It has begun...

10/17/2007
It was 0348 my squad awoke to the sound of Staff Sergeant Holm making stern demands to grab our gear and report to the briefing room. After I got squad accountability Captain Sullivan kicked off his brief. A country that was finally taking steps in the right direction had,in the hours prior, taken a turn for the worst. Telling myself it was just another day in the sandbox I loaded my magazines and stepped off,still groggy, on foot patrol. We hit check points 1-3 with no problem before stopping at a local Iraqi police station for our daily reports from the police chief. It was then that heads were turned and brows raised. Abdu Kareen began telling us about attacks and trends in the local area, some were expected anti american protesting and attacks, but others didn't sit right with anyone in my squad. He spoke of locals out past curfew for the first time in months, children and elderly eating animals be they alive or dead, and the most out of place was the bleeding from each of their major orphuses. Having all the facts we needed to bump the national threat condition to RED we returned to our firm base. The information I had just heard was alot for anyone to take in; it was only when my head hit the pillow that I broke into a cold sweat. Feeling uneasy and unable to sleep i called home in hopes that my wife had seen something on the american news.