thedrifter
05-18-07, 08:55 AM
County Marine back from Iraq
By TRAVIS NEFF
Staff writer
Marine Sgt. Aron Thompson is glad to be back home after serving his second tour of duty in Iraq and said that although his experiences were more peaceful this time, there is still work to be done to stabilize that country.
Thompson, 22, Francisco, returned from Iraq in early April after a seven month deployment to Rawah, a city about 27 miles northwest of Al Asad Air Base, west of Baghdad.
The first time he was deployed to Iraq two years ago, when Thompson said there a much higher level of violence. Then, he said he was operating on pure adrenaline and as a machine-gunner and his tasks were pretty basic.
During his second tour, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and said he found himself with a much heavier burden of responsibilities and logistical concerns.
“This time I had to check on my men, make sure their equipment was ready, maintain communication and file reports,” he said.
Thompson was with a battalion of 600 Marines living in a command post comprised of large tents and handmade wooden huts, surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers. He said his squad was responsible for providing security for the base's commander, a lieutenant colonel.
On a few occasions, Thompson said his squad was attacked with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), adding that he was dazed in one blast.
He said it was not easy to describe the sensation of what it feels like to be caught near an explosion. “It kind of feels like taking off very fast in an airplane, but is so much more intense,” he said.
After an IED would go off, he said the troops would try to get several hundred yards from site and regroup to counter the attack, but that course of action was not always feasible. Thompson said he was never seriously wounded, but just suffered the scrapes and scratches anyone might expect in a war zone.
Although he was present for some skirmishes, Thompson said he never fired his weapon, unlike his first tour when it was an all-too-common occurrence.
Thompson said rounding up possible insurgents became a regular practice. Anyone suspected of being involved in terrorist activities was scooped up at any time.
Several men who turned out to be insurgents were captured during the patrols. “We caught insurgents and foreign fighters; we caught a lot of Syrians,” he said.
During searches of dwellings and dug out caches, Thompson said they found large stockpiles of explosives, mortars and other weapons.
Regular contact with Iraqi civilians is an important part of American military personnel's' mission, said Thompson. “A lot of it is perception. If they feel like they like we are treating them well and they see us treating their relatives well, it helps to calm the tensions,” he said.
Thompson said as his tour of duty was coming to an end in the spring, he believed the anger amongst the population was turning away from coalition forces and the Iraqi army, which is perceived to be interconnected with American forces.
The ire of the people seemed to be focusing more on the Iraqi police forces, which are believed by the people to be corrupt and brutal. “They were trained under Saddam,” said Thompson. “Telling them to go into a situation and not start being violent is not like turning off a switch.”
A graduate of Wood Memorial High School, Thompson said he is glad to be back home visiting friends and his parents, Sheri Riley and Malcolm Marshall. He has also been spending time with his girlfriend Whitney Barton, who lives in Evansville and said she will visit him at Camp Lejeune, N.C. when he reports for duty next week.
Thompson said he is not quite sure if he will re-enlist when his stint is up in June, but likes the camaraderie of the Marines. He thinks he is ready to begin attending college and said he hopes to become a firefighter some day.
Thompson said he believes America should be committed to stabilizing Iraq and getting the job done. He said he knows the situation looks confounding, but said he thinks too much American blood has been spilled in the country for the U.S. to leave immediately.
“I don't have a clue what the answer is, but it would be a bad idea to pull out any time soon,” he said.
Ellie
By TRAVIS NEFF
Staff writer
Marine Sgt. Aron Thompson is glad to be back home after serving his second tour of duty in Iraq and said that although his experiences were more peaceful this time, there is still work to be done to stabilize that country.
Thompson, 22, Francisco, returned from Iraq in early April after a seven month deployment to Rawah, a city about 27 miles northwest of Al Asad Air Base, west of Baghdad.
The first time he was deployed to Iraq two years ago, when Thompson said there a much higher level of violence. Then, he said he was operating on pure adrenaline and as a machine-gunner and his tasks were pretty basic.
During his second tour, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and said he found himself with a much heavier burden of responsibilities and logistical concerns.
“This time I had to check on my men, make sure their equipment was ready, maintain communication and file reports,” he said.
Thompson was with a battalion of 600 Marines living in a command post comprised of large tents and handmade wooden huts, surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers. He said his squad was responsible for providing security for the base's commander, a lieutenant colonel.
On a few occasions, Thompson said his squad was attacked with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), adding that he was dazed in one blast.
He said it was not easy to describe the sensation of what it feels like to be caught near an explosion. “It kind of feels like taking off very fast in an airplane, but is so much more intense,” he said.
After an IED would go off, he said the troops would try to get several hundred yards from site and regroup to counter the attack, but that course of action was not always feasible. Thompson said he was never seriously wounded, but just suffered the scrapes and scratches anyone might expect in a war zone.
Although he was present for some skirmishes, Thompson said he never fired his weapon, unlike his first tour when it was an all-too-common occurrence.
Thompson said rounding up possible insurgents became a regular practice. Anyone suspected of being involved in terrorist activities was scooped up at any time.
Several men who turned out to be insurgents were captured during the patrols. “We caught insurgents and foreign fighters; we caught a lot of Syrians,” he said.
During searches of dwellings and dug out caches, Thompson said they found large stockpiles of explosives, mortars and other weapons.
Regular contact with Iraqi civilians is an important part of American military personnel's' mission, said Thompson. “A lot of it is perception. If they feel like they like we are treating them well and they see us treating their relatives well, it helps to calm the tensions,” he said.
Thompson said as his tour of duty was coming to an end in the spring, he believed the anger amongst the population was turning away from coalition forces and the Iraqi army, which is perceived to be interconnected with American forces.
The ire of the people seemed to be focusing more on the Iraqi police forces, which are believed by the people to be corrupt and brutal. “They were trained under Saddam,” said Thompson. “Telling them to go into a situation and not start being violent is not like turning off a switch.”
A graduate of Wood Memorial High School, Thompson said he is glad to be back home visiting friends and his parents, Sheri Riley and Malcolm Marshall. He has also been spending time with his girlfriend Whitney Barton, who lives in Evansville and said she will visit him at Camp Lejeune, N.C. when he reports for duty next week.
Thompson said he is not quite sure if he will re-enlist when his stint is up in June, but likes the camaraderie of the Marines. He thinks he is ready to begin attending college and said he hopes to become a firefighter some day.
Thompson said he believes America should be committed to stabilizing Iraq and getting the job done. He said he knows the situation looks confounding, but said he thinks too much American blood has been spilled in the country for the U.S. to leave immediately.
“I don't have a clue what the answer is, but it would be a bad idea to pull out any time soon,” he said.
Ellie