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Iraq making progress, soldiers say

Oct- 6-2004 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

[Link to Full Article]
By JEFF LESTER, Senior Writer

The American media isn't reporting enough of the progress being made in rebuilding the war-ravaged nation, both Virginia Army National Guard soldiers say.

Johnson, of Jonesville, and Bledsoe, of Big Stone Gap, came home on leave in early September, after six months working in the broiling sun and dust of northern Iraq.

Their unit, B Company of the 276th Engineer Battalion, has been on the move since arriving in the city of Mosul in early March.

Engineers have worked with the Army's Task Force Olympia throughout the area from Mosul west to the Syrian border and north to the Turkish border. They have helped build barriers along the approach from Syria, operated heavy equipment in road construction, built training facilities for the Iraqi National Guard, detonated enemy explosive devices and helped patrol Mosul and outlying towns, according to published reports.

That doesn't mean Johnson and Bledsoe are ready to talk about their personal duties and experiences.

During a recent interview, they declined to discuss the work their company has performed. Both acknowledged they've had several close calls with enemy fighters, but Johnson and Bledsoe say they won't elaborate until their tour of duty is done.

Remember, they were on leave for only a couple of weeks. They were about to return to an Iraq that's getting more and more dangerous in the run-up to January national elections. They kept their war faces on, even while safe at home for a few days.

But Johnson and Bledsoe were willing to talk about their living conditions and the importance of their mission.


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