Previous Months: June
2004 July, 2004
(Note: click on pictures to view full size)
Major Robert Parker is a Certified Professional Controller
with the FAA, Memphis ATCT, serving in Iraq with the Mississippi Air National Guard.
Live from Iraq with Major Parker (Month of August, 2004)
01 Aug 04:
Hi Everyone,
Here are a few pics that i might have sent previous. One is of me
at a meeting with the folks from the US Embassy in Baghdad, Generals Mohamad and
Kerim. We were talking about airport construction projects that i am doing and
what needs to be done. The other pic is of MSgt Ben Bryant. He is laying on the
couch because his wife is on the other end of the phone having a baby. He was
talking on the phone and started getting a little pale when the contractions
started. He stayed with it until the end. She had a little girl Kiren. Mom and
baby are doing fine. I will send more as i can.
08 Aug 04:
Gus,
Here is a picture from me and Ben. Ben leaves tomorrow on his way
home. I should be out of here around the first of Sept or so. We had to hurry
with the picture since we got mortared again this afternoon. Talk to you later.
PR
19 Aug 04:
Hi Everybody,
Sorry i have not written. Things have been a little exciting here
of late. It is time to get out of here. My replacement is here so i will spend a
week with him, send him on the road for a week or so, and then he comes back
here and i am out of here on or about the 3rd of Sept. I will have to go to
Qatar and may have to be there a few days before getting on a military rotator
flight back to the states. I have released most of my folks to go home and have
a new group here.
When the Iraqi's won the soccer game there was a lot of shooting in town.
Some of it was just people having fun, some of it was not. Things are
getting rather tense down south so it makes things a little "sporty"
up here. We have been having more attacks with mortars and rockets. Mortars now
are not bad, the rockets are scary. You can hear then whizzing over head and
then the loud explosion. My ears are ringing from one just an hour ago when i
was out on the airport. I will try to send some pictures soon. Thanks for the
emails, it really helps me remember there is a real world out there without
gunfire and rockets!! Pictures would be alright too.
PR
21 Aug 04:
I
don't normally post, PR forgive me if I overstepped my bounds. This email is
from the man in Washington, D.C. that controls Air Traffic in the Air
Guard.
Well
done PR, see you soon.
T.
Major Parker,
As
you are winding down your time in the AOR, where you served as the Commander,
Det 1, 332 EOG, I wanted to take a few minutes and express to you our complete
satisfaction with your professionalism, your keen knowledge of airfield
operations, and the leadership you displayed to the men and women that you
commanded. You epitomized the ANG C4 warfighter and I know that the Mississippi
leadership joins me and my boss, Col Brown (ANG/C4), in saluting your efforts at
Mosul.
Ben
Franklin once noted, “Well done is better than well said,” so let me just
tell you …well done my friend!!
Have
a safe trip home, and we look forward to hearing all about Mosul operations
during the upcoming C4 Symposium where you will be one of our speakers at the
“Words from the Front” session. I can’t wait!
Take
care, and once again thanks so much for a job well done! Please pass on my
thanks as well to Chief Null and the rest of the gang there.
S.
SCOTT DUKE, GS-14
Chief, Air Traffic Systems Division
ANG/C4A
Hey T,
Thanks. You are forgiven. I will be glad to get home safely. After
the Iraqis won the soccer game last night, the folks in town started shooting.
The sky was full of tracer rounds, thousands of them. That was a great show
until someone started firing mortars at us. I was on the runway about 10:30 pm
checking the mortar holes and getting grass fires put out. I wish i could say
that things are calming down over here but they are not. Two more weeks...
Thanks again T.
PR
22 Aug 04:
Hi Everyone,
Starting the final countdown i guess. I should be leaving here in
about 2 weeks. Last night the Iraqis won in soccer and they filled the sky with
automatic gun fire. Later they hit us with mortars to celebrate. GO TEAM!!
Oh well, i guess Iraq has it's rednecks shooting rifles in the air as well.
Here are a few pics. One is of me standing outside a small shop on
base, run by Iraqis with a hand painted Starbucks sign. (no, there is no
Starbucks coffee). The other is of Safo, CMSgt John Null, SMSgt Jeff Summerlin
and me. Safo is the local Iraqi that works with us at our radar site and acts as
an interpreter among other things.
More pics to come when i can. I have lots of downtown Mosul.....
30 Aug 04:
Hi Everyone,
I know i have not written of late. It will not be long and many of
you will be seeing me in person, at least those living in Memphis. I am
scheduled to leave Mosul in a few days going to Balad (again) then hopefully on
to the US of A. I hope to be home on Sunday or so. Things are still rather tense
over here. There was another USAF airman killed here yesterday and 3 more
injured. He was a nice kid, they all are. I plan on sleeping in my body armor
until i leave. It is a nice Kevlar blanket anyway. I will try to write while i
am on the road if i can, if not, see everyone in Memphis this weekend!!!
PR
31 Aug 04:
Hi Everyone,
Well, i am trying to leave here in the morning. One more breakfast
with beef bacon.. don't ask. We have been getting hit every night for the last 2
weeks. I had another group of new troops show up last night and an hour later we
were in the bunkers getting shelled. There was also a lot of small arms fire, i
thought they were coming over the fence. That was that is a nice hello. Everyone
is a little tired today. A full nights sleep, in a real bed, a real shower.....
I guess I was drifting. I plan to to get to Balad, finish my business, then get
to Germany on a "freedom bird". I hope everyone is saving me a beer
for when i get to MEM!!! I will be able to check my email in Balad.
PR