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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Granted I do not have a relative serving
in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region> or <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
Kai.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>However, I do maintain regular email
contacts with three service members who are serving in <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Remember the
videos I posted a while back (titled “On Duty in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>”)?
Those were sent to me by 1SG Troy Steward who was, at that time, serving with a
US Army contact team attached to an Afghan National Army unit. He is
currently assigned to the battalion I retired from (1<sup>st</sup> Battalion,
15<sup>th</sup> Infantry). Although I was with this battalion in <st1:City
w:st="on">Kitzingen</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Germany</st1:country-region>,
<st1:City w:st="on">Troy</st1:City> is serving with 1-15 just outside of <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Baghdad</st1:place></st1:City>. His last
email promised me more videos, videos you will not see on television. The
problem is that 1-15 Battalion S-2 will not release them until their next
rotation stateside.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The other service members are stationed in
the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Paktika</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Province</st1:PlaceType>
in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I feel that I am entitled to my opinion, a
very developed and substantiated opinion.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'>Seeya round town, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>.<br>
<br>
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Tom Hansen</st1:PersonName><br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Idaho</st1:State></st1:place><br>
<br>
"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."<br>
<br>
- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)</span></font><font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Kai Eiselein<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Saturday, December 15, 2007
12:21 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> vision2020@moscow.com<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Vision2020] Christmas in
Falluja</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Its easy to take sides when you
don't have a relative serving in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Of course we want him home,
at the same time he believes in the mission and what he is doing and we have to
support him.<br>
My wife's kid brother, Chris, is "somewhere north of <st1:place w:st="on">Bagdad</st1:place>",
serving his second tour. We keep in contact with via MySpace, email and
(usually) weekly phone calls. He gets packages from home on a regular basis,
including his favorite jerky from C&L Locker (which was kind enough to
double vaccum pack it) photos and whatever neccesities he may ask for.<br>
Forgotten? Hardly, our soldier has an entire family supporting him, giving him
whatever we can to ease his burden so he can concentrate on doing his job
and getting home safely. I believe most other service members' families
are doing the same. <br>
It's easy to say these soldiers are forgotten, when you don't know what's going
on behind the scenes and are just taking things at face value.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>Get the power of Windows + Web with the new Windows Live. <a
href="http://www.windowslive.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_powerofwindows_122007"
target="_new">Get it now!</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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