Friday, 6 November 2009
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Away for a while
Hey all.
Well, I'm sorry that I haven't been updating this thing lately. As many of you know I'm going to be staying down here for another deployment. But as I've been moved around I've had less and less time to write/take pictures and less and less to write and take pictures of. So I'm going to try and update this thing when I do, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do much more of it.
Many of my readers were friends and family of the guys in my unit. They should all be home in a few weeks and it's been a great deployment because of them. We've been lucky and have had a lot of close calls. I wish everyone could of made it home alright, but I am glad that those of us that did are safe.
I hope that you guys have enjoyed my blog and I wish you all the best. I'll still update from time to time but I can't really promise regular posts anymore.
Take care folks.
Well, I'm sorry that I haven't been updating this thing lately. As many of you know I'm going to be staying down here for another deployment. But as I've been moved around I've had less and less time to write/take pictures and less and less to write and take pictures of. So I'm going to try and update this thing when I do, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do much more of it.
Many of my readers were friends and family of the guys in my unit. They should all be home in a few weeks and it's been a great deployment because of them. We've been lucky and have had a lot of close calls. I wish everyone could of made it home alright, but I am glad that those of us that did are safe.
I hope that you guys have enjoyed my blog and I wish you all the best. I'll still update from time to time but I can't really promise regular posts anymore.
Take care folks.
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Another Day, Another Dollar
Hey folks.
Well, my posts have been few and far between lately because not a lot is going on here. We had a few missions but nothing came of them. Taliban hasn't wanted to play lately which is sort of disappointing but I think it means that we're doing our job right. Security has improved in the region and we're seeing real results form the locals. They trust us more and they're trying to come up with their own solutions to help us help them. Also we're getting ready for a change of responsibility here so we've been doing a lot of accountability stuff, which is time consuming.
We actually had flush toilets out here for about three days, which was pretty awesome. Didn't last but it was a taste of real life for a while. Other than that, a little homesick. Missing the people that are important to me, but so it goes.
Take care folks.
Well, my posts have been few and far between lately because not a lot is going on here. We had a few missions but nothing came of them. Taliban hasn't wanted to play lately which is sort of disappointing but I think it means that we're doing our job right. Security has improved in the region and we're seeing real results form the locals. They trust us more and they're trying to come up with their own solutions to help us help them. Also we're getting ready for a change of responsibility here so we've been doing a lot of accountability stuff, which is time consuming.
We actually had flush toilets out here for about three days, which was pretty awesome. Didn't last but it was a taste of real life for a while. Other than that, a little homesick. Missing the people that are important to me, but so it goes.
Take care folks.
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
rock and roll
Hey folks.
Well, not a lot going on here. We had a promotion ceremony for some new NCO's out here yesterday. That was alright, me and another specialist filled up an inflatable pool with a whole bunch of rotting food and old MRE's. They had to get their new chevrons wet, and of course once that was over me and the other guy had to do it too. But me being the clumsy idiot that I can be I tripped going in and my skull was the first part of my body to make contact with the bottom of the pool, and the rock underneath. So I've got a freshly shaved head, three staples and a hell of a headache now. A few days off mission, a decent story and a new scar, not a bad day I suppose. I also got video of them putting the staples in my head, so that's interesting.
I wish there was more to update, but nothing really going on here. We've been running missions like normal but it's been a weird week so not too much. We had one RPG get shot at us from a really long distance away, but after shooting at the spot it came from for a while we figured that nothing was going to come of it. Other than that nothing to report. I can't wait for winter time here. I'm thinking when the fighting season ends things will relax considerably.
I've decided that after this deployment I'm going to OCS. I'm getting my packet together as we speak. I've got the college so it shouldn't be that big of a deal to get accepted. I don't really know what to expect, but the responsibility and the perks are something I can't pass up. Not to mention the pay. I want to settle down and start a family after this deployment and I'm not willing to put a family through the type of lifestyle I lead as a junior enlisted in the infantry. I know that I'll probably get deployed as an officer. But the life will be easier on a family, I hope...
Hopefully I've made the right decision, I've been kind of making life changing decisions by the seat of my pants since I joined the military so.. Why not?
It's a a weird transition from combat to home and back to combat. To those of you who know soldiers or who have family in the military, give them a little bit of grace when they come home, it's an adjustment period, to say the least.
Hope it's all going well back in the land of the free. Take care folks.
Well, not a lot going on here. We had a promotion ceremony for some new NCO's out here yesterday. That was alright, me and another specialist filled up an inflatable pool with a whole bunch of rotting food and old MRE's. They had to get their new chevrons wet, and of course once that was over me and the other guy had to do it too. But me being the clumsy idiot that I can be I tripped going in and my skull was the first part of my body to make contact with the bottom of the pool, and the rock underneath. So I've got a freshly shaved head, three staples and a hell of a headache now. A few days off mission, a decent story and a new scar, not a bad day I suppose. I also got video of them putting the staples in my head, so that's interesting.
I wish there was more to update, but nothing really going on here. We've been running missions like normal but it's been a weird week so not too much. We had one RPG get shot at us from a really long distance away, but after shooting at the spot it came from for a while we figured that nothing was going to come of it. Other than that nothing to report. I can't wait for winter time here. I'm thinking when the fighting season ends things will relax considerably.
I've decided that after this deployment I'm going to OCS. I'm getting my packet together as we speak. I've got the college so it shouldn't be that big of a deal to get accepted. I don't really know what to expect, but the responsibility and the perks are something I can't pass up. Not to mention the pay. I want to settle down and start a family after this deployment and I'm not willing to put a family through the type of lifestyle I lead as a junior enlisted in the infantry. I know that I'll probably get deployed as an officer. But the life will be easier on a family, I hope...
Hopefully I've made the right decision, I've been kind of making life changing decisions by the seat of my pants since I joined the military so.. Why not?
It's a a weird transition from combat to home and back to combat. To those of you who know soldiers or who have family in the military, give them a little bit of grace when they come home, it's an adjustment period, to say the least.
Hope it's all going well back in the land of the free. Take care folks.
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Sorry Folks
Hey folks.
Yeah, I've been really bad about updating this thing. I'm real sorry. So I went on mid tour leave and as expected it was pretty fantastic. The real world was a good place to get back to for a little while. Saw my friends, drank to much beer and over all had a great time. But I got back here about a week ago and it's back to the routine now. I wish that I could tell you guys that a lot of exciting stuff has been going on, but nothing really has. We've been doing some exploring but I guess Taliban doesn't really want to play all that much. We should have some pretty cool stuff headed our way that I'll try and keep you guys updated on. Other than that not a lot.
Our CO died while I was on leave. He got hit by an IED. He was a great leader, a good guy and one of the friendliest guys I've ever met, he will be missed.
It's hot as hell here, I think it got clocked up to 112 the other day, which is nothing to all the guys in Iraq, but feels like we're gonna die over here. I've been spending a lot of time up in the gun lately, which is nicer than driving. IED's are a pretty big threat here, which is new from when we first got here. But we've been doing pretty well. We got a speech the other day from someone and he said that we've accomplished a lot in our area of operations over the last six months. Violence is down, we're starting a clinic that should service both sides of the burka, so to speak. People's lives are improving. Now I personally can't tell any difference, but we really don't deal with that side of things....
Well everyone, take care. I should update this thing more as I get use to being back.
Yeah, I've been really bad about updating this thing. I'm real sorry. So I went on mid tour leave and as expected it was pretty fantastic. The real world was a good place to get back to for a little while. Saw my friends, drank to much beer and over all had a great time. But I got back here about a week ago and it's back to the routine now. I wish that I could tell you guys that a lot of exciting stuff has been going on, but nothing really has. We've been doing some exploring but I guess Taliban doesn't really want to play all that much. We should have some pretty cool stuff headed our way that I'll try and keep you guys updated on. Other than that not a lot.
Our CO died while I was on leave. He got hit by an IED. He was a great leader, a good guy and one of the friendliest guys I've ever met, he will be missed.
It's hot as hell here, I think it got clocked up to 112 the other day, which is nothing to all the guys in Iraq, but feels like we're gonna die over here. I've been spending a lot of time up in the gun lately, which is nicer than driving. IED's are a pretty big threat here, which is new from when we first got here. But we've been doing pretty well. We got a speech the other day from someone and he said that we've accomplished a lot in our area of operations over the last six months. Violence is down, we're starting a clinic that should service both sides of the burka, so to speak. People's lives are improving. Now I personally can't tell any difference, but we really don't deal with that side of things....
Well everyone, take care. I should update this thing more as I get use to being back.
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Be cool
I AM HOME
I've got leave here in Texas for the next two weeks and I could be happier. I've got nothing Afghanistan related to post about, but I just wanted to let my readers know that I'll probably be out of contact for a little while. I'm pretty sure you guys don't want to read about my personal life on leave, and no offense but I don't want to tell you about it. I'll be headed back downrange in a while and regular posting will commence.
Take care folks.
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