YOU'RE IN OUR PRAYERS, KEVIN !

BART'S ON THE GROUND !!!!!!!

NICE DAY FINALLY !!!!

This is one of the buildings I’m working on. It is the Surgeon General of Afghanistan’s Admin building. Labor is cheap here, so they don’t use a lot of heavy equipment. 
This was the first day of sun in over a week.

Well, it just keeps snowing here and stays cold.  I live in a tent, where the inside temp gets down to 40 or so. It’s kind of like camping. 

Here is a picture of me and my terp at an ANA supply depot at about 2:30 and 30 degrees. (posted 1-24-07)

WHAT A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN !!!!!!

To The Congregation and The Staff of Sierra Vista UMC:

 We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the constant support you provided throughout our past tour in Iraq.  We all owe each and every one of you something more extravagant that could better convey our sincere gratitude.  However, please accept this humble thank you from all the men of the 1-68 Combined Arms Battalion mortar platoon.  I would like to tell you some of the accomplishments of my platoon and our battalion.  The total number of people in my platoon fluctuated throughout the deployment with guys getting hurt, needing a break from the stresses of combat, etc.  However, we consistently stayed around 29.  The breakdown of my platoon is:  one officer, six non-commissioned officers, and twenty-two enlisted soldiers aging from 18-28.  We are an infantry platoon specializing in mortars. 

The men in my platoon worked seven days a week for eleven and a half months with a fourteen day break somewhere during that time.  We ran an average of two to three patrols a day lasting anywhere from one hour to five hours depending on the mission.  Some days were much better than others as far as down time went, but we always had to be prepared for emergency missions, which were many.

While in Iraq, your Soldiers performed with honor as well as with respect for the Iraqi civilians.  We provided mortar support for an Iraqi Battalion who was receiving substantial casualties before we arrived.  Once we arrived at their primitive camp, the enemy mortar attacks lessened and conversely, the Iraqi army casualties lessened.  We fired over 200 mortar rounds to protect both the Iraqi battalion and the Iraqi town in which we were living.  We also ran patrols in Baqubah, Iraq as well as many rural towns around Baqubah to capture/detain criminals and terrorists who operated in and around those areas.  Our sector was very active and our battalion was responsible for saving countless Iraqi civilians through our aggressive patrol schedule and our hard line stance on criminals.  The top terrorist in Iraq from Osama Bin Laden's terrorist network, Abu-Musab Zarqawi, was eliminated about ten kilometers from our base camp.

We also conducted countless missions to support and repair infrastructure in Baqubah and the surrounding towns.  We provided the financial backing to drill water wells for towns that desperately needed them and build schools for towns that had none.  We ran several security missions for our medics and battalion surgeons to provide temporary clinics for people who needed medical attention.

 Your Soldiers helped stabilize our area of operations so that the people of Baqubah and the surrounding towns could live a better life than what they had previously experienced.  With the deployment tempo being how it is, most of us will more than likely redeploy for yet another year either with this unit or some other unit.  I can tell you one thing however; the men of my platoon will always remember the Sierra Vista United Methodist Church for their unconditional love for 28 strangers.  Thank you again and may God bless you.

 Sincerely,

James C. Stultz, CPT, IN
1-68 CAB Mortar Platoon Leader 

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