A phone call from Iraq

By Scott Nicholson

nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Members of the Boone-based 1451st Transportation Co. are doing well and in good spirits, according to one of its platoon leaders.

Sgt. Roger Parker spoke with the media in a teleconference Thursday morning from Camp Adder, the company’s base in Iraq.

The transportation company was activated earlier this year and has been running convoy security missions from base to base, according to Parker.

He said the unit contained about 150 troops from North Carolina but also had soldiers hailing from nine other states. The company was activated on Feb. 2, underwent training until May and has been in Iraq about a third of a year. Typically, soldiers have “boots on the ground” for a year of active duty, but Parker said that could change.

“Conditions are pretty routine,” he said. “The average mission takes three to four days. We have basic duties like guard duty. Fortunately, we don’t have KP (kitchen duties). We have great food here.”

Parker said there was a constant awareness of danger on convoys, with constant monitoring of routes. Parker said explosives could be placed in potholes, so soldiers are constantly on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. The company also has gained the trust of some of the Iraqis who warn them of possible insurgent activity.

Parker said the company was fortunate to have a number of veterans who had already served a previous tour of duty, as well as those like himself who had served in Desert Storm/Desert Shield in 1991. The unit also has a veteran from the Afghanistan war. “We’ve had several soldiers promoted,” Parker said. “There’s a great deal of experience to draw from.”

Soldiers returning from missions relax much as they would at home. They have Internet access, television, video games, books and letters from home. The base has a gym, indoor showers, a Pizza Hut and a Burger King. Soldiers sleep in two-person, air-conditioned rooms and the trucks are also air conditioned.

“We have the latest in protective gear,” Parker said. “It gets hot but you spend 99 percent of your time in the vehicle when you’re wearing the body armor. It’s the first thing you take off when you get to the next base.”

The company has found a few roadside explosives, though it has not had any significant casualties. “The longer you’re over here, and you talk to other soldiers, you get attuned to it,” Parker said. “We keep six eyes on the road at all times.”

Parker said though the company occasionally encountered other North Carolina units, it was hard to get a sense of the larger war because the company focused on its day-to-day orders. “We’re in a war zone,” he said. “Soldiers back from a mission enjoy down time, with a good bed.”

Parker said Iraq’s history was evident, and a ziggurat believed to be the birthplace of the Old Testament’s Abraham can be seen from the camp.  He said he’s seen changes for the better in the daily lives of Iraqis since his first tour of duty 15 years ago. He said he felt a personal sense of accomplishment and progress.

“You can pretty much see it in their eyes,” Parker said. “There are improvements in the roads and infrastructure. The insurgents don’t want us to be here. As a platoon leader, I have a sense of accomplishment to see the soldiers are growing.”

Parker said the National Guard hasn’t had this level of combat experience in decades, and he believes it will pay dividends in the future as more veterans are in the National Guard ranks.

Parker said the soldiers have received a lot of support from back home, mentioning Norman Cheek of Toyota of Boone, who has spearheaded efforts to collect items for troops. He said soldiers constantly received care packagaes and had no specific needs for donated items, but said the unit appreciated all the support.

“Most soldiers are in constant contact with their families, with Internet access and phone calls,” he said, adding it was the most important element in maintaining high morale. “Some soldiers get so much mail they are overwhelmed. The mail stays stacked up.”

Parker said soldiers learn to trust their training to avoid injuries. They also place trust in their unit, though the danger is always present, especially on missions. “Every time they go outside the wire, things can get dangerous,” he said. “The feeling never goes away, but it does diminish. Our biggest concern is getting there and back safely.”

Parker said he doesn’t follow the national debate over a timetable for turning over Iraq to its people, but believes in the mission. “I’m a soldier,” he said. “I leave that to politicians.”

Parker said the difference between the “haves and have nots” was readily apparent in camps where former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein stayed. “From the opulence of Saddam to the despair of the people, [it] makes me really understand why we’re here,” Parker said.