Arrived safely to Iraq. The flight was quite the adventure. They packed us in like sardines on the movie Band of Brothers. One of the officers sat up front in the cockpit with a headset. He almost peed himself when he heard all the alarms and sirens going off. The crew got real nervous as we flew thru a sandstorm. You could hear the sand beating against the plane and the engine. At one point the co-pilot thought lightning struck the wing. Nice huh?
So here we are! The base we are currently at is unbelievable. Lots of amenities. Easy to see how the US spends some 31 Billion a month on this war. We are enjoying everything we can while we have it because news is where we are going is pretty substandard. It is a small base for just my company and support units. The benefit is that we wont be bothered by all the brass.
Have to run will keep you all updated.
Love and miss ya
30 October 2008
28 October 2008
Looking Ahead
I don't intend to use this blog as a means to complain. I'll apologize up front because I just can't accurately depict life deployed without it sometimes!
I will be in Iraq very soon. For the meantime I am at a transition base somewhere in the middle east and its awful! The place obviously has no concern how many GIs are temporarily stationed here and the facilities simply can't support us! There are long lines at the chow hall, the education center, the internet and phone center, EVERYWHERE! God help you if you can't make the showers in time before the day's water runs out! Then your in real trouble. Finally, you can't work out in the gym unless you have a four hour block put aside to wait for machines and equipment.
I am a 600am-500pm army guy back in the states. I go to work, do my job, and get home to spend time with Maria and the pup. I think it finally hit me yesterday that for the next year all I am going to see is GIs everywhere and always be waiting in some form of line. I am developing a level of patience you couldn't begin to conceive.
I have some great pictures and I know I promised them on my last post, but the computer center will not let me upload them on their computers. I will have to wait until we get in country. Due to the winter months, the weather has been fantastic! High 80s to low 90s. Thats much better than the 130+ it hits in the summer months. It even stormed for a little while the other day. I am sure its not often to see rain out in the desert like that!
Other than that everything is great! haha. When we get to our permanent location and get a routine down things will drastically improve. Until then, all I can do is
W-A-I-T.
p.s. Mom, Dad, and Maria have my mailing address. I don't want someone sending me anthrax so ask them for the address.
p.p.s. One of the MANY rumors floating around has the new Iraqi Parliamant agreement proposing as of June 09 US forces to be restricted to their bases unless the Iraqi Army specifically asks for us. Can anyone validate this? Other rumors have us being moved sometime during deployment to another AO if we turn ours back over the Iraq (THE GOAL OF THIS DEPLOYMENT) or even heading to Afghanistan. But you know what they say, rumors are like.........
I will be in Iraq very soon. For the meantime I am at a transition base somewhere in the middle east and its awful! The place obviously has no concern how many GIs are temporarily stationed here and the facilities simply can't support us! There are long lines at the chow hall, the education center, the internet and phone center, EVERYWHERE! God help you if you can't make the showers in time before the day's water runs out! Then your in real trouble. Finally, you can't work out in the gym unless you have a four hour block put aside to wait for machines and equipment.
I am a 600am-500pm army guy back in the states. I go to work, do my job, and get home to spend time with Maria and the pup. I think it finally hit me yesterday that for the next year all I am going to see is GIs everywhere and always be waiting in some form of line. I am developing a level of patience you couldn't begin to conceive.
I have some great pictures and I know I promised them on my last post, but the computer center will not let me upload them on their computers. I will have to wait until we get in country. Due to the winter months, the weather has been fantastic! High 80s to low 90s. Thats much better than the 130+ it hits in the summer months. It even stormed for a little while the other day. I am sure its not often to see rain out in the desert like that!
Other than that everything is great! haha. When we get to our permanent location and get a routine down things will drastically improve. Until then, all I can do is
W-A-I-T.
p.s. Mom, Dad, and Maria have my mailing address. I don't want someone sending me anthrax so ask them for the address.
p.p.s. One of the MANY rumors floating around has the new Iraqi Parliamant agreement proposing as of June 09 US forces to be restricted to their bases unless the Iraqi Army specifically asks for us. Can anyone validate this? Other rumors have us being moved sometime during deployment to another AO if we turn ours back over the Iraq (THE GOAL OF THIS DEPLOYMENT) or even heading to Afghanistan. But you know what they say, rumors are like.........
23 October 2008
Random Pictures I Love
I know these pictures don't compliment my "Deployment Blog" very well. I promise within the next couple days I will have some recent pictures on here, including some great shots of some camels we saw at a weapons range today.
21 October 2008
Boots On The Ground
Hello everyone,
I just wanted to inform you that I have arrived at my first destination. The schedule has been light to allow us time to focus on Iraq. They are feeding us REALLY REALLY well over here. Lots of ice cream too ;)
I was promoted this morning!
Miss and Love you all!
Kyle
I just wanted to inform you that I have arrived at my first destination. The schedule has been light to allow us time to focus on Iraq. They are feeding us REALLY REALLY well over here. Lots of ice cream too ;)
I was promoted this morning!
Miss and Love you all!
Kyle
16 October 2008
Goodbye for now!
This will be my last post for a few weeks. My flight has been pushed up and I will be leaving sooner than previously planned. On the flight deck I will be promoted to 1LT and Maria will be there to pin on my new rank. Sounds bittersweet, doesn't it?
I will not be posting on this blog for a while because we do not fly straight to Iraq. I will spend some time at a forward operating base (FOB) outside of Iraq. From there, we will train up, recieve our final equipment and supplies before departing for whatever city Uncle Sam has in store for us.
When we arrive at our Area of Operation (AO) in Iraq we will begin the RIP process with the unit we are replacing. This entails linked patrols and the sharing of all neccessary information to prepare us for our mission. After that, they will head back to the states and the battle space will be handed over to my unit.
I promise to keep a journal so that I can upload it to the blog as soon as I can. In the meantime, you can subscribe to the blog so you are e-mailed notifications when I update it. Thank you for all of your love and support. It means the world to me. God bless!
I will not be posting on this blog for a while because we do not fly straight to Iraq. I will spend some time at a forward operating base (FOB) outside of Iraq. From there, we will train up, recieve our final equipment and supplies before departing for whatever city Uncle Sam has in store for us.
When we arrive at our Area of Operation (AO) in Iraq we will begin the RIP process with the unit we are replacing. This entails linked patrols and the sharing of all neccessary information to prepare us for our mission. After that, they will head back to the states and the battle space will be handed over to my unit.
I promise to keep a journal so that I can upload it to the blog as soon as I can. In the meantime, you can subscribe to the blog so you are e-mailed notifications when I update it. Thank you for all of your love and support. It means the world to me. God bless!
What I Leave
I am watching the final presidential election on my couch, but am distracted. In two days, I will deploy to Iraq. I am not scared of the deployment, for Iraq is a far safer country today than it was yesterday. I am part of a well-trained unit fully capabible of handling the intracacies of the complex environment that awaits me. No doubt, we are ready.
What perplexes me is what I am leaving back home. I have a loving family. I own a beautiful home and share it with the most amazing woman in the world. My ugly little puppy is my best friend and I feel as if life can't possibly get any better for me. 365 days is a long time to be away. There will be a new president when I return. Will my dog be happy to see me? Will my home be as happy as when I left? Will I be the same person who returns home to them? There is so much to be uncertain of.
Furthermore, I do not know exactly where I am deploying to. I do not know the full scale of duties that I will serve while deployed. I am uncertain how long I will be with my unit before being transferred.
I have trained for two years to reach this point. Its a difficult feeling to explain. I leave one family behind while I gain a new one in my brothers in arms. For the next year, I will eat, breathe, and sleep besides these men. One thing I am certain of is that I am in good hands.
I can't wait to board that flight on Saturday. Until then, time dwindles and I wait.
What perplexes me is what I am leaving back home. I have a loving family. I own a beautiful home and share it with the most amazing woman in the world. My ugly little puppy is my best friend and I feel as if life can't possibly get any better for me. 365 days is a long time to be away. There will be a new president when I return. Will my dog be happy to see me? Will my home be as happy as when I left? Will I be the same person who returns home to them? There is so much to be uncertain of.
Furthermore, I do not know exactly where I am deploying to. I do not know the full scale of duties that I will serve while deployed. I am uncertain how long I will be with my unit before being transferred.
I have trained for two years to reach this point. Its a difficult feeling to explain. I leave one family behind while I gain a new one in my brothers in arms. For the next year, I will eat, breathe, and sleep besides these men. One thing I am certain of is that I am in good hands.
I can't wait to board that flight on Saturday. Until then, time dwindles and I wait.
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