It Has Been Awhile

To all of you that maybe sometimes check up on this thing. Let me say; I am sorry that it has been so long. I have been busy with "work" and thus just don't feel like typing on the internet.

It is getting hot over here, and I feel as though I must explain. In the states, it gets "warm" and while some of you would classify the temperatures in Kentucky in the summer as "hot", I must warn you that this is a false statement. Let me tell you a little story about the desert and a revelation that came to me one day while walking through said desert.

I woke up this particular day at 0500 in the morning(that is 5am for you people who don't do 24hr time). It was 93 degrees at this time, which I am not going to lie, felt pretty damn good. This is where the disconnect between this particular country and the United States starts to become quite apparent. To most people back in my beloved state of Kentucky, 93 degrees is freaking hot. This is not quite the case in Iraq, you see when the temperatures begin to rise into the 120 degree range, a 30 degree difference feels pretty nice.

So back to the story, so we get ready to go out on this particular patrol, about 17km north and to the west of where we live. Upon arriving to our destination to stage our M1151 HMMWV's the temperature was at 98 degrees, now keep in mind for those of you who are not necessarily following along, it is now 0800 and the temperature is 98 degrees.

We begin our dismounted patrol, now here again is another item of disconnect between soldiers and civilians, we walked about 3km during our patrol. Now you might say, wow 3km that doesn't sound so bad, and you would be absolutely correct 3km is not that far to walk, it is just under 2 mi. But you must remember, and this is vitalily important, that we(meaning my soldiers and I) carry anywhere from 65 to 100 lbs of extra gear alot of which clings ever so tightly to your body. This gear that I speak of adds approximately 25 degrees to your core body temperature. Lets recap so I don't lose anyone here, it is now 100 degrees and now lets add on the 25 extra degrees that the gear adds and what do we get; a wooping 125 degrees F. When it gets this hot you are not drinking water anymore cause you are thirsty, you begin and continue to drink water so that you don't die.

I tell you this story, not for sympathy, but to teach a lesson. It is something that I have learned first hand during my deployment and I would feel as though I have failed the ones I love if I don't pass it on. Learn this; If you ever feel that your life sucks, and that things are going wrong, or you get mad and irratible because it is hot outside and you are stuck in traffic and the Air Conditioning in YOUR CAR isn't working very well. Remember that 1. you are not in freaking Iraq so count yourself blessed and 2. That there are soldiers here right now, that do this on a daily basis, they do not ask you for anything, they don't expect anything in return and for the most part they won't recieve anything that the outside world will notice for their pain and sacrifice.

So to finish this up. When you feel shitty and your life sucks, remember the soldiers especially those in A CO 3-187IN and remember that they have it harder than you do and they all volunteered to do it, SO STOP YOUR BITCHING.

RAKKASAN

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