After 1 week of waiting for Phase 4 training, we are now in the full swing of classes and dieing a slow death by PowerPoint. A lot of this is a recap of our phase 1 trainng in Maryland. Recap is good due to all of the other things we've doing since then.
The first half of our group has finished their training and are flying out to their foward operating bases. Once 82 stong, we're down to 36 and very empty tents. We've become a very cohesive group since the 21st of January when this adventure began. We've gone from superficial conversation about jobs and progressed to asking about the welfare of each others families.
Lately for dinner, the price of admission has been the filling of a sandbag. This is a common occurance as the weather breaks down the sandbags filled last year. Speaking of dinner, I have found the strawberry milk in the drink coolers. It's the small things in life that keep you happy.
I have moved up the housing list from 19 to 12 in my patient wait for a 10x10 trailer to call home for the next 5 months. The trailers are one of the many improvements to this base since I left. There are rows upon rows of trailers all secured by 10 foot concrete barricades. Just being able to finally unpack will be great. I have been living out of duffel bags since January. I have given the Air Force 4 free weeks of time and finally had my time on deployment start counting on the 15th of February. The current belief is I will be flying home on or about the 12th of August.
LCDR Andy Gibbons and I were able to attend church on Sunday. The sermon was from Deuteronomy 29 and focused on grace in the midst of hardship to open our eyes to the real blessings of each day and in life. Great message and very well tailored to our existence here in Iraq.
Thanks for tuning into my blog. I now have a desk in the staff headquarters building as the JCCS-1 Intelligence Officer. The communications bandwidth is so much better here than at the morale tents. You can expect more timely updates from here on.
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2 comments:
If you get your own trailer, does that mean you get a better bed? I hear you have a twin mattress on your cot. I'm certain you are the evening entertainment just as you were when you had to haul yourself onto the top bunk while in S. Carolina. Stay safe and out of harms way.
Glad to see the Aug. 12th date. We hope the time goes by quickly. Tonight is family dinner night and we are off to Ruby Tuesday's. When Gramps heard from you he was sooooo surprised he was lost for words. Ha. Stay safe. Love ya
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