I received this e-mail from a Brother of Mine, It brought Tears to my Eyes as well, Enjoy: CONNOR with HONOR
This letter comes from a Battalion in Iraq. The son of a good friend of mine is in this battalion. The pictures brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for taking time to look at this.
Families and Friends of the Rakassans:
The general context of these pictures, taken in rapid succession, is the following:
At the beginning of the “surge” and the height of the sectarian violence the bombs and killing threatened to tear apart the fabric of Iraqi society.
The paratrooper above was on patrol in Baghdad when a bomb went off near him in a crowded market. Nothing could be more powerful than the image of the crowd going one way and the Soldier calmly walking toward the source of danger. Into the heart of the darkness. The little boy quickly assessed his options and made a choice that the AP Photographer captured on film….he chose to find the safest place in Iraq at that moment. The history of the world changed that day for one little boy.
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Despite the powerful images portrayed above, they are mere icons of what your Army has provided through the ages…resolute courage in the heart of any darkness. Your Soldiers carry on a tradition of over 232 years of service that started when men boldly faced down the British at Bunker Hill and stormed over the walls at Yorktown . They held the line at Gettysburg and opened the west and took San Juan Hill with a bayonet and saber. They went over the top to fight a war to end all wars and stormed the beaches at Normandy and held out completely surrounded at Bastogne . They endured human-wave attacks in the Frozen Chosen and fought and died in the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam . They have liberated nations from dictators and drawn a line against anarchy in Africa and the Balkans. They were the first to be sent to deal with the latest darkness that gathered to threaten freedom after a horrific attack on our homeland. In peace and war they have remained a beacon of hope to the Nation and a living testament to freedom.
Your Soldiers have never faltered and I am humbled to stand beside them today in another dark place holding the line against a determined enemy. How do they do it? How can they keep doing it? The answer is very simple: They are Americans….they are your sons and daughters….they are idealists and believe in a world where little boys don’t have to find safety in a street behind their armored breast plate as they walk forward to find evil and end its reign.
How does a 20 year old mechanic replace an engine on a tractor trailer in an eye watering dust storm? How does a Platoon Sergeant manage to maneuver a convoy of 20 vehicles across narrow bridges and rain soaked roads to safely deliver a week’s supply to his Infantry brothers? The answer is simple: They are Americans….quiet professionals like the ones who have gone before them for 232 years.
The Soldiers of this Battalion continue to amaze me….their discipline and steady performance enable every operation the BCT performs and each day. They are making a difference for their fellow Soldiers in sister units and for the Iraqi people. Each day that the enemy cannot explode his bombs, kill innocent people, and terrorize the population is a day that we are closer to making the darkness flee before the light. There is much work to do here in Iraq , but there is much to be proud of…..
I pray for the strength of the families at home…the safety of their loved ones here….and that the Nation realizes that the history of the world can change for the better with an American Soldier at the right place at the right time.
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At first glance these "special incentives" seem great. But all you have to do is dig a bit deeper. But do not wait to dig as you are signing loan documents and day 17 after you have given your 30 day notice and removed all of your contingencies. You can find a lot of good questions to ask at the 
