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View Full Version : Lost in Translation: Iraq's Injured 'Terps'



thedrifter
01-18-07, 01:40 PM
Lost in Translation: Iraq's Injured 'Terps' <br />
By JOEL MILLMAN and GINA CHON <br />
The Wall Street Journal <br />
January 18, 2007; Page A1 <br />
<br />
AMMAN, Jordan -- Cocky, cheerful Ali Adil thought he found his...

thedrifter
01-19-07, 11:08 AM
A friend of Mark's (fontman), sent this reply to this story...
"Col Wayne Morris USMC (Ret)"

Ellie


Up and about over here...my DAY OFF!

Thanks for sharing this. Very well-written for the most part...quite accurate. Feel free to send it out and include my following comments if you like.

It goes right along with things I've said about the dangerous conditions "Terps" live under. While our Terps don't go out in the field, per se, they too are in danger. They receive "night letters" (alluded to in the story) threatening them/their families...the van they ride back and forth to the base could be nailed IF the bad guys ID'd it as carrying Terps...their van has been within a couple hundred meters of IED explosions, etc. A few of ours now live in a hooch out aboard Camp Shir Zai and only go home occasionally even tho they just live in Kandahar City...too dangerous for them to go home...danger to their families as well.

While this sounds grim (and it is but totally expected given the enemy faced here), at least they ARE covered to some degree in manner similar to that which we U.S. (other?) contractors are...they have some monetary compensation for injuries/family death benefits/etc. This hasn't always been the case for those working for the U.S.

I think I mentioned to you in an earlier EMail that I am currently trying to assist a young Terp in getting to the States so that he can join the Marines...that's all he wants in life...to become a U.S. Marine. Cousin Paul Augustine has been very helpful in this, but it's a very long and tedious maze young "Popal" has to try to maneuver thru just to get to the States...then there are other hurdles he must get over to even be eligible to enlist in the Marines! There are quite a few Americans who are concerned that IF we let too many of these Terps in, there could be "bad guys" amongst them. That could be, but there are already many "bad guys" in or sneaking into our Country as it is. At least this way we'd have an ID on the individual. Doesn't mean they couldn't melt into the background, but as far as I'm concerned that's a minor consideration (and not a very valid one for the most part) when considering the overall good these people could bring to our effort.

Titan recently "lost" the contract for Terps. The ones working for us don't work for Titan (altho there are Titan Terps working at the other end of the building from our Terps)...ours work for a separate company. Will interesting to see what happens when the new contractor takes over the Titan role.

There are those in Afghanistan who also believe it's an "national asset drain" when the Terps leave Afghanistan for the States. It is, but that said, the other side to that argument is "what is there here for them???"...for the most part, and unless things really improve greatly over the next couple/few years...the answer is NOTHING! Sadly, it's the young folks here who are the real hope for Afghanistan...not the older people who see the corrupt culture they've grown up in, the norm. Many of the younger folks see thru all the BS attached to their culture (current/past) and want a better life...know of the better life they could have (our Terps surf the Net whenever they get the oppty)...THEY KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE and they long to become part of it! That's why IF we could get this campaign over here on track, these younsters could be part of a "new & improved" Afghanistan.

I have Paul and Al open here. Thanks again to Paul for his assistance with "Popal," and IF Al wants to forward the basic article/my comments/or wade in with his comments...that's his call. We Team Members don't correspond with seniors in the corporate chain except thru the Team Leader...sound move all around.

Anyway...that's my take on this and I really appreciate you sending this article. Bottom Line is we couldn't be doing our job without our Terps...they are a very key part of our Team!