I mentioned that my grand-daughter Valerie is in Iraq with the U.S. Army, 3rd Bat, 4th ID. She enlisted last year, went through basic, then advanced training at Fort Campbell, KY. She is a helicopter mechanic (Blackhawk) and doubles as a door-gunner. One is never sure how much to believe about the goals and adventures of Valerie, but she recently left a cryptic message with her mother. her mother is also in the Army. Anyway, I just received a call from my daughter-in-law Army lifer.
Apparently, Valerie has been repeatedly volunteering for airborne missions over Baghdad. As I said, she is a door gunner in her spare time. Her mother and the rest of us are very nervous about this, but any admonition to stop volunteering for dangerous missions would unfortunately be met with the opposite reaction. Valerie is very hard-headed.
Two weeks ago, Valerie's helicopter, while flyng low over Baghdad on another volunteer mission, came under fire from the ground. The details are a bit sketchy, but apparently her chopper was hit by an RPB or something. They completed the mission without going down, but Valerie and another soldier were hit with shrapnel. Valerie received minor schrapnel wounds to the eye and arm. Both of the soldiers are doing fine. As a side note, she stayed at her gun and returned fire throughout the incident. She apparently claims to have fired in the general direction of the assault and inadvertentlyy killed at least one cow. I suspect they never really saw the insurgents who fired on them.
Valerie has been too busy to communicate much, but the word is that she is still volunteering for missions over Baghdad, and will re-enlist ahead of time. She apparently want to return to the 101st Airborne, and may have an opportunity to become a commissioned officer.
First, she was being chased by a two-pound Camel Spider on the tarmac, now it's shrapnel wounds over Baghdad. We all wish she would stop volunteering for combat missions. Her mother is going crazy. There is little doubt in my mind that she will return from Iraq a much different person.
Thought some of you might be interested.
Apparently, Valerie has been repeatedly volunteering for airborne missions over Baghdad. As I said, she is a door gunner in her spare time. Her mother and the rest of us are very nervous about this, but any admonition to stop volunteering for dangerous missions would unfortunately be met with the opposite reaction. Valerie is very hard-headed.
Two weeks ago, Valerie's helicopter, while flyng low over Baghdad on another volunteer mission, came under fire from the ground. The details are a bit sketchy, but apparently her chopper was hit by an RPB or something. They completed the mission without going down, but Valerie and another soldier were hit with shrapnel. Valerie received minor schrapnel wounds to the eye and arm. Both of the soldiers are doing fine. As a side note, she stayed at her gun and returned fire throughout the incident. She apparently claims to have fired in the general direction of the assault and inadvertentlyy killed at least one cow. I suspect they never really saw the insurgents who fired on them.
Valerie has been too busy to communicate much, but the word is that she is still volunteering for missions over Baghdad, and will re-enlist ahead of time. She apparently want to return to the 101st Airborne, and may have an opportunity to become a commissioned officer.
First, she was being chased by a two-pound Camel Spider on the tarmac, now it's shrapnel wounds over Baghdad. We all wish she would stop volunteering for combat missions. Her mother is going crazy. There is little doubt in my mind that she will return from Iraq a much different person.
Thought some of you might be interested.
