Weekly Newsletters
from
SSG Paul Farr
in Iraq

3^rd/112^th Armor BN (FIST)

Panther S-5 (Civil Affairs Team)

56^th Brigade Combat Team

36^th Infantry DIV (Texas National Guard)

Central Iraq

WEEKLY ROLL-UP

Staff Sgt Paul Farr writes:
"108,727 people on three continents. That’s the latest estimate of people receiving the newsletter as of Sunday, 18SEP05. Before I go off on a tangent, I want to thank fellow Dallas Police Officer Tony Hernandez, he managed to get pictures of the team aired on FOX 4 News in Dallas. Thanks for the Officer Assist Bro. Okay, many of you know how opinionated I can be about certain topics; well I have to pull out my soapbox again so bare with me. I was enjoying my morning bowl of oatmeal and nearly spit it all over the place when I overheard Andersen Cooper with CNN make one of the most ludicrous statements I’ve heard in a while. He was speaking with a history professor from Tulane University and stated, “I’m afraid this story (Hurricane Katrina) is going to just go away and people will forget what happened here.” Hey Mr. Cooper, you mean like the war in Iraq? It’s funny how the media is so quick to jump on what’s going on over here when it’s controversial, like Abu Graib. Another story that really got my blood pressure going was the picture of the President writing a note about needing to go to the restroom. I truly believe some of the people who decide to air some of these stories are on drugs, probably crack cocaine. I think they take a hit from a crack pipe and as the smoke is getting in their eyes, they say, “Hey, you know what would be funny, let’s print a picture of the President asking to go to the bathroom.” I’m not amused at all and it’s pretty (expletive) sad. It’s sad how the media is more willing to jump on a stupid note than showing medics helping Iraqis, or better yet, Iraqis rebuilding their country. I guess that’s where my newsletter fills the void. Please take time to visit Michael Lubke’s website: http://www.mlub.blogspot.com. He has taken a personal interest in helping the team by posting our newsletters and he’s a University of Texas undergrad student. That alone makes him okay in my book, Thanks Mike.

I have good news to report this week. All of the projects have begun and going well. The communities are buzzing with excitement and anticipation of the projects completion. The projects needing the most work will take approximately 50 days from start to finish. Those include the renovations of the three schools. The quickest projects (electrical) should take less than a month and the water projects should take about 30 days. It’s impressive to watch the laborers complete tasks without the aid of electrical equipment. All of the materials are brought to the site, mixed and applied by hand. It’s especially gratifying for the team to go into these villages and be swarmed by the workers, thanking us for providing them opportunity to work and provide for their families and to improve the standard of living for the entire village. The team has such a good reputation in the outlying areas we are considered sons to many of the villages. It’s a good feeling to go into a village and be welcomed as one of their own. The hospitality of the Iraqi people in the rural areas is one thing I will always remember and miss when I rotate home.

Welcome to the “First Timers” receiving the newsletter. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to pass it around to as many people as you would like, that’s what it’s here for. Thanks for the continued support of the troops; we truly appreciate all the letters of encouragement, e-mails, and boxes. I will be more than happy to entertain any and all questions, comments, or requests. Finally, “if you can read this, thank a teacher, if you can read it in English, thank a Veteran.” Have a good week and Hook’em Horns, Paul."

“Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life’s blood. But everyone has something to give.” –Barbara Bush

"To reacquaint, or in some cases acquaint you with the team, standing l/r; SSG Farr, SSG Pena, 2LT Colicher, SSG Wasson, SPC Moses, and SPC Blanchard. Kneeling from l/r; CPT Walton This photo was taken in front of the Ishtar Gates leading into the Ancient City of Babylon…26JUL05 (non-team member) SPC Watson, Iraqi Interpreter Delshad, and SPC Khan."

"There were 150 students assembled together on this day. We had several soccer balls, shoes, and uniforms donated by a company in the US. This is one of our favorite schools and we chose them to be the recipients of the soccer equipment…13SEP05"

"Pictured are some of the shoes and soccer balls. The Headmaster of the school is on the left and one of the 6 teachers is on the right. The Headmaster is our equivalent to a Principal....13SEP05"

"These young Iraqi boys are taking time out of their Islamic Lesson to pose for a picture. The Iraqi schools are similar to ours in America when it comes to class and age structure. They have a Primary School which is the same as our Elementary School. They hold grades 1-6. Intermediate School holds 7-9 and High School is 10-12. In grades 1-4, their lessons consist of Math, Arabic, History, Geography, Islamic Lesson, Sports, and Art. Once they reach 5^th grade they will begin to learn English. The top phrase says; “In name of God he is most merciful, compassionate.” The bottom lines read, “Thanks to God who guides us. If he is not guiding us, we will not be, but Allaha who did it. Arabic is a language not easily translated into English and sometimes makes no sense to us. Even harder is to try and read or write it. I know the ACLU would have a cow if this was in an American school…13SEP05"

"I mentioned last week about drinking tea pretty much wherever we go. It's a custom to offer tea to friends or business associates. It's served taste bud removing hot with about 1/3 glass of sugar. I found out early about 2 of those and your awake for a long time. Being a Southern boy, I’m a fan of sweet tea, but WOW! You can almost feel the enamel sliding off your teeth."

"This one of our project schools located in a nearby city. This particular school is an all-girl school. This school is only two years old; however, the perimeter wall has fallen down and the bathroom is in disrepair. Due to these two problems, many girls refused to attend school because they were forced to go to neighboring homes if they had to go to the bathroom. This embarassed them so badly they refused to attend school."

"With the walls and bathroom being repaired, the girls are happy and coming back to school again...13SEP05"

"From l/r: SSG Farr, Iraqi Police Officer, Project Contractor, Girl's School Headmaster, & 2LT Colicher. The Headmaster was so excited we stopped by to check on the status of the project. She thanked us profusely for choosing her school to repair. She said not only will the repairs help the current students, but many generations to follow. She also called us her sons and said we were welcome to come visit her whenever we could…13SEP05"

"This is the same school minus the old mud classrooms. The two classrooms will be replaced by brick and will also be wired with electricity...16SEP05"

"I mentioned earlier how everything is mixed and applied by hand, here you go. This man is severely crippled, yet the contractor found it in his heart to hire him. There is little if no discrimination when it comes to working. If you can give an honest days work, then you can work, no matter what physical ailments you may have. Unlike in the US, there is no welfare system that allows people to sit on their backsides and collect unemployment or welfare. If you don’t work, you can’t provide for your family…period!...16SEP05"

"Material that will be used in the renovation of this school...16SEP05"

"When we rolled into this town, it was the first time Coalition units had visited them. Needless to say people were running everywhere, trying to figure out why we were there. The women and small children were gathering dates that had fallen to the ground. They actually had someone shimmy up the tree and knock the dates to the ground. Even though we had nothing to offer them this trip, they still gathered around to see real live Americans…16SEP05"

# posted by MLub : 11:47 AM  63 comments

3^rd/112^th Armor BN (FIST)

Panther S-5 (Civil Affairs Team)

56^th Brigade Combat Team

36^th Infantry DIV (Texas National Guard)

Central Iraq

WEEKLY ROLL-UP

Staff Sgt. Farr writes:

"105,883 people on three continents. That’s the latest estimate of people receiving the newsletter as of Sunday, 11SEP05. With the beginning of a new school year, and teachers from all over the United States asking to be included in newsletter mailing list, I think my estimate is rather conservative. Nonetheless, we are amazed by the popularity the newsletter is receiving. I continue to send it to the major networks along with FoxNews, MSNBC, and the likes with no replies. I know everyone’s attention has been switched from Cindy (what’s her name) and Natalie Holloway to the destruction in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. That’s why I continue to do the newsletter. To let people know there is still a war on and men and women are making sacrifices everyday to help rebuild a nation and defend ours.

I would like to extend a special thanks to Michael Lubke. He’s a University of Texas undergrad student, which makes him okay in my book, and he graciously requested permission to put the newsletters on a website for others to enjoy. This makes it much easier for people who can’t usually enjoy it the way I send it out to view them. Please visit his website at: http://www.mlub.blogspot.com

We have good news to report on the projects. We received initial payments, and made those payments to the contractors to begin the projects. Also, the electrical project I reported on last week as being nearly complete has been completed way ahead of schedule. The contractor initially estimated it would take 50 days to emplace the support poles and run the electrical line. But it only took him 14 days. We visited one village that benefited from the line being put in and they were so appreciative. We were invited by the local Sheik for tea or chi (pronounced ch-eye) in Arabic. The Sheik explained they could now run ceiling fans or air conditioners or refrigerators without using a generator. I know the concept of living without electricity is just as foreign to us as someone who is enjoying it for the first time. Amazing how we live in the 21^st The team is happy we could help bring a little more happiness to so many who have done without for so long. Century and there are so many places in the world that have no clue what electricity is, or what electricity without the aid of a generator is like.

Also this week, we attended a very important meeting with about 50 Sheiks and village representatives from all over our Area of Responsibility. The purpose was to address some security issues and concerns we have around our base camp. Many of you already know we were hit with mortar fire a couple of weeks ago. Not to mention we’ve had some IEDs (roadside bombs) targeting our patrols and convoys. The message conveyed to the attendees was that if they can’t get a handle on the insurgent problem and quit harboring them, there would be no more projects, to include shutting down the projects about to get started. And, we would be forced to conduct more aggressive combat operations, something the local villages surely would not enjoy, and something those of us who have been fostering a positive relationship would not enjoy. That point sunk in and a “concerned citizen” warned our forces of an IED near one of our patrol routes. Thankfully, the IED exploded prematurely before any of our troops or Iraqi Forces stumbled across it. The team conveys the same message every time we go out; if you take care of us, we’ll take care of you.

Welcome to the “First Timers” receiving the newsletter. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to pass it around to as many people as you would like, that’s what it’s here for. Thanks for the continued support of the troops; we truly appreciate all the letters of encouragement, e-mails, and boxes. I will be more than happy to entertain any and all questions, comments, or requests. Finally, “if you can read this, thank a teacher, if you can read it in English, thank a Veteran.” Have a good week and Hook’em Horns, Paul."

“Our lives change by what we do, not by what others do to us” -Shannon Earls

"To reacquaint, or in some cases acquaint you with the team, standing l/r; SSG Farr, SSG Pena, 2LT Colicher, SSG Wasson, SPC Moses, and PFC Blanchard. Kneeling from l/r; CPT Walton This photo was taken in front of the Ishtar Gates leading into the Ancient City of Babylon…26JUL05 (non-team member) SPC Watson, Iraqi Interpreter Delshad, and SPC Khan."

"On this particular visit, we handed out donated sandals and shoes. With the onset of school and eventually the rainy season, the kids are grateful to get new shoes. I know some of the pictures you see most children have no shoes. That's because they prefer not to wear them, they save them for school. We noticed that in the south when we handed out shoes for the first time. We asked why they didn’t put the shoes on when they received them and they said the shoes were for school, not for playing or working outside…06SEP05"

       
"This little guy's father told us his teeth hurt and chewing on the flip-flop felt good to his teeth.  I never thought of
a flip-flop as a teething ring, but whatever works I guess…06SEP05"

 
"Chaplain Wallace tagged along for this trip and had a goodt ime handing out sandals to the children.  He's
another that doesn't go outside the base camp too much, but we invite him along whenever he can get out
06SEP05"


"This is one group of kids that love us when we come around their village.  By the end of our deployment,
every kid that lives along this road should have an entire Beanie Baby collection...07SEP05"

  
"SPC Moses having a Pepsi moment.  Some of the more hospitable villages give us cold drinks when we
come to visit.  That’s pretty much how we gauge if they’re friendly.You offer me a Pepsi, and as SSG Wasson puts
it, “you’re a crafty insurgent” No Pepsi offered usually means no repeat visit."    

  
"We first found these triplets a few weeks ago.  We mostly see them out tending to their herd of sheep,
but today they were helping wash clothes.  We noticed the one in the middle with the "shiner" and SSG Pena
wanted to stop and check on her.  She didn't want to say what happened, but it was pretty evident.  This is
the type of clothing the girls in rural areas wear.  Nothing else is really permitted by the male dominating society they
live in.  As they get older, they will not be out in plain view as much unless they are working and then they will be
required to cover their faces."

  
"The next time you just have to water your yard or enjoy a nice cool drink of water, think about the people who
have to use this for drinking, cooking, bathing, and irrigating crops.  Yep, this canal is the only source of water
in this area and they make the best with what they got…07SEP05"


"One of our project schools prior to renovation work"

  
"Same school after two days of work.  The entire perimeter wall seen in the above photo is completely gone.
The contractor estimates the school will be fully renovated by the 23rd of September, minus the perimeter wall.
The school's headmaster postponed the start of school until then.  Once the school building itself is completely
renovated, the students will be allowed to attend school and the contractor will continue to replace the wall until
he’s complete."


"Carrying on with the Army tradition, SPC Moses reads the orders promoting PFC Blanchard to SPC.
SSG Pena, medical section NCOIC waits to pin the rank...08SEP05"

  
"SSG Pena proudly pinning SPC rank to the collar of newly promoted SPC Blanchard…08SEP05"

      
"For the Longhorn Fans, I take BEVO Duck and his trusty sidekick Tripod on every mission as good
luck charms.  As you can see, Tripod has been wounded a couple of times and fitted with prosthetic legs.  
He’s also been awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device and a Purple Heart.  He’s seen more action than
all the officers being awarded the Bronze Star in our unit."

  
"I think a Texas sized “Congratulations” are in order for Vince Young & the Texas Longhorns…that was
a helluva game.  Some other Longhorn fans and I got yelled at for making too much noise in the chow hall this
morning while we watched the game.  Too bad all those Ohio  State fans had to go home with their heads down.
Man, they new the game was coming 4 years out and still lost, how very sad.  Yes, I’m very much a trash talker
when it comes to the Longhorns.  This photo was taken at the beginning of the deployment in Southern Iraq.  
SSG Farr seized the opportunity to recruit more Longhorn Fans and after about a month, you couldn’t go anywhere
in southern Iraq  without being flashed Hook’em Horns."

# posted by MLub : 4:52 PM  2 comments

Central Iraq

WEEKLY ROLL-UP

"I’m happy to report one of our electrical projects is nearly complete. It is 2.2 kilometers of electrical line that will bring power to 600 homes. One of the villages that will benefit from the new line was so thankful; some of the villagers told me the team has such a good reputation in the area that they love when we come to visit. The other eight projects should begin in about two weeks and I’ll keep everyone abreast of their progress.

Those of you wishing to send clothes, shoes, blankets, etc; please don’t. I would rather you find an organization in the United States to donate them to to help out our fellow Americans. As much as I enjoy handing out donated items to the Iraqi people, we need to take care of our own people first and foremost. As a caveat to that, if anyone feels compelled, please send what you want and we’ll see it gets distributed. However, please keep the toys and school supplies coming though, with the onset of school quickly approaching, we can use all the school supplies we can get our hands on.

Welcome to the “First Timers” receiving the newsletter. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to pass it around to as many people as you would like, that’s what it’s here for. Thanks for the continued support of the troops; we truly appreciate all the letters of encouragement, e-mails, and boxes. I will be more than happy to entertain any and all questions, comments, or requests. Finally, “if you can read this, thank a teacher, if you can read it in English, thank a Veteran.” Have a good week and Hook’em Horns, Paul."

# posted by MLub : 3:44 PM  0 comments

"This is part of the perimeter wall of a school that we are going to have renovated. This is an all girl school and the entire wall collapsed after only two years. The bathroom is also going to be repaired. For the past year the girls had to use neighboring houses if they had to use the restroom. Many of the girls were so embarrassed they refused to go to school. Now we’re giving them a reason to go back…Central Iraq"

# posted by MLub : 3:29 PM  0 comments

"This is the same school; built in 1974 it was neglected by the former Regime. Nearly all of the windows are broken and the roof leaks during rainy season. The contractor is also going to repair the wall and renovate the restroom. During the course of the reconstruction process, the contractor estimated he would employ approximately 50 laborers daily from the local village."

# posted by MLub : 3:27 PM  0 comments

"This is the inside of the above classroom. Kids back home, be happy with the schools you have. You have no idea what it’s like until you have to walk miles in the burning heat to get to school, and then sit in an un-air conditioned class."

# posted by MLub : 3:25 PM  0 comments

"We brought along again this week someone who never leaves the fire base, CPT Upperman. We paired him up with SPC Moses to pass out toothbrushes w/ holder, and toothpaste. Oral hygiene is a big problem in the rural areas and with no dentists nearby, any little help we can provide them is appreciated…Central Iraq, 04SEP05"

# posted by MLub : 3:24 PM  1 comments

"SPC Moses is shown handing out donated toys. This was only our second time to this village, but the kids were extremely well behaved and appreciative…Central Iraq, 04SEP05"

# posted by MLub : 3:23 PM  0 comments

"If it seems like it’s the “SPC Moses Show” this week, you’re right. We have several on leave right now and the bulk of the work during the missions is falling on his shoulders. Here he is shown cleaning a cut Iraqi boy’s hand…Central Iraq, 04SEP05"

# posted by MLub : 3:22 PM  0 comments

"SSG Farr with the help of his interpreter, explain to villagers the process for getting projects nominated by the Iraqi government. As I have explained in the past, the Coalition Forces were able to build schools or work on other projects without really including the Iraqi government in the process. Now with a legitimate government in place, we educate the people on how to use their government and make them work for the people. We also tell them if the people they elected can’t help them, then to vote them out of office. I’ve even encouraged some of the more vocal people to run for office…Central Iraq, 31AUG05"

# posted by MLub : 3:21 PM  0 comments

"No words necessary to describe this photo...in some of the smaller villages we found it is much easier to fill clear plastic bags with pens, pencils, candy, toys and in some cases sunglasses for distribution. The kids love it because they get more than one thing…Central Iraq, 04SEP05"

# posted by MLub : 3:20 PM  0 comments

"SSG Wasson was kind enough to jump up on the gun to provide security while the medics treated civilian patients…Central Iraq, 04SEP05"

# posted by MLub : 3:19 PM  0 comments