Iraqi Tour

I'm on my way home

2006-11-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Well,
I left Ft Lewis on Thursday for my cross country trek. My goal is to do this in four days. It is hard to do when your hiney keeps falling asleep!

Here is a summary of my trip so far:

There was snow in the Snowquamie pass in WA. It was cool seeing snow again. In Idaho, I passed a potato chip factory and it smelled like frying potatoes. In Wyoming, there was snow and wind (gusts up to 45 MPH)! When I passed a ridge (ele 8600) I realized that it was all down hill to VA! I am now in Ft Collins CO, and will try to reach ST Louis today. It will take about 12 hours, but I think I can do it. All I can say, is that I am grateful that the Army is picking up the tab on gas and hotels.

I made a resolution in Iraq to eat at every Hooters on the way home, but I haven't seen any yet. I will continue to look for one!(ha)

Well, off to the Jeep!

My last post from Theater

2006-10-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well, barring anything drastic, this is my last post from theater. I have already left Iraq and I am getting ready here in Kuwait for the 20 hour flight to Ft Lewis.

This past year has been a blur, looking back at it. I am currenlty in the camp I was in a year ago getting ready to move north to Iraq, and it seems like yesterday.

I have learned much, like most people do in a year. I have learned things to do to help my career, and what not to do as well. I have seen some pretty amazing things and some pretty dumb things.

I remember Christmas with the stocking of stuff that Laura sent. I was actually good and did not open it until Christmas. I looked forward to the mail that Laura sent, especially the pictures for the photo album that I kept. Yes, I think part of the scrap book cult is in me.

I liked all the comments that I recieved on the Blogg. They all made me laugh. I am looking forward to see everyone here in the next few weeks. I have to clear at Ft Lewis, and then drive back to Ft Lee. Don't forget about Turkey day at our house this year. The more the merrier.

Again, thanks to everyone for keeping me in their prayers. I will be back in the good old USA in the next 48 hours!

Wild Card 6, out.

Mind dump

2006-10-20T03:13:00.000-07:00

I just finished clearing my unit from theater, so basically the only responsibilty I have is to get on a plane. I am now starting to transform from Company Commander, man who cares about all, to CPT Joe Shmoe who doesn't really care what time it is. I am down in Kuwait currently and the rest of my unit is still in Iraq. They will be flying down here soon. So until then, I will hang out at the Starbucks, or the pool and work on my tan!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone back home. Toby, we will have to lose our selves in several barley pops, Luke and Annie-->Monopoly will be hardcore this year, Dave and Donna-->We will try drink all the brew that you made!

I am still debating on what upgrades to do to my Jeep. The bumper is a definite, so is new doors. I want a cold air intake, but Household 6 is fighting me on this. I want to get a grill guard for her jeep, and KC daylighters for my new bumper. New tires would be nice, someday, along with headers, cat/back exhaust and maybe a throttle spacer...

As you can see, I am not doing good of making my mind.

Homeward bound

2006-10-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are…

I am less than a month left in country here! I am busy packing, and mailing stuff home, and getting the unit ready for redeployment. I am excited to get my in my Jeep again, and eat pizza. I might be out of touch with American reality though.

How much does gas cost now? What is the big political discussion of the day? I heard there was a twist on Survivor. Did the TV lineup change? Laura picked up for me a new cell phone—will I be smart enough to use it? Is drinking coffee still in? What is the favorite song on the radio right now? How much does a stamp cost? What is the office joke of the day being passed around? Will I be able to pick out my own clothes instead of a uniform? Does anyone understand the phrase: “More cowbell”?

What about food? Is there a new chain restaurant that everyone must go to? What is the trendy beer now? Can I still use the grill to the perfection I once mastered? Can I still cook at all in the kitchen? Can I remember how to eat with real flatware on real plates, or am I cursed to a life of plastic ware?

Can I take the military jargon out of my vocabulary? Will I replace the word “home” with “LSA” (Life Support Area), or “post” with “FOB” (Forward Operation Base)? Will I top of the vehicle or go get gas for the Jeep? Will I hold night court for Molly or give her a time out? Will Laura and I have a staff meeting or a discussion? Will I coordinate with Toby or will I ask him? Will I use the phrase: “Did my SH$T fall off?” Referring to my rank to Laura ? (If I know what is right I will never say that to her!) Will I review the force protection measures, or make sure I lock the house before I leave? “Will this reflect” for Molly? Will I convoy to the PX or will I drive to the PX?

Can I live without doing a cyclic inventory (a monthly inventory of 10% of all property accountable to the Army)? What about sensitive items (weapons, night vision, secure communications equipment), I am not sure how they are accounted for back home. What is the basic load back home (amount of ammo to carry on hand)? Will I be checked for ammo and a weapon before entering the DFAC (kitchen)? Will I need to wear a Kevlar in the Jeep? Will I have to wear my IBA (Individual Body Armor) when I leave the FOB (Post)? Will I have to do a convoy brief before I leave for work? Will I have to do 100% personnel and weapons count twice a day? Are there any commo black outs back in the rear?

It will be fun transitioning back to the “normal” lifestyle with the Army back in the States. I know I will feel naked without my weapon and ICOM radio on me. I know that I will be lost trying to pick out clothes for me to wear. Paying for fuel (gas) will be new for me again. I just can’t pull up and fill up at the tanker. It will be hard for me not to write a counseling statement with the magic bullet (a legal statement stating that further behavior may result in you being kicked out of the military) for Molly when she misbehaves. It will be hard for me to not find 1SG when I have an issue with a Soldier (Molly). I have had a change of responsibility with 1SG and Laura . Sorry top!

The first step is admitting that you have a problem

2006-09-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

I have a problem. I am an addict. I really can’t remember when I started. I remember experimenting as early as sixth grade. We had a Columbian exchange student live with us, and he would get some “good stuff” sent to him once a month. Man was that some potent stuff. Then I joined the Army. We have random drug screenings, and banned smoking from most buildings, but still this problem is running rampant in the Army; even more so in the deployed environment.

I can’t see a way to stop it. Some soldiers live on this stuff, and I can understand why. It picks you up when you’re down. It is always there for you. It is versatile in the way you can take it.

I can’t start a good day without it, and sometimes, I use it throughout the day. You can over do it, just ask Laura about the one trip to Seattle. I almost ended up divorced over my use of it. I’ve tried to kick the habit, but it's on my back like a 100 lb ruck on a 20 mile road march. I feel so alive right after I use it. When I have a good hit of it, I need more. You know the feeling when you have…

COFFEE!

Canned Air

2006-09-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Only in modern times are humans mesmerized by “Canned Air”. What is canned air? Is it air? No, so why call it that. Why not call it what it is: Tetrafluoroethane I guess it is hard to think of a marketing campaign for it, so they came up with canned air. What do you use it for? Do you breathe it? Only of you want to knock your IQ down by 50 points! Out here in the desert, there are many uses for “Canned air” formerly known as tetrafluoroethane:

1) Clean the dust out of the computer keyboard: the standard use for this stuff

2) Freeze warts off: yes this actually works, I will not post here how to do it; It does cause frost bite!

3) Fill balloons instead of blowing them up: hey, work smarter, not harder!

4) Dust off the desk: Americans are a lazy bunch of people

5) Clean your weapon: only for dust, not for carbon

6) Scare people when walking up behind them and spraying their head

7) Cleans your desert suede boots: this is my favorite, and it works better than a brush!

8) To see how cold you can make the can: Americans love to waste stuff, even air!

Well, there is the latest news from the front. I will be traveling to Kuwait over the next few days to start ordering planes to get my unit home. Yes, I am on the downward slope of this deployment and now we are adding grease to the slope!

Photos from Kurdistan market

2006-09-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

A trip into Kurdistan

2006-09-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Recently I was given the chance to travel north from Mosul to Dahuk , Iraq (using the guise of covering medical missions with two doctors). It is in the heart of Kurdistan . The area looks amazingly like the Yakima valley, with the town in the valley surrounded by brown hills. The area is known for apples no less either! Hmm, I think there is a sister city connection in the works…

Anyway, Dakuk is in Kurdistan, a semiautonomous region in the north of Iraq . We protected the Kurds from Saddam with the no fly zone in the 90’s. After passing several checkpoints, we realized that we were in Kurdistan , and could put our guard down.

Up in Kurdistan , they look upon the coalition forces as liberators. We hooked up with our “Safe house” family(For security reasons, we had to keep our location secret, as well as the family’s name), through several changing of vehicles so no one knew where we were goingànot even my unit! We stayed with a lovely family who lived for some time in Denmark . The husband owns an electronics company, and the wife a day spa in Denmark , and a beauty shop in Dahuk. They had a 10yr old son who loved America and wanted to join the American Army and become a general. The doctors and I were immediately served some tea and given a whole hearted welcome. We were to consider their house our home as well. The house was of European standard with a western bathroom (which means a lot in this part of the world), a big living room, bedrooms, and a fully equipped kitchen. I could not have been happier with our accommodations.

We soon went to meet the Mayor of the city. He was a gracious host. He welcomed us to the city, and took us to dinner! We had lamb, chicken, beef, salad, soup, bread, and the list goes on and on. That evening we also met a Peshmerga General. (The Kurdish Army) When traveling through Kurdistan , you realize it is a country inside a country. The only thing linking it to Iraq is the currency. They have their own laws, own military, own police, own parliament. They are our closest alley in the region outside of Israel . Back to dinner, dinner usually lasts from 9:00 pm to midnight. Because of the heat, not much goes on during the day, but the city is alive at night. The markets are open, the streets are full. We made it back to our house where there was tea and fruit waiting for us. I did not get to bed that night to well past 1:00 in the morning. I slept like a log, with my 9mm under my pillow!

Oh, I forgot, after dinner, we went to an amusement park! Yes, you read that correct, I am in uniform with a weapon, in a worn torn country riding a Ferris wheel! I even ate ice cream! It gets even weirder! A few days prior, we sent some doctors and nurses to make contact with the hospitals up there. There I am getting off of the Ferris wheel, and we bump into the doctors and nurses! What are the odds of running into Americans from you unit in a city of 300,000+!

The next day we traveled to the hospitals. The doctors did their evaluations while I evaluated the medical supply system and equipment, and facilities. The hospital we visited was better than some state side facilities. One of our missions was to hand out wheel chairs. We started having a “clinic” at the safe house. We saw five people there with a range of injuries and diseases. We issued out two chairs, and went to visit others in town. In town, we issued out a few more.

We then went to dinner. Here is a treat: we arrived at a hotel, and told this is where we were to eat. The hotel was small and the lobby no bigger than a small living room. We took the elevator all the way up, and then continued on the stairs. We eventually arrived on the roof. Placed in a corner of the roof was a table set for us. We had a beautiful night time view of the city with a superb meal with great new friends. We ate for hours, talked about anything and everything. We gave our unit insignia to the hotel as a gift. It was all we had, but they cherished it!

We finally made it home, and I don’t remember my head hitting the pillow! The next day, I was able to break away from the formal clinic visits we still had to do to get some sight seeing in. I wanted to buy Molly a dress. The family and interpreter decided they would find a few for me to look at and I would decide which one to buy. When I hooked up with them later, they already bought it! Thanks! They also bought Laura a necklace! I had such a good time running through the market taking pictures. The ones here are of the little boy I took in a carpet shop. He was about four years old. He saw us walk in and asked his dad for some money. His dad thought he would buy some candy, but came back with Pepsis for everybody! He was an angel. The next is a typical market street. Imagine city blocks of this! I loved it, the sights, sounds and smells of the food, the children playing, the people haggling over prices! The last is of one of the many gold shops! I like this picture for some reason.

Well, there is more I can write about, but I must write a story or two for Uncle Sam. I promise, there will be more! Blogger's not letting me post pictures right now, so I'll try and get them put up tomorrow.

Wow, it seems my Dog comments have stirred the pot. Let’s see if I can add a little gas to the fire:

2006-08-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, I want a dog, with the doggy smell, the whining, the kennel problems, the vet bills, dog food messes, and every other negative thing you can think of. I also want a dog to play with; help teach responsibility to Molly, and some one to blame the barking spiders on. I also want the doggy kisses when I’m feeling sad, or when I am sick. I want to fight over the best seat in the living room with a dog. Heck, he might even win that one sometimes. I grew up always having at least one dog. We usually had two. I think Geocaching would be fun with a dog, as well as herding up Molly when it’s time for dinner. Besides, a cool dog like an Australian Shepherd will look so good in the Jeep. It is always about looking good now isn’t it?

No, I don’t want that mutant thing Stu has. He says it’s a dog. I think it is a biological warfare experiment gone awry. (I’m sorry Metro!) I don’t want Andy who is allergic to his own shadow. 1100 is not too early to drink beer if it is with a meal, like brunch. Alone, I think you would turn heads, but a good Weissen in the morning would be OK, I think. The Margarita is a little too salty for a morning drink. But if you are into girlie drinks, why don’t you put an umbrella in it? (Sorry Toby!)

Lately, I have been listening to Jimi Hendrix. It can be on the same level as Floyd. I can see a lot of medicinal similarities between the two! Speaking of which, we caught a soldier on a whiz quiz who had every kind of finer pharmaceutical product (that are usually made in a central American jungle, or an old tenement basement) in her system. I did not know that you could do all that and still have a pulse!?

Well, the dust is blowing, the sky is brown, and my lungs have about two pounds of sand and dust in them! I haven’t smoke a cigar in a week or two because of it. Why add crap to my lungs when there is all of Iraq in them already! We are on the downward slope to go home. We are all getting excited. I can’t wait to get home, and have real pollution in my lungs, not this natural sand stuff.

I'm still here

2006-08-21T06:01:00.000-07:00

So, I have been a little busy here lately. The hospital was super busy about two weeks ago, and we were busting at the seams with patients. We have now taken care of that. I then have had many Soldier issues. Near the end of a deployment, people want to leave early. Now, every Red Cross message known man comes in requesting a service member to be home for whatever. It is not that simple in a war zone. There are requirements that must be met in order to send a soldier out of a war zone. I have also had some soldier misconduct too, which sucks up a lot of time.

Speaking of time, I have been surfing the net looking for pets to get. Molly wants Casey to return when I do. I personally want something a little bigger. I have been looking at Australian Shepherd dogs. They are extremely smart, and cool looking too. They would look so good in the back of the Jeep while we go Geocaching! Laura is acting like the entire web links I send don’t work, but I know she is just ignoring them! I even found rescue agencies in our area that have some of these cool dogs. I would like to teach it to track in the woods, and maybe herd Molly and her friends!

This morning, we were awoken to indirect fire. It was extremely close. We are talking that we were watching the flashes from our bunker! It was a friendly reminder from the insurgence in the area that they were still here. I bet it would be cool if I had a dog here! Yea, an Australian Shepherd, and my Jeep!

I know I am rambling about the dog, but right now, that is what my interests are in. To be honest, I don’t know if I am up to the task of being a dog owner again. I want to be. We had a blast with Casey, and he was a good little dog. I also remember fostering all the puppies about a year and a half ago. It was a lot of work with the puppies, but a lot of fun too. That is why I like the rescue idea. These dogs are older, and trained. I think Molly would love a dog, and I know Laura would too!

OK, I’ll stop with the dog. To recap: a lot of indirect fire this morning which has thrown my whole rhythm off today. No injuries, but a lot of noise. I have been busy with soldiers and the hospital. I am still safe and sound!

I'm on vacation!

2006-07-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I am starting my travel for leave. It is about time too! Here is a travel tip boys and girls; Kuwait is hot! It is easily 20 degrees warmer here than up north where I am stationed. Also, Kuwait is nothing but SAND!

I will post more once I am home and hung over! I have so many plans: Getting drunk, getting my groove on with my wife, having a drink or three, getting my groove on with my wife, BBQ, getting my groove on...

I'm on vacation, I'm on vacation!

By the way,

2006-06-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

do you know it is hotter than balls here today? I mean hot. Have you ever drunk something that was hooter than piss, like the soda that was on the porch all day? Here, you can literally drink something hotter than piss. If the human body is 98.6, the hottest that urine can get is 98.6. However, if it is over 120+ outside, and your bottle of water is sitting there acting like a solar collector on a Martian spacecraft, the water will be close to 120 making it hotter than piss. Let me tell you that it is not pleasant.

2006-06-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me!

Today started out great. I walked to my office and found my office door looking like this! Thanks to those soldiers of mine that did this! It was a good, hot day here. I also learned a new trick, one that I have been trying to learn for years. I learned how to do a wheelie on a wheel chair. I know, such a big accomplishment. I was so proud of myself; I had to show my commander!

No day is a good day for a death; however, I might make an exception for this. Last night, in the middle of the darkness, two men were implanting an IED in Iraq when, BAMM!, it goes off. One of the men dies instantly, while the other lay in the road for over 18 hours before being discovered. I saw this guys femur bone from the ball joint at the hip to what was left of it about a foot below being tossed into a plastic pail in our OR today. His body looked like a heap of ground beef. I was amazed how the team of surgeons knew what was what in the pile of stuff. There was the occasional fountain spewing artery here and there. There was a lot of blood on the floor, bloody surgical sponges all over the place, and the smell of gang green in the air. The team of surgeons and technicians worked liked a well oiled machine to save this man’s life. I asked if he would live, and the prognosis was not good-he lost a lot of blood, and the total amount of injuries was still not known. If he doesn’t make it, I might make the exception to agree to that!

Well,

2006-05-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

We are having the 101 division band play here at the hospital tomorrow night. We are doing it outside on a flatbed truck with a BBQ! I'll try to post pictures.

It was a little warmer than usual today. It was so hot that I was all sweaty from walking to dinner. For dinner I had ham, rice, carrots, and jell-o with oranges in it! Yummy!

For lunch I had a steak sandwich with Swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, and ranch dressing!

I wish there was more to say, but it is mostly ground hog day here every day! I can’t wait to go to Busch Gardens when I am home, and to go eat Pizza somewhere! I really miss Pizza! Good Pizza, with Pepsi. Pizza always goes good with Pepsi at a pizza restaurant.

2006-05-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been awhile since my last posting, but I have been busy doing many things. First, I had a Danish TV reporter embedded with us for about a week. His focus of his story was the low mortality rates that we have here. During his stay, I was able to get him and I on a patrol to a small town called Hammān al ‘Alil. It is the supposed home of Ali Babba. How true is this, I am not sure. However, all the children there were proud of the myth!

Our trip involved a Stryker convoy that was fun, excited and HOT! The temperatures here are averaging around the 100 degree mark daily now. Once we got into town, we hooked up with the Iraqi Army that had secured the clinic the night before. We brought all sorts of supplies to hold a walkin clinic day there. We saw a variety of ailments from normal sniffles to birth defects and war injuries.

It was so nice to see children running around, playing and making jokes. At the hospital where I work, I only see children that are victims of the war here. Out in the countryside, I see children doing what children do best. It was a welcome relief for me. I am convinced that every Iraqi boy can say in good English: “Please sir, football.” Every boy wants a soccer ball.

Rural Iraq is completely different than the cities. They are poor, but not living in slums that you would see in the cities. There is also a lot of inbreeding. Iraqi society is mostly tribal, and people marry in their tribes. You end up with people marring their cousins and such. This results in high number of birth defects. Some might argue with this, but this is my observation of one trip to one village.

Here is a photo of me winning the hearts and minds of some young boys convinced that I have some soccer balls!

Now I sit here...

2006-05-07T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well,
It's a nice Subday evening. I just had my T-bone steak, potatoes, mushrooms and gatorade dinner, and now I am enjoying a Blondie cigar under some Camo netting. I took half the day off today to relax, and charge the batteries (to quote wedding crashers, which has become my new anthem on life).

A good friend here had to leave early to PCS for a school, and he relinquished Command to another officer. Let's just say there is a lot of growing pains in the forecast for that new Commander and Company.

My garden is growing well. The pumpkin and watermellon plants are growing really well. I stared a bunch of peppers today. They should sprout here in the next three days.

Toby, I have a soldier here who knows Floyd songs better than you or I. She gave me a copy of the Wall since my CD is back at Lee.

It is official, I am on the down hill side of this deployment. I am so excited. My leave splits up this half too, which means after leave, it is only a short little sprint to the finish.

I want to say congrats to my cousin on their upcoming addition to their family. I want to say hi to Luke, and tell him that we need to go surfing again. I also want to thank Laura for sending me the JC Ehitney catalog that started me spending all that hard earned deployment money on the Jeep. Smooches!

That's it for now.

I'm hurt!

2006-05-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

I'm not whining or anything, but I hurt my hand playing vollyball. I slammed my left thumb into something. At first they put a cast on my hand, but I couldn't do much work. Now I have a splint on it and it will be on for about 6-8 weeks. Sucks.

Picture of the day

2006-04-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of me at one of Saddam’s palaces in Mosul. The mural was made honoring Saddam taking care of the elderly. If you notice, he is clutching a grenade. Once Saddam saw this, he had the artist shot.

2006-04-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, not my story, but I'm quoted!

Boston Globe Story

and a link to the story on Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Nice day

2006-04-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today is nice. The weather is warm, but not hot, around 80 today. The best thing about today is that my watermellons are starting to sprout! Yes, I said watermellons. I also have pumkins, cherry tomatoes, and regular tomatoes too. I traded some tomatoe seeds for peas, and started them as well.
I talked to the MWR lady, and with all the folks around here growing stuff, we are thinking about having a farmer's market in about 2-3 months. She has raddishes, peppers, and lettuce. I told her I wouild trade some tomatoe plants for pepper plants.

I hurt my right thumb Sunday, get this, playing volleyball. It is not broken, but I will be wearing a brace for the next 3 months or so. I sent Laura and Molly the x-rays, and Molly just loved them!

Lately, we have been smoking cigars here like crazy. If a bullet or mortar round doesn't get me, black lung disease will.

Well, enough for now.

2006-04-23T18:32:00.001-07:00

I so slept like a rock last night! I needed it. And today for lunch, guess what I had. I steak sandwich! Yumm!

Here's a picture from my flight yesterday. This one is of the edge of the Euphrates river valley. You can see the edge of the desert, and all of a sudden, it is green. I mean green. We flew over goat ranches, and farms. It was nice to see kids waving at us. Most of the villages we flew over were waving to us. That made us feel good. All we ever hear on the new is how this is blowing up and nobody wants us here. Out in the country, rural folks are rural folks wherever in the world they are. I was amazed how some areas were lush green, and then across the street it would be barren. I was also amazed at the irrigation and farming that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

We also flew over some mountains that I still can’t find on a map. They were awesome. I hope to make the same flight again sometime.

It's hot here! And I mean HOT!

2006-04-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here's me at the pool with one of the palaces in the background. Life is so rough. Oh, I have sunburn on my feet and toes! On my toes, can you believe it? I think that is a first.

PS time for coffee-is it good for sunburned toes?

Article about the recent tragedy

2006-04-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

MOSUL, Iraq (April 3, 2006) -- Saving lives is part of the job of the 47th Combat Support Hospital Medical Staff based out of Logistical Staging Area Diamondback, Mosul, Iraq.

Recently, after a suicide bombing at AL Kisik, their medical knowledge and skills were put to the ultimate test.

“We received a call at 11:33am from 1st Armored Division that an improvised explosive device exploded and the CSH would be receiving 15 Iraqi Army cadets that had been wounded with multiple injuries,” said Master Sgt. Shawn Romero, tactical operations center, and native of Seattle, Wash.

According to Colorado Springs, Colo. native Col. James Polo, commander, 47th CSH, at 11:45am we called a mass casualty and activated all medical resources, not only the ones at the hospital, but Forward Operating Base Marez, and Courage.

“Over the course of the next 30 to 40 minutes it became apparent that is was going to be a major event,” said Polo.

According to Lt. Col. Karen Dunlap, assistant chief nurse, from Fort Lewis, Wash., the wounded started arriving by helicopter and they just kept coming.

“We were told at first we would get 15 individuals, but they just kept coming and we ended up with a total of 33 wounded Iraqi’s,” said Dunlap.

Dunlap said once off the helicopter, the wounded were triaged by two Army doctors who decided which wounded needed immediate attention. The wounded that needed immediate medical attention were rushed into the trauma door. The ones that could bypass EMT went to the ward or intensive care unit.

According to Dunlap every individual person in this hospital, no matter what unit they worked in, played a very important role in saving lives that day.

“To the casual observer it is sheer chaos, but it was a well organized chaos, there was never a loss of control,” said Polo, “everyone did a magnificent job that day and as their commander it was a humbling experience to see everyone work together as a team.”

According to Rikkina Pulliam, head nurse from Lexington. Ky. There was a huge communication barrier, but they took care of their injuries and did an excellent job in doing what needed to be done to treat them.

“I have the greatest staff in the hospital, everyone did exactly what was expected, they treated patients, did what they were supposed to do,” said Pulliam, “they did a perfect job and I am very proud of them.”

According to Lt. Col. Thomasine Howard, operating room chief nurse, most of the patients operated on had extremity wounds, wounds on their arms, legs, some with really bad facial wounds. Howard is from Montgomery, Ala. and is stationed in Hawaii.

“We operated on patients for about 16 hours,” said Howard.

Howard also said that it was one of those days that required lots of teamwork, and that is exactly what we got.

“People worked all day, barely got breaks or meals, and just continued to work with no complaints,” said Howard.

“Our job at this hospital is to provide trauma care for Army Soldiers, and Coalition Forces Soldiers, that’s our job,” said Polo. “The day of the mass casualty my staff went above and beyond what was expected and they performed an outstanding job.”

Hi all!

2006-04-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

This chair was given to Sadaam by Yasir Arafat from the PLO. It is now a major tourist attraction at one of the palaces in Baghdad that all soldiers sit in at least once!
Here's a picture from inside Uday palace. This is one of many palaces that Sadaam had constructed, yet he only visited it a few times. He also had this lake constructed. Crazy amounts of money being spent at the cost of his 'people'.

Check out what I saw today, an eclipse!

2006-03-29T06:02:00.000-08:00

Finally posting my story about Dair Mar Monastery

2006-03-25T17:58:00.000-08:00

The day was beautiful, sunny and warm as we drove out to the site. The monastery was situated in the rolling hills of a Forward Operating Base. The hills were green with tall wavy grass blowing in the slight breeze. Off in the distance to the north, you could see the snow covered mountains that border Turkey and Iran with Iraq. The Dair Mar Elia Monastery grounds date back as far as the 4^th century. The present building standing is about 500 yrs old. These buildings were occupied by Iraqi forces during the initial part of the war. The US “Evicted” the Iraqi with significant force, resulting in some battle damage.

Chaplain (MAJ) Landon was our tour guide. He spoke about the function of the monastery in society, and the roles it filled. He also explained in great detail the different phases of construction that took place over the history of the site. For a moment, I felt like I was back in Germany visiting a castle ruin on the Rhine. For a moment, I felt removed from the war.

Afterwards, we all enjoyed lunch at the dining facility. We had the chance to let our hair down, relax and talk about our experience at the monastery. That is what the Silver Caduceus Society is all about; a chance to get together with fellow MSC Officers. Here in Iraq, we open our arms to all AMEDD Officers. On today’s trip we had our DCN, a Family Physician, a Dental Officer, and a DoD Contractor, as well as a few MSCs.

The Northern Iraqi Chapter of the Silver Caduceus Society is an energetic bunch. We don’t sit around and listen to lectures; instead we go out and experience great events. Just last month, we visited an Unmanned Arial Reconnaissance Unit stationed with us at FOB Diamondback. We were given the tour of the equipment and were able to observe a flight in progress. Our lunch time discussions turned into how we could use this new battle field system to the AMEDD advantage.

We have a few other cool events scheduled while here in Iraq. We have a small arms range, an airfield operations tour, and some of the local Charlie Med Companies scheduled to show us their stuff.

My Sunday Breakfast

2006-03-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

It hasn't been too bad here in Baghdad, almost like being in a real city. Almost. This is what I had for breakfast Sunday. I'll post pics of Saddams palace when I get back to my regular place.

Taking a trip

2006-03-18T21:48:00.000-08:00

Well,
I am off on a trip to Baghdad for a confrence. We arrived two days early so we can sight see all of the bombed out stuff. No, I guess that wasn't fair to say, we arrived three days ealry to see all the bombed out stuff!

I am staying on a man made lake Sadaam had built where he has, or should I say, had a hugh palace built. The palace is now in the hands of the coalition as one if it's buildings. We are staying at one of the houses built on this lake. The lake has fish, and there are birds flying around. This lake is big. Really big!

It is much more warmer here than back up north. It is also more tan and brown down here as well.

Well, I am off to sight see. I will take some pictures and post them later. Wow, check out that blast hole!

Photo of the day

2006-03-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

I'm sick

2006-03-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

Not a whine post or anything, but I am sick, really. I picked up some cool drugs at the clinic. My ears were plugged and I had a wicked cough. I took some Claritin-D and Wow! That stuff should be illegal! My heart is pounding and racing, but my ears are unplugged. They also gave me some stuff to snort up my nose to clear my sinuses. It comes with a warning to use only 3 days otherwise you may become addicted. Legal drugs rock!

It's getting warmer

2006-03-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Well,
The quick winter is over, and now it is getting warmer here. Hard to believe, but the temps changed from the 30s two weeks ago to the 70s. With the changing temps came a cold. I have a sore throat, and a wicked cough. It is not "Fired up!"

I started sending home little gifts for my two wonderful ladies back home. I just went shopping again for them-I won't ruin the surprise, but say one is for Molly and one is for Laura.

Work has been keeping me busy. I have kicked out one soldier, and running a Officer Professional Development Program (OPD). Yea, me helping to mold young minds. God help this Army.

Well,
Laura and Molly are off to my Aunt Jackie's for skiing in VT this weekend. Send pictures! I hope everyone is enjoying themselves. On my next post, I will add a photo.

Stress

2006-02-25T04:29:00.000-08:00

Stress. Just the word itself can cause your pulse to race, your stomache to turn over, your palms to sweat, and mind racing.
Stress is caused by many things. Work, home, bills, kids, a dumb ass senior enlisted guy who needs to retire or move off of the battle field, unless he is going to draw fire away from you.., but I digress.

I relieved my stress todeay by smoking a Blondie cigar I bought online. I bought only five, but I think I will need the whole box. I am also thinking about having a health and welfare inspection to find illegal alcohol so I can have a good drink! I already have busted a few soldiers, but that release is only temporary. I need something permant-like a singars radio, the freq to the FA guys, and a grid on the stressors!

Today is nice. It started as cloudy and the threat of rain, but now the sun is shinning, the birds are chirping, and the helicopters are turning their blades. I love the smell of napalm in the morning...(wrong war).

I am taking it easy today with doing some paperwork this morning, and making a video for the family this afternoon. I filmed part of me typing this so you all should feel so privledged.

Well, let me get back to the video.
PS Thanks Toby for the power point! There is some truth in every joke there!

It has been awhile

2006-02-22T06:32:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not posting sooner, but I have been traveling around the country.

Today's post is about language. In the military, you tend to use profanity more than most. We are trying to curtail the use.

Here is some examples:
If we want to say something is really cool, we would say "Chicklets!". If we want to say that is awesome, we say: "That's fired up!" With that, there is the "That is not fired up." If you want to say that you are ready to mess someone's world up, you say "Let's get it on."

I think it would be funny to see Molly saying "Snap!" and "Fired up!"

Gourmet Coffee and Digital Cameras

2006-02-08T08:21:00.000-08:00

I might have talked about this stuff before, but I want to talk about it again.

This, by far, has been the most photographed war ever. Everyone has digital cameras, and everyone is sending pictures home, posting them on the web, and having a good time. I like to think of myself as in the top tier of the ameture photo geeks here. Who knows.

Now, let us talk about coffee. I thought I knew my coffee stuff. I thought I was doing things in the right tradition of Juan Valdez. Boy, was I prover wrong today. Let me explain. No, there is no time to explain, let me sum up.

Apparently, there is a coffee called Pete's Coffee. It is supposedly one of the close things to Nervina coming off of coffee bushes. OK, I had a cup today. It put hair on my chest, took enamel off of my teeth, and made my heart skip a few beats, in other words-->it was good.

I then got a class on on the proper way to make coffee and why at home you can never replicate the taste from a coffee shop. Are you ready? Here it is:

At the coffee shops, the grinders grind the beans and put them directly to the water for your drink. Before the grinder, the beans are kept in vacume containers with no air. Apparently, the O2 will start to take the bold taste away, and we at home are stuck with mediocer coffee. They now sell airtight grinders that will keep your beans in a vacume container and only grind what you need. I though I was doing good with my coffee press!

So, I scavanged a bag of Pete's coffee from my boss. I am working on getting a grinder, and I will only grind the absolute minimum required for that great cup of coffee. Now, if I can only stop burning my tounge!

Capitalism

2006-02-03T06:36:00.000-08:00

Let’s face it, I am fighting for capitalism. I can accept that. I can accept the fact that all things have a price. Free market forces drive pricesàthe whole supply and demand thing. This even goes for necessities like food, water, and gasoline.

There is one thing that is so important that it should be available to all regardless of race or creed. It is the one essential commodity that brings the whole world together. No, I am not talking about precious metals, nor health care. I am talking about coffee!

There is a new coffee shop here on my little post. The prices are reasonable for such things as a cappuccino or latte. However, there is some price gauging going on. And that, my friends, is irreprehensible. It must be stopped. $1 for a flavor shot!

The coffees are going for the normal $2-$4 per drink, but the flavor shot puts it out of reach in my book. I would rather make my own in my super duper, bullet proof, non-slip grip, built in coffee press, coffee mug.

Ouch, my tongue!

Photos from my rocking new camera

2006-02-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Army, I now own a supped up $800 digital camera. Here's a few pictures of my living space.

Weather report

2006-01-29T18:06:00.000-08:00

For Northern Iraq we will have some rain in the morning, followed by sleet. Yes I said sleet, and a little hail I think. It will clear a little and then a sporadic mortar shell here and there for the rest of the day.

Yes sports fans, it looks like we’ll have an indirect fire delay.

All is well. I am keeping busy with my job to say the least. It is hard sometimes dealing with soldier issues. I have no one to vent on, so I spend a lot of my time trying to figure out the best solution to a problem that does not show up in the Army manuals. That is a typical task of any Commander.

Some decisions are easy say, kicking out a bad soldier. The soldier is a dirt bag, so I’ll save the tax payers a few bucks and send him home. Some fall in the infamous grey area: You have a really good soldier who likes his job, loves the Army and all that stuff. He is constantly late to work. What do I do? I slap him on the wrist, I give him corrective training, and he performs well at his job, but is constantly late. Do I crush him? See, a grey area.

But back to the forecast:

We did have sleet today. We did our homework and found out that it snowed here Mar 12 of last year. Snow! I left my cold weather gear back at Drum!

Well, at least I have my coffee….Damn, burnt my tongue!

2006-01-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

The funniest thing you have ever seen. Seriously, if you don' t find this funny, then theres's something wrong with you.

K sports fans!

2006-01-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

Laura picked the game, Seattle and Pittsburg. Now she is also picking Seattle over Pittsburg. I must remind Laura that the professionals in Las Vegas are picking Pittsburg. I haven’t decided who I am going for.

Last week, Carly Goodwin, a country singer, came through our hospital. She was impressed and moved at what she saw. You can read about it on her website/blog: Carly Goodwin I normally don’t advertise other websites, but there is a good picture of her with a little girl here, and a good narrative by her. If you read back over the archives, you'll find she mentions Col Polo, my boss. She does talk about a Chris, but it's not me, just another dude with the great name of Chris.

It is still cold here. When is it supposed to get hot here? I probably shouldn't complain. I hear it gets a little warm here in the summer and I'll probably be bitching about the heat then.

Technology

2006-01-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

Just the word causes us to think of walking on the moon, MP3 players, lap top computers, and the cell phone. It started with primitive man making the wheel, creating bronze, and navigating using a north pointing needle. But let us not forget one of the most import inventions ever created, the spill proof, insulated travel coffee mug!

Please don’t get me wrong, I love this thing. Mine even has a built in coffee press! I couldn’t imagine a civilized existence without it. However, with every great invention, there is a price. Say it isn’t so, but it is. This coffee mug I have is awesome. I think it is bullet proof even! The press works like a charm, the lid screws on to avoid spillage, and there is a no slip grip! But DAMN, it is so insulated, that an hour after I make the coffee, I still burn my tongue!

So this morning, I took my shower, and got dressed. I made my morning coffee, and went to chow. I left my coffee in my room with the idea that it would cool down while I am gone to breakfast. I enjoyed my scrambled eggs and cantaloupe. I come back to my room, brush my teeth, and grab my coffee. No, I don’t drink it yet, I am trying to get every minute of cool down before the great moment of coffee savoring. I get to my office, check my email, and slowly grab my mug.

I feel that the mug is warm, but not as warm as when I made the coffee. This is a good sign, I think to myself. I smell the vanilla creamer mixed with the coffee. My mouth starts to salivate. Every coffee drinker can relate to the moment right before you drink a good cup of coffee. I think to myself, ha, I beat this mug. I take the mug and raise it to my lips, and take a swig (it’s been over an hour remember). DAMN!

Thanks!

2006-01-17T18:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the comments. They make me smile when I see them. Thanks to the US Army, I now have to register my Blog with them to make sure I am not saying anything I am not suppose to say. No, it’s not a big brother thing, (really) but more of making sure that operational security matters are not blasted across the internet for our foes to read. (it's a good thing!)

The weather forecast here is cold followed by more cold, and get this, possible freezing rain and snow by week’s end. Nowhere in the Bible (‘cause I am in the area of the world where a lot of that stuff happened) does it speak of snow. Global warming my hiney, it’s global freezing here!, It's colder here than it is in Virginia, that's for sure.

Nothing much else going on here, which is good if you ask me. I guess it’s too cold for the enemy to do what ever he does. Heck, I don’t blame them. If it was up to me, we’d all be home for the winter, snuggled up watching the Super Bowl during regular hours instead of early hours of the morning over breakfast.

By the way, who do you think is going to be in the bowl this year?

And a shout out!

2006-01-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

A shout out to all my peeps that read the blog. Post comments! They make me feel all warm inside.

Ok, fine.

2006-01-13T17:28:00.000-08:00

I have been criticized lately for being a little negative. Maybe I have, but I've had a bad, busy week. So, I will try to be a little more on the positive side and lighten things up a little

I finally moved into my new, private office. I now have an official office where I can chew a little butt or slack off on the computer and nobody will know the difference. Pretty cool. For my room, Laura sent me some pillows, pillow cases from home and cork board squares for that MOD look. Now my CHU (Containerized Housing Unit), or trailer, looks like a dorm room inside. I also got two blazing pink flamingos, but they won’t go out until it stops raining. Hard to believe, but it rains here, a fucking lot.

Laura also sent the most important thing I could have out here, a coffee mug with a built in coffee press! Laura, you can have whatever you want because of this! I mean it! There is nothing like a good cup of coffee in the morning-even if you are in the middle of nowhere. Now just keep sending the creamer I like.

I sort of have given up sweets! Hard to believe, no more dark chocolate for me! I have been trying to eat healthy, and lose some weight, and work out a little more. I went down from a large belt to a medium one! And now, my pants are starting to get lose! I really have to use the draw strings in my pants otherwise I will give this part of Iraq a show!

Here is a special B-Day greeting to Kate! Happy Birthday Kate! Friday the 13th is always good for a party! I want to see pictures of debauchery and drunkenness! Boobs would be good too!

Got to get going and start surfing the net, - I mean work on my machine. The door is closed (in my new office!), who’d know?

Same old situation...

2006-01-12T11:57:00.000-08:00

I was going to ramble on today about third world workers on how it takes three months for them to do a project that takes the west three days, but my daily duties brings me up to an old friend, paperwork.

Today, I was signing paperwork that is required every month to account for all items that I am responsible for in my unit. I need to have a copy of all the paperwork for myself (CYA), my supply room, and my higher command. I am sure that my higher will probably make a copy and send that to their higher. Just my three copies ended up over 80 pages! Now, multiply this by a twelve month deployment and you get 960 pages! Now don’t forget the amount of printer toner that I will be going through and that there isn’t necessarily a Staples that I can go to and get toner that quickly!

Oh, and here is the kicker, if I don’t need this paperwork, I can shred it! So now I have to go through hoops to get a shredder to make more of a mountain with this paperwork. So, I have 960 plus pages and if I don’t need it, I can shred it to make it fill a dumpster! I thought the Army was trying to be ecologically friendly. I see their plan is to kill all the trees so we don’t have to worry about them!

Sometimes, I just don’t understand the Army. I really don’t. It is like the thinking the Army is trying to instill in Army medicsàbe a trained killer, but if you don’t kill the guy, render the best medical aid possible. That is like a car body mechanic being a contestant in a demolition derby. I just don’t get it, I can’t multi task.

So,

2006-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

I guess I could apologize for not posting lately, but why do that. I’ve been busy. I have traveled around visiting the other half of my unit, and catching up on paperwork. Hard to believe what this Army was like before paperwork. Imagine, an Army where bullets were bullets, weapons were weapons, and no paperwork for any of them. Is there a Santa Clause?

I digress. If you have been keeping up on current events on the world stage, you might have noticed the rash of violence in my part of the world. I am safe and sound, I promise. However, we have been very busy dealing with the aftermath. We had a busy night, and I am paying the price today with the lack of sleep.

I apologize, but I must go on my tangent again about paperwork. What is it with the Federal Government and accountability? I understand in the rear and all, and I am for it. However, when bullets and mortars are firing, do they really expect me to account for every one of my unit’s rounds that I use against the enemy? The answer is a big, fat YES! (I can tell you stories of back at Ft Drum and Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan) Yes, if my soldiers must use their weapons, I must account for every round that they fire. Can someone tell someone who will listen that this is like how many waffles are eaten in a Waffle House? Now, I must do this on all items of property. From telephones to rifles, from computers to compasses, from rounds of ammunition to unit flags, that is what a large part of the Army, and command, is all about. I thought it was leading troops to meet the enemy on the battlefield, engage the enemy, and destroy the enemy. Live and learn.

I learned a lot in the past week of so about how the Army sees junior leaders. I also learned that many senior leaders don’t always agree in how something is said, yet agree on the message. Yet, because the manner the message was delivered was not “correct” they (senior leaders) will tend to blow off the message. I have been called a “Great Action Guy” meaning that if you need something done, I am the man to see. If you need something said, don’t ask Washack unless you want to hear some pink elephant truth that we really don’t want to hear or deal with. I know I am sounding a little bitter, but on the battlefield, you need to be action and not words or ceremony( don’t get me started on ceremonies).

I went on long enough. I hope everyone had a good holiday season (i.e. Christmas). I wish I could have been home, but nope. I would promise that it won’t happen again, but who knows when I’ll deploy again. Hopefully, not too soon.

Christmas came and went

2005-12-31T12:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went in Iraq. Santa came on a darkened C-130 and was gone in a flash. He left me two pillows that I wanted! It's cool to have real pillows on my bed. Laura sent my watch that Molly got me for Father’s day over a year ago. The band was replaced, as well as the battery. I didn't want to bring it over to Iraq, thinking it would be safer at home, but I'm glad Laura changed my mind. I sure missed it. It was my favorite present. I also received a slinky that Molly picked out and some cool movies. I received some late boxes with more movies, books, juggling balls and other cool stuff. I can’t fail to mention the awesome Chocolate cake that Jen made. Thanks.

It rained for three days and now the streets are covered in this fine mud. One thing about Iraq and the middle east in general, there are no storm drains in the streets. Not much rain, so not much need for them. Consiquently, the mud and water stand in the streets until the sun dries them up. I saw a porta-pot truck trying to suck some of the mud and water up, ha!

The insurgency has been quite, not much going on. It's so quite that the powers that be now want us to plan training schedules and start acting like we're back home. Never mind that we get shot at and are running a hospital with patients all the time. Never mind that every so often we receive a note from the insurgence with a 60mm mortar tied to it. This modern day Army crap is starting to get old. I will change some of this stuff when I get to the rank needed. Oh, the Army will dread the day I make rank...

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from an undisclosed location! Here's a picture of the tree in my orderly room. Charlie Brownish, sure. Would I have it any other way, no. I do wish I was home to spend this time with my family, and I am sure my soldiers feel the same way. However, since we can’t, we're enjoying the time together. Tonight, caroling, tomorrow a patient litter parade with Christmas decorations. For Christmas eve, we signed out the post theater and will be watching classic holiday movies such as It’s a wonderful life, How the Grinch stole Christmas, A Christmas Story and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Only the best!

It's been getting cold here. I wear the smoking jacket or silk underwear every day. It's even rained a little lately, with more scheduled during the holiday weekend. The enemy has apparently been busy with holiday shopping because it's been unusually quiet. I have been filling my free time with problem soldiers. Yep, not all soldiers are angels, and when they need to see the “man”, I show them the error of their ways. Hate to do it, but I have one soldier who will be standing in front of me Christmas Eve for a little article. I’m not doing anything “to” him, he's the one who did it, I am just filling out the paperwork. Unfortunatly, this is normal in a deployment. Around the 50-60 day mark, soldiers learn the rules, and how to get around them. They get caught, and I get to deal with the disciplinary paperwork . Sometimes they lose rank, sometimes they just extra work, most of the time, both. They think I'm a little harsh, but in war, the enemy is harsher.

I am also the Public Affairs Officer for my unit. So far I've taken over 2000 photos (yes you read that right!) since I've been here. I've also shot many hours of video. I've been producing small, 3-5 min videos for the unit. They get shown at mass functions like award ceremonies and such. I am slowly compiling them into a DVD that all the soldiers can take home to share with their families what happened here. Most of the photos/ videos are light hearted. I have one currently that is a tear jerker. I can’t wait until this year is done, to make the DVD and show everybody. Tim Rosenstein, watch out!

I hope all are having a wonderful Christmas. I wish for you a white, warm, cold, dry, wet, quiet, or loud Christmas (you fill in what you want). I'll be here! Hey, don’t prisoners get conjugal visits? I knew I should've done insider trading but noooo I had to join the Army….

2005-12-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

It is cold here this morning. I can see my breath-even when I breathe through my nose. I am wearing my black fleece smoking jacket all day today I think. I hung up my Christmas lights last night. They put a big smile on my face! I thought of when I was stringing lights with you last year, funny how something so small can put a big smile on your face. I also hung the calendar up in my room. It looks better there. I will probably pick up a small rug today-they are about $6. I am still looking for a TV stand. Right now I am using some cinderblocks and a board. I bought some computer speakers from the last commander. They had two small speakers and a small sub woofer. I hung the small speakers last night, and placed the woofer under the desk. It made the world of difference in sound. I was playing the palm pilot through them, and it sounded unreal.

Loves and kisses

Smooches!

Me

Near beer, can it really be beer?

2005-12-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some interesting facts. Near beer is .5% alcohol. So, 10 beers will equal the amount of alcohol of one beer. I would like to meet the guy that can slam 10 beers without vomiting, or peeing to death to get the buzz off of one beer.

But lets continue with the math, shall we.

10 NB=1 real beer
5 RB= one decent buzz=50 NB!

Dude, that has issues written all over it!

Nice little trip

2005-12-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

(Disclaimer: I cannot be too detailed, obviously for security reasons)

Today, I went to another camp here in Iraq to visit their chow hall. I had heard it was just awesome and needed to check it out. Of course this entailed me leaving my 'safe haven' and braving the “New World Order” to get to my free lunch.

I and some buddies threw on our battle rattle, loaded into an up-armored HUMVEE and took a little trip. As we drove we saw a very poor side of the city we are in. There was not much there, but squalor quarters and dirt for kids to play in. The kids would stop playing to look at us. I must mention that most of the drive was on the compounds. There was only a small portion where the trip was on or better said across another road. The road would be cleared before we crossed.

We made it to the other compound, and realized where we are living is a “Club Med” compared to how primitive their compound is. We made it to the chow hall, parked, dropped our gear, and went in to eat. This happened to be the chow hall that was bombed last year. The US has re-built it from the ground up and placed a memorial for the fallen soldiers. It is probably the nicest chow hall in the Army - seriously. I'm so serious. It was way better than any chow hall in the states. There are tiled floors, Jazz playing in the background, and high quality food everywhere.

After our scrumptious meal, we threw on our battle rattle, and started home. We drove down a hill and could see other parts of the city that we live in. I have been told that this city has a very beautiful section in it, but hadn't the chance to see it. Today, I got that chance. I saw big white houses, palm trees swaying in the breeze, a big beautiful Mosque overlooking a neighborhood, and the Euphrates river in the distance. I would love to visit this place again when all this mess is done.

I finally saw more of this country than the compound I am on. I have cabin fever already and I hate it!

Beware of the Big Stogie

2005-12-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

I finally received my humidor in the mail with it’s load of precious cargo. Last night, one of the other Commanders and I lit some up on the roof and took a moment to reflected on recent events. Mind you, I love a good cigar, and understand the reasons why you do not inhale. My young Jedi master next to me, made the mistake once or twice, and got a buzz and had to retire early! I had to laugh-loudly!

All that was missing from the evening was a good beer and a fire!

Groundhog day two

2005-12-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Things are the same here-like every other day. No cool stories about VIPs or some firefight somewhere. Lately, I have been helping people make videos so they can send home to their families. I am currenlty working on one to send back home too.

I am starting to run more and eat less. I noticed in a picture of me that it looks like I am gaining a little weight. Quit laughing Toby! My run this morning was uneventful except for that my PT pants now have mud splattered all over them. They water the roads here to keep the dust down. When the dust hits water, it turns into a fine mud! Yuck!

I apoligize for not updating tha past couple of days, but when everyday is the same, it is hard to find something to write about.

Groundhog day

2005-11-29T13:02:00.000-08:00

Well,
It is starting. What you ask? Groundhog day. Everyday is starting to look loke the other. Yes, some tasks in the day are different, but basically, everything is the same.

I wake up, I do a little pt, I take a shower, go to breakfast, then to work. At around 1200, I go to lunch. I usually end the day around 530 going to dinner. I then either watch TV or play some computer games before I go to bed. Every day! Every day! Every day! (get the hint?)

There are some things that throw a wrench into it. There is the occasional mortar attack, or VIP visit. I have met the Sec of Army, and a couple Generals. I have also met a few high ranking Iraqi Generals too. Then there are the mass casualty events. Hopefully, we won't have any more of them.

I am starting to like my near beer. The Coors one is probably the best to me. Today, there was a detail repairing some fighting positions. They took a break at 1030 to enjoy a beer-near beer that is. They were drinking Becks near beer. It seemed odd and all, but worth a laugh. For one soldier, it was her first beer. She is only 19. She chased the beer with a red bull! I think that's worst!

The weather here is beutiful. At night, it is in the 40's, and in the day up to the 70's. Of course sunny, and an occasional cloud. We did have a rain storm about a week ago. It rained all night, and they led to mud for the next two days.

Not much else right now. Hopefully, it will stay that way.

Later.

Mail Call

2005-11-27T01:34:00.000-08:00

Laura has been sending me stuff almost every day! Now my parents are in the game as well. I am the most popular guy in the mail room. In fact, the mail clerks come to me to tell me if I have mail or not.

Hey, if people want to send me mail-go right ahead. Here are some things that I need:

Slippers
a coffee mug with a built in coffee press (laura is still looking for one)
a new pillow-I brought a travel one, but now I am sleeping on a twin bed

Here are things that I have found over here:
I found a rug store. They had a hand woven silk rug for $900. It was only 2ft by 3 ft. I have found little trinkets and such. Also, the jewelry is very nice. However, the prices have jumped up since the initial war. I found a Noah's ark charm braclet for Molly-it was priced by the weight. It was not cheap, that's for sure. There are also the fake rolex's, and other high end watches. The going rate for those is around $50.

There is also a lot of marble, bronze trinkets, tea sets of all types, and of course, souveniers. Let me guess. Everybody wants a t-shirt?

My Thanksgiving was wonderful. I hope yours was the same.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

Well,
I am writing this entry as personal notes to my readers. I want to thank all those that are reading it and posting comments. Thanks.

Laura,
Loves and kisses. Say hi to everybody! I hope you didn't spend too much money at the scrapbooking store!

Allie,
I apologize if I write in incomplete sentences or phrases. I am no longer at ECU, and I did a brain dump of all of my English 1000 rules.

Stu,
Thanks for my G-string!

Jen and Toby,
Thanks for being the best neighbors. Jen, I will send you half of my tax free money for some chocolate cake!

Dave and Donna,
Thanks for inviting Laura and Molly for Thanksgiving!

Molly,
Thanks for being the doodle bugs! You're my favorite doodlebugs, in the whole world!

That is what I am thankful for! Thanks!

Some pics of us at work

2005-11-22T23:38:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of one of our Non-Comissioned Officers supervising the loading of a UH-60 with patients . On this day, we saw many wounded-US and Iraqi. Not everything that goes on here gets picked up by news outlets back home.

Don't woryy boys and girls, I will get a picture of me and post it.

Another quick note: The Command team here, including myself, will be pulling Guard Duty for Thanksgiving. It is the least we can do for our soldiers.
Again, Happy Thanksgiving! (except the forementioned assh#$%!)

Mother F*$#@!

2005-11-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

Some one tried to kill me this morning! Let me re-phrase that: Someone tried to kill someone this morning-in my vicinity! At 05:00 this morning, some butthead fired three mortars at our FOB! They landed, shook the ground, woke me up, and forced us to get into cover!

I am all for someone fighting for a cause: Fighting for the fallen regime, fighting for your country, but fighting in the name of religion? That is like have sex to save a virgin! Aren't we suppose to love eachother and all that crazy stuff?

Bottom line, everything is fine. We were woken up early, people running to bunkers-some with no shoes, some with shoes on the wrong feet, some with all their gear (geeks), some with very little gear(not me either). I was in the middle of the spectrum.

You could officially say that we had our cherry popped. We were getting lulled into this false sense of security with no fighting and all.

Other than that, things are going good here. I've had to go on a diet and limit the food intake. There is so much food here at the chow hall, it is not funny. I've made some slide shows and a video to the song "Pretty Donna" from Collective soul. I will try to get it posted on the front of the blog.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone (except the AS!@#$% who fired on us)!

2005-11-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

I don’t consider myself religious by any means, but when I saw the deceased soldier being wheeled down the hallway, I crossed myself like a good catholic. Why?

I saw our country’s blood spilled on a floor of a hospital. Again, I asked why?

I watched my soldiers perform like a well oiled machine. I did not train them for the large number of casualties, they just did it. Why?

I helped Iraqi Army soldiers out of trucks with tremendous injuries. They did very little complaining. They are some of the bravest people I know, fighting for their country. They continue to go and look for the enemy. Why?

No chow or shower this morning. No laundry drop off. No idea when this mass casualty incident will end. We stand ready to help those who can not help themselves. I am proud of my soldiers. More proud then most will ever know.

So here I am...

2005-11-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

So here I am, in a combat zone. And now the Army bureaucracy kicks in. What's with all these daily status reports? I should only send in one at the beginning of the day, and everyone should assume there are no changes until I tell them otherwise. Has anyone ever heard of the Federal Paperwork Reduction Act? I am not making this up. It was a law passed in 1995. The goal was to reduce paperwork in the Federal Government. However, since adoption, paperwork has actually gone up over 100% in the government - and the military leads the way! Status report please!

I am learning how to work with the program Movie creator and Nero here. My goal is to make some cool ‘home’ videos here - for the unit, and for me. It’s a lot of fun. For example, I’ve mixed pictures of the facility with AC/DC music—and done a slideshow of my commander to the song "Heartless" by Heart! I might have to change the music before I present that one.

In my former Army life, I was an Air Traffic Controller. I ran into a bunch of ATC guys here. Amazingly, I knew the 1SG, and we gossiped about people we both know. It’s a small Army. There’s a new bunch of controllers coming in this winter, I might know a few of them as well.

I also discovered free moral calls. Laura was on my ass about calling on the debit card, so I decided I’d better figure it out. The quality is not the greatest, and it is only for 10 min, but hey, it's free. I feel I shouldn't have to give AT&T my hard earned tax free money. This brings up another point…

Presently, the military is pushing CFC - the Combined Federal Campaign. It’s a program where soldiers can give money to charities of their choice. I am all for charities. However, the military mandates that every soldier be given the opportunity to donate – which means a mandatory briefing with a sign-in. Where in the private sector is this done? Asking a soldier in a war zone to contribute to a charity just seems bizarre to me. The percentage of soldiers that are donating here is low, go figure. We are already giving so much - some with our lives. And now they want more. Am I going to give? Let's just say...

She's going to live...

2005-11-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

The policewoman will live. She will be a quadrapalegic. Her life won't be the same ever again.

On a brighter note, Condeleca Rice was here, for about 20 min. The rotars on her helicopter never stopped turning. Yea, you can tell she really cared about the city.

I am finally settling in to a routine here. One thing is for sure-I always have rock hard buggers!

I am slowly learning the little shortcuts of life here to make my stay a little more enjoyable. Laundry is next day turnaround, I know where the faster internet is, I made friends with the vet detachment so I can play with the strays before she puts them down, I found the supply stash and made it my own...

I am slowly getting there. Life is not a bunch of roses, but it's not septic tank either. I have been out of sorts lately and I apologise. I think it is the phase of the moon...

2005-11-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

An Iraqi Police woman was abducted today and shot through the neck. Someone found her in the street, and took her to the local University hospital. They transferred her to us because of our capabilities. She was doing her job protecting her community, and this is the way she was treated.

COL P had me watch the operation to help me understand our purpose here. That, I can understand. What I don't understand is the nature the woman was treated - being abducted and shot. That really bothers me.

We don't know yet if she'll survive. She lost a lot of blood. We gave her four units in the first couple of minutes. Her BP was low, but her HR was OK.

The Army sent men to the area where this happened to secure it and look for those who did this. Small arms fire broke out, and we sent in Apache support. Small arms fire continued for about 1/2 hour. Yes, I am in a war zone. I see the affects here in my AO, I hear the affects in the city. I wonder sometimes why all this death and destruction must happen.

If I don't sound my usual self, I'm not. I am trying to deal with the big picture instead of my just lane. I'll be fine, I know it. I have to be.

I want everyone to know..

2005-11-06T00:09:00.000-08:00

I would like everyone to know that Laura is the best in the whole world! I miss her terribly. She is keeping the house together, and raising Molly to be the wonderful child that she is. She email's me Molly's school calndar to keep me informed, and I really don't have a say in anything-because of distance-but she is always there. I wish I was there for her.
Laura, I miss you, and love you. You are the best thing in my life! You are an awesome cook, the greatest mother, and my best friend! Smooch!

Now, for everyone else, here is a pic of my living conditions out here. It is really rough!

Talk about sand

2005-11-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in writing, but after 23 hours of flying-the last thing I want to do is sit down and type.

Anyway, I've been here at an intermediate staging base for three days getting some last min. training. It's hot, windy, sandy, did I mention hot?

Things are going well. The food is great here. It is going to be hard to lose weight here with all of the food and stuff here. There is also a subway, pizza inn, a PX, jewlrey shop, gym, library, barber shop, beauty shop, alterations, cleaners, and probably more that I haven't found yet.

I will send Laura my mailing address when I get it. It will probably be another week before I get that.

Talk to you more soon!

My last Blog entry in the US

2005-10-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

I was packing up last night and this morning and thinking of what to say. I have a lot to say, and so if I ramble, please bear with me.

I decided to make a top ten sort of list. Actually two lists-one of things I will miss while I am gone, and one of things that I will not miss. The lists are longer than 10, but hey, it’s my Blog. So here we go:

Top things I will miss while gone:
1) My Family. Laura and Molly are my life. Laura is the strongest woman I know and Molly has me wrapped like every little girl does to her daddy.
2) Friends. There are so many to list. However, I will mention a few:
a. Toby and Jen and the beer tasting with Dark side of Oz on the TV. Our daughters our great friends. Your dogs are crazy and I love them the same. Jen, your choclate cake is a state secret. I will send my address to you-hint. Toby, I drank my last Alskan Summer ale last night thinking of you and a stoogie at the fire pit. Toby, don’t PCS with out me!
b. JP and Em and the ever changing lives of actually becoming parents. JP, I never thought we would grow up, let alone raise kids. We have come a long way from ECU!
c. Stu and Stacy. Stu, you keep laughing everytime we talk. You have been there since the racquetball thing at 358. Stacy, you are raising two kids, God bless you.
d. Dave and Donna. You guys are my family outside of Laura and Molly. Dave, I couldn’t imagine this world without you. You are very smart, a little right wing, and a wicked bass player. Donna, you are a perfect match for Dave. You have a great little boy, Zack. I can’t wait to see you guys this spring!
3) BBQ. There is so much that will fall into this category. There is North Carolina BBQ like at B’s in Greenville, NC. There is also Kings BBQ in Petersburg, VA. Then there is Eric next door. And of course, my grill. I want to kill a cow when I get back!
4) Poker games. We had a casino night here about a month ago. I miss the games with the Lowders.
5) DVR/TIVO. I will wait and see what kind of TV I will have over there. There is more to life than the Army, and I don’t want to be isolated from the rest of the world.
6) Mt Rainer. I have done a lot of backpacking there in the past two months. I am looking towards the day when I can backpack with Molly and Laura there-not necessarily to the top, but along the wonderland trail and catch the sights.
7) Geocaching. This is an activity with GPS going around and playing scavenger hunts. I will miss this. I do have a travel bug that I will take to Iraq, take a picture of it, and send it home to Laura to put somewhere.
8) The changing color of leaves in Fall. Right now, the leaves are turning wonderful colors and falling here in Washington State. I will miss that. Instead, I will have desert tan for the next year.
9) Taking care of the yard. Normally, I work in an office pushing paperwork and never really seeing and result of it. With yard work, you see the result, and there is nothing like a good looking yard. At Ft Lee, there is the rigged yard of the month competition. Rigged I say because some Bataan Rd resident who lives across from me won third place one month! (I only jest)
10) Busch Gardens in Williamsburg VA. Only 45 min away from our house, and yes we are season pass holders. Some of the best coasters I have ever ridden are there, and it is probably the most beautiful amusement park in the world. If you have never been, you need to go!
11) My Jeep. It is my escape vehicle from the world. I can go anywhere, and with top off, Hannah and Molly look so cute!
12) The civilian lifestyle. I will miss changing into shorts, shirt, and sandals.

Things I will not miss while I am gone:

1) Bi-partisanship. I am talking about the polar divide in our country. I studied Political Science in College, and observed other countries at work as well. Other countries have issues too, but after elections, most bury the hatchet and get to the business of running a Government. Ours officials are constantly trying to prove how the other is wrong, corrupt, or whatever for political gain. This is just me, but I thought our representative are there to do what is right for our country. Instead, there is a system-a machine- where elected officials are constantly trying to get re-elected. Hey, if the people don’t want you there, fine. Don’t fight it. You are a servant for the constituents that elected you.
2) Whiners. Everybody in our great land has the right to complain about whatever. However, if you do not present a realistic solution to the problem, please quite down so others who are trying to work the issue can work.
3) Frivolous law suits. I understand the reasoning behind our legal system. Don’t abuse the system. Ambulance chasers are partially to blame. Our society is the other for allowing it to continue. I work in the medical community, and I see the costs of medical care go up because of it. Medicine is as much art as science. There are something science/ medicine can not correct. There are also things called accidents. They happen. Have you ever dropped a glass on the floor and watch it shatter on you kitchen floor? Are you going to sue the glass maker, the floor maker, your husband who left the puddle of water on the floor that caused the accident? Why would I sue the heck out of someone who, in an accident, caused me to skid off of the road into a ditch and wreck my car? I just want my car repaired. Life happens.
4) Ignorance of our Constitution. Most US citizens have never read the US Constitution. Most don’t realize that the US Constitution is our second form of Government. Our first was the article of Confederation. Once the states realized that it wasn’t working, they started forming the present system. I’m not telling people what to think, but I do tell people to read it. You can find a good version of it, with sub text, at: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/avalon.htm
5) To add to the whiners list, I would like to say that if you do not like what are politicians are doing, you can vote them out. Most people do not vote. People in other countries are dying for this right. An argument is that there are no good candidates, fine. You run then. If you don’t vote, or run for office, please be quite, and move to the back of the room. If you do not like the room, the door is located back there as well.
6) We live in a society where you do not have to contribute to the society yet reap the benefits of it. For those of you, I ask that you stop taking the benefits, start contributing, or go with the previous group and find the door. I wear a uniform for those individuals who contribute to society, make it a better place for others, and to defend it. Those who do nothing, I will move out of the way for any incoming Artillery for you. A quick note-you don’t hear the rounds that are going to hit your grid.
7) Celebrities that have something to say. I want them to say something-their lines. Do I care what there view on world peace or global warming? Only if they are an expert on the subject. A celebrity is in the public eye because they can act or look good. Fine. I accept that. Who cares what you think. I would appreciate you doing what you are good at and move along.
8) Censorship. We all have the right to say things as long as they are not against certain laws like slander and national security. Any who feel that they have the right to limit what people say, think, read, listen, etc., should move to one of the following places: N. Korea, China, Cuba, any Islamic country, and any backwater island not claimed by any country. Again, I wear a uniform so you may do this.
9) Those who oppose the military. The military is a tool of the Executive branch of our government. We are here to defend, protect, national disaster clean up, and anything else that our chain of command deems necessary. The military is a necessary evil. Sort of like a landfill. No one wants one in their neighborhood, but we need it. Otherwise, our trash will lye in our streets.
10) Zoolander type phones. You know the ones I’m talking about. The phones that are smaller than half a pack of cigs and it is physical impossible to talk on. What’s the deal with them? They are completely impossible.
11) 20 min previews at movie theaters. People like movies because there are no commercials. If we wanted commercials, we would watch the super bowl. And on the subject of movies, the price. Movie industry folks say that making movies are more expensive so they must charge more. Here’s an idea-don’t pay actors/actresses un-godly amounts of money. Why is someone worth $10 million to work on a film? Really. Do you think our priorities are a little askew on this?

I think I covered everything. I would like to thank the home office in Ft Lee VA for all that they do. I will be OK. I fly here in the next few hours. I will be at my duty station soon enough. Thanks everyone!

Too much time on my hands

2005-10-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Shotgun rules

There I was feeling down...

2005-10-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

There I was feeling down. It was a typical Seattle rainy day and the wind was blowing. Laura and Molly had already left for Yakima for their flight Wednesday with my cell phone - so I couldn't even call her for a pick-me-up. I dropped off my Jeep with my father-in-law Frank this morning, so I can't drive off to escape the doldrums. My favorite meeting of the day, where we could laugh and joke and let our hair down, was turned into an all business meeting with no fanfare. I needed to be squeezed in the middle.

I went to the chow hall to grab dinner 10 min before they closed. It smelled good, and I figured since I am there when it closes that I could get some extras. I
go through the headcount and grab my tray before I hit the serving line. I walk up, and see something green. I wasn't sure what it was, until I walked up on it.

I started to laugh, it was stuffed peppers! I was laughing because of a story my brother-in-law Tim was telling us this weekend, about how his mother, Marilyn, would
make stuffed peppers and force him sit at the table for hours until he finished it. He now can't stand green bell peppers! That made me smile, Thanks Tim!

Ticking away, the moments that make up the dog days

2005-10-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well,
I can check off one of the things I wanted to do before I die-I went to the Laser Floyd show last night. Laura and I went to the Seattle Center last night and saw Laser Floyd Dark side of the Moon show. One word to describe it-->Friggin' Awesome!!

First, you can sit in leaned back chairs, or the preferred method-bring pillows and blankets, and lay down on the floor to look at the screen above and around you. I was in Floyd heaven-with 15,000 watts of sound, and an incredible show projected on a planetarium ceiling. Toby, you should be jeolous.

Second, I was with my honey that I haven't ween in a few months. And it was our anniversary! What a way to celebrate five years. I counldn't have picked a better woman to share my life with.

This weekend, I am visiting family in Seattle. Monday, is our deployment ceremoney, and then I am just waiting for my flight.

I will write more later....

Um, yeah.

2005-10-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?

Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever," --Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.

I was thinking...

2005-10-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

I was in Seattle on Saturday. I went to the Experience Music Project. If you ever get the chance to go, you should. It is a cool inter-active music museum. Anyhow, I spent lots of time in the Jimi Hendrix exhibit. The exhibit is very in depth, starting with his curiosity of music as a child all the way to his death. There was this showcase about his appearance at the Woodstock music festival. They were showing a film of Jimi (with his first group: The Jimi Hendrix Experience) playing his version of the Star Spangled Banner. At first glance, I didn’t think anything about it. I’ve heard this rendition countless times.

As I watched the film, the camera panned through the crowd. Every so often, there would be a young man standing at the position of attention, long hair, no shirt, and covered in dirt and mud. (I'm assuming they were prior military) Some were waving American Flags with the stars replaced with the peace symbol.

It film started to touch me. As I continued to watch the film, they showed Dick Cavett interviewing Jimi about that rendition. Jimi was asked if he thought it was disrespectful of how he played it. He stated: “I thought it was the most beautiful thing I ever played.” That hit me.

Then I continued on in the exhibit and saw Jimi’s second group, Band of Gypsies. His bassist was an old army buddy of Jimi's from Ft. Cambell, and the 101st ABN. Then it dawned on me: America is more than the borders of this country. It is more than what is considered tradition. It is what all of us inside this country that makes it what it is.

It is not defined by certain words or sayings. It is not defined by protocol. It is defined by what we say it is. Yes, some of these opinions might offend others. But I am in a career field that helps guarantee that we all have the oppurtunity to define America in our own way, regardless of what we say or how we do it.

Jimi loved his country. He joined in the ranks and defended it. He was also a part of the counter culture that was emerging throughout the world. Yet, he was America - and a part of our culture. At the time, he was frowned upon by those in power who “defined” what America was.

When I see people on TV claiming that someone else does not love their country, it burns me up. How does one show love for their country? How do you express it? Must you always agree with every decision made by the elected officials to show you love your country? If that was the case, there would never be candidates to run against and we would move from a democracy to a dictatorship.

How would our founding fathers like us to use our right of Freedom of speech. Would they like us to agree with our leaders and officials? What if we didn't agree?

They fought for it then, Jimi fought for it then, and I fight for it now.

What a Party!

2005-10-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday night our unit had a Casino Nite party at one of the civilians houses. We used play money, so you all can get over the gambling thing. There was food, beer, 3 Black Jack tables, 4 Poker tables, a Craps table, Kino, Roulette table, and beer. Did I mention the keg O’Beer? There were dealers and of course waitress, to get you more beer.

We played for two hours - with prizes for the top three money makers. You started with $2000 bucks. I was up by a lot - really I was. I won $1000 on a $20 Kino ticket. Then I was winning $300 hands of Black Jack. But it happened. I lost about 10 hands in a row on Black Jack. So I went to the Roulette wheel. It's my favorite game - but that thrill lasted about 20 min. So I went back to Black Jack and, well, basically, I lost the house, the Jeep, Molly’s College money, and I am pretty sure I filled out an allotment form! (ha)

No, all I lost was the play money. I had a blast though. The top money maker was, get this, the Chaplain! I am not making this up. I don’t think it's fair because of his connections upstairs, if you know what I mean.

It was a great time though. I would love to host a party like that someday with Laura. It was a lot of work to pull it off - especially with the staff and all. I've never thrown a party with a staff. That would be interesting.

Getting more Troops

2005-09-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Today, and for the next two days, I will be at Sea-Tac Airport picking up soldiers to depoly with us. Today, there are 40 something other soldiers coming in. Over the next two days, there will be over 150 other soldiers coming in to "Beef up" are numbers.

It is kind of funny-since I arrived here over a month ago. I am already over the shell shock of the move and I have my own groove going here. These soldiers will just be getting use to things here when it is time to deploy.

I am still trying to figure out what to do on the 4-day weekend. I wonder if Laura and the bank account would let me go to vegas???

What a beautiful day.

2005-09-26T04:46:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day in my North West neighborhood - the temperature is in the high 60's and not a cloud in the sky.

I spent part of the day geocaching. It is basically a scavenger hunt conducted with a GPS, with prizes at the end. Check out www.geocache.com for more info. {Jeep is currently sponsoring an opportunity to win an all-new 2006 Jeep Commander, the first 7 passenger trail rated Jeep 4x4.} I found one cache with a travel bug, but couldn't find the another cache. The coordinates kept leading me to some guys yard. Either I was off, or the coordinates were. Toby and Jen, I sent you a message through the geocache web site - I hope it works.

Work is picking up. I’ll be working next weekend, but I will have a 4 day break the following, Columbus Day I think. No plans yet.

Hey, thanks for all who are calling and looking in on Laura and Molly. They are my most prized part of my life. Again, thanks for looking in on them.

Oh, and by the way. Did you know it was: "Spouse Yard Work day" at Ft Lee? It was a great success sponsored by the Bataan Rd Yard of the Month club!

Lord, take me downtown, I'm just looking for some tush!

2005-09-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

I must start this posting with a story Laura told me on the phone. I was at the Post Exchange on Ft Lewis when my cell phone started ringing - to the tune of "Another brick in the Wall". It was Laura. She asks me did I know why she just marched Molly out of the bookstore. Of course I didn't know so I asked why. {Bad idea. When your spouse or significant other asks you a question like that, try to distract them with a slight of hand or something else.}

Anyway... Laura begins to tell me the story, it goes something like this:

Molly was playing at the Thomas the Train table with another little girl. All was well; the girls were playing, Laura had her coffee, Molly had her chocolate milk. The other little girl decided she wanted to play with Molly's train. This did not sit well with Molly. Molly, being the innovative thinker that she is for a three year old, decides to turn around, drop her pants and shake her hiney at the little girl saying: “Hiney, Hiney, Hiney!" Of course, Laura was mortified and took a screaming Molly out of the store, leaving the milk behind.

Now, Laura is telling me all this while I’m in the PX at Lewis. Of course, being the man that I am, I busted out laughing to the point of tears. Laura then firmly stated that it was not funny. I am sure, at the time, it wasn’t. However, I think if she removed herself from the situation, she’d find it extremely funny ~ our daughter dropping trou and chanting hiney, hiney, hiney! I don't want Molly to do it again, but I do have something to embarrass her with on her wedding rehearsal dinner!

"That's no moon, that's a melon. A giant death melon!"

2005-09-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

Laura says this is hilariously funny, but you know Laura. Just click on Darth Tader and judge for yourself. Me, I can't see the link because of all the damn filters they have on these Army computers.

I have never been so wet...

2005-09-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

Today we did a Convoy Live Fire exercise. Basically, we were acting as though we were driving along the Iraqi countryside and were ambushed. This is a fun range where we get to fire our weapons from the vehicles as well as dismounted. Today made for a good training day. In the Army, the saying is: "If it ain't raining, then we ain't training." Well, it was a misty rain all morning; and we did a hell of a lot of training. Don't get me wrong, I had a blast out there, but even my underwear got wet and I hate wet underwear.

The pic is of some of the soldiers engaging targets off of the vehicles. In this unit, there are a lot of soldiers who are normally not in a combat unit. I took great pleasure in introducing one soldier to her "War Face". She will now, on command, don her war face, growl and show the enemy what she is made of.

The worst part of the day was at the end-the sun came out. I spent all day with wet underwear and now the sun is out to say "Hey, it's Friday. Enjoy the weekend!" Now, all I have to do is dry my underwear.

Sweet!

2005-09-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Climb to Glory!

2005-09-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

OK, I did it! I'm smoked, but I did it! I hiked up from Paradise (elev 5400) to Panorama Point (elev 6800). It was only 2 miles-but a very hard two miles! Going down was far easier than going up. That was of the hardest four miles I have ever hiked.

The weather was this: 49 at Paradise, with a little snow on the ground. Up at the point, about 4-5 inches of snow. I couldn't tell you the temp, I was sweating a little from the hike. We hung out up there, messed around in the snow and ice, then headed on down. If the weather had been clear, I would have been able to see Nisqually glacier and almost to Camp Muir (elev 10,030 ). The pics are of me, the elevation sign at Panorama Point, and a foggy tree on the way down. I am planning to do this again. I learned from the ranger at the visitors center that Camp Muir, the highest elevation camp, was only about a mile and a half beyond where I was-across an unmarked snow field and glacier! This hike is not for little kids, but a must for Toby and JP!

We stopped off and had a bite to eat right outside the park. It was the tastiest burger I have every had. A huge hamburger patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, topped off with a fried egg. Tasty!

I, the tour guide.

2005-09-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

I took two fellow officers up to Seattle for the morning. We headed to Pike Street Market to get some coffee at the 1st Starbucks, and to grab a pastry at Piroshky's. We then walked the market, saw the fish throwers. They wern't really doing much fish throwing. So we decided to walk to Pioneer Square, by way of the Lusty Lady. Happy to report that the sign saying it was to be torn down is no longer on the building. Perhaps the city of Seattle has decided to keep this landmark. Here's a pic that Laura took while we where there in June. Popped into the Magic Mouse toy store, but it wasn't the same without the Doodlebug. We then drove by the Seattle Center.

The weather today was not supporting are sight seeing operations. Yes it was raining in Seattle. Mind you, that this was the first time that I have ever been in Seattle and have it continuously rain on me. So we made our way back towards the S Tacoma Mall for some indoor shopping. It was a good little outing.

Tomorrow, I plan on going up to Paradise to do a little back packing. The forecast is for sunny skies. Lets hope so.

Joy

2005-09-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

I have the palm pilot hooked up and working. Here is a pic of me in my new, empty office. I am not going to bother sprucing it up since we will be leaving here soon. The pic is not my best, but hey, I took it myself with my new toy - a palm pilot/digital camera/MP3 player. ~ This thing rocks!

More stuff is being added to our schedule that I think is a little too much. Things are getting done, but in a hair on fire sort of way. We are knocking down targets for deployment but not in a coordinated effort. We have a common schedule but there is so much to squeeze in to it that some things are left undone for a later time. Will they get done? They must. How? Probably on the weekends. I already know that I will be at a range next Saturday. Joy.

This weekend? Saturday in Seattle for coffee and sight seeing, and Sunday at Paridise to do a little backpacking. If you do not know, Paridise is a ranger station on Mt Rainer. It is the highest point to drive up on the Mt, about 5400 ft. There is an overlook of one of the Glaciers at 6200 ft and I think it would be a great way to break in my new boots!

Huh, who knew?

2005-09-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Brewtoid

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase mind your P's and Q's.

Back to the grind.

2005-09-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back at work and the train is flying at 100 MPH! Before I didn't have enough to do-now I have a lot to do! It will get done-maybe not to my standard-but it will get done.

The weather here is beutiful. Mt. Rainer is looking so nice in the afternoon. On the news this morning-the frezzing level was 10,000ft. It is suppose to rain this weekend-so I might just hang around the market in Seattle and have some good coffee.

I will be finally getting an office this week. A phone and computer are in the works too! The unit commander is the most common sense, practical boss I have had in a long time. I hope to become the same someday. I wish I had a picture of me to send, but not until my office is running and my computer.

Toby-->The Alaskan Summer Ale is going down so smooth!

Later

Molly in Ocean City

2005-09-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Molly is truly a travler. We were on our way to the mall to pick up some shoes when she ended up at th eboardwalk in Ocean City NJ to visit Pop Pop Dennis.

We really have to keep our eyes on our little girl or who knows where she will end up.

My vacation is going well. Doing yard work, playing computer games, watching TV. I go back to Lewis on Monday. From there, back to work.

Stu, Stacy: Laura opened the Moon eternal on Katamari! It was over 824M big! Laura thinks she has Carpul Tunnel Syndrome from playing!!!

Molly and Marty Feldman

2005-09-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

News Flash!!

Molly has been infected with the Marty Feldman syndrome. It is so horrible. Only pictures can describe her condition. See below.

Let loose from the noose

2005-08-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well,
1st I must apologize for not updating this often. The network at Ft Lewis will not let me do this since it considers this a chat room. So, when I have access to the web from other than an Army source, I can do it. Laura and I also worked out a way for me to email her and have her do the updating. So, I apologize.

Anyho,
I am currently at Ft Lee. Lee you ask? Yes. Why? Because the CSH is not ready for me. There is a lack of office space, computers, IP address, and other things that the Commander suggested that I take a few days off and go a visit my family.

I am not complaining. I will jump at any chance to get to see Laura and Molly.

I posted a pic of my lodging (ie the barracks). I do have a view of Mt Rainer from my room. I am happy to report that my hair is growing.

More to follow.

At Ft Lewis

2005-08-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

Well,
I wasn't really expecting the red carpet rolled out for me, but I am worried about the structure of the unit I am with. I understand their priorities, and mission, and vision, but a lot of details are going un answered.

I will be with good soldiers from all over the country. I had lunch with a bunch today, and I am very impressed with the professionalism, and motivation that they have for the mission. I am also happy to see how all the soldiers (officer and enlisted) work together for a common goal. This is a welcome relief from other places that I have worked.

Hopefuly, I will be able to fly home for a quick visit on Labor Day weekend. I learned this today, and I am very excited about it. Also, we are planning my mid tour R&R braek. We are aiming for a suprise for Molly's B-Day.

Currently, I am at my brother-in-law's house. They are thinking now about keeping the Jeep while I am gone. My sister-in-law really likes it.

Hopefully, I will have web access in the next week at work-otherwise, I have to come all the way out here to log my trials and tribulations.

I saw pics of where I will be staying at in Iraq. I will be staying in trailers for another word for them. I already asked Laura for the name of the Flamigo lady!

Later

At the Mother-Inlaws

2005-08-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

I've made it to Yakima Washinton. Over 2600 miles, $350 in gas, 5 days, dodging tumble weeds, going up to 8600 ft, in a rag top jeep with no AC (that's why I have the rag top.)

My inlaws took me out to dinner and Margaritas last night. Please tell me there are no pictures of it (ha).

I'm going to rest a day here, and then continue to Ft Lewis. I still haven't recieved a return call from them (the unit) so I guess I will find my own room and figure it all out later.

I need to clean the Jeep. There are more dead bugs on my car than squirles at Ft Lee.

Musings from the road.

2005-08-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

(Laura logging in for Chris)

I'm doing well, seeing lots of great things. I've seen Lincoln's childhood home, Harry Truman's home, the Wild Turkey distillery and the Kansas City Royal's baseball stadium. I was surprised how big it was and how close it is to the highway. You could see right into the outfield. It was pretty cool. Oh, and I saw the Arch, and damn it's big.

And hard to believe, the interstate 29 bridge over Missouri is out, so I'll be taking 70 to Denver instead. I'll get to skim by the Great Salt Lake, Laura says it stinks, so I'll have to stop by and take a whiff.

Tomorrow I'll be driving by Fort Riley with the speed of light, and not looking back.

Gas prices so far:
Fort Lee ~ 2.34
Beaver, Wv ~ 2.69
Lexington, Ky ~ 2.69
Nashville, Il ~ 2.69
Oakgrove , M0 ~ 2.55

And Toby, the haircut is great. The wind sheer off of my bald scalp is keeping me cool.

The Deployment haircut

2005-08-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friendly neighborhood "Stylist" Toby, now look like my long lost Uncle Zed (see pic on the side). No, seriously, that's Toby and I after my ritual head shave.

Molly doesn't mind it though she wishes it was longer. She thinks it is funny to touch. Laura, on the other hand, says it makes my head look round like Charlie Brown!

Thanks Toby for haircut. It was a lot of fun.

Also, check out my friend Stu's web site at: http://www.smwfamily.com/

Party Time

2005-08-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the party is over, the mess is being cleaned up as I type. I want to thank all of those that tried to kill the keg. We didn't kill it, but it was floating last night.

The highlights of the evening included Jim and his guitar, Stu and Jim talking politics, Laura trying to change the subject, the ongoing bet on if Toby is going to return, Jason and the everchanging beer mug, the kids including Molly in the pool and playground, the food, the cigars, and we can't forget the flamigos!

Again, I want to thank everyone for showing up and sending me off in style. A special thanks goes to Colleen for helping Laura put this whole thing together.

I don't know if there are any pictures of the event, but if there is I will post them here soon.

Thank

Getting ramped up

2005-08-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

Well,
I finally have orders in hand. This is just the umpteen time I was suppose to go and now it looks like I am. I am enjoying the two weeks of leave before my trip.
Stu and Stacy were great hosts for us. Talking about High School, GA, and other events that we can't talk about in front of our families!