What is Iraq REALLY like?

[Atomic Lib Smasher]

I know quite a few board members here have done at least a tour there, so what's it like? From what I've heard, your average day is 24 hours of absolute boredom with 5 minutes of fighting.


My dumb sister in law is in love with a penis looking reject in the Army and he's (supposedly) leaving for Iraq this week (me and my wife thinks he is just SAYING THAT so he can go to another state and try to get more dumb hos so he can practice his dickupuncture skills on), and she's a nervous wreck about it and wondering if it's as bad as they say on the news. I know the media turns on the bullshit, but she's a dumb broad and doesn't know that, so... if ya could, fill me in.

[DumbAss Tanker]

There really hasn't been intense and sustained combat since the Marines and Army cleaned out Fallujah.  After that, haji pretty much went over to IEDs though there were still small arms fire, rocket, mortar, or RPG casualties here and there.  People who are not either ground assault troops (Infantry/Armor/Cav/Combat Engineers/Combat Medics) or else in a lot of convoy roadtrips (MPs/convoy guntruck crews/drivers), i.e. FOB-Rats, are pretty unlikely to even directly experience an attack during a tour currently.  Deaths from noncombat deaths (like vehicle accidents) are at least as big a danger as enemy action.
It's safer than East St. Louis or Camden NJ after dark.  For what that's worth.