European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 j stars and stripes sunday March 18 2007 four years in Iraq the Veteran no shaped by years spent at War by Monte Morin stars and stripes Fedewa Iraq at 28 staff sgt Tho Mas Larkin is among a growing Genera Tion of squad leaders who have essentially grown up in the dust smoke and mayhem of Iraq Brash combat seasoned and aged beyond their years these Junior noncommissioned officers have a style that is less schoolhouse than practical Street experience now on their third Iraq Tours they Are invaluable leaders but intimidating Fig ures for Young privates and lieutenants just now cutting their Teeth As the War enters its fifth year what blows my mind is How Young my squad leaders Are in years but How old they when you talk to them said capt Brendan Hobbs the commander of company c 2nd battalion 14th infantry regiment 2nd brigade 10th Mountain division Larkins unit there not just shoot House smart they know people and they know kids and they understand social tone Hobbs said but with that comes a lot of cockiness for a Brand new lieutenant coming in its extremely difficult a lot of the time the cos dont want to give the platoon Leader a Chance for Larkin of Carthage by the army experience began eight years ago after a Brief encounter with higher education to be honest my dad said army or air Force because i went to a year of College and partied my ass off Larkin said with a laugh the Burly father of two said there was never any question about what military occupation he would sign up for infantry was a Given when youre Little and play i Joe you dont say i want to be the commo Guy Larkin said youre thinking about tanks and guns even so Larkin never really thought hed see combat when i joined i remember seeing Drill instructors and platoon sergeants walking around with combat infantryman badges he said at the time i thought they would be the last generation to Wear cubs Larkin found himself deployed to both Bosnia and Kosovo and then to Iraq for the initial invasion at that time 10th Moun Tain soldiers supported special operations forces As they secured critical infrastructure in the Northern cities of Erbil and Kirkuk Larkin returned a second time in the summer of 2004 when the 2nd brigade 10th Mountain division was tasked with de fending Baghdad International Airport from mortar and rocket fire when army and Marine units were Dis patched to the West and South to quell uprisings in fal Lujah Najaf and Karbala the unit assumed responsibility for most of Western Baghdad an area just then boiling Over with sunni Arab animosity now Larkin is roughly seven months into his third tour and assigned to an area immediately South of Baghdad along Iraq violent sunni shiite Divide the biggest changes Hes seen Over these three Iraq deployments have been in equip ment and the tactical abilities of the enemy he said Larkin said Hes also astounded by the array of gadgets he and his fellow soldiers Are equipped with including electronic sensors on humvee that determine the distance and direction of Small arms fire motion activated cameras Gas systems and better Eye Protection some of the numbers behind the War Monte and stripes staff sgt Thomas Larkin 28 of Carthage by stands in the doorway of a farmhouse South of Baghdad following a recent air assault Mission Larkin is now on his third tour in Iraq and has seen the environment evolve with each subsequent deployment i think we get a lot More than we ask for now Larkin said a lot More offt Heshel commercial stuff in past deployments Larkin had grown used to haphazard and Brief attacks from the enemy this deployment he was sur prised to find himself fighting in engage ments that stretched Over a period of Days such was the Case last fall when company c occupied a schoolhouse in a contentious area South of Baghdad for four Days sol Diers were hit twice a Day by coordinated Small arms fire mortars and rocket pro pulled grenades there getting More coordinated Lar Kin said of the enemy there getting bet Ter now they know to watch our sched Ules they look at the markings on our vehicles Little things that they never paid Atten Tion to before there doing now the trick now he said is communicating that sense of urgency to new soldiers that kind of my problem being a Leader Larkin said Ive been Here three times now and i know whats going to Hap pen its a Little frustrating because i expect the newer Guys to know too i guess i expect them to catch on faster it seems to take a lot longer for these Guys to realize there in combat and not just driving around in humvee email Monte Morin at 1461 200 million wars number of Days As of March 19 anniversary 2 medals of Honor awarded for actions in Iraq meals ready to eat handed out 7 liners average amount of water consumed per service member per Day minimum number of prisoners held by us military As of March 2007 contractors killed through end of contractors wounded through end of British military deaths through March 16 other coalition military deaths through March 16 iraqi Security forces killed since minimum number of iraqi civilians killed since 2003 according to the White House 30000 33302 Ira related patients treated at Lan Stuhl Germany As of March 12 7069 patients treated for Battle injuries 17000 army troops who have served in Iraq As of Jan 31 2007 about coast guard sailors who have served on the ground 100000 marines who have served in Iraq As of Jan 31 about 22000 sailors who have served on the ground in Iraq As of Jan 31 93689 airmen who have served in Iraq us military deaths through March 16 2007 23417 us military wounded through March 16 2007 2 us troops missing or captured staff sgt Keith m Maupin pc Ahmed Sousay Altaie