The Gang’s All Here
Here is a pic we took of the whole Company here at our base in Iraq. some of the faces are small and some are even covered up! Me personally, I’m on the left side about half way up. I had to get the shot set up and then get in the picture as someone snapped it for us. we are all doing fine and working hard to ensure the fuel and supplies get to where they need to go. the vehicles you see in the pictures are armored security vehicles (ASV’s) for short and work quite well for our purposes. I have an up-armoured Hummer for my personal vehicle but have patrolled in an ASV also. Not much action in our area, it remains pretty quiet, although the Marines can be a handful at times. Weather pretty good for now and everyone is working at getting certified to run missions so the other guys get to go home to Virginia. they are great guys and have showed us the ropes. I wish them well! Pray for us all and the people who live here as well. Conditions here are not easy for them either. I will post when I can and contact you all as missions allow. Till then, take care and god bless! JT
25 years and still going!
As I write this post, I am sitting here in Iraq thinking that there was no way I would be here during this momentous occasion. I remember the good times and bad and a life shared with a very loving woman who I am proud to have had stand by me through thick and thin for 25 years. We each are not perfect and have our faults, but have managed to keep it going when by all accounts, some people didn’t think we could make it one year, let alone twenty-five. We started out in California and ranged from Europe to the East Coast, to the South, and back home again to me going back to Iraq and even becoming Grandparents. What a strange trip it has been. We are the products of our experiences and stand ready to embark on our next 25 year phase with a renewed commitment to each other and life as well. Thanks to all those friends and family who have shared and assisted along the way. We couldn’t have done it without you! Honey, I love you with all my heart and can’t wait till I’m back so we can continue our journey. As always, keep me in your thoughts and prayers, JT
End of the Day
This shot is of the sinking sun from our motor pool. I was standing on top of my Humvee and shot this handheld. The mornings and evenings here aren’t that bad. It is just the mid-day heat that is brutal. So far it has gotten as high as 112 F. Along with the intense heat comes the sandstorms. We have been held over several times due to the weather. We don’t mind cause its better than where we are living. I think my squad is up to nine or ten missions so far. We get about 1 a week or so. I’ve been to Baghdad a bunch and north a few times. Finally got to see our real Cmdr and Csm this past weekend on one of my travels. They have it a little better than where we are and gave us an open invitation to stop by whenever we are in their AO. We are all doing fine and have not had any problems to date. Time is going by at a pretty fast clip and its a week into May already. Been working out and losing weight and reading books and going to and from, pretty busy really. It really isn’t so bad minus the sand blowing everywhere and the lack of Stars N Stripes, and no lettuce on occasion. We are living and doing and you can’t get much better than that. Thanks to all for the correspondence and packages and keep me in your prayers. Until next time, JT.
Me Getting Ready For Work
Here I am getting ready to make one of my treks out in the desert. This is a loaner hummer, mine was getting worked on but it was fine. I usually spend a night on the road, sleep and then return the following evening, sandstorms permitting. Been trying to work out and get in shape, growing a mustache, and thinking about getting a Harley upon my return. I gotta get something out of this deal! It is getting warm here. I can’t believe I have been here almost six weeks. Time sure flies when you are having fun, I mean staying busy! Got a bicycle and plan on riding some. taken a few pics, but not as many as I would like. I may learn how to play Texas Hold ‘Em. So far I have read 9 fairly good sized books and watched a few movies just to round it out. I am still working on getting internet, a deal fell through, and some tv as well. Take care and I will post when I can, Love you all! JT
It sure is hot here!
Hello from Iraq! I have finally made it to my destination and am doing well. It looks like it is going to be a good duty location. Security here is very good as well. Not much going on here in the sands of west Anbar province. My conditions are pretty good. got a room to my self, good food, I don’t have to do laundry, and soon I will have control of six vehicles. Still no internet, but working on it. This post comes courtesy of the rec center at the Bagdhad Airport or as its known here, BAIP, pronounced by-op. I am A-ok and will do well here. It is hot and sandstorms abound, but hey, its almost April, another month down. I will post when I can and email or call loved ones as feasible. Take care and keep me in your prayers, JT
Time to Leave!
Well, my training time has ended. My unit and I are preparing to leave within the next few days. I feel very confident in our abilities and think we will be fine. The picture is from some photography I did out on Tybee Island. I spent a few days trying to shoot some island scenes and from the Savannah area as well. Thanks to my good friend Bernie for the recommendations he gave me. Soon I will be in Kuwait and then on to Iraq. I am ready to get this thing done and get back to my real life. I know it will be about nine months but the time will fly by once we get over there and start doing our job. Thanks to all the people who have sent me cards, letters, and packages. I especially want to thank my family for supporting me in countless ways and all the sacrifices they have made. Finally, thanks to all those praying for me and my family. There have been so many well wishers and countless strangers that have thanked me for serving and supporting the country. I will probably be out of touch for a couple of weeks, but will try to post when I can. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers and I will contact you via email when available. Thanks again! JT
Good Luck Lady Rebels!
I want to start off by wishing good luck to the Lady Rebels! I know they face the Chargers tonight and then will be in the finals tomoorw night. I hope you guys win and continue the tradition of the Lady Rebels. I am doing a little better here in fake Iraq. We have finally downgraded uniforms as you can see from the picture. Spent the day hacking and coughing from some kind of stomach flu going around. We have all been sick lately. Training has been so so. We have done some good stuff and then continued with fake insurgent hunts that amounted to sitting around for five hours wondering what the heck was going on. We unceremoniously were told that night that the chain of command dropped the ball on chow and went to bed without getting any. I personally had and apple and three oreo’s for dinner. I can assure you that will not happen again. Everybody was pretty mad that night! Now we are in the make up stages. Any one who missed training is currently making it up. So for my unit it is all the people who have been hanging back in the rear going to the PX and sleeping in every day. We all think they are getting their just rewards. Advance party will be taking their passes next week and leaving soon after. The rest of us have the big eval for ten days and then we will follow the advon. I personally will be glad to leave here and get it going so I can get back. On the home front, things are going wrong as they always do when you go away for a while. I try to help the Mrs’s as best as I can over the phone, but it’s not been to good. Stress is high for everyone! We will manage as best we can and life will go on. Again, good luck to the team and keep me in your thoughts. JT
Just about done!
I don’t know if I can take much more of the lunacy. I have had to endure repeated training and insults because people can’t punish violators of the rules. No one will stand up and give the persons guilty of misdoings their just rewards. It is far easier for the chain of command to issue out mass punishment for all the members of the unit than hold a single person’s feet to the fire. I had forgotten just how stupid it can really get. To really put the icing on the cake our very own command sergeant major insulted the squadron NCO’s by calling us all “queer” in some not so friendly terms. We then had our px privileges taken away and all the senior leadership is being forced to carry around machine gun barrels, machine guns, squad auto weapons and will be passing those down to the lower ranks to ensure everyone knows how to clear their weapons. The really sad part is we clear our weapons upon return to the base and then have to load blanks every time we step outside the barracks. Then we have to clear them every time we enter a building. This is not “Train as you fight!” operations. Neither is wearing our body armor inside the base. People are starting to break down from the weight and duration we wear them. Sick call lines get longer every day! I am fine other than getting fed up. Keep up the letters and emails. Say a prayer to keep me sane. The pic is from the send off at Indy. Hope you like it, JT
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