Message from 1Lt. Joshua Reich (AKA "Leader of Men")

HEY EVERYONE. I WANT YOU TO STOP FOR A MINUTE AND LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU. I'M GOING TO BRING YOU TO OUR CURRENT AREA OF THE EARTH, FAR AWAY FROM WHERE YOU ARE. WE WAKE UP IN THE MORNING TO HELICOPTERS, EXPLOSIONS, AND GUN-FIRE. WE LOOK AND GREET EACH OTHER LIKE IT ISN'T THERE. WE ARE IMMUNE TO IT. WHEN I LOOK AT MY GUYS I SEE, A 19.5 YR OLD WHITE MALE, FROM A SMALL COMMUNITY, WHO IS A CHURCH-GOER, TEAM ATHLETE, BROTHER, BOYFRIEND, SON, WHO LOVES HIS COUNTRY AND FAMILY, WHO WILL GET A CARE PACKAGE AND IMMEDIATELY SHARE IT WITH HIS COMRADES, WHO IS CONSTANTLY FILTHY, BUT KEEPS A WEAPON SO CLEAN, THAT HIS MOTHER WOULD BE PROUD, WHO WILL GIVE HIS BUDDY HIS LAST MAGAZINE OF AMMO IF NEEDED, WHO COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE POLITICS THAT BROUGHT HIM HERE, WHO STRESSES ABOUT HIS GIRLFRIEND BACK HOME, WHO WOULD RATHER BE HERE WITH HIS BROTHERS IN ARMS IN 120 DEGREE HEAT, WHO AT 160LBS CARRYS 120LBS OF AMMO AND GEAR DAILY, WHO IF GIVEN WATER, DIP, AND FOOD WILL GO FOR HOURS, WHO JUST A YEAR AGO SLEPT UNTIL NOON, NOW SLEEPS ABOUT 3-4 HRS A NIGHT, WHO SPENDS HIS FREE TIME IN THE GYM TO STAY STRONG AND KEEP UP WITH THE ENEMY, WHO CARES NOTHING OF THE JOURNALIST FROM THERE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS HAS TO SAY OF HIS ACTIONS, BUT HANGS ON EVERY WORD HIS 28YR OLD PLATOON LEADER TELLS HIM, WHO GOES OUT THE WIRE EVERYDAY KNOWING IT COULD BE HIS LAST. THESE ARE MEN FROM YOUR COMMUNITIES OF LOUISIANA. FROM YOUR HIGH SCHOOL FROM YOUR UNIVERSITY, WHO LAST YEAR NEVER DREAMED OF FIRING IN ANGER AT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. NOW HAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE TRIGGER IF HE HAS TO PROTECT HIS BROTHERS. THIS KID CAN'T EVEN DRINK ALOCHOL, BUT HAS FACED MORE THAN ANYONE HE KNOWS BACK IN THE STATES. HIS HEROES ARE HIS DAD, GRANDFATHERS, UNCLES AND MOST IMPORTANT HIS FRIENDS AROUND HIM.

MANY OF THESE THOUGHTS WERE BROUGHT TO ME BY A RET. MARINE COL., MAYBE YOU HAVE HEARD OF HIM OLIVER NORTH. YES THE SAME MAN WHO TOOK THE FALL FOR PRES. REAGAN. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE MEDIA AND THE POLICITIANS CARRY NO WEIGHT WHEN WE EXIT THE WIRE. THESE YOUNG WARRIORS WITH THEIR MACHINE GUNS AND GEAR, CONTOL THEIR DESTINY. IT WILL BE DEBATED FOR A LONG TIME IF IRAQ WAS WORTH IT. I HOPE FOR DAMN SURE IT WAS. LOUISIANA HAS LOST ALOT OF IT'S BRIGHTEST SONS HERE AND EVEN MORE WERE INJURED. I ALONE WILL HAVE MISSED THE UPBRINGING OF MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER; MY SON'S FIRST TEEBALL GAME; BIRTHDAYS; HOLIDAYS; MOTHER AND FATHER'S DAYS; AND MY FAMILY. YEAH IT BETTER BE WORTH IT.

THINGS SUCK HERE AND THIS PLACE MAY TURN INTO CHAOS IF WE EVER LEAVE. WHAT THE MEDIA DOESN'T SHOW IS SOLDIERS RUNNING INTO A GUN FIGHT TO SAVE A YOUNG IRAQI BOY WHO INTRIGUED BY AMERICAN SOLDIERS WANDERED INTO THE MIDDLE OF IT. IT WILL NOT SHOW MY MEDIC TREATING YOUNG KIDS, THE SAME AGE AS MINE FOR DYSENTARY AND BURNS SUFFERED FROM THE DOGS OF WAR. THE TERRORIST WE FACE HAVE NO REMORSE FOR IRAQI OR AMERICAN LIVES. WE AS SOLDIERS HOLD THE DESTINY OF THIS FAILING COUNTRY IN OUR GRASP, NOT '"W" OR HILLARY CLINTON. AS A SOLDIER IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME WHAT HAPPENS ON CAPITOL HILL, BECAUSE WHATEVER THE MISSION WE WILL EXECUTE. MANY OF YOU HAVE TOLD ME TO NOT BE A HERO, JUST DO YOUR JOB. TO ME I'M NOT A HERO, MY MEN WHO FOLLOW MY ORDERS TO SHOOT AND KILL ARE HEROES. A STAT CAME OUT LAST WEEK FOR OUR, I WILL SAY ORG. WE HAVE PERFORMED OVER 300 COMBAT PATROLS AND HAVE MET THE ENEMY SEVERAL TIMES ON THE FIELDS OF BATTLE. WE HAVE YET TO SUFFER A CASUALTY. GOD IS TO BE THANKED FOR THAT. AS YOU SLEEP TONIGHT KNOW THAT YOU ARE SAFE BECAUSE BRAVE MEN WILL GO OUT INTO THE NIGHT AND FACE THE ENEMY. ALL THOSE PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA AND WASHINGTON CAN KISS MY ASS.

IN CLOSING, THE OTHER NIGHT ON ONE OF OUR IMPORTANT MISSION, I HAD THE OPPURTUNITY (YEAH RIGHT) TO HAVE A NBC CORRESPONDENT IMBEDDED WITH MY PATROL. I WAS BRIEFED PREVIOUSLY BY MY COMMAND TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT. I TURNED AND BRIEFED MY GUYS AND TOLD THEM" TELL THESE ASSHOLES WHAT EVER YOU WANT". THE CORRESPONDENT WAS A HARVARD GRADUATE AND ARRIVED EXPECTING TO HAVE SPECIAL TREATMENT. AFTER HIM AND I HAD A VIEW CHOICE WORDS, WHICH INCLUDED IF YOU GET IN OUR WAY I WILL TAKE YOU OUT MYSELF, HE REALIZED HE WAS NOT IN HIS ELEMENT. AFTER OUR MISSION WAS OVER AND WE SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF SEVERAL IRAQI'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, HE ASKED ME HOW GRATIFYING IT WAS TO CAPTURE THE ENEMY. I RESPONDED THAT IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME, AS LONG AS I GET MY MEN AND I HOME SAFELY. HE ASKED ME BEFORE MY INTERVIEW, TO SPIT MY DIP OUT AND I TOLD HIM TO GO F... WHOOPS. WHEN ASKED WHO MY HEROES ARE, YOU MAY BE SURPRISED. IT ISN'T THE BILLIONARE ATHLETES AND ACTORS. IT ISN'T THE PESIDENT, EVEN THOUGH MY HEROES RESIDE PRETTY CLOSE TO PENNSYLVANIA AVE. A PLACE CALLED ARLINGTON CEMETARY. MY GRANDAD REICH BROUGHT ME THERE WHEN I WAS YOUNG. I VISITED RIGHT BEFORE WE DEPLOYED. MY OTHER HEROES ARE MY WIFE, PARENTS, GRANDFATHERS (WHO ARE BOTH VETERANS, AND FELLOW SOLDIERS. WELL GOB-BLESS AND THINK ABOUT THIS JUST FOR A MINUTE. 1LT JOSHUA REICH A/2-156 IN.

1LT Joshua Reich
2nd Plt PL
CO A 2/156 IN
joshua.reich@us.army.mil