Subject: Note from Charlie Company Commander Capt. Parkes
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2004 23:10:43 EST
Dear Coldsteel Families and Friends,
The time has come for the November FRG letter. Each one of these I type means a month closer to being home with all of you. So let me begin by telling you about your loved ones; your soldiers. It is impossible to put into words what these men do everyday. The challenges they face and the sacrifices they make are beyond what most could possibly fathom. I would like to breakdown a day in the life of a Coldsteel soldier for you; and keep in mind, this was just one day.
We began with route clearance to ensure that no IED's were emplaced during the hours of darkness. This is a very detailed search of over 30KM's of road, half by vehicle, and half on foot. Once complete, we immediately conducted pre-combat checks, and were off for the next mission. This mission took us 40KM from our base. It was a mission just as important as catching bad guys. I mustered 125 pairs of shoes from different organizations, and we set out to 5 different schools to hand them out. The Coldsteel soldiers interacted with the children, and their young faces lit up as they were handed a pair of shoes.
Most of these kids have only one pair, and they are in very poor shape. With each school there were new smiles and thankful parents (who cannot afford to buy their children new shoes). This mission lasted about 4 hours or so; and keep in mind, it wasn’t even noon yet. Once the shoe mission was complete, it was time to switch gears. We conducted an enroute link-up with the remainder of the company and swiftly locked down a village for a Company-size raid. The shoe mission was certainly more peaceful, but the bad guys I mentioned before needed some attention too. Within minutes, the soldiers had the city locked down, in conjunction with entering several identified target houses. This mission lasted approximately 3 hours.
Once complete, it was back to the base to configure for the next mission. We were able to provide a project for one of the police departments to build a new police station. Well, the station was ready for dedication; and we had cake, Pepsi, ribbon cutting ceremony, the works. The soldiers returned to the base for no more then 15 minutes, and it was back out again. Think about what most people do in 15 minutes. It takes most people that long just to decide what color underwear they should dress in. For the men of Coldsteel, it was time to put fuel in their vehicles, check their equipment, and grab whatever chow they could find.
After the dedication, the men moved to a location in which we have previously been fired at with rockets. This search provided us with necessary information for future operations. We were well into the evening, and the schedule held several counter mortar patrols and counter IED patrols to conduct.
These patrols carried into the following day, where the men began again with the aforementioned route clearance! To you, this seems extreme. To these men, it's just another day in the life of a Coldsteel soldier. They are the best the Army has to offer. They never complain, no matter how tired, hungry, wet, or frustrated; they always complete the mission. More importantly, they always complete the mission to standard; whatever it may be. From handing out shoes, to raiding villages. From dedicating police stations, to finding the "rocket man". Never in the history of the Army have we ever asked such diversity of a United States soldier. I'm proud to serve with them, and I am proud to be their commander.
On a lighter note, the weather here is definitely changing. The rain is upon us, and that has brought cooler temperatures. We couldn't be more pleased. If you can imagine being in 140-degree weather, and the IBA the soldiers wear adds 15 degrees. They may be wet and chilly, but with a smile. With the cold weather, we are preparing for the reception of the new unit that will replace us. How we will pack, how we will train them, and everything else we can do to ensure the new unit is prepared to take over this fight.
I know the redeployment timeline is on everyone's mind. Just understand that nothing is in stone. We are still tracking to make our journey back to the island sometime in January; but I caution you that this could easily change at the drop of a hat. This company will serve its country until the day they tell us to get on a plane. I will certainly inform all of you if anything changes; but for now we will maintain the fight, and prepare for the new unit.
Thanks again for your continued love and support. It is truly what keeps these soldiers focused. Soon enough we will re-unite and put this deployment behind us. Until then, I ask for your patience and support; just as you have given over the last 10 months.
Very Respectfully,
CPT David W. Parkes
"Coldsteel 6"
Lynn M. Leith
1-27 Wonderful Wolfhound Wives -- HOO-AH!!
