All is quiet...

I know its been a week since I’ve written. I wish I could say that it’s because I’ve been so busy…but I haven’t. The truth is there have been no riots at the prison, no mortars inside the wire, no escapes, no extremely cool missions…really nothing out of the ordinary. I guess you can say it’s been just a quiet week in the desert. Well, as quiet as the desert gets.

My first week here I was irritated that someone was banging loudly on my neighbors door in the middle of the night. I live in what is basically a miniature mobile home, while a lot of the folks are stuck in tents…without doors. Anyway, one of my neighbors is an intelligence officer, and I assumed someone had an important update for him. I decided whoever the messenger was, he must have been an infantry guy because he knocked loudly and in quick succession, like the machine guns they so often fire. It took that first week for me to realize that it wasn’t someone knocking…it really was a machine gun. Can you believe it took me a week to figure that out? What can I say, I’m used to be stationed far from the action and flying in to do my thing…then flying home.

These guys go out and drive the perimeter of our camp every night. These small tactical units get on gun trucks and circle around while I sleep. As I talk with them about their experience they act as if it’s no big deal. I’ve spent most of my life surrounded by guys who do things most of us would think is crazy or scary, but rarely do I cross paths with people who do it knowing so little about what they are up against. They may find no one…or one or two guys…or the may face an ambush. Still, every night they put on their 50-60 pounds of Kevlar, load their weapons, and head into the darkness. I guess we can say the same about the policemen and firemen at home, so I guess not all the brave men are over here.

I’m finally in the swing of things over here. Every few days I look at my watch and realize it’s 3 am or 5 am, and I’d better get some sleep if I’m going to be any good the next day. We have time to throw the football around every once in awhile, and we all have our meals together…so the guys are really starting to come together as a group. Mail call is our big event for the day. Just before lunch (post office closes at 11:30 am) we check to see if we received any letters or packages that day…and even if only one of us did, we all know we’ve scored because we share the bounty. Today I set the record by getting 4 packages in one day that had nothing to do with our business at hand (it’s always a let down to get a package only to find out it’s work related). Movies, magazines, CDs, chocolate…and my favorite was two batches of my sister Rita’s famous granola. The guys will have to continue to suck up if they want any of that!

We’ve had some extra time lately, so we’ve taken an enormous crate (8 feet tall, 8 feet wide, and 35 feet long) made of wood, and made it into our expeditionary lounge area. We’ve got a futon in there, and an old broken office chair, and we sit out there as nighttime cools the air enough to stand not being in an air conditioned space. We’ve lined the ceiling with some leftover Christmas lights, and turned it into the perfect place to sit and BS about whatever comes to mind.

Well, I’m sorry to say that there is nothing truly exciting to report…but I guess that is a good thing. Thanks to everyone for taking such good care of me and my guys while we’re over here. I hope you’re all enjoying the spring weather and getting out and doing all the things you promised yourself you would when the snow was finally gone. The days are flying by, so I’ll look forward to seeing you all in when I get back!

One last thing...congratulations to my nieces Molly and Casey, and their hubbies. Two new babies will join the clan this fall!!!

Take care, T.