Today's NArmy

Finally Home!!

2007-11-26T06:06:00.000+03:00

Well folks, this is my last post for this blog. I thank you for following me during my travels and Iraq experiences. My trip home was much longer than when I came home during during R&R. I got home after midnight on the 20th.

For Thanksgiving, I am thankful that I am home safe with my family and I was able to share a delicious Thanksgiving meal with my family. Unfortunately many of my brothers in arms are still in Iraq fighting the good fight. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Tomorrow it's back to work in a Navy uniform on a Navy ship. I would take leave, but we are planning a Hawaiian Vacation in March, so I need to save my leave.

Thanks again for everything!
Rob

Picture: Poster that my youngest drew & colored of my three girls for my welcome home (L: C [youngest daughter]; C: K [wife]; R: J [oldest daughter])

Customs & Milk

2007-11-19T13:09:00.001+03:00

Today we had our Customs inspection on EVERYTHING we own. Nothing like carefully packing your bags then have a customs representative empty out all your stuff onto a table and then touch, feel and inspect everything with a fine tooth comb. That was just for our checked baggage.....Tonight we get to do it again for our carry-on items.

Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, is much nicer than the other two Camps I've previously visited. The facilities here are first rate including the Gym and Pool. My Warrior Trasition Program is complete and now it's time to travel for over 40+ hours on various planes, through various airports in order to get home.

Milk: One thing that I'm not sure if I mentioned was the fact that in Iraq they only have Ultra-High Temp (UHT) milk....YUK!!! I can't stand the stuff and I WILL NOT DRINK IT. If I eat cereal, I usually have Yogurt on top instead of UHT milk. In Kuwait they have FRESH MILK!....I've enjoyed it with every meal since I have been here. Sometimes it's the little things that count.

I may have a few more blogs before I close this one out and start another. Before I forget, I'd like to thank all of my loyal readers and supporters out there. I have enjoyed writing about my experiences in Iraq and receiving emails, care packages, letters, and blog comments from my supporters. Your support helped to make this deployment go by a bit quicker. THANK YOU!!

While I was not excited about being away from my family for so long, I do know that the job I did in Iraq mattered and I personally saved lives and helped my Army Battalion to capture a mess load of bad guys. We lost a few soldiers along the way so please keep those families in your prayers. We have recently turned the corner on violence in Iraq and life for all Iraqis is getting better by the day. Keep all of our forward deployed soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen in your hearts and prayers.

One Step Closer...

2007-11-17T10:14:00.001+03:00

Well Folks,
I'm in Kuwait (out of harm's way) attending the Warrior Transition Program. Flew to Kuwait on a crowded C-130 and then we were bussed over to another base.

Day 1 was weapons turn in. We showed up and cleaned our weapons for turn in. They were meticulous during the inspection so most of us had to "re-clean" our weapons. Once the weapons were turned in, we had the rest of the day to relax. I went to the pool, hung out at the MWR tent playing Halo3. The rest of the day was spent Geocaching. The decompression time is definately needed.

Day 2 was gear turn in. The process is very quick and smooth. We were done in less than an hour. The rest of the day will be spent doing much of what I did on day 1...decompressing and relaxing.

Day 3 will be death by briefs (PowerPoint). Oh, joy!

Be home soon. I love you K, J & C!! See you soon.

Bird, Bats & Boats...

2007-11-15T04:40:00.001+03:00

1: An Iraqi bird I see every time I run around the Lake.

2: Bat house on Camp Victory.

3: Boats in a boat house on Al Faw Lake.

My time continues to count down.....until my next post!

Happy Birthday C!! I love you K, J & C...see you soon!

Blogging

2007-11-11T23:23:00.001+03:00

The few, the proud...

2007-11-10T14:36:00.001+03:00

Happy 232nd Birthday to the United States Marine Corps

I've worked with many Marines throughout the course of my career. I've come to understand them; I admire them; I love their work ethos; and their esprit de corps. Here are three specific things I've learned about Marines from Marines:

1) Marines live by the "rule of threes"

2) Marines have better situational awareness (SA) than most Army Soldiers because of the OODA Loop

3) Marines are the most disciplined service in the DoD

The light is getting brighter!

2007-11-08T23:09:00.001+03:00

I've turned over my job completely to my relief and he is doing well. Now I just sit back and answer any questions he might have from time to time. Now it's time to start packing my junk and mailing some of it home. Did a little GEOCACHING near where I work.....Gonna try to log a few more before I leave. That's about all for now....More later!

As promised

2007-11-04T20:28:00.001+03:00

Moon Rise over a man-made lake at a military installation in Baghdad.

The crescent moon is on the bottom of the moon....which until I came to Iraq was new to me. Count-down is clicking.....

Thanks for stoping by for a visit! :)

5K T-Shirt

2007-11-01T23:48:00.001+03:00

Here's my Halloween present....Hope you all had a bunch of treat-or-treaters!

K, J & C...I love you and I will be home before we know it!

More Tour Pics

2007-10-31T16:36:00.000+03:00

Pic1: Ooops, I think a bomb hit this place!

Pic2: Scary Stairs

Pic3: Houseboat for sale :)

Pic4: Fun on a AAA gun! Wheeeee!

Pic5: Why is the roof on the floor?

5K, Tourism & Mice!

2007-10-29T19:29:00.001+03:00

First pic of of me after the Halloween 5K near a place called 'Z' lake (Because of it's shape)

Next three pictures are from Victory Over America Palace

Last two pictures are from the Ba'ath Party Conference Palace

Let see...where to begin? On Sunday I participated in another 5K run. This time the run was on Liberty around Z Lake. I invited some fellow Narmy sailors and they showed up. Instead of running as fast as I could, I took it easy and ran with a shipmate. The run was actually fun...we kept each other motivated throughout the run.

After the run we had breakfast and then a little re-rack time (NORP: Naval Officer Rest Period). Then we met up in the afternoon for some lunch and then a guided tour of Victory Over America Palace and the Ba'ath Party Conference Center (See previous post of outside pics). The tour was very informative and we were able to see much more than we had seen from the outside.

The Victory Over America Palace was close to being completed but in 2003, the Coalition Forces stopped production. Parts of the palace are beautiful and other parts are not even close to being to finished. We were able to go up on the roof and look around.....nice view.

After the VOA Palace tour, we mad our way over to the Ba'ath Party Conference Center. This building is WAY messed up! My goodness, we sure did do some serious damage to that building! Most of the rooms are intact except for the one demolished corner. We did get to go into that room. It was a stadium conference room, but instead of seating 250 people, it now only seats 10.

The 5K and Tours were a nice change of pace.

Last part: Mouse. There is a mouse in our office and he's been partaking of PowerBars out of my desk drawers....so I've had to empty my drawers to keep the mouse out......

That's all for now....more pics later!

More Al Faw Pics

2007-10-25T14:28:00.001+03:00

Top picture is of the Main Ball Room in Al Faw and the other two pictures are of one of the main spiral staircases in the palace.

More Palace Pics

2007-10-24T05:24:00.000+03:00

These pics are from inside the Al Faw Palace Main Ballroom.

Last week I spent quite a bit of time in the Al Faw palace and took some more pictures of various things. I'll post more pics in the coming week. My relief is on-board and I am training him up on the job I am doing. The job is ever changing and it will take him a little while to get up to speed. Because my relief is now sitting next to me, I should be home by Thanksgiving. Things have quieted down in the past few weeks, but the job keeps me busy. That's all for now...more soon.

Computer Fixed

2007-10-19T22:42:00.001+03:00

Winged Man Statue of Abbas Ibn Firnas (Arabic: العباس بن فرناس) near BIAP

My Apple MacBook is back on-line. Woo Hoo! Funny that I couldn't find any resolution on the Apple website. After a quick Google search, I found this article which fixed my problem. I think my DVD Super Drive is going bad. I'll have to get it looked at when I get home, but at least now I have music back my life in my room. I just figured out that I have less than SIX Flight Suit Friday's left. Can you believe it? I won't believe it until I'm on the plane leaving Kuwait!

I'm tired...I had a long day and it's time for bed. Caio!

Cool Planes

2007-10-17T23:01:00.001+03:00

Cool sunrise over one of the man-made lakes in Baghdad

Hello...I was at the airport tonight dropping off one of my co-workers and I got to see two MV-22 Ospreys roll into the airport. Boy are they L O U D ! but really cool looking....too bad it wasn't during the day, I could have taken a picture.

My laptop is on the fritz...I am in the process of troubleshooting it. Hopefully, I'll get it back running soon. We'll see. Arg!! Things are moving along. Thanks to all that sent me Birthday wishes and gifts. I failed to mention it during my last posts, but I do apprciate it!

Later!!

Busy Running Around

2007-10-13T20:45:00.001+03:00

T-Shirt from 5K "fun" run on 13 OCT 07 (Happy Birthday Navy!)

I've been busy this week. My boss and several of my co-workers were out on theater travel to give some training so I was running OPS. Oh, my! I told my boss that I was steering the ship and we might run aground. For one week, I was responsible for the care and feeding of one O-6, two O-5's and one O-3 in addition to attending a boat-load of meetings. I was busier than a one legged man at a butt kicking contest.

My boss finally returned yesterday (YEAH!) and my life instantly became 100% better. So last night we relaxed by playing some poker and we all had a good time. During the poker game, one of my fellow NARMY Sailors told me about a 5K run. Remember when I said I would not run 10 Miles, but I would run a 5K? Well this morning at 7am, in honor of the Navy's 232nd Birthday, I ran a 5K around the lake near Victory over America Palace. My finishing time was 25 min 56 sec, which comes out to a 8 minute and 23 second mile pace. The last time I ran a 5K was in Pennsylvania back in 2004 and I think I ran an 8 min 28 second mile pace. I've actually improved my time. For my efforts, I was awarded the T-Shirt pictured above.

Things continue to move along and I'm doing okay. Thanks for checking on me.

Signs...and Runners

2007-10-10T01:21:00.001+03:00

Here are few of the signs around the base. The last pic is of a recent 10 Mile run sponsored by the base. We had a bunch that work with us doing the run so my roommate and I woke up at 6:00 AM to cheer them on, take some pics and then went right back to bed. I had no desire to torture my body by running 10 Miles....at one time. I'll run a 5 or 10 K, but not 10 miles. I'm built for comfort not speed. Our friends appreciated the support. The weather here is cooling down. The highs are in the 90's and it's feeling pretty nice. Next up is the RAIN and MUD.

That's all from Iraq. Thanks for visiting.

Plane-ly Stated, Tanks some more

2007-10-05T23:07:00.001+03:00

On top of the world ma! That's me standing on-top of a ka-put tank. Here are some reminants of the Iraqi firepower. I don't know the type of Tank, but the planes are MiG-23's...or what is left of them.

Golf in Baghdad

2007-10-04T23:01:00.000+03:00

Yep, they have a driving range in Baghdad. You show up and they provide balls and clubs. This range is run by one of the units here, not the base. I'm told that the driving range was sponsored by some stateside golf courses. Kinda nice to whack a few balls now and then. Every so many days they go out and pick up all the balls. Too bad they don't have one of those high-speed golf ball picker-uppers! Pretty cool, huh? Who'd thought they'd have a driving range in a war zone.

Funny thing happened the other night. A friend and I were driving back from the Airport over here and I heard a bunch of loud noise. I initially thought it was a low flying helicopter, but to my suprise it was about 6 tanks rolling up the road coming straight for me. It was dark and I didn't see them until they were very close.....Talk about power projection, whoa! Doin' ok in Baghdad. Thanks for peeking in to my world today. More pics soon.

Breakin' the Law

2007-09-30T19:57:00.001+03:00

The base I'm on has so many rules, I sometimes wonder how we can win a war when the Army is so wrapped around the axle with administrative rules. For example, you cannot run (or walk) with your headphones on, you must run (or walk) against the traffic (I agree with that one) and you must wear a REFLECTIVE Belt. I call it a Flourecent And Green belt....Gotta love the Army and Air Force for this one. Anyway, here's a picture of another rule....Now while I took a picture of the sign, does that mean I just broke the Law? Ha, good luck catching me.

Last night a bunch of us got together and played some Texas Hold'em Poker.....I hadn't played since I was in Pennsylvania. It was good to sit around, drink sodas, eat some pizza and tell jokes & lies. It was a much needed break from the routine. I may have to do it again next week. That's all for today....I'm doing fine as my 42nd BIRTHDAY looms in the very near future.

Nighttime Pic

2007-09-29T23:03:00.001+03:00

Here's a pic that I took at night....Pretty cool sight for a "prison" wall.

Getting Old

2007-09-28T22:51:00.001+03:00

Our oldest turned Sweet Sixteen they other day. We are getting old. They grow up so fast.

Things are moving along here and another Flight Suit Friday complete. I'm finally getting into a rythym with my new job. I think I figured out where I need to be and what meeting I need to attend.

More of my "shipmates" or other NArmy compatriots are getting ready to leave....which means that my time will be coming soon. My relief is in Iraq, but he first needs some field experience before he takes over my job. He'll be heading out soon to gain that valuable field experience and when I see him again, I'll be packing my bags to come home. There is a DIM light at the end of the tunnel at this point.

I've been taking some pictures around the base....The No Parking sign is a joke...of sorts....If you don't know what it means please click here or look up the acronym on google. More pictures to come. Thanks for checking up on me.....Later!

K, J & C I love you!

Small World

2007-09-21T19:27:00.001+03:00

Today as we were heading into the DFAC (Dining Facility) on FOB Liberty, I spotted this sign posted outside of the DFAC and thought what a SMALL WORLD. My mother, brother and sister all live in an around Medford, Oregon. It put a smile on my face and put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. I told my co-worker that I needed to bring my camera back for a picture and he instead pulled out his micro-sized camera and took this pic. It was really bright outside and he couldn't get the flash to work, so I'm a little washed out but it is me in my Flight Suit (Flight suit Friday).

Yesterday I helped a buddy move from Liberty to Slayer. He had to move because he was asked to make room for some other folks. He was pretty good about the whole situation, so I helped him out. It took us about 45 minutes to load the vehicle with all his stuff. He had the same realization that I had when I moved: "Look how much junk I have." We both agreed we'd need to get rid of some stuff before we re-deploy home.

That's all I have from Baghdad....Another post soon.

Adjusting

2007-09-18T11:47:00.000+03:00

I am still adjusting to the new job. Today, I went for a run around a place called Lost Lake. I was told that's where Uday and Kusay used to live.

The weather in the mornings is very nice for jogging...around 85 degrees F or so. I also cleaned up our deck today...it was coated with about a quarter of an inch of sand and dirt. I rinsed all the dirt off with a hose. I still need to vaccum my room, but I have found it very liveable.

The picture to the right is of me and a couple of buddies. They have been here as long as I have because we all went through training together back in the states (See Blogs from FEB07). We should all be leaving about the same time and then we'll all head our separate ways. Mike (L) is a Prowler NFO like me and Jim (C) is a Helo Pilot. It's good to be back around my own type (Navy that is). Us Navy types go to chow together and tell sea storys or just laugh and joke about silly things that go on over here.

I am looking forward to getting home and back to civilization as you all know it. It's a different world over here....that's for sure.

K, J, & C I miss you and love you.....

Pics of my new Abode

2007-09-16T10:43:00.001+03:00

As you can see, it's not the palacial lifestyle I was living, but I do have a fridge, a closet and a small desk. No internet yet. The room is very small, but it's private. There are two rooms in this Cargo container along with a bathroom. (It's no kidding a cargo container that you'd see in the shipyards).

We had a BBQ last night at HQ and it was really nice to hang out, BS, eat some food and relax for a bit. We had grilled steaks, ribs, chicken, salad, chips, sodas, and desserts. We also had some fireworks thanks to our friends from Baghdad. :)

I'm still adjusting to my new job and I am starting to build my situational awareness of what the job entails. It's a much different job that what I was doing before and I almost have my biological clock turned around. The job basically entails being a jack of all trades revolving around operations.

This post looks a lot different than most of my other posts because the Army's FUN police have blocked any commercial website that would bring happiness or joy to a soldier's life (to include all blogs, you-tube, etc.). I have figured out another way to post. Don't you just love the resourceful military? That's about all from Baghdad.

HQ Sweet HQ

2007-09-12T22:44:00.000+03:00

I made the move today and I'm already busy. Now I just need to re-adjust my sleeping hours. My new room is very small and I have yet to unpack my things. I need to clean first. Good news is that I now have full size bed. So I moved from a big room with a small bed to a small room with a big bed. I'll post pics when I get a chance. That's all for now.

Air Force Fun

2007-09-11T03:27:00.001+03:00

What Air Force dudes do when they are bored. :)

Winner!

2007-09-07T20:31:00.002+03:00

My daughter's JV Field Hockey team won their first game yesterday 1-0. My daughter was very excited to experience the team win. Her eye has gotten better and she had the stitches removed last week. My younger daughter is having fun at school and is entering a contest with one of her works of art. Both of my daughter are very artistic.

I pick up my newly trained relief tomorrow and by mid-week I'll be parking my hat at a different location. I will be sharing a "wet" trailer with my boss so it can't be all bad. I'll miss having internet in my room and all the good folks I've worked with over the past 6-months.

The time here should pass a little faster now that FOOTBALL season has started!! Whoo Hooo!!

The picture to the right is of a mural on one of the palaces in Baghdad. It represents the former Iraqi solders of the Republican Guard.

Getting Ready

2007-09-05T20:56:00.001+03:00

My relief showed up yesterday and is going through some specific in-theater training before I pick him up on Saturday. My turnover for my new job is complete and I still have some hands on learning to do in order to become proficient at the job. It looks like I'll be moving over there either Wednesday or Thursday after I train up my relief. Things are still clipping along here and I'm in good spirits.

Auntie Em, I saw the cat today o the base...he is living near our empty lake and when I saw him he was chasing a rabbit. He is but a shadow of his former self. He's all grown up and I believe he is a "WILD" cat living off the land. I called for him, but when he saw me, he ran off. At least it's good to know he's still alive and doing well. :)

As I've said in my previous posts, I do not have my own vehicle and I have to beg, borrow or steal a vehicle to get around. When I am driving around and I see someone walking, I always stop and offer a ride. Most of the Army soldiers I pick up assume I am an Army Major. I usually ask what they do for the Army and they reply with some random letter and numbers ("I'm an 11B") so I have to tell them that I am in the Navy and I really don't understand their Military Occupation Specialties (MOS). So they will tell me what they actually do (11B is an Infantryman). It's neat being able to learn what most of these kids do....from driving trucks, repairing tanks to shooting. I will continue to give rides to walking soldiers as long as I have a set of wheel to borrow. I have another story, but I'll save that for another entry.

By the way, I've changed my blog so that ANYONE can post a comment. Please keep it tasteful and I have the right to delete wayward comments. That's all for now from Baghdad. Thanks for checking on me!!

Another test

2007-09-03T21:14:00.001+03:00

via email with pic

Turnover

2007-08-31T23:40:00.000+03:00

Well folks, I've started turning over with the guy at HQ. I've got big shoes to fill. My replacement doesn't show up until Sunday or Monday....we'll see. So probably another week before I move.

Another week down (that's 16 more Flight Suit Friday's remaining if you are counting) and my buddy up North leaves Iraq tomorrow....I'm so happy and excited for him. Within a week he'll be home with his family, but first he has to go through the Warrior Transition Program in Kuwait. This is where all the Navy guys must go to turn in all that "loaner" Army gear, get some re-socialization and learn how to re-kindle those special relationships and also go through a few screening. Namely Physical and Mental to make sure we are all ok. It's not much fun in Kuwait, like I've said before, because you are waiting for one reason or another to go somewhere else. Like a connecting flight at any US airport.

In my last post was an edited picture of me standing on the roof of the Palace. Great view up there....you can see for miles. I'll post the picture next time.

The pic to the right is of hundreds of T-Walls. They make short ones, tall ones and skinny ones. They are made here in Baghdad and waiting to be shipped all over Iraq. They are concrete barriers used to protect our servicemen from bullets, bombs and mortars. The work very well and we have them everywhere. Some places have taken up to painting them so they are not so much of an eyesore. A few months back, some artists in Baghdad painted many meters of these walls to beautify the city. You can see an article here and here.

That's about all for now. All my love to my supportive family! Thanks for stopping by.

Happening's

2007-08-28T03:55:00.001+03:00

Alright, I said I'd tell you all about it and here it goes:
As part of my job, I teach some of the new guys about what I do for the Army. The training department has expanded the role of the those of us who teach to mentoring as well. This week I took some of the new guys and showed them what I do through on-the-job-training....or as the Navy calls it OJT. What better way to learn then by doing it. So I had two groups of four people I had to shuttle back and forth on two different days and they got some good hands-on training out of it.

Well, while I was over at the Head Quarters building, I was grabbed by the big boss and his assistant. They told me that I was coming back to Head Quarters to replace a guy that will be leaving shortly. So within a week or so, I will move across the base and move into a trailer and work back at HQ. I will miss working, living & playing with the Army guys I've come to know over the past six months. My replacement will be here shortly and after about 3-4 days of training and turnover, I will get some training and turnover of my own for the job I am about to take.

As part of doing all this training, I've been driving back and forth from my FOB to the other FOB and I've seen a few interesting things crossing the road this week:
1) field mouse
2) mongoose
3) coyote

I didn't know that Iraq had mongoose running wild. At first, I thought it was a ferret, but after asking around, Iraq apparently has these little furry creatures. News to me. Oh yeah, because it's cooling down a bit, the bats have returned....They are flying around everywhere. GO BATS! I like them because they eat the mosquitoes.

Now I have to pack all my stuff and move. I am somewhat bummed about moving all my junk. Oh well, I gotta do what I gotta do.

News

2007-08-23T03:01:00.000+03:00

Well folks, I just learned that I am changing jobs within the next couple of weeks. This means that my palatial lifestyle has come to an end. I will be moving across the base to a new location and I will be learning and working an entirely new job. I think of it as a promotion of sorts. I have been really busy this week and I haven't had time to post updates. More on this later.

In other news, my eldest daughter tried to stop a field hockey stick with her face and her face lost. Just kidding, she has been trying out for the HS Girls Field Hockey team and she was trying to make a shot and missed...when she ran up to the ball, the goalie hit the ball an accidentally whacked her in the face. She has 6 new "battle" stitches in the same location as the youngest daughter. Now they will look like twins even though they are 3 years apart! She's ok and starting he healing process.

That's all for now....I'll post again real soon.

Another Poster :)

2007-08-18T05:40:00.000+03:00

Here's the next poster in the long line of "caveman" posters. Wait until the next one....I'm sure most of you will get a laugh out of it.

It's the weekend here and another flight suit Friday down.

A SUPER BIG shout out to my sister for sending me a huge box of GEEDUNK to include a 4 pound bag of pistachios and a huge box of granola bars. I am a nice guy and I share my stuff....although my life was threatened over the Pistachios. The Army guy was just kidding. He said if I didn't give him any, he'd have to break out his knife and take me out. I told him that I carry four knives and my pistol. (I really do carry four knives: Leatherman, Lock-blade, Swiss-Army pocket knife and a small survival kit knife). Why? Because I can. I do use them all except for the survival one. Anyway, I did share the nuts with him and we had a laugh about it. Alright....Time to hit the hay! Thanks for your support and for seeing what I had to say.

K, J & C, I love you dearly and miss you.

Nut'in but the same-ol stuff

2007-08-16T04:05:00.000+03:00

Hello everyone,
Not much to report. Another day closer to going home. Another day of doing what I do to help the Army in the fight against the bad guys.

Unlike conventional warfare, urban warfare is a much more difficult task. In addition to fighting in the streets, our enemy does not wear a uniform, so easily distinguishing the enemy from the population makes the fight more difficult, but we have our ways of telling the difference. Although we take small losses every month, we are either capturing or killing bad guys everyday. We are making a difference and our technology, from up-armored vehicles to better radios, is helping to save lives.

Every military member over here is required to carry a weapon. I'm lucky because I qualified on both the M-16 and the M-9, so I can carry my M-9 sidearm everywhere I go. Some people aren't so lucky because they either didn't qualify or weren't allowed to qualify on the M-9 pistol so they have to carry a bulky M-16 or M-4 rifle EVERYWHERE they go. Chow hall, latrine, gym, etc....I think you get my point. We must be ready to defend ourselves in case the enemy suddenly appears. It'll be strange to get home and not have a pistol on my hip all the time.

For my Auntie-Em, we haven't seen the cat forever and at this point we don't think he is coming back.

Here's an interesting article from CNN.

That's all from Iraq....I still have plenty of coffee. I am currently enjoying either Espresso or Italian Roast....Later!!

Run Away! Run Away!!

2007-08-10T04:46:00.000+03:00

Today was much like any other day, but today I was doing laundry. I went down into the laundry room and much to my dismay, the lights were out, so it was very dark. I carry a INOVA LED flashlight on my dog tag chain. I turned it on to see if I could find the light switch. I found a light switch and flicked it on but no luck. As I scanned the area with my little light I spotted a rather LARGE Camel spider at eye level no more than a foot from my face. I was taken aback, but it did not move. The spider was about 3-3.5 inches from pincers to tail. This is the biggest one I've ever seen in real life. The stories about these spiders is enough to scare anyone silly.....most of the myths are urban legend. They apparently aren't spiders, but solpugids. Anyway, I dropped off my laundry and scurried up to my room to grab my camera to capture this Kodak moment. I'm just glad these things aren't living in my room.

Heading into another Flight Suit Friday...Now only 18 more to go. Wooohooo!

Thanks for your support and for stopping by. Love, hugs and kisses to my family.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

2007-08-09T04:22:00.000+03:00

Another week is zooming by. I've been meaning to take a picture of the crescent moon, but by the time I remember, it's high in the sky. I will try again tomorrow. I found out that I may be switching jobs in September....but I 'll know about the middle of Sept. This week was filled with coordination meetings and taking a buddy to the airport. He was relocating to a different place in Iraq. Things are still going well and I have plenty of coffee. The Wife and Kids are doing well. Both of my daughters started school after I came back off of leave and they are having fun and doing well in school. That's the mid-week report.

K, J & C, I love and miss you!! Thanks for popping in.

Another Saturday!

2007-08-05T04:06:00.000+03:00

I would have posted more this week but I've been busy and my Internet has been down. Oh, well. I finally got a picture of the statue Lilith, the first person to bring music to Iraq over 4,000 years ago. The statue is in a small pond/fountain, but it hasn't been used as a fountain in quite a while.

Another Flight Suit Friday down and I should have about 19 more remaining. One of my buddies is heading home shortly and I am very excited for him. You see his Individual Augmentation (IA) was only 6-months long whereas mine is 9-months. I got to take R&R leave while he did not. But all the same, I'd be happy to skip the R&R leave and go home after only 6-months in this place. Normal NAVY deployments are only 6-months and we usually get to visit great places during our journey. Last year on the USS Ronald Reagan we went to Brisbane Australia, Singapore, Dubai United Arab Emrites, Kuala Lumpur Maylasia, Hong Kong and Hawaii. Here we don't get to goto any different places, except Iraq, although the historic culture here is interesting.

I've been here in Iraq now for more than half of my 9-month deployment and I am always learning new things. Just the other day, one of the guys I work with told me about a PX (Army Exchange) that is much closer than the large PX on Camp Liberty. It's located on Camp Striker and it only takes about 10 minutes to get there from my FOB...it used to take me 30 minutes to get to the Big PX. I couldn't believe he kept it a secret all this time. Not that I visit the PX all that often, but being able to make a quick trip is easier than traveling all the way across the base.

That's about all for now from Iraq. Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers and Jeers

2007-07-30T05:00:00.000+03:00

Sorry it's been a week since my last post...I've been a bit busy with the job. We've been busy beating the bad guys down as part of the President's Surge Plan.

Cheers:
This week my group received a package of over 90 different DVD's and Music CD's from OPERATION DVD sponsored by AMVETS. What a great organization. The folks I work with have been enjoying these DVD's thanks to the kindness of the folks at AMVETS.

Last night I went to bed about the same time the sun was rising so I took this picture. I hope you enoy it. It's surreal that this beautiful calm sunrise was just another day in the war zone. A place where lives are lost everyday fighting for the ideals of freedom.

Jeers:
There was an article in the July 21st edition of the Stars & Stripes about how over 580,000 servicemembers had their personal information disclosed to include names, social security numbers, addresses and medical files. First off, why does some no-named company, called SAIC, have my personal information? "Oh, were really sorry about that." In the last 4 years, I've have my PERSONAL security information disclosed by Defense Department sub-contractors knuckleheads at least THREE TIMES. What about the Privacy Act of 1974? Thanks Mr. Kenneth C. Dahlberg for safe-guarding my information entrusted to your company! I am over here defending freedom and you just made my life harder. It takes a lot to recover from Identity Theft. The DOD/Government needs to take action to ensure this doesn't happen again; how about not using my Social Security Number! By the way, my wife received a nice form letter from SAIC and YES my information was disclosed. Great! And to think, the DOD trusts these guys with NATIONAL SECURITY and INTEL information.

Other than the above rant, I am in great health, I've been exercising everyday, and I've been getting enough sleep to keep me going....oh, yeah, I also have plenty of great tasting coffee to keep me happy too! The last few days I've been enjoying Starbucks Italian Roast. I don't need anything at this time....thanks for all the offers.

K, J & C, I miss you and know that we'll be back together soon. All my love.

Cammoflage

2007-07-22T04:28:00.000+03:00

One of the things that I have been involved with, from GeoCaching to this assignment, is camouflage. While I was home on R&R, I saw that US companies are using camouflage to hide things in plain sight. See for yourself, The picture below has something camouflaged...let see if you can spot it. (We were Geocaching near this site by our home). My uniform is camouflage, so that if need be, I can blend into the environment over here. Can you imagine if eyesores all over the US started using camouflage?

Well, another Flightsuit Friday down and only about 21 more to go before I am outta of here. I have re-synced back into my groove and things are well. Until next time....

R&R & My Return to Iraq

2007-07-18T02:58:00.000+03:00

R&R
My R&R was great. I got to spend some quality time with my family. We went to SeaWorld, hit the Beach, rode our bikes, slept in, did some "honey-do" items, did some GeoCaching, ate some good food at some good restaurants and watched a few movies on the Big Screen. We even had a big Birthday BBQ with cake and homemade Ice Cream. We celebrated all of our B-Days because I'll be gone for all of them during the remainder of my deployment.

It was a very fast and an extremely enjoyable two weeks; I am very appreciative of the time we had together (Thanks Army). Saying goodbye again was even harder, but I know the next time I see them I will be able to stay home for a lot longer. Hopefully I'll be home before Christmas. Now I have my head down and I am holding on for the rest of this deployment.

Return to Iraq
I have a couple of things I'd like to share about my travels back to Iraq. First off, I'd like to thank the USO at Dallas-Fort Worth airport for making our 5-6 hours of waiting less painful. They took care of about 500 of us soldiers, airmen, marines, and sailors retuning from R&R....and they do this everyday!! They fed us, filled us up with good coffee, sodas, water and fresh sticky buns!! They had free phones and internet....they were showing movies, and they really made the time pass quickly. USO DFW also supports the United Through Reading program. They had a very nice setup which allowed military members the opportunity to read to our children which they record and burn to a DVD and send it to the family....all for free, thanks to the donations of many sponsors. How cool is that? The USO in Dallas-Fort Worth in the B-terminal is one of the best I've EVER come across. What truly great Americans....supporting our troops!! One of the other cool things was the Huggin’ and Kissin’ Grandmas. They were there to send us off in style. They hugged and kissed us and gave us all kinds of snacks & water for the long journey back to Iraq.

So we loaded up on the airplane and flew to Kuwait via Budapest, Hungary. All in all it was 17 hours of flying to get to Kuwait. Kuwait....there's really nothing good to say about Kuwait....it seems to be a big suck hole. I think Kuwait sucks the life out of you. There's nothing to do there except wait for your flight out. Sure there's a PX, Chow hall, various fast foods & Green Bean coffee, a USO lounge and a Gym. Besides the Air Terminal and the tents, that about all there is there. This time I only had to wait about 24 hours before I flew out to Baghdad. I flew to Baghdad on a very comfy C-17 (pic below). After I got back to my FOB, I've been resuming my job and trying to get back into my groove.

When I got back to work, a GeoCaching friend sent me some homemade chocolate-chip cookies and some GeoCaching trackables. Thanks Jodi! Everyone LOVED your cookies!!

One last thing, while I was at home, I stopped at Starbucks to buy a pound of coffee for one of my fellow coffee snobs (We both grind and press coffee each day). I went in and grabbed a pound of Italian Roast Whole bean and while I was checking out the cashier asked if I wanted to have the coffee ground and I politely said no, that I was taking it back to Iraq for a buddy. She then proceeded to donate 5 more 1 pound bags to me and my friends here in my group. Thank you Dawn at the Starbucks in Chula Vista (I-805 & Main in the Wal-Mart Plaza). I will send you some pictures and a letter soon.

As always, I love you K, J & C!! I miss you so much already! To everyone else, thanks for your support!

Back in Baghdad

2007-07-16T05:30:00.000+03:00

I am back in Baghdad after a VERY enjoyable two weeks at home with the wife and kids. I am currently trying to get back into my regular sleep and work cycle, so this is a short post. More to follow on my next post.

Welcome Home Poster

2007-07-04T21:34:00.001+03:00

R&R adventure

2007-06-27T18:50:00.000+03:00

First off, a quick SHOUT out to Mary Ann in Arizona; thank you for the Coffee beans....I did not have time to enjoy any before I left, but I'll have some when I return.

Next, I did make it home almost 3 days after my adventure began and getting home was an adventure. It all started when I showed up at 0600 f0r my flight from Baghdad to Kuwait. The flight was delayed and the new show time was 11am. I had been up all night and by the time we took off at 1PM; it was HOT and I was beat. Oh yeah, we got to fly in a crowded C-130 pictured here. The Jump Seats are about two feet apart and you sit knee to knee. It was probably the most uncomfortable flight I've ever been on. The plane was packed, we all had our Flak vests on and the air conditioner wasn't working too well. At least the flight was only an hour and a half. We landed in Kuwait and after 3 hours of in-processing, we were told we wouldn't fly out until the next night....so I spent 28 hours in Kuwait waiting for the next leg of my adventure.

There really isn't much to do in Kuwait and I did not bring any bedding. We were placed in transit billeting...which pretty much consisted of 10 bunk beds in an air conditioned tent. At least I was smart enough to bring a towel and shower stuff. My uniform was nasty. After mustering the next morning at 9am to find out our afternoon show time, we didn't start our next set of briefs until 1:30pm. At 1:30 PM, we were briefed on the US Customs requirements and how the flights would go.

After clearing the US customs, which included dumping your nicely packed bags on a table for the inspectors to rifle through, we made our way to the airport and left Kuwait at 1030PM. Our route took us to Shannon, Ireland for a quick stop for gas which turned out to be a 3 hour repair job on the airplane. The next 10 hour leg was from Ireland to Dallas-Fort Worth TX. When we landed, we were greeted by a cheering crowd. It was a small gesture, but it made most of us feel really good about serving our country. Next, it was a 3 hour flight from Dallas to San Diego.

All told, I flew more than 22 hours and crossed 11 times zones to get home. It was a long 3 days, but it's very nice to being home and enjoying the liberties we have sworn to protect.

I'm on my way home...for R&R

2007-06-24T04:55:00.002+03:00

By the time you read this I should be loading up on a C-17 in Baghdad to fly to Kuwait. Then I'll wait there to catch my flight to the States and then home. It'll be a long journey, but well worth the wait.

Department Head Results...the Saga continues

2007-06-23T04:15:00.001+03:00

Well folks, while working with my detailer, he tells me that one of the guys selected for Special Mission (SM) Department Head declined the job and so they offered it to me. What is a Special Mission Department Head? It's a guy that does NON-OPERATIONAL flying and is more likely to make commander than a NON-Department Head O-4. So as it sits right now, I am headed to Pensacola, Florida next summer to take the SM Department Head job at VT-86. I'll be a flight instructor flying in the aircraft pictured here (T-39 Sabreliner). I am thrilled to have this opportunity to a) Fly again and b) mentor young Student Flight Officers. One of my squadron mates was an instructor in Pensacola and he said the command and the flying was awesome. The other good deal about the whole thing is that I will not be deploying during this tour which equates to more time at home with the family. That's the news for now....time to pack my things.

Groundhog effect, the Moon and Heat

2007-06-17T03:54:00.000+03:00

Well, I am in a routine that is starting to feel like groundhog's day. For those of you that have never experienced it, it's like waking up every day and it feels like the previous day. One of my fellow bloggers aptly called each day a Tuesday. Tuesday seems to get lost in the week because it's not Monday, or Wednesday (Hump day), or Friday (TGIF!!). It's Tuesday because Tuesdays are, for the most part, bland and most people have no strong feelings towards Tuesday.

I try to make each day a little different. Today I swept and mopped my room. That made it a bit different, but it's still Tuesday. Soon, I'll get to experience some R&R and actually have weekends....although, while you are on vacation every day is a Saturday!!!

One interesting thing that I observed that I haven't mentioned yet is that here in Iraq (or middle east), a quarter moon is on the bottom of the moon. It's really strange, especially when you are used to seeing a quarter moon a specific way. In the United States, all of the quarter moons are either Left or Right. Here they are on the bottom. I'll have to wait until we have a crescent moon and take a picture to show you. It's pretty different.

On another note, I thought I'd make up a new name for this 115 degree heat. It's beyond hot and hot really doesn't give it justice. Please post (or email) suggestions for a new description word for 115 degree Middle East Hot.

Thanks to all the well wishers from my last post. I appreciate the support and thanks for stopping by.

Department Head Results

2007-06-13T03:20:00.000+03:00

Folks,
The results are in from my second screening for Department Head and I was not selected.

What does this mean? In Naval Aviation, you only get two looks for Department Head. After that, you either do "other" flying jobs or find a new profession. I've been in the Navy too long to switch up jobs now. The bottom line is that I won't be heading back to an operational fleet EA-6B flying job.

I am working with my detailer, that's the guy that gets me my next job, to find out what is available and where I can go next.

Am I disappointed? Yes. Just like a guy in the minor leagues trying to make it to the big show. I guess I didn't make the cut.

On a positive note, I can go from here to shore-duty and spend some quality time with my wife and kids. No more deployments for this guy!!!

Is my Naval flying career over? We'll see what is available. If I do not get a flying job, I will have fond memories of flying.

Although flying was a lot of work at times, it was always fun! My favorite picture is the last one on the right. Arabian Gulf 2006...right after the catapult shot from catapult #1 off of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).

We'll have to see what new adventures I can find and who knows, maybe this NON-SELECT stuff is all for the better. I can tell you this: my days in the Navy are numbered.

To my wife who is always there and supports me through thick and thin: I love and miss you so much....two more weeks until my R&R!!

Kids...

2007-06-11T03:56:00.001+03:00

This reminds me of our children. Our music is not good enough anymore. :)

For Auntie Em...

2007-06-09T03:04:00.000+03:00

Just click and print. Ideally you are supposed to display it Vertically.

History of the Blue Star Banner.

Military Hardware

2007-06-07T13:20:00.000+03:00

Here are a few photos of some of the military hardware that is rattling around down the road near where I work.

First is the standard HMMWV (Humm-Vee). They are heavily armored (called "Up-Armored") and are VERY different from their original design. The doors are VERY heavy and the gunner on top has his own armor. HMMWV stands for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. It's an All Wheel Drive vehicle made by American Motors Company. There are more than 17 variants of the HMMWV in use by the military today. The Hummer replaced the Jeep around 1985 and has seen action around the globe. Learn more here. Here is a close-up of the sign on the back of most wheeled and tracked vehicles in Iraq. The signs used to say "Stay back or you will be shot" but I think they have changed the tone a bit. The HMMWV is being replaced in the short term by the Mine Resistant Ambushed Protected (MRAP) vehicle but they are looking to replace the HMMWV with Future Tactical Truck Sytem which is still in the design process. One vehicle that is trying to fit the bill is the ULTRA AP concept vehicle. It's built on the frame of a Ford F-350 and was developed by researchers at Georgia Tech.

Next is the STRYKER vehicle. It's an AWD Armored Combat Vehicle. These things look pretty menacing rolling down the road. This thing can go 60MPH. It's Pretty fast and lethal and carries a crew of 11 soldiers.

Hope you've enjoyed your fill of Army training for today.

Mustache Man & Little Things

2007-06-05T02:47:00.000+03:00

I've grown a mustache over the last two weeks. Not bad, huh? I don't know what it about facial hair, but guys tend to grow 'staches while they are deployed. My wife HATES it and hopes I'll have it shaved off by the time I get home for leave (R&R). We'll see. Can you tell I have red hair?? Yes, it's cheesy, but it's my little science project while I am over here. If you ask any man, it is easier to shave everyday than to keep your facial hair groomed. Mustaches are high maintenance. Over here, it's something different than the day-to-day grind or groundhog day.

The other day I was going to our MWR to pick up a DVD for a friend when I noticed all the Local Nationals that worked there standing outside and fishing. They weren't catching anything. They were attracting little turtles with popcorn. They were just passing the time and having fun. Sometimes it's the little things that make a difference. I stopped and talked with them for a little while. Most of them speak some sort of English and it's pretty easy to talk with them about various things. I even picked up a few things about the place I work. We have this statue near our DFAC that is of a lady holding a harp type instrument. She's a handsome woman and I learned that the statue is in honor of the first person to bring music to Iraq (Mesopotamia) over 4000 years ago. Maybe Lilith the Mother of musical worship?? Pretty cool, huh?

Auntie EM, thanks for the box of goodies. We have enjoyed the snacks and flags and whatnot. THANK YOU.

To my loved ones, I love you all. Thanks for your unwaivering support.

Back in Business!!

2007-06-01T23:31:00.000+03:00

Coffee Press Poem by me
My coffee press is brewin' just for me,
that delicious brown elixir, can't you see?
Smell the fresh ground roast in the air;
Everyone wants some, handle it with care.

Today I received my new Bodum-Young Coffee press and quickly placed it into action. Yup, it works. I am again the envy of all connoisseurs here. With the help of my super-wife I am back in business. Honey, you are my super-hero and I really appreciate EVRYTHING you do for me (and the Navy).

Things are going well here and if all the stars align just right, I will be home on R&R by the end of the month. The Army runs a pretty good R&R (Leave) program that takes us forward deployed folks all the way home and back. The super-wife and kids are anxious and I am really looking forward to just unwinding at home. Don't worry, my wife has already started the "Honey-Do" list and I should have a few things to do to keep me busy while I am at home.

My mom sent me a bunch of puzzles made of wood, plastic and rope....the guys are playing with them just as much as I am. I already figured out about half of them. The Chocolate in the box did not fare well, I'm afraid. So for future reference to all out there, do not send CHOCOLATE in packages (Peanut M&M's are ok). With temps averaging 110 each day and packages sitting in the sun for just a little while, this causes the chocolate to change from solid to liquid and thus a messy ending. That's all for today!!

Super-Wife: I LOVE YOU!! xoxo

A Day of Remembrance

2007-05-28T04:32:00.000+03:00

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. (source)

Memorial Day Poem by Moina Michael, 1915
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

To those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, have served, or are serving, I salute you and I will never forget.

Please take a moment at 3PM Washington DC time to remember those who have given their lives in the defense of freedom for our country.

Sad Day...

2007-05-26T03:14:00.000+03:00

Today was an especially sad day for me. Every evening after chow, I make a nice fresh pot of coffee with my 1-liter French Press coffee pot. After I share and finish my coffee, I head to the kitchen to clean out, wash and rinse my press for the next day. Well, I had just finished rinsing the pot and I sat it down and it tipped over and the GLASS BROKE! ARHGGG...Oh whoa is me...boo hoo!! Never fear, my blog-reading friends, my super-wife with her shopping super-powers has already sprung into quick action and hopefully by this time next week, I'll be enjoying some fine blends of freshly ground HIGH quality magic brown elixir..er, COFFEE again. Yes, I am addicted to GOOD coffee. Until then, I am remanded to drink the Army sludge they call coffee.

As you enjoy your memorial day weekend, please keep all the folks in Iraq in your prayers. Especially these guys in the picture. They go out EVERY DAY and clear roads of road-side bombs. I ran into one of the drivers one day at the MWR and he told me had been blown up twice in one day. He seemed to think nothing of it other than that was his job and he knows his job saves lives.

All my LOVE to K, J & C!! I hope you enjoy the NEW iPod Nanos!!

Beauty Found

2007-05-24T12:40:00.000+03:00

Even in a place like HOT and DIRTY IRAQ there is beauty. I know it's hard to believe, but there is beauty all around. Even though it gets hotter than heck, there are still green spots around the town. Last night I was showing someone around when I spotted this falcon flying around. I grabbed my camera w/zoom lens and snapped a few photos. There were actually two of them and I believe they were hunting for dinner. Isn't the falcon majestic and beautiful? I started to look around and spotted some other things of beauty. This next picture is of a local farmer doing his thing...taking care of his crops and herding his sheep. He's not out there trying to kill Americans. He's surviving off of the land. You see, not everyone over here is trying to kill us. In fact, if you look at the statistics from this war compared to VIETNAM, we are doing very well. Although we continue to lose people on a daily basis, the numbers remain extremely low compared to Vietnam. It seems that the Democrats are trying to make the US Military suffer (No Funding), make Bush look bad (Bush's War), and make this war a Political Party issue. We have so much stuff over here, it would be impossible to pull out in a year. There is beauty in everything, you just need to stop and look around every once in a while.

Heatin' up!

2007-05-22T15:46:00.000+03:00

Well folks, late last week after the storms it cooled down to the high 80's and low 90's, but this week the temps are in the 110's and IT IS HOT and it's only going to get hotter. Today was 105, but it felt like 98 according to the weather guy. I guess the 5-10 knot breeze helped to make it feel like it was cooler....but it's still like a dang oven here. The humidity is low (15%) so it feels like when you get the whoosh of hot air when you open your oven. I really feel for all those soldiers that have to wear their Body Armor and Kevlar helmets in this HEAT!! Our DOC gave us a preemptive warning about running between the hours of 11am to 3 pm. That's when the heat is the worst and you could suffer from heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. So I have moved my daytime running to later in the afternoon...but it's still hot. Air conditioning makes life over here tolerable.

The picture above is of another Palace directly across (or behind) the Al Faw palace. There are more palaces here than you can shake a stick at...some people call the funny dome "the juicer" palace because the top looks like a juicer.

I miss AMERICA especially my family. Love you K, J & C!!

Mudding!

2007-05-17T12:27:00.000+03:00

Today I was out and about when it started Mudding. What is mudding? Well, that when it rain becomes mud because there is so much dust and dirt in the air. So instead of it raining, it was mudding. I was in the truck and at first I thought the "rain storm" would clean the truck, but every few seconds I had to squirt the windshield to help the wipers remove the mud drops. It was like I am in some sort of bizzaro world. The truck ended up dirtier than before. In the early evening, we had a big thunder and lightning show and a pretty good down pour. After the storm, the air smell pretty clean, but I'm sure by tomorrow the air will filled with dust and dirt quickly.

Toby Keith is coming to Baghdad on the 22nd of May. Hopefully, some of us are going to see the early afternoon show at a nearby FOB.

I am doing well and I am very safe. I love you K, J & C!!

The picture above is of a burned out hulk near Baghdad International Airport...not sure of any details....it's been there a while.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T12:01:00.000+03:00

To all the Mothers out there:

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope your day was special. Remember, We all have mothers and they decidedly brought us into this world.

To honor all Mothers, here's a poem for you:

Before I Was Myself, You Made Me, Me
by Nicholas Gordon

Before I was myself you made me, me
With love and patience, discipline and tears,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,

Allowing me to sail upon my sea,
Though well within the headlands of your fears.
Before I was myself you made me, me

With dreams enough of what I was to be
And hopes that would be sculpted by the years,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,

Relinquishing your powers gradually
To let me shape myself among my peers.
Before I was myself you made me, me,

And being good and wise, you gracefully
As dancers when the last sweet cadence nears
Bit by bit stepped back to set me free.

For love inspires learning naturally:
The mind assents to what the heart reveres.
And so it was through love you made me, me
By slowly stepping back to set me free.

Competition and Blogging

2007-05-11T02:50:00.000+03:00

Competition:
The military is full of type 'A' personalities. I know this is not a surprise to all of you, but yes, there are competitions of all sorts to pass the time. Last Friday there was a boxing match on one of the bases in Baghdad to see who was the strongest in the ring. I don't know about you, but I think boxing is pointless. I did box when I went through flight training way back in 1986. I did so because I had to not because I wanted to. We had a match each week to work each of our skills; week one was jabbing, etc. For the first 4 matches I was paired up with someone that was about the same build and we faired well against each other. Two days before the last "all out" match, some sailor rolled into our class and they re-distributed everyone in my weight class. Wouldn't you know it, I was now up against this guy that was 6'3" with an arm-reach of a gorilla. I got the living crap beat out of me. In all fairness I did get ONE GOOD gut shot on him, but that only made him more mad and his hits only came harder. Thank goodness the match only lasted 2 minutes. My instructor told me that I did the best I could considering. Anyway, the idea of two people beating the crap out of each other to prove who is better just doesn't make sense to me. So, it seems in order to pass time soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen come up with all kinds of goofy things. Just the other day I was showing a soldier how to spin a football on the ground. Shortly thereafter it became a competition to see who's ball could spin the longest. Silly games do pass the time.

Blogging:
I read a lot of other blogs of Sailors just like me. (See column to the right labeled "Other NARMY Blogs"). Some of our experiences are very similar and some couldn't be further apart. We all do about the same thing for the Army. I saw this comic called Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis yesterday in the Stars and Stripes and I just had to put it in my blog....it's just too funny. It's a newer comic that is very well written. It's been touted as the Seinfeld of comics. Another day down and another day closer to coming home. To my wife: I hope you enjoy your Mother's Day flowers; I love you. To my kids: I miss you and love you!! To everyone else, thanks for stopping by!

Speed bumps, Prison (Part 2), and News

2007-05-07T00:49:00.000+03:00

Speed Bumps:
I've told you all before how horrible the roads are in Iraq. I was picking up someone from the military side of Baghdad International Airport and on the way there is a VERY bumpy road with lots of SPEED BUMPS. Now I am not talking about your standard Wal-Mart speed bump, I am talking about big honking speed bumps. Some are made of rubber, some out of asphalt and some are made out of old retired tank tracks laid across the road. These speed bumps are laid out along the VERY bumpy road to control speed. Not as if the bumpy road wasn't bad enough...you have to drive 5-10 miles an hour so you don't lose a kidney. So, there I was behind a 5-ton truck, which is about 10 times larger than the Toyota pickup I was driving. We stopped at a stop sign and right after the stop sign is one of these LARGE speed bumps. I am thankful I waited a little bit because right after the 5-ton clears the speed bump, his BIG GIANT spare tire tumbles off the truck headed for me. OH MY!! were my first thoughts...and then "OH, what a cruel way to die in IRAQ, by the hands of a spare tire." (Not really....but that is funny). No, the tire careened off of the road and landed on the shoulder. I immediately honked my little truck "beep beep" horn and flashed my lights (This was all at night). Well, the truck driver slowed down for about 2 seconds and then started to re-accelerate. Once I was clear of the stop sign/speed bump combo, I pulled up right next to him and told him about his wayward spare tire. It was some Private and I am sure he was thankful because he probably would have had to pay for the lost tire. The rest of the journey was un-eventful.

Prison (Part 2):
I've been running (or as Ron Burgundy would say Jhogging with a soft J) along my prison walls and I finally got a picture to share with you all so you will all see the uncanny resemblance. The only problem is that I have been running in the afternoon and it's starting to get H O T, H O T! Only about 95 degrees and so far it's been a dry heat. I ensure that I am hydrated before each run and by the time I get back to my room, my shirt is soaking wet and the cool air conditioning in my room feels wonderful. Thank you Mr. Stuart Cramer & Mr. Willis Carrier! We will all be forever grateful.

News:
We got most of our news from the AFN Europe Television and Stars and Stripes (Middle-East Edition). They print and distribute the S&S paper with stories from around the globe along with local Iraq war stories about what's going on and who's who in the zoo. My favorite article is called "What's up with that?" On Sundays, we get a separate insert that has 4-pages of educational reading...er...um, I mean comics. :) I really do look forward to Sundays....and Fridays too! Two reasons for Friday: First, it's flight suit Friday. The only day of the week when I can wear my Aviator Jammies and actually wear my NFO wings. I am not allowed to wear any devices other than Rank, Name, Branch, and US Flag on my Army Combat Uniform (ACU). Second reason, is that Friday's are Steak, Lobster, Crab and Shrimp night. The Shrimpies are good and the steak is hit or miss, but then again that's why they invented A-1 steak sauce. That's about all from Baghdad.

The picture to the left is of one of my recent GeoCache finds called "Hero's Cache" near Camp Victory. The bullet holes are real and it's where Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith, US Army, earned the Medal of Honor in April 2003. Please read this hero's story here. It was truly an HONOR to stand in the shadow of a giant. He is just one of many that have made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. NEVER FORGET THAT FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!

K, J & C, I love, miss and think of you all the time.

Tanks a lot!

2007-05-02T03:09:00.000+03:00

Tanks a lot:
The other day when I went to Camp Slayer (same place as the water palace in the previous post), I saw a pile of tanks. These were Iraqi tanks that have been in the same location since 2003. I could tell that the tanks had been burned badly and one of the turrets was blown off. There are four tanks at this location. This, now safe, area that I am standing on was a war zone. It's hard for me to fathom the amount of destruction that took place during the beginnings of the war. I certainly see war scars everywhere I look, but several years have passed and most of the wounds have healed. Some of the scars are still visible if you look for them. These scars include destroyed buildings (previous post), and bullet holes in walls and buildings, etc. The areas where we work and live are the safe zone, but outside the guarded walls it's a completely different story.

Now if you really want to the truths of war and which political party has killed more Americans for the cause of war then click HERE.

Shootin', Re-arrangin' and Narmy-isms

2007-05-01T00:03:00.000+03:00

Shootin':
The other day we went to the shooting range to keep our marksmanship skills. I shot my M-16 (5.56mm), M-9 (9mm) and my buddy's M-4 (5.56mm) with laser sights. I was given a complement: My shots were pretty tight using 'IRON' sights. When I shot the M-4, my groupings were very tight. Pretty neat. I also got to shoot in the Auto mode....which means the weapon keeps firing until you stop pulling on the trigger. I was told to shoot in burst. Well, I held the trigger down for a while and don't you know my bullets walked right off the target....now I know why you shoot in bursts. All in all it was fun and the range time furthered my confidence in my shooting ability.

Re-arrangin':
My third roommate moved out (he transfered) and so my other roommate and I re-arranged the room so we each have have of the room as our private space. I can't tell you how nice it is to actually have a 'room' instead of a walkway. The picture to the right is my 'new' room. One of the supply guys hooked me up with an Army Folding Field table. I'll make sure I take care of him for taking care of me. Now my laptop has a place. In addition to gaining more personal space, I also inherited a nice chair, a lamp, a new comfy bed, and a marble coffee table. The picture to the right is my new setup. The opening to the armoire is on my side of the room so still have a closet. My desk is just around the corner from the fridge on the left. The mattress on the bed is a new mattress that has built in springs and cushioning. In addition to all this, my roommate had an internet connection on his side of the room so I bought a wireless router and now i have internet at my desk too.

NArmy-isms:
The Navy has a buddy system and in the Navy you call your liberty buddy a 'Shipmate.' A shipmate is someone you can rely on to keep you safe and take care of you of something were to happen. In fact, in all foreign ports, you cannot leave the ship unless you have a liberty buddy (or Shipmate). It's always safer when you travel in pairs (or more). In the Army, they call it your 'Battle Buddy' and in the Air Force, they call it your 'Wingman.' In Naval Aviation, we use the term Wingman as well. The reason I bring this up is because there ARE differences between the services, but we all have a buddy support system. You always take care of each other. Where I work, I don't hear a lot of Hooah-ing going on, but we do take care of each other.

The job is was doing on the Ship was a Staff job. Most people can smell a staff weenie a mile away. Well, the job I am doing here is very close to a staff weenie job but for and with the Army. I sit at a desk and communicate and coordinate. Almost the same way we do it in the Navy. In the Navy staff world, we have a code system to define each person's job. For example the N-3 is the Operations Officer. The only difference here is that instead of N for Navy they use S for Army? Go figure.

The other day, I finally made it to the post office before it closed (they work 9-5 M-F and 9-4 on Saturday and 9-1 on Sunday) and was able to mail off a few goodies to repay some kindness that you have all shown. Anyway, after the post office, I was able to do a little GeoCaching. I found four more caches at Camp Slayer. The picture to the right and left are of a Water Palace. The place is surrounded by water. It appears that the right side of the building was demolished during the start of the war back in 2003.

On the 27th, I added the web-counter to the right and I can't believe how many people view my log everyday. I will attempt to post more often now that I have a connection in my room. That's about all for now. To my loved ones, I really appreciate all your sacrifices so I can do my job over here. Know that I love and miss you all very much and I couldn't do it without your support.

When it Rains....

2007-04-28T01:12:00.000+03:00

it pours:

Yesterday I received THREE packages from my friend and loved ones. What a nice suprise. My Mom sent me a HUGE 3 pound bag of Columbian coffee plus a 3 pound bag of M&M's, my friend Darren sent me 2 - 1 pound bags of Starbucks House blend plus a bunch of nuts and trail mix, and my Aunt sent me a whole bunch of goodies including some CAT toys and a framed picture of the cat. :) Thanks everyone. I walked around like Santa sharing my goodies....but don't worry, I saved some for myself. ;)

Cat Update:

Still haven't seen the cat but we have been looking. As soon as we see him, he'll have some new toys to play with....and if he doesn't then maybe the Rats will like the toy, who knows?

Department Head Screening:

In a few weeks the Aviation Department Head Screening board will meet and decide my fate. And I really mean my fate. If I am not selected, then I cannot make Commander and I will retire by 2009. If I am selected, then I have the opportunity to move forward with my career. Last year's board had a 50% selection rate for EA-6B NFO's....and it's not going to get any better. I am sending three Letter's of Recommendation to the board written by my superior officers and hopefully this will make a difference....We'll see.

Please send out your prayers to LCDR Kevin "Kojak" Davis' (Blue Angel #6) family and loved ones. He will be missed.

As always, thank you for all of your support. K, J & C I love you so much and miss you.

The picture above is of a funky sitting booth in our lobby.

Food & Connectivity

2007-04-24T19:05:00.000+03:00

Food:
As I have said before, the food here is good. KBR is the company that provides all the hotel services to all the FOB's in Iraq. These services include Dining Facilities (called DFAC), laundry, and a whole host of other services. The chow hall (or DFAC) is almost like eating at a buffet but you don't have to pay. The folks that serve the food always give out WAY too much of a serving size...so you have to be specific when you go down the service line (ie: ONE chicken breast, etc). The DFAC has a main line, Stir fry section, sandwich section, Salad bar, pasta/mexican bar, and of course a phenomenal dessert bar (Cakes, pies, cheesecakes, cookies, sift serve and hard ice cream, shakes, ice cream bars). A person could eat lots of dessert if your are not careful. I try to limit myself to one GOOD desert per week otherwise I might join the 300 club. (300 club: either you'll leave Iraq being able to bench press 300 pounds or you'll weigh 300 pounds.) Oh, yeah, they make us ALL wash our hands before we enter the DFAC. My wife likes that part.

Connectivity:
The connectivity here in Iraq is very good. We have Internet (hence the BLOG) and telephones. We are able to use the Defense Switching Network (DSN) to place morale calls back home. It uses Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and we place a call to an area nearest our loved ones and then either place the local call or use a calling card to make long distance. This really helps to stay in-touch with all of our loved ones. The other piece of software we have discovered is called SKYPE (www.skype.com). You can use your internet connection to place calls at a very low rate. If you have a Web Cam (which my MacBook does) you can place video teleconference calls for free to anyone else that has a computer with a webcam. I've tried to do this on a weekly basis to see my family....It's much better than the ship's connectivity and it's in the privacy of your own home. If any of you have a webcam and wish to SKYPE with me, drop me an email and I'll give you a call (after we coordinate a good time to call). The time here, as you can see from the clocks on the right, is about a 12 hours difference from the West Coast Pacific Time....so most of my calls take place during the weee hours of the morning. We recently got an Internet connection in our room, but there are three of us sharing the connection, so I recently purchased a Wireless Router so we can all share the connection. I should get it by next week. I cannot complain about the connectivity here in Iraq....It really does make the deployment much easier on me and my family.

The picture above is of one of my recent Geocache finds. The cache was hidden under the wooden cover on the end of the barrel. Very cool cache...and it's an old Iraqi cannon. The picture below is one of the Art pieces that my oldest daughter drew for her art class (it was done with colored pencils). She's definitely got some artistic talent (so does my younger daughter!).

That's about all from Iraq. Check out BOB on the FOB for some FOB humor.

Saddam

2007-04-19T18:57:00.000+03:00

Saddam:

He was so into himself and spent way too much money on his luxuries. Some people have monogramed shirts or hankies, but one of his favorite palaces was monogramed. The doorways all had his initials on them. The picture to the right are his initials over every archway in his favorite palace. His people suffered while he was living large. Most of the "food for oil" money was spent on Saddam's luxuries not his people. He has paid the ultimate price for his attrocities and abuse of power.

I've updated the pictures in the previous post. Since that post, someone has already found the Micro Cache that I hid....we call that a FTF or First to Find. Now I have to go and place the second one in this series....I have four that I will hide.

Cat update: We have not seen the cat in the palace for about 4 days. Someone said they saw him somewhere else on the FOB, so it sounds like he's doing okay....but he has yet to produce a dead mouse.

Again, I thank all of you for your support and know that I am safe. Senior O, I have a suprise heading your way....I'm certain you will like it.

Goodies & Stuff

2007-04-18T02:14:00.000+03:00

Goodies:
First, I'd like to give a BIG shout out to SENIOR CHIEF O. He told me he was going to send me some goodies and asked me for my address, so I gave it to him. Low and behold, he sent me this HUGE box of GEEDUNK (Navy term for candy). You see, Senior Chief and I were on our last deployment (JAN-JUL 2006) and we'd always have GEEDUNK at our watchstation. The box itself is a work of ART. Besides that, there was enough candy there to choke a horse. I've shared my GEEDUNK with my co-workers and they have been powering through it. The DARK Chocolate Dove eggs were my downfall. Thanks Senior Chief!

Second, I've like to thank my WIFE. She has sent me a couple of care packages. This last one contained my more EVIL Girl Scout Cookies (Evil because NO ONE can pass them up) and my COFFEE PRESS. Last night I ground up some coffee beans my buddy left me and had an AWESOME Cup of Joe. (A little Navy History: "Cup of Joe" origins: When Josephus Daniels became secretary of the Navy in 1913, he prohibited alcohol aboard all U.S. Navy vessels - making coffee the strongest drink that could be served on board. For that reason, sailors started referring to a mug of strong coffee as "a cup of Joe".) She also sent me the 9th Season of the Simpson's and a beautiful hand-made card. Honey, thanks for all you do here and at home! I sure do miss you!!!

Third, I'd like to thank my Mom. She sent me a care package with Colombian and Costa Rican Coffee....yummm!!! Thanks Mom, it's delicious!!

Stuff:
The mattresses here are almost like box springs....lots of springs and not much cushioning. I got tired of sleeping with the springs in my side so for 17 dollars at the PX, I bought a foam mattress and my bed is now VERY comfortable.

Today, I managed to escape the castle and do a little goofing off (me time). I did a little site seeing at a nearby FOB called Slayer. There they have two sites that all must see. First is the Purfume Palace. This was the place that Saddam kept his concubines (it's the one that looks like a juicer). The other one is the "Victories over America Palace" that Saddam had started building...I guess we know how that one turned out. I also was able to do a little Geocaching. I found my first combat cache near the palace at a place that looks like it straight from the FINSTONES. Funny thing is that the Americans named the street "Flintone Drive." (Pic below) The Flinstone house was built for the kiddies and inclues an elevator and multiple rooms. Talk about a great play fort for the kids.....those priviliged enough to visit this place. I also placed my first combat cache near Al Faw Palace on FOB Victory. Then it was back to work, work, work. That's about all for now.....

Iraqi Prison

2007-04-11T16:03:00.000+03:00

Prison:

The other day I was out jogging (and because I am an old fat guy, I don't RUN, I jog) by the fence-line when Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues started playing on my iPod shuffle. At that time I started to draw parallels about how being in Iraq is similar to being in Prison (but different). Don't get me wrong, doing time in a prison is a punishment for those that get caught breaking the law and this list is not meant to belittle prison, just discuss my thoughts: (the list is not all encompassing)

1. Prisoners live inside walls protected by armed guards to keep the bad guys in; in Iraq, the armed guards are keeping the bad guys out.

2. Prisoners are un-armed and guards are heavily armed; in Iraq, everyone is armed, some more heavily than others.

3. In prison, inmates lose thier freedom; in Iraq, we are protecting freedom.

4. Prisoners wear uniforms; in Iraq, so does the military.

5. Prisoners eat prepared food in a chow hall; in Iraq, so does the military.

6. Prisoners are free to roam the compound during certain hours; in Iraq, the military is free to roam where we wish as long as you have the proper Body Armor.

7. Prison time is considered hard time; so is serving in Iraq.

That's about all I can remeber from the list I made in my head during a 40-minute jog. Feel free to add to the list via comments.

I am proud to be helping out the Army with my job and we see forward progress everyday with what we are doing. When watching the NEWS at home, only believe about half of what you see and none of what you hear. The news at times is so lopsided. If you don't alread know: CNN is a Democratic News station and FOX is a Republican News station....if you don't believe me, sit and analyze each of the stations and make up your own mind. Not that I am criticizing either station, it's just that they tend to put their own spin (or interpretation) on what they see. (Stepping down from soap box) Sorry....didn't mean to rant, but sometimes the News is all we watch and it sometimes just gets you frustrated.

As always, I miss and love you K, J & C. Multiple boxes of love!

Picture above is a stock photo of a typical guard tower in Iraq.

Happy Easter!!

2007-04-08T14:09:00.000+03:00

Car & Roads: My job has me traveling to the adjacent FOBs and in order to get there, I have to borrow a vehicle. Unlike some of my buddies, I do not have a vehicle, so I borrow whatever I can get my hands on. Recently I have been driving a Toyota pickup truck. I know most of you think of a nice new truck when I say that, but no, this truck has seen some miles. I'll describe it: White, four-door, diesel powered 5-speed, 4-wheel drive with no radio and multiple dents. Wait, there's more: The seat is locked into one position (short), the inside rear-view mirror has been glued back in place but is very loose (everytime you hit a bump, it shakes like the dickens), the right rear window does not roll up, and oh yeah, the whole rear window is missing...so we always have good airflow when we drive. It rattles, humms and pulls to the left down the road and I think the shocks should have been replaced about 3 years ago. Other than that, it's very reliable and it gets me around (when I can borrow it). So, the other day, I needed to pick up my hard drive from HQ and I borrowed the truck. Remembering that it doesn't have a radio, I thought it might make for a better ride if I had some music. I grabbed my portable Sony speakers and my iPod shuffle. Now that's combat problem solving at it's finest! The ride was much more enjoyable and one of the gate guards caught me rocking out and had a laugh. The roadways over here are horrible. I live about 4 miles from headquarters, but because of the roads, the speed limit and the heavy trucks, it takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to get from here to there. There are potholes big enough to mess up any front end alignment. Some of the roads are so bumpy, it's better to drive on the median. These are just the roads that are on-base....I can't imagine what the roads on the outside look like.

Cat & Rats: The cat has become a true palace KING. He meows loudly to get into any closed door and just the other day she caught a bird outside and delivered it to the Admin folks as a gift. We told him NO, go for the Rats instead. There have been no rat sightings since the arrival of the cat. The guys have been talking about naming the cat "Chuck Norris" that way they could apply all the Chuck Norrisism to him. If you haven't read any of these, you should, some are pretty funny. For example, the guy I am relieving made one up: "Chuck Norris doesn't Sh!t in the catbox, he IS the Sh!t in the catbox." If you have read any of the other Navy Bloggers from Iraq, one of them talks about a Chuck Norris Lattrine near where we did our CREW training. I've been there and some of the posts are pretty funny: "Chuck Norris doesn't sleep, he waits."

Surprises: Yesterday I taught a class at HQ and when I arrived I was told I had a package. I grabbed it and put it in the truck. When I got home there was yet another package sitting at my desk. My thanks to my Wife and my Mother....Not sure how they managed to get both packages here at the same time, but kudos. So, I had a feast of Girl Scout cookies and honey roasted cashews/peanuts. Thank You. I did share some of my Thin Mints and Cafe Cookies with the gang in OPS....the two boxes were gone within the hour. :) I'll share some more soon.

As always I am thinking of my loved ones and I miss you all. Oh yeah, Happy Easter!!

The pictures are of the "Chuck Norris" (the one with my buddies boots are to assess size) and the lobby of the castle.

PICTURES for all my Friends...

2007-04-05T14:34:00.000+03:00

Now that my computer is back up, I've taken the time to upload pics into the previous posts.....SCROLL DOWN!! Enjoy.

Computers, Cats and Rats! Oh MY!

2007-04-05T01:39:00.000+03:00

Computers: Hello everyone. I am writing to you from my recovered MacBook. How sweet it is to have may laptop back in action. I stopped by the HQ building twice on Tuesday and asked multiple people if my FEDEX package had come in....the only response I received was "no." My wife said I should have the drive by the 3rd, but alas it was not there. I asked my wife for the tracking number only to discover that the drive had been delivered on the 30!!!! What the heck...now all I needed to do was track down who signed for it. When I called today, I asked if anyone knew the name and to my dismay, I was speaking to the signatory. I asked him to verify that he did in fact have the drive before I drove 30 minutes to the building. To my dismay, again, he said he had it. I told him to keep it out and I'd come pick it up. I had been asking and asking about my FEDEX package for a week and come to find out that he had it all the time. Instead of being nasty, I just picked up the drive and thanked him. I could have given him a piece of my mind, but I'm bigger than that....We are all away from our loved ones and at times life is trying enough.

Cats: The other day, I was coming down the stairs when I hear a mysterious sound....it almost sounds like a baby crying. I run into a couple of Army Seargents and I ask "What is that noise?" The response was "It's our new Mouse killing cat." So I head down to the basement to see what this cat looks like and to size him up as a mouse killer. Well, he's a cute little orange tabby and he's only about 4-6 months old and he' crying for either company or food. A few folks have been taking care of him and he's adjusted to the "Castle" life. So I think, that this place just might have a few small field mice running around for the little cat to catch.

Rats: To my surprise, last night one of the fellows I sit next to jumps up out of his seat....Startled, I ask what is going on. He says that he saw the "mouse" run behind out work stations and he described the mouse as a large RAT....so it appears that our new cat has his work cut out for him. The mouse is apparently as big as the cat. The folks downstairs are feeding and training the cat to be a real killer using string and laser pointers to hone the cat's skills. I'll try to keep you all up-to-date on the cat & RAT story.

The guy I am relieving leaves on Sunday. I think I have a pretty good handle on the job. Last night he said he gave me the keys and it's all me now. I've posted a story in the upper right corner that was published last month (SEAPOWER) and it describes what we (the Navy) is doing in Iraq for those of you that don't know.......That's about all for now.

K, J & C I miss your hugs.....Love you!

(Pic above is me sitting in the famous chair in the Al Faw Palace holding my M-16)

New Best Friend & Christmas!!

2007-04-01T23:46:00.000+03:00

New Best Friend:
Well, I have arrived at my new job and I have a new BEST friend. He happens to be the guy I am replacing and he has been here since last summer. He is ready to go home to his family and he also knows that his time here is coming to a close. Boy is he happy and I am happy for him. I'm sure I will be the same way when my relief comes to relieve me.

I've finished all my training and now we are doing a job turnover. He is teaching me all the ins and outs of my new job and how to handle the things that will come my way when dealing with Big Army issues.

Best news is that I am living in a PALACE!! That's right, a palace and this place certainly is a nice place. There is MARBLE everywhere along with ornate woodwork. We have a nice view (when you look outside) and I have a bathroom very close to my room. My room is about 40' x 40' with 15+ foot ceilings and I share it with two other people. I've managed to secure enough bedding that I don't have to sleep in a sleeping bag anymore. How sweet it is!

I refer to the Palace as a Castle....and it's very secure and safe, so please don't worry about me. The area is very green and we have those pesky little blood suckers here too (see previous post).

Christmas:
Because of my new best friend, I am getting an electric teapot (for heating water) and a nice french coffee press. So please send me some premium coffee (Starbucks is always good). I'm sure he will throw some other stuff my way as well because 1) 220 volt products don't work so well in America and 2) It is a pain in the butt to pack all that stuff home.

Today we had the first windy day since I've been here. The visibility was terrible and the sun was blocked out of view. Yummy dirt....That's about all for now.....

Hugs and Kisses to all!

and a Special Happy Birthday to my Big Sister....hope you have a great one!

(Pictures above are my closet (8 feet tall), my bed and my bathroom)

Bats, Mosquitoes and Booms

2007-03-27T19:34:00.000+03:00

As I walked from my tent to the computer place to check email, I saw lots and lots of bats. This is a good thing because as the weather starts to warm up, the mosquitoes will start to get worse. I already have 4-5 bites and they do itch. GO BATS!!!

Booms: The other day my wife asked me if I heard the explosions on base. To which I answered “Which ones?” You see, in day to day life near Baghdad you tend to hear explosions all the time but they are always distant. They (us and them) are always blowing something up. Please don’t worry about me, I am safe and sound at the base.

I'll soon start my new job and finally get to work.....instead of training.

The picture above is of the barrier walls (called T walls) that protect most structures around the camp.

Another Day down

2007-03-25T19:54:00.000+03:00

There are three things I'd like to talk about today; Army stuff, my next job and Apple.

The Army operates a lot differently than the Navy.

Point one: The Army considers the Army Physical Training (PT) clothing a uniform. Now I don't have a problem with that...in fact the outfits are a whole lot better than the Navy's. They have silky sweat suits that actually match and are somewhat decent; unlike the Navy sweatshirt and pants. The problem stems from walking down the street and getting saluted by someone in PT gear....I think that is just plan silly. The Army believes in saluting indoors and outdoors with or without headgear (Navy: Cover). The Navy only salutes outdoors and while wearing head gear. Now there are exceptions like during a ceremonial Change of Command indoors...salutes galore. My point is that the Army is different than the Navy.

Point two: Everyone in the Army says Hoo-ah and it has many meanings. It can mean good morning, or yes, or understood, or I am having a crappy day. Now as a Navy guy working with the Army, we are all getting acustomed to using the Hoo-ah term like a bad habit. I'm sure once I get back on the ship, I'll be quickly broken of the habit or be sumarily ridiculed.

My Next Job: I found out that I am staying put where I currently reside. I'll have to move to my permanent living quarters and learn my job. I cannot tell you specifically what I'll be doing, just know that I will be supporting the Army guys to WIN! Our class is being scattered all over Iraq. We'll see each other when we leave.

Apple: Arggg!!! My new MacBook has died. When we were leaving Kuwait to fly here, it was acting funny then all of a sudden no startup! After a bit of troubleshooting, I concluded that the Hard Drive (Seagate 60 GB SATA Piece of Crap!) went bad. I tried calling the 1-800 number using my AT&T calling card and guess what? It doesn't allow 1-800 numbers. I called the operator and asked and they informed me that the card doesn't cover those numbers and if I wanted to I could charge it to my credit card. I asked how much it would be and the response flattened me: $12.95 for the 1st minute and about 5 dollars for each additional minute!!! HOLY COW! I kindly said no thank you and when I went to work I used the phone there. It took me one and a half hours to get a new Hard Drive sent to me. I spoke to the Technical Support Engineer and explained the problem. His response was to send the computer to Apple to have it repaired. I explained that his solution wasn't viable (~5 weeks without a computer...NO WAY!). He directed my call to his supervisor and I re-explained my case with two possible outcomes; either he sends me a new computer or a new hard drive. He agreed to send me the Hard Drive. When I gave him my Iraq FEDEX mailing address I was further informed that they don't "DO" international shipping.....so so make a long story shorter, I had them send it to my wife and she is FEDEX'ing it to me. So I should have my MacBook back up and running by the end of the week....hopefully.

The picture above is of the pallets and pallets of bottled water outside of every location here....Stay Hydrated!

That's all for now.....Love to the ones I love!

In Baghdad

2007-03-21T16:14:00.000+03:00

Well, I made it safe and sound. We flew in last night and the last part of the flight was shall I say interesting. We were in no danger that we knew of, it was just the pilot making his combat approach. Fun. What wasn't fun was sitting in a regular aircraft seat with all my body armor and kevlar helmet on. There isn't much room to move around.

Let see, where did I leave off last time? In Kuwait we received some close quarters combat arms training in the desert. Shooting next to someone you trust is a must. It was almost like camping but much dirtier. I took a baby wipe shower one night and you'd be amazed at how much better you feel after one of those. It was nice to get back to the base and take a real shower and shave. The professionals that taught us all of our combat skills along the way have been superb. Lets hope I never have to use those skills. Nuff said.

The one item I keep patting myself on the back for buying in the states is a headlamp. I paid $14.97 at Wal-Mart (in the camping section...made by everready) and it has been by far the best investment for this trip. The lamp has four settings and in most places, there isn't enough light to read by, so with the help of my headlamp, I can read at night using the red light. Our bathrooms (Navy head or Army lattrine) are parked outside of our tents and sometimes it's a short jaunt to get to the little boys room. The headlamp lights the way. If you are headed out here or if you are going camping, this little light is a god-send.

Back to Baghdad. Today we did some admin stuff and went to the Al Faw palace (I'll post pics later). This was Sadam's premier palace and the place is gorgeous! One thing about Baghdad that amazed me was that, unlike Kuwait, there are trees here. Lots of them. The weather is warm-hot in the day and cool at night. A group of us went to the PX to see what was available. Didn't buy much except a power adaptor. We start our classes tomorrow and I should find out where my permanent location will be shortly.

To all those following my journey, thanks for your unwaivering support and to my loved ones, I miss you all! That's all for now.

In Kuwait

2007-03-15T13:18:00.000+03:00

I'm in Kuwait for the next step in my training. We flew out as planned and the flight was long but we were comfortable. The Flight Crew was extremely nice and took care of us during our journey. We landed at around 10PM local and by the time we got to the base, completed our in-processing, and got to our new homes it was around 2:30 am. Our schedules are all upside down. Most of us agreed to unpack and head to breakfast at first light. The hot shower made me feel human again. The chow hall here is very nice. The assortment and quantity of food is amazing and good. We all need to be careful not to over indulge and PT often. After making a call home, I laid down to re-cage my clock and slept until around 1PM local, then did some admin check-in stuff.

With our nice new homes, the bathrooms (Army Latrine; Navy Head) are located about 100 meters from our hooches. We have shower trailers and separate bathrooms. It's funny how the small things amuse people. As I was using one of the nice latrines (running water, flush-able toilets with a sink), I was looking at one of the hanging smell-good air-freshers and noticed that something was lost in translation. See attached picture for some silly humor. The sand in Kuwait is more like fine powder with dirt like qualities. The sky today was filled with sand. Visibility was about 5 or so miles. Very strange to have a bright day with a brown sky.

The base has a lot of basic creature comforts. We have a PX (post exchange), internet cafe, a phone center, a few fast food joints and even a coffee joint.

If you don't know already, I am into Geocaching and there are four geocaches very near to where I am located. I went in search of my first "combat" cache today and was successful with the find. We will start our training soon and I will post when I can.
I miss you all.....

NIACT Complete

2007-03-12T07:06:00.000+03:00

We have graduated.

We finished up our Navy IA Combat training on Friday with a short graduation ceremony and a pizza party organized by a chaplain that was going through the training with us. He's quite a character and a really good guy. We gathered for a class photo with our Drill Sergeants. Our platoon achieved the highest pistol and rifle qual scores, so the Sergeants won the highly coveted Basic Rifle Marksmanship trophy pistols and belt. Spirits were high that we were done with this part of our training. Thursday we fired the BIG GUNS. The one I forgot to mention was the M-2 (MA-Duece -- 50 Cal). Wow, that thing is LOUD. Check out this link to learn more about the M-2.

We were told we'd fly out to Kuwait in Monday, so we had the weekend to goof off. Three friends and I went out in town to enjoy our last weekend of FREEDOM in a nice hotel. Oh the bed was so comfy. Sometimes its the small things that really make a difference. We went out to eat and had some well deserved rest. We went to the movies on Saturday (two of us saw Wild Hogs while the other two saw 300) and did a little book shopping at one of the chain stores.
I received a phone call from my brother and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he was coming in town to see me. He and his wife picked me and my friends up and took us out to dinner. We had a great time. On Sunday all four of us had watch, so my bro drove us back out to the training center and dropped my friends off. My brother, his wife and I did a little shopping at the PX and then they were off to return home. It was VERY nice to see them and I thanked them for coming to see me before I left.

I also received a call from a friend from Pennsylvania. She was in town and said she'd like to see me. She was nice enough to pick me and my friends up from the base. Did I mention that it is a 60 dollar cab ride to downtown from the training center? She offered and we accepted the invitation to dinner. We ate at a place near five points in Colombia. Five roads diverge to a single location. The eatery was a local joint with delicious food and the company was good. It was really nice to see her and her little ones. We hadn't seen each other since DEC 2002.
I am blessed to have such great family and friends. Thanks for making my lastweekend (for a while) in the states a great one.

Love you all, especially K, J & C!!

Another day Closer to Iraq

2007-03-08T04:29:00.000+03:00

Well we've been busy this week. We completed reflexive fire (that's where you shoot at close range with no notice), Close quarters combat, Convoy operations, and a bunch of other Army combat related drills to include marching. Uhggg, my feet.

On Tuesday we marched for about 1.2 miles to a mock town where we practiced Army stuff. When we were done, we marched back. I was really tired at the end of the day and even went to bed at 9pm. The days start early and end late.

Today, we did a practice convoy in 7 HMMV's (Humm-Vees). I got to play as a heavy machine gunner. I got to shoot (blanks) a M-249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon). I'll tell you that this weapon can thow lots of lead down range in a hurry. We also did a Land Navigation practical using the Army's Grid system and a Combat First Aid practical. Ah, new ways to navigate with a compass and your feet. We also got our transportation brief as to when and where we would be flying. It looks like Monday is the day, but that could still change, we'll see.

Since the beginning of my training, I've been issued four seabags FULL of stuff and now I'll have to drag it to Kuwait and Iraq. I've had to mail home some of my things so I can try to minimize down to three....we'll see. Tomorrow we get to shoot the big guns with live ammol. M-19 Grenade Launcher (Adapted from the Navy), M-240 (M-60 replacement, again adapted from the Navy), and the N-249 SAW. We will travel to the firing range at Fort Jackson and have old vehicles as targets to shoot.

Friday is Graduation day.....That's about all for now....out.

Hugs and Kisses to K, J &C!

First Post!

2007-03-04T18:40:00.000+03:00

Well, here it is, my first blog post. For those of you that don't know me, let me introduce myself. I am a Naval Officer with 23 years of active duty (12 years prior enlisted). I am an EA-6B NFO by trade, but haven't been in a squadron since 2002.

I was attached to an Admiral's Staff on a Carrier which was about to deploy for 3 months when I was informed that I would be heading to Iraq on a 9-month Individual Augmentation (IA). What does that mean? Well, I'll tell you. I will be assigned to a job somewhere in Iraq to support the ARMY. So, I've named my blog Today's NArmy (Navy's Army) to honor my time in country (or as others have told me: the big SUCK). I left home on February 11th, 2007 and I have completed two of my training stops and I am currently getting the best Army training that the Navy could afford at Fort Jackson, South Carolina with hundreds of other Navy types. The training is called NIACT (Navy IA Combat Training).

The training is basic Army stuff: How to shoot, how to wear your personal protective gear, etc. I've qualified on the 9mm (Expert) and on the M-16 (Sharpshooter?). This coming week we will be shooting some BIG guns....sounds fun. The days are long and I WISH that the military would equip us with comfortable boots. My feet hurt at the end of every day.

I miss my family: K, J & C I love you and think of you all the time!

That's about all for now. Later!