Buffiniraq

Lisa...Thanks for the decade..."Mother" is with me to be sure...Thanks for being there and give my love to all...
 

Dr. Bill:

Thanks for the update. Please send your phone number and email address, so we can stay in touch. My email address is hgk3780@yahoo.com.

You are a courageous civilian soldier fighting for an honorable cause. Thank you for your service. I'm anxious to hear about the projects you are managing and how the Iragi people are responding to our effort. Can't wait to see pictures of your adventures.

Stay well good friend and keep your head down!

Harland
 

Harland...Thank you BRO for your kind remarks. I am responsible for 10 Iraqi and 4 U.S. PEs here in the IZ who are riding herd on 40 Iraqi QAs throughout the city looking after 150+ on going projects from sewer/water connections to rehabbing schools and everything in between. They call me the "new" Resident Engr as I am replacing an excellent "old" RE from Alaska district. I cannot fill his shoes BRO because he's half my age, quicker on his feet and knows about these projects from day 1. My first 3 weeks here have been daunting to say the least. Just learning the status and reporting procedures to everyone up the chain and then visiting only 3 or 4 projects weekly with all that that entails ( Army PSD etc) leaves me breathless! Couple the learning curve with all that the Army is doing to clear out the neighborhoods (Mahallas) of nutzoids and you get the picture. Sure could use some of your expertise. Makes me wish I had spent more time with you at KMTB while you were here. Little did I know that the COE would "draft" me again. I was applying to help the COE down Katrina when they "accepted" my application for here!!! Thought they had the wrong Dr D when I got the email....LOL Anyway, here I am doing whatever I can to help our guys "gedderdun". The Iraqis are really awesome risking it all every day to come to work in and around the city to get these projects done for their neighbors. If only the folks back home knew "the rest of the story"...Counting on you to tell it whenever the opportunity arises. Please enjoy the sailing in Hawaii and know that guys like me know you deserve it. Thank YOU for your dedicated service all these years. Ya did good Harly. The DeLeo family and many other of our friends in Greenville are very grateful to you for it. God bless
 

Doesn't matter if you were "drafted" to go back, Knew you would. Anyway, Hope you are keeping safe while getting things done! Always looking forward to your next post! Our prayers are always with you. God Bless, Peace and Shalom,
 

I Just heard where you are -- it didn't surprise me one bit! You would never do anything 'normal' ...(i.e, retire.) Your vigor and quest to 'do the right' thing has not changed in 40 years. Go for it! God Bless and Stay safe, Diz
 

bethesdadiz... Thank you for your support. Wish I had more time to chat with your son at CNN but I'm really busy. We have 157 projects on going throughout Baghdad and 20 Iraqi engineers risking life and limb every day to help get these projects done for the good folks around the city caught up in the crossfire between those wanting to control the country "their old ways" and the Iraqi/US Armies trying to help these folks rule themselves in a "new way" The details of which are too much to go into here. Just let your son know our guys are doing an awesome job each day clearing neighborhoods and "turning the lights on 1 light bulb at a time". If CNN ever spent any time here with these guys they'd see a completely different story than what’s being told on Wolf B’s program…LOL. The truth will win out in the end. It may be years from now but we know from our own experience that it took us 168 years from the time the first settlers came to America until we even got our "Constitition". These folks have one already and are only in their 4 th year of trying to make it work!!!! From that perspective the Iraqis are way ahead of our learning curve wouldn't you say??? LOL Only in Amerrrrrrrrrrrica …(We want everything NOW) Just tell him and everyone CNN wants to get to be thankful we have the soldiers we have doing the kind of job they ere doing under the most difficult of circumstances... God bless
 

Have you had the opportunity to hear or meet Michael Ware? (CNN Correspondent, reporting outside the Green Zone - a brave & dedicated reporter.) I watch hard news on various networks each day (I like to ‘mix it up’ so I can make informed decisions -- even from afar). It’s probably not appropriate for me to respond to your comments, given the position you’re in. But I will say a few words about Wolf B. I know that Wolf is one of the most honest, sincere and dignified professionals in the news business. He makes great efforts to keep his programs TRULY “fair and balanced.” Do you actually get to watch CNN over there? (or Only Fox News, as allowed in the West Wing?) Terrorism is a world problem, not just the U.S. and it's everywhere. We need smarter, broader solutions than efforts in Iraq. I don’t know what I believe, or even pretend I have any ideas...but I will listen with an open-mind as evidence evolves. I can say this from the heart; I believe that “Charity begins at home.” That statement is not naïve, narrow, or political.
As you know, much has changed because of rapid achievements in the communications arena – giving equal opportunity for professionals (and some amateurs as well) to ferret out solid, visual and verifiable information; not opinions, as in the past For those news networks who report “opinions” ... I say, Thank God for technology! We, the audience, are not ignorant or naïve.. and we are less in the dark than any previous period. Please know ...
I have never heard one report on any network, by any reporter, any politician or otherwise, who had anything but sincere love and gratitude for our brave Americans over there.
 

Diz....Thank you for your insight into Wolf, CNN et al... happy to hear you get around the news circuit. many of oour peers just don't have the time. Just know that this is a long war and we'll be fighting it for a long time. These folks ar bent on terminating everything we hold dear and many brave Americans have naswered the call since before 1775 so we could just play Monday morning quarterback safely. Know that this effort here in Iraq is our response...we either spread our blessings in the heart of the middle east or we fight this fight closer and closer to home in some other country...Pray we succeed here in spreading our freedoms or else be ready to face east 5 times a day...Don't know about you but my knees can't stand that...Ask Wolf what he thinks about that option...LOL