Winter has finally come to Iraq. The days of warm tropical climates in our green oasis in the desert are over. There is no hope of a white Christmas, but the temperatures are into the 20s at night and reaching around the low 50s during the day. The Ratts have been quite busy keeping our corner of Iraq safe for democracy, which on some days is no easy trick. Some of our troops were lucky enough to participate in a boat borne operation recently, which meant riding along with the Marines on River Boat Patrols. This broke up the usual mundane desert treks in our gun trucks. We were fortunate enough to find numerous stashes of hidden weapons and equipment, this limiting the capabilities of the insurgents. We would like to thank all of the wives and families of Alpha Company who have sent care packages and Christmas greetings.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all from the Ratts of 2nd Platoon.

2nd Platoon