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Badass evening:

Cpl R. Dawe 3rd Platoon, India Company FPO San Diego, CA 92102 Dear Jenna, I am writing to you to let you know I am safe. Relatively safe. I can't tell you where I am, but know that we've taken an airfield and they've named it after Cpl Corium. That's all I can say though, you know. Operational security, but know that I am safe and I think about you. This has been one of the hardest deployments so far. Our enemy, who I can't really describe, are using NATO assets acquired through some UN back door deal, and it makes it hard engaging them. They look like us, they use our equipment. I have a lot of new guys in my team now, and I fear these guys are not going to check their targets as good, or hesitate when it comes time to engaging a Humvee. Command got it right though. We have been using flatbeds, troop haulers and MRAPs to avoid the confusion. There are no friendly Humvee's here which is a good thing. At first glance however, these guys we are fighting look like us. They use M16's so the incoming fire sounds the same, and when you have 40 other Marines shooting back. It's hard to pin point exactly where that round came from. On the plus side. They are not as aggressive as we are, they are for sure not as trained. We are out maneuvering them and we're doing good. We're doing good on the ground, and our air assets are keeping us covered from way up above. Don't pray for me, pray for those guys. They are the ones who will be bringing us home. I have a picture of you in my helmet, I think about you daily. I'll be home soon. Rob P.S You can tell your mother to stop sending cookies. I don't get them on the front lines. H&S Company however says they are delicious.

I also see you bought a new GPU . Check that you also inserted it correctly ! and that all cables are conected correctly. IT would be rare if you get an DOA GPU

Oh good, my embarrassing bad frag didn't make the final cut

2ndLt Kauer HMLA-369 AH-1Z FPO San Diego, CA 92102 To my Sun and Stars, The time passes slowly here. The day runs long. The faces of my brothers show the attrition of war. I have been fighting constantly since we have arrived here. I know you have the deepest of concern for my health and wellbeing. I know you have sat on the couch looking at the door waiting for me to walk in as you do every single day. You are my strength. You give me the willpower to be there for my brothers whenever duty calls. I must admit to you after the combat I have experienced, I have the blood of other men on my hands. My hands have destroyed other human beings. It is a reality that I am not soon to accept. I do not know how I can ever accept such a fatal deed. The tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of man at times. I trust my actions will allow the free peoples of the world to sleep a little better at night and have time to share the smiles and laughs we share so often. I envy you, your youth, and your distance from the cruel conflict of which I am a part. Yet I consider myself fortunate to be serving the cause of liberty and though I fear death, each day in peril I reaffirm my willingness to give my life in it's service. Rest assured I have every intention of returning to your most cherished embrace, Mackenzie. With the utmost affection and love, Jake

Capt D. A. Thomas Headquarters, 15th MEU(SOC) FPO San Diego, CA 92102 Patti- It has begun. Marines have landed on foreign soil and I was there at the beginning. Colonel Penny will be pissed when he sees I was in the first bird but I had to see with my own eyes the situation on the ground. I had to see how the enemy would react to fire, how they maneuvered and how well their command and control structure coordinates in the face of multiple threats coming at them at the same time. I was at a spot I felt crucial to the operation, right at the point of friction where RUC forces were retreating and NRC forces were gaining ground by the minute. We stopped them cold. I was surprised at the relative caution of the NRC commander in tasking his forces as we faced more of a probing attack than a determined one. I know they were not expecting such a strong blocking force but it looked like we got hit by a skirmish line rather that a balled fist looking to smash the final resistance of the RUC forces on the island. That is not to say we didn't have casualties. SgtMaj Masters was hit in an artillery barrage and knocked unconscious for a bit. I was moving through an area looking for him and almost stepped on him before I realized it was him and he was hurt. He was checked out by a corpsman and he is good to go. We sent forces to take an island to our north and blew up a bridge in the south to confuse the hell out of the enemy commander and we have a few more surprises planned. My main focus is keeping the momentum in our favor and keeping the enemy commander guessing. W are being relieved by Kilo Company and all of India will be moving back to Airfield Corium very soon so they can be further tasked elsewhere. I keep thinking of a quote I heard about the invasion of Granada - "We have two companies of Marines running all over the island, and thousands of Army troops are doing nothing. What the hell is going on?", this is what I picture when someone looks back on this operation. Our Marine all over the islands, popping up in unexpected places causing chaos in the enemy formations and plans. We will need to stay vigilant and watch for the enemy commander to do the same as he is confused now but will not stay that way long unless we continue to throw him off his game. I know you won't get this some time yet but I feel it is important for me to put this to paper. If for nothing other than to make sure I never forget it. I am fine and haven't even fired my weapon yet. Tell the kids I miss them and I will call as soon as I get satellite time. I will be writing my parents soon, let them know I am thinking of them. Dave

HR Lockworth Weapons Platoon, India Company FPO San Diego, CA 92102 Dear Dad, Hey Dad! I hope this reaches you well. My company has recently been in it's first "operation" a couple days ago. We were assaulting a town somewhere near the coast. I was in the area with 3rd Platoon and the bit of Weapons that was assigned to that same area. After a bit of fire support up on a hill, my section moved down to a new position and met up with 3rd platoon. It was at that moment that we ran into a squad that didn't have a corpsman due to medical issues for that operation. So I had to stay behind and help people out while my section moved to another position. It was crazy. Thankfully, there were no KIA's in the section that I was looking after. Which hopefully means that I'm doing my job. These really are great men and I would give my life to make sure that nothing happens to them on this deployment. Don't tell mom, but I did get hit by a bit of shrapnel after we were hit by a bombardment of mortar strikes. But thankfully, it was only a gash and I was able to fix myself up and with the aid of another corpsman, I was back in fighting condition. It's still pretty sore now, but we have made it back to the FOB since then and I have gotten proper medical care. I knew this would happen at some point of the deployment. But I didn't think it would happen this soon. While I was bandaging up a few marines, I spotted a rifleman from 3rd platoon get mowed down by a machine gun. When I ran to his aid, he was still alive, so I dragged him into cover and started working on him. But, after I got him stable and was giving him an IV to get blood back in his system, his heart stopped pumping, and even though CPR was being administered, he died right there in my arms. Since then I have been doing a lot of thinking. And I made a promise to myself and god that I would never let another marine die in my care again. If I am working on him, he will live. I just need to repeat saying that in my head until I start to believe it. Thankfully, we have a little bit until our next operation. So I have a bit of time to spend time with friends and calm down after all of the events that happened a couple days ago. From seeing terrible wounds and having to treat them, being fired at myself and being very close to death at times, to even seeing good men die right in front of me. There are a lot of things that I need to think about and calm down about. By the time this letter reaches you, I will probably be starting to get ready for the next operation. So please wish me luck in being able to not only save my buddies lives, but also my own. Until next time, Shane