Some New Decorating November 30, 2007

Several months ago… I showed some of the artwork around our base. These are drawings (some as memorials to fallen soldiers… others as dedications to their units’ service in Iraq) that adorn a variety of concrete barriers. In fact… these pictures can be found at bases all across Iraq and Kuwait (and presumably [...]

Warrior Spirit November 29, 2007

I mentioned esprit de corps in a recent posting. With respect to the military… this is generally a feeling of enthusiasm or devotion to one’s unit that is shared by each member. There are a variety of ways that this is created… from team building exercises… and dining-ins or dining-outs… to mottos.With references [...]

So… What’s Playing ?? November 28, 2007

One of the nicest amenities on our base is the movie theater. To say that it’s probably the best movie house in Iraq (in the military base category) would be an understatement. A young soldier… who has seen more than 50 movies here… has been telling me for a while that I need to check [...]

A Profession Of Faith November 27, 2007

Several months ago… I showed a picture of the outdoor pool at our base… which is a popular spot for troops during downtime in the summer months. However… with temperatures dropping into the lower 40s now… folks who want to swim a few laps need to find an alternate location. Fortunately for them… [...]

Thanksgiving Dinner November 26, 2007

Now that everyone stateside is getting ready for the Christmas season… here’s a quick look back at Turkey day in Iraq. And… literally… I’m talking turkey here. You know… the kind they put on your plate… next to dressing and mashed potatoes.
Perhaps the biggest drawback to the Thanksgiving meals this past Thursday was [...]

The Husker Faithful November 25, 2007

Well… by now we all know how the Nebraska football season ended. Even in Iraq… fans were on the edge of their seats until the very end. Many of our soldiers… while obviously disappointed in the Huskers’ performance this year… were excited to watch the Colorado game… which was televised live on AFN [...]

The Latest "Big Bird" November 24, 2007

Over the past several months… I’ve shown examples of wildlife here in Iraq. There have been pictures of bugs… toads… and multiple varieties of birds. These rather large black birds have been more prominent of late… so I’ve been wanting to snap of picture of them as well. The problem has been [...]

Dining Decor November 23, 2007

There are two things about dining facilities in Iraq and Kuwait that are fairly consistent. Actually… there are more than two… but I’ll only touch on these at this moment. I mentioned the first one a while back… namely the state flags that are on display… usually hanging from the ceiling.
But the other [...]

Closeness=Togetherness November 22, 2007

A few weeks back… we moved into a “new” housing unit… at least one that can hold most of our platoon. As you can tell… it’s not fancy… but it is generally clean… and the heater/AC work pretty well.

One drawback is that we’re back to sleeping on cots… although these are pretty sturdy. [...]

Esprit De Corps November 21, 2007

So… the troops from “The Dirty Deuce” (we’re 2nd platoon… hence the name)… were lining up for a little fun PT. Then… when I look over… I notice some familiar faces. Also getting ready to run was none other than Sergeant Samurai. And he brought along his entire squad (unofficially known as [...]