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September 04, 2005
Troops Battle Insurgents
in... New Orleans.
Combat operations are underway on the streets "to take this city back" in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
"This place is going to look like Little Somalia," Brig. Gen. Gary Jones, commander of the Louisiana National Guard’s Joint Task Force told Army Times Friday as hundreds of armed troops under his charge prepared to launch a massive citywide security mission from a staging area outside the Louisiana Superdome. "We’re going to go out and take this city back. This will be a combat operation to get this city under control."
Hard to believe that we are talking about America, but we are.
"We’re here to do whatever they need us to do," Sgt. 1st Class Ron Dixon, of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 1345th Transportation Company. "We packed to stay as long as it takes."
While some fight the insurgency in the city, other carry on with rescue and evacuation operations.
That's right folks, our troops are fighting "insurgents" on American soil in the midst of hurricane rescue operations.
According to Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeremy Grishamn, a spokesman for the amphibious assault ship Bataan, the vessel kept its helicopters at sea Thursday night after several military helicopters reported being shot at from the ground.
Numerous soldiers also told Army Times that they have been shot at by armed civilians in New Orleans. Spokesmen for the Joint Task Force Headquarters at the Superdome were unaware of any servicemen being wounded in the streets, although one soldier is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained during a struggle with a civilian in the dome Wednesday night.
"I never thought that as a National Guardsman I would be shot at by other Americans," said Spc. Philip Baccus of the 527th Engineer Battalion. "And I never thought I’d have to carry a rifle when on a hurricane relief mission. This is a disgrace."
Your damn right, it is a disgrace. There can be no rationalization or justification for what is happening in New Orleans right now.
And what about morale?
Spc. Cliff Ferguson of the 527th Engineer Battalion pointed out that he knows there are plenty of decent people in New Orleans, but he said it is hard to stay motivated considering the circumstances.
"This is making a lot of us think about not reenlisting." Ferguson said. "You have to think about whether it is worth risking your neck for someone who will turn around and shoot at you. We didn’t come here to fight a war. We came here to help."
And the good people of New Orleans, what do they say?
"The New Orleans I knew ain't no more," Michael Davis
To hell with the New Orleans "insurgency," I hope they get eaten by an alligator. In the battle for New Orleans, I'm pulling for the troops.
Posted by LindaSoG at September 4, 2005 04:13 AM
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