Weekend 3 of 27 part 2

On fourth of July, at the palace, we had a Naturalization Ceremony where about 150 service members became US Citizens. The Vice President and Dr. Biden made a visit and participated in the event. My team was in charge of ensuring the event was set up and run smoothly, like any good protocol shop. I had the privilege of working with the awesome White House staffers and advon team trip planners who work really hard all over the world to make sure the President and the Vice President have successful trips.

Here is a link to an article about the ceremony: http://www.usf-iraq.com/news/headlines/troops-become-us-citizens-on-july-4

After the ceremony, I had to run to the dfac because the VP and Dr. Biden were going to be walking through, greeting folks, and sitting down for lunch. I set up Dr. Biden's lunch with some female service mebers. The entrance to the dfac on July 4th. Super-decorated.

Inside the dfac as the Biden's entered.

Me with Dr. Jill Biden.

I was standing in a crowd of people waiting to have my picture taken with the Vice President when he turned and looked at me and said, "Captain, can I have my picture taken with you?" I said, yes sir, of course and he took my iphone and handed it to a staffer and said, "Here, take a picture of the captain and me." He is so awesome.

Weekend 3 of 27 part 1

Fourth of July weekend was big for me so its in two parts.

First, I received the much anticipated package from my sister with the cakes she was baking for me in jars.

She also included frosting (yum), plates, napkins, and candles.

Aren't they so cute. The black forest chocolate was delish.

This weekend was also my first boxing match (attending obvi, not participating). The other folks in my office made some signs for our friend Cody who was boxing.

This is Casey, Kyle, Cody, Natalie, John, and me... my friends in the office... with Cody after he really embarassed his opponent. See, Cody is trained in MMA and is pretty awesome. He also has a pretty great mustache. These folks are all the same rank as me except Cody, he's a 1st Lt. Casey is in the Army, Cody is in the Marines, Kyle, Natalie, and John are all Navy.

A typical day on Camp Victory

Wake up: any where between 0430-0530

Work out: 0600-0700

Shower and get ready

Breakfast

to work by 0800

Yummy iced coffee from the dining facility (dfac) and in the case of this day, a major policy review with lots of compiling, formatting, printing, and tabbing.

Usually its about setting up conference rooms for meetings and planning for major events in the palace.

Meeting awesome people like Senator John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham (who claimed to be a SC fan despite the Clemson shirt he was wearing). The other folks in the picture work in my office.

I usually lunch with other folks from the office at the dfac and depending on the schedule sometimes eat dinner at my desk. In this case, I caught an episode of The Office on AFN (Armed Forces Network) while I was waiting for our nightly meetings preparing for the Vice President's trip for Fourth of July.

MSgt Bridges works on my team. She's hilarious and a real joy to work with. Here she accidentally printed one of her emails on our huge plotter we use to print posters and org charts. She provides lots of comic relief.

home between 7 and 8pm

skype with Bryan and other assorted family and friends

try to get to sleep around 9pm.

Weekend 2 of 27

dinner in the dining facility... watching that awesome World Cup game against Algeria where we scored in pretty much the last minute... this place erupted. It was pretty awesome. These are some guys from work, wlthough the two on the right have both gone home since this picture.

the view of the palace from the main road. the large t-walls on the right of the picture surround the gym. Every building (except the palace and the building around the lake) are surrounded by t-walls.

my very first package arrived on my 2nd or 3rd day here... from my dear mother-in-law.

first really dusty day. now, there is haze and then there is dust. we havent had a full on sand storm yet, but it'll come one day. the wire surrounds the wall of the palace fo you can't get it the water.

this is what the palace and the lake around look like first thing in the morning. the sand hasnt been kicked up yet, the sky is still blue and the sky reflects off the water, and with the palm trees, it almost looks like paradise... almost.

Weekend 1 of 27- Different shades of beige

The transient tents of Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar at 0300 in the morning. Got up to catch our 0900 flight to Baghdad.

Checking out of lodging and turning in our linen... 0400.

Everything here is beige. Even the sky... 0600

Me all buckled up and ready for the 3 and half hour flight to Baghdad on a lovely C-130... 0900

Other folks alseep on the C-130 with the baggage in the back.

The descent on this aircraft was totally nuts, exactly like a rollercoaster except you can't see whats going on out side the plane. I was literally holding on to my seat. Thanked the Lord when we landed on the ground.

After we landed, we in-processed with the air force folks at Sather Air Base which shares a flightline with Baghdad International Airport. Tom, the captain I replaced picked me up and we drove over to the Palace on the other side of Victory Base Complex to look around and meet folks. Jet lag was insane so I tried to make it through and have him start training me on stuff but my brain wasn't really working. I checked into my Containerized Housing Unit (CHU), my trailer, and fell fast asleep and pretty much worked and slept for the next few days to get myself on a schedule.

I'm here. It's hot. I miss home. But I know I have a purpose here.

0714 (Al Udeid time)

As of 7 am it was pure daylight and pure hot. After purchasing a converter (since I shipped mine ahead to baghdad) a couple of us set up camp at the Coffee Beanery for the wi-fi and air conditioning. We wait here at Al Udeid until we get a flight to our deployed locations. Could be tonight, could be whenever :)

0427 (Al Udeid time)

Flying into Al Udeid was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It was pitch black darkness for the longest time and then every so often we would see the oil refinery flames. Then all of a sudden the plane took a turn to the right and I could see the glow of a larger town up ahead. We past that town and turned right again. The darkness is split up be very long, very straight, and all alone two lane roads with lights that connect everything.

After we landed we processed through everything. The heat here is indescribable. People try to warn you how hot it is, but it is such a unique heat. Texas was hot... hot enough to have sweat rolling down my face. Florida is hot, but the Gulf breeze was always cool. South Dakota was hot in July with 105 degrees blowing in your face, but it was dry, like a furnace. Middle of the night in Qatar, 90 degrees. It hits you in the face the moment you get off the plane. Really, its not that you sweat from the heat, its that its so humid your body catches all of the moisture in the air and you feel soaked. Everytime I walk from an air conditioned building outside my glasses fog up :)

This picture is our group waiting for the bus to take us to lodging to get our linen and transient tent assignments. Since the sun was already rising, I decided to get to my tent, go eat breakfast (yummy omelette and yogurt), then I went and took a shower and brushed my teeth (ah, now I feel like a human again). Then it was off to find some wi-fi.