"Sithanda ukuzibiza ngokuthi 'Ukulwa namaPhalamende,'" kusho uSgt. Mark Estes we-341st, i- Army Reserve iyunithi yaseSan Jose, eNkulumbeni. "... Lokho esikwenzayo kusigcina ezinzwaneni zethu nsuku zonke."
I-341 inqunywe ukuhlanza nokuqapha indlela yokuhlinzeka ngokuyinhloko esuka ku-Logistical Support Area e-Anaconda eningizimu kuya emngceleni we-1st Armor Division.
Lokho kuhlanganisa, kusho u-Estes, "... kuhanjiswe cishe ngo-6: 30 ekuseni bese sishayela indlela eya esikhwameni sethu. Sibheka noma yikuphi umsebenzi ononya, abasebenzi bezitha, noma ukuthi ubheka indawo kusuka emidlalweni yangaphambilini." U-Estes uthe uma behamba emgwaqeni futhi beqiniseka ukuthi kucacile, basakaza umsakazo kubalawuli be-convoy futhi babazise ukuthi kuphephile. Kodwa umsebenzi wabo awupheli lapho.
"Ngemuva kokuthi umkhumbi ubonakale, sima endleleni, silinde inkinga," kusho u-Estes. "Cishe nsuku zonke kwenzeka okuthile emgwaqweni futhi kudingeka sisondelane." "Into" u-Estes uthe yikuphi okuvela ku- Improvised Explosive Devices , noma i-IED, kuya emlilweni omncane wezandla noma ukuhlasela kwe-rocket-propelled propelled to breakdown vehicles.
"Ama-Iraqi ayazi izindlela esizisebenzisayo nokufihla ama-IED ngale ndlela nezinye izindlela zokuhambisa cishe nsuku zonke," kusho u-Estes. "IEDs ingenye yezinkinga ezinkulu kakhulu. Zenza okungcono kakhulu futhi zibulale kakhulu.
Ngesinye isikhathi awukwazi ngisho nokutshela ukuthi i-IED iyisiqeshana sedoti noma ukuthi kuyini. "
Abasebenzi bezitha benze konke okucatshangwa ngama-IED, kusho u-Estes.
"Bazobathuba emgwaqweni noma bawafihle ngaphansi kwesilwane esifile emgwaqweni," esho. "Uma siqhuba umzila sizama ukuhlala phakathi komgwaqo.
Iningi lama-IED esiye sabhekana nalo liye lahlangothini olulodwa noma elinye. "
Uma ama-MPs athola okuthile okusolisayo emgwaqweni umsakazo babuyela ekomkhulu labo futhi uzoyeka umgwaqo. Ukumisa ithrafikhi emgwaqeni omkhulu wokunikezela, noma i-MSR ifana nesihlabathi sokugaya ngefoloko. Abantu bendawo bayomisa isikhathi esifushane baze bangapheli. Uma ithrafikhi ingahambisani kahle, izokwenza noma yini ukuze ijikeleze ukuvinjelwa.
"Ngezinye izikhathi, uma siyeke umgwaqo ngesizathu esithile, ama-Iraq azodlulela emgwaqeni ohlukile futhi ahambe ngendlela engafanele," kusho u-Estes. "Abaqapheli ukuthi yilokho esikwenzayo sizama ukuwavikela kanye namasosha ethu, asifuni ukuthi kube nomuntu olimazayo. Kuyinto edabukisayo ukuthi abantu babo babangela lokhu."
I-Spc. UJuan Cruz II, iphoyisa lezempi, uhlale ekulungele ukuzivikela ku-Squad Attack Weapon, noma i-SAW, e-turret ye- HUMVEE . Kodwa-ke, i-Cruz yayingahambi ngaso sonke isikhathi i-MSR ne-patrol.
"Umsebenzi wami wangempela wenkampani unikezela ochwepheshe ," kusho uCroz. "Kodwa thina sinikezwe esifushane futhi sidinga lowo muntu. Ngakho lapho umphathi wami wokuqala ecela izisebenzi zokuzithandela, ngithi yebo." Ngokusho kukaCroz, ngaphambi kokuba aqhubeke nokushayela iphoyisa, wakhuphuka ukuba agijime ngamasosha ayekanye naye.
" Ukwenza i-patrol kuhluke kakhulu kunokuhlala egumbini lokuhlinzeka," kusho uCroz. "Sisebenza njengethimba futhi sibukela emuva komunye nomunye. Manje-ke, ngingaba khona ukuhamba ngeqembu lami kunokwenza amaphepha. Ngisho noma kuyingozi kakhulu, kwenze isikhathi lapha sihambe ngokushesha kakhulu. uzizwe sengathi ngenza umehluko lapha. "
"Akuzona zonke izinsuku okuhle," kusho uCroz. "Izinsuku ezimbalwa lapha zikhulu kakhulu, njengalapho thina (i-US Forces) sithunjwe uSaddam Hussein. Izinsuku ezithile zide futhi ezinye zifushane. Ngizama nje ukugcina ngimatasa ngangokunokwenzeka."
UCroz uthe ulindele ukubuyela ekhaya nokubona umndeni wakhe. UVroz wathola ucingo ukuthi uzoza e-Iraq ngesonto elilodwa ngaphambi komshado wakhe.
"Ngahlangana ngosuku olusha ngishadile ," kusho uCroz. "Uma ngifika isikhathi, ngiyakumemeza futhi ngikhulume nomkami. Lokhu kuye kwaba nzima ngaye, kodwa wenza kahle, ikakhulukazi njengoba eyazi ukuthi ngizoba nini ekhaya."
Into enhle, ngokusho kukaCroz, ukuthi abantu base-Iraq baqala ukushintsha.
"Laba bantu banamandla," kusho uCroz. "Bavele benomholi omubi ongenandaba nabo.Baqala ukuqaphela ukuthi silapha ukubasiza. Izinto zihlale ziba ngcono. Uma simisa eceleni komgwaqo bese sibona ukumomotheka emntwaneni wezingane ubuso, kuyesabeka. Siyazi ukuthi abazange bamomothele kanjalo esikhathini eside. "