Hi there jason.dececco.irrblog@blogger.com

Hows everything jason.dececco.irrblog@blogger.com How are you doing? Do you want to make some money with me? You've got to check out this news article! http://t.co/u0f0TVZk I paid off my car with my first check working for this company.

hi there jason.dececco.irrblog@blogger.com

whats up jason.dececco.irrblog@blogger.com sorry if you got this already today i'm wondering when we can get started http://t.co/NAIP7GX8 my life has changed so much ttyl

I still care?

I don’t know if I still care, but I sure do still get angry. I know this because after reading this article, the blood rushed to my face and I got all sorts of pissed off for no apparent reason. Seriously, they ship us off to war and separate us from our families and loved ones for years at a time, and the Army has the nerve to tell them they can't drink BEFORE they leave? and not just a couple days before leaving, but 3-4 MONTHS before leaving? Are you kidding me? What a joke . . . .

10 days and counting until I am off their books forever!

New orders

The Army actually sent me "muster" orders last month. What is a muster besides a really stupid word that loses all meaning after you say it like 3 times? Besides this outdated article (the only one I could find - surprise!), it's the Army's way of physically accounting for me. So . . . I guess 18 months of being on their active books while in Iraq wasn't enough to physically account for me?? HRC, I laugh at your muster orders. Laughing while I tear them up. I have 20 days until my MSO (Military Service Obligation, which I know you have no idea about since your record keeping is awful), so good luck getting me back in. But hey, thanks, once again, for reminding me why I got out - twice! For the rest of you who got IRR muster orders and have served your time - fight the power. If they cant keep track of us with all the non-deployable HRC people they got, that's their problem.

Learning to Fly

The temperature climbed above 107 degrees and the sun was throwing darts into my face. It was a dry, desert heat - which means it was still hot as hell. I leaned over and splashed my face, gasping as the 54-degree water presented a shocking opposite to the scorching sun. Realizing someone was approaching quickly, I picked up my weapon, loaded my ammo and fired - direct hit. My brother-in-law screeched as the freezing water hit him in the face and I laughed, putting the water pistol back into the kayak until our next encounter.

Without a doubt, I'll take the desert of Nevada and waters of the Colorado over Iraq and the Euphrates any day of the week. I've been home for over four months now, and life has pretty much picked up right where it left off. Upon returning from Iraq I took about 6 weeks off, spending 3 of them touring Italy and Paris with Rachael. I started work again in May, beginning as a team leader but just recently accepting a promotion into the process excellence group. 10 weeks ago I got the best news of my life - I am going to be a Dad.

Yep, life is good right now. It hasn't been all vacations and promotions, though (ok, there's been like 3 vacations in 4 months, all of them awesome - not the point). There has been, and still is, adjustment challenges. The first couple weeks I was back were the toughest Rache and I have had in our marriage. We both had become accustomed to a great deal of independence and not having to communicate decisions with a partner; now our decisions had to be mutual. It sounds trivial, but we both changed from this experience and needed to get to know each other again. Thankfully, the3 weeks we spent in Italy and Paris really gave us the chance to reconnect and fall in love all over again. Corny? Sure! One of the best experiences of my life? Absolutely.

There are still residual effects from the deployment. I think anyone who returns from a deployment has to deal with things they never thought would bother them. Don’t know what I mean? Let's just say the 4th of July has gone from 1st to worst in my holiday list.

This is going to be the last post I enter into this blog. I guess it’s like the happy ending I always hoped for during my deployment. I know I am lucky - there are many more who return without any support and struggle to cope with re-adjustment into society. There needs to be a better focus by the military on not only providing support networks for our returning vets but following through to ensure long-term reintegration is achieved. A plethora of organizations exist for you to show your support, but if you are reading my blog I’m sure you can give a dissertation on each of them.

Thank you, all of you, for your support, thoughts, prayers, and comments. I hope this blog provided some kind of insight or entertainment. Until my next one, Peace in the Middle East!!

Anyone out there?

If so, there is an update coming . . . . soon!

Homecoming

After a very short stay at Fort Riley, I have arrived back home to my family. I have to give some major credit to the folks doing the out-processing at Riley - they had us out of there in under 3 days. That includes turning in all of our equipment, processing all of our release from active duty paperwork, and giving all of the mandatory briefings. We didn't sleep much or get to go anywhere, but we were back to our families really quick - I'll take that trade any day of the week!

Rachael and my parents met me right off the plane in Philly, and it was great to see them. I don't think words can express the relief and happiness I had when i saw them. As we walked through the security checkpoint into the main terminal, I saw about 30 people gathered holding signs saying "Welcome Home Jason". All of my family from the area had come down to greet me at the airport. I was embarrassed at first but as I made my through everyone saying hi to everyone I was pretty overwhelmed at all of the support. It made me think of all the care packages and letters and well wishes I got in Iraq and my embarrassment quickly turned to gratitude.

So now Rachael, Chester and I will re-start our life together. Alot has changed (I will be an uncle soon!), but many things are the same and I am just excited to start again. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this blog and otherwise - your comments and thoughts and support has meant so much to me. I might post a few other thoughts here and there or at other sites, so if you see my name be sure to leave a comment or just say hi. I also posted a few more pictures from the last of my shots in Iraq.

Thanks again to everyone, and a fond farewell!