RECEIVED NOV 29 2001
To: Congressman Shimpkus
RE: Military tour to Saudi Arabia (Gulf War)
Dear Sir:
In response to your letter requesting info
on my military experience; when ({the}) Desert
Storm started I had just completed 13 yrs in
the Air Force and Army reserves and had received
my honorable discharge.
The Army Oil Analysis Program was a
big part of maintenance for both ground
equipment and Air Craft. The only problem
was the Army did not have a{n} MOS for
Oil Analysis and had always been contracted
out. Until my discharge (at that time) I was
the only one qualified to do Oil Analysis
as I was a Lab Chief and Project manager
and Physical Science Technician III as a
contractor. (14 1/2 yrs experience). Although the
Army had 2 mobil [sic] Labs they did not have
the personell [sic] to run them. I contacted FORCECOM
and then I reenlisted to run & train
10 selected soldiers to man one of the Labs
for deployment. I was attached to the 102nd
QuarterMaster Unit/101st Abn Div. out of
Ft. Campbell, Ky. I had some good times
and some bad times. And although I am
ill now and it's hard for me to accept I
am not the same, I would do it again.
Our hardships were many. The older military
{and} those of us with experience in the field
and those with war time experience adapted
as well as ^we could. Those with little or no
experience were lost. They were under the
impression that they would work 0800 hrs to 1700 hrs
then go into town shopping.
We dealt with millions of flies and our mess
tables were so covered with them the tables
looked black. Showers were allowed only at
the end of the day and for 10 min. in length.
On several occasions the water delivered
for our showers were in the same trucks
that had hauled petrolem [sic] products earlier.
The toilets Were impossible to Keep clean
due to the large number of units using them.
Disposal of the waste was by burning in
most cases due to the fact the people
contracted to empty them did not show up
very often.
We had moral problems regarding "Conscientious
objectors. They did not have to pull guard duty, recon
missions etc. consequently they had a lot of free time
while everyone else was taking up the slack.
Weather conditions: by 0430 it was usually around
105ºF. Rainy season usually flooding and constantly
Wet. Winter extreamly [sic] cold at night.
We had scorpions, snakes, bugs and flea's to
deal with as well as more flies. A lot of the
bugs, flea's and Flies were feeding on dead
bodies and carcusses [sic] of {heards} herds of
goats & camels found dead in the desert for
no apparent reason.
Little or no food. Only MRE's (meals ready to eat)
for weeks or months at a time. Some of us
came up with quite a few unusual receipe's [sic]
The whole Battalion coming down with dysentery.
constant alarms sounding. Having Mass (church)
stopped so we could go into full mop gear.
As I said there were also good memories
Meeting new people. One of my duties was to work
with and teach selected Arabs about Oil Analysis.
At first they refused to have anything to do with
me because I was a woman. Earning their
respect was one of my greatest accomplishments. They
began calling me "Madam" and when I left country
they gave me Perfume called Madam. They also allowed
me to eat in the same dinning room. Women
are usually made to eat in a separate room.
Mornings during breakfast 3 male Arab teenagers
would show up at my table and ask me to check
over their english homework. Then in the evening
they would report their grades.
I was required to travel between sites to meet
with various leaders to report, repair equipment
and to pick up reports. Most of the travel was in
the desert as well as across the borders. On
one occasion a Maj. had asked me and
my driver if we could deliver a 4 w drive
to a location we were going to. Without
a thought I said sure. I got in one
Vehicle and my driver the other. We
had to go through a Check point at the
border. While waiting in line it
dawned on me It was illegal for me
to be driving. New female Military personell [sic]
were allowed to drive only Military Vehicles
and must be in Military uniform. I did not have
a Military 4 W drive but a civilian 4 W drive,
surrounded by Saudi Military. My driver was
waved thru the Check point. It was my turn.
At the same time 2 cars filled with civilians
were also in the line next to me. All the
Arab Soldiers except one went to search the
car. The one left, took one look at me, looked
to see what his comrades Were doing and
very quietly motioned me on. From the
time I realized what I had done And being
waved on I had pictured myself in a Saudi
prison. In the Saudi prison system your
family is responsible to bring you food, water,
clothing, blankets etc. If you have no outside
support you die.
I hope this is what you wanted, and I
hope it will help.
My prayers are with my fellow brothers
and sisters who are risking their lives
today for all of us and I pray if they
too become ill, injured etc they will be
able to receive the help they need and
not be forgotten once their job is over
Sincirly [sic]
Sgt Patricia M. Seawalt (Ret)
[address omitted]
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