A Historic Blog of My Tour of Duty In Iraq

Back To Work

2006-12-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

I've enjoyed the past month off taking my leave. It ended yesterday and today was my first day back to work. I wasn't in the mood to go back to work. I had so much time off that I got used to hanging around the house all day. I was starting to enjoy it. We did go to California for a short vacation and I took the kids to Magic Mountain.

For some reason or another I had to go back to orientation. That's ok because I had to complete some electronic quizzes that were due anyway. Every was happy to see me and I felt like the most popular guy at work today. I'm sure the buzz is going around the hospital that I'm back now. It's ok but for some reason, I wanted to avoid people. I get tired of saying hello to everyone. I don't mind doing it but not all the time. Perhaps I'd hate being a celebrity.

I'm leaving this blog and moving on with my life. I just don't have the time anymore and the purpose of it was just to give everyone a glimpse of a soldier's daily life in Iraq. I'll be focusing on my MySpace website www.myspace.com/mrpetejr. I have a blog there that I'll be updating from time to time.

My laptop crashed a few weeks ago. It was the computer that I took with me to Iraq. Unfortunately I lost all my photos. Luckily, I had backed up most of them but I also had a list of names that I wanted to mention. I had a list of names of the people that would send me letters, stuff for kids, snacks, and other such things. I apologize to all of you that I haven't mentioned by name.

A BIG SHOT OUT GOES TO ALL OF THOSE THAT SUPPORTED ME DURING MY TOUR OF DUTY IN IRAQ. YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

THANK YOU & GOD BLESS!!!

I'm proud to be home, back in America.

Readjusting

2006-11-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I’ve been home for a week now. As everyone may be able to notice, I haven’t blogged much. That’s because my wife wants me to spend more time with her and less with the computer. It’s either her or the computer so I chose her. I won’t be blogging any much anymore either, maybe once in a while.

I’ve spent the last week eating out almost daily. I knew I would when I got home. The weather here in Phoenix has been absolutely beautiful. It’s been in the upper 70’s, lower 80’s all week. The skies have been clear and it’s been mostly sunny. I haven’t spoke too much of my buddies since we’ve all finished our post deployment. Most of the guys are planning on going on vacations and spending some time at home with their families.

One of my buddies was throwing a party last night. My wife and me were going to go but I changed my mind at the last minute. I didn’t feel like driving all the way to the west side of town to drop off the boys with Grandma and then drive all the way to Mesa. It was just too much driving and I didn’t feel like driving all over town.

Right now I’m trying to get readjusted. I just bought a cell phone this week and I’m still trying to learn how to use it. I also have some other things to do like call Tricare, visit the VA medical center, and enroll in the spring semester at Gateway Community College.

As far as everything right now I’d say it’s going pretty good. I’ve been spending lots of time with my boys and my young one is always telling me that he loves me. They both missed me and I missed them too. We have a bunch of catching up to do. When I left John hardly spoke and now he’s talking all the time. He’s also very, very into his Nintendo Gameboy. I have to find out how I’m going to get him to put it down and give it a break.

Welcome Home

2006-11-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

We’ve finally made it. 100%. We all came back home. It was an exhilarating feeling yesterday. We stayed up most of the night, Saturday night. We were told that we were moving out of the barracks at 0230 hours. We cleaned the barracks the night prior and put all of our linen away. We slept on the bare bunks without any linen at all but most of us didn’t mind. Some of us, like myself, ended up sleeping on the floor.

We left on the busses around 0300 hours on our way to the airport. We had to hang out in the hanger until 0700 hours for our plane to depart. So, it was a long night and most of us didn’t sleep at all. I tried to get some rest wherever I could but it was hard since we were always having a roll call or something.

We all walked out to our Southwest Airlines plane out in the rain. It was raining just as it had every day since we’ve been there. I figured the weather in Phoenix would be a beautiful 76 degrees with clear, sunny skies. I was looking forward to enjoying the nice Arizona weather. Sure enough, once we were in the air, headed south, the sky began to clear up.

Everyone on the plane began to get excited once we approached Phoenix. We came in from the north and then went east towards Scottsdale. At first I saw the Phoenix Mountains. Then I saw Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain. Then, that’s when I began to realize, that we were coming home. We were coming home and our mission was complete. We were finished. I left more then a year ago, unsure whether I’d be coming back and I was coming home now.

The plane landed at Sky Harbor Airport and taxied over to the hanger where a group of motorcycles, media, and family awaited. Flags were being hung and waived everywhere and the crowds were cheering. The plane stopped and the door opened. We began to exit and depart down the steps to the sound of revving motorcycles and marching band music. I was home. We all felt proud as we went to drop off our bags and get into formation. We would be marching into the hanger where the crowds of families awaited.

We marched our way into the hanger and the 1^st Sergeant put us to attention. He called the commander, who said just a few words. He mentioned to the crowd the number of combat missions we’ve accomplished and that the unit had come home 100%. He kept it short and dismissed us. We all rushed to our families and I rushed to see mine. The sense of happiness had overwhelmed me at the beginning. I had made it back home alive and from now on, I could get on with the rest of my life.

Outprocessing

2006-11-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was hoping that I didn't get stuck in medical holdover. I was forced to see behavioral health yesterday. That's because I stated on a questioniare that I may have concerns dealing with my relationship. I'm just a little concerned that's all and I care. I have to readjust back to life over here. I've been away from my wife and kids for such a long time and we've all changed a little. There will be stress because of the change we go through. It's expected.

Luckily I cleared behavioral health and medical so I'm almost cleared to go home. I'm hoping that nothing else happens so I could go on that first plane flight back home. Others that are not so lucky will be stuck here while the doctors do more examinations and whatever assesments they need to do. I never had any medical issues while I was gone, except for the toothache that occured in June.

Yesterday I finished clearing central issue. That means that all the equipment they've issued me is turned back in. Some of the guys were missing equipment which the commander when ahead and wrote off as a field loss. I'm glad I didn't miss anything. I'd hate to pay for equipment that I've lost. I have better ways to spend my money like on a little vacation with my family.

Today I get my TB skin test read and complete the demobilization outprocess. I'm almost finished and I can't wait. This process is so tedious and time consuming. Our command has discussed granting us an off post pass so we could go into town. I'd probably only end up going into some mall in Lakewood. I'm not interested in going all the way to Seattle. There's not to much to see there after I spent five days there last year. I think I've seen almost everything there is to see.

Back In America

2006-11-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

Wow does the weather feel nice here. I never thought the cold, wet, weather would feel so good. We arrived yesterday morning here in Washington State. The flight was long but I'm glad we only had one stop. We stopped in Germany to refuel before we left on final trip here to start our demobilization process. Of course we had the rest of yesterday off to recover from the jet lag on the plane. Most of the guys slept since 1600 hours and woke up pretty early. I tried not to sleep but got tired around 1500 hours. I took a nap and woke up around 1900 hours. After that I decided to get up and wash some of my equipment to get it ready for turn in. I went back to sleep around 2330 hours and woke up around 0600 hours this morning.

The plane flight was long, like always. They played around 8 movies from our trip from the Middle East all the way over here. I slept through some of the movies and watched others. Most of the guys slept right after take off. I could tell that our clocks were all messed up when everyone started waking up on the plane around the same time.

I'm glad we only had one stop. That was in Germany. I heard that other flights that are leaving after us will be stopping in several different places on their way over here. We had a big plane so it was prepared for those long trips.

Well, it feels really nice to be back in the states. We haven't been granted the freedom of leaving the post. We're confined and our command won't let us leave. I understand and it doesn't bother me much. They try to keep control of all the guys and they want to make sure that we all make it back home to Arizona safe.

We started our outprocessing today. We had a few briefings from several different agencies like the chaplain, finance, VA, legal, and medical outprocessing. Tomorrow we start turning in our equipment. I can't wait to get rid of that stuff. Some of the guys have lost equipment and I hope that I'm not one of them. If so they'll be taking that money out of my pocket.

Boring Kuwait

2006-11-04T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well, now that I'm here I'm bored. There's not much for us to do here but wait. It wouldn't be so bad if our command didn't place restrictions on us like having a battle buddy everywhere we go. They do have a few amenities here like a PX, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, library, bazaar, and gym. Well, I don't have much time since my battle buddy is waiting outside for me. So I'll just leave this post short.

The Way Home

2006-11-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

We had to get up early this morning. I didn't know how much a trip out of Iraq could turn into such a long day. We got up early this morning and started packing our bags. We all knew we were leaving Baghdad today for the last time. We cleared out the tents and cleaned them up. We waited outside for our busses to arrive to take us to the airport.Being at the airport is like being at any other airport. We waiting around forever for our flight. I spent my time playing Spades with some of the guys. It was a good way to pass the time really quick and have some fun at it too. We all missed breakfast this morning so we ate whatever snacks we could find. I walked over to Green Beans Coffee to get a mocha frappe. We ended up waiting about five hours before we boarded our plan for the flight out of Iraq.
We're all in Kuwait now and it finally seems like we're heading home. It's starting to feel pretty good and liberating. The trip here has been long and I'm tired. We ate dinner chow as soon as we got settled into our tents. The Big Man and me walked around a little bit just to get oriented with the place. It's only a matter of days before we're on another flight back to the states.

Animosity

2006-11-02T11:57:00.000-08:00

There was a lot of animosity today in the company today. I felt it as well. I thought I deserved better when what I got. I tried not to dwell on it too much, so I wouldn't be bothered by it. It’s mainly because of the award ceremony we had today.This morning we had a transfer of authority formation followed by an awards formation. A few bronze stars were awarded and I myself have trouble with the credibility of those that were awarded. Bronze Stars? I guess it’s ok if it’s honorable. But then they awarded the rest of us with medals, and what did they give us? They gave the rest of us Army Commendation Medals. Well, that might be ok too but they also gave it to some people that weren’t worthy of that award. So, that just puts us on the same level as that Joe that wasn’t worth a damn.

For a year in Iraq, and being recognized as the role model for organization and teamwork, I think they could’ve awarded us better. We’d hear praise about how great we were and how we were the best unit in the Brigade. They always said that they weren’t blowing smoke up our ass. Well, the least they could’ve done is shown that praise by maybe awarding us Meritorious Service Medals. And what about the appreciation from the Army for what my kids and wife has had to go through for the past year? At least some honorable recognition would be nice. ARCOMs are nice but for what we’ve done here in Iraq? After being told that we are the model for

Another thing is the coin awards. I like getting awarded the coins and they never have enough for everyone. Only a few guys in the unit got coins. I thought that maybe I’d be considered since I was chosen to manage the physical fitness for the platoon. It was an extra duty that I never volunteered for. I wasn’t happy about it when they told me back in Ft. Lewis but I did the job. While others were out messing around, I was busy making up the PT training schedule and managing the PT scores for the platoon. I received no recognition for that. Well, I see how they appreciate me now. And that’s why guys like me build a lot of animosity toward the unit.

Halo Forever

2006-11-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

I was getting a little wet last night. My cot is right next to the door of the tent. It’s a door that’s been ripped off by the platoon sergeant. He got mad one night and took his frustration out on the door to the tent. Now I’m the one that must suffer. A thunderstorm rolled in last night and the wind blew some of the rain right into the tent. I felt the mist that came in until the storm past. I just prayed that it would either stop raining or that the storm would go by.

I wasted most of my day playing video games. It wasn’t intended. I did plan on going the gym but I put that off to play a little Halo this morning. Then lunchtime came around so I at lunch. After that I went back to play Halo for about an hour. Well, an hour turned into a few and by the time I knew it, it was dinnertime. I played Halo from about 0900 hours until about 1600 hours with a lunch break in between. A true gamer may not say it but I think it was a waste of a day. At least I got some other things done like shower, clean my body armor, and buy some souvenirs at the PX.

Halloween

2006-10-31T09:48:00.000-08:00

I better get all the souvenirs I could get before I leave. We’re just hanging around now. We’ve pretty much turned the missions over to the new unit. Now we’re pretty much sitting around, waiting for the day when we fly out. They’re may be a little bit of a lag while I’m in my travels but I’ll try to post when I can.

I heard that when we get back to the States, we’d be on lockdown. I was told that we wouldn’t be able to leave the Fort or our area. I also heard that they’d have a no drinking policy. I could live with it but it still sucks.

This wasted my afternoon playing Halo in the Scorpion MWR. It’s not the same MWR that I was used to going into. This once is closer to the tents and further from our trailers. I got caught up playing Halo because this other guy from the platoon talked me into it. I’m not sure what we’re doing tomorrow, probably nothing. It’ll be another day for me to workout, watch a movie, and maybe visit the PX for the last time.

I will take it slow

2006-10-30T10:47:00.001-08:00

That’s the motto of the day. It’s the phrase that the chaplain came up with. We went through some of our demobilization briefings today. There was also a liaison from legal and finance. They explained to us how our earnings would change and what we would receive. Legal told us about any legal issues that may arise such as court subpeona while we were overseas.

I thought the chaplain was the best of the three. He entertained us with humor and gave us the pleasure of only viewing a few slides on his power-point presentation. The first slide was a picture of a stack of books. He explained how he had read all those books to try and get into a soldiers mind but none of them really helped. Then he turned to the next slide that had a picture of a Maxim magazine, The Cat in The Hat, and a few other simple books. That’s when he said that he had found a way into the mind of a solider. His next slide had the simple phrase "I will take it slow." He had us repeat it a few times and then he told us about issues that would arise when we arrived home. After every issue, such as drinking and intimacy, we would all repeat, "I will take it slow." That was about it. The chaplain discussed suicide prevention as well.

Today was the last day to turn in our laundry. We also got dates for the rest of our demobilization until we arrive home.

Over Yet?

2006-10-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

I wanted to spread the good news but we’re not entirely finished yet. I may never leave the wire again but there are a few of us that still have to. So I’ll hold off for now. We had a day off today. I was glad since it gave me a chance to do some of the things I needed to do. I still need to go to he post office to mail a few more packages before we leave.

I got up this morning around 0700 hours. I got dressed and walked over to the chow hall. Since we don’t have our trucks anymore we have to walk everywhere we go. It doesn’t bother me too much since I like walking. There were rainstorms this morning, which made it hard for me to walk to chow. When I thought it was going to come down hard I’d start running for time and possible shelter. The Army PT jacket didn’t help keeping me dry. My back still felt a little wet. I made it to the chow hall in about 15 minutes and ate breakfast. Afterwards I went next door to the phone center to call home and talk with the wife and kids. They’re all expecting me and can’t wait for me to arrive home.

I had my morning planned out before I left the tents and I was sticking to that plan. After calling home on the phone I went over to the MWR to check my e-mail. The internet was a little sluggish mainly because of all the rainstorms. I spent about an hour on the internet before I went to the gym. It’s been a while since I’ve worked out and since I’ve finally had some time off I wanted to take advantage of it. I was almost done with my workout when one of the guys from headquarters platoon showed up. He got an extra to-go meal at the mess hall and offered it to me. I accepted and we walked back to the tents.

This afternoon I turned in my laundry for the last time. I also got my last haircut in Iraq as well. I had to go out of my way to go to my favorite barber but it was worth it. I have a few more things to do but hopefully I’ll have enough time to do them.

Changeover is Hell

2006-10-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

I had to smoke a cigarette today. They’re not hard to find. There are a lot of guys that smoke in the Army. Maybe it’s an Army thing. I don’t smoke but today I decided to smoke one. We’ve had a hell of a week and after it was all done with today, it felt relieving.

We were told last night that we were meeting up this morning in the motor pool at 0945. I decided to get up early to chat with the wife and eat some breakfast before the day started. I arrived at the motor pool at 0930 just to be on the safe side and found that I was the first one there. I wondered where everyone else was for a while. The next person on the scene was one of the squad leaders from the new unit. He’s a pretty good guy, tall, brown hair, and resembles Mel Gibson. He asked me where everyone else was. I told him I didn’t know, I was just told to be there at 0945. A few minutes later a few more of his guys started arriving. Only a few of the guys from my platoon arrived a while later. Some of the guys were already going AWOL and I was pissed cause leadership was doing nothing about it.

This afternoon we were having the change over. We were turning over our trucks and all the equipment. It wasn’t too bad. We had to wait forever because the supply sergeant from the new unit had to go through all the serial numbers on all the equipment for each vehicle. I grabbed whatever I had left and said goodbye to my truck. It was being turned over to a new team.
Another milestone happened today. We also turned in most of our body armor and ammo. That brought to me the realization of something else; I may never go outside the wire again. It’s still possible, but unlikely. I heard the guys are going back to Ramadi pretty soon. I’m hoping I don’t have to go with them. Not because I hate going outside the wire, I don’t, I just don’t feel like going through all the motions. After the day was done and the headaches were over with, I decided to have a cigarette.

The Return To Ramadi

2006-10-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

For a while I thought I’d seen my last day as a .50 cal gunner. We left to Ramadi yesterday and I sat in the back seat. I thought I was just going along for the ride. There wasn’t much else I could show the new gunner since he had already been trained. To me, I was basically coaching and orientating him a little bit. I’d help out with the other guys where needed as well. Most of the problems were with our radio communications and not our weapons systems.

When we got to Ramadi I thought I’d be done for the day. I thought I was finished and we’d go hang out at the MWR and find a place to sleep in the homeless shelter. Hopefully it’s the last night I’ll ever spend in Ramadi. It didn’t go as planned though. The PL wanted me to go with him to the range. The Hoosiers were going to go to the range to test out their weapon systems and troubleshoot any problems that arise. Our platoon wanted an NCO and I guess I was the best person he could find. Why me, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I didn’t do shit but sit in the back seat of the Humvee.

Luckily the PL and me left the range before the guys were done. They were able to take care of themselves and their 1^st Sergeant was there to oversee all the testing. We went back to AR Ramadi and ate chow. I knew our day was over with. Afterwards we went to the MWR to hang out for the rest of the night. I picked up another book in the library there. I wasn’t in the mood for watching a movie or television, or playing video games. It’s too noisy in that place and all I wanted to do was spend some quiet time reading a book. I’ve been reading a Star Wars novel but I dumped it. It wasn’t enjoyable at all and I got tired of reading it. I found this other book in the library there titled, “Second Sunrise”. It’s about this Navajo State Police officer turned vampire. So far it’s very entertaining.

Rainy Days Are Back

2006-10-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

It sucks. For a while I thought that I wouldn’t have to go to Ramadi tomorrow with the rest of the guys. I just found out the news that I’m going and I have to be up at 0445. As if I haven’t got enough sleep lately. But I have a plan for that. I know that I won’t be gunning tomorrow. It will be one of the Hoosiers and I have a plan on how I’m going to sleep in the back of the truck. I’m going along for the ride. I don’t know why I am, but I am. I had my hopes up too. I was planning on catching up on some sleep and getting a haircut tomorrow too. Now it’ll have to wait.

We took two different squads out today. The first gunner out amazed me with us this morning. Just by talking to him I got the feeling that he knew what he was doing. I don’t know how or why. Maybe it was his upbringing. I got the impression that he grew up on a farm and sure enough he did. He spoke of all kinds of things like windage and mathematics. He mentioned that he had a sniper rifle. I really recommended to him that he brings that thing out. I’m getting the impression that he’s the shooter of the platoon. Heck, no one in our company even has a sniper rifle. I also got the impression that he’s an expert marksman. Heck, I should be asking him questions instead of the other way around. In fact, next time we’re together I’m going to start asking and finding out what tips I could learn.

We came back to the camp for lunch chow then went back out. In the afternoon we took a different squad out. We took them through some of the mean streets of Baghdad, almost trashed a few cars in traffic, and gave these Hoosiers a little bit of a tour.

It felt a little relieving today. I felt as if I’ve move up to another level, alumni. I feel like I’ve graduated to another class, riding in that back seat today. I wasn’t gunning for the first time. I was actually, just along for the ride. I got to sit down and look around and see Baghdad from a different perspective. Now I am a coach. I’m not sitting on the sidelines, watching the action, and telling my players what to do. It also helps me realize that I won’t be here for long. These guys are taking over day by day. They’re pushing us out and I don’t mind. I feel sorry for them, but not for us. They have a whole year to spend here and we haven’t even finished ours. Pretty soon I won’t be riding along anymore and we’ll be handing over the rings and everything else to someone else.

Finishing Up

2006-10-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Right now our 2nd platoon is having a barbeque. It’s looks like the biggest party on the whole camp. I’m sure others are wondering who the hell we are. They’ve got their Humvees pulled up around the barbeque pit with all the lights on. They’ve also got some cots and chairs situated around the grill. They ran an extension cord from outside the tent so they could also play their speakers outside too. They’ve got the stakes on the grill and the only thing they’re missing is the beer.

I’m trying hard as heck to get these guys prepared for what’s ahead. I’ve already let a few get comfortable with being outside the wire and with how to interact over here. All the training in the world could not prepare these guys for the real thing. Sure the training helps, but it doesn’t replace actually interacting outside the wire on the mean streets of Baghdad.

The way I figure it, the sooner I get them doing the job, the faster I get to kick back and start preparing to leave. I haven’t had time to do things like get a haircut and make sure I’ve bought all the souvenirs I want before I leave. I’ve waited till the last minute like always and now I think I’m running out of time.

Familiarization

2006-10-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

The weather wasn’t bad today. It was cloudy for most of the day with some very light rain. The weather has also been cooler, which I really appreciate. I can’t believe how nice the cool weather feels. It’s almost refreshing. So refreshing that it almost makes me want to move to someplace cooler. I’m glad the days of hot weather are long gone and even the rain is starting to feel a little nice. That’s as long as it doesn’t pour.

We went on some more missions today, showing The Hoosiers around Baghdad. I tried to talk and explain to the guys as much as I could think of. I did end up getting a little frustrated though. Well, maybe I wasn’t frustrated, just upset. That’s because we did some things that were ate up that I don’t think we should’ve done. The team in the lead truck of our patrol just came back from Ramadi. There have been some changes on the roadways and such. They just decided to put an inexperienced driver at the head of the patrol. I brought it up at the AAR. I recommended that the lead element have the most experienced and best driver, that way they don’t get lost. There’s nothing wrong with Ses’ driving, he just hasn’t driven here in a while. Stuff has changed since he’s left and came back.

This evening, on the way back to camp, I noticed these teenagers on the street with an AK-47. There were about five of them standing around a parked car on the side of the road. I was wondering at the time whether it was the real thing or a toy. I wasn’t sure and it was hard to tell. As soon as they saw us coming they put it away. I kept an eye on them though. I was waiting to see if they were going to try anything. Now that I think about it, maybe we should’ve stopped them. It’s not my decision though. I just reported it to my team leader, as I should. It’s not my job to convince him into investigating those teens. But, thinking about it now, they were trouble and I’m sure we could’ve easily confiscated that weapon from them. That’s only if they didn’t decide to make our day.

I was sitting in the tent this evening, after I ate dinner chow and showered to type up my blog. That’s when this girl arrived to talk to one of the guys here. It surprised me because we never get girls around here, especially around our tent. I’m right at the doorway so I asked what she needed. I had seen here before in the mess hall during a lunch one time. She mentioned that she was here for someone and I told her that he went out to the phone center. I figured she say thanks and walk away but she just stood there, silent. I didn’t want to be rude but I was curious as to why she just didn’t walk away. There she stood, looking into our tent, checking out as much as she could. Her silence caught me so I wanted to find out what else she wanted. She didn’t talk much and was pretty reserved.

So I got up from the cot, turned my laptop off, and walked to the doorway. I started a little chitchat but I really wanted to find out why she hadn’t left. There was something she wanted and I knew it. I kept repeated that the person she was looking for wasn’t here and that I’d let him know that she had come by. After I spoke to her for a little bit, she finally opened up. She mentioned that her husband had left her. Tears had begun to run down her face. That’s when I thought, oh God, not this and why me. She opened up to me, a complete stranger. Why, I don’t know. Maybe she wanted someone to talk to.

So I listened to her and asked her questions. I tried to understand her situation as best as I could. I recommended that she talk to a Chaplin but she mentioned that she had already tried that and it didn’t work. She needed help and I could tell. I had a long deep chat with her. It’s not one that I’d prefer to have but felt I had to do. I felt I had to give the best advise and direction that I could. I told her about my life experiences and my relationship with my wife and my buddies over here. I tried to talk her into finding some friends over here, true friends, someone she could talk to. I was a little worried at first and I have the feeling that she’s depressed. I don’t know. I’m no therapist. Heck, I’ll probably need therapy at home after this.

I think she’ll be ok. There’s no telling how her relationship goes. Her relationship all depends on how her husband and her work together. I told my buddy that she came by when he arrived. I let him know about what she told me. He already knew from the conversation he had with her earlier. I’m glad she was looking for someone she could talk to. I don’t trust her with that weapon of hers. Hopefully, she’ll be ok. I hate having to take care of even these things over here. I’m no Chaplin or counselor.

The Tent

2006-10-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

I guess that I should perhaps describe our tent a little bit. They’re supposed to fit 50 of us in here but right now there’s only like 30. Thank God. That leaves more room for us. These tents aren’t your typical Vietnam era tents either. We have an a/c unit attached to both sides of the tent, blowing out cool air. The tent is also equipped with a two fire extinguishers and smoke detectors throughout the inside. The flooring is tiled with smooth plywood and cots are lined up and down the tent on both sides. In some ways I like it and in some ways I don’t. I like the fact that there’s more social interaction here but less privacy. We get to know each other a little bit more now because we have to live with one another. I’m already pretty familiar with my platoon buddies but we’re also sharing the room with 2^nd platoon. I’ve started socializing with guys from that platoon that I’ve never socialized with before.

We took the guys from Indiana to Ramadi today. We didn’t take all of them since there wasn’t room for all of them in the trucks we took. We passed a few cordons here and there but there wasn’t anything significant. The ride there and back wasn’t too bad actually. The only thing I hated about the trip is the fact that we had to take out a spare truck because our original truck didn’t get dispatched. Hopefully, we’ll be able to take that truck out tomorrow.

I did forget to mention one thing about today. It happened after we left the wire this morning, about 10 miles out. One of the trucks in the convoy was almost out of fuel as soon as we left. We had to turn around and come back to the camp so he could fuel. It was a pain in the ass and we were all pissed. It added about 45 minutes to our trip. Talk about not being prepared. I wonder what The Hoosiers were thinking of us. Maybe they didn’t think much about it since they didn’t bring it up in the after action review.

The Orientation

2006-10-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Right now we’re in the tent, planning our bank robbery when we get home. Our plan is to rob a bank using our weapons and Humvees on a drill weekend. We’re just dreaming, thinking, and planning but we’re not going to do it. We’re just using our imagination and dreaming like little boys. But we’re coming out with a nice plan. And now, the tent is quiet because all the guys are thinking about it. The other funny thing is these guys actually think they could do it. They’ve got it all planed out. It’s what happens when you get a bunch of bored guys together. Heck, I might just get in trouble for mentioning it. We’re not supposed to talk about our locations, activities, or other such things that may endanger our lives but they never said anything about planning a heist. These guys have been watching too many crime movies.

Today was the first day the guys from the new platoon went out with us. They’re all from the Indiana National Guard. I’m glad they’re guard members like me. It’s easier for me to relate to them even though I’ve been in the regular Army before. They guys had lots of questions about everything from how my deployment has been here to questions about our mission. I answered all of their questions and tried to tell them about as much as I could think of. I couldn’t get to everything because I couldn’t think of everything at the time. I explain about as much as I could. The other nice thing about these guys is that they’re infantry soldiers. That means I could focus my training on field experience rather then military tactics, techniques, and procedures.

I guess I’d compare it to getting a policeman that’s been trained but doesn’t have the experience in my city. Most or some of them may have no experience at all but the thing is they are all well trained for the job they will be performing.

It was overcast today with a few light showers. The weather has been cooler and it’s been a little windy. I was told that it’s supposed to rain for the next two days but these guys never get the weather report right.

Clearing the Conexes

2006-10-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

We spent the whole day going through customs. They went through all the crates and personal boxes we were going to ship back home overseas. The were looking for things like alcohol, pornography, cigars, cigarettes, US government property, ammunition, weapons, and flammables, It was a pain in the ass because we had to unload all of the stuff that we had just loaded the other day. It wasn’t hot but some of the guys got sunburn from being out in the sun all day.

It was an all day event. The customs officials were MPs from another unit. We worked from 0630 until 1600. We had a lunch break from 1200 to 1300. We weren’t done after the customs officials went thorough everything. We still had inventory to do. It’s a daily thing that we’re doing now because of the NVGs that got misplaced. Well, I’m glad we finally got everything packed and ready to go. I know we’ll have to do the same thing when we get through Kuwait.

Closing the Game

2006-10-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Boy I hope nothing happens to us now. That would totally suck, to be here for a year and to get hit. That’s all I would need at this late point in the game. We weren’t supposed to go out on mission today. I had gone to the MWR to check my e-mail and get some lunch when I got the news. It was bad news and it was a note that was hanging on the window of my Humvee. They had found my truck at the parking lot of the chow hall and left the note on my truck. I opened it up and it read, “1300 mission at the TOC.” Great I thought! It’s just what I wanted to do, go out on mission.

It’s not that I’m worried. I’m not. I just didn’t feel like going out. I wasn’t in the mood for it, especially on late notice. Maybe it might have been alright if they gave us an advanced notice instead of an urgent notice. We all linked up at the TOC and got ready to head out. I put the .50 cal together, T-Rex did the checks on the Humvee, and The Colonel was making sure everything was getting completed. We got set and then rolled out the wire. Along with us were the new officers from the new unit that was going to replace us. Our mission was to give them a tour of the IZ. I’d rather scare the shit out of them and give them a real tour, Sadar City perhaps. Maybe fuck around with them a little and maybe play some pranks on them here and there. T-Rex could drive real fast and I could yell that we were getting shot at, taking fire. We have to initiate these guys somehow.

We stopped at some little street store operated by a couple of kids. The oldest looked 14 and his little brother appeared to be 10 years old. They were selling all kinds of souvenirs and goods. What surprised me was that they were also selling paperback books that looked like they were donated by organizations back home. They even had stickers on the front cover displaying which organization donated the books. Now they were for sell. They sold flags, knives, swords, coins, pins, and other items with Saddam’s face on it.

The weather has been warm during the days with high humidity. It’s been raining just a little bit every night almost. There still hasn’t been as significant an amount of rain as the other day. Last night there were some evening thunderstorms that were reminiscent of the monsoons back home in Arizona, without the haboobs.

Moving out

2006-10-18T01:39:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe we went out on mission this morning but we did. What could we do? The mission still had to get completed whether we had packed our bags or not. It’s a fact I didn’t like but I had to deal with it. I knew my morning would be occupied with a mission out in Baghdad. I also knew that we would be back around noon, which wasn’t too bad. Once we got back to the camp things turned hectic.

First off we had to pack our personal boxes into the conexes. We took all of them out and loaded them to get shipped overseas on a ship. We won’t see them for about 2 months so they told us to pack whatever we wouldn’t need for 2 months in there. I didn’t realize until my box was already in the conex that I still had stuff I had to put in there.

My room was a mess and so disorganized I didn’t know how I was going to start packing to move. I just started throwing stuff into duffle bags as fast as I could. I didn’t have much time so I tried to move as fast as I could. That’s when we got interrupted. All the NCOs had to go to the team leaders’ room for a meeting. Oh no, I thought, it’s another one of those. It’s never a good thing, only a bitch session. It’s a time to put it out about how messed up things are and how bad we all are. It didn’t bother me though because the issue at hand was the missing NVGs. Apparently they were found but the point that was brought up was that us, NCOs had to step up.

I guess that was said because of the carelessness and irresponsibility from some of the other team leaders. I’m not a team leader myself so I didn’t care so much. In fact, I felt the issue had nothing to do with me. I just blew it off and hoped that the bitching would end so I could go back to my crib to pack my things.

We finally finished moving out at 1800 hours. The new unit arrived around 1500 and had to wait around for us to clear out the pad. I’m sure it would’ve been done earlier if some of us didn’t have to go out on mission this morning. We’re moved into tents and now we’re trying to get situated for the duration of our stay here in Iraq. I time is getting very short now. It won’t be long before we’re on the plane out of here.

Getting ready to move

2006-10-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

I went to the post office this morning to ship out my box. I went first thing in the morning. I think that was a mistake because everyone else decided to do the same thing. I had to wait in line for 40 minutes, which wasn’t that bad. I took a book to help pass the time. I’m glad I finally got though that headache. It ended up costing me $54 with insurance.

We’ve been on lockdown all day because of the missing NVGs. The PL went searched through our rooms and all of our bags looking for it. They weren’t found and I doubt they’ll find them. They’ve been missing for a month and no one knew about it until just the other day.

This evening we searched for those NVGs some more. We weren’t able to find them, of course. During that time The Colonel broke a few of us for chow. I decided to run over to Burger King and while I did that would go and get my rank sown on my cap. What I found at Burger King was the same nightmare I’ve been finding at the chow hall, post office, and just about everywhere else. There was a long line. The camp has also been a little crowded since the past week too. That’s because of all the troops that have arrived here. I’m sure it’ll get a little more crowded once our relieving unit arrives.

I never really thought of it but tonight is our last night in the trailers. Some of the guys are having a barbeque tonight. I think it’s in honor of our last night here. I’d join them but I have tons of stuff I still have to take care of.

Tomorrow we’re moving out of the cribs and into tents. It’s just another step towards making our way home. We’re moving out so the relieving unit could move right in and make themselves at home. I don’t have much stuff now, only a few duffle bags full. Luckily, this time I’m prepared unlike a lot of the other guys in the company. I found that this place looks more and more like a flea market. Guys are just putting the stuff they don’t want right outside their doors. As I look up and down the pad I find junk in front of rooms everywhere. Sometimes I wished I could throw money away as easily as some of these guys do. I’m really, really conservative with my money. Before I buy anything I usually consider to myself whether I really need it and whether I’ll use it. That’s why I never bought much stuff over here. I’m sure it helps being married with children too. It causes me to have a tight budget.

In A Hurry To Get Things Done

2006-10-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

So today I got word, maybe official. We’re moving out of our cribs and into tents on the 18th. So today I felt a sense of urgency to start getting rid of my stuff and finding out what I’m going to carry with me on the plane back home. The less stuff I take, the less I have to carry. Then there’s always the issue of weight. They weigh all of our bags to make sure the plane isn’t so heavy that it can’t lift off the ground. I didn’t have time to do much because this morning we had another inventory. This time it was a kind of a turn over inventory. A supply sergeant from the advanced party was going through all of our vechicles and recording all of our equipment.

Afterwards I had things to do so I knew I’d have to plan accordingly. I needed to get a haircut, mail a box at the post office, and pick up a plaque that I ordered, customized, at the bazaar. Plus I had to drop off some laundry at the cleaners. I had a lot to do today and little time to do it. Whatever I didn’t finish today, I knew I would have to finish tomorrow.

So I dropped off my laundry and then headed over to the Bazaar. It was closed for some reason or another. So then I went over to the post office to mail my box of personal stuff home. There was a long line at the post office and I knew that I’d have to wait for a while. So I decided to go to the post office tomorrow and get a haircut today. So I drove over to the barber, got a haircut, ate dinner, and went to the PX to pick up a few things. As soon as I got back The Colonel asked me if I could drive around and look for Private Pennis. The commander wanted to see him right away in his office about some Article 15 Non-Judicial Punishment. I found out that he was on another camp so I drove over there to find him. I got there and luckily found him in no time. I gave him the word and drove back to our camp.

I went to the recreation tent to get on the internet to check my e-mail when T-Rex walks in and tells me that we’re on lockdown. I asked why and he told me it was because some NVGs (Night Vision Goggles) were missing. I asked who’s and he told me. It was from a team that left Iraq to train some troops that are on their way over here. Great I thought. It’s just another thing to get bothered with. I know what the deal is in these situations. They’ll search around everywhere and still won’t find it. I knew it too. Soon enough we were asked to go out to the motor pool to be prepared to search the Humvees. It sucked because it was already dark and we’d be looking for these things at night. They are very sensitive and very expensive. Losing one could cost a Joe his career.

So we searched all the Humvees in the platoon in darkness to no avail. We were unable to find any NVGs. Then we searched a few rooms. We ended up finding some pornography, which is contraband, instead of the NVGs. A few of the guys that last handled the NVGs had to fill out witness statements and the rest of us are now locked down in our room. I’m sure the search will continue tomorrow.

Country Rock

2006-10-15T05:34:00.000-07:00

We spent the night in Ramadi last night. That’s the reason I didn’t get to blog. It’s not that there’s not internet access over there. There is. The problem is that we could only get on for a limited time so I only had enough time to check my e-mail.

We’re lucky we had a place to sleep this time. The transient barracks were full. That’s because there was a unit that was leaving and of course, they needed a place to stay. It’s usually full when a unit is coming or going. These guys were a National Guard unit out of Colorado and were on their way home. I was happy for them. We were fortunate to find a couple of unoccupied bunks to sleep on for the night. We had to got Ramadi late because of a cordon that took hours. When we got to the Ramadi I really didn’t feel like hanging around the MWR there. I wasn’t in the mood for watching a movie on their big screen TV or watching some college football. I didn’t feel like playing video games or lifting any weights. The place was crowded, noisy, and disturbing and I didn’t feel like being there. I went into the library to read and get some peace and quiet. I started falling asleep so I figured that I was tired. That’s when I decided to go next door to the transient tent to lay down and read on my bunk. I felt relaxed on my bunk. It was nice and quiet and more peaceful then the MWR. I ended up falling asleep around 2200 hours.

Tonight when we got back to Baghdad I found out that there’s a live concert. I didn’t know who it was and figured it must be some amateur rock band from the camp. I heard the music from my trailer so I figured I’d go check it out. I do like some rock but I’m more into alternative. On the walk over there I ran into a buddy that just came from the concert. He said that it was a country band. I couldn’t believe it, hearing the music from where I was. The band had set up on a stage and was playing outdoors. There were stands in front of the stage for all to sit on. I approached and found another one of my buddies sitting, listening to some of the music. I love listening to live bands so I wasn’t going to pass this opportunity up.

The band was very different for country. I’m not sure how old country fans would take it. To me, it was more like a mix of rock and country. It’s perfect if you like rock, and you like country. I enjoyed it and I’m sure others, mostly rock fans, would too. Afterwards the band, with lead singer Brian Stace, signed autographs and took photos. They’re on tour here in Iraq and will be around to see the soldiers over here. I’m glad they came out.