Leaving Baghdad
Here is the latest news from our nephew Kevin Lidstone, who is serving with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq. He is scheduled to return to the United States in mid-March.
Greetings Everyone,
Well, what can I say. We are done. I just got back from our last patrol, we sat on a roof top for 3 hours trying to catch bad guys doing bad things and didn't see a god damned thing. We should be back in the states in about two and a half weeks and we can't wait. Amazingly it seems as though the last 14 months have gone by fast, and I'd do it all again. I know we made a difference where we can, would have liked to make a difference in areas we were unable too and we're leaving here with a few regrets. I wish we could have gone into Sadr City and cleared it out, but that's politics and when the Iraqi government tells us we can't go in there it's self defeating to the reconstruction process to eschew what their elected leaders decide. It would have meant more casualties, many more I'm afraid, but it would have been worth it in the long run. Alas, we were able to effectively render the militia nearly inoperable, catch some pretty bad guys and improve living conditions sector wide. We were able to bring school supplies, medical supplies, electricity and trash services to a few million people. We were able to curb sectarian violence, dramatically reduce extra judicial killings and kidnappings and put the iraqi security forces on their own two feet. IT's hard to believe that it's over and in a strange inexplicable way I'm going to miss it. I'm willing to bet that in 10 months I'll be itching to get back over here and pick up where we left off, though I hope we won't have to. Well, it isn't quite over yet but I want to thank y'all for your thoughts prayers letters and packages and I look forward to seeing all of you in the near future.
Peace,
Kevin Lidstone
