Last one from here... hopefully

I'm so happy about this particular post for several reasons. The title gives one of them away I'm sure. Yep, it's getting that time. Soon soon soon!!!!!

Second, I have no deaths to report from our team. Woohoo!! We've been kicking ass and staying safe. I love it. Not to downplay the others here. They are remembered and their families. But it's just awesome when our team can really do good stuff and nobody gets hurt for a change.

Third, I just survived another trip into the "weeds". We made a whirlwind trip around B'dad consisting of a MH-53J Pave Low helicopter with our own USAF folks. Of course it was dark and no photos. Sorry folks. Every ride we took either was dark or in an area where no cameras could be used. I did a few shots when I could safely and legally. Took another UH-60 ride. That was the roughest helicopter ride I've had since working in Southern Command. Nobody was shooting at us, (that I know of) it was the wind that was beating us down. Imagine a roller coaster coming off the track and you can imagine the sensation of riding in this thing. Oddly enough, I had a blast with it. I'm pretty sure I had a grin the whole time that swung from "Yeehaw!" to "Holy Shit!!"
Then we couldn't get a rotary ride back to where we were supposed to be so we ended up waiting it out with the USAF at the fixed wing terminal at BIAP (Baghdad International Airport). Waiting it out there, we ended up on a C-130, flew to Kuwait, then back to Iraq.
So you have the air travel story. While on the ground, we did a convoy that was pretty uneventful with one exception. We were escorting a couple of trucks when the load on one started shifting so we had to stop in a less-than-ideal location. The young man I had with me got a real kick out of having to pull security on the convoy outside while we fixed the load. 10 minutes, which is a lifetime in an unsecured area, and I was back behind the wheel and we were rolling.
I have to make a note here. While we were puling security we couldn't help but notice the Iraqi civilians driving by. The look of fear in their eyes. I can't imagine having to live like that. You have to keep in mind, they weren't scared of us so much as afraid to be around us while we were stopped. That was evidenced by the fact that when I could make eye contact, I would smile and usually get a smile back. A small wave, and they would wave back. Amazing. It's the same when were were driving, a smile and wave at the folks on the streets was almost always returned.

And all of this happened in 72 hours. What a good time. Now for the ironic part. During this trip, I got the only set of civilian clothes I have filthy, we were smelly and dirty as hell when we got back to our FOB to find that the showers are all closed as well as the laundry. Yippee!! And all the baby wipes that people had been sending to us, we had given most of them away to folks who travel out a lot. So, unless they turn on the showers and laundry soon, we are going to come home smelling like a bunch of goats. Man I love this lol!! You have to laugh at these things. Doesn't do any good to get angry or bitch and whine. That just gets everyone all down and who the hell wants to live like that? Suck it up and move on... that's what we do.

I feel like I'm leaving something out but this has to be enough for now.

New photos posted - http://picasaweb.google.com/drjones2005