OIF

Hey everyone. So guard duty went fine. A lot of those guys speak just enough English to communicate with you and then I'm sure make fun of you behind your back...right in front of your face. But that's ok. It was pretty fun meeting some of the guys. It was kind of scary in the beginning though. Let me run you through how it worked. So first we drive up to the front gate. We pass by some other Iraqis getting searched and go to a huge crowd of them that haven't been searched yet. This is the scary part. Knowing that there are 500 locals standing there in a huge crowd that haven't been searched at all. So, you wait in line behind other soldiers there to get their work crew, and when it's your turn, you get your workers. Now if you have a big project, like ours, then you have a crew of guys that you get everyday. They have a guy in charge of them and about 40 workers. The guy in charge of our workers is an Iraqi that has a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Virginia. Very very intelligent man and makes for a great translator. So then you break them up into smaller groups that can fit in the truck that we brought and their own personal vans that have now been searched and brought on base. Then one soldier rides with each vehicle and you go to the work site. Our workers are working on our new barracks, which is a huge process, but they work all day and leave around 3:30. Most are very friendly. You're not sure which ones are trying to make some money and which ones are plotting a map, but there's no way to tell either, so the best idea is just to be friendly with all of them. After the day is done, you've had a few laughs and wait for your next time for guard. Well, that's it, pretty fun altogether, especially to learn someone else's culture. Nothing else is new, no new attacks that I know of. So pray for quiet peace. God bless you all.

PS: I almost forgot, yesterday marked our 1/3 mark. We are now 33% done. That'll make you feel a little better, I can't wait for the 99.999999999999999% mark. Ok, that's it. Peace.

Hey guys. Last night I got a package from Cheryl and her class, so I wanted to say thank you so much for that. Great stuff. The days here are usual. Still flying by. We still haven't heard much action, which I'm hoping and crossing my fingers will keep. But we're having another mass casualty exercise in a couple days again, so we're definitely getting ready for something. Hopefully it's nothing. I have guard tomorrow. The Iraqis come on base and work for money and you have to have so many soldiers for every couple Iraqis on base, so me and two other soldiers are guarding the ones that are renovating our new barracks tomorrow. It's a detail that we switch out. From what I hear it's not that bad and the guys that work with us are really friendly and even know a little English. The only bad part about it is standing out in the sun all day. But I should be ok, I have PLENTY of sunscreen. Well, I guess that's it. Love you all and thank you so much for your support. God bless.

Hey everyone. So a few new things happend yesterday. First of all I visited the pool for the first time. We have had an outdoor pool here for about a month now and I just now got to trying it out. It's pretty nice. They have managed to grow a little bit of grass there, and they surrounded it with a grass/hey like fence, so you can actually forget you're in Iraq altogether. It was probably the most fun I've had, or at least the most peace of mind I've had since I got here. So it was nice. Then at 1900 we had what was called a "mass casualty drill." I know what you're thinking, what a horrible name. And I agree. But it was the exercise we went through so we would know what to do in the event that we started getting hit really really hard or they started overrunning the gates and fences. Seems kind of fishy that we started these drills exactly one week before the change over of the new government, but oh well. Wish us luck. At least now we know what to do. Well, I guess that's it, not much else new. Hope all is well and I'll talk to you guys later. God bless.

Hey everyone. So we got hit again last night. Two incomings, and some of the people said they heard the streamers off of it so that makes me think it was a rocket and not a mortar. But I haven't heard for sure, nor have I heard about casualties or anything. We are expecting it to be a hard week attack-wise. The 30th of June is right around the corner and some think that the reason it's been so quiet is because they have been saving up for this week or that day. So keep your prayers up. It's all speculation of course, but it makes since. I'm not sure about the Iraqi's that supposedly broke on base, but they are letting the other Iraqi's on base again to work, so I guess it was either not true or they caught them. But I'm pretty sure it was true because SSG Byrd, my squad leader, said he woke up late one night and there were soldiers everywhere running around with flashlights. That's definetly not normal. So who knows, I'm only here, no reason to keep me informed. But I guess that's it, hope all is well. Thank you so much for your support and your prayers, they are appreciated. God bless.

Hey everyone. So I guess we got attacked a little. They say that there was an explosion this morning around 0800 and I heard a rumor that six Iraqi's broke in the base last night and they couldn't find them. So if the rumor is true then we have a couple Iraqi's wondering around the base now. Not sure if it's true. But I do now that they are making us wear our vests and k-pots everywhere we go now during certain times. So that's fun. Here comes the sweat again. Well, that's it for now, hope everyone had a great Father's Day. One more week down, one more week closer to being home. Love you all, thanks for your prayers and support. God bless.

Hey everyone. I don't have much to report except that I am moving back to distribution for a week while the others train up here at the post office. It'll be nice doing the job that I enjoy again, even if it's just for a week. Convoys are coming now at staggered times, so now we have to be there sometimes during the day, sometimes during the night. It's all depending on when they show up. We have to be there tonight at 9:00 pm even though we've been working here since 0730 this morning. So when I get off, I'm getting some sleep. We had an explosion late last night, but I just found out this morning that it was a controlled blast. So no harm done. I had my cousin post two more websites similar to mine there on the right hand side of the screen. SPC Allen is a soldier in my unit here working with me that started one up for her family, so you guys can see the same thing I'm going through in different eyes. SPC Oxford is a friend of mine for Appstate who is deployed with the 1450th Boone, NC Transportation unit assigned to Kuwait. They do convoys up to Iraq periodically so he will probably have some interesting stories on there. Well, I don't have much more to report. Hope all is well and thank you so much for your prayers and support. God bless.

EDIT: What was I thinking? I wanted to say happy daddy's to all of the fathers out there. Especially the ones that have been separated from their children by this conflict be it because they are over here or because their kids are over here. And extra especially to my two fathers. My father and my step-father. Both of you have been a great inspiration to me, you taught me my morals, my work ethics (which I found out not many people have anymore) and you two are what I am striving to be when I get my own family. Thank you so much for what you have given to me and what you have instilled in me. God bless you both and Happy Father's Day. I love you both.