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Like I've mentioned in a couple of threads, my friend Rob is in the Marine Reserves and got 'the call' 2 weeks ago. He was given one week to get his things in order, left home last Sunday and was supposed to spend a few weeks (six, I believe, starting this past week) at a training facility to get him ready to go fight.

Plans changed. Apparently he's very good at what he does.

He left for Kuwait today.



Just felt like talking about it a little... That's all.

How long will he be stationed there?

I hear Kuwait is a nice place...

generator_g1 wrote:How long will he be stationed there?

He was told that it would hopefully only be a couple months, but that he should be prepared to be gone for years if need be.

Zaia wrote:He was told that it would hopefully only be a couple months, but that he should be prepared to be gone for years if need be.

Years?!

Kuwait's one of the staging areas, isn't it?

Zaia wrote:

generator_g1 wrote:How long will he be stationed there?

He was told that it would hopefully only be a couple months, but that he should be prepared to be gone for years if need be.

Hopefully he will be gone for a couple of months, it's hard to be separated from your friends and family...

ArmorPierce wrote:

Zaia wrote:He was told that it would hopefully only be a couple months, but that he should be prepared to be gone for years if need be.

Years?!

The US is prepared to leave garrison troops in Iraq once the war's over for 10-15 years, perhaps longer.

If McKileran fucks that up for year or more war we're gonna have some new Generals. I bet even Fredenall could take out the Iraqis. However, if there aren't many civilian deaths occupation will be easier if he has to stay.

*hugs Zaia*

Dont worry he will be fine. Casualties should be minimal on our side

Shinova wrote:Kuwait's one of the staging areas, isn't it?

Yes. The "almost everyone in the country hates Iraq, it shares a boarder, and US troops have been there since the end of the gulf war" aspect makes it a good base.

Military installations now take up over 25% of the countries land area. Though it doesn't bother anyone because much of the space is still filled with unexploded weapons and mines and there's just no reason for anyone to go out in the desert.

Sorry Zaia. Hope everything goes alright and he gets back soon.

Oh Z... *hugs* Just think, if he's that good at what he does, he'll be fine.

Don't worry, casualties will be minimal on our side.
Hope he doesn't get hurt. Good luck.

Sorry to hear your friend got activated. All my wishes he remains safe to come back and return to your life. So far Ive been lucky, my friend has not been called up. It will break my heart if he has to miss the next year of his baby girls' life.

As for time frame, I believe most reservists have been getting activated for 1 year.

TrailerParkJawa wrote:As for time frame, I believe most reservists have been getting activated for 1 year.

Eeek, really? I was hoping the 'couple months' part was going to be closer to the truth.... Then again, I've always been a damned optimist. *wan smile*


*hugs Alyrium & Kel* Thanks. Logically I know he'll probably be just fine, you know, but my heart isn't always so certain. I'm sure he'll be fine, though; like you said, Kel, he is good at what he does...he'll be fine, I'm sure.

Zaia wrote:Like I've mentioned in a couple of threads, my friend Rob is in the Marine Reserves and got 'the call' 2 weeks ago. He was given one week to get his things in order, left home last Sunday and was supposed to spend a few weeks (six, I believe, starting this past week) at a training facility to get him ready to go fight.

Plans changed. Apparently he's very good at what he does.

He left for Kuwait today.



Just felt like talking about it a little... That's all.

I've been to Kuwait a couple of times. Your friend is well-trained, and if war does break out, that training should hold him in good stead. Still, there's no harm in praying for him.

Zaia wrote:

TrailerParkJawa wrote:As for time frame, I believe most reservists have been getting activated for 1 year.

Eeek, really? I was hoping the 'couple months' part was going to be closer to the truth.... Then again, I've always been a damned optimist. *wan smile*


*hugs Alyrium & Kel* Thanks. Logically I know he'll probably be just fine, you know, but my heart isn't always so certain. I'm sure he'll be fine, though; like you said, Kel, he is good at what he does...he'll be fine, I'm sure.

Sometimes reservists also get activated for 90 day stints. So you never know.
The local ANG unit recently returned from a 90 day job in the no fly zones, it really comes down to his unit.

*hugs* It'll be okay. I'm sure he'll be back sooner or later safe and sound.

He'll be back 'fore you know it. And with tales of the not-so mysterious not-so far east, too! A friend of mine in the National Guard brought me back a shot glass with Saudi Arabia stenciled on the side. Considering it's a liquor related tourist item from a country where liquor and tourism are both illegal, I think it's kind of special.

*hugs* worry not. For the U.S. has a technological adavantage. However, if it goes urban that advantage is nil. My circle and shall do what we can to help.

Zaia, don't worry about your friend. The U.S. Army is drilled and organized in certain disciplined standards that have been the tradition of Western armies since Greece; some famous examples of Western armies routing Eastern ones around Mesopotamia include the battle of Cunaxa, where around 13,500 Greek Mercenaries routed the left wing of the Persian Army, which was 100,000 men, for the loss of "one man run over by a scythed chariot and one man wounded by an arrow."

We are the heirs of these standards and it has shown in every conflict between Western and Arabic armies, period. If the evidence of the Gulf War is used, your friend's chance of getting killed is rather less than in some high risk civilian occupations. I wouldn't worry: For all the worst case scenarios, the most likely thing that's going to happen to him other than coming straight home is that he's going to stay there for a few years training the new Iraqi Army.

As for F. Hipper: That shot glass is probably not a shot glass. It's more likely for drinking Coffee in, which in the Mid-East is made exceptionally strong and unstrained, almost like a "coffee syrup", and imbibed from rather small glasses as such. Normally they're porcelain and have a handle, called a demitasse in Turkey, but I suppose the Saudis could be different. I've never been to Saudi Arabia and will never go there. OTOH, it could really be a shot glass; that would be silly and typical of the more enervated Sauds.

*hugs* Remember, dear: Don't worry too much about it.

Best wishes for your friend, and his safe return home.

My brother-in-law is in the scret service and is one of Cheney's guards whenever he goes overseas, including in the Middle East, so I know how it is.