On being home

I have to say, it makes everything seem a bit more surreal to be waiting every moment for word that your child was born halfway around the world. I remember how much fun Isaac had torturing us with his many false alarms as we waited in the days following his proper due date. At night I sleep fitfully and wake up early because in my subconscious I am expecting to be awoken by the unmistakable sound of someone trying to reach you through skype. Those of you who are skype users know what I'm talking about. And when I am traveling down Tampa in the back of a MRAP or Cayman or RG33, I keep remembering with a start that I could be getting a BFT message at any time from Company. (BFT = Blue Force Tracker, basically a computer in each truck that communicates position and can send and recieve texts among the trucks or back to headquarters.) So, I must simply wait on tenterhooks for the inevitable message. Does anyone actually know what a tenterhook is without looking it up? I looked it up, it's actually fairly anti-climactic, although it makes sense. Anyway, with Isaac, I was with Bonnie pretty much the whole way through her labor and a lot before it, so I could help her out and make sure she was taken care of. This time I'm not, and even though I know she has a family who will take care of her, I'm still not there, and knowing how much she hates to put anyone out ever I just imagine her at the end of her rope and with no help. I know it's not true though, so I'll just stop worrying right.......now.
Ok, for real this time, I'm really going to stop.
As for any other topic..... well, it's down right cold now. I had to dig around for all the cold weather gear I didn't think I'd ever use. I am DEFINATELY using it now. It sometimes gets down into the 30s at night!
Wait a minute, these posts are always too long anyway, so I'm going to break the habit here and now.
P.S. Quite a few of you have sent me letters and even packages, and I just want you to know that it means a LOT to me! Thank you so much, I love to be reminded of home. I do have to say though that none of you can put a package together like Bonnie, sorry, and it's not just because she's my wife, she's really good at it... or maybe it's just that she has come to know me pretty well... I don't know. Anyway, I've already responded to most of you, but it always seems like there are a few that I still have to do. I just want you all to know how much I appreciate your thougts. :-)
Ok, NOW I'm going to break the habit.
P.P.S. No I'm joking, seriously how weak willed do you think I am?

I finally got to see what rain looks like in Iraq. Well, sort of. A couple nights ago I went outside and I couldn't believe how much lightning was flashing all over the place. It wasn't the normal kind because there was mostly no noise. Once in a while there'd be a little rumble, but it was pretty much just flashes and jags by the second, all over the sky. It was pretty entertaining... I popped some popcorn in my microwave and went out to watch it. It had been overcast all day... by which I mean some really high, whispy (yes, that's how I want you to pronounce it) clouds that did a reasonable job of blocking a tiny bit of the the sunlight. It wasn't even a distant cousin to an Oregon cloud cover, in fact if the two got together, I'm sure they could sire some completely new type of cloud formations. So, after the lightning got done, the rain came on stage... if I remember right, there were about 9 drops in all. I have always heard that if you get caught in the rain in Iraq you don't so much get rained on as you are subjected to a waterboarding. I suppose this country must have some intelligence that it needs to gather from unsuspecting travelers. In the end, however, the result was the general and pervasive odor of a barn. It was a bit of a shock, after the couple of drops that found their way down by my room were fallen, I went back out and was immediately transported back to the huge building full of ducks that I spent tedious hours in as a young Amish man. I am still mystified as to why getting the ground damp would make it smell like that, it's not like there are animals around here. Anyway, it didn't rain much this time, and it's a clear sky again. I suppose it was just trying to taunt us with a taste of the torture to come. People who have been here since the last rainy season say that when it does start to rain (day and night for a week) everything will turn into gummy mud and there will no place be sacred from it. Yippy, I can't wait (read sarcastically with downward inflection in voice).

Life continues as normal here. The temperature has continued to drop, as long as I'm not doing something energetic I rarely sweat during the day anymore, and in the low 70s, the nights are becoming downright nippy. During the above mentioned rain night, the wind got to blustering around quite a bit, and I was shivering openly while outside in my pt shorts and shirt. I looked at the thermometer and it said 74 (brrrr!)

The other day we got a surprise visit from a couple of explosive projectiles here at Adder... there were a couple really loud bangs, but as usual, no one got hurt. And, as usual, I had a good laugh within myself about how even with this one simple task of blowing up infidels, the neighbors just can't seem to get it right. I'll tell you what, forget about the big coalition army that's occupying this place, if I were the insurgents, I'd give up out of embarrassment... but that's just me.

On another note... I am now studying to join the Catholic church. I know there are some of you out there who will be saddened by that, and I feel the impulse to justify it here, but I will resist. Someday hopefully there will be more humility in the church as it applies to all Christians, and people won't be so quick to discount how another Christian (and I use that name in it's intended meaning) interprets and applies the principals of faith. There are really only two things by which people can see we are serious about our faith: 1. they watch us die for it, or 2. they see charity lived in all our life (once again, the intended meaning). Neither is natural, so the moral of the story is that we have to rely on God to be in us what we can't possibly be. THAT is who I want to fellowship with, not Catholic, not Protestant, not Nondenominational (notice the usage of a proper noun). Ok, enough soapbox for me.

Speaking of which... have you ever tried to stand on a Tide detergent box while championing an issue that's important to you, ? It turns out that it's not as empowering as we're led to believe.

I do now call to mind my sins and ask your forgiveness in my omission. Did you know I am currently living with a couple miles of Abraham's birthplace? You can see the Ziggurat Ur from this base. I believe that is the temple associated with the moon goddess in the town of Ur. The people around here say it is one of the oldest buildings in the world. Also I know that near here is an arch which is the oldest in the world. For such a desolate and dead place there is certainly a lot of history here. Also, yes, there is still a town here called Ur, and they believe the remains of Abraham's house still exist although it is only a foundation. I can't believe it took me this long to blog that.

In other matters... I would say in lighter matters, but having a disability is no laughing matter. Anyway, it is finally official that my poor memory is in fact a disability. Last night I walked over to the area where our new medic is staying in order to straighten some matter up. As I went about the task of making the corrections I was there to make, it came to my attention that I was instructing the wrong person. It wouldn't be so embaressing if not for the fact that I knew both individuals involved. I'm really starting to wonder if I actually have a physiological pathology because it is commonplace for me to forget names and words while I am speaking. I actually find I am much more comfortable with writing. Forgetting names is one thing, but speaking to a friend about another friend and forgetting both above mentioned friends names in mid sentence as well as the adjective you were trying to use can be very disconcerting. I am truly ignorant as to whether this condition exists among any of my reading audience? Truly among any of my acquaintences at all. I read that it can be a symptom of an underactive thyroid, but isn't that also associated with weight gain? On a final note: my wife was not sympathetic at all to my plight. Once I told her about my embaressment she flew into gales of laughter that forced her to pull off the road lest she lose control of the vehicle. It was some time before she was capable of coherent speech. When she said she was intending to tell her family about it (by which I am sure everyone she knows is implied) I told her I wasn't worried, that she would try, probably several times, but I could rest confident that the few short words people were able to understand between the renewed merriment would not be sufficient to pick up the gist of the story, much less the subject. All this to say that if Bonnie calls you and is rendered catatonic by her mirth after only about 2 or 3 words you won't have the anxiety of trying to figure out what she's talking about.

Good day.

The weather here has cooled off quite a bit. Bonnie sent me a outdoor thermometer, so I look at the temp when I go outside. Of around 11pm it's usually down to the 90s, and often in the early morning it's in the high 80s. As strange as it may seem, that makes me shiver and gives me goosebumps. Why do they call them goosebumps anyway? Why make a refrence to a dead, plucked bird when speaking of someone's skin? I can't help but wonder what kind of morbid person coined that phrase, and what was everyone else thinking that went along with it? I would make a stand for simple decency in the matter, but it seems that the laws of the TULIP are in place and it is simply manifest destiny by this point. Anyway, some mornings when I go out to this little covered area to see if anyone shows up with ailments for "sickcall" it almost feels like a fall day. Maybe it has to do with the air being just a bit clearer of dust, but that doesn't make sense cause there's a crisp breeze blowing usually. I don't know, at least it's a bit more pleasant. A few day ago we took a convoy way up north, and I was amazed at the nice weather. We finally figured out that it was a bit more humid, not enough to make it miserable, but enough to give the air that touch of moisture that we so take for granted on the West Coast. I remember when I used to farm in TN and the weather started to get nice after a long winter I would get this exhilerating feeling that I needed to get outside and start working. They call it spring fever, and I think everyone experiences it, but when you farm you experience it on a whole new level that you didn't know existed before. I kind of got that feeling when I was up there. Speaking of that trip... while we were there the camp got hit by two 170mm rockets. Believe it or not it was exciting. Every bit of action I have heard of or seen over here of the "bad guys" trying to hurt us has only made me realize just how inept they are at their job. It's almost laughable how bad they are at actually wounding soldiers. I imagine that if I ever end up in some sort of firefight where I am treating wounded soldiers I will probably need to dig through my assault pack for an extra pair of underwear, but, as it stands when these things happen it just gives me a thrill. Don't ask me to explain it if you don't understand, cause I would have to think about it for a long time and I don't really care to use my time like that right now. Anyway, the end of the story is that because we were there we all get CABs (combat action badge)... I'm not sure what good that does me other than tell whoever cares that I was either in combat action while I was here or someone wrote up some paperwork that made it look like I was. If I ever have to treat someone medically during something like that I'll be able to get a CFMB (combat something medic badge). That would be cool (I really don't like that word, but I'm using it anyway), it would give me a lot of points if I ever wanted to get on somewhere as a paramedic.

About the most serious thing that has happened to anyone from this company was someone got their head a little squished in a door a few days ago. The MRAP doors weigh around 500lbs and since they are so heavy they have air pressure that opens and closes them. The door closes and opens when you pull or push the handle respectively, and as soon as the pressure is off the handle it is supposed to stop the door. This particular MRAP door malfunctioned in such a way that while the door was open he grabed the handle and after he let go the door continued to close so slowly that he didn't notice. He was mounting something just above the door and once it closed enough for him to feel it he was pinned. Fortunately he was able to find the handle and push it open before anything serious happened. He did go to the hospital to get stiches for his split ear, but other than a bit of a headache he seems to be healing just fine.

I've been doing so many night missions, where we leave around 7pm or so and drive all night, that I have taken to sleeping during the day even while I'm not on a mission. It's not working out all that well because I have some responsibilities here as the companies senior medic that must be dispensed with during daylight hours, usually in the morning. The result is often going to sleep at 5am and waking up at 8am and having a few hours of sleep when I get back from whatever I'm doing usually between 11am and 1pm.

I'm a little bit surprised that I haven't gotten sick yet. A lot of people have gotten the flu and/or stomach problems steming from new microbes in the food and air over here. Speaking of flu, I have to get ready to vaccinate this whole company with the newest flu vaccine. I really don't like doing it because I don't usually get sick unless I get the shot. But it's not my choice, so somehow I have to figure out how to vaccinate the whole company within a really short time period. They will give us the supplies in a couple weeks probably including coolers and all the rest to keep the virus in, and with four different convoy security platforms going all the time and everyone else doing their jobs I think it may be a bit difficult to make this happen. But what fun would the job be if there were never difficulties to surmount?

For those of you who have written me and I have yet to send a letter in response, I'm sorry. I honestly do feel bad and I promise I will write... no more excuses from me. Don't let it deter you from writing again? :-)

Another great mission!

I thought this was a pretty cool picture, but you can really see in my eyes how tired I am. You can see the sun just beside my head. Oh, btw, sorry the pictures are so grainy, I can't find my camera so I'm taking pictures with my camcorder now.

You can see the humidity that the sun is trying to scorch through. It was an epic war between the heat and the humidity... I'm still not sure which won.

the shirt I'm wearing is called an ACS (advanced combat shirt) it's supposed to be more comfortable to wear under body armor (IOTV) but it's some sort of spandexy thing with pretty thick sleeves, so it was a BIG bistake to wear on that particular mission. I was a bit on the smelly side.

I actually did get a few minutes of sleep.

Our accomodations...

I wanted to put a video up to see how it would work. This is an example of what can go wrong on a mission... I wish I could say that stuff doesn't go wrong on most of them, but this one was particularly bad. We're laying on the back of a flatbed and as you can probably see we hadn't slept much in a while. Also it was unbelievably hot and muggy. So even at 5 am like it was we were dripping sweat. Also we didn't get to sleep till about 10 am, so we were out there in the sun that whole time... fun! Sorry for the angle.

A little introspection

I thought it might be good to post a small piece of an email I sent to my brother-in-law about some of my thoughts on the war and being here. Hopefully you will be able to understand the context without having read the email I was responding to. So without futher ado... "I will have to agree with you that it seems the war here is a bit misdirected at the moment. Although I have to admit I have not found a way to either agree or disagree with an inanimate object. I'm feel confident that someone of your caliber could find a way to do it, if it could be done. As far as courage goes... There has never been a moment that I have felt myself quaking with fear of any kind, but I think it has far more to do with my pragmatic nature than any sort of personal courage. Sometimes I will be cruising down the road in an MRAP and we'll pass through an underpass or a stalled vehicle or some such danger and I will find my muscles tensing in anticipation of... I don't know, the unknown. But I have yet to prove my courage because I have yet to feel fear. What I do feel is that I am a man with a really good life who is wasting a year of it in a country which by rights shouldn't have a single living thing other than the occasional lizard. And worse I am forced to pretend to fight a fake war. Did you know we can't even have sovereign convoys anymore? Vehicles are allowed to pass us and even mix in our convoys. Of course, that's safe though... I mean who ever heard of a jihadist with a drivers liscense? Well, just fyi, if I do buy the farm here I'm sure that will be why. Also, I should tell you that I joined the army for the money, plain and simple, so there's really nothing noble or courageous going on here at all. Nonetheless, I really do appreciate your sentiment. It means a lot when people recognize that it is a really big sacrifice (whether or not one of choice)."
In order to keep this blog a lot shorter than normal I won't add much right now. I'm doing great as can be. Right now I'm waiting to leave on a mission that got pushed back a couple days. It gives me a bit of a break to catch up on some emails and letters that I need to write. Speaking of which, email is GREAT, but if any of you ever feel like actually writing me a letter, those are infinely more personal and I will certainly try to respond in like form. I also intend to post a few more pictures soon.
I hope everyone is great! Let me know sometime.
P.S. If you're planning to enter a boys name into our contest and you haven't already you might want to get on it at some point. Just a reminder :-).

It's been over a month now.

Prepare yourself to witness magic. I am going to reach into the dim and seldom accessed vaults of long stored information in my mind and find memories of my trip from Quait here to camp Adder. It won't be easy, this may not be the first time I have had to retrieve information from so far back but if I am in any measure sucessful then it truly will be a first.
We loaded onto busses and drove an hour to the airfield where we got boxes filled with various different packages. We were told it was food, but don't start trying to make me prove it because I'm sure I would be less than equal to the task, even under torture... We sat in a big army line thingy (a.k.a. a formation) for over an hour until we were finally provided with the relief of an old air conditioned tent to finish our time at the airfield. In retrospect I feel it would have been a bit more comfortable for everyone if the males and females had been given seperate tents. Airconditioning is such a loosely used word, it is apparently open to interpretation, fewer clothes is always nicer when sweat it pouring in rivulets down ones body. I managed to find a small spot with a few of the mechanics to play a game of cribbage. The C-17 aircraft was finally ready to load and so we lined up to board. The back of the plane has a ramp that lowers and passengers/cargo all march up the ramp for loading. There are about 30 rows of seats in the forward section of the plane and open space in the rear for the pallets of cargo. There are also seats lining both walls which face inward. Well, I wasn't fortunate enough to get into one of the wall seats. I didn't even get into an isle seat. No, I was sitting there in my full battle gear with my assault pack and weapon in the very middle of a row. The seats have aproximately half the space that normal seats in a midsize aircraft woul have. I can imagine it is supremely difficult to get into those seats completely naked. As it was with over 80 lbs of gear hanging about me on all sides it would have been nice to have a crane system to hoist me into my seat. At last I was sitting in my seat, with my weapon digging into my leg and my pack on my lap wedging me firmly between itself and the seat behind me. The seats to the left and right were so close that I was actually wedged between the soldiers sitting in them. The end result was that I didn't even have enough space to reach into my pockets or wiggle even slightly. I sat there trying to imagine what would happen if someone decided they were claustrophobic (or even that a distant relative had been at one time) or if someone were to get airsick. The flight was actually quite smooth however, and went off without a hitch (or a movement of any kind really). The next coherent thought I had was as I exited the rear ramp I once again felt a pang of shock that someone had left another jet idling right accross our path. Well as it turned out, when I was informed that Quait was hotter than Iraq I was lied to. In Quait it was so hot and dry that my sweat dried almost instantly and I didn't notice it much. Iraq has actually surpassed that and I am once again reminded of how profusely I sweat.
We moved to an actually pleasantly cool holding area for a few minutes before it was back out in the blazing sun to stand for hours in a line waiting to get assigned our CHU's (compartmental housing unit). I'm sure every unit that comes in has to stand in that line for extended amounts of time so I am really confused as to why they haven't erected some sort of shading device. But no matter. We got our chu numbers and walked the half mile to find them, unload gear and get moved in. I don't even know why I bother to mention it because I suppose by now it is to be expected, but after a couple days (or however long they thought it would take me to get settled into my CHU) I was moved to another. Thankfully I don't think it will happen again until we're about ready to leave this place. The CHUs are small trailer looking things in rows, surrounded by 15ft tall concrete T walls. I'll try to remember to post some pictures of my CHU and my roommate (who has also now started a blog). The Battallion senior medic has now moved out of my company and so I have once again taken over full responsibilities as senior medic.
I don't remember how much I have written about this place, so I'll say just a couple things. The chow halls are absolutely FABULOUS. The food is amazing and there is a great variety of both food and drinks. Biscuts and gravy with eggs and iced coffee is especially delicious for breakfast. Surf and turf night means we get crab legs, lobster tail, deepfried oysters and steak... sometimes all the same night. I never touch the steak, I like a lot of blood present if I'm eating a steak. I think I would be satisfied with setting it outside in this sun for a few minutes. What passes as steak here is so abused, cooked, broiled, soaked in hot broth and various other inexcusable acts as to be rendered inedible by me. Of course that only means I have yet to go hungry here. The PX (post exchange) is an old, dim, dirty gym that has some shelves, so it leaves a lot to be desired. Also it is constantly running out of anything useful due to supply convoys being delayed etc. There is a Taco Bell which is out of beans and onions and chicken. The Pizza Hut has no peppers, onions or chips. The Burger King has no whoppers. I think it's all due to supply disruptions, but they don't offer much of an explaination. There is a great salon type place. They cut hair, do various waxing, pedi/manicures and facials. I got a cut there and at the end got a mini massage and then he cracked my neck (a little scary seeing he didn't warn me, just started jerking my head from side to side). I also got a facial because I was told by a lot of different people that it was wort it. Well, it was nice. I have no use for my face getting exfoliated, but I got to lay in AC for 2 hours breathing in steam and at sundry times having someone messing around with my face. After that I got a mini massage too, so all in all it was enjoyable. There is a market of Iraqi shops a ways off to one side of the post. I haven't been there yet, but I actually planned to go today just to see what they have. I know they sell movies for 2bucks each. There are two chapels on post. I've been to both, not much to tell.
Ok, this is really long and I'm getting a bit tired of all the snoring so everone just wake up. If you have questions about Adder I'll try to answer personally or in my next post. I know I can't think of everything, so I'll describe what you wish to see (or take a picture).
Today I'm taking care of a bunch of administrative things. Tomorrow I'm going to prepare for my next mission. I'll try to write about it when I'm back. I'll REALLY try to remember to take at least a picture or two. I haven't been doing all that well with pictures, I think it's because everything here really looks about the same to me. But I know it doesn't to you at home, so I'll try. Oh, one more thing, I don't know the exact dates I'll get leave, but the paper says December-January. I won't find out exactly till the 10th of November.
And another thing :-) My lovely wife sent me a box of this and that... How does she know exactly what to send me? I just want you all to know that there could not possibly be a better wife than mine. I'm certainly the most fortunate man in Iraq... sadly that's not saying much, a lot of people here have marriage problems. Anyway, everyone give Bonnie a pat on the back for being the strong, gracefull person she is through this.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, one more thing... no seriously, that's all.

First mission

Well, I am finally supporting my first mission. The only problem is that after making it halfway there we had to stop because of the weather. So now I am holed up in a really small dumpy COB, waiting for the weather to clear up enough for us to continue our mission. We are staying in tents with bunk beds in them. On the bright side we have real mattresses to sleep on. On the down side if you touch the mattress too hard clouds of dust float into the air. Also I get the distinct impression that there are crawly things on the mattresses. It's not like they are ever washed, and lots of convoys stop off here, so random people are constantly using the mattresses. Well, I never thought my time here would be a picknick, so I suppose I shouldn't complain. As far as the weather goes.... Well, when you look into the sky it looks overcast. It is actually not unlike a overcast and fairly foggy day on the coast (except the ever present and all pervasive heat). The main real difference however is that instead of precipitation, it's all made of dust. This is what they call a dust storm. It makes it so the birds (helicopters) can't fly safely. That is what holds up our mission, command doesn't want us to run when we don't have air support. The storm is nothing like a dust storm in the movies, not bad enough to keep you from going outside, just bad enough to infiltrate everything with layers of fine dust. And I mean everything. The worst thing is it makes it impossible to keep weapons clean. Anyway, hopefully we'll be out of here in the morning and finish our mission. I know I still owe you guys my trip over here, but there is no time now, I'm on a very short time limit with these computers. You'll probably have to wait for that till I get back to my own CHU (compartmentalized housing unit) where my laptop is. Ok, back into the dust for me.

My Iraq address

If you feel the overwhelming urge to send something to this ridiculously hot and horribly inhospitable place, here is the address to send it to. (Also I'm including a suggestion of a name you could use if you want).

SGT Avery, Michael B.
Bco / 2-162 IN / 41st IBCT
Taskforce Volunteer
Camp Adder
APO AE 09331

I'll try to post about the trip over here on Sunday (someone yell at me if I forget), that way you can all have a laugh at the expense of my misery. Cheerio!

The last of the pictures for a little while

You know how everyone has to go through security before boarding an airplane? Well, soldiers just have to step on a scale with everything they're traveling with before boarding.

And there's no nice walkways to take us to the plane, this is how we board.

We had a layover in Germany. As you can see, the coffee there is really quite strong. Seriously though, I got a cup of airport coffee (which is usually not representative of the country's best coffee) and it tasted like an americano. I sure would like to sample some real German coffee if their airport stuff is that strong and delicious!

Well, now that I know..... guess I'll really quit now.

(This was before I saw the warnings) Funny thing, Germany is the first place I've ever seen people actually kicked out of outside for smoking! They told everyone who started smoking outside the terminal that they had to go inside if they wanted to smoke. And let me tell you, within about 5 minutes it was so hazy in there that it was hard to breath and I actually started to get sick to my stomach. Yea, a lot of soldiers smoke.

That's our Battalion Senior medic, I was amazed that he fit so well on an average set or stairs.

Oh, this is from the last morning in Georgia (the last one was too). We never actually went to sleep that night because we had to get out of our barracks by 12am and inspections/cleaning went on to 3 then we went to the airfield and flew out around 8am if I remember right. So yea, this is how Glasses sleeps. This is going to be one of my two roommates when I get to Iraq btw.

I'm sorry I don't have a better picture of the vehicle, that's going to be our tactical medical vehicle in Iraq. I think we're showing you how to survive in the desert in this picture.

Vast and featurless. (I probably shouldn't have capitalized that "v" cause that's not even a complete sentence... or is it? Hmmm.... oh I don't know.)

You know, only in a state where so many people fly the confederate flag would they allow gun trucks to conduct combat patrols through normal civillian towns like this. I was amazed. In Oregon there would be such an outcry that the governer would be out personally to stop us before the end of the very first one. Guns are bad you know.

This is what it looked like for most of our 3 day base security mission... if I remember right, the rain had let up for JUST long enough for me to grab my camera and snap a picture. The water was ankle deep pretty much all over. (Did I say water? I meant mud.)

Even medics need a break every once in a while.

Ok, I'll admit it, I was actually inside for most of those three days, in the command tent. I was the Battle NCO. That means I sat there and listened to all the traffic on the radios and tracked everything on that sheet of paper and controlled troop movements in the camp in conjunction with the Battle Captain. I don't know why they gave that job to a medic, but I sure enjoyed it. It's the first time (and the last) that I've ever been on that side of the radio during a fight. During my time in Georgia I was: Medic (medic), Sergeant of the Guard (command and control for gate guard detail), Battle NCO (command and control for all fighting elements in the camp including the SOG), and Truck Comander (command and control for one gun truck in a mounted combat patrol. It's unusual to train on all those different things, I guess I'm either really good or I was in the right place and the right time. (Obviously the second:-)

The cots in Georgia were TERRIBLE! Even the ones that weren't broken when we gon there mostly ended up that way within a few days. I think they should have declared war on the company who made them instead of contracting with them.

I have some very delicious videos of the wonderful and loving birthday party we gave Olson. By we I mean us medics. We really stick together you know, even if it means caring enough to strap someone to a litter, wrap duct tape around their calves, rub icy-hot all over their body (and yes I do mean every last inch), write on them with magic marker, carry them around upside down singing "happy birthday", and finally leave them leaning upsidedown against a building and take off. Yes, we will sacrifice anything for our buddies. **nervously looks over his shoulder, knowing his birthday comes in November**

First try with pictures

Convoy training ops in Georgia.

At the end of the 5mi ruck march. We gave IVs to quite a few people.

Right about the middle of the 5mi ruck march. The pace was so fast that it was all I could do to keep up. I don't have short legs, but I tried several times to walk faster than the marching pace and no matter how fast I made my legs go or how long I made my steps I couldn't gain on it at all. Funny story.... I had to run all the way from the back of the line to the front (I thought it was a medical thing at the time)... it took me about 2 miles I'm guessing, and in 80 lbs of gear that's not easy.

Medic training in Rilea (Oregon) before we left for Georgia. I'm sure it's obvious but I'm the patient in the middle.

Sunset in Kuait. All those hills are man made birms to protect the little camp.

Trying to figure pictures out

Did it work?

Oh my, I just now discovered that you guys can post comments! I love them! It made me feel quite connected to my friends. That's a good feeling, especially here. Trust me, I'll probably end up reading all of them quite a few times. Khalen, if you remind me before I leave Iraq I will absolutely bring some sand back for you.

<10 days till Iraq

So discussion has begun about living arrangements in Iraq. It looks like we're going to be in three man rooms. They'll probably basically be box trailers (yes, the cargo type) with doors and AC (and hopefully it will work sometimes). A couple of guys asked me to share a room with them to which I acquiesed. There are some certain foibles that will have to be worked out for us to live in harmony, but considering the options I think they will make very nice roommates.
The big news for the moment is that I finally made the leap to begin working out in earnest. Of course there is always a certain standard of fitness required by the army (which you wouldn't believe if you saw some of the rotund people around here!) but it is time for me to start using my deployment time to actually get into shape. The jury's out on how long this will last for me. I advise the betting faction of my audience (of 4 so far) to start placing your bets with eachother, as you stand to win considerable money depending on your odds. Hopefully it will be a lasting change however, that would be nice.
You know, I am actually getting used to this obscene heat believe it or not. I rarely choke anymore when I walk out the door and try to take a breath of flamethrower. Actually, when the AC is actually working it sometimes gets cold enough inside our tent that it is a welcome warmth to walk outside (actually that is only at night though). The tents that we stay in are steel frames stretched with fabric and then it looks like the covered the entire outside with some sort of spray foam insulation. Really makes a fairly insulated and durable living area. We moved to another tent yesterday. It's still almost as crowded, but now I am in the middle instead of by the wall. (there are three isles of of cots) The result is that now instead of people tramping by my feet they seem to pass endlessly on both sides of me making tons of noise and flexing the floor till I feel as if I will slide off my cot. A little harder to sleep at night, but the AC is still nice to have.
We made a little three day excursion to an outside camp to conduct some weapons drills and driver/convoy training. It was terrible. It was a small place of about maybe 12-15 tents (maybe 30 man tents?) nestled in the sand and rocks. There were lots of man made hills and birms surrounding the camp, and to protect from the areas where weapons were being fired. I also saw the beginings of some sand dunes where the wind eddyed around the corners of tents and piled sand up. Speaking of sand, some days the wind would carry a constant stream of it over the surface of the desert around us. I'll tell you what, sand gets everywhere!
Ok, enough rambling for one night.
Hey, there are only 4 people who are following this blog. I'm not complaining, but wouldn't it be more fun if you all invited some of your friends to the party? :-) I already tried to invite mine but it seems I only have 4. :-)

Kuait

Kuait is great! No but seriously, it's actually not as bad as I imagined. When we first steped off the plane I was really concerned because of the unsafe environment. As it turns out we actually weren't disembarking into the wake of another jets engines, it was just the breeze blowing off the balmy 110 degree landscape. From what I've been told it has cooled off considerably before we got here. Last week the temp was closer to 120. If you have never been somewhere this hot you can experience it from the comfort of your own home. All you have to do is find an industrial hair dryer, turn it on high and point it at your face from a safe distance. If you find that it is not difficult to breath you're probably too far away. The good thing is that it is very dry. I never did truly get used to the Georgia heat that instantly soaked my clothes in sweat the moment I entered it, but I feel this will be somewhat better because sweat dries the moment it exits my pores. It dries so fast that there are even times when a 110+ degree wind hits me and I actually feel chills. I love evaporation. The next question in my mind is why anyone in their right mind would liver here ever? (Much less for as long as people have been here. Old civilization and all that.) Ok so I covered the heat, what else....? The food is great. There are two chow halls and they both have a very large assortment of food. Tonight the main line at chow hall #1 was serving BBQ pork ribs and potatoes; I opted for the other line where I got a burger. There is a very long salad line with anything you could want on a salad, lots of different drinks and sodas, and even an extensive desert line with it's own server. Other than that there is a Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza Inn, Panda Oriental and several other food orientated shops. Also there is a barber shop, full service salon (massage!), large gym, department store, internet cafe (here I am now), and probably lots of other things I haven't seen yet.
Oh my, time's up for me. More to follow when I have a chance. I hope everyone is having a grand time and emailing me.

countdown

On the 4th of July I had an extremely pleasant visit from Bonnie. She was able to pawn Isaac off on my family for 6 days, so we were able to really relax and spend time with eachother. I don't have to say how important that time was to reconnect and even get to know eachother better. I found out later that a gang shooting occured on the riverfront during the fireworks show. Two of the soldiers in my Company were standing within feet of the shooting and turned at the sound of a .22 pistol to see a man falling to the street dead. The thing that made me think was that Bonnie were standing about a block away from the incident only moments before it happened. I couldn't help but think that man had gone down to the river to celebrate independence day not realizing that his life would end before he left again. How frail life is.
So the countdown has begun. We have all packed now and cleaned our barracks multiple times. Now we wait for the end of the week when our plane raises it's wheels for the Middle East. I always thought I'd end up there as a missionary, I never thought I'd be going over there to fight a war. I suppose it wouldn't be inconceivable to imagine going back with social help and the Gospel some day down the road. For now, however, I have been given a mission and I will do my best with what I have before me. Thankfully, as a medic, my mission is one of salvation and not of death. The hardest part is leaving my new family. Even that is not without it's benefits however. I have only been gone a few months now but I already see more every day how empty my life is without the very small circle that I can call my own. It's sad for me to think of Isaac growing for a year without me, but at least I am thankful he is only 1.5 and most likely will not remember it when he is older. Also it helps that he has the most amazing mother who will always nurture and shape him in my absense. He is in the best hands I can imagine.
Only two people have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ, and the American G.I. The one for your soul and the other for your freedom.