7 Months In the Combat Zone

Today represents the 7th month in the combat zone for me and most of the folks in my unit. We first got to Kuwait on August 23rd and the time has gone faster then most of us could imagine. Since then we have seen and done a lot. We have been changed. Sadly, some of the guys who came here with us will not be coming home with us. A few of buddies left because of medical reasons and of course, we had the three who died when the aircraft crashed in January. I think about these guys a lot. I think of what their families must be thinking and wish there was something....anything....that I could say or do for them. Back home, there is a lot going on politically. Debates are going on about the war. There is the horrible stories coming out of Walter Reed and how injured vets are being treated. There is a looming constitutional crisis between Bush and the Congress who are fighting it out to see if Carl Rove and other presidential aids have to testify at congressional hearings. Its ugly. But to be truthful, we might as well be on a different planet. We are too busy just living day by day, counting down to redeployment. Camp Anaconda is still very much "Mortaritaville" around here now, so we are on constant alert. The surge...some say...is working. But it is real hard for us to tell. In the states, you hear about the death of soldiers but you mostly just get the numbers that died. We learn that they were from certain units and certain locations in the country and then we learn their names. It is hard to read those names. We all look forward to coming home. We do have lots of hard times but we also have some really interesting and yes...fun...times. Last week we went to the movies and enjoyed goofing off at the office once the boss left. Today, the Bluch did a little barb-b-cue out back. The ribs were great and the brisket was just like being in Texas. Ha ha. But it did remind us of what we had to look forward to when we come home. So 7 months down. We are officially over the hump. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now lets just hope they don't move that effin tunnel on us. Ha ha. See you later my peeps.