Our Clean-Up Hitter April 29, 2007

As mentioned in a couple of previous posts… there are intramural athletic opportunities at the various bases… particularly the larger posts. On our unit’s softball team… the “Desert Dragons”… we have several good sluggers. Seen here on the left… alongside Lane… the team captain… is our number one power hitter… Wiese.
Wiese’s currently tied [...]

Time For A Fill-Up April 28, 2007

Even though our days of training at Camp Shelby have become distant memories… maybe not quite distant enough… it’s still necessary to keep current with all of the skills that we’ve acquired along the way. One of the obvious areas that we stay on top of is First Aid.
Recently… our unit’s Combat Medic led a [...]

Not Your Average "Award" April 28, 2007

After demonstrating the proper wear of our equipment… and road handling of our vehicles… Meeks and Cheairs decided to hand out an “award” to the airmen that they felt had best grasped the training. Cheairs chose… for obvious nutritional reasons… to present a can of SPAM to the recipient.
Cheairs… as you can probably tell [...]

Trying Out A New Wardrobe April 27, 2007

After showing our Air Force friends the vehicles we use… it was time to let them try out our attire. Heading up this effort were two of our fine young soldiers… Meeks (on the left) and Cheairs (directly behind him in the picture).
Meeks and Cheairs are two of our most energetic troops… each with a [...]

Learning To Drive April 24, 2007

A while back I showed a picture from when our platoon took a tour… courtesy of our friends in the United States Air Force… of the F-16s on our post. Not long after that… we returned the favor and let them check out our line of work. Now… admittedly… our mode of transportation is considerably [...]

Signing Up Again April 20, 2007

One of the priviledges of being a commissioned officer is the authority to administer oaths… and few rank as high as swearing in a new recruit or a soldier who is re-enlisting. Most recently… I had the honor of performing the latter for one of my soldiers… Specialist M.
Like many others in our unit… [...]

Okay… This Is Dusty !! April 19, 2007

While there are many parts of Iraq where palm groves and other areas of vegetation prosper… western Iraq… for the most part… isn’t one of them. Surrounding the previously seen lake west of Baghdad… and along the Euphrates River (not to mention occasional canals) are where you’ll find most of the plant-life here. [...]

Going To Work April 18, 2007

While checking out the previously shown lake… west of Fallujah… which is west of Baghdad… I caught a glimpse of a Marine Corps Chinook helicopter. The picture’s a little fuzzy… I am just an amateur photographer after all. While I’ve obviously seen aircraft in action many times… and taken a few rides as well… I [...]

Lakefront Property April 17, 2007

One of the popular things to do across the Midwest… now that spring is here… is to hang out by area ponds and lakes. I’m not sure if that activity also occurs near this lake in Iraq… but I did notice some homes on the other side of it. Although… from my vantage point… I [...]

Anyone With A Jet Ski? April 16, 2007

As mentioned before… Iraq isn’t completely free of water sources. This area… in historical terms… was known for its gardens and referred to as the “Fertile Crescent”. In addition to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers… there are several large lakes located in central Iraq. This picture is of one that is west [...]