My apologies for the lack of recent posts but I’ve been quite busy since I left the States.
My first stop was Kuwait where we received more training in weapons and convoy operations. Also, it was time to acclimatize to desert conditions. While South Carolina was oppressively hot, especially with normal Southern humidity, the desert is an entirely different experience. During our time in Kuwait it was 120 degrees but no humidity which wasn’t too bad at first. However, when the wind blew, it was hot too, and so it was like walking in a convection oven. On top of that, during our training we were wearing our full complement of gear so instead of just being uncomfortable, we were often outright miserable. I do need to add, the training was top-notch! We learned more varsity level tactics and procedures than we had
in South Carolina and the emphasis in Kuwait was much more real-world focused than we’d had before.
My favorite part of the training in Kuwait was the convoy training. When I was a kid, there was a TV show called “Rat Patrol” about a Special Forces unit operating in the desert during World War II. The team would drive around like mad in their jeeps conducting their operations. When my dad would play golf, he would sometimes let me drive the golf cart and he always said I drove it just like the soldiers in “Rat Patrol” (meaning I drove toward every hill and obstacle at full speed like a maniac). Well, I got to enjoy real-life “Rat Patrol” in the desert – it was a blast!
I was a truck commander and our truck’s mission was to provide security for the other trucks in the convoy. At the first sign of any threat we got to go racing off road into the desert and close in on our target. Keeping in mind the seriousness of the training, it was still a great time!
I finally arrived in Baghdad last Sunday and am going through the final week of training before moving to my ultimate assignment. It looks like I will be with a Stryker unit here in Baghdad. The Stryker is a light, eight wheeled armored vehicle that carries an infantry squad into combat. From what I hear the Stryker guys are a great group of soldiers and I should really enjoy my assignment. Also, once training is complete, hopefully I’ll be finished with tent living and will finally get some place a little more permanent to call my own. But, as with many things in the military, it isn’t true until it happens!
The base here is huge with constant activity. An interesting thing for me is the contrasts. Here we are with a base built around an area where Saddam Hussein had his palaces (as a matter of fact one of his palaces is the headquarters) and nearby is a PX with Taco Bell and Cinnebon trailers. There is a sign near the PX that says, “No ID card, No Weapon, No Ammunition – No Admittance!” We are actually required to be armed wherever we go including shopping and eating. In the evenings we can wear our work-out gear around, but I still have my pistol strapped to my leg. Vehicles of all sorts, from tanks to armored personnel carriers to Humvees to armored semi trucks are always driving around going here, there, and everywhere. And, while there are military folks as you’d expect, there seem to be just as many civilian contractors doing everything from working the PX to cooking our food (the civilians are easy to spot – they don’t have guns!)
Well, I think that brings me up to date. Hopefully I’ll be able to be a little more routine with posts now that my traveling has stopped. I have no real idea what “normal” days will be like but I am sure I’ll be busy which should hopefully make the time go by faster. I appreciate all of the well-wishes and prayers; please keep them coming and make sure you include prayers for the 20-year-old corporals who are doing the dangerous work over here.
Cheers, Pearl
