Well today is the first day without my counterpart to coach me along. Things seem to have gone ok. The day just speeds right by. I have been taking time out to do my Physical fitness. The Dining facility here lets us have as much as we want which is a problem for me. The last 3 nights they have had cheesecake and Micca can attest to what it's like when I have free access to cheese cake. They also have the best cookies and they have baskin robbins icecream. Sometimes I wonder if I should just skip the main course and go for the desserts. The main line is ok. There is enough of a variety. There is also a taco bar as well as a pretty good salad bar. Bottom line is if I am going to stay somewhat fit I will have to have a physical fitness program. Today I ran 3 miles on the little track they have set up. The hours here are rather odd so I ran around noon. I don't know how much longer I will keep that up. Today was about 90 but didnt feel to bad. I just drink lots and lots of water.
Lets see what other things of note happeneed today. Well this is a multinational camp of which the polish are in charge. The Polish General had a dinner last night for the americans that were leaving and to welcome us. It was a private affair which was kind of nice but it was nothing special to speak of.
Today I wanted to find the range so we could shoot next week. When I got out there I found the polish special forces shooting away (you can insert joke here) We had a one sided conversation where I talked and they acted like they understood what I was saying lol.
Back to last night. I stayed on the airfield until about 0030 local time to see off the guys we were replacing. I also took a pair of night vision googles and tried to video tape the Chinooks (BIG BIG helicopters with 2 rotors) I havent viewed the tape as of yet but I think you will get the idea of what it looks like when looking through NVGs.
HMMMM i a little more time before my meeting.... so you ask what is my normal day like. Well I get up about 6 and shower and shave, I have to walk about 100 meters to the shower and bathroom. Head over to breakfeast about 7 and I get to work about 8. Work until 11 then do PT and eat lunch the back to work about 2 until 4 or 5 then eat then back to work from 6 to 8 or 9 or so. These are the hours my polish counterparts work so I kind of mirror what they do.
Well thats all for now now new pictures but I will take some of my living spaces and post them tomorrow I hope.
Brent
Our Blimp with cool cameras and stuff on it
The snow piles up on it & pushes it down, so they can't fly it
Looking down the aisle of B huts, with the new latrines on the left
We can't use the latrines because they are broken now
Me on the airfield
That's a HIP in the background
Some hummers with snow on them
These were cleaned off before bedtime
Me in front of Polish HQ
Just outside our Tactical Ops Center
Me & the Boys
In Bagram when we first arrived in Afghanistan
Another picture of me
Shooting the SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon)
Just posing
Little old me
A day on the range
Me and some Poles and Bob of course
Damn it's hot
120.1 if you can't read it
Polish Patch
We work for the Polish so the general told us we needed to wear his patch
Table for our Fallen Comrades
We set this table in our dining facilty for our Fallen Comrades we gave a presentation to the Polish at the morning brief
A table setting for our fallens soldiers
We did a ceremony for our fallens soldiers at the morning brief
Memorial Day
Thsi is the Polish memorial for our Memorial Day
The workhorse
this is maybe a 1/6th of the wood we have used
Loren and I at the end of a long day
Only 5 more feet to go, no critics please!! Functionality is the key word here
Lots of progress
We have about 5 feet left to do
Just getting started
We were just getting started for the day, what was done in this picture happend the other day
Before Picture of the deck
This is the tops of our trailers wehre we are building the deck. You can see the piles of wood I have hauled up there
My race tag
Proof I did it
Ukranian, Romanian, Polish Oh my
These are some of the guys I work with
LTC P, Loren and I after the race
I know it doesn't look like it but I'm barely alive
Stars and stripes under helicopters
I caught this by pure chance
A couple of locals
Just my view of the natives
Me in the turrret
BAD BOYS BETTER WATCH OUT
You are getting warmer
thanks for the thermometer dad.... I think. It sotres the max temp and humidity
Me in my chariot
I feel pretty safe riding in this
This is Bob
The lowest ranking guy on our deployment but no one better to have my back
My guns
The bigger ones are SAWs if you look close you can see the AK and the smaller ones ar M4s they are sort of like M16s
My new thermometer
I'm betting you will see a few pictures of this
The Plants arrived
2 out of 3 isn't to bad
A little bit of dust
Diet Pepsi Arabic style
Woman power
Thought Micca might like this
My Bed got new clothes
Micca sent me some sheets like ours at home and a throw
The little black thing is my light
Look at the US army name tape it's attached to it
This is the DFAC Shake man is bottom left hand corner
Shakes cookies and cheesecake OH MY!!!
Caught one
FYI the tails don't break off
Just a sign on the wall
Multinational Division Central South (MND-CS)
The Dining Facility
This is where I eat
My workplace
Pretty well fortified, its a concrete building too
Even God needs some protection in this environment
This building is right next to mine :)
The card Dawn sent me
This instantly brought a smile to my face.
The Iraqi Army getting some goods
The polish are turning over some Hummers to the Iraqis
My transportation
This is my little polaris that I drive around on.
Bunker Friends
We have some little friends that share our bunker wanna help name them?
Hinds in formation
Very cool pic IMO
Waiting waiting waiting waiting
War Faces
Loren and I at Ft Benning getting ready to head out on our 57 hour journey to Camp Echo
About Me
My MI-24 HIND Ride
I managed to score a ride on this bad boy
Me in my new High speed shirt
It is suppose to be worn under the new body armor and be more comfortable. I think it is
One of the balconies
Saddams Palace
Me in Saddam's chair
This has got to be one of the most photographed spots
The Post office
You cant really see the post office since the T walls are in the way but the mural is what I wanted to show
This is my desk
# monitors for 2 computers. My 3rd computer is not shown.
Can you guess what this is
It's not a death ray
My starter corn set
Just me
Notice the gloves? I wouldn't dare touch the metal without them
I figured Micca would like this picture she can tell you why
Running from those mean mean targets
little ole me on the helicopter
Just another shot from up high
I was really amazed at how you go from desert to fertile land
Shadow of the helicopter
It's sort of cool!!
Outside of Najaf is really beautiful
My Polish Helicopter ride
These are fruit snacks..... err globs
This is what the heat does to fruit snacks lol
Half Staff on Memorial Day
Old Glory on Memorial Day
Memorial Day Fallen Soldier items meaning
Made this a bigger picture so you could see the meaning of the items
Mista Mista
This was the most annoying of the kids
In the city right outside the wall of the school
Bob and a couple of the Iraqi kids
Polish Mortars
Putting the mortar in the tube
More polish mortars
Hanging the mortar in the tube
Water buffalo
This is the river that runs nearby and is what the city is centered around
Turret gunning again
Was a little bored so it became self portrait time :)
The range
This is where I practice shooting
A bigger shot of the helicopters over old glory
sometimes you are the right place at the right time
This was a V-8 can
This was my small target I used for practice.
Say Hello To My Little Friend
This was one of the targets I was shooting at, head shots are authorized
IN the hummer ready to roll
It's hard to see but we have headsets on to talk to each other
Me all geared up
It might not look like it but the stuff im wearing plus my guns is about 65 lbs
Bigger picture of guns
See above for the caption lol
Old Glory
Flying high above Camp Echo
A little dust storm
The bunker
Nothing Special but it will do!!
Follow the light
Maybe not such a good title but out the door left and another left and I'm at the bunker
Very cool Hind helicopter!!
This is how the Polish roll.... err I mean fly
On the airfield Bunker
This is probably the nicest looking spot on the camp
Camp Echo Airfield
I'm waiting for the cool helicopters and got bored hence the self portrait
Ashtyn and I
Ashtyn and me going for a stroll in the Pacific
Drake and Ashtyn
Summer 2006 getting ready for a parade
Micca and I
Port of Miami getting ready to cruise
3 comments:
Hey, Baby!
It was so good to hear your voice. I love hearing about your daily routine and I'm glad you really seem to get satisfaction out of your work. I miss our daily chats about anything and everything. The blogging really makes it seem like we still get the chance.
Take care of yourself! I love you so very much!
Hi Brent, The support group sent packages this morning. Harv and Janet really have it organized. They make sending items very easy. Harv said it can take 2 to 4 weeks to get the packages. I do not know if the plants I sent will make it if it takes that long. Oh well we tried!!!Maybe next time we can send seeds and you can show the polish how to grow corn and beans!!
Take Care and Stay Safe!
Love Dad
Send some corn seeds for sure. Peaches and cream corn would be awesome.
Post a Comment