Lt. Colonel Matt Garner in Iraq

Chris' brother Matt has been in Baghdad, Iraq since March, 2008. He is in the central command post located in Saddam Hussein's palace in the "Green Zone". We consider him to be in a safe area, and he does too. But danger is always present in a war zone. I've included a snippet from an update email he sent out. It's a subtle reminder of the threat the soldiers (and civilians) face in Iraq.
"
I was sitting out in front of the palace at lunch today reading and writing and looking around. I was leaning up against a very nice, and very large, stone enclosed fountain with rose bushes surrounding the walk way that goes around it. The entire fountain area is about 100' by 40' with elaborately carved fish and birds to dispense the water when it is on. Beyond the roses is a large lawn with trees and an iron fence that surrounded the original palace enclosure. It was very peaceful and calming to be out there and then I started looking a little more closely. Just beyond the iron fence are the concrete t-walls topped with concertina (razor wire) that are everywhere here. Closer to me were some light stands that sit about two-feet tall and were used to light the path around the fountain. The one that was immediately to my right has a shrapnel hole in it as did one about 15 feet down to my left. As I stood up I noticed three places where the wall around the fountain had damage from rockets that have been launched at us. It was such an apt description of what my experience has been here. Working in a palace while people launch rockets and mortars in "our general direction" to quote from Monty Python. And I live better than the vast majority of Soldiers here."