2009.02.12
13FEB09--"Gone Home on Leave"
Tomorrow morning, I depart the team to begin the trek back to the States.
It will take me 3-5 days to arrive in Virginia. Flights can go any number of ways back to the states, but I will surely go from Baghdad to Kuwait. Most of my waiting will be at those two locations.
I will likely not write much for the next 3-4 weeks.
Today, my daughter took three steps to mommy, and my son gave Dora the Explorer Valentine's Day cards out at day care. After being away for six and a half months, I can hardly wait to see my loving wife and babies.
Travel safely, Richard; looking forward to seeing you soon!
Steve
Comment by Steve McGraw — February 13, 2009 @ 11:22 am
Have a safe trip home, Godspeed to you sir.
Comment by JOHN — February 13, 2009 @ 11:58 am
Captain Rich,
Have a safe trip and a wonderful visit with your family. We will miss your blogs and photos. God bless you!
Moses and Patty Alaniz
Comment by Patricia and Moses Alaniz — February 13, 2009 @ 12:17 pm
Rich,
Have a safe trip home. Will miss your updates greatly but am glad you get to see your family. I know Kev will be glad when it's his turn.
Take care,
Joyce (KC's mom)
Comment by Joyce Connaughton — February 13, 2009 @ 1:19 pm
Have a great leave! Thanks for sharing all of your experiences. I hope you would take the entire break, not worry about writing at all, and just enjoy the time with your family.
Comment by Ed S. — February 13, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
Rich,
Not reading your blog, knowing that you are with your family, will be the best 3-4 weeks off this site I can ever imagine. Hope to see you but understand if I don't, enjoy your time with the kids (and the wife too).
Bob O
Comment by Bob O — February 13, 2009 @ 5:28 pm
Can't wait to see you!
Comment by Wendy Jones — February 13, 2009 @ 7:24 pm
Just found this. I will return to read further postings. Thanks for all of your effort, Captain! We do appreciate your work and sacrifices. Yes Sir, we do.. Take advantage of your leave and get some rest, when you can. Hooah!
Comment by Lee Harless — February 15, 2009 @ 8:54 pm
Richard,
It is Ryan Neely, a 2001 grad of Northside who played soccor with you back in North Roanoke. I am also an Army Captain now, stationed in Korea after a tour in Baghdad for all of 2007. Great idea on the blog and I think it is great to connent folks back home with a war that many dont understand other than through the evening news. I know the immense joy that comes with going home, and I pray you find strength as you return to your duty after leave- that was the hardest week of my life. God speed, keep up the fight, and thanks for what your doing.
Ryan Neely
Comment by Ryan Neely — February 16, 2009 @ 7:32 am
Dont worry.you can get back to baby killing when you get back..
Comment by Bobby — February 16, 2009 @ 9:24 pm
Brother I love you and I'm so glad that you are returning home for a while! Can't wait to see you and your family Saturady, and for you to meet the newest addition to the Wright family!
Comment by Amanda Wright — February 17, 2009 @ 8:36 pm
Bobby -- rgibbons@popstar.com,
You are a class act.
Comment by richconnaroe — February 18, 2009 @ 2:50 pm
At least i dont kill people.and then get tears in my eyes when they play the Star Spangled Banner
Comment by Bobby (Robert Gibbons) — February 20, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
Bobby - As a regular reader of Notes in Iraq, I'd like to thank you for sharing your riveting and thought provoking opinions in such a well-written manner. They truly bring the Roanoke Times blogs to a new level. What are you, ten years old? Thanks for wasting my valuable time with your graffiti.
Comment by Melissa T. — February 20, 2009 @ 8:12 pm
Bobby, I would have to agree with Melissa and Rich. As an avid reader of the Roanoake Times blog that Rich has so kindly kept up to date for people back here in the States despite his busy schedule, and also as a girlfriend of a soldier serving with Capt. Connaroe, I find your comments to be hurtful, ignorant, and completely off-base. What these men are doing, the sacrifice that they are making for themselves, their families and loved ones, as well as for everyone in this country, including yourself, is indeed more honorable than what I can say about your comments and behavior on this forum. What Capt. Connaroe strives to provide is a small glimpse into the lives of these soldiers and the constantly evolving situation in Iraq as it and it's people continue to become more independent and self-sufficient. The only thing you have done is to promote hatred and ignorance. Shame on you for bringing this negativity to an otherwise informative and helpful forum. The content of this blog has apparently been too much for your small mind to handle, and is obviously meant for people who are way more educated, and who can appreciate the sacrifice of these brave men and women, which it is apparent that you will never be capable of.
Comment by Eva — February 22, 2009 @ 12:12 am
Bobby,
Please consider your thinking. Regardless of your opinion of the war, or the reasons for us being there, or our general conduct of it, your opinions are way off base. Our servicemen and women are doing a tough job, as ordered. If you disagree with the policies, as I frequently do, direct your comments towards the policy makers. For now, we're in a tough spot and our soldiers are following orders in the hope of getting us out of it.
I'm sure you feel that this war is not a solution for anything. In fact, you may be right. However, Rich Connaroe is not the problem.
Comment by Richard Woodcock — February 24, 2009 @ 10:08 am
Bobby,
Think about your position and comments. You may disagree with the war, the strategy, and our conduct of it, but it is wrong and misguided to blame our servicemen and women. Save your attacks for the politicians and strategists, and give our servicemen and women the respect they deserve. The are part of the solution, not the problem.
Comment by Hoyt — February 24, 2009 @ 10:47 am
you know.the soldiers doing the killing are tools used in this war...........In my day many were drafted....But theses guys volunteered..Im sure soldiers in Nazi Germany felt they were doing the right thing..Our Govt. is not divinity..Im not saying that this person in this blog is solely responsible for all this..Do you people understand that as many as 1000,000 people.10 Roanokes.. have been killed in this war.a War based on lies.Guess what.these people had families and loved ones too.....We hear about a million dead in Rowanda...a recent movie has been on..such horrors and butchery...Dont you people understand we have weapons that inflict incredible shock and horror..we think they are barbarians..but we TOO are barbarians when we kill...and then think were Christians.so wake up and smell the coffee...This Govt. is a murderous one that will kill for its own politically expediant goals...Unless we..the people stop it..So instead of supporting death..Get up and support peace...
Comment by Bobby — February 24, 2009 @ 7:42 pm
OK - so you doubt the reasons for the war - perhaps all wars. Here is the best I can come up with for this one; note the dates and signatures:
http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm
http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm
I've read Hans Blix's last report to the UN, and his book, and recognize that it was us who threw out the UN inspectors, not Hussein.
I agree that our peacetime military expenditure doesn't need to exceed that of the rest of the world combined. I agree that a nuclear arsenal that can destry the world several times over is, at best, redundant. I agree that it doesn't serve us well to have a military presence in the majority of the world's countries; all of which are true.
On the other hand, it's misguided and foolish to shift the blame from the policy makers to the servicemen. It takes away from your credibility and clouds your point, rather than support either. Some servicemen joined solely for a job, many out of a sense of duty - but all are serving our country. The vast majority carry out their orders well and honorably. You can question their orders (although they can't), but you should not question their sacrifice or dedication.
Comment by Richard Woodcock — February 25, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
Did you know that Nazis and other soldiers in WW2 were executed for waterboarding..No I dont let the individual soldiers off the hook for "following orders"..they have minds.although no doubt propogandized..and even brainwashed.but if you kill somebody.its YOU who is responsible..
Comment by Bobby — February 25, 2009 @ 9:24 pm
Don't feed the trolls. Next Bobby will tell us that the towel popping he has to endure in gym class is torture.
If a terrorist blows up a market full of people in Fallujah, Bobby won't even bother to look up from his World of Warcraft game. But if a US soldier scowls at an Iraqi, Bobby will be the first to rise in righteous indignation at how "badly" we treat other people. In other words, people like Bobby are content to sit on the sidelines and complain about the people protecting them and others because, darn it, they can. The only time they care about innocent people dying is when they can figure out some way to blame America for it. Otherwise, they won't even blink an eye. If you were to drop them in a hostile place, their whole day would be spent trying to find enough water to drink so they could wet themselves again.
That's why they live under those bridges and grumble about the people crossing them.
Comment by Henry — February 26, 2009 @ 9:07 am
No,
I wasn't aware that any Germans were executed solely for waterboarding. I was aware that Japanese soldiers were prosecuted. I am also aware of prosecutions of some of our own soldiers under the Military Code of Conduct and UCMJ, for similar conduct, both in Iraq and in Viet Nam - and justly so. They shouldn't be let off the hook, and it's up to civilians, including us, to encourage our lawmakers to see that the Code of Conduct and the UCMJ prohibits such things, or for that matter allows such things, for those who think it appropriate. In any case, its a political/policy decision, not a military/strategic one.
I'm also aware of politicians, police, therapists, and priests who have shirked their duty and abrogated their responsibilities - and committed atrocities of varying degrees. In each case it is a minuscule part of the whole, whether we are talking about politicians, police, therapists, priests, or soldiers. That miniscule part should be removed from their duties, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
I'm confident that Captain Connaroe is not part of that minuscule part, and your comments have no place here.
Comment by Richard Woodcock — February 26, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
One other thought - since you specifically mentioned waterboarding. As far as I know, there have been no cases of waterboarding by the military since at least the Viet Nam era. It was (and perhaps is) a CIA "enhanced interrogation" technique.
Since the CIA is a civilian organization and since I, and I presume you, are civilians - you and I bear more responsibility for it than the military. Something to think about.
Comment by Richard Woodcock — February 26, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
Correction - in a previous post, I should have referred to the "Army Field Manual" - which prohibits torture, including waterboarding, not the "Military Code of Conduct".
Comment by Richard Woodcock — February 27, 2009 @ 9:50 am
Of every terrorist that blew up a bomb in Iraq..Its like little league compared to the death and destruction weve wreaked upon this country..Dont you get it.as far as Iraq is concerned.We are the terrorists!!To the tune of a million deaths..Not 50.or 100..here or there.but 1000,000......people..But since its us..Its OK to spit Christianity out of our mouths while we kill..Yes waterboarding is like towel popping.Henry youd cry like a baby and tell everything you know..Thank God Obama is going to end this..and shame on you who have supported it...and remember soldiers.when you die Gods gonna say...Why did you kill..and when you say Cause George Bush told me too.It wont save ya man.....it wont save you..Lets see what was that commandment..Oh yea.thou shalt not kill right?? Govt. cant absolve you from what youve done!
Comment by Bobby — February 27, 2009 @ 9:28 pm
Bobby, my brother (Capt Connaroe) has not killed anyone, let alone a baby!! Unless you know this to be true you should shut your mouth and not jab at him for something others may or may not have done. Leave the judging up to God! If all you want to do is cast stones then save your time and dont read my brothers stories! Let's hope your man Obama does change thimgs and bring my brother and everyone else home, but face facts ALL politicians are liars....including the one you favor.
Comment by Amanda Wright — March 8, 2009 @ 8:23 pm