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Strykers leave Northwest chill for desert heat

Sep-19-2006 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune

CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT -- The glare of the sun is staggering, even with sunglasses on. A sand moonscape stretches for what seems forever.
This camp, in the middle of nowhere about 20 miles from the Iraqi border, is the temporary home for about 50 Fort Lewis soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

These troops left Tacoma Sunday and in a few days will join the rest of the 4,000-member brigade that came to Iraq in July. The latecomers might be newly assigned to the unit, or coming off an injury or illness or a training session. They might have a special skill that brigade leaders decided they needed to reinforce.

Some are worried girlfriends won’t be there when they get back. Others are just glad to be done with the rules and bureaucracy of garrison life, where they can get hassled for being a day late on a haircut.

Some are itchy to finally put their training into practice.

“I just get to do my job,” said Staff Sgt. Curtis James of Tacoma, who took shrapnel in his eye from a rocket propelled grenade attack on his last Iraq tour with this Stryker brigade. “I’m good. I’m ready to go.”

James, 24, is bound for Baghdad, while his last tour was in the northern city of Mosul. The difference, he understands, is that the Americans had control of Mosul. But that was a few years ago – in 2003 and 2004 – when the insurgency had yet to dig in and sectarian violence had yet to convulse the country.

The Stryker soldiers’ 26-hour trip into this desert oven began with a chartered commercial flight from McChord Air Force Base.

There were stewardesses, hot towels and in-flight movies. It was almost like a normal flight. Almost.

“Please stow body armor under the seat in front of you,” announced the captain prior to takeoff.

The soldiers were told not to bring cigarette lighters or bottled water on board. Some civilian travel rules were in force, apparently, even for a plane of Iraq-bound troops...


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