My First View of Iraq

March 5, 2006
5:17 a.m. Local Time
Somewhere Over Iraq

We are flying over Iraq and I am looking out my little porthole and watching the sun rise from 30,000 feet. Black earth with the occasional light ing is below me. In the distance, I can see red/orange as a bright line against the blackness. Then, the color of fire slowly fades into yellows, greens and blues. It is stunning.

It is also very surreal and strangely peaceful. I guess because of what I know that is happening in the blackness, in Iraq.

I must admit, this is my first vision of Iraq and it is not what I expected. I guess . . . if the world were so simple. Sadly, it is not.

I expect to land soon in Kuwait. And on to another day.

Why I am Here and When We Finally Leave

March 4, 2006
9:30 p.m. Local Time
Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany

We sit on the runway at Ramstein Air Force Base waiting to have the plane de-iced. I suspect that our entire planeload of people are dubious as to whether we will ever leave Germany. As I sit next to SSgt Luis Nazarrio, an Air Traffice Controller out of Puerto Rico, I look out the small oval window of the plane.
Across the tarmac, and through the snow, I can just make out the shapes of two dark C-17 Globemasters, very large planes. They are illuminated from behind so I only really see them in sillouette. A de-cing truck is making a valiant effort to clear the wings of one of those planes.

Our captain's voice breaks into my thoughts, this time to tell us that we are again being delayed. A groan comes from the troops and from yours truly. We are all very frustrated. You know, hurry up and wait.

The Captain then refers us all to the C-17's I have been looking at out the window.

Both planes are medivac flights preparing to fly directly into Baghdad to bring injured troops back to Ramstein which has a great hospital.

And with that knowledge, we are all silent. And I guess a little more of the reality of this trip comes into view.

We finally leave German airspace at approximately 11:45 p.m. local time, almost two hours after the airport is supposed to close. They have apparently taken pity upon us.

Auf Weidersehn Deutschland! But I still am thinking about those two C-17's and their ultimate cargo!

Photos from Germany. Yes, Germany

Waiting for a flight that many of these soldiers think may never come. If you look closely at the insgnia on these uniforms, you will notice they are all American soldiers but of different services.

In addition, as their uniforms are beginning to change, the services can't keep up so the same branches may actually be outfitted differently. This photo was taken at Ramstein Air Force Base.
Having dinner with a Air Force Staff Sgt. and an Army Captain in Frankfurt, Germany.
A very small contingent of us are traveling throughout the region. I am the only one from the upper midwest.

Standing in the Haupt Wache in Frankfurt. Great food including Bratwurst und Heiss Apfelwein.

At a rally against the Iranian Government in Frankfurt, protestors stand up against the oppression of women in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Clearly, the people of Germany are very involved and it got pretty rowdy. The number of Polizei was incredible.

This Time For Sure

Saturday. 5:32 local time.
Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany.

I left Minneapolis three days ago. In that time, I ended up on a continent that I didn't expect. I have yet to put on a new set of clothes and the sleeping has come in fits and starts. However, all that being said, I must say that I'm having a heck of a time so far.

The men and women who serve this country are some remarkable and yes, funny people. I have eaten with them. Talked to them about their lives. Talked to them about how they broke it to their parents that they were on their way to Iraq. I've talked to them about their spouses and kids. Amazing stories, all.

As I write this, I am preparing to step onto a DC-10 for Kuwait. As I look around, these people are smiling and laughing. "The 40 Year Old Virgin" is playing in the USO and you can hear the laughs. However, and there is a big however, I can see the strain and the tension in the corners of those laughs. I can see some subdued faces.

Upon arrival in the Middle East, I suspect there will be more. Of course, I thought I would be in the Middle East already, so if you first don't succeed, try, try again.

You Never Know Where You Will Find Friends.

It was after midnight and the snow was flying hard. In fact, there was more snow on the ground than Frankfurt had seen in 25 years. And it was cold too!

I'm an on the backend of day 2 on airplanes. I haven't changed or taken a shower. And it shows. Or should I say, it smells. Of course, I'm not the only one. About two hundred men and women of the armed forces are all in the same boat.

We struggle out of four buses. About 200 U.S. troops and yours truly. They are all in uniform, and I'm, well, a civilian. So we all line up to get into a hotel because we are stuck here for the night. I'm about 50 people back so rather than patiently waiting, I take a calculated decision to head to the bar. I order something with alcohol in it. I am a little proud to say that I am the first but certainly not the last. I would like to call myself a trail blazer but think others must have been given orders.

Lots of Germans in the place turn and look. I'm not sure how well we are going to be received. Let's face it, we are very unpopular around the world.

As I sit at the bar, soldiers are surrounding me and we do our best. . .

Here is the amazing part of the story. I go up to the bar to pay my tab and the woman behind the counter just looks at me. And she says, smiling, "Oh, it has been taken care of. One of our patrons picked up the entire tab." That's right. A German saw us coming and picked up everything.

Sometimes, even with bad press, people still like us. And I think that that is important. I'm not suggesting that we do everything that we do as a nation for popularity and love. However, I think that it is important that we are perceived as a country that stands for freedom. And if we are doing something inconsistent with that, then we should reconsider what it is that we are doing.

You never know where you will find friends.

Greetings from . . . Frankfurt?

As I sit in the lobby of a hotel in . . . well, if you can believe it, Frankfurt, Germany, I often wonder how I get myself into these kinds of situations. This was not my idea. This was the idea of somebody from the U.S. government. Go figure!

We have had some technical difficulties with the planes in Germany upon transfering and then there was the snow. According to my German cabbie, there has not been this much snow in Germany in 25 years. To add to the problem, all of the plow drivers are on strike.

At this point, I suspect you must be wondering about how this relates to Iraq? Well, that is a very good question. And in time, I hope to have some answers for you.

For now, suffice it to say, a good time is being had by all. I have been hanging out with an Army captain from Ohio who has been working with a bunch of the MN National Guard from Arden Hill up at Camp Anaconda in Iraq and a Air Force Comptroller Tech. Sgt. from Puerto Rico. Good stories. Good stories.

I expect to be out of here in a couple of minutes and on my way into Iraq. Stay tuned.

Preparing to Fly into Kuwait

I'm sitting in the USO in Baltimore as I prepare to jump on a flight for Kuwait City. I'm surrounded by Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen. It is strange. The first thing that comes to mind is how young many of them look. Oh, I know they are, because I have been covering them for a long time but when you get up close to them, especially when they are in civilian clothes, you realize just how young they are. They look like my nephews and nieces and frankly, not much older than my oldest daughter.

I listen to some of their conversations and I listen to them talking about high school like it was just yesterday. I guess in a sense, it was. They talk about their girlfriends and boyfriends.

As this trip begins, I feel the stress. As I made my way here from Minnesota to Chicago, it didn't feel all that bad. However, once I changed planes and landed in Baltimore, I could feel the difference. And as I prepare to jump on this flight to the Middle East, this certainly isn't Kansas. I am surrounded by uniforms and the tension is obvious, and not just in me.

With all of this going on, it is interesting watching how some of these guys kill time. You wouldn't believe. They are playing war video games. They talk about who gets killed and who gets to play the terrorists. Its interesting because it seems to reflect, in my mind, just who is fighting this war. I also think it probably allows them to well . . . blow off steam. And if anybody deserves it, these people do!

These people are bright, motivated and prepared. I am curious to see how their training kicks in once we get in country. Only time will tell. . .

In the end, I expect this trip to be very personal for me. I hope to bring you very personal stories and a lot of my own feelings. I hope to write in this blog everyday. In addition, you can hear a lot of interviews on 830wcco.com as well as some podcasts.

For now, I'll sign off but the next submission should be from Kuwait.

A Stress Reliever

March 2, 2006
Baltimore, just Prior to Leaving for Kuwait.

I leave Baltimore for Ramstein AFB in Germany, the first leg of my trip that will eventually lead me into Iraq. And as the trip progresses, I feel the stress increase. And I know that everybody on this plane will deal with the stress in a different manner. We all have our ways. Some watch the in flight movie or play video games.

I see a young Airman. She seems to have a different idea on how to cope. She is looking at something very intently in her lap. It is wrapped in dark brown leather. It is a book and the pages seem worn from use. Some passages, I can see, have been highlighted. That's right. It is a Bible.

As I glance from the Bible up into her face, I have to admit, I do see some peace there. In fact, I have to also admit that it makes me a little envious.

I guess everybody prepares for war differently. And I suspect that no way is better than the next. But if the only alternative is, and I kid you not, “Must Love Dogs,” maybe the young Airman has the right idea. The was the in flight movie and some were engrossed. I don’t know. However, as we get closer to the war zone, I must say that I am looking for my stress reliever with a bit more vigor.

The Family Room

March 2, 2006
USO in Baltimore


You may not even notice it. At the USO in Baltimore, troops await flights that will take them through Ramstein Air Force Base and eventually into Kuwait and into Iraq. It is in the lower level and down a hallway that is not terribly crowded.

There is wireless internet service, there is an ATM, there is ice cream, there is even a big screen television. But there is something more, something in the corner you may not notice. In the corner and down the hall, at the back of the building.

I didn’t notice at first but rather heard it. It was crying from a child. Out of curiosity, and surrounded by soldiers in uniform, the crying surprised me. It was a "Family Room." It contained toys, a TV playing "Robots "and, well, families. Kids were playing and two women were crying and their husbands held their children and were saying goodbye. I moved away as quickly as I could.

We often talk about the troops and the sacrifices that they make, and it is true. However, we often forget about the people left behind, the wives, the husbands, the children, the parents. And of the burdens that they have to carry. And to make matters worse, these people don’t get the recognition for what they sacrifice. But they should.

Just another example of stories we should remember. The stories that are as important!

Is the United Arab Emarites Port Deal Doomed

President Bush has threatened to veto any legislation that would block a deal allowing an Arab company from taking over the opertations at six major U.S. seaports including New York, Philadelphia and New Orleans. The President has argued that the United Arab Emirates is an ally and therefore there should be no problem.

Congressional leaders of both political parties have continued to argue against such a deal. Those opposing the plan include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton. In addition, governors and mayors and also rejected the deal as bad policy.

So, is the President out of touch? Are his contacts in the oil business too close? Why are so many across the country of all political stripes opposing the President?

We will take your calls on The Jack Rice at 651-989-9226 or 1-800-327-8255 or leave your comments below.

On The Road Again. This Time - Iraq.

I have had the privilege to take the show on the road a lot over the last couple of years. Only a couple of weeks ago, I broadcast live from Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. More than 2600 Minnesota National Guard troops are preparing for war and I really wanted to tell their story.
Interviewing a Minnesota national Guard Soldier at Camp Shelby in Mississippi as her prepares for deployment to Iraq.


I also was lucky enough to broadcast another show near the Gulf of Mexico in Gulfport and Bay St. Louis to look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It still looks like a war zone.

Yasser Arafat's Compound. Ramallah, Palestine, 2005.

I have been in Kosovo following our troops. I have gone to Israel and Palestine to follow the Palestinian elections and to take a closer look at the conflict between these two peoples. Imagine standing in Yasser Arafat's compound. I have broadcast from prisons and the Rotunda at the State Capitol. Some might argue about which is worse. However, this next trip should top them all.

Kosovo at Camp Bondsteel with Minnesota National Guard Troops, 2004.



I am preparing to go into Iraq.

Look, I'm aware of the risks and the danger. I know how much I have to lose. I know that this is an extremely volatile war zone that has resulted in more journalist deaths in the last couple of years than the ten years of the Vietnam war. I'm equally aware that with the additional agitation caused by some cartoons makes things even worse. However, the significance of this conflict cannot be overestimated.

My intention is to broadcast The Jack Rice Show from the field. I intend to take you places that you either would not or could not go. This will be a very first person kind of broadcast so I expect it to be very personal and truly unique.

A Massive Church in Gulfport, Mississippi that was gutted by Hurricane Katrina, 2006


Because I will leave for a couple of weeks in early March, March 3rd through the 17th, and because Minnesota Twins Spring Training has already been scheduled to be broadcast almost every day of my absence, there is only one way to hear this broadcast. We will be streaming it on the internet at 830WCCO.COM. This means you can't hear it on the radio. You can only hear it on your computer. So, you need to sign up and it will come through your computer.

Besides streaming, I intend to have a diary where I will give you a close account of the trip, as it unfolds. It should also include as many photos as I can take. I hope this will be as interactive as possible.

In the Capitol Rotunda with Gov. Tim Pawlenty on the last day of the Legislative Session, 2005.


We all hear a lot about what is going on there. The bad and the good. Well, my hope is to bring you what I see, what I feel, in a very unvarnished fashion.

A woman sits patiently in a refugee camp in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after loosing everything. In the end, every story is about one person at a time, 2005.


I hope that this broadcast will be different in many ways than anything that you have ever heard before. Technology will allow me to tape and broadcast in ways that would have been unthinkable not that long ago. On occasion, it might sound very rough. If it does, it will because because it will reflect what is happening on the ground.

I really hope that you can join me.

Jack

Should Gays and Lesbians be Allowed to Adopt?

Sixteen states are preparing legislation to deny the Gays and Lesbians the right to adopt. As some have put it, we have been able to define what family is, now we should be able to define who can have one.

With so many children in foster care, with so many unwanted children in the world in general, does it make sense to deny these people specifically because of their sexual orientation, from adopting?

We will take your calls on The Jack Rice Show at 651-989-9226 or 1-800-327-8255 or leave comments below.

Valentine's Day - A Day to Celebrate or a Scam?

I have a suspicion that Valentine's Day was starting by some large corporation that had a little too much red paper and was trying to find a way to sell it. I mean it!

It is all a scam.

I can't win. Society tells me to buy regardless of whether my lovely bride wants anything. And then I fear that if I don't, she will make me sleep in the garage.

And do with feel obligated to buy as well. I think tnot. I think they just wait around for the goodies to come rolling in.

Am I being cynical? Maybe . . .

We'll take your calls on The Jack Rice Show, 651-989-9226 or 1-800-327-8255 or leave your comments below.

Picketing at Funerals: Free Speech or Fighting Words

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, have been picketing the funerals of AIDS victims for years. Well now, they have changed tactics. They are now picketing at the burials of soldiers and Marines killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Why you ask? Well, because this country harbors homosexuals. That is the justification of the church.

This has caused outrage the many communities and politicians have taken notice. As some have put it, "we need to protect the rights of people to bury their dead in peace." In fact, states are looking at legislation to do exactly that.

States considering such measures include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Does it make any difference to you when it applies to soldiers rather than people who died of AIDS? Why do politicans wait? Does one have less value than the other?

We will take your calls on The Jack Rice Show at 651-989-9226 or 1-800-327-8255 or leave comments below.

Cartoon Protests Turn Deadly

A question of freedom of the press has resulted in riots throughout the Muslim world. They can be seen in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey and Egypt. People have died by the score and it is not letting up.

In the Muslim world, images including the Prophet Mohammad with a turban resembling a bomb have resulted in outrage. Some are calling for the execution of those making the drawings. Or as one cleric put it, "In Islam, God said and the messenger Mohammad said, whoever insults a prophet, he must be punished and executed."

We talk about freedom of speech. But if the result is the outrage we see, is there too much freedom of speech. Should there be some limit?

We will take your calls on The Jack Rice Show at 651-989-9226 or 1-800-327-8255 or leave your comments below.

Both Fred Barnes and Gen Wesley Clark Join the Program

Fred Barnes, executive editor of The Weekly Standard and co-host of the Fox News Channel's Beltway Boys joins the program to discuss President George W. Bush in his new book Rebel-in-Chief.

Fred has been incredible access to the President, Vice President, Secretary of State Rice, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and others to bring an interestin view of this President.
Wesley Clark, former Army General and Democratic Candidate for President will also join the problem today.

The General will discuss international policy, the President's foreign policy and whether our efforts toward building democracies around the country are working.

A Post-Katrina World Out of the Limelight

Gulfport, Mississippi. Looking out on the Gulf, I can't imagine what this place must have looked like as Katrina roared. Reports put water between 20 and 35 feet above its present position. It truly destroyed much in its wake. The photos don't do it justice.
I look at huge churches and office buildings that are twisted and gutted and imagine what power Katrina must have wielded to created this much destruction. Walls, multiple stories high are simply ripped away. Foundations no longer exist. Smaller buildings are only scattered rubble.
As I walk among the destruction that was once somebody's home, I marvel at twisted metal and porcelain that looks faintly familiar. And then I come across a cup. It is whole. White. Not one chip. I set it on piece of the destroyed foundation and photograph it. I don't even know why. It just seems to represent an unwillingness to disappear, to quit, to give in.
After I photograph it, I place it back where I found it. Again, it feels like a burial ground and that I should walk lightly.

Look closely at the red sign in front of this house. It says, "Open House." What you may not see is that this house has been pulled from its foundation and that the back side no longer exists. So, I guess, it truly is an "Open House!"

Again, as I stare out at the Gulf of Mexico, it is tranquil. I can't imagine the terror that this very spot must have provided to those foolish enough to stand hear when Katrina hit.

Minnesota National Guard Troops Train For Iraq

I have had the privilege to watch MN National Guard troops prepare for Iraq. Rather than simply using textbooks and out of date information, we have watched how the military has continually adapted what they are teaching. Soldiers recently back from Iraq help give cutting edge information as well.
One of the most amazing facilities here at Camp Shelby is the Al Jaffah Mock Village. It is set up like an Iraqi town, complete with building Mosque, cars, IEDs and just about everything in between. Soldiers never know quite what they will find here, insurgents, supporters, criminals, etc. What is most remarkable is watching the Guard have to work on their feet.
We flew into Jackson, Mississippi and had to drive for around an hour and a half to get to the Camp, just outside of Hattiesburg. It was very dark but as we approached the front gates, they were prepared for our arrival.
As we drive past barracks, the first thought that struck me was that they all looked the same, all grey, cinder block buildings. Same size. same shape.
I next saw the soldiers. They were done for the day but they were outside of the barracks, by the dozens, with cell phones. A sign of modern technology.
They were calling home. Calling their wives. Calling the husbands. Their friends. Their parents. You!
As I talked with one young solder, I had to step over debris in a mock village. As I stopped in a clearing to talk with a soldier, she looked down at my feet and said, you may have just stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device. (IED). As I mentioned on the program, the purpose of the training is to be as real as possible.



We will be broadcasting live from Camp Shelby on both Monday and Tuesday. Hope you can join us on The Jack Rice Show.

Doctor Assisted Suicide Legal in Oregon

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Oregon's physicial assisted suicide law today, rejecting the Bush administration's efforts to punish doctors who helped terminally ill patients die. The law has been on the books since 1997 and allows patients to end their lives.

Some say that this decision is a very personal one and that the government has absolutely no interest in telling them what decisions they should make regarding those choices. Others argue that the government has a national obligation to protect its people.

You decide. Call the Jack Rice Show at 651-989-9226 or 1-800-327-8255 or leave comments below.

Is King's Dream a Reality or Just That - a Dream?

Martin Luther King had a dream. But has that dream ever been reflected in reality? Many use his image and his words, but do they appreciate the words.

There is racial disparity in jobs, housing, education, even longevity. But is this caused by racism?

Most Americans believe that there has been significant progress toward Dr. King's dream of racial equality. However, is there still racism in this country? Some say yes. Others say that it is now only a crutch.


We will open the phones on The Jack Rice Show. 651-989-9226 or 1-800-327-8255 or leave your comments below.