30 June 2004 - Just got finished chatting with Kathy, and it seems that my last post may have concerned some people. I posted something about me looking for a company command after this deployment. I think I was a little unclear in that posting, so I'd like to clear this up. The company command position is in the National Guard, not on active duty. One of the things that my Executive Officer has done is take an interest in my military career...not sure why, but he has and I have to admit, I'm grateful for it. Whenever you're in financial trouble, the one thing my father taught me (for which I will be eternally grateful) was how to create a plan to bail yourself out. To look at the desired end state, and then create a realistic plan which will allow you to achieve that goal. I know this works...that's how I managed to get out of serious debt after college. Well, MAJ Zollar and I sat down a couple of weeks ago and began looking at my potential military career in the Virginia National Guard. As a senior captain in this unit, I am being looked at for other positions within the Battalion during and after this deployment, despite me being a Signal Officer. In the Guard, an officer can change branches rather easily as long as he has time to complete some schooling. One day I made an off the wall comment to the Brigade S6 about me needing a Signal Company Command position, and he made the comment that a number of these slots were opening in the active duty units in Iraq, and that he would look into whether I could take one. It's not likely, as a National Guard Officer commanding an active duty company is unheard of. Although, if I did, I would probably leave Iraq when they do, sometime in early fall instead of next spring. Anyways, my promotion board to Major meets in Fall of 2005, and if I want to get promoted, I need to have a good looking packet, which includes a company command. I am trying to find a company command position somewhere in the Guard to fulfill this requirement. If I can, I'll take an active slot here in Iraq to meet the requirement. If I do take an active slot, the key is that once I complete that job, I get released from active duty. It's no different then what is happening right now...I am on active duty orders for this deployment...the orders would be amended to just reflect that I've been attached to an active unit until a specific time instead of being assigned to the 276th Engineer Battalion. I think this graphic which I came up with help many of you see how my potential National Guard career can progress.

First, the desired end state. I want to retire from the Guard as at least a Lieutenant Colonel, with a Battalion Command under my belt.

The graphic above is what I have come up with as a timeline if I decide to remain in the Guard. At the 20 year mark, that's when a Guardsman is eligible for retirement, or when he can be forced to retire. By this, you can clearly see that I have to have a command by the end of 2004 for me to be in line with my peers before the promotion board. It also shows how I would like my career to progress so I can meet my end state. TIG = Time In Grade. Just so people are aware, this timeline is about the same as my Active Duty peers. A Guardsman can get promoted as fast as an active soldier can, as long as he keeps on top of it and doesn't just ride the mandatory promotions. The key comes at retirement. The Guard uses a point system to determine how much you get paid in retirement, and when you can retire (1 point for every day spent drilling/on active duty). The active duty uses the 3 highest paid years to determine retirement pay, and it's strictly based on time in service. The active duty forces a person out after 30 years...the Guard forces a person out at age 65. Obviously, if I stay until 65, I have a lot of upward mobility. I just have to be sure to not piss off the wrong people.

Well, this is a little tidbit of the types of things we're starting to look at here, especially since this "war" is nothing like any war the US has been involved in. See, it's not all beans and bullets...it's also about the administrative side of the military. Thankfully, the Brigade we're with is working very hard to help us stay on top of things...not like other active duty units down south.

Ok, just wanted to post this so everyone is aware of what I am thinking...what my concerns are...and why I am so unsure about what my military future holds. Any questions...email me!

28 June 2004 - Ok...even our own government leaves it's own military in the dark. And we're the ones doing the fighting for them. A soldier had told me that the transfer of power had occurred, and I didn't believe him. I had to check the newswire myself. Lo and behold...it happened. Now, tell me if something doesn't seem rather anti-climactic for them to do a small ceremony with 12 people, in a small room, in the Green Zone? What was originally planned? A grandiose celebration? A party? I guess I expected something like this, but not in such unspectacular fashion. And then Paul Bremer gets on a (military) plane, and flies back to America. Oh...if it was only that easy!!! At least it was a quiet day, despite the handover. The newspapers report that the handover was partially for security reasons to disrupt some of the insurgents attack plans. Does anyone think that the terrorists will really just say "Aw heck...we missed our chance. Oh well...back to the drawing board!" Let's be real here. If attacks were planned, I don't see them, at this point, backing off from them. And what about the kidnappings of the Turkish contractors, the US Marine, and the Pakistani taxi driver. I think it's obvious, that Islam isn't at the heart of the matter here; that it is just being used as a means to justify waging a guerilla war. Heck, the Marine is of Middle Eastern descent, and is a Muslim. The taxi driver is a Muslim. I don't know what the outcome of their captivities will be, but I have a feeling that it won't be pretty.

Last week was a rough week for us. two IEDs hit us. Thankfully, no casualties, and only one substantial injury. We had a convoy heading out West, when it was hit by an IED as it entered the city limits. The IED exploded in the median just as the second vehicle arrived upon it. My Commo Sergeant was in the convoy, in the third vehicle. He saw the entire thing. He said that literally, he blinked and then the truck in front of them was gone in a huge cloud of black smoke. The driver of the second vehicle was injured when, believe this or not, a quarter sized piece of shrapnel penetrated through the wheel well behind the gas pedal, and hit him in the leg. Ironically, this is the only part of the passenger cab that didn't have any armoring on it. The windshields are the new ballistic glass, which after looking at the window, I believe that it saved our Battalion Commander's life. Two large pieces of shrapnel (about the size of crumpled balls of paper) were embedded in the windshield, right in front of where he sat. One at neck level, and one at eye level. They never penetrated the inner glass. The driver did a superb job of controlling the vehicle, even when it came up off it's two left wheels. He somehow knew exactly what to do to control it, and get the vehicle out of the kill zone. Our convoy drivers, as I am told, performed exactly as they have been trained. No one panicked, everyone was calm, and the actions were what our SOP dictates. Our Sergeant Major and his driver say they thought they saw the guy who set it off, and they had proceeded to go after the man, when they were forced to return to the second vehicle...they had the medic. Our .50 cal gunners did a great job of controlling traffic. You'd be surprised at how fast traffic will stop when someone shoots a burst of .50 cal at their cars. My commo chief is a former Marine, and one of the first things he did was, after checking on everyone in his vehicle, jump out and begin to set-up a perimeter, and secure a blind hill right next to the road. Even the Battalion Commander said he was surprised at how fast the Commo Chief was able to run up the hill and set up overwatch protection for the area. I feel bad though...I was originally going on this convoy, and I relented when the Commo Chief said he wanted to go to the base and check on one of our soldiers. I don't have any survivor guilt b/c no one was killed, but it does me second guess how I think I would've handled it if I was in the vehicle instead. There are still some people who have issues as a result of the explosion, even a week after it happened, but most of the convoy participants are doing well, and the IED has galvanized the resolve of a number of these people who weren't sure that the US is doing the right thing in Iraq. Guess someone trying to kill you can can change your opinion pretty fast.

The best thing of note is that there haven't been any mortars since the large blasts in Mosul, the ones that hit the police stations. Maybe the insurgents goofed and accidentally killed their own mortarman. If that's the case, then God does have a sense of irony. Of course, it could also be the mass anti-mortar patrols around the base that has something to do with it.

I've been pretty busy with the work around here. I know some of you may not want to hear this, but I've begun looking at the options for when I am finished with this deployment. My promotion is still slated for 2006, and if I decide to stay in, then I need to start getting things in order here. I've already begun looking into where and when I can get a company command, and what do I have to do to complete all my required training. I've been given a rather large tasking to deconflict all the frequencies being used in the city for military use. Let me tell you all..this is harder then I thought it was going to be. And I'm enjoying the task. Lots of coordination, and I am actually learning a lot about Air Force communications. Maybe I should join the Air National Guard. I haven't seen many of them here yet.

I've spoken with Kat a few times, and it sound like the regatta she completed with the Shoemakers and others was a huge hit. She told me all about the dolphins that were swimming beside the boat. Anyone that knows my wife, understands why this is such a big deal. She loves dolphins more then I love Bald Eagles, and that's saying an awful lot. They didn't win, but came in 7 of 11 (if memory serves). That's pretty good for their first time out.

Anyways, lots of interesting information coming out around here...some rumors, some true. Problem is that we officers can't tell what that stuff is yet. Sometimes it sucks being in the know and having to keep the secrets. As soon as I can say, I'll let you all know what I know. God Bless to all of you supporting us.

14 June, 2004 - I received two boxes in the mail  in two days. I got to tell you...I love to get these care packages. One of them was the box that my friends at home made at their care package party. This was a great box. In it were a bunch of questions from the 5th grade class that one of my best friends, Deanna, teaches in Sinclair Elementary, "Home of the Eagles". How fitting that this is the home of the Eagles. Anyone who knows me, knows my fascination with the Bald Eagle, and knows that I was with the 101st Airborne Division while on Active Duty, and it is very dear to my heart. The 101st is known as the "Screaming Eagles"! To all the children, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the cards and wishes. It really does bring joy to this soldier to receive things like this from the future of our country! I'll try to answer as many questions as I can.

1. How are the Iraqi people?
The Iraqi's that I deal with on a daily basis are some of the nicest people I have ever had to work with. There are some differences about them that take some getting used to, but that is what is so interesting about them. Their differences from us. Most Iraqi's in Northern Iraq are supportive of the United States Military, and they show it. They're so willing to teach us about their culture. They go out of their way to make our jobs as soldiers easier by following the rules laid out by our government. There are also Kurdish and Turkish peoples here, who we deal with on a regular basis. Once this war is over, and the government is established, I believe that the US children and the Iraqi children will learn a lot from each other.

2. How many people have died? Has your friend died too?
Last report I read said that over 800 US soldiers had been killed. As sad as this is, it is not nearly as bad as it could possibly be. I haven't had any of my American friends die here, although an Iraqi I worked with was murdered a few weeks ago when it was discovered he was working with the Americans. I also lost my chaplain a couple of weeks ago to an IED while his convoy was moving through the city. While he wasn't killed, he has lost his left eye, and has brain damage. He currently is back in the US slipping in and out of a coma, fighting for his life. This man is a great man who everyone here loved. He always had a way to make us smile. I would say that the loss of the chaplain has been one of the hardest things to accept.

3. Are you scared?
Scared? Me? Yes...I am very scared. But not so much for my own safety, as I am for the safety of the soldiers who I am charged with caring for. Fathers and Mothers have entrusted me to bring their children home safely, and it's a very scary thought to think that everyone may not make it home. My heart skips a beat whenever a door slams, or someone bangs something. I don't know whether it's a mortar round impacting somewhere that my soldiers may be at. So, yes, I am scared, as are most of the soldiers who I serve with.

4. Do you think America will win?
This is a tough question. I like to think that good will always win over bad, and I see the insurgents as bad. They are trying to stop Iraq from being a free country like the United States. They don't like us, and they feel that our way of life in America is against all that they are taught. I believe that the US will win the fight to establish a new government, and to bring more freedoms to the Iraqi people.

5. What does Iraq look like? Is Iraq cool?
Iraq is a wonderful country. When I first got here, it was at the beginning of their Spring season, and Northern Iraq was lush and green with grass and trees. The cities are very ancient looking mixed in with a lot of modern buildings. Mosques are the dominant buildings in the city. These are majestic buildings capable of holding thousands of people. They are made of lots of marble, and are very ornate and beautiful. The countryside is gorgeous...just like America's country is. There are rolling hills all over, with lots of sheep and goats that openly graze. Since there is so little humidity here, the sky's are almost always a deep blue, with the small cotton ball clouds. This country will be a wonderful place to visit once the government can clean up the bad guys. And is Iraq cool? Let's say that as a soldier, I'd rather be home, although I would love to visit again as a civilian. As for temps...well, it's June right now, and the temps average around 105-107. It's very hot, and very dry. It does snow here, and we expect to get some snow come next January, although I doubt the skiing will be any good since there is only one mountain near us.

6. What is the most horrible thing you have seen in Iraq?
This would be the children and how they are left to just wander the cities. Every time I go out on a convoy and drive through a city, I see children standing around, begging for food. They are willing to run into traffic just so they can get something to eat from the Americans. They have no medical care right now, and it is beginning to how with a rise in children illness. I've never seen anyone dead, thankfully. I have seen people shot and seriously injured, but to me, it's nothing compared to what these children...children the same age as all of you....who are suffering from neglect.

7. Do you pray for your family? Do they pray for you?
I pray for them everyday, and I know they pray for me everyday.

8. Have you ever shot an Iraqi soldier? Did you ever get hurt? Has anyone shot at you?
Actually, the US Military and the Iraqi Military are now partners, and we work together. When the took over this country, we destroyed most of the old Iraqi Army. The New Iraqi Army is filled with volunteers like the US military is. These Iraqi's want to be a part of the rebuilding of their country, and working side by side with the US Military is helping them achieve this. Thankfully, I have never been hurt here. I have not had to shoot anyone, although I have had to pull my rifle on a few people, and lock and load a round. Once we do that, many of the Iraqi's who are trying to cause trouble, flee or back down. I have been shot at a few times, but nothing that has hit me or any of my fellow soldiers.

9. Have you met Saddam?
Well...yes and no. I have never met Saddam Hussein, the dictator we removed from power last year. I have met a local man named Saddam, although he is going to change his name this year. He says that the name is a bad name now, and that he doesn't want to be named after such a bad person.

These children are so much aware of what is happening here. I don't remember being nearly this interested in the First Gulf War, and I was in High School at the time. God Bless their hearts. Answering these really makes a person think about what this type of thing may be doing to our children's perceptions of what is going on here. With this being the first war that had so much media coverage, plus the instant access of the internet, it's so much easier to show our youth what war is about...the good and the bad. As with the prison scandal, they have been exposed to what bad things soldiers are capable of doing, and I hope that with some of my logs, they also can see how the soldiers can do so much good.

To each student of Ms Christiano's 5th Grade class, thank you for your support! Good luck next year in 6th grade!
Julieth (Peru), Delmy (Guatemala), Maria (Argentina), Ricardo (Bolivia), Nilsa (Guatemala),
Jose (Salvador), Joe (Salvador), Khoa (Vietnam), Alejandra (Mexico),
Jessica (Salvador), Karla (L.A./USA), Daysi (Salvador), Jeremias (Dominican Republic),
Fredy (Mexico), Julio (Salvador), Irma (Mexico), Karla (Guatemala),
Jessica M (Mexico), Gurpreet (India), Jackie (Salvador)

8 June 2004 - Well, another injury today. Mortar hit nnear one of our gates, and shrapnel passed through one of our soldiers legs. Clean through, the front meaty portion missing any vital arteries thank goodness. Looks like he'll be back in a few days. As the Doc said at the TMC, "He earned his Purple Heart today." Wish he didn't have to though. Kicker is, it was this soldiers birthday today. For those of you who heard about the explosion in Mosul, it was a VBIED that went off near city hall. No Americans were at the site when the vehicle exploded. Not sure how many killed, but I gotta tell you...it was LOUD!! Sounded like it was on our base, but it was a good 2 miles away.

We had our Combat patch ceremony today. It was short, and it was hot as heck standing out in this sun. BUT...you could see the pride in our soldiers when the ceremony was finished. And, there is something unique about this patch. Never mind that it hasn't been awarded for combat in over 50 years, or that there are now only 2 National Guard Battalions in History to have this patch (1092d Engineer Battalion and Us). This patch that we wear has never been awarded prior to this conflict, and will never be awarded again. See, the Brigade Commander had the combat patch altered. When wearing the patch on the left shoulder, the unit designation shoulder, the Indian Head faces forward. When this patch is placed on the right shoulder, the Indian Head is supposed to face backwards. The Brigade Commander had the combat patch remade so that the Indian Head faces forward no matter which arm you have it on. As I understand it, the Division Commander has had that reversed, and only those who are were/are deployed with the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division are allowed to wear this patch while in theater. I suppose we'll have to put the correct one on when we get home, but for now, we are the only ones who have this patch. Guess it's now a collectors item

So, I've been moved by the outpouring of grief and support from the world leaders towards my fellow TKE, Ronald Reagan. I was as shocked as anyone. I heard about it when I went to the gym early in the morning here. The news was playing and that's when I saw it. Eventually this was going to happen, as it does to us all. He's the first president that I remember vividly, and I grew up hearing his speeches on TV, and listening to his witty banter towards reporters and other political opponents. The fact that the US "won" the Cold War was significant, and I've always attributed some of that to things he set in motion. I can remember when he was shot. I remember, vaguely, when he won the presidency in 1980. I remember his famous Berlin Wall speech...Dad telling me were seeing history in the making before it even happened (wonder what he knew we didn't).

Dad also corrected me on a posting that I had put up before in reference to RPG's. Here is what he had to say:

And this my friends, is why my father is so good at what he does. He knows and understands these things. I for one, hope I never have to deal with this stuff again after this deployment (although knowing me, I probably will b/c I'll get deployed again). I've dabbled in the idea of learning this stuff more, but I guess I've been focused on my communications job more. We're now on a routine of being mortared daily like when we first got here. Now the daily quota is six mortars, generally well placed in a good size radius. These guys seem to know what they're doing. One thing though...I've come to realize that the ICDC here is, as a whole, useless. They're been called the Iraqi National Guard, but to be honest, they're significantly worse. The other night when we had 6 mortars launched at the gym, the mortar man launched them from right outside the bases fenceline. He parked his pickup between a gate and a tower, set-up his mortar tube, and proceeded to launch these suckers off...right in front of the ICDC guard that was there. And the ICDC guard did nothing!! He didn't shoot him...he didn't tell any of the American soldiers there...he did nothing; just watched. The tower couldn't get a good shot b/c of the civilian homes right behind the mortar man, so they didn't shoot. The radar acquired where the shooting was coming from, but by the time the QRF got there, the mortar man had driven off. Our soldiers were able to hear the man setting up and launching the mortars. What type of a war are we fighting when we can't even kill a single mortar man? If the ICDC is the example of what type of security forces this country is putting together, then the US will never leave b/c the Iraqi's will never be able to provide their own security. Sheesh!

For those that are concerned, all of our soldiers at the remote bases are safer then we are here. They rarely get mortared, have better MWR facilities then we do, and they're busier then we are with engineering missions. Mail has been very slow around here. We just got the first shipment in over 5 days...and there was a lot. So your messages from home should be making it out to them. Please be patient, as the US Postal Service is also slower now with the recent warnings in the US. Packages are being screened more closely, especially larger packages. We're currently working on getting an address that DHL can send packages to. They're more reliable, and faster as I understand it. Once I get the address, I'll post it here for all to see.

And in the immortal words of my sister-in-law.... cheers!

04 Jun 2002 - HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY HONEY! I'm celebrating my one year anniversary by sitting here, listening to Jimmy Buffett, looking at our wedding pictures, drinking a non-alcoholic beer, and taking a few hours personal time to reflect on what this past year has meant...what the next year will be like...and how our lives together will be. Although we're thousands of miles apart, in my heart, you're still right beside me...as you have always been since our first date.  I know that this isn't exactly how we envisioned our first year as husband and wife. One of my favorite songs since being deployed has been John Michael Montgomery's One Day Less. This line always gets me, because it's so true about us. "Having you stand beside me, has made my life worthwhile." This is the entire song, and although some of  the lines don't apply yet, I think it captures how I feel about you. I am truly honored and blessed to be your husband. Thank you for everything. God bless us both and may he look after us during the remainder of this deployment...and for the rest of our lives.

Not too much else to report today. Our convoy heading to a FOB down south was hit by an IED. Nothing major. The IED exploded between vehicles, and the way it was lain in the medium, it blew straight up and not out towards the sides like it should've. Our luck is holding...knock on wood. The day was very quiet otherwise. We received some stellar news last night. For the past week we've been working on mission analysis and planning for our redeployment...down South to the hottest fighting in the entire country. Why? Because the Strykers up here are grossly underused for what they're designed for. They're a fast moving force that can plop an entire company in one area in a matter of minutes...actually as fast as an Airborne unit, and much more accurate. The firepower is better then what the current unit down there has, except for the tanks that have been moved into that area. MNC-I finally decided that a vacuum created by the departing Strykers would be worse for the country then to leave them where they are...so we get to stay here where the temps are a cool 100 (compared to 112 there), we have A/C, we're not living in tents, and there isn't a dust storm every few hours. Now, this could always change, and if it does, soldiers here are either going to have to send a lot of crap home, or they're going to be forced to leave it behind. I know I had at least 2 footlockers that I have to mail home or be prepared to leave here (which isn't my first choice).

We're scheduled sometime soon to have our combat patch ceremony, which is a big thing. We're going to be part of the first force to be authorized to wear this combat patch since the Korean war. When the ceremony happens, I'll get pics from the photographer and I'll post the best ones here.