A sure way to make sure it rains on any given day is not to bring your Gortex or rain gear to work. It started raining as soon as I stepped off the bus with thunder rolling in the distance. Actually it's better out here after the rain, clears much of the dust out of the air and gives a cool welcome relief from the sun. Guess I should enjoy the rain, before I know it will be summer and there will not be a cloud in sight.
Welcome to the land of MP3 players, last time I was out here, one out of three Marines had one, this trip it's more 4 out of 5, same for laptops. MP3 players are the In Thing, half of them are Ipod's and the rest are other brands (I have a Sony one gig model, my only gripe is that its not USB 2.0, otherwise it works great, 50 plus hours of music play in a very small package that is USB charged). Music is the easiest way to bring home a bit closer when you're off in a distant land. I've noticed there are many more happy people out here then my prior trips. I wonder how much of that is because they have their own "happy mix" programmed in there?
We do have limited internet access from work and the internet café allows you to check all of your web based email accounts, Myspace and update my blog but I wish there was a place on base where you could plug personal laptops into the internet, not to download music (it's much easier to get MP3's from buddies that have tens of thousands of songs on their external hard drives) but it's nice to get updates for the computer. Plus the powers that be wouldn't have to worry about as much wear and tear on the computers in the internet cafes (which are all mostly trashed after being out here for 3 years) if people were able to use their own computers on a WiFi network. The lines would be shorter and all we need is a flat spot, a plug and a wireless router or three. I'm not sure if it's for security reasons, financial or just because they don't want to be bothered for not doing this. But from the average peon on the ground, I know there would be a large boost in moral with a very small price tag. Just my two cents on that subject.
There was a sign outside the PX, very official looking with a AFFES logo saying that there was going to be a Class 6 store with beer, wine and liquor coming fall 2006. We saw this sign a couple of days after we hit the deck and everybody went woah, hope we're here when that opens while thinking at the same time, alcohol in a war zone? Who's crazy idea is that? It finally dawned on us what day it was. April 1st.
Good one.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Monday, April 10, 2006
Moving into my new home away from home
We're moving into our permanent barracks this afternoon which happens to be the same building I lived in on my first deployment 2 years ago. Wonder how much it's changed since then? We've been living in tents, waiting for the prior unit to leave. The tents were actually nice, 3 heating/cooling units per tent, real mattresses, porcelain toilets and hot showers. The barracks we're going into has fewer showers and we have to use port-a-johns but it is more secure from things that could fall out of the sky and go boom.
There isn't much to update here, my medical team is getting in the swing of things and we're rearranging our office with our own creature comforts.
Speaking of which, for my prior two deployments, I've dreamed of having a hammock out here. While on our honeymoon in Thailand, I was able to pick up a nice tactical green silk hammock which I have strung up in our office between two 4X4's with a D ring for a quick disconnect.
The overall feeling of this trip is different; I don't feel the loneliness or worry that I felt on my prior trips. For the first time in years my emotions feel balanced and I think I can thank my wife for that. After spending years and years searching, trying to fill a gap in my psyche, I now feel like a whole person. One day I woke up and suddenly I noticed that the itch was gone. You know the one that guys have where they look at girls and wonder how it would be to hook up with her. One day it wasn't there and thinking on it, it had not been there for a while. You know what? I don't miss it either. There was a point in my life where I would have but that time is long gone.
Could be part of why I haven't been writing as much, like the kid from the movie Orange County, the angst isn't there. I'm sure it will come up with stuff over the course of the deployment and I'll have interesting things to talk about but life has been alright. Don't like having to move into the old barracks with more people then we had in it last time but it's something I'll get used to. I work with a great bunch of people that seem to be genuinely happy most of the time and our Marines like us.
I'm counting my blessings. Let's see, I have a speedy new laptop with many electronic gadgets to attach to it, a hammock, a bed with a real mattress, get 3 squares a day that are usually hot, an MP3 player filled with good tunes, friends both here and back in the states and great communication with a lovely wife who's very in love with me, not to mention people who are still interested in my blog and in supporting me. What more can you ask for from the middle of a war zone?
Update,
New A/C's installed in the barracks and a large hotwater tank, was supposed to be rooming with the guy with the Xbox 360 but there was a switch-a-roo at the last minute but my new room mates are cool they just own a 360, sigh! Other then the lack of that wishful time eating entertainment, life is still smooth sailing. Take care everyone!
There isn't much to update here, my medical team is getting in the swing of things and we're rearranging our office with our own creature comforts.
Speaking of which, for my prior two deployments, I've dreamed of having a hammock out here. While on our honeymoon in Thailand, I was able to pick up a nice tactical green silk hammock which I have strung up in our office between two 4X4's with a D ring for a quick disconnect.
The overall feeling of this trip is different; I don't feel the loneliness or worry that I felt on my prior trips. For the first time in years my emotions feel balanced and I think I can thank my wife for that. After spending years and years searching, trying to fill a gap in my psyche, I now feel like a whole person. One day I woke up and suddenly I noticed that the itch was gone. You know the one that guys have where they look at girls and wonder how it would be to hook up with her. One day it wasn't there and thinking on it, it had not been there for a while. You know what? I don't miss it either. There was a point in my life where I would have but that time is long gone.
Could be part of why I haven't been writing as much, like the kid from the movie Orange County, the angst isn't there. I'm sure it will come up with stuff over the course of the deployment and I'll have interesting things to talk about but life has been alright. Don't like having to move into the old barracks with more people then we had in it last time but it's something I'll get used to. I work with a great bunch of people that seem to be genuinely happy most of the time and our Marines like us.
I'm counting my blessings. Let's see, I have a speedy new laptop with many electronic gadgets to attach to it, a hammock, a bed with a real mattress, get 3 squares a day that are usually hot, an MP3 player filled with good tunes, friends both here and back in the states and great communication with a lovely wife who's very in love with me, not to mention people who are still interested in my blog and in supporting me. What more can you ask for from the middle of a war zone?
Update,
New A/C's installed in the barracks and a large hotwater tank, was supposed to be rooming with the guy with the Xbox 360 but there was a switch-a-roo at the last minute but my new room mates are cool they just own a 360, sigh! Other then the lack of that wishful time eating entertainment, life is still smooth sailing. Take care everyone!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
rain and thunder
There will be periods of time when I'm cut off from the outside world, they call it going to Minimize, our phone and internet is cut off. It's a way to keep the rumor mill under control when something bad has happened or we're about to do something. It sucks to be cut off from our families and friends when all you want to do is let them know you're alright but I personally know of family back home that was called about someone's death and another about a supposed death when it wasn't true.
This is a program which I actually agree with. Unless the incident is happening to our unit, all we hear about is something has happened and it trickles down to us by word of mouth. So the tale that reaches our ears has been stretched by numerous retellings until the final product has nothing to do with reality. Some of the better retellings become stories in themselves.
When there is death involved, it's best to let the professionals handle it and do their job. Yes, it is a form of censorship by not letting us contact the outside world, but believe me the alternative is worse for everyone involved. For the family, they get to hear a partial story from an unreliable source and the person telling the story will get everyone else's privileges taken away and the entire base will tell stories of that asshole who called home to so and so's wife, mother, husband and told them that they heard that this happed to your loved one before the facts had came out.
Monsoons have arrived, there have been periods of rain that were as bad as any I've seen in Florida in the middle of a hurricane (wind wasn't quite so bad but close). Two big thunder storms (of course I took pictures). There was a 5 ton that was washed away on a bridge during one of the storms and the news story can be found here. These guys weren't in my unit and they haven't released the names. I can tell of it because there the military has already made a statement. It goes to show you there are many things out here that we need to watch out for other then insurgents. If you're the praying type, please hold the families of these people in your prayers.
As far as my life goes, it's good. Don't waste too much of your worry on me. I ride a bus back and forth to work (my luck with bicycles is bad and all of the bicycle accidents I see look fairly painful and some serious) My building is concrete and I'm super careful about what I do. But then again, if you read a story about a corpsman getting stuck by lightning while taking pictures, yes that could very well be me.
Take care everyone!
PS a story about our trip out here
This is a program which I actually agree with. Unless the incident is happening to our unit, all we hear about is something has happened and it trickles down to us by word of mouth. So the tale that reaches our ears has been stretched by numerous retellings until the final product has nothing to do with reality. Some of the better retellings become stories in themselves.
When there is death involved, it's best to let the professionals handle it and do their job. Yes, it is a form of censorship by not letting us contact the outside world, but believe me the alternative is worse for everyone involved. For the family, they get to hear a partial story from an unreliable source and the person telling the story will get everyone else's privileges taken away and the entire base will tell stories of that asshole who called home to so and so's wife, mother, husband and told them that they heard that this happed to your loved one before the facts had came out.
Monsoons have arrived, there have been periods of rain that were as bad as any I've seen in Florida in the middle of a hurricane (wind wasn't quite so bad but close). Two big thunder storms (of course I took pictures). There was a 5 ton that was washed away on a bridge during one of the storms and the news story can be found here. These guys weren't in my unit and they haven't released the names. I can tell of it because there the military has already made a statement. It goes to show you there are many things out here that we need to watch out for other then insurgents. If you're the praying type, please hold the families of these people in your prayers.
As far as my life goes, it's good. Don't waste too much of your worry on me. I ride a bus back and forth to work (my luck with bicycles is bad and all of the bicycle accidents I see look fairly painful and some serious) My building is concrete and I'm super careful about what I do. But then again, if you read a story about a corpsman getting stuck by lightning while taking pictures, yes that could very well be me.
Take care everyone!
PS a story about our trip out here
Friday, March 31, 2006
Made it safely to Iraq
I'm on the ground and just got done with my first breakfast in country, I've only been gone a little over a year and the entire place has got a facelift. The MWR building is finally open, there's local guards everywhere and we now have a Burger King, Subway and Pizza Hut. It's going to take a strong will to stick to my diet!
We have comfort trailors with real toilets! What is this world coming too? The dust is the same and my nose is already stopped up but as before, that will pass. I'm off to explore, take care.
We have comfort trailors with real toilets! What is this world coming too? The dust is the same and my nose is already stopped up but as before, that will pass. I'm off to explore, take care.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Picture from the Solar Eclipse
And pictures from our trip out can be found here. Middle of the night and I tried as hard as I could to stay up all day but fell asleep right after the eclipse and woke at midnight, just in time for MIDRATS (meal that they serve around midnight). It’s a mix of breakfast and dinner foods, I had French toast, a slab of some kind of fish, wax beans and sweet tea then walked over to the phone center to call the lovely wife. Nice pleasant boring day, just how I like it (when the doc is bored, everyone is happy). Miss home and cuddling though.
Want to see a snapshot of my life 10 years ago?
Go over to Pete's post about finding me online, he tells it better then me. Oh, I plead the fifth.
Kuwaiting for a bit
For the fifth time, I’m Kuwaiting till we make our move up north, not sure where I’m going to post this yet, for I am still sitting on the bus. Flew over here in an old 767, I’m used to flying Southwest and these were smaller seats then that. I had the distinct luck to find myself sitting between two large Marines and at each stop, I had to unpeel my self from the seat and stumble about without feeling in my legs for half an hour.
I’m with the same squadron as my last trip but an entirely new medical crew. Not flying CASEVAC this trip, letting the other two corpsman take the lead will I man the Leading Petty Officer position (flying the desk), I’ve flown enough my last two trips over.
This trip has been much more subdued then the prior ones, no crowds to see us off and we didn’t stop to see the huge support crowd in Maine. More then 2/3’s of the guys in my squadron have been over here before and there are 20 or so like me on their third trip. It’s odd to think that the business of war has become routine to many of us. It’s just another deployment with occasional bits of hostile fire and having to wear heavy body armor. Not to mention the lack of time off, alcohol, color or sex.
Dreamed of my wife on the way over, cupping the side of her face in my hand it seemed so real then I woke up and was cupping my piggy travel pillow (at least it wasn’t the guy next to me). I miss you hun and I’m very happy to have you in my dreams, be safe and I love you.
Update:
Had my first meal out here, steak and lobster and it was pretty good! Conditions have improved much since the last time I was here and it seems like a ghost town compared my prior trips, shorter lines and better service.
I've also gotten here in time to see the solar eclipse that's supposed to happen in a half hour or so. I’ll see what kind of filters I can dig up for my camera and post a few pictures (if they turn out that is).
I’m with the same squadron as my last trip but an entirely new medical crew. Not flying CASEVAC this trip, letting the other two corpsman take the lead will I man the Leading Petty Officer position (flying the desk), I’ve flown enough my last two trips over.
This trip has been much more subdued then the prior ones, no crowds to see us off and we didn’t stop to see the huge support crowd in Maine. More then 2/3’s of the guys in my squadron have been over here before and there are 20 or so like me on their third trip. It’s odd to think that the business of war has become routine to many of us. It’s just another deployment with occasional bits of hostile fire and having to wear heavy body armor. Not to mention the lack of time off, alcohol, color or sex.
Dreamed of my wife on the way over, cupping the side of her face in my hand it seemed so real then I woke up and was cupping my piggy travel pillow (at least it wasn’t the guy next to me). I miss you hun and I’m very happy to have you in my dreams, be safe and I love you.
Update:
Had my first meal out here, steak and lobster and it was pretty good! Conditions have improved much since the last time I was here and it seems like a ghost town compared my prior trips, shorter lines and better service.
I've also gotten here in time to see the solar eclipse that's supposed to happen in a half hour or so. I’ll see what kind of filters I can dig up for my camera and post a few pictures (if they turn out that is).
Saturday, March 25, 2006
out of the blue
It’s been a strange week, I’ve been hearing from important people in my life whom I haven’t heard from in years. Pete from the prior post and my best friend from high school, Justin. Figures this would happen right before my next Iraqi adventure, it’s been great catching up. Justin was my brother from another mother and a decade ago, we lost touch. Many bit and stories that make me the person that I am were intertwined in his life and Larry’s (my other best friend). Together, we had a blessed coming of age and some of our adventures will still be told when we’re in nursing homes.
I’m happy with the people we’ve grown up to be, Larry’s a great dad, Justin’s an RN and I’m just happy to know I have people like these in my life. Even with going to Iraq shortly, I know I have web of support of people that care about me and have stuck with me through the years.
Thanks.
I’m happy with the people we’ve grown up to be, Larry’s a great dad, Justin’s an RN and I’m just happy to know I have people like these in my life. Even with going to Iraq shortly, I know I have web of support of people that care about me and have stuck with me through the years.
Thanks.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Caught up with an old friend
It’s a small world, an old corpsman buddy of mine, HM2 Peter Gutierrez, found his way here from an old news story about me and now has a blog of his own. I've been wondering what had happened to him all of these years. If you’re interested in what’s happening in Camp Lemonier, Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, he tells a great tale. We went out on our first deployment together as young HN’s in the mid nineties. Back in the day, he was always up for joining me on any of my wacky adventures and a willing partner for all sorts in interesting trouble. Rappelling off of? Roller hockey? Cave exploring? Down hill extreme rollerblading on one lane Japanese roads? Now that I think about it, we're lucky to be alive. Many stories, some of which should stay safely buried Pete!
Look forward to catching up in person when we both come home from our separate deployments.
Look forward to catching up in person when we both come home from our separate deployments.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Happy St Patrick’s Day!
Started out with a good plan this morning, leave work at 11 to go up to Long Beach and pick up a moped that my mom had shipped back from Thailand. Sure, no problem mom. After a couple of calls yesterday to the shipping company, I found that I needed to clear customs first in Long Beach, then take the clearance paperwork to the shipping company in Compton and pick up the 400 pound package from Torrance. Sheesh, this is sounding like a bit of work. Oh well, I’m the good son.
So Heather and I head out and the skies open up and it’s raining cats and horses and as usual with California, traffic ground to a screaming halt. 3 hours later, I’m on the 8th floor of the customs building chatting with a couple of customs agents with the bill of landing, arrival and the packing slip in hand (which the shipping guy said was all the paperwork that I needed). The nice customs folk, after looking over this small stack of paperwork (yes they were very nice about it) said I also need the bill of sale and information on the model. So I call my mom get her to fax what she has. The 5 pages pop out and they look at it for a minute then bring it to me and say, “We can’t use this, it’s in Thai, you’ll need to get it translated, notarized and then have the moped certified by DOT before picking it up”
Good grief, what a way to spend one of my last Fridays in the states!
So, I leave defeated with my tail between my legs and we take PCH all the way back down the coast (it was much faster then the parking lot that 405 had become on a Friday afternoon). Made a stop for for Thai food at a place called Your House Restaurant on the way.
Got home and my roommate’s welcome home party was going full swing (not my going away party because I wasn't supposed to be home). We passed our greetings and went upstairs to watch the new Doctor Who in the SciFi channel. We’ll go back down afterwards.
So Heather and I head out and the skies open up and it’s raining cats and horses and as usual with California, traffic ground to a screaming halt. 3 hours later, I’m on the 8th floor of the customs building chatting with a couple of customs agents with the bill of landing, arrival and the packing slip in hand (which the shipping guy said was all the paperwork that I needed). The nice customs folk, after looking over this small stack of paperwork (yes they were very nice about it) said I also need the bill of sale and information on the model. So I call my mom get her to fax what she has. The 5 pages pop out and they look at it for a minute then bring it to me and say, “We can’t use this, it’s in Thai, you’ll need to get it translated, notarized and then have the moped certified by DOT before picking it up”
Good grief, what a way to spend one of my last Fridays in the states!
So, I leave defeated with my tail between my legs and we take PCH all the way back down the coast (it was much faster then the parking lot that 405 had become on a Friday afternoon). Made a stop for for Thai food at a place called Your House Restaurant on the way.
Got home and my roommate’s welcome home party was going full swing (not my going away party because I wasn't supposed to be home). We passed our greetings and went upstairs to watch the new Doctor Who in the SciFi channel. We’ll go back down afterwards.
Monday, March 13, 2006
One of my last weekends here
My roommate James has just returned from his 6 month deployment to Japan and I’m in my final days before my newest Iraqi adventure. It has been a good weekend, my new computer came in on Friday, an HP Pavilion dv5000z (MCE) with a 2.0GHZ Turion processor.
My first take, very sleek, I’ve been typing unplugged an hour and a half and it still has half of its power. Lighter then my Toshiba, screen and sound are years ahead and it has a 100 gig hard drive gives me a bit more room. My only problem so far is that it doesn’t seem to like my 250 gig Simple Tech hard drive, a after a couple of minutes of working, it develops an error in reading information. Not sure why. After I ran it through the USB hub and it worked fine, no worries I guess.
My gear is packed up and I’m dotting all of the i’s and crossing all of the t’s. Emails of support are already coming in, thanks Josh, Linda, Debbie, Vicki and Deborah. Plus the numerous other usual suspects, you know who you are. Well I’m off to bed, have a great night everyone.
My first take, very sleek, I’ve been typing unplugged an hour and a half and it still has half of its power. Lighter then my Toshiba, screen and sound are years ahead and it has a 100 gig hard drive gives me a bit more room. My only problem so far is that it doesn’t seem to like my 250 gig Simple Tech hard drive, a after a couple of minutes of working, it develops an error in reading information. Not sure why. After I ran it through the USB hub and it worked fine, no worries I guess.
My gear is packed up and I’m dotting all of the i’s and crossing all of the t’s. Emails of support are already coming in, thanks Josh, Linda, Debbie, Vicki and Deborah. Plus the numerous other usual suspects, you know who you are. Well I’m off to bed, have a great night everyone.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Monday, March 06, 2006
Busy Pre-Deployment Life
Sorry I haven’t been updating much lately, busy trying to squeeze as much life out of my last weeks here, both at home and at work. Speaking of which, busy busy busy, many shots to give, much blood to suck out of veins and bodies to examine. We’re getting all the blocks checked in our pre-deployment lectures and work ups. Rifle ranges, smelly gas chambers, power of attorneys and wills. Glasses need to be ordered, dog tags made and all of the records accounted for.
This is my third time doing this and even though there seem to be a million moving parts, it seems to be a fair bit easier each time I have to go through this. So no sweat. I have a strong wonderful wife backing me up, I’m married to the girl that dreams are made of. I couldn’t have picked a better wife who suits me to a T. I hate going away from her but I know after we met, nothing out there could compare and I have faith in what we have.
This is my third time doing this and even though there seem to be a million moving parts, it seems to be a fair bit easier each time I have to go through this. So no sweat. I have a strong wonderful wife backing me up, I’m married to the girl that dreams are made of. I couldn’t have picked a better wife who suits me to a T. I hate going away from her but I know after we met, nothing out there could compare and I have faith in what we have.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
ABC News Story and the Zogby poll
Well written story on what happens to some of us when we get back from the war zone.
Soldiers Describe 'Emotional Roller Coaster' Upon Return From War
I'm leaving shortly to go back to Iraq for the third time but I didn't see one road side bomb, have to look at a weapon pointed in my eye or have to injure another human being. Did treat a lot of injured folk though and had rounds bounce off my aircraft but I didn't go out each day thinking that I could die at any minute. There were moments when I said Oh S#!$, like the RPG that blew up right in front of my aircraft and flying through the smoke or the first night in Iraq and we had that mortar attack on my first night in country (a first time for the base we were at).
My point is, I didn't go through what much of the ground guys did, yeah a shot here and there, some unexpect booms but my post traumatic scale has been pegged at a big fat 0 for quite a while. Not so for all the people in my shoes, many of my fellow sailors and Marines have turned into violent sleepers, see something on the side of the road and they veer across a couple of lanes of traffic and you almost feel them wanting to jump out of their skins or having a group of them have a scene like this. Their dreams act like positive reinforcement for each bad thing that happened to them or each horror that they saw and only time will tell how it will affect them for the rest of their lives.
There is a poll that was just released by Zogby International that says 72 percent of 944 troops deployed in Iraq say we should leave in 2006 (I'm not one of them), the percentage is higher for the reserves and National Guard 89 and 82 percent. While I think the number is a little high, I'm not entirely suprised at it. The numbers would probably be a bit different depending on which base you're at. This is the third trip over for some of the guys on the front line, almost getting blown up once is enough for most people, but they've had to do it daily for a year or two of their life, for a twenty one year old kid. That's 5 to 10 percent of his life spent dodging bullets, that's probably someone who's tired of coming over.
War isn't easy, specially for the us who have to fight it, but the military isn't a democracy. We go where we're told to go and try to do the best job we can. I still stand by the idea that pulling out quickly would be a bad idea.
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