WATER!!

OK, so the first thing I don't think of when I look at a map of the Middle East is water.  I don't think it is the second thing or third or........However, it is everywhere!!!  Not naturally.  No way on that!  This place is a complete desert.  I haven't seen a cloud yet.  They only cloud was a could of smoke after a C-RAM was fired. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter_Rocket,_Artillery,_and_Mortar  This will show you what one is.  More on that in a later post.  Back to water.  So one thing they tell you in briefings before you get here is to stay hydrated.  They tell you that nothing can prepare you for walking off the plane and having 120 degree heat and even hotter wind blast you in the face.  That was all true!!  The only thing that can prepare you is being hydrated.  Here in Iraq the water is everywhere.  It is in my room piled up.  In our fridge.  In my office in at least 10 places and piled up outside.  Any building here has at least a pallet of it outside with more inside.  Usually they have a large cooler, like a convenience store, filled with it.  You go to the gym and there is a large laundry tub filled with ice and water bottles.  They are literally piled up everywhere.  In Kuwait I was using two boxes for my laptop stand and as a nightstand.  Here they are used for sources of competition, footballs, hockey pucks and flotation devices in case Hurricaine Irene decides to change course.  :)  It is nice though not to constantly fret about filling up a camelback and worrying about having enough water.  As I write this I am reaching for a drink or water.....I am grateful to have it. In all seriousness I count it a blessing.  I can't imagine what it was like marching in this heat across wastelands on missions with only the water you could carry.  I have talked to Infantry Soldiers that had harsh experiences like this.  When water was dropped in they had to decide to hydrate or bathe.  Hydrating usually won that battle.  Until next post-thanks for all your prayers and support.  We feel it over here.  And thank you to my amazing wife!  Without her support and strength I couldn't do what I do each day!!!!

As a nightstand

laptop stand

dominant feature in the company fridge

SAND!!!

OK....so I know I am in Kuwait (awaiting a hop up North) but WOW, there is a lot of sand.  It is everywhere, gets into everything and there is no escape!!  When we arrived early one morning it was already 100 degrees with a "nice" hot wind.  This particular wind was carrying sand into my ears, eyes and everywhere else.  I thought that perhaps this was just a temporary thing and that it wouldn't always be like this.  I WAS WRONG!!!  It seems that we get the wind carrying sand more often that the wind is still.  Right now as I type this I feel the sand between my toes.  I am sitting at my cot, having just returned from a run and working out at the gym and my shoes and socks are filled with a fine coating of sand.  I don't remember walking through any specific pile of it but somehow it just gets everywhere.  I have taken some pictures that barely show what I mean.  The one picture of the sun setting is when the wind is blowing and literally has darkened the sky with a tan haze and dulled the sun.  It was crazy because back home it would just be clouds.  I don't think there will be any escaping it here or up North so I will find the good in the sand.  The sand keeps a lot of bugs away because NOTHING grows here.  I have not seen one cloud, tree, bush, weed.....NOTHING!!!!  Who would want to live here????  How could anything live here???  So I guess that is good......another thing that is good is that it cleans your boots.  They were darker tan from the dirt of New Jersey but now they are a nice Deseret Tan again.  OK, what else...Oh, it helps dry my feet.  When I walk from the shower trailer and my flip flops and feet are still a little wet the sand dries them within about 30 steps.  That's good right???  The sand also helps cover the trash well and pretty much everything else.  When we arrived here one of our duffel bags didn't make it.  When one of our guys went back to find them it turns out that an Air Force unit grabbed them on accident and when they realized they were ours they just left them outside.  Turns out after a couple days sand likes to build up anywhere it can and sure enough our bags were BURIED!!  All of our bags had sand in them.  Not the big coarse stuff but the fine powder stuff that works it way into the fibers of nylon and clothing.  Luckily I had the foresite to put my clothes, socks, etc. in zip-lock bags.  They came out clean!!!  Thank goodness!!!!

Regional Training Center, Fort Dix, NJ

This is my first blog post ever so I am still getting used to it. Thank you to my wife and father-in-law for encouraging me to do this and the good military men that counseled me before joining the Army and continued to do so.

In June, and then again in July we were sent to Fort Dix, NJ for training. The training we received in June was for the most part fantastic, mixed with heat, humidity and unnecessary drama comes from 30 people working together closely that come from different backgrounds, ages, races, etc. Most of the training was related to specific functions Soldiers are required to know and execute. These include: rifle qualification day, night and with a gas mask, Humvee roll-over training, land navigation, traffic control point execution, enemy detainee treatment, squad tactics when reacting to ambushes and much more.

I have included some pictures from the events and our days there at Fort Dix. In July, as we waited to leave for Iraq, our days were filled with exercise and lots of "bonding" with our beds and movies. This came from waiting for other Soldiers to finish their trainings that had to be made up or those that came late when replacing Soldiers that were sent home for injuries or other factors.

At times it was very fun. Other times I wanted to strangle people. Some really lived up to the stereotypes of where they were from, age, etc. It was really frustrating to see them make dumb choices that affected not only themselves but others around them. One of the really frustrating things is wathching Soldiers that do not take care of themselves. They eat like pigs and barely exercise. When we have mandatory PT they give only enough and no more. When given time to do exercise on their own they waste it and find other things to do. One in particular is what charts would consider morbidly obese! OK, as a sidenote, I was asked to help run PT for those that have failed their PT test and to work with them on their nutrition. A plug has to go out to my most amazing wife because almost daily I was referencing her brain and certifications in these areas!! Thanks babe!!! OK, so this particular Soldier is WAY overweight. His 2-mile run time in June was 30 minutes. Last time it was just over 20 min. He was excited BUT my 10 year old daughter would beat him. Here is the rub......instead of listening to me about his diet he continues to drink soda and eat candy between meals. Each meal he loads up on fried food and lots of starchy stuff. Oh, to drink, juice. Sugar, sugar and more sugar...oh and lots of fat. When he has free time he spends his money on crap and watched movies. When he told me he was going to loose weight I said great what are you going to do. He pulls out a "weight loss kit" that cost at least $200. It is a month program that includes lots of pills. These include a diuretic (dehydrating), appetite supressant (dehydrator), super mega exploding energy (worthless when not working out) and more. I couldn't believe his ignorance after all I had talked to him and the others about. So far from what I can see his t-shirts are still stretched out. Not to mention after a company run of less that 2.5 miles two days ago he complained of knee pain and went to the clinic. They gave him a knee brace and told him not to run for a bit. WHAT!!! It hurts because he is way overweight, has no muscles to support the joint and no mental toughness to push through the pain and do what it takes!!!!

OK, so that is my rant for this posting. Situations like that continue to happen. We were given leave for 4 days right befor leaving for Iraq. Two flew home and spent all their money so when returning to Philadephia Airport they had no money to get back to Fort Dix! Ughhhhh!! It never ends. I won't go on with that one....but it seems to never end.......

On a good note, I had the chance to be in a room with 3 other LDS guys. It was awesome. On Sundays we went to church and we were able to have gospel conversations daily. It wan't an issue if we wanted to listen to inspiring music or watch a fun movie like The Best Two Years or The Other Side of Heaven. If all goes well I will be bunking with one of them for the coming year. This will be a significant blessing and a strength. The Lord has watched over me and has blessed me with health and with patience. I am truly grateful. The only bummer....my best friend is not with me. I miss my wife dearly and I miss my crazy kids. They all rock and mean more to me than I can express.