Sunday, August 16, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Surrey With the Fringe on the Top
No, I haven't gone out and bought a surrey with fringe on the top and we're not reviving "Oklahoma!" on any stage in Baghdad. Going with the theme of most of my posts that fall under the name of a song, I wanted to write about what's happening here in Iraq that has something to do with...well...a surrey with the fringe on the top.
That surrey, from the play, also has "isinglass curtains you can roll right down, in case there's a change in the weather..."
That's it...we've had a change in the weather. It's only mid-August (is that the "midsummer" from a "midsummer's night dream?") and we've had...a change in the weather. Almost imperceptable, but a change nonetheless. The mornings and evenings are cooler than they have been. I walked into to the work last week at 5:30 a.m. and it was only 88 degrees! A few days later I walked to work at 8 a.m. and it was only 99 degrees! And today, the high was only 113! Now, you might be thinking...are you nuts? It was only 113? Yes...and that's a break in the weather when we have been dealing with highs of 122 - 125. It's nice to walk to work in the morning now and not be blinded by the sweat dripping into my eyes. And the evenings...I can walk back from the shower at 8 p.m. and not be covered with sweat by the time I reach my front porch.
It's all perspective, I guess. When I lived in Minnesota I would be bundled up to the eyeballs in November when it was 30 degrees. By February I was going to the mailbox in -10 degree blizzards in jeans and a sweatshirt!
A lot has been going on since I last posted. The biggest event was a visit from LTG Jack Stultz, the Chief of the Army Reserve, and his Command Sergeant Major, CSM Caffie. They were here in Iraq for 5 days, starting out here at Victory Base Complex, doing two town halls for the Reserve Soldiers here. It was a lot of fun and nice to get "a little love" from "one of our own". The sneaky person that I am, I put myself on the itinerary to go with the group over the next few days. What fun! I finally got to ride in a blackhawk helicopter in Iraq. First we flew to Camp Speicher to visit the troops there. The flight was long and hot and we flew over a whole lot of nothing. You don't realize how much NOTHING there is outside of Baghdad proper until you fly over it. After a nice lunch and questions-and-answers, we flew on to Al-Asad to repeat the meal and Qs and As. This is where the fun began, as our travel plans began to unravel. We had two helicopters arrive around 9 pm but apparently one couldn't handle passengers. After an hour or so of planning, it was decided that everyone but 5 of us (me, the print journalist, the broadcast journalist, COL P, and one of the security detail) would fly to Taji and then the helicopters would turn around, come back, and fly the rest of us to Taji. Our flight wasn't supposed to return until 2 a.m. so we camped out in the VIP lounge and ate pop-tarts and watched a surfer movie. (The one with Kate Bosworth, forget the name.) Thankfully our flight arrived at 12:30 so we actually got into bed at a decent hour: 2 a.m.
Back up at 6 a.m. the next morning for breakfast and another town hall. Then we flew to Balad. I heard later on it was a close call...a dust storm was on it's way in and they almost cancelled the flight. We had the last town hall in Balad and that's where we split off from the group of VIPS. The four of us (the same group, minus the security) were supposed to fly back to Baghdad that night but by then the sandstorm was in full swing and nothing was flying. Thankfully we got rooms at the BOQ but had to be back at the terminal at 4 a.m. We got on the plane at 9 a.m. but took off at noon (after being removed from the plane and sat in the bus until we could reboard...engine problems). We were going to flight 30 minutes to Kirkuk, then 30 minutes to Baghdad. We landed and took off from Kirkuk, and 45 minutes into our 30-minute flight the pilot informed his passengers that, because of yet another dust storm, we were being diverted to Kuwait.
Okay, so not only am I getting back to the office 24 hours late, but I left the country! :)
We spent the afternoon and night at Ali al-Salem airbase, on standby, waiting for a flight to Baghdad. Flights were getting diverted all over the place...one plane made it halfway to Camp Speicher before turning around and returning to Ali al-Salem. I tell you, when the dust kicks up, it chokes everything. Our time in Kuwait was spent swallowing large amounts of dust! I am grateful that I was given the chance to wash my uniform...it was on sweaty, dusty, Day 3 and needed to be washed.
I arrived back in Baghdad a day late, but safe and sound!
That surrey, from the play, also has "isinglass curtains you can roll right down, in case there's a change in the weather..."
That's it...we've had a change in the weather. It's only mid-August (is that the "midsummer" from a "midsummer's night dream?") and we've had...a change in the weather. Almost imperceptable, but a change nonetheless. The mornings and evenings are cooler than they have been. I walked into to the work last week at 5:30 a.m. and it was only 88 degrees! A few days later I walked to work at 8 a.m. and it was only 99 degrees! And today, the high was only 113! Now, you might be thinking...are you nuts? It was only 113? Yes...and that's a break in the weather when we have been dealing with highs of 122 - 125. It's nice to walk to work in the morning now and not be blinded by the sweat dripping into my eyes. And the evenings...I can walk back from the shower at 8 p.m. and not be covered with sweat by the time I reach my front porch.
It's all perspective, I guess. When I lived in Minnesota I would be bundled up to the eyeballs in November when it was 30 degrees. By February I was going to the mailbox in -10 degree blizzards in jeans and a sweatshirt!
A lot has been going on since I last posted. The biggest event was a visit from LTG Jack Stultz, the Chief of the Army Reserve, and his Command Sergeant Major, CSM Caffie. They were here in Iraq for 5 days, starting out here at Victory Base Complex, doing two town halls for the Reserve Soldiers here. It was a lot of fun and nice to get "a little love" from "one of our own". The sneaky person that I am, I put myself on the itinerary to go with the group over the next few days. What fun! I finally got to ride in a blackhawk helicopter in Iraq. First we flew to Camp Speicher to visit the troops there. The flight was long and hot and we flew over a whole lot of nothing. You don't realize how much NOTHING there is outside of Baghdad proper until you fly over it. After a nice lunch and questions-and-answers, we flew on to Al-Asad to repeat the meal and Qs and As. This is where the fun began, as our travel plans began to unravel. We had two helicopters arrive around 9 pm but apparently one couldn't handle passengers. After an hour or so of planning, it was decided that everyone but 5 of us (me, the print journalist, the broadcast journalist, COL P, and one of the security detail) would fly to Taji and then the helicopters would turn around, come back, and fly the rest of us to Taji. Our flight wasn't supposed to return until 2 a.m. so we camped out in the VIP lounge and ate pop-tarts and watched a surfer movie. (The one with Kate Bosworth, forget the name.) Thankfully our flight arrived at 12:30 so we actually got into bed at a decent hour: 2 a.m.
Back up at 6 a.m. the next morning for breakfast and another town hall. Then we flew to Balad. I heard later on it was a close call...a dust storm was on it's way in and they almost cancelled the flight. We had the last town hall in Balad and that's where we split off from the group of VIPS. The four of us (the same group, minus the security) were supposed to fly back to Baghdad that night but by then the sandstorm was in full swing and nothing was flying. Thankfully we got rooms at the BOQ but had to be back at the terminal at 4 a.m. We got on the plane at 9 a.m. but took off at noon (after being removed from the plane and sat in the bus until we could reboard...engine problems). We were going to flight 30 minutes to Kirkuk, then 30 minutes to Baghdad. We landed and took off from Kirkuk, and 45 minutes into our 30-minute flight the pilot informed his passengers that, because of yet another dust storm, we were being diverted to Kuwait.
Okay, so not only am I getting back to the office 24 hours late, but I left the country! :)
We spent the afternoon and night at Ali al-Salem airbase, on standby, waiting for a flight to Baghdad. Flights were getting diverted all over the place...one plane made it halfway to Camp Speicher before turning around and returning to Ali al-Salem. I tell you, when the dust kicks up, it chokes everything. Our time in Kuwait was spent swallowing large amounts of dust! I am grateful that I was given the chance to wash my uniform...it was on sweaty, dusty, Day 3 and needed to be washed.
I arrived back in Baghdad a day late, but safe and sound!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Random Photographs
One half of my CHU. Duck rug courtesy of B.
The other side of my CHU. Penguin courtesy of Michelle and her son. Fish rug courtesy of Judy. Thanks!
My desk. My own little corner of my own little world. Note my IBA hanging in the left corner...it's the new, improved floral version.
The view of Camp Liberty from the roof of our building. The long, white building in the background is the PX.
The friendly 1SG monster who shares my office. He's a little shy, but can be coaxed out with some lemon cookies.
My "Taco Thursday" calendar that 1SG talked about in his post. I've since marked off two more tacos.
The other side of my CHU. Penguin courtesy of Michelle and her son. Fish rug courtesy of Judy. Thanks!
My desk. My own little corner of my own little world. Note my IBA hanging in the left corner...it's the new, improved floral version.
Our studio. Note the expensive soundproofing. Yes, those are authentic wool rugs hanging on the walls.
The other side of our studio with the green screen.
The view of Camp Liberty from the roof of our building. The long, white building in the background is the PX.
The friendly 1SG monster who shares my office. He's a little shy, but can be coaxed out with some lemon cookies.
My "Taco Thursday" calendar that 1SG talked about in his post. I've since marked off two more tacos.
My Top 10 List
Who doesn’t love a top 10 list? We’ve come up with a few here in Baghdad, but I decided to sit down and write one all my very own. Here are the Top 10 Things I Miss While I’m in Iraq. I am going to leave off the obvious…family and friends. Everyone misses them. Well, not MY family and friends, but…you know what I mean! :)
1. Museum hopping on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Or a sunny Saturday afternoon. Heck, just going to a museum any old time of day.
2. Picking my own food. Now, I’m not much of a cook…but at least even in restaurants I knew what my dinner was going to be before it was placed in front of me. Now, some nice guy in a shower cap plunks food down on my plate a mere 3 seconds after I’ve first seen what they are serving. Of course, it’s usually some form of chicken, so there’s not much guesswork involved.
3. Being in the same time zone as friends and family. It sucks to be 8 to 10 hours ahead of people. By the time I get in the office in the morning it’s the middle of the night for those in the US. I miss conversations on Facebook because I’m not in sync with people!
4. Going to restaurants, perusing a menu, having someone bring me my food. I also miss having a cold beer or glass of wine with dinner. I’m especially going to hate football season…not being able to go to the bar, ordering beer and nachos, and watching my favorite teams on the big screen.
5. I miss my TV. My large, HD, DLP television and my HD channels. I miss my red furniture…my big red chair and my red couch and my 4-poster bed and my knotty pine dresser. Well, at least it’s nice that I can remember my furniture, since it’s been 18 months since I’ve seen it. I miss all of my “stuff”…my DVDs, my books, my wine and champagne glasses, my dishes, my pictures, my shoes, my jeans, my scarves, mittens, and heavy coats, my computer. Everything I own, I miss. I can’t wait to get my stuff out of storage, open my boxes, and just roll around in my “stuff”.
6. I miss doing my own laundry. And my own chores. That might sound insane…who likes to do laundry? But when you can’t do your own, you miss it. I miss sorting my laundry and knowing it’s going to get clean. I hate the fact that they just dump my bag of clothes into a washer and then a dryer. That’s why my towels, sheets, etc. are all one color…so nothing fades. I do get to clean my own CHU…sweep the floor and then Swiffer the dust away.
7. Flowers. Greenery. I miss the colors that nature has given the rest of the world and seems to have left Iraq off the list. Everything is brown, mostly because it’s covered with dust. Even the birds are brown. I miss the cardinals and the freesia and the pansies. But mostly the cardinals.
8. Driving my car. I have a truck here, but I don’t drive it that much. I don’t really have anywhere important to go! I miss my car and my XM Satellite radio system, my sunroof, and my heated seats. Kitty and I are going on a lllllooooooonnnnnnggggggggg road trip when I get back.
9. My first name. That’s the weirdest, probably, but I’d be willing to bet that most of my Soldiers don’t even know my first name! They just call me “ma’am” or “Major”. Only a few officers call me by my first name…anyone else is inappropriate. Even the Ugandans and other workers call me “Major”. It’s like Annmarie doesn’t even exist anymore.
10. Wearing jewelry. I can wear a watch…I bought a nice one a few weeks after we arrived. I can wear two rings at the time although most of the time I don’t because I sweat too much and it irritates my skin. A few nights a week I’ll put my earrings in so the holes don’t close up. I just have to remember to remove them before I leave my CHU the next morning! I did forget one time…got some funny looks from the guy in the laundry. I miss picking out earrings, necklace, bracelets, etc. to go with my outfits. I am so buying jewelry when I get back!
1. Museum hopping on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Or a sunny Saturday afternoon. Heck, just going to a museum any old time of day.
2. Picking my own food. Now, I’m not much of a cook…but at least even in restaurants I knew what my dinner was going to be before it was placed in front of me. Now, some nice guy in a shower cap plunks food down on my plate a mere 3 seconds after I’ve first seen what they are serving. Of course, it’s usually some form of chicken, so there’s not much guesswork involved.
3. Being in the same time zone as friends and family. It sucks to be 8 to 10 hours ahead of people. By the time I get in the office in the morning it’s the middle of the night for those in the US. I miss conversations on Facebook because I’m not in sync with people!
4. Going to restaurants, perusing a menu, having someone bring me my food. I also miss having a cold beer or glass of wine with dinner. I’m especially going to hate football season…not being able to go to the bar, ordering beer and nachos, and watching my favorite teams on the big screen.
5. I miss my TV. My large, HD, DLP television and my HD channels. I miss my red furniture…my big red chair and my red couch and my 4-poster bed and my knotty pine dresser. Well, at least it’s nice that I can remember my furniture, since it’s been 18 months since I’ve seen it. I miss all of my “stuff”…my DVDs, my books, my wine and champagne glasses, my dishes, my pictures, my shoes, my jeans, my scarves, mittens, and heavy coats, my computer. Everything I own, I miss. I can’t wait to get my stuff out of storage, open my boxes, and just roll around in my “stuff”.
6. I miss doing my own laundry. And my own chores. That might sound insane…who likes to do laundry? But when you can’t do your own, you miss it. I miss sorting my laundry and knowing it’s going to get clean. I hate the fact that they just dump my bag of clothes into a washer and then a dryer. That’s why my towels, sheets, etc. are all one color…so nothing fades. I do get to clean my own CHU…sweep the floor and then Swiffer the dust away.
7. Flowers. Greenery. I miss the colors that nature has given the rest of the world and seems to have left Iraq off the list. Everything is brown, mostly because it’s covered with dust. Even the birds are brown. I miss the cardinals and the freesia and the pansies. But mostly the cardinals.
8. Driving my car. I have a truck here, but I don’t drive it that much. I don’t really have anywhere important to go! I miss my car and my XM Satellite radio system, my sunroof, and my heated seats. Kitty and I are going on a lllllooooooonnnnnnggggggggg road trip when I get back.
9. My first name. That’s the weirdest, probably, but I’d be willing to bet that most of my Soldiers don’t even know my first name! They just call me “ma’am” or “Major”. Only a few officers call me by my first name…anyone else is inappropriate. Even the Ugandans and other workers call me “Major”. It’s like Annmarie doesn’t even exist anymore.
10. Wearing jewelry. I can wear a watch…I bought a nice one a few weeks after we arrived. I can wear two rings at the time although most of the time I don’t because I sweat too much and it irritates my skin. A few nights a week I’ll put my earrings in so the holes don’t close up. I just have to remember to remove them before I leave my CHU the next morning! I did forget one time…got some funny looks from the guy in the laundry. I miss picking out earrings, necklace, bracelets, etc. to go with my outfits. I am so buying jewelry when I get back!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
A Happy 4th of July!
Since we arrived here in Baghdad in February, our camp has been visited multiple times by entertainers that the (male) Soldiers consider to be the best group ever...NFL Cheerleaders. While the guys get to go ga-ga over the scantily clad beauties in their respective team jerseys (cut up like they're from the movie "Flashdance") the gals just stand in the back and wonder "when will the females get some eye candy?"
Me and Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.
Okay, NFL coaches might not be eye candy, but they're men and they're more fun to talk to than cheerleaders. The 2009 NFL Coaches Tour was supposed to stop by here on Thursday but weather (read: dust) cancelled that trip. Thankfully it was rescheduled on the 4th of July and I used my PAO powers to get up close and personal with 5 of the NFL's finest: Tom Coughlin, head coach of the NY Giants; Bill Cowher, former head coach Pittsburgh Steelers; Jeff Fisher, head coach Tennessee Titans; Jon Gruden, former head coach Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and John Harbaugh, head coach Baltimore Ravens (who IS serious eye candy).
A good time was had by all! Bring on NFL Football! And leave the cheerleaders at home!
On another note, our interview with the Cincinnati Reds went well. Our Soldier-in-the-spotlight had a 15-minute interview with one of the game's announcers. In the press booth with the interviewer were the Soldier's parents, sister, and grandfather. While the Soldier only had audio, his family members had audio and video. The Soldier said it was the first time his parents had seen him since he left 5 months ago and it was very emotional for all. So, while Public Affairs Officers get the brunt of things gone bad, sometimes we get to use our powers for good. :)
Oh yeah, another dust storm today.
Me and former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Bill Cowher.
Me and Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.
Me and NY Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. Probably the closest I'll ever get to Eli Manning.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Be kind to your web-footed friends...
...for a duck may be somebody's mother..!
First and foremost, let me say today (Saturday) is hazed over by yet another blanket of dust. The dusty days are outnumbering the clear days. There are Soldiers who left for R & R three days ago who are either a) still sitting at BIAP; or b) have come back to Liberty after being told "come back tomorrow". There is little or no air movement at all. But for us today, that's a good thing. It's only 93 degrees outside and we're enjoying the "break" in the heat.
Second, the A/C in my quarters went out AGAIN last night. This makes the third time. First it was frozen in "High" and my room was freezing. I tried to go to sleep under two blankets and a quilt but I was shivering and miserable. So, I got up and turned it off for about 20 minutes. Big mistake...it froze in "air" mode, meaning it was lightly blowing air, but not chilled air. It wasn't too bad through the night but when I was getting ready to go to work this morning I thought I was going to get heat exhaustion. Hopefully KBR maintenance will have fixed it by the time I get there tonight.
Third, Happy 4th of July! Unfortunately for us, it's just another day at the office. Or out on patrol, or pushing paperwork, whatever. The military can be notorious for having holidays and extra days off...if a federal holiday falls on a Monday then we usually help ourselves to the previous Friday off as well. However, if mission dictates that Soldiers work, then we happily go to work. I spent almost 3 years as staff Public Affairs Officer at the 88th RRC in Minneapolis. I got a few holidays off here and there and I loved those 4-day weekends. But for the most part, I was usually participating in a ceremony somewhere that often required me to travel. I went to 4th of July ceremonies in Illinois, unit welcome home ceremonies on Christmas Day in Wisconsin, and unit briefings on New Year's Day in Ohio.
But that's what I do and, for the most part, it's a small price to pay for the priviledge of serving in the US Army. While my job can be frustrating, draining, exhausting, and sometimes bordering on mutiny, I do enjoy Army Public Affairs. And working on holidays is just part of that job.
That's not to say that Camp Liberty isn't celebrating our nation's independence. The 1st Cavalry Division band is giving a big concert tonight at the Al-Faw Palace over on Camp Victory. There is also a naturalization ceremony at the Palace as well...Soldiers who are serving the country that they finally get the claim citizenship. The DFAC is all decked out in red, white, and blue tablecloths and other decorations. They'll probably have some form of BBQ for lunch or dinner. Maybe the camp's fire teams will fire off the Phalanx system...it sometimes looks like fireworks if they shoot it off at night.
I am also facilitating a live interview with a Soldier from one of those fire teams and the Cincinnati Reds tonight. We will hook him up via satellite to the stadium and he'll be able to talk with his family and the spectators in the stadium. Unfortunately, he won't see any of that (we don't have the ability to receive satellite feed) but he will hear them.
So, enjoy your time off, your BBQ, your beer, and your fireworks! It's a great day and a time to remember that freedom isn't free.
First and foremost, let me say today (Saturday) is hazed over by yet another blanket of dust. The dusty days are outnumbering the clear days. There are Soldiers who left for R & R three days ago who are either a) still sitting at BIAP; or b) have come back to Liberty after being told "come back tomorrow". There is little or no air movement at all. But for us today, that's a good thing. It's only 93 degrees outside and we're enjoying the "break" in the heat.
Second, the A/C in my quarters went out AGAIN last night. This makes the third time. First it was frozen in "High" and my room was freezing. I tried to go to sleep under two blankets and a quilt but I was shivering and miserable. So, I got up and turned it off for about 20 minutes. Big mistake...it froze in "air" mode, meaning it was lightly blowing air, but not chilled air. It wasn't too bad through the night but when I was getting ready to go to work this morning I thought I was going to get heat exhaustion. Hopefully KBR maintenance will have fixed it by the time I get there tonight.
Third, Happy 4th of July! Unfortunately for us, it's just another day at the office. Or out on patrol, or pushing paperwork, whatever. The military can be notorious for having holidays and extra days off...if a federal holiday falls on a Monday then we usually help ourselves to the previous Friday off as well. However, if mission dictates that Soldiers work, then we happily go to work. I spent almost 3 years as staff Public Affairs Officer at the 88th RRC in Minneapolis. I got a few holidays off here and there and I loved those 4-day weekends. But for the most part, I was usually participating in a ceremony somewhere that often required me to travel. I went to 4th of July ceremonies in Illinois, unit welcome home ceremonies on Christmas Day in Wisconsin, and unit briefings on New Year's Day in Ohio.
But that's what I do and, for the most part, it's a small price to pay for the priviledge of serving in the US Army. While my job can be frustrating, draining, exhausting, and sometimes bordering on mutiny, I do enjoy Army Public Affairs. And working on holidays is just part of that job.
That's not to say that Camp Liberty isn't celebrating our nation's independence. The 1st Cavalry Division band is giving a big concert tonight at the Al-Faw Palace over on Camp Victory. There is also a naturalization ceremony at the Palace as well...Soldiers who are serving the country that they finally get the claim citizenship. The DFAC is all decked out in red, white, and blue tablecloths and other decorations. They'll probably have some form of BBQ for lunch or dinner. Maybe the camp's fire teams will fire off the Phalanx system...it sometimes looks like fireworks if they shoot it off at night.
I am also facilitating a live interview with a Soldier from one of those fire teams and the Cincinnati Reds tonight. We will hook him up via satellite to the stadium and he'll be able to talk with his family and the spectators in the stadium. Unfortunately, he won't see any of that (we don't have the ability to receive satellite feed) but he will hear them.
So, enjoy your time off, your BBQ, your beer, and your fireworks! It's a great day and a time to remember that freedom isn't free.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Another Monday.
How many songs do I know that relate to Monday?
"Rainy Days and Mondays" by the Carpenters.
"Monday Monday" by the (I think) Mamas and Papas.
I'm sure there are more, but I have things to do so I'll leave it at that.
It's another Monday here at the Media Operations Center at Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq. Mondays always start slow around here...the Soldiers do Physical Training on Monday so they don't get into the office until 0900. I'm here by 0800, after eating breakfast and walking the long walk from the DFAC to the MOC. It was hot again...after such a nice break yesterday.
I woke up Sunday morning and noticed the sunlight coming through my shades was a lovely color of orange. I've learned that orange means dust storm. When I went outside I was hit by the waves of dust in the air. Yuck! I had finally just gotten all the dust out of my CHU from the last dust storm. But I noticed that it was a few degrees cooler. When I walked by the thermometer it was only 98 degrees. Veritable wintertime in Iraq!
Anyway, the skies are clear this Monday morning and we have a busy morning preparing our Soldiers for the week ahead.
If you don't know, 30 June is the day that US Soldiers are to be out of the cities. So, we're "kicking out" all of our journalists for the occasion...sending them out to outlying BCTs to continue doing stories on Soldiers, units, and events. It should be quiet until next weekend for us.
"Rainy Days and Mondays" by the Carpenters.
"Monday Monday" by the (I think) Mamas and Papas.
I'm sure there are more, but I have things to do so I'll leave it at that.
It's another Monday here at the Media Operations Center at Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq. Mondays always start slow around here...the Soldiers do Physical Training on Monday so they don't get into the office until 0900. I'm here by 0800, after eating breakfast and walking the long walk from the DFAC to the MOC. It was hot again...after such a nice break yesterday.
I woke up Sunday morning and noticed the sunlight coming through my shades was a lovely color of orange. I've learned that orange means dust storm. When I went outside I was hit by the waves of dust in the air. Yuck! I had finally just gotten all the dust out of my CHU from the last dust storm. But I noticed that it was a few degrees cooler. When I walked by the thermometer it was only 98 degrees. Veritable wintertime in Iraq!
Anyway, the skies are clear this Monday morning and we have a busy morning preparing our Soldiers for the week ahead.
If you don't know, 30 June is the day that US Soldiers are to be out of the cities. So, we're "kicking out" all of our journalists for the occasion...sending them out to outlying BCTs to continue doing stories on Soldiers, units, and events. It should be quiet until next weekend for us.
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