Camp Junction City, Iraq – First, I would like to apologize for the late posting of the February newsletter. Our internet structure is not quite as robust as the states, so it tends to go in and out quite often. I am sure AOL Time Warner Cable is chomping at the bit to get things transitioned over here. After meeting several of the local Sheiks in the Ramadi area, the majority of the people are all excited about foreign investment and bringing in new engineers for different projects. The people are ready for change, but they must embrace the freedom on their own, as we cannot provide it for them. Before many Americans become too quick to judge the progress, they must remember we fought our own revolution from 1775 to 1783. The Iraqi people have been oppressed for some 35 years under the Saddam regime and are hesitant about how to react. The majority of freedom patriots throughout the country were executed or deported during that time. Iraq is the birthplace of civilization, containing priceless landmarks and holding incredible resources to offer the world. In the words of one Sheik, "Iraq is just like the camel, it carries gold but eats grass... soon it will eat gold."

I didn't mean to get carried away, but I hope that puts some things into perspective. I would like send sincere thanks from the back of my neck for all of those responsible sending over 300 full-size pillows to us. Very few of us, because we are all hard headed grunts, brought pillows with us or even gave it much thought until a couple of months into this ordeal. Those pillows are all getting put to good use. Once each soldier in the company had a few, we considered going for a Harem look in the bays, but instead ended up sharing with some of the other units here on Camp Ramadi.

I hope the weather is beginning to warm-up back home. It is definitely starting to warm-up over here and of course will only continue to get insanely hot. Right now, we have intermittent sand storms and sometimes rain but it is actually very comfortable at night and throughout the day. Keep all of these things in mind as you continue to send care packages through the mail. The candy bars and chocolates may look okay on your end, but will start arriving here as a bid candy bar and one big chocolate. Also the water consumption will begin to increase dramatically, so drink mixes are always welcome for added flavor.

We are making our best effort to get everyone out on leave, so if you haven't seen your loved one yet, just hold on. We will not be able to get 100% out of here due to the mission requirement, but we are doing the best we can. God Bless you all and keep the home fires burning.

CPT Jason Sabat
Company Commander