Buffiniraq

Home and quiet and safe neighborhoods are big changes for me...Nice to be back with family and friends and invariably everyone asks "what's it really like [in Iraq]?" Being in Baghdad is like being in a huge city almost as big as NYC only smaller buildings(sans malls), and neighbor hoods (mulhallas) full of ordinary Iraqis trying to survive "one day at a time"...Above are pics illustrating a Children's hospital local neighborhood folks were unable to access unless they were "Saddam's chosen elite" in downtown Baghdad. The COE added an addition and opened it up last month for ALL neighborhood folks' kids to get medical attention. The folks working as doctors, nurses or workers if seen or known to be working for the government (U.S. or Iraqi) in any capacity are at risk as is their family members. Yet the Iraqis keep coming back to work for us as you can see and the local folks are extremely happy and grateful as you might imagine. Any work like installing water, sewer or electric lines or renovating schools,hospitals or doing any number of reconstruction works the COE and Provincial Reconstruction Teams have decided to do in cooperation with the government or the local Balladia (city councils) is similar in risk and yet these folks are determined to help their neighbors in spite of attacks. While these reconstruction efforts are on going our job is to find ways to build infrastructure in spite of the daily threats, mortar/rocket attacks,kidnappings and suicide attacks. Imagine what this experience would be like here in America if we were working under the same circumstances? If these terrorists had their way, they'd be doing the same thing thing here unless/until we all face east 5 times a day and cover up our women, who are not allowed to look another man in the eye when in public!!! That my friend is a "deal breaker" as I don't believe our women could or would stand for that under any circumstances!...not my daughters for sure.... LOL Course I know the guys couldn't either so I guess we'd be fighting this same war back here in the states when these "nutzoids" try imposing their will on us as they seem to be doing in many other countries of the world... Can't imagine same folks anxious to get us out of Iraq telling these terrorists to "get out of America"...LOL Sooooooooo, I'm happy to be here. I am proud and honored to be part of this effort our guys are making to serve the millions of good, decent Iraqi people who are very thankful our guys are doing what they're doing to turn the lights and water on...1 bulb and faucet at a time in spite of the maddening and oftentimes sad experiences. It is truly an honor to serve with our soldiers who are doing an absolutely unbelievable job under the most unforgiving circumstances one can imagine. My advice to all is to say "thank you" next time you see one of these heroes whenever possible. They are so very special and we are so very blessed to have them amongst us...I am reminded of Winston Churchill's words when asked to give a Commencement address at a London university right after WW2 ended and London had been bombed mercilessly every night by the Luftwaffe...He said only, "Neva, neva geeve up" and walked off the dais...The Brits "neva" did "geeve up" and we know "the rest of the story"...

Here I am on the 1st leg of my way back to "terra firma" and good ole US of A...by tonight I should be out of country and checking in my vest and helmut and changing into "civilian" clothes for the remainder of the trip. Hopefully in next 48 hours I'll be back in the friendly confines of Greenville. Can't wait to see the Colette, Will , Erin, Elise and my soon to be married baby girl... Marissa. Am unable to load pics from here but I will as soon as possible. Looking forward to checkin in from Kuwait...

Got in at 2:30 Am last night and had some french fries with another COE guy redeploying. Woke up around 9:30 AM and the clock was turned back (toward terra firma) 1 hour already...only 7 more hours to turn back and I'll be on "real world" time...LOL Anyway, I'm still here on the base in an AC "interent cafe" after leaving the tent next door called the "PX"... My bride will be happy to know I did some "serious malling" there and was in/out in 10 minutes after "shopping" for some gifts. Gosh at this rate, my girls will want to "draft me" next time they go malling to find out my "secret"...LOL Not anytime soon girls...your Dad is just joking of course.

At any rate, after walking out of the "PX" to this "Internet Cafe" and "braving" 130 temp I decided to "extend my stay" here since it's so cool and catch up on the Blog. As luck would have it I wake up this AM and one of my engineers I taught just before leaving last year was sleeping 2 bunks away and we took some pics. Tony is heading back to Walla Walla WA and may be going to New Orleans to help out at Katrina...Told him we may bump into each other down there again because I am being told to check with those folks again in case they need me down there after this tour is up in Feb...

Anyway, I'm sure I'm boring yall with this but I'm trying to use up my allotted minutes..so my girls would now say, " ...Dad, so you decided to hang us up and waste our time reading this???"...LOL OK girls, I get the picture and sign off ...I love yall in spite of myself...LOL