Buffiniraq

Farewell my Fellow Americans in Iraq...
As I complete my tour and prepare to leave Iraq, I want to tell each of you what a privilege and honor it has been to be a member of the USACE family for the past 12 months. I will return to the private life of teaching and developing active adult retirement communities in NC (of which some of you may at some time in the future be a resident of). My plan is to continue to develop environments conducive to “Boomer interests” which mainly revolve around staying active, physically fit and helping others as long as the good Lord allows...anything other than “watching grass grow” or hearing the famous “honey , can you do this”…LOL

Along the way, I have begun the “rest of my life” by returning to the COE this past year in an effort to help other COE professionals and Iraqis “gedderdun” under the most extreme and sometimes unimaginable circumstances of my lifetime.

In retrospect, my year here was truly a blessing as I’ve met and worked with really wonderful, unselfish and dedicated folks who’ve showed their courage and willingness to help others in spite of the myriad of headaches and heartaches that permeated the environment throughout GRN both “inside the fence and out”. The bottom line has always been from the COE standpoint, to find out how to get the job done by communicating with each other, then cooperating to get it done, and finally contemplating the end results with others here to make a record of what was good and not so good about the choices we’ve made. This retrospective overall review will lend itself to others in the years ahead who will learn from our successes and failures. The COE is indeed making “footprints in the sand” for generations to come. For me to be part of that experience has been a blessing and I have only the COE to thank for giving me the opportunity to serve a second time after all these years since my Combat Engr days during the mid 60’s.

I leave you all with a brief overview of what you have done here for the Iraqi people. Your unselfish, determined effort to give these folks a reasonable chance to “find their own way to the grave peacefully”, under these circumstances, will not ever be forgotten by them nor by us “civilians” back home. It is not surprising to me that one day history will show that USACE efforts in the post Saddam era were the very “seeds” of the massive on going reconstruction effort this country will be undergoing for the rest of your lifetime. I am reminded that it took the U.S. almost 150 years after our “Declaration of Independence” to create a USACE…perhaps Iraq’s “ learning curve” will be shortened because of your efforts and willingness to teach and train Iraqi engineers how to “gedderdun” under these circumstances. One can only imagine what that will be like for them when peace finally comes…

It was indeed an honor for me to be part of it and I thank you and General Strock (a fellow VMI man may I add) all the very best. My family and I will keep you all in our prayers and I will endeavor to support your efforts from afar upon my return. Rest assured, you will one day see “the fruits of your labor” and my children and grandchildren are profoundly thankful.

Good luck to all of you and may God continue to bless us all. Doc

Last night my guys had a "Farewell Doc" pizza party for me in our conference room. It was really nice as they gave me a neat "prayer rug" as going away gift. Then afterwards, they all took time to take a pic with me which I'll always remember. The time is getting short now and I've turned all my projects over to Joaquin and cleaned my Desktop of all project folders and placed them all on his. My miscellaneous things have been boxed and mailed home and all that's left are my uniforms and a few personal clothes to wear home. The rest of the time here I will monitor the email traffic and advise my Iraqi engineers with last minute tips on learning and teaching on line so they can carry on after I'm gone. It's been a memorable, blessed experience and I couldn't have done it without the support of my bride, family and friends whom I always knew were there for me. If this be my last blog from Iraq then so be it because it is done as best I could with the time alotted me. It's time now for another group of engineers to carry on the re building of Iraq with what I call "the first 10 Iraqi Corps of Engineers". May the good Lord be with them and their families...

Here are some of my guys "breaking bread" at the DFAC here on base. They're very special guys responsible for all the construction "inside the wire" here which is creating a thorn in the side of some of our "local neighbors" (Syria to the west and Iran to the east) as you could well imagine. I tell these guys one day they'll be visiting here as tourists with their grandchildren and telling them about these great "mess hall" days when they were young and serving their country. They're special to me because they find ways to get these projects done in spite of the logistical nightmare of trying to get enough gravel on base for concrete placements. The local truck drivers have to brave threats, ambushes and elements night and day just to help these guys find ways to "gedderdun". It is truly remarkable to watch them perform under the circumstances. I am honored to serve with them to say the least. They are a "few good men" doing a whole of work under very difficult circumstances. Thank God we're blessed to have them. Next time will be my last blog from Iraq; then it's homeward bound...

This past week was special as I spent it with my 10 Iraqi engineers about 75 mile east of here at an Iraqi Army base (used to be ours) . They all came from all over Diyala province and Baghdad to spend a few days with me to hear my last words on what I expect of them and what this experience has meant to me. It was bittersweet as you can imagine as I have become very close to these guys who risk it all every day driving around the Province to see our projects in order to keep us informed as well as learning to see construction thru our (my) eyes and using the technology we've given them to do it. Years from now the "seeds" they are planting in this re construction will make them proud they were the "first" engineers to make the rebuilding of their country a reality for generations to come. They were and will always a very special group of individuals. The example they are setting for their countrymen is nothing short of awesome. What they bear each and every day is indescribable as you might imagine. Just going to work and risking never coming home again is too unimaginable for us to even contemplate much less truly appreciate. I have been honored to serve as their mentor and thank God for having had this time in my life with them. Now as I begin to look forward to seeing my bride and children whom I've missed dearly this past year, I have come to know "bittersweet feelings..."

I'm ecstatic ...my 3 workers kidnapped last Saturday were released unharmed Wednesday. Thank God our prayers were answered. I am now working on our plans to better secure them even better going to and from work. The problem is with their families. It is so difficult trying to get a job done wih an unskilled work force in and of itself. Couple that with the constant threat posed to their families who are exposed is daunting and unbelievable unless one lives here with these folks and sees it first hand. 3 of my engineers have had family members killed and the very next day the brothers and cousins of the ones killed went to join the police force or the Iraqi Army to fill up the ranks...just an awesome experience. My time here is getting short and I will make my final trip outside the wire to give some last minute training to our 10 engineers and say my good byes. I will post some final pics upon my return and have some last thoughts before I leave. In some ways its very sad , but as I look at the pics of my bride and the kids who've been super in their support, I realize that my "seeds" have been planted here and now they must grow, but now it's time to go home and take care of "garden" there...I love you Colette for allowing me this once in a lifetime journey back in time to help others less fortunate than us