Friday, July 14, 2006

Bags are Packed!

My duffel bags are packed. I gave away the pink bike. I've sent the last of my emails here in Kuwait, and I am headed home!!!! It's been quite a year -- all 338 days of deployment. I've been to Iraq, Afghanistan, and here in Kuwait. It's been hot, hotest, and hotter!!! I've lived through the rainy season in Baghdad -- where we all had at least an inch of mud on the bottom of our boots. Couple the mud with the gravel from the places lucky enough to have anything other than mud -- and the boots turned into death traps -- because we would "skate" across floors with the rocks stuck in the bottom of our boots!

I'll try to continue posting and will continue to keep the name of The Desert Chief. Once a Chief lives through something like this -- it's a proud title!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!

The Desert Chief/Mom/Candy (whatever is appropriate to you!)

City of Ur, Iraq
















I was recently back in Iraq (for a short trip!) and visited the Ancient City of Ur. How fascinating. It's believed to be about 4300 years old, the oldest known form of civilization on earth. The large temple is the Ziggurat of Ur, which was built as a temple to the Moon God. The City is approximately 20% uncovered and it was done during during a 12 year period in the 1920s-1930s. Also at the site is the House of Abraham -- a house with 28 different rooms. The picture of me on the steps is half-way up the stairs of the Ziggurat. All of the city is made from bricks (made of sand and held together with tar) -- very interesting!!! It's hard to believe this country was once known as the "promised land". Makes you wonder what their prospective was like!

Afghanistan



About a month ago I was in Afghanistan. The Pat Tillman USO Center is right across the street from the Air Passenger Terminal. We spent a lot of time there (I travelled with two fellow team members) as it was pretty much the hub of Bagram. The country is absolutely beautiful -- gorgeous weather, breath-taking scenery -- how unfortunate it's riddled with bad dudes running through the mountainous terrain!