From my Thai Army Col. firend:
Hi Guys
Have been some changes out here now. Colonel Boonchu was made Camp Lima Commander. My command is reinforced. Have now a company of Polish troops and mixed Ukrainian and Lithuanian company as well as my own White Mice company. This is first time have commanded troops from other countries. Are many things have to think of is hard not to show favoritism towards own people. Is so tempting to give jobs to White Mice because am familiar with them and what they can do. But must make sure duties are shared fairly. Are many good things come from new command. One is Polish company commander is military historian specialize in history of war with Germany in 1939. He tell me Poland hold on much longer than most history say was not until end of October 1939 that last Polish troops are defeated. More work with Polish troops they impress me very much. When get back will post some of things he tell me. This should be end of April unless schedule change.
Also my Humvee now have 14.5 millimeter machinegun mounted. Type KPV. Whole armament is the KPV and two MG3 machineguns. Think on this we have American truck armed with Russian and German machineguns with Thai crew and Polish liaison officer using English radios and carry Austrian hand grenades. Who was that say President Bush not have international support
During January we are hit several times by mortar and rocket attacks. These are just nuisance and cause no damage. Most times the shells landed outside the camps. To miss camp this big take much effort. Most rocket attacks are drive-by. Guys in pick-up drive past very fast fire RPG from back. First one who do that get away very fast we miss him. Next time we have tire burst strip buried in road. As truck go past operator pull catch spikes pop up. Pick up truck lose all four tires when driving at 80 kilos. Ever seen such go down road like thrown baseball bat? Another attack was most interesting. Terrorist sit inside car not in back of truck. Fire RPG out of window he open. Only that is only window he open. We find bits of car all over.
We get many warnings from local people now. These include some of possible suicide bombs. So we change ways things get done around here. Road building crews now carry weapons have security team work with them. Roads here are in very bad condition some say this is result of war but is not true. These roads were wrecks long before wars start. Our engineers finish four roads now these are routes named IraqThai 1-4. Also we change medical facility here. Now we have mobile clinic in front of Camp Lima open first call make minor treatment. Only if there is serious case this is taken into the camp for treatment.
Patrolling now is much more frequent than was. At last have free hand to arrange this. Now we have patrols sweep surrounding area all the time. This is important thing one others not do so well. When attack is launched we counter-attack immediately do not wait around. To attack us mean we attack back sweep area hold rat-hunt for those carrying weapons. Tell you this if terrorist hold weapon when we see him he better drop it **** fast.
We have visitors next week lead by assistant army chief of staff General Prawit Wongsuwan will be here February 17-20. Visitors will include Paradorn Chorsauek,. This is student whose New Year postcard to Thai troops in Iraq was picked from among thousands in a lucky draw. You know we get 500,000 post cards from people back home? This make ours feel very good. But most worry here about news from home. Of chicken disease and of new insurgency in south. Is terrible am away from country for four months see all the things that go wrong?
Other problem we have here is cold. Is very cold all the time. Now is only 16 degrees this is heat of afternoon. At night it drop to five degrees. Have managed to get nice warm wool skull cap to wear under helmet and wool scarf. Good thing is this make our night vision kit work well. And mud is terrible. Is not just mud am used to that but is such foul mud. Is polluted with everything can imagine. Smell so bad can make us gag.
But please to be assured am well here. Have great people to work with and am doing things of great merit. To see how most Iraqi people here react to us is very good make us feel we are doing something right. Very few attacks here now are from Iraqi most are from people of outside. Every time there is attack on us this mean there are fewer left. Bad guys are losing this one is us who gain support from people not them. So we will win this one.
Hi Guys
Have been some changes out here now. Colonel Boonchu was made Camp Lima Commander. My command is reinforced. Have now a company of Polish troops and mixed Ukrainian and Lithuanian company as well as my own White Mice company. This is first time have commanded troops from other countries. Are many things have to think of is hard not to show favoritism towards own people. Is so tempting to give jobs to White Mice because am familiar with them and what they can do. But must make sure duties are shared fairly. Are many good things come from new command. One is Polish company commander is military historian specialize in history of war with Germany in 1939. He tell me Poland hold on much longer than most history say was not until end of October 1939 that last Polish troops are defeated. More work with Polish troops they impress me very much. When get back will post some of things he tell me. This should be end of April unless schedule change.
Also my Humvee now have 14.5 millimeter machinegun mounted. Type KPV. Whole armament is the KPV and two MG3 machineguns. Think on this we have American truck armed with Russian and German machineguns with Thai crew and Polish liaison officer using English radios and carry Austrian hand grenades. Who was that say President Bush not have international support
During January we are hit several times by mortar and rocket attacks. These are just nuisance and cause no damage. Most times the shells landed outside the camps. To miss camp this big take much effort. Most rocket attacks are drive-by. Guys in pick-up drive past very fast fire RPG from back. First one who do that get away very fast we miss him. Next time we have tire burst strip buried in road. As truck go past operator pull catch spikes pop up. Pick up truck lose all four tires when driving at 80 kilos. Ever seen such go down road like thrown baseball bat? Another attack was most interesting. Terrorist sit inside car not in back of truck. Fire RPG out of window he open. Only that is only window he open. We find bits of car all over.
We get many warnings from local people now. These include some of possible suicide bombs. So we change ways things get done around here. Road building crews now carry weapons have security team work with them. Roads here are in very bad condition some say this is result of war but is not true. These roads were wrecks long before wars start. Our engineers finish four roads now these are routes named IraqThai 1-4. Also we change medical facility here. Now we have mobile clinic in front of Camp Lima open first call make minor treatment. Only if there is serious case this is taken into the camp for treatment.
Patrolling now is much more frequent than was. At last have free hand to arrange this. Now we have patrols sweep surrounding area all the time. This is important thing one others not do so well. When attack is launched we counter-attack immediately do not wait around. To attack us mean we attack back sweep area hold rat-hunt for those carrying weapons. Tell you this if terrorist hold weapon when we see him he better drop it **** fast.
We have visitors next week lead by assistant army chief of staff General Prawit Wongsuwan will be here February 17-20. Visitors will include Paradorn Chorsauek,. This is student whose New Year postcard to Thai troops in Iraq was picked from among thousands in a lucky draw. You know we get 500,000 post cards from people back home? This make ours feel very good. But most worry here about news from home. Of chicken disease and of new insurgency in south. Is terrible am away from country for four months see all the things that go wrong?
Other problem we have here is cold. Is very cold all the time. Now is only 16 degrees this is heat of afternoon. At night it drop to five degrees. Have managed to get nice warm wool skull cap to wear under helmet and wool scarf. Good thing is this make our night vision kit work well. And mud is terrible. Is not just mud am used to that but is such foul mud. Is polluted with everything can imagine. Smell so bad can make us gag.
But please to be assured am well here. Have great people to work with and am doing things of great merit. To see how most Iraqi people here react to us is very good make us feel we are doing something right. Very few attacks here now are from Iraqi most are from people of outside. Every time there is attack on us this mean there are fewer left. Bad guys are losing this one is us who gain support from people not them. So we will win this one.
