Patrolling for the sake of patolling

Matt,
Great article and pictures. I couldn’t agree more that ‘a day in the life’ of the common soldier is something grossly neglected in media coverage. I know the American people support the troops but it’s unforntunate that they know more about what the insurgents are doing than their own soldiers.

As for patrolling, I think it’s important for people to know that sometimes soldiers are sent for no reason, in other words simply for the sake of patrolling. Many times there is no mission, no task, no clear purpose, no translator, no threat update of the area you are going to, and sometimes the given route takes you places where your radio won’t even reach back to the headquarters element. Concerns that my leadership didn’t know what to do and simply sent me out to see if my patrol would come into contact (aka get shot at) was a constant source of frustration. I think anyone who has been to Iraq can relate to that situation at least in part.
Possibly even more frustrating than not having a mission on a patrol was second guessing about your reaction to an IED or contact with the enemy by staff officers or leaders who rarely left the comfort or safety of the bunker back at the base.
Despite all this, the patrol, whether mounted or on foot, is a necessary means to combat the insurgents that continue to plague Iraq and it will remain a part of the soldier’s daily life until the last soldier comes home.