Oerdin's Iraq thread - Continued

[RGBVideo]

I've lurked around constantly in both this thread and the past one, not posting anything because I don't really have anything important to say...

At the start of the 2nd thread I just would want to say a big 'thank-you' for posting all of this for Oerdin. It really gives a whole new reason to visit Apolyton when we have our own truthful and propaganda-free correspondant about the war in Iraq in here.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by VJ
--- propaganda-free correspondant ---

Com'on, he's in PSYOPS. They write propaganda for aliving
But I agree.

Oerdin, this start made me go until I read further and saw that you haven't even left.

My convoy got pushed back

Sorry to hear about your CO. I heard that 8 guys were killed by an IED on Friday south of Baghdad, isn't that the route you're going? (I hope the guerilla don't read this.)

[Kropotkin]

Re: route south of Bagdad
Yeah, I though the same, and as I didn't know he was still stuck in Bagdad for a moment I thought it might have been his convoy. Even when you're in front of a screen with a warm cup of coffee, war gets a bit more 'real' when someone you've had arguments with might get home in a body bag.

PS: I guess spam=everything Kropotkin writes.

[Dinner]

I'm not sure about the route. Everyone tries to vary routes as much as possible and often times we take routes which are not the most direct but which avoid problem areas if you know what I mean.

Also the semi-bad news continues. I just spoke with our old 1SG who got releaved and sent to Baghdad and he told me that two days ago one of the teams in the Kirkuk AO had a granade thrown at them when the Army was searching an Arab town near Huija. The granade was thrown from the top of a house and rolled under the unarmored hummer. The explosion destroyed much of the rear of the vehicle but no one was seriously harmed. The team chief suffered whiplash from the explosion and both he and the gunner complained about a buzzing in their ears. They're currently at Kirkuk Air Field doing tests to determine how badly damaged their eardrums are.

That makes two attacks on my company in 24 hours and five wounded in action over a one week period. Luckily, none of them have life threatening wounds.

[Kropotkin]

So, what's the size of the 324th PO company and how is it organised? Or perhaps that's classified information...

[chequita guevara]

When I heard about the 8 soldiers killed south of Baghdad I was rather worried.

[Dinner]

Thanks for being worried everyone.

Kropotkin: I'm going to assume that you are a typical Swedish socialist and not a crazed Islamic militant. I can't go into specific numbers but in the infantry a company is composed of four platoons (plus a small HQ detachment), each platoon has four squads, each squad has four fire teams. Since there are about 8 people in a squad you would have 32 people in a platoon and 128 in a company plus 5-10 for the headquarters with a total of 130-140 in an infantry company.

My company is much smaller. They may start out with 100 people in the company but only about half to two thirds get deployed due to some being sick, injured, AWOL, pregnant, over weight, etc... From that 50-60 you start with you always lose a few more because people get injured, have family emergencies, or what not. So a unit like mine will always be smaller then a front line unit.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
Even if there are systemwide problems that doesn't mean they are on the magnitude of what happened in those photographs.

Yeah -- it's always better to get just one ball cut off, rather than both of them.

[Dinner]

Your typical Psyop company will be broken up into an HQ detachment, a Product development detachment, and four Tactical Psyop detachments. Each TPD would typically have four three man Tactical Psyop teams who do most of the face to face psyop with locals, deliver leaflets and scripts, conduct the loudspeaker operations and all that stuff.

[Kropotkin]

You could asume that I'm a typical swede that has been conscripted (signaleer, Battalion AT-platoon, Urban Rifle Bat.) so there's no real need for the general details about what a company is but that's for the info about a Psyop company.

[Docfeelgood]

Kill em all and let heaven sort em out.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
For that comment about all the lefties coming out of the wordwork to blame every soldier for torture:

US television network CBS broadcast images of American troops mistreating Iraqi prisoners, saying an army investigation had found "systemwide" problems in the handling of captured Iraqis.

Army investigation and systemwide. That's an authoritative source and a rather damning statement on their part.

But feel free to blame me.

"systemwide" problems in handling prisoners doesn't implicate every soldier, or even a large minority, as most don't handle prisoners at all, and "problems in handling" doesn't mean torture or abuse, but a whole range of problem from mundane administrative problems to the most severe issues such as the documented abuse.

[pchang]

Stop confusing things with facts that don't match their preconceived notions.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by pchang
Stop confusing things with facts that don't match their preconceived notions.

Or you could just continue to comment on things you don't understand instead.

[DAVOUT]

I want to tell Oerdin that all those who red his reports, and wait for them everyday, do not confuse a few barbarians wearing by accident the same uniform, with soldiers like him who deserve our respect and esteem.