Another week

So we actually got out this past week for a change. But I have a profound new appreciation for the term 'wild goose chase' after being in Iraq. You cannot fathom the frustration in milling through the desert for 10 hours looking and not finding 'it.' Then told hey its over here...no its actually not over there. Screw you guys we're going home.

Lately just reading a lot. I'm not saying I regret joining because I like what I do and who I work with. But a big part of me just wanted to see if I could do it and now I now I can and after I get home I'd kinda like to say thanks for the memories see you guys later but I have at least one more and right now that doesn't look to appealing. But I can also just as easily see myself signing on and doing another 3-4 or years after by initial duty is up.

But hope everyone is doing well. Keep living the dream.

Stage 16

So they sent half our guys to another base so its been pretty quiet here the past few days. There just isn't any work here right now, not there is work where they are going but its hard to justify so many guys here when we just sunbath all day.

Spending my morning watching Lance and riding the bike trainer which is a nice change from running everyday.

Did some really cool training with the AF the other night. We got paintball guns and had to defend it was a lot of fun.

Hope everyone is doing great. Take care.

The Pullout

Well as of June 30th we pulled out of the major provinces in our AO and throughout Iraq. Since then we haven't had anything to do. Twice both times in the middle of the night we had trackers go off but after rushing to get our gear on and the battle plan set we were told we were no go and went back to bed.

We were always told this pullout would go one of two ways: things were going to get really bad or things would stay calm. Overall luckily its stayed calm. There are still rumblings things could always set off soon but so far so good.

Not much else.

Podunk, Iraq

Well for the past almost two weeks I've been staying at a place that would be nice if they had running water, showers, toilets that didn't require the buckets to be burned when filled, A/C basically anything more than what was there. It was exactly my worst fear...to be honest I like what I do but I hate being dirty and for this entire time I've pretty smelled like a dirty diapers with the occasional wet-nap wipedown.

Things I learned: After 11 straight days I can grow a nice beard but other than the pics on my cam no one will ever know cause I hate facial hair; whenever you think you have no where else a bug can bite you you're wrong; its always better to ask forgiveness than permission (that story will come out at home); and finally living on a diet of MREs (food that for some reason doesn't go bad for like two years) ruins your digestion system. The sheer pain of deciding while hunkered in your sleeping bag whether to stick your head out and be bitten or to give yourself the worst dutch-oven known to man was great. Think about that tonight when you lay on your down mattresses.

But as far as what we were there for it was good and it took a few more days than expected but it was done. In transit back 'home' now where I'll sleep all day and not leave my a/c room for awhile.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Uncle Lonnie I think you'll be impressed with my beard pics.