people in your community; in certain areas anyone who does anything positive is threatened with having their head cut off. Make no mistake, the people we are fighting here are EVIL. What is amazing is that Iraqis are stepping forward to do all the things I described above despite the risks. I wonder how many of us back in America would go to work in the morning if we thought it might endanger ourselves or our families.

The good news: Due to the courage of many Iraqis and the tireless efforts of US troops, good things are happening. Policemen are being trained and patrolling neighborhoods, Iraqi Army units are taking over whole areas of battlespace, municipal projects are underway. A tremendous battalion commander who I interview recently put it this way; "It's like a parent who is eager to have his children grow up tall and strong who runs home to measure his kids every night. It's not very satisfying... but it doesn't mean that they are not growing." Progress is being made, but the key word with every person I talk to is "patience."

Take heart. Good things ARE happening here despite the best (worst) efforts of the insurgents.

CAZ MARINES REUNITED... While passing through a base called "Camp Korean Village" (named for a camp which housed Korean workers brought in by Saddam to build a major highway westward toward Jordan and Syria) recently, I met up with my former student (and now fellow Marine) Travis Eno. Imagine Travis' surprise when his former history teacher shows up in the middle of nowhere to shake his hand. Travis is one of those unsung heroes who works the flight line making sure that critical supplies (and non-critical, but much-loved supplies, like MAIL) get on and off the helicopters and make it to our troops. It was great for both of us to see a familiar face!

I was able to visit an interesting historical/cultural landmark while passing through a place called Al Asad a couple weeks ago. Pictured above is a site called "Abraham's Oasis" which local lore has established as a place visited by Abraham on a trip northward from the ancient city of Ur. This trip is described in the book of Genesis 11:31. Abraham is considered the patriarch of the Jewish people and is greatly respected as a prophet by both Christians and Muslims, making this a site of universal interest. To appreciate the significance of an oasis, you have to recognize the how incredily barren and arid everything else is for mile around this spot. I wasn't able to stop and rest in the palm grove, but it certainly was inviting!

I was recently in a place called Waleed to spend a few days with the Marines who are there to train and advise Iraq’s Border Police and Port of Entry Authorities. They are at the absolute western edge of Iraq, along the Syrian border, surrounded by miles of open, empty desert in every direction. The Marines here like to joke that Waleed isn’t the end of the earth, but you can see it from there. As has been the case everywhere I have traveled to date, the Marines there were impressively professional and utterly committed to doing their very best at the mission they have been assigned. Seeing this entirely new dimension to the transition process (in addition to the military and police training teams I visited last week - more on them soon) reinforced the complexity of what we are trying to do here in Iraq. There are so many dimensions in our effort to create a stable, secure country here.

One of the greatest privileges of the trip was the opportunity to share a meal with the Marine trainers hosted by the Commanding General of the Iraqi Border Forces in that region along with some of his officers. My experience reinforced all that I had heard previously about the Iraqi people being extremely gracious and welcoming. It was a great experience and I left feeling fortunate to have had an opportunity which many of our service members never get; the chance to break bread and interact meaningfully with the people we are here to help.