Photo by: Chris Ob

Robert F. Rudich, a brother of the Chi Phi fraternity and Sergeant in the Army’s 933rd Military Police Company, is currently serving in Iraq. Rudich became a member of the military police prior to attending DU. He was called into active duty shortly after Sept. 11, 2001. The following are excerpts from his correspondence with home that the brothers of Chi Phi would like to proudly share with DU.

“According to the news, the war is over but as military police, our war is just beginning. It will be my job to find all the small pockets of resistance and deal with all the resistance fighters. There is still plenty of action in Baghdad and the surrounding areas.

It is pretty calm where I’m sleeping but we drive all over the place during the day and it is nuts, although for the most part the Iraqis love the Americans and they line the roads to wave to us with American flags and blow kisses.”

In an e-mail, Rudich said that “the heat is no joke, earlier this week it was only a couple of degrees below the minimum Food and Drug Administration required temperature for cooking chicken (152 degrees)! I hope you all are having a great summer and enjoying your freedom, e-mail me if you get a chance.”

“Our job is pretty routine, we escort convoys of supply trucks north from our location in south central Iraq outside the town of Al Nasariyah (the city from the whole Jessica Lynch thing) toward Baghdad to the end of our sector that ends about 50 miles south of the city, but we rarely go all the way into the city. I do have some sad news to report. We did lose a soldier in my platoon on Aug. 8, Specialist Brandon Ramsey. He was killed while in pursuit of suspected Fediym Saddam who had AK 47s and possibly Rocket Propelled Grenades.

So that has hit the company pretty hard. It wasn’t anyone that I was close with, but when you’re in a platoon with someone, you can’t help but get to know them.”

“Over here is getting more screwed up every day as the infantry hands the war over to the military police. It is my job to combat guerilla and terrorist groups and they are becoming very dangerous as humanitarian aid runs short and our tanks, fighter aircraft, and other heavy support gets ready to return to the states. When I’m out here getting shot at, its nice to know in the back of my mind that there is something good to go home to, that I have my best friends in the world to return to.

Mohammed said that if you seek paradise, simply go home and you will find it.”

“I should be all done no later than May 12, or so they say. Wow, I remember when they said June 15, 2003, but it’s just three weeks at the most and as long as I get to go home, I’m a happy man.”

Rudich’s claim to fame is swimming in the pool at one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces.

According to Rudich, it is difficult to serve overseas when his girlfriend is here, and his friends are living the college life.

“Rob, we’re proud of you! Be safe and come home soon!” said the brothers of Chi Phi.

Rudich can be reached by e-mail at robert.rudich@us.army.mil and by mail at:

Sgt. Rudich, Robert F.933rd Military Police Company APO A.E. 09331