First off I just wanted to thank my wife Susan for putting up with me all these years. On 24 Oct 09 we celebrated 22 years of marriage. Who would have ever thought that she could have put up with me for this long! I know most of you are probably thinking she deserves sainthood! All kidding aside she has given so much to me through the years. Knowing that she is there waiting for me when I get home is one of the bright spots in an otherwise gray world.
Our time here seems to be picking up speed and the end of the deployment is on the horizon. It’s hard to believe 9 months down, and three to go. We have to keep up the momentum and continue to look out for each other. My hope is that Jacki and I will be coming home together. What a change in environment it will be for us. Temperatures here will probably be in the 90’s and back home in February who knows. I guess we (Susan and I) will have to stay in bed under the covers until I transition back to a colder climate. I’m willing to make that commitment now if that’s what it’s going to take. Susan, your thoughts please?
There is a sign out posted out in the front entrance of our building that reads 21 more days to get your Christmas presents home in time for the holidays. The holidays are coming so fast although I’m sure Target (Susan notice how I didn’t say Walmart) has had their Christmas decorations up for some time already. For some it will be the first time away from home for the holidays, the first Christmas as a couple, or just maybe the first Christmas of a new born child. Our goal here has to be to take care of each other as Red Green would say “Were all in this together! During the upcoming months our families will be experiencing the same emotions as well I’m sure. My family plans hopefully will be to celebrate Christmas as a family after our return.
I also wanted to announce that the Crotteau family’s 16th or 17th (?) annual New Year’s Eve bon fire will be postponed until two or three weekends after our return. Hopefully our family, friends, and extended family will still grace us with their presence!
I wanted to share one of those “funny when it happens to someone else story” type stories with you The last time I was at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Gary Owen I forgot to share a story with you. It was later at night just before bed and I thought to myself “Self you better go to the bathroom or you’re going to have to get up in the middle of the night”. Had I been younger I might have ignored the voices, but being just a little wiser I knew better.
I was still dressed in my uniform and off I went in search of a porta-potty. Door number one wasn’t right, door number two was bent, and door number three was where I would take my pee! In the dark of the night I started to go when I heard the sound of water hitting the floor. I whipped out my light and what did I see, the toes of my boots were splattered with pee. The pipe that went from the urinal to the toilet was missing. I finished my business in the actual toilet and thought to myself “Self, can life get any better?” I learned another life lesson that night. If memory serves me this should be life lesson 989,463: Always check and see if the drain pipe is hooked to the urinal in all porta-potties.
Last Saturday I was scheduled to fly down to Bucca near the Kuwait border. As I waited for my helicopter flight out, the wind speed increased. I knew that if the helicopters were not already in flight that we would not be leaving anytime soon. I was right the flight was postponed, after several hours of waiting the status changed to “Canceled”. It was time for plan B which involved ground transport to Bucca. Let me tell you just over an hour drive strapped onto a seat similar to a bleacher, ratcheted in place by a five point safety harness is someone’s idea of fun, it sure wasn’t mine! Just to give you an idea the roads here are similar to Minnesota as the frost comes out of the ground. Wait a minute I’m getting a head of myself here.
Backing up just a little we meet up over at the MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) staging area for our mandatory convoy safety briefing followed by some refreshing comments about what to do in the event of a roll over. Did I mention that just standing by one of these big rigs is a little intimidating? Once the brief was over we strapped ourselves in, became locked in, listened as the steps retracted and we were off. It didn’t take long for my foot to fall asleep shortly after the rest of me gave up and followed suit. 10 seconds later the first pot hole jarred me awake. No sleep for the wicked I thought. Sitting in one of these trucks is very similar to having two seats in a car facing each other. You and the guy sitting across from you try to play “Twister” without a board trying to share a too small place filled with combat boots.
Looking out the window it didn’t take long to find out garbage cans were in short supply as well as garbage bags. Litter blew across the road like tumble weeds and the ditches were covered with everything from blown tires, wrecked car frames, and enough garbage to keep an Adopt our Highway crew busy for a life time. The homes that were visible appeared to be from the back roads in Tennessee. Not much to look at and nothing to paint. I have to give them credit though they were trying to scratch out an existence and growing some sort of vegetation, not sure what. I can’t imagine living like they do and what makes them want to get up in the morning? This would make a great setting for a reality show.
Not more than a hour and a half later we were at beautiful Bucca. After clearing our weapons we were allowed on the base. Did I mention that I dropped my magazine full of ammo into the only wet spot with in a fifty mile radius? At one time Bucca was the home to around 20,000 prisoners. I would imagine everything from prisoners of war, to time hardened criminals. I can only imagine how many soldiers and contractors were there to manage that many prisoners.
My job was to identify property needed for bases across lower Iraq and to see what I could find to possibly support the upcoming elections. Unfortunately for me the garage sale had a presale and selected items were already out of stock. You know take a rain check in case we find one in the back?
It didn’t matter I assisted the Battalion Supply Sergeant with his ongoing issues and worked on several tasks of my own to help with the responsible drawdown. The unit there was also National Guard from the state of Wisconsin. It was so refreshing to deal with them, like us they wanted to leave the place better for the next guy.
They built a water tower of sorts out of connex container stacked up in order to deliver water outside of the wire to the locals in town. Bucca had a functioning water plant that at one time couldn’t keep up with the demand of the base and now they had too much. It wasn’t pretty by any means and would never be displayed in some architecture digest magazine. But I had to give them credit instead of spending Uncle Sam’s money they used Uncle Sam’s recyclables instead. 95% of the materials used were recycled. I guess it just goes to show that where there is a will there is a way.
Three times while I was there I heard rain on my roof, by the time I flung my door open and jumped outside it was over. The guys there said it had rained hard the week before.
Three days on the ground and we were headed back by helicopter! Once again the weather turned bad and we were destined to be with the MRAPS again. All I can say is thank god I don’t have hemorrhoids as I climbed back in and strapped myself in. Wearing my body armor and sweating as the air conditioner struggled to cool it down we were off headed back. It was darker this time as I watched the fires from the burn off vales of the oil fields in the horizon. The trip seemed longer and I was glad when we approached the gate at Basra. Home sweet home I thought sadly to myself.
Getting up Tuesday to go back to the office wasn’t easy. I kind of like the road and to be honest I like helping the units. It’s amazing the resources available back at the office to help the units with their problems.
Had dinner or maybe it was called supper with my nice Jessica. It was nice seeing her and hearing of her family back home. I guess I am blessed by having not only my daughter here; I have my niece here also. The next morning I was rather surprised when I saw Don Shelby walk into our mess hall. It was so refreshing to see someone from home! Knowing he was here to share our story with those of you back home was even more excitement for us. In front of my friends I clapped my hands together to make my friends laugh. I told those at the table that if I had my picture taken with Don I was guaranteed to get some when I got home. Imagine my surprise when he actually sat down at our table. He was introduced to us by my longtime friend MSG Richard Kemp. After some small talk and finding out that he served his country in his early years the conversation at the table reminded me of home. But I have to share this with you. He made eye contact with me and said
Wait for it
Wait for it
He said in his best news caster voice “Could you please pass me the salt”? You know me I was quick to recover and I handed him one of those little salt packets out of the bowl on the table. I will never forget that moment!
The rest of my day was OK it’s hard to believe something better might be waiting for me. It didn’t take long to discover it was all downhill after breakfast. I spent the early part of my day typing my trip report, and getting caught up on my Emails. After lunch it was off to the dentist. The week before I had my chipped tooth fixed by the Army dentist. While at my appointment I discovered that they have someone on staff that cleans teeth. I had set up my appointment earlier in the week and showed up with minutes to spare. The young specialist and the dentist that repaired my tooth the week prior chatted for a while before she started. After using her instruments to scrape my teeth I happened to ask her how long she has been doing this. Her casual reply was about a month. After she was done she said that I was doing a great job and that my teeth were well maintained. I laughed and said in your experience right?
That reminds me of a joke one of the troops here from Tennessee told me. Do you know how Tennessee can prove they didn’t invent the tooth brush? If they had it would have been called a teeth brush.
That’s all for now in a few days I will be celebrating thirty years of serving my country. It’s hard to believe that thirty years went by so quickly. Looking back I have great memories, made some great friends, learned from some amazing people, and have stories of a lifetime to tell my grand children.
In the months ahead please keep our soldiers serving in your prayers! If you know someone whose spouse is serving call them and tell them your there for them if they need you. To us over here that’s all we ask is don’t forget us and our familes throughout the upcoming holiday season.
That is all,
Dave
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