PRB
11-05-2011, 22:42
Got this thru my Marine buddies site, the guy (contractor) sending the msg was vetted by my Marine bud the web master.
Anyone, please fwd to anyone in the C of CMD....
Hello Col,
I hope this e-mail finds you well. I will first apologize for this e-mail, but I don't know who else to 'vent' to about it.
I'm sending this complaint to you because not sure who else (except my Congressman). I've been in Afghanistan since October 6th. I got to my destination (VSP Anaconda, Uruzgon Province) on the 17th - you know how travel on Space A is around here. Anyway, this e-mail isn't about me but its about the US soldiers I'm currently stationed with - 1st Special Forces Group. (Now as a former Marine - this is hard for me to choke out - but these guys are great!!! I haven't met truer professionals in a long time.) This e-mail is about how they are treated, and others like them, by the mail service - also the waist of tax payers money.
First, the first time I was here I was stationed in Shouz, south of Herat. We (private security contractors) weren't receiving our mail in a timely manner - it would take us up to 2 months or more to get mail. Nothing was done about it. Then some Rangers arrived and were stationed with us, and they weren't receiving theirs either. A complaint through the Army command was filed, and it was investigated. They found our mail in connex box - just tossed in there. There was no excuse (just that we were PSC's) for us not to get our mail. After that we started receiving our mail.
Second time I was here I was out near the Tora Bora mountains. We received our mail quicker than before but the boxes were torn up or beaten to hell. It seemed normal and for Afghanistan, it was to be expected. One day I received a box my wife had taped thoroughly so it wouldn't fall apart. When I received it, it had a large tear in the side - as if someone did it on purpose. Many of the items I was expecting (Xbox games, other personal things from my kids, etc.) wasn't in the box. Someone stole the shit - but seriously, who do you report a theft of mail to in the middle of a war zone? A month or so later I was in Jalabad, where our mail goes through. I was waiting for a flight back to Kabul. A 'mail' plane arrived. The handlers - well, they just threw all boxes - all sizes and shapes, Gorilla boxes, card board boxes, etc, out of the plane on to a flat bed pickup truck. Many of the boxes bounced off the truck and hit the ground. At that point, another mail handler would through the box back on to the truck. Now - this isn't a soft toss up on the truck or anything gentle... it was a throw as if they are pissed off at having their JOB! They didn't give a shit about the soldier or Marine on the front lines.
Now - to the present day. I've been here for a short time - I don't expect to get mail quickly. But after talking to the soldiers, it takes them at times 2 months or more to get mail here. All the mail goes through FOB Ripley to our location and other Fire Bases out here. We recently heard there are big 'kicker' boxes full of mail to come here. There are guys that have been here for months, and are waiting on mail. It was scheduled for the mail boxes to arrive on Nov. 5th, that is if the Ring-flight doesn't get cancelled... for various reasons= mechanical difficulties; weather; lack of a desire to fly out here, and so on. Ring flights get cancelled all the time, and no one really knows why.
Anyway, there is supposed to be someone in Ripley making sure that mail and supplies get here; that doesn't happen often. As of today - there were five (5) helicopters that came in from Ripley (Tarin Kowt). Two of them were completely empty - just here to pick up passengers; 2 Chinooks later arrived - one empty and the other with 1 soldier and some kickers of food for here. Then the last bird arrived - one of the Russian Hind-D type's - a BIG ASS BIRD!!! It flew all the way out to us from TK - a 45 minute flight! It had about a pallet of about 2' x 4' x 4' of... wait a minute... Thanksgiving decorations!!! Yeah BABY!!! That is great for moral for the Special Operators putting their lives on the line each day. ME - I'm just supervising and training ASG'S to help keep these guys safe. So no biggy - but for these soldiers -
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!! What a waste of resources by our Government and TAX PAYERS MONEY!!! Empty helicopters, a small pallet of decorations, etc. AND all coming from the same spot where pallets of mail is waiting for these guys! WHO THE HELL IS RUNNING THIS SHOW?!
Basically, I've discovered the REMF'S (Rear Escalon Mother Fuckers) who cry that they are in the war, and sit back at places with coffee shacks, fast food, etc... basically like being in the real world - DON'T GIVE A DAMN about the grunt fighting the actual war. I am so tired of seeing these guys being treated like this.
I apologize for the foul language but I am trying to make a very valid point. THE MAIL SYSTEM SUCKS! There has to be something done about it but it appears no one cares.
God bless, and Semper Fi.
Dennis
'All that is necessary for the triumph
of evil is that good men do nothing'
Anyone, please fwd to anyone in the C of CMD....
Hello Col,
I hope this e-mail finds you well. I will first apologize for this e-mail, but I don't know who else to 'vent' to about it.
I'm sending this complaint to you because not sure who else (except my Congressman). I've been in Afghanistan since October 6th. I got to my destination (VSP Anaconda, Uruzgon Province) on the 17th - you know how travel on Space A is around here. Anyway, this e-mail isn't about me but its about the US soldiers I'm currently stationed with - 1st Special Forces Group. (Now as a former Marine - this is hard for me to choke out - but these guys are great!!! I haven't met truer professionals in a long time.) This e-mail is about how they are treated, and others like them, by the mail service - also the waist of tax payers money.
First, the first time I was here I was stationed in Shouz, south of Herat. We (private security contractors) weren't receiving our mail in a timely manner - it would take us up to 2 months or more to get mail. Nothing was done about it. Then some Rangers arrived and were stationed with us, and they weren't receiving theirs either. A complaint through the Army command was filed, and it was investigated. They found our mail in connex box - just tossed in there. There was no excuse (just that we were PSC's) for us not to get our mail. After that we started receiving our mail.
Second time I was here I was out near the Tora Bora mountains. We received our mail quicker than before but the boxes were torn up or beaten to hell. It seemed normal and for Afghanistan, it was to be expected. One day I received a box my wife had taped thoroughly so it wouldn't fall apart. When I received it, it had a large tear in the side - as if someone did it on purpose. Many of the items I was expecting (Xbox games, other personal things from my kids, etc.) wasn't in the box. Someone stole the shit - but seriously, who do you report a theft of mail to in the middle of a war zone? A month or so later I was in Jalabad, where our mail goes through. I was waiting for a flight back to Kabul. A 'mail' plane arrived. The handlers - well, they just threw all boxes - all sizes and shapes, Gorilla boxes, card board boxes, etc, out of the plane on to a flat bed pickup truck. Many of the boxes bounced off the truck and hit the ground. At that point, another mail handler would through the box back on to the truck. Now - this isn't a soft toss up on the truck or anything gentle... it was a throw as if they are pissed off at having their JOB! They didn't give a shit about the soldier or Marine on the front lines.
Now - to the present day. I've been here for a short time - I don't expect to get mail quickly. But after talking to the soldiers, it takes them at times 2 months or more to get mail here. All the mail goes through FOB Ripley to our location and other Fire Bases out here. We recently heard there are big 'kicker' boxes full of mail to come here. There are guys that have been here for months, and are waiting on mail. It was scheduled for the mail boxes to arrive on Nov. 5th, that is if the Ring-flight doesn't get cancelled... for various reasons= mechanical difficulties; weather; lack of a desire to fly out here, and so on. Ring flights get cancelled all the time, and no one really knows why.
Anyway, there is supposed to be someone in Ripley making sure that mail and supplies get here; that doesn't happen often. As of today - there were five (5) helicopters that came in from Ripley (Tarin Kowt). Two of them were completely empty - just here to pick up passengers; 2 Chinooks later arrived - one empty and the other with 1 soldier and some kickers of food for here. Then the last bird arrived - one of the Russian Hind-D type's - a BIG ASS BIRD!!! It flew all the way out to us from TK - a 45 minute flight! It had about a pallet of about 2' x 4' x 4' of... wait a minute... Thanksgiving decorations!!! Yeah BABY!!! That is great for moral for the Special Operators putting their lives on the line each day. ME - I'm just supervising and training ASG'S to help keep these guys safe. So no biggy - but for these soldiers -
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!! What a waste of resources by our Government and TAX PAYERS MONEY!!! Empty helicopters, a small pallet of decorations, etc. AND all coming from the same spot where pallets of mail is waiting for these guys! WHO THE HELL IS RUNNING THIS SHOW?!
Basically, I've discovered the REMF'S (Rear Escalon Mother Fuckers) who cry that they are in the war, and sit back at places with coffee shacks, fast food, etc... basically like being in the real world - DON'T GIVE A DAMN about the grunt fighting the actual war. I am so tired of seeing these guys being treated like this.
I apologize for the foul language but I am trying to make a very valid point. THE MAIL SYSTEM SUCKS! There has to be something done about it but it appears no one cares.
God bless, and Semper Fi.
Dennis
'All that is necessary for the triumph
of evil is that good men do nothing'