This is an email sent by Parker's class

along with the answers from Jeff:

St. Helena School,

From 1LT Jeffrey Girod, Baghdad, Iraq 06MAY04

Class; thank you so much for the email.  I'll try to answer all your questions in order.

Hi, Dad! 

I want you to come back. I love you very much.  I am being a good girl.  I sang a song called "A You're Adorable"  to you from here.

Love,

Parker

XOXOXOXO

Parker,

Don't worry, I'll hopefully be back in 4 more months, just in time for  your birthday.  I love you and miss you very much.  I think about you  every day and hope that you are enjoying school.  Keep singing and learning songs.  I'd love to hear one when I get home.

Here's from the rest of Parker's class....

Is it hot there?

From,

Brian

Brian,

Yes it is rather warm.  It was in the 80s while it was snowing in New Jersey.  It is now about 100 degrees during the day, but it is usually cool at night.  It is expected to reach 140 degrees in July.  That is very hot and you can barely move because of the heat.  The nice thing about it is that since we are in the desert, the heat is very dry and not humid like at home.  So, it doesn't feel as hot as it really is.  The cool nights are very nice to look at the stars.  Because of the difference in temperature and the lack of city lights, you can see millions of stars every night.  Two nights ago, my team stood outside and watched the lunar eclipse.  The only problem at night is the mosquitoes, but they seem to be everywhere in the world.

Do you have much food there?

From,

Joy

Joy,

Yes we have quite a lot of food.  The army likes to feed people well when they can, because a full stomach is a happy soldier.  Since it is hot and we work a lot during the day, we can eat as much as we like and not gain weight, which is very nice.  I usually have eggs and bacon for breakfast, toasted cheese sandwiches for lunch and then steak and potatoes for dinner.  Luckily we usually don't have to eat MREs, (Meals Ready to Eat) which are the militarys portable meal.  I'll send one to the class so you can see one.  They are not as good as real food.  We also have food sent by our families, so we can have some of our favorites.  The only thing we can't get is pizza, which I'll be having as soon as I get home.

What are you doing?

From,

Esha

Esha,

I am a MCT (Mobile Collection Team) Commander for the ISG (Iraq Survey Group).  I have a team of 16 soldiers who go out around Iraq with different governmental experts and collect information and samples about what was happening in Iraq before we moved in.  I get to see the whole country this way.  Since I am the commander, I am in charge of the team and responsible for everyone.  That includes their training, the food, their physical condition, mission planning and the mission itself.  Some times my team goes out with other groups of soldiers with combinations of over 60 people who I am then responsible for.  It is a lot of responsibility but the challenge can be a lot of fun.

Do you have a pool there?  I am taking swimming lessons.

From,

Aneesh

Aneesh,

We actually live on a large lake and do have a swimming pool.  The camp we are staying in is called Camp Slayer.  It used to be a vacation destination for the people in power in Iraq, so it is very nice.  The pool is open only on the weekends and has a view of the lake and palm trees.  I've attached a picture for you to see.  Keep up the swimming lessons.  You will enjoy being able to swim even when you are older.

I hope you come back and give Parker a big surprise!

From,

Zain

Zain,

I plan to come back in September and bring Parker something nice.  I have sent a new box of things to her, so she can bring them in to show the whole class.  They sell some really fun things here like toy camels, bronze horses, and copper tea sets.  We'll see what Parker gets.  Also, did you know that the word Zain in means "good" in Arabic?

We are in the school library.  Do you have any books to read?

From,

Allyssa

Allyssa,

We have a little library of our own here with about 2000 books.  I enjoy reading as much as possible and usually try to do about 3 books at the same time.  I am currently reading Band of Brothers, which is about soldiers during World War II and the friendships that they make with each other.  I am also reading a book called A Complete Idiots Guide to Iraq, which teaches about the history of Iraq and its people.  I have found that it is very important to understand the language and history of a country when you visit.  You will enjoy yourself much more, learn much more and the local people will appreciate your efforts.  My team is also trying to learn some Arabic, which is the language most people speak here.

I hope everybody comes back nice and safe.

From,

Eva

Eva,

I hope people stay safe too.  We train as hard as we can so we know what to do in different situations that we might face.  The harder we train, the better we will be.  But some people in Iraq are not very happy that we are here.  So, we do what we can to stay safe and at the same time, do that job that we need to do.

I hope everyone is safe.

Love,

Parker

Parker,

We are all doing what we can.  One thing we also do is wear our seat belts and a helmet whenever we are in our vehicles.  Accidents can happen, just like at home, so we need to be prepared.

Do you drive a tank? "AOPQ" (whatever that means she wanted you to know!)

From,

Nina

Nina,

I don't ride in a tank anymore.  I used to be a M1A1 Abrams Tank Platoon Leader, and I did have command over 4 tanks.  But now, we drive around in HUMMHVs (called Hummers).  These are the vehicles that replaced the jeeps.  I'm sure you have seen pictures of them.  We have some that are "Up-armored" which means they have a lot of steel plating and very thick windows to keep them safer.  Others are called "Thin Skins" which just have canvas for a roof and no doors.  We have also had the chance to ride in Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which are like tanks but can haul 6 to 9 people in the backs and Blackhawk helicopters which can haul about 9 people.  They are fun to fly in and usually go very low and fast.

When you come back home, will you give Parker a big hug?  Will you come visit us?

From,

Eddy

Eddy,

When I get home I will be hugging Parker about 10 times a day, maybe more.  I will make sure to come visit you and maybe get a chance to come and visit the class and tell you more about what we do.  I hope you are enjoying your new brother.

Do you ever eat ice cream over there?

From,

Arryonna

Arryonna,

Yes, we get ice cream here every day.  The have different kinds like vanilla, coffee flavored, and peach.  They even have chocolate syrup.  Some you might enjoy is a different kind of ice cream they have here called Princess Pops.  They are rose flavored ice cream bars.  Very different, but good.  Since it is so hot, we love our ice cream.

Do you like vanilla ice cream?

From,

Shiva

Shiva,

Yes, I do like vanilla ice cream, but my favorite is chocolate.  And, unfortunately, we do have any of that here.

In Iraq, are there mosquitoes?

From,

Raj

Raj,

Yes there are mosquitoes.  Many, many mosquitoes.  We have a couple ways of keeping them away in the evening.  We built a fireplace outside and the smoke keeps them away somewhat.  We also have special spay which helps.  We actually sleep under things called mosquito nets, which fit over our beds and keep them away at night.

Do you see the little children?  Are they happy?

From,

Swara

Swara,

Yes we do see children all the time.  They live a very different life that you and your class.  Some kids go to school wearing uniforms, just like you, but others spend their time working in the fields, tending sheep and driving donkey carts full of food.  I think that most of the kids here are happy, but they don't have many toys or much candy.  One of their favorite things to get is bottled water, because the local water isn't good to drink.  I usually give them some candy and water whenever they ask, which is every time I see them.

Do you have to wear special clothes?

From,

Molly

Molly,

Yes we have brown uniforms called DCU, (Desert Camouflage Uniforms).  We also sometimes wear special chemical suits, depending on our mission.  We have to wear a kevlar helmet which is heavy and a very heavy protective vest.  We have two weapons that we carry for protection, an M-4, 5.56 assault rifle and an M-9, 9mm pistol.  We also have radios, 10 magazines of ammo, first aid kits, a mask for the sand and goggle for the sand and sun.  All together, we have about 100 extra pounds of gear.

DO GOOD!

From,

Nick

Nick,

Thanks, we are trying.

Do you get to eat pizza over there?

From,

Amrut

Amrut,

No pizza for us.  And we can't have anybody mail it to us either.  But sometimes you have to make sacrifices.

Do you get to see any movies? Parker's sister likes Charlie Brown. My favorite is "Charlie Brown, Bon Voyage."

From,

Dylan

Dylan,

We actually have our own movie theater here that plays three movies a day. We also have a TV and DVD player in our team house and I can watch DVDs on my computer.  I wish I could watch more, but we don't have that much time for movies.  I am usually awake at 0530 and to bed around 2300 (11:00 PM).  I like Charlie Brown too.

Thank you for keeping us safe and keeping freedom for all. God bless you,

Ms. Lynne Soltys, Librarian

Ms. Soltys,

Thanks for your well wishes.  I have been in the military now for 16 years and love the opportunity to help out when needed.  I only wish I didn't have to leave my family behind.

Hope you enjoy our messages.  Stay safe.

Always,

Sally Ahimovic, Pre-K A

Mrs. Ahimovic,

Thank you for this chance to answer some of your questions.  Mail is always appreciated.  Hopefully, I'll get the chance to share some more about Iraq once I return.

1LT Jeffrey A. Girod, MP

Commander, Mobile Collection Team 6

Iraq Survey Group

Camp Slayer

Baghdad, Iraq