Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 12:29 PM
Subject: I am in Ohio today
Hello from Columbus, Ohio. We are working on putting the aircraft back together to fly. Should be ready tomorrow after test flight.
It took 16.5 hours from wheels up in Tuzla to touchdown in Ohio. Went from Tuzla, Germany, Maine, Ohio. Lots of stops and very little sleep. Adrenaline and coffee are keeping up awake.
We go to Indiana soon to out process. Don't when that will be yet.
CW3 Ed Carman
Enduring Mission
146th Med C0 (Air Ambulance)
Aviation Section
APO, AE 09789
From: ed.carman@us.army.mil
Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2005 11:55 AM
Subject: Sarejevo
Well I went to Sarajevo last weekend and had a great time. It was a beautiful day, clear, and about 70 degrees. Just right for shorts and a t-shirt. It was good to be in civilian clothes and nothing on me was green or camo.
One of the flight medics, Rachael, and I ran Sunday morning and we were feeling pretty good. Nothing like a 5 mile run to wake you up before breakfast. After the run, Rachael said she needed to get out of this place for a while. The Army post here was getting smaller by the minute.
After you have lived in an area only 2 miles is diameter, it gets small. Imagine being at your home with no car and could not walk more than 2 miles from you house in any direction. Now imagine doing that for a year. See what I mean by the walls starting to move in.
I told Rachael we would get a vehicle and drive to Sarajevo. We did all the paperwork, packing, and stuff in an hour. So we were south bound and down on Route 18.
The drive was great. Imagine a country drive on a beautiful Sunday afternoon through West Virginia. The road was curvy and steep at times, but the views were outstanding. We drove for 2.5 hours (the flight from here to Sarajevo is only 22 minutes-flying is good).
We drove straight to downtown Sarajevo. A busy town with a population of 4.4 million. We parked at the Holiday Inn and walked the mile to old town.
Our first attraction was the bridge where Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated. Quiz - what did that action start? Answer - World War I. Pretty cool to think I was standing at that place and had learned about it so many years ago in school. I think that was 9th grade.
We walked through old town and all the stores. One store after another selling this and that. Enough dusk collectors could be purchased to fill anyone's home. Rachael bought a coffee set for a friend getting married and I bought a pen. One of the pictures in a group of men watching some others play chess. There were no women in this group or any other group of men like this.
We ate a late lunch of goat, onions, sour cream, bread and a Coke Light (that is Diet Coke in US speak). Enjoyable and it cost about $10 for all. Not a bad price.
More walking and gawking ensued after lunch. There was a huge mosque in the middle of all the shops. Maybe 20 people there doing there afternoon prayers. An interesting sight.
We walked back to Holiday Inn to our vehicle and wanted to see "sniper alley". I know that may sound mean to say, but that is what the street was called during the war. As the people would run from their building for meals, water, going to work, or whatever, snipers surrounded the city and would shoot the people
The Bosnian war lasted from 1992-1995 and 11,000 people were killed in Sarajevo. Tragic.
I have attached a picture of one of the destroyed buildings on sniper alley. You can see how it was gutted from rocket and pocket marked with small arms fire. Remember the war ended 10 years ago. In the background you can see a nice new building. Lots of improvement has been made, but more remains.
We saw some 10 story high rise apartments with some rooms that are still un livable. There are just huge gaping holes in an apartment building. Since you know that people lived in those apartments, there was lots of killing there.
As a side note, there is a movie that describes much of this - Welcome to Sarajevo. We watched it one night, pretty good. Woody Harrilson is in it.
Well that about wraps up this addition. We have about 2 months to go before we go home. We are all looking forward to the day we sleep in our own bed. AAHHHHHHH!!!!!
PHOTO
Sarajevo
CW3 Ed Carman
Enduring Mission
146th Med C0 (Air Ambulance)
Aviation Section
APO, AE 09789
From: ed.carman@us.army.mil
ed.carman@us.army.mil
Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2005 11:42 AM
Subject: Military Skills Competition On Saturday we had an International military skill’s competition for the soldiers in Bosnia. There were15 teams competing: Germany, Poland, Czech, Bosnia, Turkey, Austria, our US team, and some others.
Our team consisted of 5 soldiers. The 4 of them are from the "high speed" Long Range Surveillance Detachment units and me. Their unit is similar to the Army Rangers. I was the only officer and aviator. These guys are good at what they do and have been to many Army advanced schools: sniper, airborne, Ranger, Rigger, Air Assault, and so forth.
The day started with a rifle competition. Our 5 US team members each got three bullets for practice with the Austrian Steyr rifle. It looks like a Star Trek type assault rifle. We were not allowed to shoot our M-16's - don't ask, political stuff. We shared the rifle, so we could not make any sight adjustments. This is a major disadvantage.
We each shot 10 rounds for competition. We had 10 minutes to fire all 50 rounds. So we were not rushed, but you could not take all day either. We were in 7th place after the rifle range. Not bad. However, we are all Type A and wanted to be in 1st place.
We then went into the physical part of the competition. We ran 2.5 miles in camouflage, boots and rifle. Then, as part of the competition, they had to carry me in a stretcher for ½ a mile. That may not seem like a long way, but trust me, that is tough.
We got a 10 minute combination rest period and grenade throw. The grenade targets were set up in increasing distance and points. We practiced the day before, but we practiced wrong. In the US the scoring is done from where the grenade stops rolling. The competition is from where the grenade first touches the ground. We did well for the grenades, but a better understanding of the rules would have let us do better.
After a little rest we ran another 2.5 miles. We were pretty tired after those events.
I can say many great things about that run, but one of them really stands out. I mentioned that 4 of the guys were from the LRSD unit. Well most of their unit ran along side, drove beside us, or met us on certain check points. They played music, sang cadence, took pictures, and cheered us on. It was like have our own cheering section. Those guys are great and I am honored and proud to have been a part of their team. No other country showed the enthusiasm like the GRAND OLE US of A.
Then for the final event, a surprise. Each team had to pull a large Army truck 100 yards. It was about the size of a deuce and a half. That is a 3 axle truck. I thought my chest was going to explode and my legs were going to burst. That was a hard thing to do.
The picture is us after the truck pull. I am standing, top left, looking rough. The truck we pulled is in the background. The Austrian Steyr rifle is held by the standing soldier on the right
After the events we had some laughs, but the fun was not over. The other guys went to play softball. I had our flight medic give me an IV and I sat for the remainder of the day.
The day ended with an awards ceremony. We finished in 5th out of the 15 teams. We were happy, but would like to have done better.
One of the Austrians that was in the competition called us over after the award ceremony was over. He had been on the Austrian Army Pentathlon team. He said we did a great job, but could have come in a higher place if we were allowed to shoot our weapons and understood the grenade throw a little better.
He gave us each an Austrian flag and a Edelweiss pin. That pin is awarded to soldiers that go through a strenuous course in the Austrian mountains. He felt it was a good gesture for our abilities and a nice keepsake.
I have recovered fully now and tomorrow I will do a 13 mile walk with military gear. As I used to tell my soldiers when I was a Drill Sergeant, "Pain is just weakness leaving the body"
GOD BLESS THE USA
PHOTO
Military Skills Competition
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From: ed.carman@us.army.mil
Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2005 10:48 AM
Subject: The US seen through the eyes of a Bosnian barber
We are settling down and figuring things out here in Bosnia. We are near the town of Tuzla, pop 90,000. Our post is called Eagle Base and is now run by the European Union. The US have just a small amount of people still here.
We have unpacked all our bags and have our rooms set the way we want them. I live in a metal box, affectionately called a connex. It is the trailer of a tractor trailer. 20' X 8'. One window, door, air conditioner, bed, wall locker, tv and DVD player. Pretty sparse living compared to home.
Some of our other guys live in "sea huts." The rooms are like dorm rooms, about 50' X 20'. They are bigger, but you have a room mate and have to go outside to the restroom.
No rooms have private restrooms. The facilities are good, you just have to walk outside your door to get to them. That has been the standard since August so it almost seems normal. Going home and having all supplies in the bathroom where I left them will be a welcome treat.
Speaking of going home. I get to go home for 10 days in April. It will be great to see my wife and son.
I got a haircut yesterday and the Bosnian lady barber and I had a great conversation. Amira spoke about the war and how it changed everything around here. That was a bad time for this area. Lots of death and destruction.
She talked also about the US soldiers. She said the US is a lot different than the European soldiers. I asked what she saw as the differences since I do not see them. Her words were pleasant. She said the US is patriotic, happy, lots of humor, professional, eager to try any thing new, open and willing to accept anyone or anything as it is.
I agree with her. Those are some of the qualities that make Americans great.
Thanks for all the responses I have received from my emails. They really help.
My new address is below.
GOD BLESS THE USA
CW3 Ed Carman
Enduring Mission
Aviation Section
APO, AE 09789
