When something good is happening in the military, you can rely on someone high up and behind the lines to try to kill it. Slowly. Bureaucratically. Bleed the life out of it.

If you haven't noticed, life had become even more difficult for those that serve this country in places like Iraq - beyond the price that they pay to serve - it is now more difficult for them to speak their minds and tell their stories.

Matt at Blackfive has good coverage on this - and see his fantastic book that - among other things - collates many of the stories (including those of our James Pell): The Blog of War.

Let's hope that the military censorship in the name of security is inadvertant. The unprecedented blog access to the real lives of those that serve this great country - by hearing directly from them - is such a refreshing alternative to the constant negative we hear from the mainstream media.

It would be a complete shame to have the mainstream media be the only source of information about the lives we care so much about. The stories we know, and those we love so much because of their great service would not be heard.

We have been so richly blessed to have James Pell share some of his life with us through the pages of this blog. I hope you'll agree that we are enriched by his sharing and that people like James - who else could have more earned the right? - should be able to exercise their freedom of speech.

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Mac? Where are you?

Posted by: Pixie at Dec 3, 2006 4:22:51 PM

I wrote this in responce to a post on blackfives' page. And I actually have more to say just rean out of time....I started off wondering how I could write this blog without offending anyone, then realized I couldn't. Before I get discredited as a random fanatic I'd like to tell you were I'm coming from. Like most others I've been in theatre three times. First was for the invasion, second was for Fallujah, and third and last was as a imbedded trainer living eating and breathing with 500 Iraqis for twelve months. I've whitnessed the changes of R.O.E. from day one. I've had the chance to work with Spanish SF, Brits and Aussi soldiers. This last year we were 11 Marines in a all Army AO. We operated in southern Bagdad in the infamous Dora Market. We moved to Sadr City and then again to a neighborhood known as Jihad. As the only medical provider for 500 Iraqis while in Dora Market I averaged 25 Iraqi W.I.A. and 15 Iraqi K.I.A. a month for the first seven months of the deployment.
I wanted to put it sraight, I'm not frightened or scared to be in Iraq. My moral is high and I love the USMC. I serve next to the bravest and most dilagent men in the world. And when myself and my Marines are in trouble and I kill someone in the right I don't sweat siting infront of a JAG jerkoff to tell him why I killed a man firing a weapon at me. Never ounce have I worried about the fallout of my actions under contact. The war is constantly changing in Iraq gentleman. In OIF 1 I had a green light to kill anyone on a cell phone. Now ever person in Iraq has two. The lines of friend and foe, civilian and combatant are blurred. The ROE change from day to day and place to place. And it's something that both Soldiers and Marines have to adapt to. Unfortunatly the stricter ROE are a direct reflection of actions of coaltion forces inside Iraq. A taxi with mother two daughters and two sons it blasted for coming to close to parked coaltion vehicles and the next day we are useing pen flares instead of bullets to warn cars to stay back. It's cause and effect.
Every one of us is ready to fight every day, that doesn't mean it would make anyting any better for anyone over there. To have done it the right way would have meant a slow methodical sweep from the border in OIF 1 instead of the "Race to Bagdad". It would have meant taking and maintaining the countries countless ammunition supply points instead of letting insurgents strip them bare. It would have meant having the foresight to see Iran and Syria were going to be major contributors in both insurgents and weapons and having a better plan to control Iraqs borders from the begining. But to think that simply turning coaltion forces loose for the fight would solve anything is insane. It would in all reality make matters worse. The Sunni and Shitte are for the majority caught up in their own little civil war for the time. To attack them would unite them as well as the rest of the Arabic world. This is the reason Ramadi still stands the way it is. It's why Sadr City and the JAM are still intact.
So here is the bottom line Gents. Buck up. Put your game faces on and look at the big picture. We are making headway on being able to come home. Stay motivated and tough. And if you ever think once you've got it bad or you've lost to many friends or brothers take a minute and sit down with a WWII vet. or someone who fought in Vietnam. God bless the military.

Posted by: HM2 James Pell at Dec 11, 2006 9:34:31 AM