Last Post From Iraq

I will be leaving in a few days. So I am not sorry to say that this will be my last posting, at least for this deployment. I think as a whole my unit has done a great job over here. We have had our hard times. Many people have gripes and complaints, but overall we have been a "go to" unit for accomplishing tough missions. I have had the opportunity to work with a great group of people. We have all done a great job of looking out for one another. We have had some pretty good time and memories. I don't want to make this too long, so I will say what needs to be said. I just want to say thank you to everyone. I know that many of you have sent letters and packages. I have not sent many letters out, and for that, I am sorry. I have appreciated all of them though. It is always nice to get something from home. I wish I could have sent more letters home. I also want to thank you for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. I am a firm believer that they work. I'm not quite done yet so keep those prayers coming. I am heading back to Alaska after few week stay in Kuwait. I will let you all know when I'm back to Alaska. I hope you all enjoyed my little site I have here. It isn't much. I wish I would have started it earlier in the deployment. I plan to keep it going while I'm in the Army. Last, but certainly not least. I want to thank my family you guys have been great. I know my Mother has worried sick, hopefully these last few days go by smooth. Very lastly I want to thank Tara. I don't know really what I can say, but I most certainly could not have done this deployment with out her. She has been my oak tree. She is much stronger of person than I could ever hope to be. I am the luckiest man there is to have her as my wife. I love you so much Baby. Pray for safe flights these last few days. I hope to talk to you all again real soon. Thanks again.

Things that have been discussed this year

I am writing this post mostly cause I'm bored out of my mind. The other reasons, well, I'm not exactly sure but anyway. Food for thought I guess. In the first several months over here I spent a large majority of my free time working out, when I wasn't working out or "working", I spent a lot of time deciding what type of new gun I wanted to buy. I was told by my Tara last year that I could get a gun for Christmas this year('05). We really didn't do much for Xmas last year cause I was deploying, so I didn't really need anything. Then I thought that I would be gone for this year's Xmas. So I decided I would take two and get a really nice gift, a new handgun. So I spent the better part of the last 8 months searching online for what type of handgun I wanted to get. I decided pretty early on that I wold get a M1911. It has a certain classic look and feel, and very good longevity. I did a lot of research on it, and it seemed like a great gun. My friend Ed and I have had countless discussions on weapons and tactics for the last several months. Many of these discussions don't have a lot of merit to them since we both don't know a whole lot about either subject, but do have a big interest in learning more about both. So finally after changing my mind about a hundred times I decided to go with a Springfield Armory 1911. We got a good discount on them cause a lot of us guys here bought them, so they gave us a group discount. The other thing we have spent a lot of time talking about more than guns lately is the investing world. Over the past 18 months I have taken a much more active interest in the stock market. I find it pretty interesting. Personally I put most of my investments in to mutual funds. I don't claim to be an expert on the market, so I give them my money and let them do it. This year I actually have purchased some individual stocks of my own. I find it a challenge to reasearch and pick stocks, then watching them to see what they do. I don't have the money to put in to the market to be able to make a fortune, but I have put a little in to the market to see what I'm made of. Any tips would be appreciated. I'll take donations to increase my own fund too. That is all I know. I don't know where I was going with this post. Guess I would let you all know what my friends and I talk about, while we are here. Mostly Ed and I talking. Other people get involved too sometimes. I'll add some links to the my other links over on the right, to tactical websites, and gun forums for those who are interested. The pic is of the TRP that I will be getting. By the way, just so my wife doesn't get jealous. Everyone spends the majority of their time talking about their families, and how much we miss a normal life. Myself included. Have a nice day.

Happy Thanksgiving

I don't really know much. We are all getting ready to go home. I am very ready. Here Thanksgiving is just another work day. We just do business as normal. They may serve something special in the chow hall. That will be about it. I sure wish I could be back home eating with everyone else. We will talk to you all soon.

Nothing much happening

Sorry I haven't posted any new topics or news lately. Things have been kind of slow here. They gave us an original date that we were supposed to be relieved in at the end of October, then they decided to keep us longer. We haven't done crap since then. Anyway, we are still getting pretty close to leaving. It is kind of exciting, but time goes by a little slower, and we still have to stay focused till we leave. I have packed most of my "comfort" items up in Tuff boxes that will be shipped home in containers. On a different note the power went out AGAIN this time for almost 3 days. That was terrible. Good thing is that it isn't hot, but there is absolutely nothing to do. I am on a nights schedule, so I get up around 2 to 3pm in the afternoon, when I don't fly I can't come home and just sleep. Needless to say it was difficult to find things to do. On another completely different note we have had some interesting bets in the last month. One was a Captain said he could eat 25 hard boiled eggs in 45 minutes. He failed at that. He hit a pretty big wall when he got to about 15 eggs. He ended up with about 20 down when the time ran out. Just the other day one of our crewmembers, chugged an entire bottel of Texas Pete's Hot Sauce. Both had money involved. He got the whole bottle down, and earned about $220 dollars, but I believe he made several trips to the bathroom during the course of the evening. That is all I know. Talk to you all soon.