Private First Class Aaron Friese joined the Army during his senior year of high school, passing tests that earned him a promotion even before he left for boot camp on July 30, 2002. Aaron's latest letter home reads:
We left Colorado November 30, 2007 to Kuwait. We got into country (Iraq) on Christmas Day Camp Taji. Our first few months (six for me) we did ground clearance. It was slow until we went into Sadr City. In 19 days we found 28 IED’s and were hit 30 times. We had one soldier emergency evacuated. Others received concussions. I was wounded April 29 and was then placed on radio duty. I earned the Bronze Star for what we did on April 11, and I earned my Purple Heart on April 29 from abrasions on both eyes and burns and shrapnel to my back.
April 11 is when it all started; it has been historically documented as part of history called The Wall of Gold. This is the wall that was put up in Sadr City and my platoon (1st) was the team that cleared the roads for this wall.
I receive packages nearly every mail day at Taji but since being at Callahan I usually received one every two weeks. I would like to thank the Washtenaw County Vietnam Vets, Family, & Friends. The schedule that we are on makes us miss chow most of the time. Thankfully I get food sent to me that I share with my friends. Right before I left breakfast consisted of powdered eggs, hash browns, and sausage. Lunch is usually sandwich meat, dinner is stuffed pork chops or something like salty Chinese. Sometimes we get special treats; honey buns, jack link chicken chunks, hot pockets, etc.
When not working I sleep or try to most of the time. I don’t go outside of the compound anymore. FOB Callahan is our home and it was one of Hussein’s malls. It has been voted the worst FOB/COP in all of Iraq and Afghanistan because the power goes out, not enough AC, rats and pigeons living in the walls and ceilings. We do have a PX that is open a few nights a week, a cafeteria, and a bazaar (where locals sell movies, foods, trinkets, cigarettes, etc.). We have about 600 soldiers at Callahan.
When I left for my mid-tour leave my route home was; helicopter from Callahan to Baghdad International Airport, to Kuwait, to Germany, to Dallas, to Colorado Springs. It’s a long trip we left Kuwait at about 8:30 p.m. local time and arrived Dallas 8:30 a.m. local time the next day. (There is a nine-hour time difference between Kuwait and Colorado). I got about two hours sleep my first night home, but need to take my pills to sleep. I wake up startled or sweating, but not often. I do this at home and in Iraq.
While on leave I was able to spend a day with my brother, nearly every day with my Mom, my wife, some of my wife’s friends, and some of my Army friends (one friend that was sent back early with medical problems, one that was medically discharged, and one that is waiting to go to special forces training).
This was my best leave out of my three tours. Things are great at home and I’ll be back in about eight months.
I don’t usually write back, but I love to receive mail and would like to hear from anyone that would like to write. Thank you for keeping me and all of my brothers and sisters in your thoughts.
SGT Aaron Friese