And we keep marching on...
Another day another...something. I dunno. Everyone's on edge lately due to the year coming to a close. We've packed our connex, which means we have one duffle bag, one rucksack and one assault pack worth of stuff left. Everything else is going to be mailed or thrown away. Missions are long and laborious, mostly hoping nothing happens. And then complaining because nothing did. A weird combination of just wanting to go home and the type A personality screaming to the surface and missing the fight.
I had a few days rest at the US Embassy in Baghdad recently. I had to go there for a court case. One of the guys we picked up came up for trial, so myself and another Soldier got to go hang out at the Embassy. Weird place the Embassy. A false reality, really. If not for the fact that there's barriers everywhere, you might not know you're in a war zone. We felt strange for the simple fact we were carrying M-4s. And a big deal was made about walking through the "red zone" to get to the courthouse...which is right next door to FOB Prosperity (where I started this year out).
So the court case. Very strange experience. You meet with your lawyer the day before and discuss your testimony. On the day of the trial, you meet in a little room with a couple couches and some chairs. The judge sits behind a desk with a person that writes down what the judge tells him to. The interpreter swears you and you give your testimony. In short sentences. While the detainee sits next to you. A few questions get asked to clarify things and that's it. The detainee's lawyer THEN comes in and the detainee gives his testimony (yeah...his lawyer isn't there when you talk.). And the outcome? Can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 9 months. Of course, he's already been sitting in jail for almost 3 months. Being as he's there for attacking coalition forces, emplacing IEDs, threatening locals for working with the Americans, and stealing houses by force...he can wait.
Guess a shorter than normal blog. Just not much to report. We're getting our things ready and waiting for the next unit so we can get out of here. Whenever that might be.
I had a few days rest at the US Embassy in Baghdad recently. I had to go there for a court case. One of the guys we picked up came up for trial, so myself and another Soldier got to go hang out at the Embassy. Weird place the Embassy. A false reality, really. If not for the fact that there's barriers everywhere, you might not know you're in a war zone. We felt strange for the simple fact we were carrying M-4s. And a big deal was made about walking through the "red zone" to get to the courthouse...which is right next door to FOB Prosperity (where I started this year out).
So the court case. Very strange experience. You meet with your lawyer the day before and discuss your testimony. On the day of the trial, you meet in a little room with a couple couches and some chairs. The judge sits behind a desk with a person that writes down what the judge tells him to. The interpreter swears you and you give your testimony. In short sentences. While the detainee sits next to you. A few questions get asked to clarify things and that's it. The detainee's lawyer THEN comes in and the detainee gives his testimony (yeah...his lawyer isn't there when you talk.). And the outcome? Can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 9 months. Of course, he's already been sitting in jail for almost 3 months. Being as he's there for attacking coalition forces, emplacing IEDs, threatening locals for working with the Americans, and stealing houses by force...he can wait.
Guess a shorter than normal blog. Just not much to report. We're getting our things ready and waiting for the next unit so we can get out of here. Whenever that might be.
posted by Robert Plummer at 8:56 AM
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