Are we there yet?

That's the question I must have asked myself about a thousand times on my way back from leave. The journey home seemed longer because of the anticipation, but it was a happy anticipation. It was a smiling, overly happy, I-can-sit-in-this-same-spot-for-10-days-if-it-means- I-am-gonna-be-home kinda mentality. Going home, everything just worked out perfect. I knew a Sergeant Major in Kuwait, so I was able to get on an earlier flight home to the States - two days earlier than anyone expected me - so you imagine the surprise on Rachael's face when I showed up in her office in uniform! Everything else while I was home on leave was great as well - my dog remembered me, I didn't lose my shirt in Vegas, and we had 60 family members over for Thanksgiving. It was hard for me to leave everything and everyone I love, again, and come back here.

I really didn't care how the trip back here went, although it did go fairly smooth. It's a long trip - 18 hours of flying with 6 different stops. That doesn't even include a minimum of 8 hours in three of the stops just waiting, and then another day or so in Iraq waiting for transportation back to Taji. Now, here I am, 3 and a half days of traveling and a crap load of jet lag later, counting down the days until I am home for good. My mood is improving a little as I get back into the daily routine here, and there has been some changes since I left that I'll write more about later. For now though, I just look forward to getting back into a rhythm where the days melt away like they did before leave!

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We're sorry, the page you requested is currently unavailable. The author is currently home on R&R and will be spending every waking second with his beautiful wife and family!

I do want to thank everyone for all your support so far throughout this deployment - the overwhelming encouragement I have received has been far and away the biggest motivator getting me to this point. Look for some more posts sometime around the beginning of December!

Harden Up

A group of Pansies . . . .

This is awesome. One day, I too hope I can publicly cry, whine, and snivel at a job I don't want to do. I understand that they don't want to come to Iraq - trust me, I do. But please spare me the dramatics. A death sentence? Seriously? I would give my left nut to be assigned to the Embassy in the Green Zone. I've been there, and I honestly didn't even feel like I was in Iraq. There is probably NO safer place in this country. Yet, these State Department guys stand up and whine like they just got a wedgy on the playground. I mean, you would think an official under public scrutiny would at least exhibit some amount of personal pride. Forget that their comments are like a kick to the groin to every service member over here; it's their utter lack of, well, manhood that just boggles my mind. How does this guy explain to his kids that he stood in front of God and Nation and cried about incoming rockets to the most heavily fortified area EVER, and then proclaimed it a death sentence. Does anyone else picture his lip quivering and his voice shaky as he says this? I don't know, maybe I am being harsh. But for crying out loud, have a little pride. State Department officials, you need to Harden Up!!

Now, I don't claim to know anything about their job or their feelings or anything else, and I don't really care. I am just talking about our nations representatives exhibiting complete cowardice in public. Obviously, it's not all of them, but Sadly, this is the public face now for the State Department. There is some really good discussion of this situation here, as well as a state department official's rebuttal. Interesting . . .