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Randal, Longhofer return from duty in Iraq
By Justin Baldwin
Nevada Daily Mail
It was hot and dirty. There was raw sewage flowing in the streets and trash and rubble were everywhere. But for a couple of Vernon County Sheriff's Office employees, Special Investigator John Randal and former dispatcher Amanda Longhofer, it was home for more than eight months while they served out a tour of duty in Iraq with the 1139th Military Police Company out of Harrisonville, Mo.
As MP's, Randal and Longhofer duties varied. Frequently they were called on to provide security for military compounds or strategic sites like bridges and manned checkpoints but they also did a lot of work with the existing Iraqi police.
Baghdad, besides just being geographically located on the other side of the planet, is also half a world away in culture and thought.
One of the biggest things Randal and Longhofer had to adjust to is the living conditions. "There were places in Baghdad where you would be driving your Humvee through 12-14 inches of raw sewage in the street. It was nasty," said Randal.
In addition, the air was choked with pollution and dust. So much so that all the buildings were painted a dull brown color to match the dust. Randal said, "It rained over there one day and -- I am not kidding, I would swear on my dad's grave -- it rained mud. That water coming out of the sky was so dirty that when it was hitting the windshields it would dry as dirt and when you used the windshield wipers all it was doing was smearing. It got to the point that we had to stop and throw water on the windshield to clean the windshield so we could see to drive," he said.
Despite an element of violence and insurgence this was not necessarily the norm. "For the most part the people were really friendly. If they weren't it was because they didn't understand what was happening," said Longhofer.
However, soldiers had to stay on their guard. "One of the biggest things is every time you left the compound you had to worry about whether or not you were going to hit a land mine or a bomb rigged up alongside the road," said Randal.
There were connections made though, mostly with the children of the broken country.
"I liked talking to the kids. The kids were just absolutely fun and smart," said Longhofer.
She reported that when the soldiers went over there they thought that they would not be able to communicate with anybody but the children learn English up to a certain age and they were the most willing to interact with the soldiers.
In Iraq there were a lot of things to miss. Both Randal and Longhofer reported that canned ham, beef jerky and Dr. Pepper were hot commodities.
"Pickles were the big thing. If you could get people from home to send a jar of pickles. Dill pickles, because you couldn't get them over there," said Randal.