My friend, SSGT Jonathan Beach, USAF, just returned from Iraq.  He had been stationed at Balad Airbase, working on UH60's that were performing medevac missions.  Anyways, just thought I'd announce that he's home safe and sound We're talking on AIM right now and he's at Moody AFB in Georgia.  

Welcome back!!

Make sure to thank him for his service.......

Quoted: Welcome back!! Make sure to thank him for his service.......

Most definitely will do Very, very happy that he's home and safe.  

What's the mortar schedule like over in Balad right now?

NTM

Quoted: What's the mortar schedule like over in Balad right now? NTM

*smiles* I've tried discussing that with him, but he told me he couldn't go there because of OPSEC, which I respect.  From the way he had been talking, they were getting sporadic mortar fire once in a while that very rarely damaged any structures on the airbase.  All I know is, guys, we're winning this war

OPSEC for incoming fire?  Never heard of that one.  Maybe something for the soldiers.  On Victory (Slayer) there is typicly daily attacks.  Sometimes there can be breaks for days though. Longest I recall is close to two weeks.  There is a lot of EOD scheduled blasts and those could be mistaken for an attack but there they put out a list of scheduled demo dates/times so you know.  Mortar fire is far more common than rockets (not RPG) and all are fairly inaccurate.  Mostly minor building dmage and once in a while somebody is unlucky.  

They have really done an excellent job in force protection with all the blast barriers erected, every building has them.  Once in a while something larger or more accurate hits; best so far has been a few rockets, one hit the main courtyard in the PX on North Victory!  Surprising there were only two deaths in that one.  I think a soldier who was going home the next day (that really sucks!) and a TCN.  The blast barriers really saved some lives in that occasion!  There are of course some shooting incidents and car bombs now and then outside or near the ECP's.  I just love the tracer lights at night, just like fireworks :)

Worse thing about the mortars is they land in a field out behind my hooch.  The rattle and shake the hooch though and disturbs me while i'm trying to sleep after working all night.  B@stards! LOL

Thank him for us, and buy him a beer.

PJ???

If so, way to go.  If he ever gets back to Kirtland AFB back in ABQ, NM have him drop me a line.  I'm one of their part time civilian paramedic instructors.

PS:  Thank him profusely for his service.

Quoted: PJ??? If so, way to go.  If he ever gets back to Kirtland AFB back in ABQ, NM have him drop me a line.  I'm one of their part time civilian paramedic instructors. PS:  Thank him profusely for his service.

Aircraft mechanic, works on the HH-60's that the PJ's use Will do, and to answer questions about the mortars, it was sporadic, inaccurate shelling, he had a close call where a mortar round detonated within 150 yards of the tent he was sleeping in, but he was uninjured due to having his tent and a lot of sandbags in between.  He said it sure woke him up, though.  He mentioned that a combatant had the misfortune of popping off mortar rounds while there was a flight of F-16's in that sector on patrol.  The fighters were vectored in and they used a 500lb bomb on his position  

Thank him for his service. Also tell him welcome back.

Quoted: OPSEC for incoming fire?  Never heard of that one.

+1. Kindof daft, the enemy more likely than not already know how often they shoot at the base. Besides, if they're still doing that God-Awful "Alert Status Red" siren, (Pointless, nay irritating thing), it advertises to the world at large when people are shooting at the base. I remember our intel officer several months in being aghast when I told the guy 'Of course I can hear the siren from Al Shahab town. I can hear it miles away'

I would really like to meet up with some of the guys currently patrolling the nearby towns, I'd be curious to know what's changed since we were doing the job, looking for mortarmen.

NTM

I was protected well from mortar fire, I had my trusty armored camo poncho liner on my bunk.  So I would just turn over and pull the pocko liner up higher and try to go back to sleep.  

They usually only drop a few rounds at a time.  And the tubes are usually left in place and concealed.  Drop a few and come back to adjust later and drop rounds again, repeat...  If they fire more than a few at a time, they get spotted and here comes a gunship!  Attacks are usually in the morning or later in the afternoon. You don't want to disturb the Islamic prayer times and it is good to take a Iraqi-siesta during the hottest part of the day.

We noticed that. We were dealing with fair-weather-insurgents. Too hot, or too cold, and only the Americans were stupid enough to be out and about.

The old phrase "Only mad dogs and Englishmen..." comes to mind.

NTM

Rockets suck ! Ask your buddy about Moody's 2003 BIAP deplo ....