One step closer…

The Big Red One

Time is closing in on my leaving this place, and I find myself going stir crazy.  We have been hit with some weather days, which just makes the days seem to drag on longer.  I never thought I would wish for…..work.  Gah, I shiver at the thought!

We have been give dates on when we leave here to go to a staging point, as well as when we will be on leave when we finally do get back to the states.  Of course they are all subject to change, but it’s nice to have a ball park idea of when I am going to be able to take leave.  So I keep thinking of all the things I want to do, and how I can cram them all into the stupid ass 2-3-2 leave schedule they have.  I think what makes it worse is the punishment we all have to endure because of a select few can’t control themselves.  Oh I could go on for hours, but I won’t.

I had another briefing, and I have one more to go.  Then after that all I have left is to have my bags/boxes inspected by customs to make sure I’m not trying to take back any illegal shit.  People try all the time, and every time someone gets in a heap of trouble.  It’s always painless for me.  I have all the stuff that I keep on me in a Ziploc bag.  And I have everything that I can in bags, or tied to each other. (Like books)  I’m usually in and out with customs.  Then when all of that is done, all I have to do is leave.

I have talked to a few of my friends who have made the trip already, and I know what I have to expect once I get to the first staging point.  Doesn’t sound so bad, and I am sure that once I get there I’ll be so happy that I won’t care how hot it is.  Ok that might be a stretch but it could happen.  At least I’ll have a few of the guys in my platoon with me.  I am sure we will stick together and keep ourselves occupied.

Or, if I stick with tradition, I’ll just sleep the whole time.

Legacy of War

Me and Seery. 7 years ago.

So I decided to dig into the archives for my picture.  The reason for this is two-fold.  One, its cool to see the difference in everything from back then to now.  If you look, we got 3 people in a 2 man tent.  We are filthy, nasty, and happy as hell.

And two, I don’t have a working camera or computer anymore, so this is what I got.

So the war has ramped up.  And by war, I mean the one that I have been having with the mosquitoes in my room.  These things, are relentless. It got so bad for a while that I had to have a mosquito net sent.  When it didn’t get here fast enough, I had another one sent because they were just that bad.  Once I had two, I felt like a crack dealer, because everyone was trying to get their hands on the spare net.  It was nasty.  The rain and colder weather, (which is odd for May) brought them in, but now that the heat is going up, and they are starting to disappear.  It was pretty serious, I think one of the guys in my platoon had 20 bites in one night.  Most I had been bitten was  5.  However they were all on one finger, and it was killing me.  I still have the net up, and I’ll leave it up till I leave.

So speaking of leaving, here how that is all going.  I have been going through all the pains of redeployment and today finished my medical briefings.  You have to go to a brief prior to going home, so you can tell them about all the shit that has happened to you, and all the concerns you might have about your health.  My main concerns are my knee of course, and the bites from all the possible disease carrying lil flying demons all over this place.  Not to mention the trash/burn pits that always seem we are down wind from.  So when I get back, I’ll have to do more medical shit.  It’s all good.  The more stuff documented, the better in the long run.

I have more briefings next month, then I should be done with them until I get back.  I have packed all my stuff, and about to re-pack for a third time.  I have to do an inventory so that when/if my shit gets lost I can get a refund.  Plus, I can’t just pack once.  I’ll sit and think about how I can do it better, then start over again.  My wife always laughs and makes fun at me about it.  I laugh too, I can’t help it.

So that’s about it.  This deployment is almost behind me.  It seems as if it has moved fast, but I am sure that is only because I am almost done.  I can’t say I enjoyed it, but at least I built some good experience which will help me when I get out in a little over a year.

Thanks all for the mail all!  It has helped more than I can ever express!  The mail is going to be turned off here pretty soon, and with me leaving soon if you were going to send something, just hang onto it.

I’m sure I’ll have more to post as I get closer, and of course pictures from when I actually do get home.

It’s getting pretty exciting.

Short Timer

Well, it’s May and I am happy to say, that time is getting short.  Without getting specific, I found out I am on the list to get out of here a little earlier, so I won’t be here as long as I expected to be.  (of course, it’s all subject to change as everything is in the Army, but I’m confident.   I have gone through a few briefings and have received a packing list that I am going to need to take on the plane with me back to Riley.  I plan on packing soon, just to do it.  I’m sure that I’ll unload and re pack several times, as that is what I do every time I deploy.  Old habits die-hard I guess.

I also found out that my knee problems that I have been having for the past 5 years have developed into something more serious.  After years of just running on it anyway, and doing what I can to grit though it all has caught up to me.  Seems I might have some tissue damage in there, and am going to need a MRI as well as knee surgery upon my return.  While it’s a pain in the ass, at least I know now that I am not as crazy as I thought I was.  I have been issued crutches, and I have been walking long distances with them all over Iraq which is a huge pain in the ass when carrying a weapon.  But my knee feels a lot better.

They are doing leave an odd way this time, as when we get back we get a 4 day pass, followed by a week of in processing and medical shit.  After that we get 2 weeks leave, then back to work for 3 weeks, then another 2 weeks of leave.  Seems odd, and it sucks because we have to rush back after two weeks for more training.  The reason for it all is because people don’t know hot to act when they get back, and last deployment there were some deaths, domestic violence, and a few suicides.  Because of this, we now have this 2-3-2 leave/work schedule.  And I hate it.  I had plans, and now I can’t do it because I have to go back for “resilience” training.  But, it’s the policy of the Commanding General (CG), so I do what I’m told.

At this point I am more concerned with going home, and once I am home I am sure that I won’t care as much as I do here.  Being home seems to put everything in perspective.  No matter how inconvenient it might be, or how much it might suck, it’s still better than being here.

The grass is always greener…

My combat patch from OIF1 and OIF4

     All my good memories of deployments all come from when I was in the 101st based out of Fort Campbell Kentucky.  It’s funny, I always used to complain when Soldiers from other units would come to the 101st, then all they did was talk about where they were.  Little did I know that I would be that guy once I got to my new unit in Fort Riley.  I’m sure that most of the guys in my platoon are tired of hearing all my stories from Campbell, but they must be good enough because I haven’t heard anyone say anything.  Or they just wait until I am out of the room…:)

 

     The talk of re-deployment has ramped up, and there has even been some people who have left already.  Of all that talk, are those who are saying that upon leaving the plane once we touch down in Kansas, that we ALL will have The Big Red One patch on our right arms.  Of course, this was met with an uproar from most, due to the fact that it is in the regulation that nobody can tell you what patch you can and cannot wear as long as you have earned the right to wear one.  The talk is all about unit pride, as well as representation of our unit.  My argument is I am showing unit pride, it’s just not in the one I am in.  Of course , that goes over like a lead balloon.  I’ll comply like I am sure most of us will, but I’ll also have the 101st patch in my pocket, which as soon as I get off the plane I’ll replace my patch with the one I want to wear.  I miss Fort Campbell, and when it comes to the Army, I wish I had never left.

 

     We haven’t been told anything, (other than speculation) on when we might leave, but I have been doing what I can to minimize the pain of packing already.  I have several boxes in my room just waiting to be mailed, as well as throwing out stuff that I don’t use or know I am not going to want.  That way when we get the packing order, I’m already ahead of the game and I can just sit in my room saying that I’m “packing.”  :)  Probably won’t work that way, but what the hell, ya gotta try.

 

     The fact of the matter is its April.  Before long, April will be over and it will be May.  If we go home around the same time we came here, that means we only have 3-4 mos before we start packing to get out of here.  Once we start doing that, the time will in fact fly by.  Even though it is going to be a complete pain in the ass, and the hottest time of the year here, I am looking forward to it.  The sooner I get out of here, the better.

 

     The fear of redeployment is setting in with everyone, including me.  reintegration is always a bit stressful due to the fact of how different the way of thinking is here.  A lot of these first timers are asking me a lot of question about going home, and how things are once you get there after all this.  I tell them what I know, but being that there has been no action or significant events here, I don’t think it’s going to be much of a problem.  Most of my pain of going home was due to experiences that I had here.  So far, the most traumatic thing I have had happen here was when my computer died and I was forced to find some other way to spend what free time I get.  However, the fear of going home still looms as this place, no matter what does/doesn’t happen still changes you.  I know it will all be ok, but that doesn’t keep me from stressing from it.

 

     All in all, things are good.  I can’t complain much.  I just do the same thing I have been doing since I got here, and just watch the time go by.

 

MAIL CALL:  Thanks goto Dad, Sherri, and Trista for boxes, and letters from Trista and Kay.

Snow Day

 

Snow Day

 

     I remember when I was a kid growing up in Pennsylvania winter was always good for a snow day or two.  It would get so bad sometimes that I wouldn’t even bother to do my homework because I knew for sure that we wouldn’t be going to school.  Most of the time, I was right. 

     We looked at the 5 day forecast and the weather was all out of limits for us to fly, so I began yelling, “Snow Day!”  It stuck for the most part, and we check daily to see if there are more days like that on our calender.  They don’t happen often, but we always seem to keep ourselves busy when we do. 

     Even though the weather is bad for the aircraft, it’s still not too hot to go outside and enjoy it a little.  We play catch as often as we can, and hilarity often ensues.  It’s unfortunate that before too long, it will be too hot and we will most likely be hiding inside from the heat as often as possible. 

     As I knew they would the rumors have picked up speed, and there are like 4 different dates for us going home.  Most of us don’t believe a single one of them, but all of us are hoping for the best and getting out of here as soon as we can.  Tempers are getting a little short, and moodiness is becoming more prevalent.  On the good side, people joking around has increased, and it has made it so that people who haven’t gotten along in the past, are getting along better now.  I guess our common enemy is our hatred for being here, so we aren’t at each other all the time.  We are doing what we can to make the transition easier, mainly by getting rid of stuff that we don’t need so there is less to pack.  It’s amazing to see all the things that you can’t live without, but once they tell you that you are going home, you find it in the trash.  Nothing is as important as getting out of here. 

     I still haven’t changed my mind about getting out of the Army, and I am already making plans for my ETS in the first part of 2012.  It’s going to get here real fast, as we will be home the entire time, as my unit is not scheduled for deployment before  I get out.  I have been talking to all the contractors out here, trying to get a feel for what it’s like to be a civilian doing the UAV thing in Iraq.  It’s different, but in some ways the same.  The biggest difference is the fat stacks of cash these people make over here, as compared to what I pull down.  As much as I hate to admit it, I will probably be back here, or Afghanistan at least for a few years to make enough money so that I can just find some corner somewhere where I can be a mailman or something. 

     But I still have some time before I get there.  So one day at a time, one foot in front of the other.  Time may be slow here most of the time, but it always seems to fly by when I’m home.  2012 will be here before I know it.

Just past half way…

On my way home at DFW

I would like to take a moment to thank the guys at welcomehomeahearo.com .  They are a bunch of vets and troop suppporters who wait at DFW and take pictures of Soldiers coming out of the gate.  Then they give you a card with the web address on it, and you can download it free of charge, or email them and they email it to you.  Thanks Joe!

     I recently got harassed about not updating this enough, and I kept saying that nothing is going on, so its hard to write.  She then told me that even just hearing about nothing, or how things are going is nice, and I needed to get off my ass.  So thanks Rayne, I’ll be trying my best to update more.

 I took my computer out of my room to work because I had to do some work, (who am I kidding I wanted to play games) and it took a power surge and now no longer works.  Right before I left, my DvD player died as well but I couldn’t complain as it was it’s second deployment.  While on home the wife suggested I get another, but I was like ” I have a computer, why would I need another DVD player?”  I am of course kicking myself now.  So I’m reading more, which is good.  But it makes updates and such a little harder, but I’m working on it.

     It’s amazing how things stay the same here.  Virtually everything is the same as it was four years ago when I was here.  When I got back, my platoon they felt like I had been gone a lot longer than I felt like I was.  Which is normal.  I thought everyone looked haggard and tired, but just realized it was me who was well rested.  A few more have left on leave, and I can see the look in their eye as they are excited to go.  I wish I didn’t have to come back, but oh well.  You do what you have too.

     So I lower my head and plow through as we have passed the half way point, and officially have more time behind us than ahead of us.  It’s not much, but you have to start somewhere.  Before long, the rumors will be flowing worse than ever, and everyone will hear that we are leaving early/later than was expected.  However we will be able to tell once certain details get handed out and people leave to go do them that time is short.

     I think it’s going to sneak up on all of us before we know it.

There and Back Again…

Photo by Brooks Rheaume

It’s been a bit, and for the select few who do read this, I apologize.  Let me give you the month long update.

My last post  I was pretty close to leaving for mid tour leave.  Well, I left, and…now I’m back.   Here’s how it all went down.

I left here on the 30th of January, and started the long drawn out process of getting out of this God forsaken country.  Let me tell you, it is by no means an easy task.  First, you head to the passanger terminal, or PAX terminal as we in the Army call it.  I was told when my flight was more than 8 hours away, so I came back to the flightline and relaxed for 7 of those hours and went back.  I got on the first plane without a hitch, and other than the tactical landing it was an easy flight.  (A tactical landing is where they turn out all the lights, and swerve from side to side which I assume is so its harder to shoot you down.  If you know it’s coming, which I wasn’t, its not so bad.  I was asleep, and of course thought we were going down…)  I landed at another base in Iraq, where I recieved some briefings, and sat for a bit.  (Like 8 hour or so.)  I found some tent to lay down in, and got on the next flight to Kuwait.  Actually it was the one after the next, but whatever.  I got to Kuwait and caught a bus which was waiting for me to the base.  (When I see me, I mean like 200 of us.)  Once at the base is where the real waiting begins.  You get some briefings, fill out a ton of paperwork, then fix the errors on your paperwork cause there always are some.  Then, more waiting.  A lot more.  So I got more sleep.  The have a McDonalds in Kuwait, but I resisted the urge because I figured it would tear me up.  I played it safe and went to the chow hall.  The HUB for where I was going was in Dallas so I flew into Dallas (via Ireland) and landed to a heroes welcome.  A bunch of Vietnam vets, Blue Start Moms, and active duty Soldiers were there to greet us.  Everyone was clapping, taking pictures shaking hands.  It really was a cool moment.  A few more hours, and I was on my way to Fort Riley to were is was about 50 degrees colder than where I have been staying in Iraq.  This whole process was almost 72 hours.  Brutal.

I spent my 15 days at home, playing with the new dog as well as just hanging out spending some time with the wife and taking calls from my mom as often as she felt like calling.  I ate at all the places I had been dreaming about, (which tore me up, but it was worth it…) and had my share of beer.  I got to talk to a few people about life after the Army, trying to make some contacts so then when I get out it is a seamless transition.  My calls went well, and I knew that I would be coming back to being in a better mood because things don’t seem as bleak as they usually do while deployed.  There is a defintate light at the end of the tunnel, and I am looking forward to getting there.  Leave was definatly good.

Then I did the whole thing in reverse to get back here (little bit less, like 50 some hours) and came back to my first day looking like the picture above.  Creepy.  (And yes it really did look like the picture.) I got to ride in a chopper instead of a plane my last leg, but other than that it was the same thing coming back. 

The other times I took R&R the time went by pretty slow.  This time for some reason it went faster than normal, and before I knew it I was back in my CHU seeming like I was in a time warp or something.  Maybe its because its my third time at R&R, or that it is most likely my last deployment and last leave from Iraq, I don’t know. 

While I was gone, everything was the same as it was while I was here.  Work, weather and flights happened as they always do, and the time passed slower for those here than it did for me being gone.  Everybody looks tired and beat down, and I feel pretty good.  I’m sure that I’ll soon get back to feeling that way but for now you can tell that everyone who hasn’t gone is feeling the burn.

I’m trying to maintain a positive attitude, but getting impatient with being here is starting to set in already.  For the first time, I actually did not want to come back to finnish.  My previous times it wasn’t a problem.  I felt like I still had things to finish, but this time I just really want to be here.  I’m sure it has to do with me getting out somewhat soon, but I could have not come back and been fine with it all.  Not long left at least.

Thanks again to everyone who has been helping me out with letters, packages and such.  It has definatly made being here a lot easier.