My daughter is almost 24. She's a medic posted in the Iraq "triangle of death." She served 8 months before getting her 2-week leave in early May. Now she has returned for another 7 months (deployment has been increased from 12 to 15 months).
She reports how the Geneva conventions are out the window--no red cross for medics these days. They can dispense death as well as try to defeat it. Medics are fully armed at all times. So far, she has not had to fire her weapon.
She knows 25-year-old Spc. Alex Jimenez. He was one of three American soldiers recently kidnapped. Alex was her gunner on a recent convoy. She said he was really shy and was silent for 3 hours before she got him talking.
She also mentioned that things are getting worse. Mortar activity has increased tremendously. IEDs are getting more and more sophisticated. All military vehicles can travel only 15 mph for fear of them. Sometimes they stop when something looks suspicious and send out a Johnny5, if they have one, to check out the scene. It's a little robot. Sometimes a second IED is planted where one has already gone off. Attempts to repair the road are met with unpleasantry.
When she mentioned Iraqis, it was with some disgust. They trust none of them, especially the Iraqi "police." When a post is turned over to them, our soldiers figure that it'll be an insurgent base shortly.
The Army is dispersing into smaller and smaller groups, all the way down to an individual house surrounded with heavy barricades. Two or three soldiers--sitting ducks for mortar. Dunno how that can be described as a method to "get closer to the locals."
On the plus side, she loves her job tremendously. Only one casualty in 8 months at her station. Plus they do go out to nearby villages to treat any and all ailments the villagers may have. She's the only female her unit allows to go out on missions.
My daughter is battle-hardened.
Her Papa is not.
Please, let her come home safe and sound.