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Sunrise. Think it's pretty?
The dawn of a new day. Another day closer to coming home. Another day closer to mission accomplished. There will still be plenty to do, of course, and for someone else that day will mark the start of their task, mission begun.
That's what so many failed to comprehend about that whole mission accomplished thing. It wasn't your mission. That was someone else's mission. Sorry, those of you who didn't get it. I saw that banner and hoped there would be something left for me to do.
Some day my mission will be accomplished too. For now I carry on, do my duty, and mark the passage of time.
GIs through the years have adopted a lot of ways to do this. Crossing days off calendars, putting tick marks on the underside of the hat brim, you name it. In the computer age I've even seen a lot of automated versions of the short timer's calendar.
Don't misunderstand me, I don't keep time out of boredom or any overwhelming desire to get away from here. I've got plenty to do. Here, look:
To do:
Survive American elections
Survive Ramadan (over halfway there!)
Survive Iraqi elections
There's more, of course, but why sweat the details?
Anyhow, since the Muslims use the moon for their calendar I've been doing the same, marking the passage of time by watching it change daily :
See? The last quarter of Ramadan begins.
Saw more than a few online pundits wondering how the troops in Iraq were responding to the election results. 'How are they celebrating in Iraq?'
Glad you asked.
Well, the muck left behind by the past few day's rains has turned to dust, and brooms are the weapon of choice today. How are we marking the occasion? We're sweeping the dust off the ages off the floor of the tent so we can get back to business.
I had to verbally counsel one guy to please stop taunting a Democrat. He wasn't being mean about it but its just not done, get it? Then I talked to the other guy and asked if the guys were bugging him too much. "No" he said "I can handle it. We're all okay with each other."
Good. Good. See, the brotherhood of arms trumps political persuasion.
That said, I echo this question from Jonah Goldberg: "NOW THAT HE'S NOT USING IT... Can John Kerry please tell us what his super-duper special terrific secret plan to fix Iraq was?"
Is that fair? Is that mean? Unless everyone knows (nudge nudge) that there was never a plan?
And what if it's not that badly broken?
Anyhow, how did the troops mark the election? According to the NY Times, in a story headlined (no kidding) "Most Of The Troops In Iraq Have Other Things Than The Election On Their Minds, Like War" most of the troops didn't even remember it was election day (bold emphasis added below).
The marines (sic) here are expected to lead an all-out attack on Falluja, the insurgent stronghold, in the coming days. Although the Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, has not yet given the final order, the troops are busy cleaning their weapons and doing combat drills for what could be the most decisive battle since major combat operations ended almost a year and a half ago.Access to radios and the Internet is scarce here, and the uncertainty of the electoral outcome on Wednesday added to the confusion about what was actually happening back home. "We can't even get accurate football scores, so there's no way we can rely on getting the election," said Cpl. Aaron Gilbert, a marksman from Columbus, Ohio.
Some of the marines clearly had strong views about the presidential race and the way it would affect the military, though they have been instructed not to share those with reporters. Others seemed not to care much, saying the election seemed too far from their everyday lives to make much of an impression.
That reporter shore is a smart feller. He's rite. I'm hopin I can get me one of them innernets over here and start me a blog. Also he's rite about homo marridge, Thats the nummer one issue with troops, homo marridge.
One domestic issue resonates with many troops, he said, because it angers them: gay marriage. But on many other issues, troops tend to be too busy or too far from home to pay close attention
If I get me a innernet I'll stop that homo marridge.
The Washington Times sent a reporter to a different Iraq. Their headline? "Bush's Victory Comforts Troops, Most see win as support of war"
For U.S. troops serving in Iraq ? many of whom are preparing for a imminent confrontation with armed militants in rebel strongholds ? the presidential election back home passed by quickly, with most saying they were relieved that their commander in chief, President Bush, fended off a challenge from Sen. John Kerry.Of a dozen service members interviewed, only one said he voted against Mr. Bush, and he asked that his name not be published.
Two dozen soldiers and Marines watched election results trickle in on television and scanned Web sites at a recreation center on the Habaniyah air base just west of Fallujah, where the military is preparing for a major strike to root out insurgents.
Marine Lance Cpl. Chase Frost, a 20-year-old Louisiana native, said he was cheered by the final results.
"It seems we still have some good-hearted Americans who still want the right thing to be done about terrorism," Cpl. Frost said.
By the way, while both stories have pictures, The Washington Times has a picture of smiling Marines.
Here in my world the Chaplain opened the commander's staff meeting with a prayer. After calling for hellfire to rain down on gay people everywhere he gave thanks for our Democracy, thanks for the freedom that Americans enjoy, and expressed his fervent hope for Iraqis to share that soon.
You see, registration began for the Iraqi elections this week - a story I haven't seen in too many places yet. I'm going to bet that the NY Times reporter has been instructed by his commanders not to tell that story.
Some day soon he might have freedom to tell the truth. Or some day soon people just won't listen.
Fine days ahead indeed. One would think a better sunrise then that pictured above would be called for.
That's better. Just needed a different perspective.
