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Hello everyone, 

My name is Justin Hunter and I am the Executive Officer
for Company C, 2d Combat Engineer Battalion.  I would like begin by saying
thank you from the Marines of Charlie Company for sending all of the care
packages.  We really appreciate the support.  The guys were very surprised 
at the quick response and large volume of packages that came in.  It is
always great to watch how happy the Marines are as they open the packages
that you send.  There is nothing better than watching the Marines escape
for a few minutes as they tear through the packages and pass out everything
you have given us.  It is almost like watching a bunch of kids open their
gifts on Christmas morning every time we receive a group of packages.    
 

Just to tell you a little about our company, we are combat
engineers from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina working in the Al Anbar
province of Iraq.  The country is on the upswing and being an engineer
during a time of rebuilding is tough work but also satisfying as we
see our labor help the Iraqi's future.  We work throughout the province
from the farmlands along the Euphrates to inside the middle of the cities.  We
provide a myriad of services from executing cache sweeps to locate enemy
ordinance to building force protection for the infantry.  Many of the
Marines are on their second deployments, and a handful are on their
third and fourth.  We were here last year from April to October and there
is an vast difference throughout the Al Anbar province.  The insurgent
activity has reduced drastically and I am amazed at how well Fallujah,
Ramadi and Habbinayah and doing.  Last year we were attacked on a weekly
and sometimes daily basis while this year has been moderately quiet. 
As the attacks grow fewer in numbers, the local Iraqis are living a
more normal daily life and the economy is moving steadily along.  There
is a lot of new infrastructure and much more normal daily activity. 
Overall, I am amazed at the night and day difference from this year
compared to last year in the Al Anbar province.  Of course we still have
many more years of assistance to provide in order to establish a more
stable environment. 

I do apologize for the mass e-mail, but we really
do not have very much free time.  Many of you inquired about our daily
routine and we really do work on average of 15 hours a day.  Our schedules
are far from routine which makes it hit or miss for the chow hall.  The
food is great, the Marines just tend to work during the hours that they
are open.  The guys are outside the wire anywhere between 9 and 15 hours
and spend another 2 to 4 hours cleaning their weapons and vehicles. 
We work all hours of the day or night depending on the mission and still
manage to get about 7 hours of sleep on average.  There are no weekends
in Iraq.  The enemy doesn't take any time off, so we don't either.  While
we are in Iraq, we work for 210 days straight with no days off.  Some
days the guys work 10 hours, other days they will work 20.  Overall,
the Marines work hard and I am impressed every day at how they are able
to keep driving through the deployment while still maintaining great attitudes. 
The Marines are funny and mischievous and keep life in a great perspective. 
Receiving the packages from all of you only helps keep their morale higher.  
 

I have attached some photos of the company in an
optimized PowerPoint so that it does not take up all of your e-mail
space.  The first photo consists of only half of the company.  We have a
few platoons that live around Fallujah and Ramadi so it is difficult
to get everyone in the same area for a photo shoot.  I speak to the Platoon
Commanders on a daily basis and I go out to their positions every three
or four weeks to bring them the boxes that you send.  In fact, I have
to go visit our 2nd Platoon in a few days to deliver the packages I just
received yesterday.  The second photo is from a demolitions range we conducted
during a sandstorm (notice the red background).  The third photo is what 50
lbs of C-4 look like upon detonation.  We don't do a lot of demolitions
anymore as we focus more on rebuilding, but we practice and stay current
in our primary duties...and it is a lot of fun.  Combat engineers are
very comfortable around demolition such as C-4, dynamite and TNT.  It
makes for a great day when we can go out and have a little fun with demolitions.  The
fourth photo is from a project where we increased some of the force protection
where the infantry live.  The infantry love seeing us because every time
we show up on their front door we build something new for them.          

Below I have added a letter from Major General John
Kelly, the Commanding General of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). 
He wrote the letter to his wife back in early February for distribution
to all of the families of Marines serving in the Anbar region of Iraq. 
I figured I could send it to you too since you have adopted our company
into your family.  I hope you enjoy the letter and the cartoon I added at
the end.  Thanks again for all of your support and I will send another
update soon. 

Justin 

1stLt Justin D. Hunter 

XO, Company C, 2d CEB 

RCT-1 Combat Engineers 

DSN: 3405-501 

COC: 3405-525 

A Letter from Al Anbar 

8 Feb 2008.  

  

Well we've all arrived safe and sound, and have all but taken responsibility
for our little piece of the Global war on Terrorism. The Economics and
Governance (BG Wiley Post), Wing (BG Tex Alles), MLG (BG Bob Ruark),
and GCE (BG Rich Mills) have already taken over, and I will complete
the set and take the reins from my good friend MajGen Walt Gaskin tomorrow
in a ceremony that will be attended by all the local gentry to include
Generals Petraeus and Odnierno. There will also be sheiks from every
tribe in the province, and the local civic leadership as well. I f you
count every soldier, sailor airmen and Marine in I MEF (Forward), or
Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) as we will be know tomorrow, we
are 33,000 strong, 25,000 of whom are Marines. Throw in the two Iraqi
Army divisions and the police, and, well you get the point.  

  

For most this is the first deployment to Iraq, but luckily we have a
pretty good percentage that are second and even third time offenders
to show the new folks how to settle in, find a rack and the mess hall,
and deal with the desert. Nothing illustrates this better-the vets helping
the "boots"-than last night when we had a series of resounding
"booms" in the camp. The new guys sat bolt upright with eyes
wide indicating their concern until the "old timers"-most
in their late teens or early 20 of course-confidently settled the issue
by declaring "out going," and everything went back to normal.
The very good news is we will seldom hear booms of any kind as the province
is a vastly different place than it was even a year ago. Dangerous still,
but nothing like it was when any of us were here last. By the way the
food is great, plenty of hot water, even for the grunts when can convince
them to come in from patrol and ambush duties, and the temperatures
are wonderfully cold, something we will all look back on nostalgically
in May.  

  

On a personal note I am privileged to be here, even if it is for the
third lengthy tour, and I say this for a number of different reasons
not the least of which is the opportunity to again serve with young
Americans-the best of their generation-in combat. A second reason is
there is no greater honor for any man or woman than to protect one's
country in time of grave danger, while wearing the nation's cloth. Finally,
I do not think there can be anything more gratifying on this earth for
an American than to participate in the freeing of a people from the
grip of a tyrant, then helping that same people realize the benefits
of democracy. To actua lly exercise the God-given rights of life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness.  

  

I have been away for three years. What I have found in the week I have
been back can only be described as shocking. When I was here last dozens
of IEDs detonated everyday in Al Anbar. Fire fights were as common as
IEDs, and mortar and rocket attacks a nightly routine. The emirs of
al Qaeda and other equally murderous groups predicted our imminent defeat
as they pursued a sick form of extremism no rational man or woman here,
or anyplace else, could fathom. Many in our own country for any number
of reasons began to lose faith-but the soldiers, sailors, airmen and
Marines who fought our enemy to a standstill never doubted or wavered
in their determination to win.  

  

Several days ago I walked through the market section of Fallujah. It
was bustling with Iraqis of all ages buying and selling products of
every description. Adults waved, pressed forward to shake hand