The 3 P's

As stated before, I have met a lot of people since arriving here.  Some of them have been very influential Iraqis.  Some of the conversations have been heartening, some have been disappointing.  Right now, the balance still tilts toward optimism.  It is true that no true appreciation for events can be had while they are unfolding.  On my way back from one of these meetings with a PSD (Personal Security Detail), we were stopped by some locals who said that there was a possible car bomb nearby.  We immediately wheeled around and tried to do our best to seal off the area.  We had the crowd gathering to see what was going on, and pressing against us, traffic backing up and getting antsy and me standing there wishing I spoke more Arabic than the few words I do.  During this process, I am simultaneously trying to assess the situation, make sure no one in the crowd poses a threat, stay far away enough from the car in question, and scan the nearby windows and rooftops for snipers.  The reality of what the heck I was doing here set in immediately.  All ended well as the driver of the car showed up and wondered what all the fuss was about - false alarm.  One note:  The Iraqi Police showed up very quickly and were a great help - another reason for optimism.  On another day recently, we had to do a house search on a family whose son tested positive for explosive residue.  The search turned up nothing as many do - sometimes positive tests are from routine substances or secondary contact.  The family was very understanding and we made sure, as we did with the suspected car bomb that we practiced the 3 P's:  Always be:  Polite, Professional, and Prepared to Kill.  That is the world we live in.  The family that night understood that and had kind greetings when we came and were smiles when we left.  It would be nice if every search was like that.  So far so good.

Comments

[Patti Bader]

please stay safe and let us know if you need any supplies, or letters. Thank you for your bravery.
Patti
Soldiers Angels

[Concerned Citizen]

Keep up the good work. We are very lucky to have good men like you.