Will the war in Iraq be successful?

Many people are now asking if the war in iraq is going to be a success, and if not when should we cut our losses and move on. I do not profess to know the answer to that question, nor the patience to continue answering the question. I will, therefore, let someone else answer for me.
we have an interpreter that works on our installation that left iraq about ten years ago. he has been living in detroit since then, and he has been working for the US army here in iraq for about 2 years. He came to work in this country, despite living comfortably in america, because he believes in the freedom of the Iraqi people. it is his desire, as is the desire of many toiling on a daily basis here in this country, to see this war be successful. even amidst the violence of late, he is convinced that it is working.
The american people have been betrayed by the press since the beginning of the war. The American and International press outlets are only concerned with ratings and have sacrificed the true story of iraq to the neilson families across america. The press never tells about the public works projects like the water project in Jedallah, that has put pure water in the tap for the first time in history of this tribe. the press never tells about the power project at the Haiditha dam, they never tell about the rail project that is bringing the iraq railroad back on line for the first time in half a century, and they surely never speak of the phenomenal success of the Oil Protection Institute in protecting the oil assets of this country.
For your own sake, and that of the citizens of this country, write your congressman and tell them that we need two more years to teach the people of this country how to life free, and whatever you do, do not watch the news, they are only lying to you.

I think i am tired...not like road kill, but tired.

i had a day off the other day and slept for almost 22hrs. it seems to me that the first six months is the easy part, but now the days are dragging. i am involved in a lot of projects to keep me busy, but this makes me more tired. i just cannot wait to be back in the states. i am tired of being out of the country. i like being an American, and everything that comes with it. i miss being home.

the eyes are the window to the soul...

sometimes i look into the eyes of the local nationals that come into the FOB, and sometimes i feel as though I am looking into the windows of their souls. sometimes inside i see true horrors looking back at me, and other times i see dreams unfulfilled. a while ago i was providing medical treatment to an injured local. part of me was trying to stay detatched due to the severity of the wound, and the other part of me was curious about the person that i was treating. I was very impressed by the mechanical attention that the other Specialist, that was working with me, was paying to me.
This was not my first time treating a severe injury, and, as a result, i was calm and effective in my actions. the thing that amazes me about a soldier is that they will feed upon the strongest person in the situation. if there is someone in panic, they will panic. if someone is calm, cool, and collected, they will be the same.
the local was in pain, but that was not his fear. it was the first time that he had been shot at, and you could feel the fear in his voice. he was petrified. my iterpretor was thorough, a rock in a storm, a liason between two soldiers unable to communicate.
The one thing that i have learned from injuries i have recieved, is that seeing it makes it worse. just trying to protect the eyes makes treating the victim that much easier.

I see pain in my interpretors eyes. not the kind of pain that results from an injury, but more from the pain caused by fear of the unknown. sometimes he confides his fears in me, and i try my best to reassure him that we will not abandon this experiment. I dont know much, but i know that this will work. we just need time. time to foster the growth of a nation that will be a shining example to the arab world, and one that will not be a puppet of the american government but will be a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.

there is little trust in this part of the world. years of tyranny have tainted the people. America was there once, and we have moved on to become the beacon of freedom. I just hope that the fears of the american people will not prevent us from completing the good that we have started here in this little corner of the world.

pray for peace, pray for victory, pray for wisdom in the leadership of this country and our own.

Death to the IPOD!

I have recently joined the revolution to abandon the Ipod's domination of the MP3 player market. I am now the proud owner of a Zune. and i love it. many of the features are a lot of fun and convenient.
Another day goes by and here i am sitting on the internet writing to home, wondering who reads this, and wondering why i write...
I am sick of this country, i am sick of this war, and most of all i am sick of the US press covering it. the lies told in the press amaze me. where is the acountability? what happened to the jounalists telling the story, and when did all news become op-ed?
things continue as normal here. the workers come, the workers work, the workers leave. and i am still here

The Daily grind...

Bob-I just want to give you a special shout out to thank you for the Starbucks mug and the starbucks coffee. the kenya blend may just be my new favorite. I have thoroughly delved into the depths of the coffee bag and do not have much remaining, but it was well worth the binge into the "good" side of coffee verses the "army" side of coffee. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. (P.S. I think you have made me a target amongst my peers, they all eyeball the coffee mug with great interest....look but dont touch-thats my philosophy.)
MO I am staying put for the time being, there are no interesting missions for me to take, so i have begun to occupy my time by remodeling the office. I have started painting the walls and ordering new furniture to be made by the locals working on the FOB. Things are starting to look a little more "High Class" than they were before, and i am no longer embarassed to entertain the brass as they often come and check on our operations.
I, along with my co-workers, continue to refine the systems that we have in place to make them more efficient and effective and things are running smoother than ever before. I miss you and i pray for you everyday. Write me an email and let me know how everything went in LA.

I love and miss you all-
Patricia thank you for the pictures of Cody-
Leah thank you for the pictures of Noah and the package-i dominated the nutter butters with great vengance and furious anger-
MO the flag is in the mail-please let chris know that Nichole's class can expect their's soon as well-better yet keep it a secret.
Nicole, i have one on the way to your class as well...so keep your eyes peeled for it.

From Iraq with love-
Andrew

My Grandfather passed away earlier this week, please pray that God would be there for the comfort needs of our family.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas

yet another day ticks by...

I dont know how much longer i can stand being on this one day cycle. everyday is monday, groundhogs day...I am just looking for a little adventure to fall into my lap and maybe provide a little excitement.
Things here are pretty much the same. miss you all
Andrew

The IQ test...

You know what i learned about the IQ test...The us military started testing iq for entrance exams during WWII. I took another iq test to check the results on the last one i did earlier this year, and i found that the results were the exact same. I have a 135 IQ confirmed by two different mensa approved tests. I thought that it was cool, and thought that i would share it with all of you.
Kinda busy round here, dont be suprised if i dont post for a while.
Andrew

When i find myself in Times of Trouble.

Five miles outside of vegas when we broke down,
threw my keys inside the window and we never looked back.
Got all drunk and sloppy on a Greyhound bus,
we passed out all them loosers they were laughing at us.
I will never let them break your heart.
No i will never let them break me.
we got lost in phoenix seemed like such a long time,
seven months of living sweaty on those thin white lines.
did some time for selling acid to the wrong guy.
life just keeps on getting smaller and we never as why,
why there is no perfect place yes i know this is true,
im just learning how to smile and thats not easy to do.
i know there will come a day when we can leave and just go running away
we was broke outside of LA when the storms came.
i was working in New Jersey had to run in the rain,
we was happy talking dirty at that phone sex place.
life just keeps on getting better for us everyday.
you say there is no perfect place,
i say i know this is true.
we're just learning how to smile, and thats not easy to do
we both live for the day when we can run away
oh baby we can run away.
we can leave it all behind like we do everytime.
we both live for the day when we can run away.
no i will never let them break your heart.
no i will never let it break me.
five miles outside of vegas five years down the line.
we got married in the desert in the sunshine.
i can handle all the hell it happens everyday,
when you smile and touch my face
you make it all just go away.
yes i know there is no bigger pond,
i know theres never air.
we are just learning how to fall and climb back up again.
i know there's nothing perfect, i know there's nothing to loose
we are just learning how to live together me and you.
you know i live for the day when we you say baby lets just run away.
yes we can leave this place and run away.



its been a tough couple of weeks. Sometimes i feel myself being antisocial and finding solace in my ipod. its amazing to me how much of an impact music is in the life of humans. Music is affected by the social atmosphere, and the social atmosphere is affected by music. a symbiotic relationship that is so important. I know that my posts have seemed a little dark lately, but i have been hurting emotionally lately. I m just learning how to fall and climb back up again. It is difficult to loose a friend. its strange how it impacts you in so many different ways.
somtimes i sit back and i really wonder "what are we doing here?"
It always makes me think of a story from my first tour in iraq. We had been working a tough week in August. The Brigade commander had driven up to the Balad bridge for some reason, and he decided that the Hesco Bastions that were emplaced for force protection purposes were not pretty enough and wanted them replaced with concrete barriers. This meant that Support Platoon would have the wonderful task of doing the actual work. 18 hour days in 140 degree weather is not pretty. on the third day of barrier emplacement, we had been out for 14 hours in full battle rattle, sweating our asses off, when i lost it. I couldnt do it any more. I sat down on a jersey barrier to take a little break and drink some hot water (i had no other options).
There is something universal about the spirit of a child. they will do anything to make a few dollars, and usually this means a lemonade stand. At the Balad Bridge there was a small "haji" mart, a lemonade stand of sorts. The little kids at the bridge would sell dvds, sodas, and other small trinkets to passing convoys all day long. for the whole week that we were working at the bridge, these kids were trying to sell stuff to us all day. Well, this particular day i was fed up. the heat had gotten to me, the work had gotten to me, and I was just overwhelmed.
I sat down on the barrier and was taking a break. one of the kids just sat down next to me, and I expected to have him ask me for money or try to sell me some piece of crap made in china. I was about to tell him to buzz off, when he said, "thank you." I was stunned into silence. Thank god i was unable to speak, because it gave this young man a chance to continue speaking. "Thank you for coming here and removing Sadaam Hussein. My whole family loves America. My village loves Americans. Sadaam Hussein was a Bad man. Now that he is gone my family has hope for a better life." This hit me like a train wreck. Here i was just about to tell this kid to beat it, and He was an angel that just communicated a message to me from God. Stay the course. Finish what you have started. When I was ready to quit, when i had lost all hope, when I was down in the dumps, this kid reached out and communicated a message of hope for me. Every time i think about that story, it gives me the energy to finish what i have started. That day at the bridge every sacrifice that i, and my comrades in arms, had made was worth the blood, sweat, toil, and tears. We made a difference in that one child's life.

As The debate over this war continues, Just keep in mind that we made a difference. Regardless of what is being said on the television, in the halls of congress, and in the fierce protests against this war-Know that we made a difference in one child's life, and we gave his entire family the hope for a brighter future.

The wonderful beauty of balance.

I think that its kind of funny that we live in a world today where there is a pill for everything. Sad? Here have some happy pills! Angry? theres a pill for that, too! and need i mention Bob Dole???
We have stopped asking questions and just started throwing chemicals at the problem hoping to find an answer. When to we hit the point where there will not be a solution to the ever growing problem in america. we do not take time out of our incredibly busy lives to take interest in another human being. the nuclear family melted down somewhere in the sixties, and since then divorce is more common than marriage, depression is at an all time high, interest in other people is in the tank, and we wonder what is wrong with america.
When was the last time you did something for your neighbor? Who was the last person you gave a helping hand to? How can you better your own community?
these are the questions we need to ask ourselves, but they are not the ones we are asking. the more common questions involve a nice tall fence between us and our neighbor, the war on terror, and whether or not you have liquids in your carryons. What happened to america?
When will we get the picture, and will it be too late?
Andrew

The little engine that could...

sometimes a children's story is all that you really need to find direction in your adult life. No matter what was happening around that little engine, he just kept trucking on down the tracks. Sometimes you just have to picture the finishline, no matter how far away it is, and set your focus on the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the finish and let that be the driving force.
SMSGT Duncan told me that i would never amount to anything-whether he said that with sincerity, or said it to be the catylist for change, it challenged me. Tell me i can't do something and i will find every possible way to get that something done.
Today i recieved a coin from a full bird COL. He said that initiative, dedication, and performance were attributes that he looks for in every soldier. If the army was full of soldiers like me the world would be a better place. The little engine that could.
To the naysayers in my midst, I say Can and Will!

NMMI look at me now!

though sad...I am still trucking on down the tracks...
andrew

When good news doesnt arrive...

have you ever had one of those weeks where it seems like the good news will never come? that has been my week...we had a memorial service at the beginning of the week, and i spoke...it was extremely difficult to try and do such for someone at such a young age. The good die young? all i know is I do not want to attend another funeral in my life. i hurts too much. ive been very quiet lately. nothing to say really. I have lost interest in a lot of activities. I started taking my medication again and started journaling. writing down the stuff that i cant put here. the stuff that scares even me. i miss being home.
sometimes i wish that i never joined the army. it would have saved me a lot of heartache. now i find myself in a position where i would rather volunteer to put myself in those gruesome situations to protect someone else from losing their innosence. I am already messed up, why should someone else suffer, when i already do.
ILY IMY
Andrew

You are now entering the Tail Spin Zone!!

we are currently restructuring in my office, and as a result, i am working fewer hours. what a deal. usually the boss is always looking for more ways to get a few more hours out of you, but in this case, the boss is trying to send me home early-Nice!!
I have heard the latest report from my mother-my nephews are doing great, cody is gaining weight and looking downright pudgy. Noah is exploring more and more-leah please send more pictures...
things are busy and uncertain here in iraq-we are all trying to complete our mission-all we need now is the cooperation of a congress seeking to prove itself. politics are a part of daily life out here, and yet they seem so distant. Washington has never seemed so far away.
Anyway-i have to go get ready to go to work and fight the good fight.
Andrew

I'm an Infantryman trapped in a Fueler's body...

Sorry its been so long, i have been having some difficulty accessing this site. its strange to me sometimes when i sit back and realize that i am still in the third world.

a lot of stress lately. i am finally back to normal hours. i dont think that i should have taken R&R so early in the rotation. now i have nothing to look forward to. watched a few movies today. i was really irritated by a movie about iraq. sometimes its the small details that really get to me. like how the soldiers were wearing their uniforms, the names of cities mispronounced, the way that they talked about war.

I dont think ill ever be able to forget the first time that i saw a dead body, or the first time that i smelled burning flesh, or the first time that i heard incoming fire, but i do know that i dont want someone to pretend that they know the emotions that are attached to such events. I always used to watch war movies and think that it was cool. Sometimes i wish that i could go back to january 2003 and talk myself out of joining the army, and then other times i think that i should reenlist-sometimes it seems like there is no other job out there that i want to do.

theres been a knot in my stomach for about 2 weeks now. this is how i always felt before something bad happened, but i know that my senses arent as keen as they were the last time i was out here. i need to get back out on the road. that is where i belong, not trapped here on the FOB turning into a pog and looking and sounding more like a fobbit as the days pass.

andrew

sometimes the weekend never comes.

so, have you ever had co-workers complain so much that your boss took away your weekends? just let me tell you how horrible it is to have that happen. I am now working about 80 hour weeks, so if my posts are a little sparce it is because i am exhausted.

the good news is that-well i dont really think that i have any good news.

i do have news, but not good new. speaking of news, i was watching Lou Dobbs on CNN-i know, but i have no other options-and it was so plainly obvious that CNN has gone to the far left, i dont know if they will ever be able to pull out of their dive into liberal bias. ever. He was blatantly criticizing President Bush, in many cases for things that he doesnt even control, and was trying to get the people that were on his show to change their opinions to mirror his-clearly goading them into his liberal cesspool. Unbelievable.

foxnews upsets me lately too. ok we get it. fair and balanced-do you have to tell us ever time you speak????

at least bill o'reily can still be depended on, but i never get to watch because i am at work.

ill keep you posted.

andrew

The more things change the more they stay the same. Job stress is at an all time high-for no reason. lots of in-fighting, complaining, and lack of communication. it is really stressing me out, and starting to affect my sleep patterns. I am not sleeping through the night and usually wake up 2 or 3 times. this job is not that difficult, why do we need to find things to stress over?

otherwise things are well-still no mail...but the connex should arrive soon. I look forward to recieving my package MO.

ILYIMYSWAK
Andrew

The School of Rock...

I think that rock is...predictable. I think that unlike any other form of communication, the ability of rock to react to stimulus and produce the desired result of "sticking it to the man" is unmatched in a world so unbelievably connected. When the "man" reaches a point where the world of rock can no longer tolerate his infringment on their daily life, they respond in suit with music designed to "bring it all down."
Take Green day for example. Self-proclaimed bush haters. Social and political liberals to the core. Individuals? or pre-programed robots of a liberal media?
Green Day was involved in the 924 gillman st punk project until the day they sold out to a major label-sold out or bought in? its a question many fans have asked since Dookie, and one that has renewed its intensity since the huge success of American Idiot. The question that i ask was when did they sell out to political parties and partisan politics? I think that I will eventually find my answer, but until that point i will continue to ponder-I hope you will join me on this adventure.
a small bit of lyrics from the title track of their album American Idiot-
Dont want to be an american idiot,
one nation controlled by the media.
information age of hysteria-
is calling out to idiot america.


controlled by the media? who's controlled by the media? I dont recall Green Day ever making a trip to iraq, but they are sure taking the time to engage in political mud slinging contests against the current administration based on information that they have not collected themselves-information they have gathered from the media. i guess the question that i really have is does it make you an "american idiot", in this "information age of hysteria", to allow yourself to be "controlled by the media" and not formulate your own opinions based on fact instead of assumtions?

I will let you know the details of what is going on with me when i have more time.
Andrew

Boots on the Ground: a soldiers story of Iraq (part 6)

I guess the trip down to An Najaf was when I really fell in love with the army. That trip was when Basic Training ended, and it was when my life became a war movie. "Haji" was in the bushes, helocopters were running constant sorties into the city, and we were building a new camp. FOB Duke may not have been more than a patch of sand at the time, but it was home. I was a PFC (Private First Class-dont forget that there were two rank levels below me now), and I was in charge of all the Class I supplies for the entire company. 150 soldiers depended on me to have water and chow available at every meal, and the company first seargeant was depending on me to maintain a three day supply.
This was a lot of responsibility for a private, but i was first class at it. I was making deals, bartering fuel, and, on some occasions, stealing when necessary, but we never ran out of food or water. I had enough of a stockpile at one point that soldiers were getting 2 MRE's(the army calls them Meals Ready to Eat, but soldiers fondly refer to them as Meals Rejected by Etheopians). This becomes very important after eating MRE's for two or more weeks because the meals, as arranged, become boring. allowing each soldier 2 MRE's, allows the soldier to pick and choose what they want to eat, and, in some cases, build their own meal using what was supplied. This increases the morale of soldiers who are already fed up with the army, and increases in overall mission accomplishment.
The typical day in An Najaf was almost always the same. The sun would wake me up-we did not like sleeping in the tents, too hot and stuffy-and i would slowly climb out of my hammock. I had "Built" quite the living space between two of our trucks, and with the tarp over the top i had an excellent living space. We never wore our body armor, there was no need that prompted such measures. in fact, we never really wore the tops to our uniforms. just a brown t-shirt and sunglasses. I liked that a lot. After i got out of bed and put my pants on, i would walk over to the mechanics trailer and get a cup of coffee. we were only allowed to get coffee after first sergeant got his first cup, and there was only enough for each of us to get one cup. but if you needed more, there was always coffee crystals in the MRE that you ate for breakfast. Nothing like a boneless porkchop, chunked and formed, for breakfast. I usually had a bean and rice burrito for lunch, but that would make for a rough afternoon. You see-when you dont even have laundry service, that means that you dont really have bathrooms either. our "Toilet" was a 2 foot by 4 foot trench that was 4 feet deep. Not exactly luxury, but who really cares. when you can literally scrape the dirt off of any part of your body, it doesnt really matter that you are sitting on a tank road wheel, taking a crap in a trench, and not looking forward to a shower at night, or anytime in the near future. eventually you just let go.
It seemed like the political battle was the war we were really fighting in Najaf. You see, we were sent down to An Najaf with the orders that we were going to destroy the city-something along the lines of the Roman Army vs. Jeruselem. This was the image always conjured in my mind. I would be in Downtown An Najaf, refueling and rearming an Abrams tank, while death and destruction was raining down all around me. this was not quite the case. instead we mostly played spades. not joking. from the time we finished breakfast until the time the sun went down, we played spades. In Fact, I played the hell out of spades. my partner and I were untouchable. people came into our house and thought they could play. They were sent back to their tank with an MRE and the shame of defeat. I love my job.
the downside of Najaf was the fact that there was an army-well a malitia, supporters of Muqtada al Sadr, that wanted us dead. we had more than one run-in with these SOB's. My TC, Sgt Long, almost died one night in a traffic circle. their tank was hit with 6 RPG's(rocket propelled grenades) in rapid succession. the fuel can in the bustle rack caught on fire and spilled down into the engine. the tank commander did not want to extinguish the fire for fear that the engine would not restart, and made a decision to drive balls to the wall trying to put the fire out. the RPG's did not stop coming, and small arms fire joined in. a mission that was started as a raid, turned, rapidly, into a mission to save a tank. Just so you know, an Abrams tank is so fast it can out run fire. 22 or more rpgs hit the tank, and the crew lived to tell the tale. the tank was badly damaged, and the maintenance team quickly recovered, repaired, and returned the tank to the battle. I love my job. i would gladly give my life for the men that I served with in Najaf. They are my hero's.
Col. Dana J. H. Pittard, commander of the 3rd BDE, 1st Infantry Division, had been working with the local national government, the President of the United States, and Muqtada Al Sadr-a rouge terrorist who, i believe to this day, should have been killed in that battle for the hundreds of marines killed at his commands. a truce was reached after Sadr's hideout was hit with a deadly barage of artillery, and he suddenly changed his mind about the war for Najaf. It was a great day as we prepared to leave the camp we built. the Alabama national guard arrived the day we left. they brought showers, phones, laundry, and a world class dining facility with them. Man i love my job.
We pulled out of the gate of FOB Duke and headed for Highway one-Northbound, back to FOB Scunion where my bed, showers, and real toilet waited for me. 45 days of hell-45 days of filth-45 days that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

i love my job.

Work Sucks, i think ill retire early-

I just thought that it was a waste of my better years in life to be trapped in a job, and i dont think that i am really using my time as good as i could if i were retired.
I hereby tender my resignation, pending approval by the pentagon, which could take years-you know how the military is with paperwork-and effective, upon approval of my resignation, i will assume duties sipping margarita's and other cocktails out of coconut halves on some warm sandy beach in some foreign country in the south pacific, or gulf region, until i reach an age where i feel like i am too old to sit on a beach. at which point i will then get a job.

sincerely
andrew

Things are more of the same...

yeah-thats not photoshoped! thats the real deal...
miss you already.
andrew

it is good to be back here in iraq. I missed the stress, and the friends that i have out here. the execution of sadam went largely unnoticed. no suprise there. life as usual. we are eager for the coming new year and another year of work towards peace. my mother just sent me this picture of me in pakistan meeting Pres. Bush. just thought i would share it with you.

The never ending flight...

the flight here is now over...i have arrived safely, although i was trapped in the center section of the plane the whole flight. i was still on an aisle seat but the fact of the matter remains, my size requires an exit row. international flights are not fun. at least not in coach. i will call you as soon as i get back to the base mom.

Army Strong

There's strong, and then there's US Army Strong. Do you have what it takes?

Stuck in Dallas

somehow it always seems that the breaks always come at precisely the wrong moment. I was praying for a delay in kuwait so that i would be able to be home on christmas day, but no delay. I prayed for snow to close the airport, and it did...three days early. I got to dallas, and i was hoping for a quick flight out of here, and what happens...delay. Clearly i am not capable of getting the good stuff.
Anyways-I am taking the time to finally get some sleep. Noah and Cody have seriously interrupted my sleep schedule. Noah likes to get up at 0430 Colorado time, and as i was a good uncle, i had to get up and play with him (actually, i could not resist-he is too cute to not hang out with). Cody on the other hand is a lot more low maintenence. he eats, poops, and sleeps (there is a lot of work that has to be done just for these three activities, but love's labor is worth it in the end). My time spent in CO was well worth it. I met Joanna (leah's Au Pair). She was charming and easy to entertain-I hope that i was not too boring :)
Activities around the Haberer house are never boring. we had plenty of projects to complete (walls to paint, cabinets to build, rooms to babyproof, etc...) in the beginning of my leave, and then we had so much going on that i am truly worn out. I think that i will be glad to get to Iraq so that i can finally get some sleep ;)
thats all for now. I will write more later.
Andrew

who needs to dream of a white christmas...

Well, today is the first day after the Storm and I was outside all day digging a path to the main road. as you can see from the collection of snow next to the driveway, there was considerable snowfall overnight. the total snowfall from the center of the Cul de Sac was 22 inches. What a treat this was-just think a week ago i was in iraq!! My back and arms are really sore from the workout recieved by moving all the snow. there is a lot of snow. patricia reported 6 foot drifts in her back yard...leah is almost here-she was one of the many cancelled flights coming into denver-she opted to rent a car, and she is now on here way.

I am dreading the return to iraq, and up until this storm i have really not had a chance to put it from my mind. maybe there will be more storms-for like 6-9 months...guess not. well, whether the weather cooperates or not, i will continue to keep you posted on the goings on. i think that i have enough inspiration now to write the next installment to my story, part six right?

anywho-much love from the snow burried colorado. althogh entrenched in the drifts i still think about all of you-

Andrew

the trouble with shift work...

I am really excited to come home. I kind of feel like i am in a rut...have you ever seen the movie with Bill Murray in it-Ground hogs day? Everyday i wake up and it is the same as the day before. no new stories, no new activities, its just the same. I thought life as a soldier was supposed to be exciting...oh well.
ill write more later...
andrew

the CDC is right-vaccinate early!

Thanks for the comments, i am working on the next installment but have been really busy. things here in Iraq are rather normal-as normal as this country can be...I am really excited for the trip home, the new pictures of my nephews make me a little homesick in a good way. I cannot wait to have the opportunity to hold them and play with them. Flu shots stink. I am suprised that i did not get sick this year. I guess that my body is already fighting enough disease that it is ready for whatever comes its way. Go Immune System!!
I miss you all-
I will try to get some more work done on the next installment.
Andrew

Boots on the Ground: a Soldiers story of the War In Iraq

We were staged at FOB Warhorse waiting from the word from higher command as to when we would be departing. I knew that it would be an early morning, and that it would be at the most inconvenient time for me-thats just the way the army works. I took my time to pray and think through my actions before we departed to one of the worst areas of iraq. I knew that things were going to be different on this operation than anything i had been through so far. i took time to clean my M16 thoroughly, I knew that i was going to need it. every time that something bad happened to me, i would have a gut feeling that something was wrong before it happened. ever since i had arrived in Iraq, this sense was stronger than ever. I knew that something was going to go horribly wrong. we got word that we were going to leave in the early morning, just before sunrise. the chaplain came over from FOB Scunion and prayed with us. we prayed for safe travel and return, we prayed that God's hand would work through us in this mission, and I prayed that i would feel his presense. I had seen enough action already (i.e. the usual improvised explosive device), that i was ready for this convoy, but nothing could have prepared me for the journey ahead.
We rolled out of the north gate of FOB Warhorse just after sunrise and began the long journey south to An Najaf. We had to go out of the way of most of the cities along the quick route because unfriendly personnel were prepared for our march south. Thank you CNN. Our operation had been headline news for days. Have you ever felt like complete strangers knew more about what you were doing than you did? I was just a private. they tell me to drive, i do it. they tell me to shoot, i do it. Why do i need to know any more than that? My vehicle commander was a combat veteran. he had been a member of a tank crew, and he had seen enough action already. he knew what to do. SGT Long would be manning the only 50 caliber weapon among the support vehicles. support had sent 2 cargo HEMTT's and 2 Fuel HEMTT's. i was driving one of the cargo HEMTT's with a battle load of tank rounds and enough food and water for three days. i would have rather been on a rolling bomb than what i was carrying-hello private, i have no say in what happens to me. The ride was mostly uneventful for the first 12 hours...did i tell you that it was only supposed to take 12 hours. we were in the middle of a hostile area, and our commander was lost. thank you West Point. we had been lost for about 4 hours, switch-backed across lord only knows how many miles of iraq, and we were still no closer to An Najaf. the convoy commander had led us down the wrong road not once, not 3 times, but 4 times. did the lead vehicle have a team of monkeys working around the clock to make sure that we never got there or what?
Things progressively went downhill. by midnight, we were lost in Downtown Al Hillah. A little history lesson on Al Hillah. This city was an insurgent stronghold since the outset of the war. the people of the city had not seen an american in months. Al Hillah had been blacklisted and american troops were not to enter the city. here we are downtown in a city, at night, and we were lost. great. I saw hate in the eyes of the people on the street. if you looked long enough into their eyes, you could just picture that same individual holding a handsaw and cutting your head of for the nightly news. my gut was doing summersaults. i was going to die, and my mother was going to have to learn from CNN. I dont think i have ever felt such a suffocating feeling as i did looking into the eyes of these people on the streets of this unfriendly neighborhood. where was mr rogers when you needed him? we made it through downtown without incident, and I began to relax as we reached the outskirts of town. that's when i saw it. a white phosphorus parachute flare. this put both my TC (truck commander) and myself back on edge. we continued to drive down the road and made a left turn. there was a canal on the left side of the road and dense shubs on the right side of the road. this was not a good development. then i saw it again, another flare. we passed a marine convoy going the other direction, and that put my mind at ease. they were the ones who fired off the flares, i knew it. we made it about a mile down the road and that is when all hell broke loose. I saw the third and final flare.

boom

The Heavy Equipment Transport (HET) 4 vehicles in front of mine was hit. time stood still. you know how in the movies, when the battle starts, everything goes into slow motion? they arent bullshiting. it felt like an eternity we were sitting there staring at the site of the explosion and wondering why the HET wouldnt move. then we started to see movement all around us. people were pouring out of a house just to the right of the site of the explosion. the track vehicles on the trailer of the HET started to fire on the people running up towards us. SGT Long fired off a string of expletives and then matched fire with his 50 cal. I was in a dream. this couldnt be happening. what was i doing here? I started to see tracer rounds coming between the vehicles from the left. I had been driving for 22 hours and i was not ready for this. I saw the vehicle in front of me start to fire in the direction of the fire, and i matched fire. Its funny that people say you never know what you will do when the rounds start coming back at you. its true. you just shut down, and, if you are lucky, you recieved good training that just takes over. the vehicle in front of me remained as motionless as it did the last time i checked, and the people coming out of the house were moving closer and closer to the vehicles in the convoy. one insurgent got about five feet from the passenger door of the truck in front of me. the medic in the passenger seat swung his shotgun out of the window and laid down great vengence and furious anger upon the man who was hell bent on killing him. the gun fire did not stop and my TC had gone through 3 ammo cans before the HET driver snapped back into reality. he pressed the pedal to the metal and we followed suit. we met up with the front part of the convoy about 3 miles down the road. we knew someone in the HET was hurt, and we were ready to provide as much aid as possible. Unfortunately, the civilian driving the truck had waited too long. A Staff Sergeant had been hit by a piece of shrapnel about the size of a California peach in his midsection. our first rate body armor is no match for a piece of metal moving that fast, and the staff was dead before the HET started moving again. we called for a medevac and a bird was enroute. 6 feet from the ground is a long way when you are moving deadweight. SGT Chase was a 5 foot something medic. Along with about 5 other medics, he stood at the base of the truck trying to figure out how to get this body out of the cab. Remember that trust that i mentioned earlier, he climbed into the cab, looped his arms under the staff's shoulders, looked back, and said catch me. he took a leap of faith, knowing that his fellow soldiers would be there to catch him. they prepared the body for pickup, and treated the driver for minor wounds.
The helicopter arrived about fifteen minutes after the call, and the casualty was loaded into the chopper. this ugly phase of our journey was over, but the night was still young. the HET platoon commander brought another person up to replace the TC and we were ready to roll. Unfortunately, no one had seen the driver. He had pulled a Keyser Soze' and he was gone. we could not leave an american in this hostile territory, even if he had run off. A group of soldiers were sent to search the surrounding area, outbuildings, and homes in an area where we were just attacked looking for this guy. 3 hours spent looking for him brought no fruit. the convoy commander callled back to the dust off and asked them to check the bird. The medic assured him that he was not in the chopper, but agreed to check just in case. When he came back on the radio, he informed us that the civilian driver had been found, curled up in the fetal possition in the back of the chopper. 6 medics, 2 pilots, and a convoy full of men had all missed him sneaking on to the chopper. that civilian punched his time card, and i am sure he was on the next flight home. 27 hours since i last slept. he wasted three hours of my time. I was mad, tired, and wanted to take a shower and wash the pain away. i would never be able to forget what i had just been through, but right now i wanted to wash all of the images out of my mind. ever since i joined the army, i wanted my chance to fight in this war, and now all i wanted was to be a little kid curled up on my mothers lap. safe from all danger. God i wish i could cry-why do i have to be a man at times like this.
we were still eight hours from our destination, we had just lost a soldier, and we all needed some rest. the convoy commander decided we would drive out as far into the desert as we could, the drivers would sleep while others took shifts on guard, and we would move out at first light. I dont know how i slept, but i found comfort in the cab of that HEMTT and i slept the best four hours of my life. when we got back on the road the next morning, we found that we were on the right track for an arrival at FOB Duke before lunch time. Insurgents had blown up every bridge leading into An Najaf the day previous-every one except the one we were headed for. I felt something jump inside me. A shower was calling my name...we continued to drive faster and faster towards our destination.
we made the last turn heading into the Marine base, and the Entry Control Point(ECP) was visible. I was so excited, we were almost there. Just before we arrived at the gate, the convoy commander made a left turn into a patch of sand. i thought this was normal. we were just going to get accountability before we rolled in the gate. boy was i wrong.
COL Dana J. H. Pittard, our Brigade Commander, wanted to name a FOB. In our brigade we were the Iron Dukes. Hence, FOB Duke. Instead of going to the Marine base-the one the had phones, showers, internet, a Dining facility, and a Post Exchange we were going to "rough it." I had not, nor had any of the other members of the team, on not having laundry facilities. this was about to get ugly.

Why is it when you are a kid all you want is to be dirty, but when you're an adult the prospect of being dirty is horrifying?

I felt like Pigpen-the cloud of dust and all...

technical difficulties

sorry that i have not posted in a while. i have been unable to access the website to put my posts on, but you have been rewarded for your patience. here are the next two installments on the story-well worth the wait i hope. things here are much of the same. i am really excited to go home for leave. thank you leah for the package that you sent with the christmas decorations. its beginning to feel a lot like christmas, and even though you arent supposed to put up christmas decorations before thanksgiving is over i say poo-poo to that.
I miss you all very much and hope you enjoy the story half as much as i am enjoying writing it.
andrew

Boots on the Ground: A Soldiers story of the war in Iraq (part 4)

When we arrived at FOB Scunion, this alien world that I was in felt a little more like a home...it was nothing like the home I had just left, but it was getting better. I was able to call home after the first few days had passed, and I let my family know that I had arrived safely. We moved into our transient housing, which we affectionately referred to as the "chicken coops" because the windows were chicken wire and the rafters were full of pigeons. The chicken coops were home, but left much to be desired. There was no climate control, it was winter in Iraq, and I was a dumb private who packed his sleeping bag in the connex-real smart...
Scunion was a small camp; you had to run twice around the wire just to make two miles. We had names for some of the buildings; the headquarters building was called the Taj Mahal because it was a tiered building that the leadership thought looked like a temple. We had the North Forty, which was a wide open space north of the North gate but still inside the wire. then there was the trash pile. There was literally a half-football field full of scrap metal, concrete, and trash that was piled up in the center of the camp. 4th Infantry division had done the impossible by making the other buildings on the FOB livable, but it was at the cost of a gigantic trash pile that now belonged to us. The battalion Sergeant Major did not like trash. I did not like the prospect of having to clean up the trash...but there were still a few aces up the sleeves. The hearts and minds campaign was about to begin and all of our lives were about to change.
The first week in Iraq was spent in a RIP (relief in place). This meant that our leadership was sitting in the right seat while the people we were replacing were driving...this is a way the army uses to actively train the newbie’s. I spent the first week mostly doing nothing. as I was a private, I had no responsibility and, until my leaders were finished training, I was without a job. So I did what I do best-I went trash digging. The saying is right-one mans trash is another mans treasure. I found so much stuff in the junk yard that I was ready to move into my quarters and start living the good life. There were wood boxes to stack as a dresser, ammo cans to store my personal hygiene items, wood to make a permanent bed-I hate sleeping on cots, paint, and many other smaller more useless items that I felt like I absolutely needed them.
As soon as the RIP was complete, the day came to bring the trail party of 4th ID to Balad Airbase. This would be my first time driving in our sector, and, although I did not know the route yet, in the coming months I would become very familiar with the trip to Balad. I was the driver of a 5 ton truck, loaded to the max with soldiers ready to go home. I was terrified of what was out there, and this fear was beginning to affect my better judgment. The road to Balad was a dangerous route, but I was more dangerous to the soldiers in back than the route could have ever been. This trip was where it stopped being a game and started to get real. The road up to Balad is full of potholes and dips. If you have ever traveled by 5 ton you would understand how this is not a good way to travel. The suspension is very stiff, and the vehicles don’t handle bumps and dips very well. I was too scared to fall back from the vehicle in front of me, I was not making wise decisions, and I almost launched a soldier out of the vehicle because I was taking the dips too fast. I almost killed another soldier because I was too scared to risk my own for their safety.
This attitude would change, but experience was all that I needed to change. During the first few weeks in Iraq, the chaplain passed out ID tags that had a bible verse on them that quickly became my favorite. Joshua 1:9, “I will be strong and courageous, I will not be terrified or discouraged for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go.” I would always say a quiet prayer before we rolled out the gate, and this particular verse was incredibly reassuring to me. The more that I prayed, the more I accepted the fact that I had no control over my fate, and this led to the calm resulting from accepting your death. I was ready to die each time that I left FOB Scunion, and I was thankful for each day that I came back. Every day was my last. I would call home infrequently. Each time I talked to my family it was painful. I didn’t want to admit that they could lose me at any time. It was easier not to hear their voices; email is much more impersonal. I almost killed a soldier, and now I was ready to die myself.
The trip to Balad became a bi-weekly occurrence. I made the trip so often that it haunted me in my dreams. The first month flew by, and there was so much going on that it was impossible to keep track of the day of the week. An Najaf had become a problem, and we became part of the solution. A team of soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 1ID were sent down to An Najaf to assist the marines in clearing out the city. I was a member of the team.
My supervisor came to me one night in early April and informed me that I would be going to Najaf for sixty to ninety days. This trip was going to change my life. This would be the beginning of a journey that I did not know I was embarking on, and this trip would have far reaching effects to my life and my future. This would be the trip that would make me a combat veteran. This was the day I thought that I was going to die, the day that I first saw death, and the day that I began to have unwavering trust for the soldier to my right and left.

Boots on the Ground: A Soldiers story of the war in Iraq (part 3)

Kuwait was full of broken promises for the 1st Infantry Division. While we awaited our turn to depart north and join the battle, we were assured that none of our vehicles would go north of Kuwait without armor. At this point in the war, the insurgency was begining to use roadside bombs in their efforts to oppose the new order establishing itself in the Arab world. This was a deadly weapon, and this concerned a lot of troops and their families. Hearing the division commander assure us that we would not roll north without armor was calming but disconcerting. in the short amount of time that i had been in the army, i knew that this was just too good to be true. This convoy was perhaps the most frightened i had ever been for any trip in my life. I was headed into the valley of the shadow of death. I took a lot of time to pray. i was scared. its not like the kind of fear that you experience when watching a scary movie, this kind of fear is deep within your soul. it is almost painful where it touches you. i was scared for my life.
time passed, our training at the Udari Range Complex was completed and it was time. Our maintenance team had been working around the clock to fix as many of the problems with our vehicles before we hit the road. there were five serials in our convoy as we were trying to reduce the size of our convoy to a manageable amount. there were still more than forty vehicles per convoy and this is dangerous because you move too slow. I was in the last serial. we were the recovery group. if any vehicle broke down we were the ones that would pick them up. the first serials would not stop for any reason. we were briefed on the convoy two days before we rolled out. it was at this point in time that we were informed that there were not enough armor kits to accommodate all of our vehicles. we were instructed to put sandbags on the floorboards of our vehicles. all of these promises of world class equipment for our protection boiled down to a twenty-five cent sandbag. thanks a lot uncle sam...
0400 9 March 2004, we were awakened at an early hour to make the final preparations for our departure at 0700. This was it. months of preparation and training, classes, and exersizes and now we were actually going to cross the border into a combat zone. the chaplain gave us a prayer at 0600. it was still dark, so no one could see the fear on each others face. it was so palpable that you could taste it. no one was talking. we all had so much to say but no one was saying a thing. I climbed into my truck and waited. there would be a separation between each convoy, enough time for each convoy not to run up on the other. we weren't scheduled to leave until 0900, but we waited with engines running. the time flew by and we were on the road before too long. it was my first opportunity to see camels up close and not in a cage. it was like driving in america, but instead of cows you would see herds of camels. it was wierd, almost unnatural. we stopped at Norstar Convoy Support Center and fueled up two miles before the border crossing. this was the last chance to file for conscientious objector status. next stop, War.
There are signs painted on a concrete barriers just before the border, "Approaching the Iraqi border, Speedlimit, Drive it like you stole it!" This became our motto and practice, but not on this convoy. I think the fastest that we went on this trip was 35 miles per hour. the convoy was scheduled to take fourteen hours...but nothing in the army works quite as well as planned. Many of our vehicles were not as "battle ready" as they could have been and nearly forty vehicles in our battalion broke down along the trip. since we were the recovery element it was our job to pick them up. I was in a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (or HEMTT, said hemit). The truck had just come back from a rebuild and was a "new" truck. all this meant was that it was not battle tested. any time i come to a military vehicle and it does not have at least two to three leaks on the underside, that is not a truck i will drive. this time i did not have that option. besides the fact that i was a private, i was just as much of a "cherry" as this vehicle. my vehicle broke down approximately eight miles into Iraq. Bad fuel was the cause, and the effect was having to stop in hostile territory and drain the 154 gallon fuel tank. we did not have the luxury of environmental friendly disposal, and all of us were nervous about being stopped on the side of an iraqi highway. i opened the drain plug on the tank and let it pour onto the highway. in a twisted way, i was just returning the fuel to the source...the whole operation took about 20 minutes, and then we were back on the road. this would be the last time my truck would be the cause of a stop, but this would not be the end of the nightmare on our hands.
by the time we reached the Scania CSC (convoy support center), half of the vehicles in our convoy were towing another vehicle behind them. we thought that this was the end of the breakdowns, but once again we were wrong. Scania was everything i thought a movie about a war should be. there were hundreds of trucks parked in the staging area and the living area looked like something off of the TV show MASH. there were helicopter overflights constantly and I thought any minute "charlie" was going to come out of the palm groves and ambush us. i felt like an actor in some great movie about modern warfare, but this was not a hollywood movie set, and there was an enemy out there observing me right now. sometimes i wonder what he saw. what i looked like in those early days. I must have looked like a young, scared, sub-urban kid who somehow got lost on his way to college and now was fighting a war in some country half a world away...at least that is how I felt. we took some time to fuel up, rest up, and get ready for the next leg of the trip we were only halfway to our destination, and we were already hours behind schedule. This was turning into a fiasco, and the sun was getting ready to set.
as darkness crept up, I found myself pulling security as we recovered yet another broken down vehicle. as I gazed out on the landscape, everything looked so foreign. there were palm groves all over the place, and each town that we passed looked just like the drawings of villiges in bible stories of my youth...that is except for the occasional antennae for television or radio. i never thought that i would ever have been in the middle east as a tourist let alone as a member of a liberation army. what was i doing here? what did i do in my life that ended up with me in the driver seat of a fuel truck in the middle of a combat zone? what was i thinking? these questions haunted me as i sat there staring into the wide open spaces of this foreign land, and they would continue to haunt me for most of my tour. I was looking for answers, i was looking for direction, i was looking for the person who wanted me dead.
twenty-two hours after we left kuwait, we arrived at our designated rally point. we would sleep here for the night, and in the morning our comrades would pick us up and escort us to FOB Scunion. I dont think i have ever slept so rough in my life. it is impossible to fall asleep and be comfortable inside the cab of a HEMTT. somehow i got enough rest to function come wakeup, and i was never more alert than i was on the ride to Scunion. this would be my first experience driving in traffic. the escort told us that the only way you stay alive in this country is to "drive it like you stole it." he brifed us on the route, and told us to keep up-he had no intention of stopping. it is an incredible experience driving in rush hour traffic at 55 mph...especially when you dont have to pay for the damages you cause. I took my 10 ton truck over bombed out replacement bridges, through wall to wall traffic, and finally through the gate at FOB Scunion. I never felt so alive in my life. I was hooked. Adrenaline was my new drug, and I wanted more. My oportunity would come soon, but not soon enough. For now we rested.

Welcome to hell boys...

and the beat goes on...

things are more of the same, my leave is soon, so i am excited. I really just want to see my nephews, but i guess others can be scheduled in during nap time...jk. MO you are right, but dont put anything on the web about it BBIW...B and L and N thanks for the birthday pics, he is adorable, but i am sure that cake was everywhere...cant wait to see you all.
Andrew

The fun of story telling...

Thank you all for reading my story and giving me your kind comments, I have enjoyed writing it so much that i dont think i will stop at three-why put a number out there, ill just keep on writing until i get put in jail ;)
I have been busy, but not so much that i am getting worn out. R&R is coming soon, and i am keeping my eyes on the prize. I have a headache, so there wont be a long post today. I am still working on the next installment of "boots on the ground." I will post when i have enough to put up.
MO start thinking of a day which will live in infamy! ILYIMY ill see you soon.
andrew

boots on the ground, a soldiers story of Iraq (part 2)

In February 2004, I arrived in Kuwait headed towards a yearlong rotation in Iraq. I deployed herre with a combat battalion heading to one of the worst provinces in the country. Insurgent violence was fracturing this once prosperous, largely Sunni Muslim province. The Province was crippled by war, fear of insurgency was holding the population captive. The community was crumbling around looting and sectarian violence. Citizens had been placed under a military imposed curfew, but many were still too afraid to leave their homes. Insurgent strongholds in Fallujah, An Najaf, and the small neighborhood outside the "Green Zone" in Bahgdad (dubbed Sadr City by the soldiers) were gaining strength and numbers, digging in for a long fight. Iraq was torn by violence and the people were weary of the promise of a bright future.the dust is the worst part of it all. Kuwait, a desolate, barren, sandy hell. the thing about the dust in kuwait is that it is a finer grade of sand than what you would find on a beach in America. It gets everywhere. you will open books and find dust. your crotch, ears, nose, eyes, nothing is safe from the dust. all of your electronics are trashed. flat, neverending desert is all that you see in kuwait.
the US Military made history in 2004. for the first time since WWII, Military Sealift Command and Air Mobility Command were put to the test with a massive troop and equipment rotation. 130,000 troops were rotated in and out of theater in a matter of months. Sealift command managed the rotation of nearly as many vehicles and other pieces of mission critical equipment. This troop rotation was done in conjunction with the R&R program, and other daily operations supplying troops at the front with supplies needed to fight the battle went on without pause. A Combined Forces effort resulted in a fresh force touching ground and taking the torch from a battle hardened but fatigued force. New camps were built all over the northern desert of Kuwait to support the influx of troops being trained at the Udari Range Complex. Large patches of Kuwait sand were groomed and prepared, tents were setup, dining facilities were built, and communications networks were established. The stage was set.
Enter 1st Infantry Division
February 14th, 2004-Valentines Day-an ideal day to separate husbands and wives, was the day chosen to deploy the 2nd battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment. Wakeup was 0300. First formation was at 0400 for weapons draw. that was the day that my relationship with Janet began-this is my rifle. although there are many others like it, this is my rifle-we moved our baggage to the hilltop gym for weigh in-478 lbs with me and all of my gear. around 0900 we loaded on the busses, said our last goodbyes, shed a few tears, and departed for the Nurnburg Airport where a plane was about to arrive to pick us up. the Flight to Kuwait takes about 14 hours from Germany. by the time we arrived in Kuwait it was dark, near midnight, and was cold. Winter in Kuwait is cold. It almost felt like the Germany that we just left. We inprocessed into theater which took about 2 hours, drank water, used the facilities, then boarded busses for the non-stop ride to Camp New York. Forced Hydration had been the policy since Germany (which meant that we had formations 5 times a day to drink water-kinda like a tea-party only not fun). About 3 hours into the drive i had to go to the bathroom so bad that it hurt. we had so much equipment on and with us that only my right butt-cheek could fit on the seat and that cheek was throbbing and numb by the time we pulled into the barren wasteland known as Camp New York. This was Home for the next three or so weeks.
The first few days at Camp New York were chaos. Lines everywhere. we would wake up at 0400 just to get in line for breakfast ( the doors didnt open until 0800), then after we got done with breakfast we would walk out the door and get in line for lunch (lunch started at 1200), then we would eat lunch and get in line for dinner around 1300 ( dinner didnt start until 1730), finally after dinner we would get in line to use the phones, internet, or Post Exchange. that was an average day at Camp New York until Halliburton built us a larger dining facility (one that could serve the entire camp in 1 hour was built in, literally, 2 days). Things changed after the DFAC was expanded, we now had nothing to do. we were so used to waiting in line that we were all confused when this fun game was over. Spades became a very popular game about that time. a lot of money was either won or lost while engaging in this Army wide pasttime.
Our boat was in an accident leaving the harbor in Antwerp, Belgium. This meant that we were on the extended stay of Kuwait. we had to wait another week for our vehicles to arrive before we could do the manditory Convoy Live Fire Excersize, which ended up being more redneck than any other training i have ever participated in since i joined the army. It consisted in driving down a dusty dirt road and shooting at 55 gallon drums and a couple burnt out cars. Ma and Pa Kettle would be proud...i certainly felt more ready to fight the insurgency because of this training. No seriously, you have no idea how dangerous 55 gallon drums are in Iraq, especially in large numbers. Dispite the lack of resources, the MPRI trainers in Kuwait were worth the time spent at the ranges. the training, although lacking in the reality department, was just what we needed to augment the excersizes and other activities conducted in Germany. We were prepared to fight an enemy that up to this point had been a paper target. Now it was real. from here on in we shoot without a script. The next step was the Convoy North.

and the land speed record goes to...

things out here remain the same. it seems to me that everytime i am out of the states, life just flies by at break neck speed. it seems like just yesterday that i left the states, but so much has happened since then. i am excited to get home and see my nephews for the first time. it will be fun too be an uncle. it almost feels unreal, like it isnt really happening. i miss you all very much.

2 years, 5 months and 8 days...

I really need a new job. they told me when i took this job that there would be a lot of travel (they didnt say that it would be to the worst possible locations imaginable), great benefits (they didnt say that it would be like pulling teeth to use them), and i would get to meet new and exotic people (they didnt say that these people would be trying to kill me...). I'm looking for something less dangerous, maybe underwater welding or ocean floor pipeline maintenance. any thoughts.

I have not had a chance to view the results of the elections, but would welcome your input in comments. let me know how things went.

Andrew

how sweet it is to be...

Q-west Idol went off without a hitch. we took second place as a company, meaning one of out people took second place. we also took second place in the dodgeball tournament. what a loss. things are good here on my end. I am still waiting for pictures of my new nephew, but i suppose mother and son are doing well. no news is good news...i am continuing to write my story and i will post chunks as they get finished. i miss you all and hope all is well with you. leah, brian and noah-keep the pictures coming-patricia, jason, and cody-get the cameras out, i want some photographic proof of life :)
ILYIMYSWAK
Andrew

2 times in one year, can one uncle be so lucky?

I am a happy Uncle once again...congradulations Jason and Patricia...I love you a lot and cannot wait to see Cody!!!
Andrew

Boots on the Ground...a soldiers story of the War in Iraq

In a generation of Americans fixated with instant gratification it is no wonder why the War in Iraq leaves such a bad taste in the average citizen’s mouth. Operation Desert Storm has given the American people a false sense of reality that war is easy. An Over-confidence in the Military might of the US, although not misplaced, has generated unreal expectations for the military as a whole. It is in this attitude of Supremacy that the short comings in the war for Iraq become sharply focused and plainly evident. Understand this, we are fighting an enemy who remains a phantom menace, and remains focused on the total destruction of the western way of life. This, however, is not the average Iraqi. This enemy is not representative of a large demographic of Iraqi society. In fact, this enemy is not usually even Iraqi. What follows is the story of the Iraqi people, the truth about the battle that continues to rage on in this country and the story of what it is like to be an American living and working in this war torn country.
The average Iraqi rises before the sun, commutes to work, provides for their family, and socializes with their neighbor. They shake hands, make deals, and conduct their day to day business while a war rages on around them. The average Iraqi has a cell phone, satellite television, and just installed air-conditioning in his home. This is not a terrorist, just like you and I, these Iraqis have dreams of a bright future, memories of good days, and hope for the future that lay before them. But unlike you and I, these Iraqis also have nightmares. Fears of a government that terrorized, raped, imprisoned and held them hostage for so many years. This dark past has given the people of Iraq a drive to succeed, and it has given them hope for better days. Unlike the grim forecasts of political and military analysts tucked safely away from danger in the comfort of their newsrooms, the future of Iraq looks bright. There are many reasons why success of this Arab nation is on the horizon.
Thanksgiving 2003 was my first holiday away from home, and I was spending it in Germany, training for a yearlong rotation in Iraq. At the time is was a young soldier fresh out of basic training, and though I had not tasted war yet, I was eager to prove myself. I in-processed into US Army Europe while the unit I was assigned to was finishing a 45 day rotation at the Combat Maneuver Training Center and a 30 day rotation at the training center and ranges in Grafenwoer Germany. I spent two months in Germany preparing to deploy, partying, drinking heavily completely unaware of what lay ahead of me. Its sort of weird when you sit down by yourself and try to accept the fact that you might die. When I first found out that I was bound for Iraq, I didn’t know how to tell my family. My mother cried. I hate when decisions I make bring my mother to tears. Although the reaction was the same, these were not tears of disappointment, these were tears of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of death. Secretly, I was sharing those same tears, but on the outside I was strong. My father started giving me advise, "Stay away from the married women," "walk worthy," "don’t do anything you would be ashamed of." I felt like I was terminally ill. Everyone was saying their last words. Honestly, I was looking on the whole thing from the outside. A bird’s eye view of my life.

back in the saddle...

well the punishment is complete and i am back on the net. i will be putting the first part of my story on the blog tonight so stay tuned. I am alive, well, and busy as ever. i love you all and look forward to hearing from you.
Andrew

[Website under review for OPSEC]

Snitches get stitches...

well, it will have to wait for part one of the story. i was going to get it online tomorrow, but someone was complaining about having to work an eight hour day and our boss took away all days off. When will people in the army learn that complaining only makes it worse. Snitches get stitches...
anyways, today the enemy breached the FOB, and I was forced to take the boots on ground approach to solving the problem. about thirty insurgents were grazing inside the wire, and I was able to push them back into a full retreat. I have also added Shepard to my resume'. things today were chaotic. there is a new command in charge of us and as a result we are blessed with the opportunity of experiencing the learning curve once again.
ill try and get the first part posted asap.

Andrew

the daily show...only not the funny one on comedy central

tonight or somewhere close to tonight is the night of power-please pray that the iraqis dont get any ideas tonight...
we found a truck with 3 130mm rounds in it today at the entry control point. the gate was closed for hours while EOD (explosive ordainace disposal) removed the threat from the gate area. not fun.
Anyways-patricia, i got your package today and had a great laugh at the t-shirt. the candy was a big hit too. i cant wait for pictures of the nephew, so hurry up and have him already!!!

ILYIMYSWAK

from Qayyarah west
Andrew

the latest and the greatest...

things here in Qayyarrah west remain mostly the same...there have been the usual VBIED (Vehichle Born Improvised Explosive Device) threats, and the constant alert for direct attack on the FOB (Foward Operating Base). It was encouraging this week to see GEN Schoomaker flat out tell the press that troop levels would remain at 140,000 until 2010. it shows a significant change in press relations from the DA level...it was also encouraging to hear the President say that he would be open to a change in direction if the commanders on the ground thought that it would be prudent. it allows that commanders on the ground to look in to a whole other series of options to counter this insurgency and make this a more lethal fighting force, and a more secure democracy.

i reached a new level of boredom today. i sat and redesigned the Entry control point on paper about 20 times because i was just trying to stay awake...anyway, its just a small portion of my day.

I got your package today leah, it was Awesome to have pictures of noah to put up all over the room...keep them coming.
PS i love the mohawk ;)

more to follow-i am almost finished with part one
andrew

The days drag on, but the excitement builds...

well things at the North ECP are the same as usual, but there is more of a buzz of what is about to happen. there is a new unit in charge of us and they are determined to improve the entry control point to make it more efficient, and more secure...
things are busy-we are at the height of ramadan, so there are curfews and other "safety" restrictions in place. it is harder for me to post, so please bear with me during this period of heightened awareness. thank you all for your kind updates, and please be sure to keep commenting...
Andrew

As Much as I would like to believe you that the political ads will end in a couple of weeks-I think that you overlook the fact that Hillary is starting her presidential campaign shortly after the elections in November. I do hope that the Dems come up with a better candidate-like barak obama, but it is likely that the clintons have a chance of moving back to 1600 Pennsylvania.

stay posted-I will be publishing my Op-ed that i will be sending to several newspapers here first-look for the first in a three part series by this weekend.
Andrew

And the Thunder rolls...

Things here in Iraq remain the same. today was my day off, and i caught up on a lot of sleep that i had been missing. the daily grind has set in and i am a little bored. part of me wishes that i was out on covoy, but then i remembered what happened on convoy. its a rough lifestyle. a soldier was killed in mosul the other day by sniper fire. he was out on convoy and they had stopped for some reason. i really dont understand the people of iraq some times. if they would stop fighting for one year, we would leave this country and they could have all the civil war they wanted.
i got some pictures of noah. they are in my "little green book." which is government worker code for the cheapest notebooks the government can find and issue out to the soldiers. i have it with me all the time and i have decided that he is the cutest thing on the face of the planet right now. L & B thank you for the package mailed on 28 sep. please thank nancy for the cookies. they were a big hit among the joes. i also liked the breathe right strips (so did my roommate) i was able to sleep in peace (so was he).
things continue to get more and more rediculous as my leadership tries their hardest to remain "off the radar". our shift is the only one that is not screwing up, and we are the only shift that has not had a negligent discharge of a weapon yet...and the stupid rules are the result. if i werent trying to get promoted before r&r i would just have the negligent discharge to get it over with. anyways, i continue to drive on and appreciate the comments on previous posts-grandfather, you can comment all you want you are hilarious...

I will write more later

from qwest
Andrew

the moral majority

well, it is a little tougher to be doing shift work and still keep up with the blogging, but i think i have it figured out. today is my day off and i am sitting here typing this at 0430, because that is appearently when my body wakes up. oh well. things in iraq are just wonderful, it seems to me that they are a little bit more peaceful here than they are in the US-election years can be rough, but i am sure that we will pull through. I just pray that the GOP doesnt loose the majority because of this scandal...any thoughts?

In the words of the Phantom of the Opera...

"Very well, then let it be war upon you both..."
I must say that nothern Iraq has posed much more dangerous than i had first assumed. today my tower came under attack from a sizeable insurgent group. The Sheep were able to mass at the one hundred meter firing line, and push the boundries distracting me and my tower partner. at the same time we were assaulted from the air by a large force of common house flies. in the ensuing battle, there were a number of casualties, but, thankfully, none of those were of the Coalition forces. My partner and I were, collectively, able to send 403 flies to meet their maker in about a six and a half hour battle. at the end we were both worn out...
Which brings up my second point. there are always these crazy aerobics workout schemes centered in obscure but common activities. Yoga, Pilates, Spinning. they are all hugely popular among the rich and famous, and the common folk alike. So my partner and I have decided to cash in on the fitness craze. we have developed a workplace workout program that benefits the entire office. it involves very little equipment that can all be purcheased at the local dollar store. it is pilates swatting. it involves a full body workout doing nothing but swatting flies. it was a huge success in tower alpha. i think it will be a success.
anyways that is all i have time for now.

from Quyarrah iraq
Andrew

The mysterious anonymous titles

Well, i am encouraged to see that readership of my blog is on the rise, and many people from all walks of life are reading and leaving comments.

Grandfather-i too was a little testy by the end of the day, and was forced to take a nap right after work or would spend the rest of the afternoon snapping and griping. it was an educational experience on my part, and I have a new found respect for the manual laborers on our camp that do not eat during the day(although there is the occasional coke here as well). As for the non-existent posts that you referred to, my mother pens under a psuedo name that we assigned her in our younger years (MO).

Things here in northern iraq were interesting today. [Removed for OPSEC]
I took a nap after work. I was really tired, and the sun was not down yet, so I was unable to eat. I was rudly awakened by a furious pounding on my door...appearently Chow is serious business.

things are getting more normal, but the same transition nightmares of my last rotation in iraq are being visited this time around too. Lesson learned...we arent really learning much. Ill work on that.

lost a game of chess last night. the MWR (morale, welfare, and recreation) tent has a Giant chess board. I had my opponent on the run, and messed up-oh well...there will be a rematch.

all for now-
from Q-west (which ironically reminds me of denver and Qwest communications...dont know why i just thought of that, but i think its cool!)

Andrew

tick, tock...

tired today-didnt sleep well last night, well, couldnt fall asleep. work was long today. I have decided to participate in the ramadan fast tomorrow, just to see what it is like to work a full day with nothing crossing my lips from sunrise to sunset. it should be interesting. that means no caffeine gum-its gonna be rough.
www.stayalertgum.com
100mg of zoom-zoom per piece. I am a little attached to it at the moment. I found it in Kuwait, and i have been chewing it ever since. of course, any gum that is accompanied by a sergeon generals warning is ok, right? besides, the Walter Reed Army Medical Research Center (WRAMRC) recommends it-and the army always has my best medical interests at heart anyway......i think (lets just forget about the whole anthrax vaccine lawsuit...).
happy surfing
From Q-west
Andrew

another day, another dollar twenty five...

things are getting busy here as the transfer of authority nears. we are taking over all of the tasks associated with our job here and things are picking up. I know that i told tom i would post a picture of my room on the page, but i am not completely moved in yet (it will be done soon) and I will put it on the blog.
I love some of the comments on the blog-i have to try not to interrupt the others here in the computer lab, but sometimes laughter is contagious, right?
MO I was only kidding about the phone thing, i will have plenty of time to call you as soon as things settle down. i just thought you would get a kick out of the joke...
L & B (B especially) the POA is just for esentials, so be sure to take that Vacation to Tahiti ASAP!! ILY, Very funny :) i almost wet my pants i was laughing so hard-BTW, thanks for the probiotics-BM's are alot more pleasant.

I miss you all Very Much! Grandfather-if you need some telephone tech support, call your daughter, she is a comment posting expert!!

ILYIMYSWAK
Andrew

ABU GARIB PRISON

I love being here in Iraq-appearently i was at Abu Garib Prison and made a debit card purchease of 44 dollars...Thank goodness i am able to do online banking otherwise i would have to swallow that loss. I will be investigating that one...

I had the day off today-slept till noon. that was nice.

no real excitement here. i have 3 camels that wander outside of my guard tower. and a couple flocks of sheep that have attempted to storm the camp perimeter. it is quite dangerous up here in the north.
[Removed for OPSEC]...chock one up for the Quartermaster Corps. Now I am beginning to understand why everyone in the army hates us.

more tomorrow, maybe ill have something interesting to read about.

Andrew

PS mom, it helps to communicate with you if you answer your phone...i thought that is why you guys switched to cellular ;) ILY IMY SWAK

Here we go Again...

...Well I am Back in Iraq for real-for quite some time i was actually expecting Aston Kutcher to hop out and say," youve been Punked," but no such luck.
The Flight into iraq was pleasant, we were aboard a C-17 cargo transport...comfortable, but cost effective (read-we were treated the same as boxes of ammunition). the living conditions here in Q-west are incredible though. I am living in a CHU (containerized housing unit) which is about 6 by 14 feet, and this time i only have one roommate! (last time i had 3) The Dining Facility is the Largest in Iraq, Serves what is claimed to be the best chow in country, and I find myself eagerly awaiting the next meal. the Unit that we are replacing and kind, generous, and helpful...it is always nice when you are welcomed with open arms (maybe they are just excited to be going home, anyway false kindness is better than no kindness ;)...we will adapt and overcome. we arrived in country to find that Haliburton (read Kellogg, Brown and Root) have taken over our original mission and made us obsolete...so we are now responsible for the force protection of the FOB (forward operating base). I am in a Guard tower overlooking the ECP (entry control point). I have a Thermal Imager, a fifty caliber machine gun, and a private (i am most happy about the private) that I am responsible for managing on the eight hour day that i work.

things are busy, but i find that I will get a decent amount of sleep, and plenty of relaxation time. I will be able to catch a few rounds of golf, and maybe a few Salsa lessons...who knows? I will let you know how things pan out.

well, all for now-
Andrew

the boredom is the real threat

well, time continues to drag on----i had Taco Bell to day and the cleaveland Cavaliers cheerleaders were here...kuwait sux.
Andrew

so my colorado upbringing brought some excitement to my otherwise boring life here in Kuwait. today when i was at the gym i saw that they had a rock climbing wall and wanted to use it...only i didnt know that they were having a climbing competition. needless to say i took the silver medal in my age group 25-32. Thank you, thank you...please standby after the interview for autographs. i will post some pictures later...when i get them.
not much else is new-
we move north soon.
andrew

more of the same

Kuwait is the worst part of the deployment. Had pizza for dinner...that is about all that has happened. whats new in your world???

The Long Awaited....

Andrew Haberer
148th QM CO
FOB Q-West
APO AE 09351

Life looks different when you are upsidedown...

today was another day of excellent army training. we went to the HEAT (HMMWV Egress Reaction Trainer) and did rehearsals and training for vehicle rollovers. I was actually inside a Humvee when it rolled over (remain calm it was in a controlled environment so that injuries were completely avoidable), and was able to feel what the critical angle felt like and how to react in an acutual rollover. Man-the army is really spending some worthwile money out here in the desert to make sure that we are as prepared to aviod dissaster as possible.

September 11, 2006
Let us never forget those fallen comrades who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in Defense of Freedom and in the name of liberty.

More than 3000 people died in the attacks on September 11, 2001.

We declared war on terrorism.

2,666 Patriots have given their lives for their country...


Let them never be forgotten.

Andrew

the joy and sorrow of the desert

so here i am in probably the worst place in the world, and to top it all off i am now sick...what is my luck???
things in Kuwait are more of the same. however, they are certainly more developed that the first time around...the firing ranges in Kuwait are better than some, correction most, of the ranges i have been to in america...
I ran into my roommate from Germany last night at a concert here on Camp Buering. he is doing well and has a new son. his daughter is more grown up and speaking, and he was excited to hear that i was an uncle now.
things are boring and tedious as our departure for Iraq is waiting in the wings...i will let you know more later.

Mom and dad-I love you and miss you

Andrew

p.s.-I was commended on my knowledge of convoy operations and put in for an award for my willingness to teach and patience even in the heat!! besides that I am the best damn HMMWV driver there is!!!!! (HMMWV reads Humvee!)

so can i tell you how much i have missed the hot kuwait sun??? it almost feels like i am on another planet.
my how kuwait has changed since i was here last. on the bus ride to the nothern camps, i was one of the security members for the ride so I sat up front and was awake the whole ride. there are a lot of new housing developments in the suburbs and some new infrastructure projects underway. the water towers that were being built when i was out here last are now complete and surrounded by new homes. Kuwait city is a lot cleaner and the camps up north are alot more developed. most of the camps, including the one that i processed into theater from, have been closed, but there are still some open. we are in the midst of training and preparation for our movement north and are quite busy.
Ill post some more later. my time has run out.
andrew

Greetings from the sandbox

well i have officially arrived in the sandbox-
Kuwait is as dusty and sand soaked as ever, but the fun continues. we will be here for the next couple of weeks-although we know exact dates and times of our departure-loose lips sink ships...i am already excited to come home, and that wont be for a while....
i will post more later, but I have some sleep to catch up on-much love
andrew

Are you in good enough shape???

well im back on the road again after a poor first attempt. today things are running a lot smoother, I am checked in for my flight, and i have enough time to post on my blog. I stayed the night in Chicago, and that gave me an opportunity to see Leah and Brian's house all moved in and finished. the paint job that my parents helped the young's complete looked fabulous, and the Diningroom Table looked fabulous against the backdrop of the color blocking. Job well done for the Haberer design team!!
Things are going well on the Vaca-I am really excited to finally make it to colorado. I am excited to see my parents and have one last hurrah before deploying to Iraq for OIF V!!! we are halfway to the same amount of time spent in Kosovo-so all you bush haters out there cool your jets-we are still deployed to countries that Clinton sent us to.
Chicago O'hare is truly an impressive airport, there are thousands of people in this airport, but they could use a few more moving walkways. It seems to me that every plane change involves a dead sprint to the other side of the airport. Come on mayor Richard M. Daley!!!!

Ill post more later,
reporting from Chicago-
Andrew

in a world of JIT management, why are the airlines so dificult???

Just in time management is the way of the future, with product arriving just as it is needed for manufacturing, but I guess there are still areas of the world that dont grasp the concept. The Army, for one, is hell bent on keeping stocks of bleach and bulletts, for good reason. The Airline industry, on the otherhand, has found the opposite of JIT to be a cost saving venture-have any of you been just in time for a flight, just to find out that your booked seat has been given away? well, I have certainly learned my lesson...1 hour prior to all domestic flights from now on-thank goodness there are still more flights for today...TBC

reporting from terminal b, richmond international airport-

Andrew

life on the road...

life on the road really stinks...litterally. am i the only one who showers before a plane flight??? I am on my way home and sit here dumbfounded at technology-surfing the web without wires....does it get any better??? it amazes me how far technology has come since i was in highschool...I thought it was amazing that i could even have the web in my room, now i can have it anywhere...am i the only one who thinks this is cool?

anyway-reporting from richmond, VA

Andrew

life of the party-

who knows where that phase was developed...i'm serious...cause I can speak from experience, that after the party there is certainly no life left.

there's always a calm before the storm. we are just under a month out from our deployment to Iraq, and things are calm and quiet here in VA. I sometimes find myself beginning to get a little nervous. I know what is ahead for me in the next year, and I know that it is going to be difficult to cope with. I know that I will be alright.


andy

A bad day golfing...

sometimes i find that a bad day golfing beats a good day working, oh who am i kidding i would take a bad day golfing anyday. but somebody has to work to keep social security alive. so i am doing my part. plans for Iraq continue to hit peak. we are just about to get released for a block leave period at which point we will be on lockdown until our departure.

Leah and Brian are thouroughly excited for the arrival of Noah-which could be any time now. (but I dont think that they are nearly as excited as I am!!!)

Patricia the workaholic(just like her father :) ) is on a reduced work schedule and is very much pregnant, but no jello and onion cravings yet-but im still holding out....


Mom and Dad-I love you and cannot wait to see you-
Andrew

Do you ever have one of those days....

Well-there's good news and bad news, and based on the typical American response to the question, "which do you want first," I am going to give you the good news first-

I just saved a ton of money by switching to Geico!!!!

now for the bad news...

I am one of the soldiers who has been selected to join the 148th Quartermaster Company in their deployment downrange. The company was short about sixty soldiers to meet the requirements of their mission in Iraq, and were able to fill the ranks with soldiers from the 240th Quartermaster Battalion as well as elements of the 530th Combat Service Support Battalion that is in the process of building up here on Ft Lee.
so later this summer I will be headed to Iraq for my second tour there, and my third deployment of my career. We will be headed in the the Kurdish controlled northern part of the country. It will be a year long deployment, and at the conclusion of the tour I will be able to ride my time in the army without another deployment to Iraq (no guarantee on any other countries, but we have our fingers crossed ;) and hope for the best).
We are unsure of the exact mission that we will be responsible for, but, considering that Haliburton does my job of bulk petroleum distribution, we will most likely handle a convoy security mission or Forward Operation Base security. I am trained and prepared to learn from the soldiers that we replace, because they are the subject matter expert on the Battle for Iraq (one of the many battles in the war on terror. Just thought I would keep that in conversation...).

On a lighter note, I took an IQ test recently and scored a 133---so if anyone is headed to Who Wants to be a Millionaire, I will make myself available for your call a friend lifeline...


all for now,
much packing to do-

Andrew

raise your hand if you're Sure!!

Hello to all-
Long time no update. Here is all of the news from my end…things in the army continue to slowly push me towards insanity…but I continue to force myself to do the right thing. It is kind of like when I was a kid, and mom would make brussel sprouts, I would force myself to eat-wait, I just hid them under the cushions until dinner was over, now I remember. At any rate, things are going well. I received significant recognition from my battalion commander for my work, and engineering skills during the field exercise last month. I continue wait for the glorious day when this is all over.

Things are well on the home front. Leah and Patricia are getting their homes prepared for the arrival of their sons, Noah and Kyle. All is very exciting on the home front as we prepare for a Christmas holiday together for the first time in a long while.

Things on the work front are uneasy. The units deploying to Iraq are in training and their mission continues to be uncertain, and there is still a 50-70 percent chance that I could get snatched up into one of the units that deploys later this year. I am praying that I do not get sent, but I will do my duty if I am called.

All for now.
Ill keep you posted with more news later.

Andrew

the windy city???

why is it that whenever you go to a place that is everything youve ever heard about it is always the opposite???
Seattle---no rain, 5 days....whats with that??
Chicago---no wind?? thought this was the windy city?
Berlin---hangover??? well, that one was entirely my fault, I guess expectations dont always make for a liveable reality.....

Chicago was great, I was able to get some great quality time with my sister...and help her move in the process, but hanging out was more fun than anything else---well, almost anything. I did get a picture of Noah, and I fell in love :)

I was able to go to Wrigley Field and watch a Cubs game, who, by the way, have a worse curse than the Boston Red Sox....---no room for debate---

Brian and Leah's new house is Fabulous...
it is three stories in a great neighborhood. The live within 3 minutes walk of a beautiful lake, which will be a lot of fun for little Noah when he is old enough to swim, and during the three week summer;)
It was a lot of fun to help my parents, leah, and brian work through the rigors of moving in to a new home. lots of paint and crossed fingers. nervous glances were all eased away with time and the colors look fabulous and will make for a nice soothing atmosphere in the house. it should be a really nice place when all is said and done...


well all for now,
Andrew

well, another opportunity has arisen for me to add another post the the page, so here it goes...
things here in VA are more of the same-hot, humid, and muggy...typical southern weather.
I Just recently returned from Chicago, it was a wonderful trip. I helped Leah and Brian move into their new house. it was a lot of fun, and hard work---my calves are still sore-there were 3 flights of stairs, and most of the stuff went to the 2nd and 3rd floor...but it was still worth it.

I am on duty tonight, so I will be up rather late-from 1600-0900. a long shift, but followed by a day off-so its worth it.

well, I have rounds to make, so I will update more later-

I wont be reachable for a while-we have a field excersize coming up, so I wont have access to email-or any internet for that matter. :(

Andrew