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.