Friends and Family of the Washington Artillery,

May was an eventful month, the Operations Tempo (OPTEMPO) increased significantly as we continued to secure convoys as part of the responsible force reduction in Iraq. We drove over 5,000 miles putting us at nearly 33, 000 miles covered since we have been in Iraq. Our Soldiers have driven through conditions ranging from the deserts of southern Iraq to the flood plains of the Euphrates River near Baghdad.

It is beginning to get a little warm in southern Iraq. It was 124.7 degrees on Memorial Day however, don't worry; it is a "dry-heat". At least that is what most of the Soldiers tell their families. The truth of the matter is that it is freaking HOT! The best way I can describe it is to take your blow dryer, place it on high, and shoot it at your face. The only difference is that your whole body gets to experience this sensation. You have to wear protective eyewear under these conditions. Did you notice that I did not say sun glasses? That is because the wind is so hot that your eyeballs burn so they must be shielded from the wind. It does not matter if you wear dark or clear lenses on your glasses. The Army has provided us with eye wear that has inter-changeable lenses for both day and night so we have what we need. Many Soldiers prefer to purchase Oakley's or some other brand name glasses. The Army allows them to buy them as long as they meet ballistic standards and are not too trendy.

Even though it is extremely hot, we still have to wear all of our personal protective equipment (PPE) when we go outside the wire on missions. This includes all of our body armor (30lbs) , helmet (5lbs), ammunition (15lbs), weapon (9lbs), gloves, eyewear and other select equipment hung on the body armor. The good thing is that we are only outside of our Mine Resistant Armor Protected (MRAP) vehicles for short periods of time. Most of the time is spent in them providing security for the convoys. The Air Conditioners work extremely well in them keeping us comfortable for the duration of the trip unless you are the gunner. He has half of his body out of the roof manning his crew serve weapon. The bad thing is that we are required to keep all of our equipment on throughout the missions. Most missions last from 9-14 hours depending on destination, weather conditions or mechanical problems affecting the trucks that we are escorting. Each truck has an ice chest and is supplied with water, Gatorade, energy drinks, cold coffees and munchies. The Soldiers also get a meal to go from the dining facility before they depart so that they will have a good meal while traveling. By the time we get to our destination the Soldiers are really exhausted however there is still work to be done before they can go to sleep. They first have to ensure that all of the trucks they escorted are delivered to their proper location on each base then they must conduct maintenance checks on their vehicles. Just like in the western movies, the cowboy took care of his horse before he took care of himself. Sometimes this requires them to go to the maintenance facilities and change components on their trucks with the assistance of resident mechanics. The Soldiers finally go to sleep in transient housing locations once the MRAP is fueled and ready for the next day's return trip. Their typical return trip requires them to escort empty trucks back to COB Adder. Even though they are empty, the convoys still take the same amount of time. The bottom line is that they put in a 21-24 hour day, sleep for 6-8 hours and then put in another 21-24 hour day for the return trip n 30 ton vehicles on sub-standard roads at night and through sandstorms; truly amazing work.

During the month of June we will continue with our convoy escort missions. Temperatures will continue to rise and our Soldiers will continue to set the standards for professionalism and duty performance. I am both humbled and honored to serve with the men and women of the Washington Artillery.

Try Us!
LTC Champagne
1-141 Field Artillery Battalion
Commanding