Your coinage, 'Rasta Warriors' in relation to US Armed forces is both misleading to thepublic and offensive to IanI
Bredren and Sitren of the RASTAFARI community.On the contrary, you would be hard pushed to find a Rastafari anywhere in the world (except perhaps members of the heretical Crhistian 12 Tribes of Israel sect) who would have anything but the utmost moral contempt for the brutal Neo-Imperialism practiced by the US in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond. Whilst the comment that the troops you mention remind you visually of Rastafarians, this hardly seems to justify entitling your article around this off-key whim. Cease and desist from this prcatice if the term 'truth' means anything to you.
More life, more strength, more fire!
Ras Dasein (UK)

This is my first time reading a blog and posting. Outstanding story. Brings home the raw intensity of the danger and the courage of our soldiers. It also makes my blood boil when I read trash from people like Lamp.

gilnail: I am amazed at your level-headed response to lamp even after being over there. I have more respect for suicide bombers than for some of my fellow "Americans" like lamp who trash our country and our troops in such an way while we are engaged in war.

Lamp. You and others like you are a disgrace to this nation. You are not only anti patriotic, but also anti-American. I know I can't change your mind. It is hopeless to reason with a fool. I can only call you the fool that you are and state even louder that this nation is engaged in a true struggle between good and evil -- and we are winning.

Since I was there, I thought I would answer a few things.

Lamp: Get a dictionary and try to get a grip on the English language. My soldiers and I care about freedom for all people more than we do about our own lives. I personally gave up a full 4 year free ride to the university of my choice in my home state in order to do this job and SPC Bressette will likely go to a job making $70k per year or better when he leaves the Army. Dead end lives? I am on track to retire in 6 years at 38 years old with about a quarter million stashed away thanks to a little financial discipline and my career in the Army. So, how is your life coming along? We only hunt and kill those people who are trying to kill us.

Jana: Locals do care. I often talk to them about news stories that they see on television. Thanks to us, they are no longer limited to state-run media.

D.: We win many hearts and minds. You only get to see a snap-shot of the events here. The people here have been a big help to us because they are tired of the terrorists here blowing out the windows of their stores and killing their children.

Mr. T: We do.

Leah: We joke about it, but keep in mind that we are probably statistically safer here than at home.

C-fish: I bought it on-line and had a friend send it. For the record, I am single.

Jim: Radio. We don't know for sure why it failed. It might have something to do with Mr. T's comment, or the fact that many of the people building these devices are incompetent. In the last 2 months, there have been 6 who blew themselves up while attempting to attack us with IED's.

Jdo: He is a Specialist and he is getting a real medal.

Thanks for the concern and the prayers

This was a good story. It showed how amoral our soldiers are. They don't give a crap about defending democracy, they just joined up cause they had dead end lives. and now they're distraught cause they didn't have the moral backbone to not kill people who did nothing to them. cool shit

Kevin,
Great job I came by this site by accident. The artwork by Rady is excellant. Your photos of the 82nd are fabulous.
The work they do and yourself is the most danger anyone would want to experience. My neice lost her husband in Iraq last year. We are praying for the troops and I now will ad all the journalists to our prayer list. Be safe and may your guardian angels hover round about you day and nite.

Dear Kevin,
I learned of your site from my grandson Justin C and as he had sent me some of you earlier letters from Afghanistan I was familiar with your great reporting and producing. I was really excited by your writing as every thing became so vivid to me about how things are there and in Iraq. I was working in Iran in 1977 and 1978 and I see some parallels
to the countrys you are now in. My experiences were not so hectic but rather scary at times as that was when the Iatollah was coming back, but of course nothing like what you all go through there. Again I have to say that instead of downplaying what is going on there with our brave troops and others such as yourself people here in the U.S.A should realize that this is not a picnic you guys are having but life and death situations. I feel that your reporting hilites what befalls the guys and gals over there. Bravery overcoming fear is a quality that our troops have and they are to me my heroes.
Thanks much for a website such as this.
vic mckean

Edited by author 01-25-2004 03:19 AM
  If we could all experience war this way...what an enlightening, humiliating subjecture. Thanks, Kevin, for
showing me a new side of this conflict from a humanitarian
pont of view. I appreciate you and all of "our guys" over there....thanks for letting me know what we're fighting for.

  well , thanks for being honest with all the things you are reporting about , I wish that the other reporters would hear you , may be this would give them a full description of what is happenning there in Iraq....do you think that the local people would care about what the reportars say really....I will say something that I have heard in one of the movies , never care about little things...and every problem is a little one .....people will think no matter what those reporters say it will stay the same nothing will be equal to what happened , but the thing to be concern about is , do you reportors will help in making people think for the good of their future...
 thanks again for everything...

Edited by author 01-21-2004 01:33 PM
I really like your site and your work you are really a good reporter and also a nice man ....pls post more of your storys on your site ...be safe ,and take care..

I have been seeing Kevin on MSNBC regularly between 7 am and 11 am CST.

Kevin, Great reporting and nice hair cut! Wish you would post more for us to read though.... I like it when we have your personal perspective rather than just reporting of the news. Stay safe and be well.

When are Kevin's reports usually on? I followed him on CNN, but now that he's on MSNBC I don't know what time to watch!

Ah, yes, the US method of gaining 'hearts and minds': ?Take that you bastards,?

Great site Kevin. How come there haven't been anymore writings in a month.

Kevin,
Without your reporting, I know I would have plenty of questions but no reality for answers. Learned to depend on you for the TRUTH. Be safe and let there be peace.

Kevin I also saw the news of the capture of saddam , and I know from your reporting you were in tikrit. Im not sure if thats the right spelling. Were you anywhere near the capture if so I am looking forward to your reports. Good job

Kevin,

I just turned the news on this morning and saw that we have captured Saddam! Was wondering if you were nearby? What is the general atmosphere over there? Are the Iraqi people celebrating as the press would have us believe? The pics they are showing of him make him look very down and out, with over-grown hair and just plain looking as if he is resigned to his fate now. I am just curious to what the people are saying. I am sure the soldiers are celebrating! And rightfully so. Major mission accomplished!

Take care Kevin and stay safe!

Seems like the humvees could have jammers that block the most popular frequencies used by garage door openers.

Kevin,
 In theory we all know any second could be our last, but in our everyday lives we simply don't think about it. In a place like Iraq where danger could literally be around any corner and having faced capture and IED'S how do you and how do the soliders deal with the ever-present knowledge of your mortality? Do you still manage to simply put it out of your mind? Do you joke about it? Wonder about it? I can't even imagine.

I saw that report on NBC. Decent piece of reporting. Keep it up.

Wonderful slice of soldier-life Kevin; stay safe and have a happy holiday!

Interesting to learn that the soldier has a laser scope for deer hunting provided by his wife from the states.

Thank you for your honest reporting Kevin...good luck and HOOOAHHH!

There is no mention about what is supposed to set off the IRD. Was it wired, or radio. Is there a reason for not mentioning it? There is more to this story than is being reported. Why didn't it go off when it was supposed to? ( When the troops were beside it). Any ideas?

That Sgt. deserves a real medal for seeing the IED, not some coin.

Amazing. Excellent reporting and photos, as usual Kevin. Please keep it up and, above all, stay safe.