Target Practice

This is done to refute movies. Full auto both mags are done within four seconds and its impossible to reload. Remember that next time Rambo shoots for 5 minutes on one magazine.

Qualifier: I don't like facial hair but I have something coming up in few weeks and if I have facial hair during it, it will really piss off some people back in Virginia Beach so I'll suffer for a bit. Also this was about a week ago its even uglier now and I expect it to get much worse.

Christmas photo for the team. They moved some guys out so we're down to three and a bunch of Iraqis...

Back at Home

So I made it back to my base a few days ago. Which was greatly appreciated because for the past week they (and now me) have been busy. Its weird that you spend just a few months in a place and it gets that "home" feeling. For me at least, getting off that helo and going back to my room was nice. Like usual I cannot post much about what I was doing but there are some really smart people doing some really cool things still. The funny part is most of it is deemed practice for use in other theaters, like we try it out here and we note what works and what might not then use that info for future wars...as much as we might not like it we're human and there will always be another conflict about something. As my time on this deployment dwindles I just really hope that we and myself are making some sort of difference. My greatest fear is that one of my kids or hopefully grandkids someday may have to come back here and that would be a shame. I don't want to deploy, I don't mind it I'm single and have no kids, but if we leave and things breakdown then that means 4500 men and women have died here for nothing and I'll deploy every year I have left in the Navy to help prevent that.

I'm doing well. Missing that States and fam like crazy right now, especially with Christmas coming but I have some good gifts I'm giving away this year so hopefully it will feel like I'm there in some small way. I love you Fam. Miss everybody...see you soon.

The New Job

So not many posts because...not much work. An office gig does that. But due to unforeseen circumstances the team is one short so I have been able to go out with them the past couple of days, which has been a lot of fun. So hopefully that will continue because it breaks up my days. I took this assignment so I could, which I have been doing plenty of, study but it makes the days just drag on and on.

But we may, and I stress may, because the powers that be are working hard to cancel it, have something really cool going on Tuesday. If so I will post plenty of pics and you'll see why if it goes down as I hope.

Other than that just gettin' my swell on at the gym and running a lot. I signed up for the Yuengling Beer Half Marathon in Virginia Beach. Myself and a few friends will be running in it then drink enough to forget all about shortly thereafter. For those who haven't been to the east coast Yuengling is their equivilent to Linney's, but I would say a bit better.

Hopefully I'll post more on Wednesday. Miss everyone!

Road Work

The crater is about 6 feet deep and 6 feet wide, the road is unusable until they repave it. But thats why we don't plant bombs in the middle of roads...lesson probably still not learned.

Funny thing is these guys were having a pretty good night until this...

Out to Pasture

Well tomorrow I am leaving for another base, away from my team. I will be taking an administrative position for the next 5-6 weeks. Its purely optional and is more on the intel side than admin side but paperwork nonetheless. Its really good experience and looks good for team leaders which I hope to be on my next deployment.

The bad news is for the past week we have been busier than ever...gone out 6 of the past 7 days. However it might be about to really get heated and I have to leave. Our convoy was hit this morning. Our lead vehicle lost everyone on-board but they were all Iraqi guys. But they were high ranking dudes and we may have been set-up. I'll spend the next few weeks trying to find out and hopefully send my guys out to find some bad guys. I was really looking forward to this assignment but now I'm a bit hesitant to go but I think the overall good it will do for my future will be worth sitting out a few helicopter rides.

I'm going to try and post a video and a picture. The pic is of our lead vehicle this morning (nothing gory) and the video is us doing some Iraq roadwork. That is of course if they load. I may be out of contact for awhile its due to the move.

To my Pops...Happy Birthday. Hope you have fun at the Wild game. I promise I'll be there in person to celebrate next year (at least thats what my skipper told me). Love you Dad and miss you!

Hope everyone is doing well. I heard the Tartan High indoor soccer team is off to a good start.

Days drag On

So as busy as it was about 10 days ago is as slow as its been the past week. Which has allowed me ample time to read and sleep but without work the time here seems to take twice as long. However, the brigade in charge of our AO moved 9 female soldiers to our base bringing the total to 10 so hopefully good things will come from that soon.

Big news the past week (and only mission (barely)) was I was able to meet Jason Biggs and Rachel Leigh Cooke (i'm not sure if thats how you spell her name). I don't know who she is but I had a pic taken because she is apparently famous. Biggs offered but wanted to hold my gun so I have no pic with myself and Jay. Our big mission was flying down and picking them up bringing them here and bringing them back to the hub a few hours later.

Hope everyone is well. I shot a few vids of us at the range but the didn't turn out as good as I thought so we might try and take some night shots with our nvgs, I think those would look a lot better. So I wish I had more but I don't...lo siento. Take care!

Op tempo

So I was looking back at my op log, a record of every time I leave the base. We are actually busier this time than my last deployment. I'm saying this because I haven't written as often mainly because I'm busy. However, most of the time i cannot comment.

Last night is an exception only because it was the scariest night of my life. We have been moving lately on what the Army likes to call "movement to contact." Which is exactly what it sounds like. Our team goes out with the hope of bad dudes trying to shoot us...good plan right? This type of op is surprisingly left out of movies, which of course is why I joined, it looked cool in the movies I've seen.

Back on track...we had heavy Iraqi support which means more than 20 dudes and just half our normal team. We get out and start moving through a, I'll call it a village, and from the tree it lights up with bad asses taking pot shots at us. My team moves on line and engages. However...everyone but my guys had literally just taken off running in the other direction. Leaving us there down about I estimated 3 to 1. This was those one minute seemed like an hour moments and we used every trick in the book to break contact and get out. Everyone is safe, not even a scratch...God loves us. This did however lead to several of our guys needing to be restrained on returning to base and for good reason. The reason I bring this up is for one reason: If any media outlet is saying these guys are ready for total control of their country they are delusional, at best. We're going to be here for a long time and that's sad because there is nothing here worth an American life at this point. So in closing thank you for your prayers but send more because we used a lot them last night and stay involved back home.

P.S. I'm doing well and while dismayed sometimes at our current situation in this war I love my life and job. See you guys in five months.

BORED!!!!!

So I remembered my camera but it was dead so no new vids. But it was pretty cool. Other than that we did one thing and were very successful but I can't really talk about it in a blog. But its a good story and I'll share later. I know that sounds stupid but I would get in trouble and in the grand scheme its not the coolest thing ever.

Overall that means in the past week I've been outside the base for about two hours...its mind-numbing out here right now. We are the only ones on base with Sat TV so we thought we'd be nice guys and invite over some of our security guys to watch the UFC fight. That channel didn't come in too well so I went to mess with the dish. Of course...we lost all channels within 20 seconds of me touching it. But we had another dish flown in this morning so I'm able to watch the NFL. Plus with Florida v Bama this weekend this issue immediately became priority one, so I'm glad we have everything back to normal.

So in recap...I'm very bored. Pros: I get to read a lot, I'm in great shape, and tan. Its like a vacation with the added risk I may get shot at. I'm sure I made the right life path its just a bit dusty right now. Hope everyone who ganders at this is well and I'll see you in the spring.

The Sun?

So we've been busy again and I just woke up a few hours ago. We're going out again for the third night and I haven't seen the sun in almost three days. But its kinda nice because its pretty nice here at night. Even when you live in a small city you never realize how many lights there are until your flying over a desert in a country that has power only in the smallest sense of the word outside of Baghdad.

But another week down..24 to go. Plus we have a big demo op sometime in the near future so I'll try and remember my camera. Hope everyone is well.

Countryside

Landmines

New song...same lyrics

So I finally made it to my base. Still getting settled. But actually being in the middle of nowhere in nowhere Iraq is pretty nice. Its just us and no one bothers us about anything. We've been fairly busy but thats actually a good thing. We were able to get all of our gear used on some easy stuff to make sure everything works right. But out here no one makes us wear uniforms or tells us to do this or that. We workout, play games, sleep and if they get us some work we blow it up. All in all good times.

For the bad...the closest bathroom cannot handle toilet paper which means you have to place in a big garbage hanging in the stall. Needless to say I'm not cool with that and schedule my movements while I'm in another part of the base.

I will try for a lot more photos this time. I also have a video I'll try and post tomorrow. Henne asked me for some video of the beautiful Iraqi countryside and you'll get to see my glorious view every time I go out.

Doing really well. Already have a little routine working so I'll ride that for awhile and see how long into deployment it takes me. Miss everyone already but I'll be home and bored there too very soon.

The Finale

So my postings have dropped off the past couple of months. Since the June 30 pullout of the major cities there just isn't much work and when there is I can't say anything about it over the internet. But we did some really good things, got lucky once, a few funny moments (watching a dude take a header out of a helo into the sand is hilarious).

I should be leaving here in a couple of days. A little R&R at another base for a couple of weeks before we come home. Should land in the states in about two weeks. A stop-over in Germany on the way home should also be fun.

But a genuine thanks to everyone for their support. When you are over here it means the world. Most of you know my girlfriend Kelly, I owe her a lot. She has been amazing during my entire deployment. I promise I will make it up to you Babe!!

My family for always being there if I needed a sounding a board. To this day my only regret about joining is being away from my Dad, Mom, Brother, and Sister. I miss you all everyday and love you very much.

Sorry for making you worry Grandma but its almost over and I'm no worse for the wear.

Special congrats to Justin and Rach, I can't wait to meet Joey. Hopefully I'll be back full-time in Minnesota to toughen him before he becomes his Dad. Chad and Sam for tying the knot, wish I could have been there. Mike and Lisa for their pregnancy...you guys are great and I'm really happy for you. To everyone else if your not mentioned by name trust me you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Be home soon.

THANK YOU!!!

Early Morning

So its 330 am here and I'm awake to watch the Vikings game on TV. Over its the little things that count and missing out on some sleep is well worth it. But we better win. Because I'm going to be up late tonight..the Twins play at midnight my time.

Not many posts lately. Mainly due to the fact we haven't done anything mission related in over a week. Which is good. I'm going home soon and quite frankly I'm ready to leave Iraq and hopefully never return. Our replacements are leaving their base sometime this week. So basically a lot of our video games and dvd players are packed up now so I'm constantly bored. Hopefully this time next week I'll be at another base nearby...they have a pool.

Anyways per usual I miss everyone. Take care and see you soon.

Team Photo

So we took our team photo this week. The actual photo posted is the one we went with but it wasn't supposed to be. The next shot was the 'big one' but we used too much explosive and consumed all of our fuel before the fire ball. The video is interesting because three of these guys run like small children after feeling the heat, so a split second after this shot they are running away patting at their heads. But you can't pick your teammates so you roll with what you got.

Other than that the week was slow. We have some local training this week planned but thats no big deal.

Big win for the Vikes. Not sure we need Farve as long as AP stays healthy. The good news from the Farve saga it made the Vikes/Browns game the game-of-the-week for AFN which meant I saw it live. Let's be honest that matchup would've had no coverage if not for the old man.

Everyone take care. Miss you.

50 days and counting

So its two weeks shy of five months and at times its felt like its gone slow but now that I'm at this point its gone by fast. I have about 5 weeks left before I leave the 'front lines'. The last week or so we spent at another base just chillaxing. Plus that base has a pool that for some reason has a 10m platform which I will be perfecting my cannonballs off of.

Another weekend of activity but overall the tempo is just about right. Not much else...I'm still in Iraq and looking forward to the States.

Oh and the Forys brothers should stop playing fantasy sports...its embarrassing.

Never Learn

I'm a person who never realizes what I have until something changes. Pretty much this whole deployment has been slow and myself and the other guys kept talking about how much we would prefer to be busy. Well we've been out every night this week and again tonight, its 0130 here and we should be out within the hour. So grabbing sleep has been in random increments throughout the day, but so far I've gotten not more than 3 hours at once. Hopefully the locals will settle down a bit again and I can go back to sleeping and watching movies. Despite the sleeplessness this past week has been fun and makes being over here not feel like a waste of time.

Heres to a quick mission and, if nothing changes, two straight days of sleep.