16 July 09

Hi everyone Dave sent this to me earlier in the week, I have been having trouble with copying to other formats. Finally figured it out. I also wanted to add, that if you have been listening to the news, you know that Dave, Jacki, and Doug's organization suffered a terrible loss this week. Please keep the families of these Minnesota National Guard Soldiers in your thoughts and prayers. And also the soldiers still serving in harms way.

Thank for you continued support,

Susan

Good evening from warm and dusty Basra. It’s been a wild week here with my daughter Jacki being here. It’s almost too good to be true having one’s own flesh and blood here. She seems to be adapting well to her surroundings. Of course story of my life after traveling over 6,675 and a half miles (according to Map Quest), she arrived here to see her dad and gets put on the night shift. She works 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM; I work 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM normally. We do breakfast and supper together most days, I suspect that when she starts meeting more people this will change. I’m ok with that, in fact, I encourage her to interact and experience the deployment life up close and personal.

I read a few articles or stories others have written here dealing with the desert that I would like to share with you and then contribute a short story of my own.

The first story is from our weekly COB (Combat Operating Base) paper. The writer talked about what a group of people had done while on their journey to Iraq. It seems a group of soldiers thought that in order to prepare for the heat of Iraq they would spend as much time as possible in a sauna to prepare for the heat of the desert. The writer talked about how a group of soldiers started out with just a few minutes in a sauna to over thirty minutes and progressed from there. Then he said a new person liked the idea so much that he wanted to partake. After 20 minutes the newbie ran out and was amazed when his buddies came out 20-30 minutes later. There was laughter and excited voices as the group thought to themselves that they were onto something here. They thought that they might have actually cracked the code to the desert. When they got here they realized that their training was all for nothing. Had they opted to fire up the oven to 250 and walked into the heat they might have been better prepared. I’m sure most of you reading this can relate to opening the oven leaning over to retrieve mom’s meatloaf and wham the heat hits you! You try to breath or hold your breath as your eyes start watering. You reach in, pull out the meatloaf, close the oven door and see your dog with his head turned sideways, tongue hanging out watching you (I added the meatloaf and dog part).

The other story is from my office partner September Wikke . (Named changed to protect her identity). She is one of those rare individuals whose glass is always half full. She reminds me a little of Jacki as she tap dances through a situation, all while bringing a smile to your face. Her biggest obstacle is the wee hours of the morning. But when 9:30 -10:00 rolls around she’s ready for anything. If we could just adjust her schedule and that of her customers we would have a winning combination. I give her a lot of grief being the morning person that I am but I did show her my compassionate side after I noticed her keyboard imprinted on her forehead. I got her a recycled pillow that she uses to this day. I’ve seen her fight off the Z monster on more than one occasion and she seldom wins. Anyway, her honorable mention in my blog is due to her short story that she wrote that goes something like this:

I like to compare my time in Iraq to an all inclusive beach vacation. Even the weather makes one mindful of the beach. Let me explain Iraqi weather to you. The weather is predictable, hot, and sunny, unless there are sand/dust particles in the sky. Some days it is like we are in a snow globe where the little “snow” particles have all been replaced by sand. When the sand globe gets shaken up, the particles hang in suspension and create a haze. It obscures the view and even the sun looks small and weak, like a harvest moon, shrinking from the dominance of its own heat.

But, today it is a beautiful day here. The sun is shining (read retinal burning and skin melting), the sand is warm (read HOT like lava burning through your boots) and the waves are crashing (read swamped at work with too much to do and not enough time in the day to do it).

I was walking back from the mess hall and spent a whole five minutes outside. When I arrived back at my desk, I touched my weapon to adjust it on my hip – I quickly reported to the aid station to have my second degree burns treated. They tell me that it should cool off outside by January. I’m really looking forward to that and also to being able to close my hand again.

My own story I wanted to share concerns the folks back home and their love of the soldier. First off understand I’m making light of something very near and dear to a soldiers heart. Yep you guessed it mail call. I could tell you a lot of stories about mail call and the excitement that mail call brings to most soldiers. Like anything else, there are good mail stories and bad like the sawed off little runt Ruck (Named changed to protect him from hate mail). The last few days he has walked into our portion of the cube farm, rifled through the letters in front of us (picture dogs waiting for a treat) only to say “no mail for you”. Smile accenting his cheesy mustache, he does an about face and walks out. What I wouldn’t give to push him in front of the bus. With the bad story being out of the way, I wanted to tell you about a couple of organizations that have truly touched the soldiers here.

One of the groups is Soldiers Angels that write to soldiers everywhere that are serving. They tell you a little about themselves, their lives and encourage you to write them back. I have met some nice people so far and have replied as requested. As sad as it is I changed a blog posting into a letter and sent that thanking them for their support.

Then there are the guys and gals from Operation Paperback. I remember the first box that I received, I was so happy to get books. I sent the guy that sent me the books a heartfelt thank you. I explained to him that we were a new base and there were hardly any books here to read. I thanked him and his organization profusely and sent it off. Within a few weeks, the boxes of books started coming in. The books aren’t just ones sent to me; others have received books here as well. I’m not complaining, we went from hardly any books to two book shelves full and growing. We have books being set aside for the USO that’s opening soon. I can’t begin to thank them for their generosity. Whenever I walk by there, I see people looking, some are reading the back page, some are looking for books with pictures and others are swapping out a book they have read with one they want to read. Another area, same location is filled with magazines that have been donated to the troops. The other shelf has samples for soldiers, everything from tubes of tooth paste, deodorant, shampoo and of course female care products. I won’t mention what they are exactly but you guys know when you’re alone in the house watching a romantic show on TV, temperatures are getting warmer, you’re snuggling with your wife, the next thing you know that one mood wrecking commercial comes on talking about that time of the month. I’m sorry to make fun because your generosity means so much to us here. To all that have contributed, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The last group I wanted to write you about is the guys and gals from Operation Support Our Troops (www.osotil.org). They sent me a care package the other day that was awesome. As word of the treasure got out, the guys and gals rummaged through the box. It kind of looked like a free beer sample stand in your local liquor store. People I hadn’t seen from other sections were rummaging and claiming treasures. Of course they got the stuff that my soldiers had left behind. Don’t tell anyone but I scored big time with my treasure. There were two individually wrapped rolls of 400 count toilet paper. You know the quilted kind that you all take for granted back home. I’m not saying our toilet paper here is compared to the Star Track brand, you know fighting cling on’s, or the John Wayne brand that’s rough and tough not taking poop from anyone. What I’m talking about is good old fashioned quilted comfort. It’s like having a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day. Or compare it to finding that last parking spot during a down pour, right in front of the supermarket doors. Whoever sent it, I love you!

There is one thing that was left that you’re going to have to explain to me though. Who in their right mind would send a bunch of guys living in close quarters a can of refried beans? What were you thinking when you tossed that can in there? Did you have a smile on your face? Is it one of those Minnesota things we do back home similar to hold my beer and watch this? I can’t imagine what you were thinking, but it’s definitely one of those things that make you wonder about the sender? Next time if and when that thought should cross your mind, at least throw in a can opener!

Just between me and you my son is at basic training right now. His care package that I'm mailing out has the can of refried beans in it. I'm sure he will be wondering if his old man has lost it.

That is all,

Dave