4 - 6 June

Well I've made it - I am back in the Ole US of A. After many hours of hop scotching from place to place, country to country, in helicopters, buses, vans, military and civilian aircraft I have finally arrived on US soil. It was a long few days but I am now safely sitting at a computer with the sounds of birds chirping in the background as I type my last blog entry - at least for a while. For those of you who are wondering what lie ahead, I will be assigned to a squadron shortly after I check-in to the base in California. I will likely deploy overseas again sometime in 2008 but the destination for that future deployment is unknown at this time but yes, Iraq is a possible location for my next overseas trip.

I would like to end this chapter of my life by saying thank you to all the family and friends that have followed me and my adventures over the last 189 days. Your e-mails, letters, and packages brought smiles, chuckles, and a sense of home even though I was 13,000 miles from my family. Sure, I would have made it through without your words, pictures, and goodies from the States but your daily "pick-me-ups" definitely keep me going during the Holidays and missed special occasions. The above pic is just a small sample of the cards and gifts that I received during my stay in Iraq. In addition to this collage I received over 324 e-mails that kept me in-touch with life back in America. It was my pleasure to serve our country in a time of need but your support made it much more bearable. Please give your loved ones an extra hug as you can bet I will do the same with my family and friends. If I do not have the opportunity to visit with you in the next few months have a great summer and THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. For those that enjoyed this blog, keep an eye-out for the next chapter; I expect to begin Chapter Two sometime in April of 2008.

3 Jun

Continued...
Zero dark thirty, I boarded the "Rhino" for the 2nd leg of my trip. Arrived at my destination at 0300; by-passed the sleep option and took the next ride out at 0400 for the 3rd leg of my trip. Manifested for a flight to Kuwait and here I sit safe in Kuwait getting the evil eye from the owner of this computer as I type my blog. I will be here a few days before I head to the US. I will add more details when I get more computer time...got to go.

2 Jun

I do not have much time on the computer so I will make this short and sweet. Woke at 0930 today because it will be a long day. Spent most of the day repacking and getting ready for the mid-night run. Checked-in with the transportation coordinator for my next leg...to be continued tomorrow.

1 June

This morning I went into the office to continue my check-out process only to find that work does not begin until 1 PM on Fridays. I did not have the luxury of Friday mornings off in my work area - must be nice, and I hear it is the same for Sunday mornings as well. Anyway, my check-out is complete and I have the correct paperwork to get me to the next location; in the future I will take the second leg of my six leg trip to the US; wish me luck. Take care

31 May

Even in time of war, we Americans can maintain a sense of humor. When I first arrived into the Palace area back in December I saw this sign and chuckled - now six months later there is still no change in the landscape - kind of funny if you ask me. As far as today I, I started the check out process in the morning and spent the afternoon and evening at a contractors house having food and great conversation. This particular contractor constructed one of the large facilities that I managed this past six months. The food was very good and the company was even better, it was a relaxed day compared to my usual daily routine. Tomorrow I will continue to work on my check-out sheet and prepare for the next leg of my trip. Take care