Family and
Friends,
Hello everyone. October is here and will be our last
full month of the
deployment. October also marks two significant events here in
first is the religious holiday of Ramadan, which is a month-long Muslim
holiday marked with periods of fasting and celebration. Traditionally,
the
number of insurgent attacks increases during Ramadan. The insurgents use
the added emphasis on religion to help fuel their skewed and fanatical
beliefs. Many Muslims also believe that dying in a "holy war"
during
Ramadan is a direct ticket to heaven.
The second significant event here in October will be the
referendum vote to
either accept or reject the proposed Iraqi Constitution. On October 15th,
the Iraqi people will vote a simple “yes” or “no” for the proposed
constitution. The constitution is accepted if a majority is obtained in
all
of the provinces, or states as we refer to them back home. The
constitution
is not accepted if any one province votes “no” with a two-thirds majority.
If the constitution is accepted, the Iraqi people will then
begin electing
their first democratic government during the upcoming December elections.
If the constitution is rejected, the Iraqis will still hold elections in
December. However, instead of electing a government, the people will
elect
another national assembly responsible for drafting a new or revised
constitution. Essentially, the process starts over if the current
constitution isn’t accepted
Many back home will see it as a failure if the constitution
is not approved
in October. This would be an unfortunate interpretation of the democratic
process. Our own constitution was not drafted and ratified in a less than
a
year. Why should we expect it to happen so quickly and easily here in a
part of the world where democracy is such a foreign concept? The most
important thing is the Iraqi people get out and vote, regardless of the
outcome. For the Iraqi people, who are just beginning to understand
democracy, a rejection of this constitution will likely be seen as just part
of the process. Either way, the Iraqi people will decide how they will be
governed. That is democracy in its purest and most beautiful form.
This past week, I had an opportunity to speak with a local
sheik (community
leader) in one of the villages near our forward operating base. He was
recently shot in the back during an insurgent attack on his car. His son
was killed in the attack. He said he was attacked because he supports the
coalition. When I asked him if he was going to vote, he said, “My people
and I will vote. We will not be afraid. The terrorists will not
keep us
away.”
Our part in this process is to provide a secure environment
so people, like
the sheik and his community, feel safe enough to get out and vote. This
time around, we will largely assume a support role for the Iraqi Army and
Police. We will still be out there providing a presence, and assisting
when
they need help, but the burden for security of the streets and the polling
stations will be on the Iraqis. The Iraqi Army and Police have improved
immensely this past year and are rapidly developing into professional
organizations. They are capable and ready. It will be a great step
in
building the Iraqis’ confidence in their police and military force.
Of course, it would be nice if we could have some more time
off and relax a
little before our replacements get here. However, that just isn’t going
to
happen. The reality is these last weeks will likely be our busiest of the
deployment. Our mission load will increase to counter the expected rise
in
insurgent activity. We will be out in force supporting the referendum
vote.
We will continue creating a secure environment to support the upcoming
election. We also have to prepare our equipment for shipment home, we
have
to receive our replacement unit, and we have to ensure they are properly
trained to take over. The Soldiers will have even less time off and will
be
under even more stress.
War, by its very nature, will always be tough and
stressful. Incomplete
information, physical fatigue, danger of injury or death, and all of the
little things that always seem to go wrong, will always impact the Soldiers
and their families. However, none of us has to go this last leg of our
journey alone. Your Soldiers have each other here and they have you at
home
supporting them. They have great leaders who will not rest until everyone
is home. You have each other back home to lean on. I encourage you
all to
continue to support each other and keep our great family support groups
strong. Our units, communities, and State have great resources and stand
ready to support in anyway possible. Help is always only a phone call
away.
We will all endure and we will get through it. We will
continue to always
place the mission first and continue to perform better than anyone else.
We
will finish the deployment strong and always maintain our high standards and
professionalism.
I constantly remind the Soldiers not to lose sight of the prize. We will
be
home in two months. The road may still be bumpy but it is now a short
road.
We will endure and we will be home soon.
Stay strong and confident. Your Soldiers are doing
magnificent things here
and you can all be very, very proud.
Honor is the courage to fulfill your obligations.
God Bless,
Mike Pazdernik
Captain, Armor
Commander, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 194th Armor