[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!)