By now most of you know that we lost a soldier late last week. Like all of the American troops serving overseas… he was special. But while all have a committment to selfless service… Specialist William Bailey was in a league of his own. Not only was he a decorated member of [...]
Archive for May, 2007
This Posting Stinks
May 25, 2007
It’s been my intent with this blog to show the aspects of daily life during a National Guard deployment to Iraq… items not normally covered in more traditional news stories. More specifically… to give folks back in the states some insight as to living conditions… among other things… that American troops usually experience. With that [...]
Calling Home…
May 24, 2007
One of the conveniences of serving in the military today… as opposed to during previous generations… is the opportunity to communicate regularly with friends and family back home. While there are times when the phone and computer services are inoperable… or when one’s schedule makes it impracticle to use the services… pretty much all [...]
A Rock Hard Place… Literally
May 23, 2007
As you might imagine… the ground isn’t terribly hospitable in north-central Iraq for vegetation growth. In fact… it’s pretty darned rocky. This picture shows just how “hard” it is… and is another reason why water doesn’t drain well here during rainstorms. Therefore… it doesn’t take alot of rainfall to cause ponding or minor flooding problems.
Finally… Some Higher Terrain
May 21, 2007
One caveat to the previous posting… you can see some alternate terrain features from this area… even if you aren’t surrounded by them. In this picture… you might be able to make out the dark horizontal line that runs just below the center. That is the edge of some hills… which are located [...]
Is This The Plains?
May 20, 2007
As you get a little further north of Baghdad… into north-central Iraq… the terrain (at times) appears somewhat similar to central Nebraska. It’s not as green… and much more dusty… but it does have an almost “Plains” feel to it.
The Daily News
May 19, 2007
In previous generations… troops had very limited opportunities to keep up with current events when deployed overseas. Thanks to technology… that has changed dramatically. With the American Forces Network… soldiers can watch news programs from a variety of sources… cable or network… and they can hear headline reports on radio as well.
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The traditional [...]
Thirst Quenching
May 18, 2007
While I’ll be the first to admit that our bottled water here in Iraq is no match for the tap water that flows into households across the Midwest… it does manage to hit the spot… particularly on hot and sunny afternoons. Now the bottles don’t have any labels… so I’m not exactly sure where [...]
Some (Very) Good Advice
May 17, 2007
PSAs stand for Public Service Announcements. You might not have known that… but I’m certain you’ve seen them on TV or heard them on the radio over the years. Basically… they’re messages that promote safety or health advice… or help get information to the public about community organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of [...]
A Home Away From A Home Away From Home
May 15, 2007
Oftentimes… during the course of missions… you find yourself at a different base (or camp). When staying at these “homes away from home”… it’s obviously necessary to find some temporary housing. This is usually comprised of large tents and cots (although a few locations have bunk beds… and trust me… it doesn’t take [...]
