Devildoc
Verified Military
It just dawned on me that I was activated/mobilized for Operation Urgent Fury, 20 years ago this month. Damn.
Reflections on the War in Iraq
- Thread starter Marauder06
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Phantom Fury? Otherwise...we got a time traveler, folks!
Devildoc
Verified Military
There's a lot that goes into fighting a war. Often overlooked in tales of wartime accomplishment are the stories of those who try to pick up the literal pieces of combat and stitch together shattered bodies.
The author of this article, Mike Warnock, has been my best friend since 8th grade. We went to the same high school, and his father and mine worked at JSOC. Our families are close; I took his sister to her senior prom, and he was the best man in my wedding. His father (having retired from the Army and returning as a civilian) later worked for me when we were plank holders in JSOC's new Joint Exploitation Squadron, and I gave the eulogy at his funeral.
Mike joined the military to be a nurse, and served first in the Air Force and then in the Army. He served overseas a number of times, including two tours in Iraq.
Mike doesn't write a whole lot, but he should. He has a lot of really important things to say, like he did in this piece.
What the Casualties in Iraq Taught Me about War • The Havok Journal
The author of this article, Mike Warnock, has been my best friend since 8th grade. We went to the same high school, and his father and mine worked at JSOC. Our families are close; I took his sister to her senior prom, and he was the best man in my wedding. His father (having retired from the Army and returning as a civilian) later worked for me when we were plank holders in JSOC's new Joint Exploitation Squadron, and I gave the eulogy at his funeral.
Mike joined the military to be a nurse, and served first in the Air Force and then in the Army. He served overseas a number of times, including two tours in Iraq.
Mike doesn't write a whole lot, but he should. He has a lot of really important things to say, like he did in this piece.
What the Casualties in Iraq Taught Me about War • The Havok Journal
Locksteady
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I recall the name from the fantastic In the Shadow of JSOC article he submitted a while back. Only had a few minutes to skim this one, but I'll definitely be circling back later tonight to give it a full read.
TIL malaria was eliminated in Iraq in 2008. We can claim we did in fact free Iraq. #wewonthewar
That was so crazy I had to look it up. To show the WHO's attention to detail...
No Iraq:
Countries and territories certified malaria-free by WHO
Iraq:
Malaria in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
It's impressive regardless.
Maybe because they have had a case within the last three years they lost their status as being certified?
Locksteady
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I wasn't able to circle back to the article as fast as I thought, but I finally had time today to sit down and give it a good read, and I was glad I did.
What a humbling article, and quite the unexpected downturn at the end, though with the silver lining. I have a former colleague is also an after-the-fact burn pit casualty, and I don't see enough written about the burn pits and the long-term effects. He is also coping well and still gainfully employed in a pretty active position.
I noticed (perhaps even more so in this article) that Mike's writing style seems to insulate readers from predicting too much about where he is turning with the story, which is refreshing to see in writing.
I hope his health keeps improving so he can continue writing great articles like these - books, even. If he isn't already, I think he'd also be phenomenal on a traveling talk or lecture circuit, or even working as an adjunct professor somewhere.
Thanks again for the link!
Thanks for that thoughtful feedback, brother. I took a screenshot of your comments and sent them to Mike, he will appreciate them.
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