Iraq Weather Report January 30, 2007

The weather in Iraq was very similar to what we experienced in Kuwait. Sunny to partly cloudy skies… (mostly light) rain every 4 or 5 days… and chilly temperatures. Highs were generally in the 50s… with lows in the 20s and 30s.
We did have one day… however… where the rain was fairly steady… and we [...]

Christmas In Iraq January 30, 2007

There’s an old term in the military called field expediency. It can mean multiple things… but to me it’s essentially… making do with what you’ve got. In other words… in the absence of having all the high-tech stuff and gadgets that would make the situation perfect and easiest… you (in the words of my Marine [...]

Going "In-Country" January 27, 2007

In a previous posting… I mentioned the professionalism and efficiency of the United States Air Force. Our flight into Iraq was no exception. While we were a bit cramped… the seats were surpisingly comfortable. With our troops loaded with our equipment… we were ready for our one hour flight.

I spent the better part of the [...]

Final Training January 25, 2007

Prior to leaving Kuwait, it was necessary to “fine-tune” ourselves before our movement northward. Much of this training was a repetition of what we had learned at Camp Shelby. Still… there were always lessons to be learned… skills to sharpen… modifications to be made.
Most of our training time was spent… as one might expect… with [...]

Kuwait Weather Report January 24, 2007

An odd feeling came over me during that first breakfast in Kuwait. No… it wasn’t the fact that I had entered a nirvana of food… one that previously existed only in my faintest dreams and in childhood fairytales. Rather… it was that I was watching the replay of Monday Night Football while eating the previously [...]

Desert Inn January 23, 2007

After a long drive into the Kuwaiti desert… we arrived at the camp where we would be staying for the next 2 weeks. Now… the initial impressions weren’t great… then again we were all suffering from jet lag and had been up for nearly 24 hours by the time we were “in-processed”… and our lodging [...]

3 Continents In 24 Hours January 23, 2007

Since we were going by chartered aircraft… the flight was actually pretty comfortable. But because we were deploying overseas as members of the Army National Guard… that also meant carrying our weapons on board with us. It was safe… and we were all used to having our weapons on us at all times by then [...]

Saying Goodbye – Again January 22, 2007

At the end of our deployment training at Camp Shelby, we had the opportunity to come home for a week to our friends and family in Nebraska… conveniently during Thanksgiving. This also meant another round of emotional farewells… but with generally 5 to 15 soldiers on each flight back to Mississippi… the scene wasn’t quite [...]

Joint Operations January 21, 2007

As our time at Camp Shelby was drawing to a close… we were performing most of our training at smaller versions of FOBs (Forward Operating Bases) that are located in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the training locations… the set-up is a bit more spartan… with tents and limited electricity (as well as hot water)… but [...]

Turning A Team Into A Family January 21, 2007

Once we finished training on our individual skills… it was time to work as a team. While our unit is a Chemical Company… typically dealing with reconnaissance and decontamination of NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) agents… our mission was to perform convoy security. There were two ways we trained for this mission… with real guntrucks… and [...]