[Heidelberg328i]

No Large Steel Desks for me. I was the Senior Medic for an Infantry Batallion out of Mosul, Iraq for 13 months. Some people were very lucky to have desks....others like myself and countless other Combat Medics were called upon 24 hrs a day to put back together blown apart Soldiers. Saving SEVERAL LIVES IS WHAT EARNED ME A BRONZE STAR MEDAL. I had the best and worst job in the world over there. I have spent PLENTY of time outside the wire patrolling with my brothers-in-arms on foot outside of the vehicle. Not everything is inside a vehicle, over there.

There is nothing like saving a life.....and nothing like losing one, either.


Anyhow...I hope everyone in here enjoys the open road, the incredible handling of BMW and the power of an inline 6.

I think of the friends I lost over there (one very good one, actually) and I think of them when I can enjoy a crisp, clear autumn evening drive when alone and enjoy these little things for them since they can't be here to enjoy it with me.

[67bmer]

We all owe the military guys and girls a ton of thanks.

The place I work is a trusted agent for the Navy (i.e. a non profit organization supporting the Navy), but I work in the NASA section.

Is Iraq really the disaster that the news media reports?

Do most military folks vote republican? It seems like the democratic party keeps dissing the people in the military.

[picus]

I'd clean their jeeps.

[ArmyBimmerDude]

Well the worst of it is in Ramadi and Baghdad right now. We left for iraq on the 1st of November 2005 and came back 25 October 2006.

We had 1 soldier die in a tent fire, electrical wires burned it down while he was asleep.

We had 5 soldiers die from IED's. I remember having to go out and recover the vehicle and it was literally cut in 3 pieces. Me crawling through to get sensitive items with blood everywhere.

Oh and 1 soldier that tried to "kill" himself. He shot himself with his M16 in his shoulder and almost died. Guess he wanted out of there bad. Last I heard he was either at Walter Reed or pending some court actions. Not sure. Loser.

I honestly have no idea how Bush got elected for a 2nd term. He may go down as the worst President in history. But it didn't bother me. What bothers me is us only getting a 2% pay raise. WTF!

[SoYank]

Originally Posted by Heidelberg328i

There is nothing like saving a life.....and nothing like losing one, either.

I think I can relate to that sentiment although I've never been in the military. I have, however, attempted to save a young woman's life with CPR following a car accident but was unsuccessful. From that experience I can appreciate how it must feel when it happens to someone you work and live with and in such a destructive manner. Again, congratulations on the medal.

[Asiann]

Originally Posted by ArmyBimmerDude

Well the worst of it is in Ramadi and Baghdad right now. We left for iraq on the 1st of November 2005 and came back 25 October 2006.

We had 1 soldier die in a tent fire, electrical wires burned it down while he was asleep.

We had 5 soldiers die from IED's. I remember having to go out and recover the vehicle and it was literally cut in 3 pieces. Me crawling through to get sensitive items with blood everywhere.

Oh and 1 soldier that tried to "kill" himself. He shot himself with his M16 in his shoulder and almost died. Guess he wanted out of there bad. Last I heard he was either at Walter Reed or pending some court actions. Not sure. Loser.

I honestly have no idea how Bush got elected for a 2nd term. He may go down as the worst President in history. But it didn't bother me. What bothers me is us only getting a 2% pay raise. WTF!

Yeah, the 2 % stinks especially when the money we spend every day over there could be better used. What a sink hole! Atleast Rumsfield is out, now lets see how the Democrats and Robert Gates handle it. I have the pleasure of going to Iraq in Jun next year. Yeah! Not really!