Update

Here is a new photo of me. I am in need of a haircut and some more coffee, hench the pot.:P Thank you to everyone who has emailed me these past few days. I will do my best to get in touch with each of you. And yes, I will be updating my Facebook as best I can.:) Best wishes to you all.

Video from a friend

My friend from college sent me this video. Many of you have voiced the sentiments contained within and I am very grateful. Each deployment has been made easier by your care packages, letters, emails and pictures. Someday, I hope I won't have to leave my family so often for so long. Thank you to those who support me and everything you do to demonstrate that support. Best wishes to you and your families.

Fruit and Football

Hello again. I have begun my journey home for mid tour leave and will be with my lovely Katie soon. I have to make a few more stops before I get off the plane in Newark, but that day is fast approaching. The first stop is a virtual paradise compared to Kamu. I had a rare pleasure this morning. I got to eat something aside from an MRE and watch T.V. My usual routine is eating a pop tart, drink coffee and talk with the local contractors who arrive in Kamu to work on various projects. Today, I got up late (02.00 Zulu), took a warm shower while standing up, and then had eggs, sausage, and grapes while watching the Dallas/Chicago football game. So the game was Sunday Night Football aired at 3 in the morning, on Monday, but hey, who cares. I look forward to when I can just grab an apple and watch HGTV. Or the TV Guide Channel, which ever I find first. Love to you all.

To Kamu and Back Again

Hello everybody. It has been a long time. A month ago, I joined my company at our newest campsite. And what a campsite it is. I have been in some rough spots in my 2.5 years deployed during our country’s latest war, but this one takes the cake. It surpasses my short tenure in Kuwait, but just misses the mark of topping my ‘mostest favorite spot in the whole wide world’: Grafenwhoer/Hoenfels, Germany. The day anyplace beats that particular garden spot of the world, is the day I take up underwater basket weaving as a professional hobby. But getting back to the topic of concern: Kamu.
It is a small little place in the middle of nowhere, which is exactly where an infantry company needs to be. Or usually finds itself, but I digress. Kamu is a beautiful place: tall imposing mountains, lush greenery, swift moving river accompanied by decent rapids, and generally benign weather. I even have a rose garden outside my aid station. Being a city boy, I am doing my best not to kill them. My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them. The key point is scenery is all Kamu has; there are 3 things which put Kamu solidly in second place.
Our power comes from a wee generator which must power at least 4 Xboxes, 1 Nintendo Wii, and multiple laptops to say nothing of the main office. The poor thing is in constant need of TLC, which keeps our Maintenance chief busy. Power is one thing, water is another. We have a small canal running through our camp. It ends in a small waterfall just before exiting the camp and meets up with a creek. This is where we shave, wash and water the plants. The only other option is to go swimming which the guys like doing. Unfortunately the summer has passed and now the water is freezing. Laundry is usually done with a rock. Thanks to my awesome in-laws, I have a wash board. The last thing is our Internet, or lack thereof. We have a certifiable genius who was/is also a certifiable nerd. He has memorized the satellite signal by its particular sine wave which he matches by manually moving our satellite dish two or three times a day. MIT eat your heart out. This lack of reliable Internet is the reason why I will post several blog entries at once. I thank you for your patience and for humoring me. Best to everyone. See ya’ll soon. :)