Kelly Smith Weblog Aficionado: Just a guy vs. Life

New Year's Eve 2006..... Coming off of Saddam Hussein't execution yesterday, and the change of year tomorrow you would think I would be poised to do some serious blogging. Despite how poignant a reflection of what I was thinking at this moment could be in years to come, the bottom line is......I'm just too damn tired.

Mirror Pic for Christmas.... Well, my post a couple of days before Christmas kind of betrayed the Christmas blues that I was feeling despite the fact that I was trying to pull off the notion that I could have cared less about Christmas. I talked to my parents, my sisters, and my wife today. My kids were too engaged with Christmas presents at the time that I called, and on top of that I got pulled off the phone to take care of some things. I do feel pretty good, however. Today was a normal day in regard to having work, having deadlines, and having the constant threat of AIF. But all in all I feel good. It is Christmas. Nobody can take that from me, no matter how far from home I may be, the celebration of Jesus' birthday is something that kind of helps me focus while I am here so far away from home. Of course the AIF didn't take a break today, but they were a little more quiet than usual. We caught a 60mm earlier today, and I heard a few more explosions in the distance. I took a ...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... I would have to say that the title of this post is probably one of the most mendacious statements that I have purposefully made on this blog since I started. It really doesn't look like Christmas. This place looks like Tatooine with a monsoon season. It is cold now, sometimes dipping down into the 40's with overcast skies, and a perpetual misty rain coming down. When you have sand that has the consistency of powdered sugar coupled with rain, you have a complete mess. I went to chow the other night, and there were a bunch of Christmas decorations aroound, but I didn't get that Christmas feeling. They even had some members of the Army Band here playing Christmas songs, but I still didn't get the feeling. I feel like telling the big brass that coming up with something special for troops over in a combat zone is pointless. Just a gesture that only seeks to let us know how far from home, and how far away from a plac...

Well today sucks, but at least...... ....I got to talk to the wife and the kids today. But, things are very bad for me today. Not in the "war is hell, but the men are brave", sort of way. Just bad all around. I am sore from attempting to lift weights. I didn't leave the FOB today, I was stuck behind the desk doing tons of paperwork which is not my favorite thing to do, and I think I am getting a stomach bug. And do you know what is worse than that? The theme from "Welcome Back Kotter" keeps going around and around my head for some reason. I think I have discovered a torture tactic that we could use to get detainees to spill the beans on where weapons caches and terror cells are located. Duct tape them to a chair and play the theme music from sitcoms circa 1972 to 1979.

35..... Today seemed like any other day for a multitude of reasons. Generally on my birthday I am awakened to a warm whispering kiss on my ear from my wife. Then perhaps a rendition of Happy Birthday from my kids and maybe a dinner and a gift in the evening. None of those things are possible right now, given my present location. I am going on my 5th month of being away from all of those things that are familiar to me, and I have quite a long way to go before my life goes back to normal. Today is a day like any other, that consists of waking, shaving throwing on a uniform that has been worn a few days too many. Grabbing a quick breakfast and heading for the TOC to see whether the night before was uneventful, or uneventful for the patrols. It involves being simultaneously happy about non contact, and feeling guilty about wishing that there were more to be done. Today is a day, just like any other that I wish I were at home doing those things that at any other time I would find to be horr...

Is there hope for Iraq? I certainly hope so, for the sake of this little guy. People think of all Iraqi's wanting to kill us and maim us, but that isn't the case. The children come up to us in droves when we are on patrol, and they want #2 pencils or chocolate, (which they pronounce shock-uh-lot-uh ). This guy here says he wants to come to America. Maybe some day he can.

Daydreaming... I was daydreaming earlier today...about not being seperated from my wife. Actually about her being here with me. I imagine her living in the hootch with me, and giving me a kiss as I head out the door. She always reminds me of things when I leave in the morning, whether it is something about an errand, or something we need to do together. I imagine her saying to me... "Babe, if you patrol today, make sure and put in your Side SAPI plates, I know they're uncomfortable but it makes me feel better when you wear them. Hey! Also you need to put some fresh batteries in your night vision goggles." Then she would hand me my coffee tumbler and give me a kiss before I headed out the door. I thought about it so much I decided to photoshop her into my day. Check it out....Photoshop...hee hee.

Veteran's Day: I am feeling so conflicted.... This veteran's day, I am going to ask for the same thing that I asked for last year. Just a little bit of unity among the American People. Just a moment to reflect upon our military, and the great things that the military has accomplished over the years. Today is the birthday of the United States Marine Corps, and there are celebrations and memorials going on all over the country. Today I understand that a Marine Lance Corporal has been posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. That is truly a momentous day....a day for all of us to reflect, and perhaps Veteran's Day is further given it's just due because our military is currently deployed in all corners of the world. I read today that Al Quaeda is saying that their "mission" is going much better than they anticipated, and that they were "mobilizing" 12,000 members for more evil doing. They also called President Bush the "Most stup...

Home is where the heart is..... Somehow the realization that I am going to be away from home for an extended amount of time is just now hitting me. I am used to the long hours at this point, but every time I talk to my wife and kids or any other members of my family on the phone, I end up wanting "more". The fact that I am roughly 6700 miles away from home is kind of staggering. There are so many things that I want to do back at home, but none are possible now. The mission is going well...nobody hurt thus far, but still I would give anything for my normal life.

I went to Mass today.... I went to mass today in a small building that sits upon a Peninsula out on blue-green water in a lake in part of Saddam Hussein's old palace complex. Quite a mouthful, yet the sight that I saw was breathtaking. the entire back wall of the building has a huge glass where you can see the water. The sun was hitting on the water and it was one of the most beautiful scenes that I can remember for a long time. The homily was about how we should not promote ourselves above others. We should not step into the spotlight solely for the purpose of self-promotion or self-gain. I took this to heart, and I prayed about that....as well as prayed for the health, benefit, and welfare of my family. Luckily today was a calm day today. It is a strong contrast to how things have been for the past week. Church really made me feel a lot better today. God made me feel better today. God knows I needed him today. He offered himself to me yesterday in the form of my daughter writing...

Finally Here.... Well, I am finally here at my post. Not quite moved into my hootch where I will spend the next year, but I am at my post nonetheless. The facilities available are much nicer than what I was expecting, but they are not a consolation to the fact that I will not see my wife and kids for at least another five or six months. As soon as I get a camera I am going to post the pictures of my area that I am allowed to post. I heard a couple of mortar rounds impact nearby last night, and I heard sporadic small arms fire....kind of a sobering welcome to the new area. I guess they don't call it Slayer for nothing.

More bad news... Well, at this point I found out that I will be in this place longer than what I expected before I head to my assigned post up North.. The moral level of those of us who have yet to muster is beginning to dip low. There is only so much chow you can eat, DVD's you can watch, and weights you can lift before you become painfully aware of the cyclical monotony that you are trapped in. On top of that, a Junior Enlisted Soldier took it upon himself to adjust the air system in our tent and completely messed it up. I was awakened from a nap today by the sound of an NCO berating him. Aside from the loud voice that he used, there was an avalanche of profane invectives being heaped upon him as well. As I emerged from my nap, I realized that there was a sticky sheen of perspiration over my entire body. I was so hot and sweaty that my socks were moist despite the fact that I had removed my combat boots before I lay down. Most of the chew out session was over when I came ...

Smoked, Ripped and Chewed... In the military when a person is harshly scolded, or reprimanded they call it getting chewed out, or "getting their ass ripped". The final level of this stern evaluation is getting "smoked". Generally that happens to Junior Enlisted at the hands of an angry NCO. This includes pushups, situps, or some other exercise that makes the person NEVER want to run afoul of whoever is in charge of them at that particular time. Despite being an Officer, yours truly, Dkelsmith got (verbally)Smoked, and literally ripped and chewed....its been a long time since that has happened to me, but I think I welcomed the reality check. It went like this. I was making the long trudge from one side of this crappy Camp to the other in order to hit the chow hall before I went to the MWR. There was a group of 5 Junior Enlisted slightly to my left standing in a circle smoking. As I walked past one of them said, "Hey, what's up LT". I just said "Hey...

My strength and my weakness... The following Video is one that I shot right before I left MCS. It was supposed to be light-hearted, but something happened in the middle of it. So much for living up to the stereotypical hard-as-nails Soldier. But, then again, what kind of a person would not be emotional about leaving his family. Especially a family like mine. I suppose that some may wonder what the title of my post means. When I say my Strength and my Weakness, I am specifically referring to my family. Everything that I am, everything that I aspire to be, and everything that I will ever be flows from them. I wake up in the morning with my family being my purpose for being. All of my motivation, all of my pride, all of the perseverance I can ever muster is about them. They are my strength...however, at a time like this when I don't know when I will see them again I also realize that they are my biggest weakness. Without them I don't feel complete...I realize that I am n...

I'm Okay.... I just wanted everyone to know that I am doing okay. I am in an undisclosed location now, but I am doing well. I have limited internet access, but when I do get some I am going to post a video I shot before I left MCS Shelby. Take care everyone. Dkelsmith Last Beer before shipping.... We're not in Kansas anymore/it sucks here.....

So long, USA..... Just a few more hours stateside....then I will be flying out. The suck Factor at MOB Center Shelby is not so bad anymore. :-) Funny how that works....suck is all relative I suppose. I am going to try and leave a voice post on here before I leave. Take care USA!

Block Leave....... "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” The above passage is a quote from Marianne Williamson who is an acclaimed lecturer and author. The passage is particularly poignant to me in regard to how I am feeling about the next missi...

REPOST FROM 2 YEARS AGO. I feel the same way now as I did then.... Two years and counting... Today is September 11th, 2003. Most of us realize that this is the second anniversary of those horrific attacks that killed approximately 3,000 American citizens in New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Since that time, American Forces have swept across the Middle East, toppling tyrannical regimes and attempting to bring peace and order to the region. "The War on Terror". That seems to be the catch phrase that everyone uses to describe what many believe is protection against radical islamic extremists. However, we are not winning the war, not on terror at least. Yes, we did beat the Taliban, we crushed Saddam's best troops, and we have begun to round up lunatic after lunatic. However, we are still terrified. So much so that we question the sincerity of our government's efforts. We are terrified about money, terrified about how thin our Army is being stretched. We fear that today t...

ARTEP..... We are in the process of completing our ARTEP at Camp Shelby. This is the last thing that we have do to do before we are validated for our deployment to Iraq. I will be home on block leave for 10 days to see my wife and kids very soon. I can't wait until Wednesday. But, one thing that bothers me is the fact that I will have to say goodbye to them....again. I was only 19 during my last combat tour, and I had no wife, no kids, and no worries....besides my own that is. I look back on my military career, and I am content with what I have done over the course of my life, but I am cognizant of the stresses that this lifestyle has put on my wife, my kids, my marriage, and my family. Tomorrow will be five years to the day that all of this God-awful mess started. No matter what the cause for what put on this road, the point remains that there is no end in sight. I look at my OCS class, and we have people in almost every corner of the world. Oh well, why dwell on the dark ...

Ft. Hood, Texas. I will be going to Ft. Hood Texas tomorrow on TDY for some additional training before I go to Iraq. I am looking forward to getting the hell out of Camp Shelby for a little while. The VOQ( Visiting Officer Quarters) are filled up, so I will be staying in Killeen. It will be nice to sleep in a nice bed with with clean sheets, central air, and running water in the room. I will only be there for three days, but that is okay, it will be enough of a break for me. I have roughly twenty-four more days here before we get validated and I can go home on leave to see my family for the last time. I am looking forward to those nine days so I can reconnect with my wife and kids. I will also like the idea of not having a task to perform. I have not had a day off work since the 5th of July, and I am feeling the strain. More than the workload, the heat, and the ever-changing demands, the not knowing what is going to come next is the hardest part about this training. There are ...

Happy Birthday Alexandra!! My daughter Alexandra is turning four today. Unfortunately I cannot be there, just like I wasn't there when she turned three, or when she turned two. Fortunately I was there the day she was born, and on her first birthday. The Army has me missing out on a lot of things. I missed my wife's birthday this year, and I will miss it the next. I will miss Alexandra's fifth birthday, I will miss Devon and Robbie's birthdays this year. But, no matter what, the fact that I am thinking about them, and they are thinking of me will make it much easier.

Missing you..... Renee, I miss you so much, and I hate it when we argue. I am sorry for everything I did to keep the arguing going. Being without you and the kids is not easy. But, I know that you being there with the kids by yourself is very difficult, and perhaps I don't tell you that enough. I love you with all of my heart, and no matter what that will never change.

Resolute Drudgery..... Today is the first day of August, I have been with the Infantry battalion since the 27th of June, and I have been at Camp Shelby since the 5th of July. I think they make the train up site for deployment suck as much as possible so we will be ready to get to Baghdad. I actually went on a predeployment site survey to Iraq for a few days, and I can tell you that I actually enjoyed it. It was hot as hell, but it was quite a lot better than being in Mississippi. I was going to post a bunch of pictures of my trip to Iraq, but I am getting pressure from CPT Arthur who is pressuring me to let him get online to check his email. So, here is one picture. More to come later.

Say for instance... You are in a profession where excessive bouts of emotion are frowned upon, where crying is considered tantatmount to self-emasculation. After many years, you don't acknowledge cold, hunger, fear, or heat. You actually wish your fellow man the best, all the time cursing him for the posh and pampered lifestyle he lives....you are not weak, and you will not cry under any circumstance.....that is of course until you get a pass before you go out for unit validation, and your second grader has written you this note.....

The Thought Police: a necessary function for our safety? Please take a look at this video and tell me what you think. When I saw this, obviously I was shocked, but even more than that, I started trying to frame my thoughts into the context of what I do for a living. Obviously in this country people have a right to express their opinion on everything that goes on. I am happy we don't live in a police state where so many things are censored and forbidden. However, I don't think that we should overlook people like this, the "Miami 7", or any other nutcases out there that are Anti-American. I don't believe that the United States has done everything properly over the years, but I do believe in the inherent "goodness" in America as a whole. So, should we kick the doors in of these people and haul them off to some austere prison complex for creating such a hateful and radical video? Certainly not, but I do think that they should be watched very closely, and...

One day and one half... I just woke up in my hotel room after a night of fun and good times with my wife at 4th Street Live. I glanced out the window, and realized that I was facing the sullen reality that I have today and tomorrow on leave, and that Tuesday means the end of my contact with my family for a great while. I have approached this time on leave with the solid intent of not concentrating on how much time I had left, but rather the quality of the time that I was using. Somehow, it just didn't work like I thought that it would. I have noted that these past two weeks have flown by, much quicker than any other two weeks that I have experienced in my life. If deployment were to go like this, the time wouldn't seem so unbearable. But, nonetheless I suppose that I need to get myself prepared for the inevitable. The reality is that my oldest son Devon who just finished the seventh grade will be starting his Freshman year of High School once I get back. Robbie who just ...

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Happy Birthday Mommie Essie! Today is my Grandmother's birthday. Unfortunately she passed away in November of 2004. She would have been 99. I remember so many things about those trips to visit her in Alabama. I can smell the familiar smells of her house, I never wanted to leave once I got there. Up until a certain age I would always cry when it was time to head back to Kentucky. She made the most delicious poundcake that I have ever tasted. She was so wonderful to me, and to all of our family. I woke up this morning and looked at my watch. When I saw that it was June 24th, I thought to myself. Hmm....today is Mommie Essie's birthday. Kind of sad, but she lived a long and wonderful life. What more could someone ask for?

On point.... I had to share these pictures here. This is my daughter clowning around with one of my sons toy guns. It is a tiny model M-4. Alexandra calls it an "M-Pour". Check out the stance and the finger outside of the trigger guard. Is this a daddy's girl or what? Here is a closer shot....

What do I fear? I have spent the last 10 days on leave enjoying the fact that I really didn't have to do a thing. Over and over, people have asked me what I felt about the mission that I am about to embark upon. Aside from not wanting to be away from my wife and children for an extended amount of time, I am somewhat ambivalent about the mission. This isn't my first one, and more than likely it will not be my last one. I do have to say that I was troubled by the guys from the 101st that were captured...the idea of being tortured is indeed frightening. I am not sure of the scope of the "desecration" that the reports indicated, but aside from the pain and the fear, I can imagine the overwhelming feeling of being alone was probably the most difficult thing. I could not imagine being in that situation...facing my own death at the hands of some torturing lunatic. I would not want my family to know that I had suffered like that. I wouldn't want them to imagine my last mo...

My girls... Just a few pics for no particular reason. The first picture is of Alexandra and Renee working in a coloring book. The second picture is of them standing in the kitchen, (sorry about the mess). The third picture is them on the back deck eating shrimp, (or shwimp as Alexandra pronounces it.)

Happy 231st Birthday to the U.S. Army! Happy Birthday to the greatest military fighting force that the world has ever known. I will be toasting tonight with dinner! I'll post a picture, it is a nice evening so I may have to eat on the deck tonight. Hooah! I am enjoying myself from now until the 27th. I am on Leave! Of course my decadence will be interrupted by having all four of my wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow. So, I may need to toast three or four times tonight. Hooah!

Jay Leno hosts Ann Coulter tonight.... Jay Leno will be hosting Ann Coulter on the Tonight Show this evening. Along with her will be comedian and raconteur George Carlin. Some people are saying that Jay will probably need referee stripes. I am sure that Carlin will draw first blood, because he is an anti-establishment sort of guy, but Coulter is no slouch. She has a scornfully derisive tone that knows no match on the right. I think she is even more harsh than Savage. Someone is probably going to get owned, but I wouldn't try and lay odds on either one...it will be a toss up tonight.

Joga Bonito Just some fun in the backyard.

Joga Bonito... The performance of the United States National Team against the Czech Republic was very disappointing, but I love the game no less. There have been some great matches thus far. Here is an excerpt from a match that was "close to home" today. Damn I love being on leave.

World Cup Play... The United States will beging World Cup competition on Monday against the Czech Republic. I think to our disadvantage, people are looking at the U.S. National Team as the 5th ranked team that made it to the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup. I think we have a much better team, but we are in a very difficult group. It is called the "group of Death". I think that there is a very good chance that despite having a great offense built around the skills of Landon Donovan that we could very well fare worse than what we did in 2002....despite having a better team. Watch and see.......

AIRSTRIKE KILLS AL-ZARQAWI I just wonder it this will escalate, or downsize the insurgent movement in Iraq? The reason I ask this is because often times when there is a loosely organized movement with a figurehead in charge, as is the case with the Iraq insurgency' it is very difficult to launch a "decapitation strike" with much success. Either, it wiil have no effect because he actually didn't have the command and control he boasted about, or it will escalate because people will start doing dumb shit in the "name of Sheik Al Zarquawi" or something inane like that. I am happy that Nick Berg has been avenged, but I wanted Zarquawi to be either shot with small arms fire, or captured. The lunatics will try and martyr him and boast about how "Soldiers could not get him, only big bombs." I mean come on, we saw the video, the guy's weapons craft sucked. **UPDATE** [From ABC News.com] Oil exports from Iraq have failed to return to pre-war level due to...

Army officer from Honolulu refuses to report for Iraq duty A fellow First Lieutenant has refused to deploy with his unit. Some people are cheering him by saying that he is refusing to take part of an "unjust" war. Other people are calling him a deserter. I simply call him a Blue Falcon. Any of you guys who are military out there will know what I am talking about. While some people feel like they have given up some of their rights when they raise their hands and swear into the Armed Forces, others feel as if they are afforded the luxury of not having to have an opinion. This guy joined the military after the initial Iraqi campaign began and knew what sort of world events were in place. He is due to ETS on December 3rd of this year, but no doubt he will be stop lossed because of the scheduled deployment. I am not sure if he is a deserter, or if he is anti-American, or even if he is a coward. All I do know is he is a shitty Officer. Any man who accepts a commission and refus...

Abasement... I wish I could say that I have been having horrible dreams, or that there was a deep foreboding about my upcoming deployment, but there is not. On the contrary, all of the things that trouble me are here. I just have a feeling that perhaps things are not as complete as they need to be. I have been working on continutity books and the hand off of many of my duties. I worry about the people that i am in command over, as I have no idea who my replacement will be. I have those same worries that a parent has when his kid is changing schools. Possibly there is such the feeling that nobody can do what I do, like I do it, and then again perhaps this is the way of me coming to grips with the fact that I am leaving. Perhaps I am clinging to everything here as if I am holding on for my very life. I brought a box into the office to clean out my desk about two weeks ago. During that span of time I have been unable to do much more than place a few pictures and coffee mugs into it. As mu...

Fourth Street Live Last weekend, Renee and I went to Fourth Street Live to hang out for a while. 4th Street Live is an effort that the city of Louisville has made to inject life into the downtown scene. It is located near the waterfront, and consists of several upscale bars, lounges, and restaurants all within about a 2 block area. We attended a First Friday's celebration at a club called "Felt", which is a very nice billiards room. Here is a picture of me, Renee, her friend Derita, and Renee's cousin Howard. I hope to go back at least once before I head to Iraq.

Operation Overlord: D-Day + 62 Years "Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death." -Gen. Omar Bradley- For some reason there seems to not be much press about the anniversary of the Normandy Invsion this year. I am not sure if it is because of the oh-so-scary, 6-6-06 date., the coverage of the volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, or the incessant political squabbling between the Democrats and the Republicans. If there were ever a time to honor the sacrifices of people who have been called "The Greatest Generation", then I say it is now. I say this especially given the world climate now. Since this event happed roughly 62 years ago, it is not hard to understand why the true warriors are the only ones living. The wars are calculated by skilled tacticians with many years of experience, but the deeds are done by every day people. Young people. Junior Enlisted, Junior NCO's, and Junior Officers. If you were 18 during the Normandy Invasion y...

Honor and Nail Polish.... [HONOR] The last few months have been quite hectic.....with all of my TDY, and my rapidly approaching deployment, my wife and I have had precious little time for ourselves. With her being in school full time as well as working, it seems as if we never get to do something just with one another. Even when I am not at Uncle Sam's beck and call, we have three children, two of which are actively engaged in sports. Generally, I don't have time to take my uniform off after I get off work because of endless errands, practices, games, and just about anything else that the typical married father of three goes through. About two weeks ago I had traffic school. It just happened that the night that I went happened to be one of the most beautiful days of the year. My class was from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. As I sulked through my 45 minutes of downtime before I needed to depart for class, I heard my wife talking to my oldest son. It turns out that he said he needed to go t...

G.I. KEL, A real American Hero..... Last night I went to Blockbuster to take a video game back for my son, and to pick up a movie. After I wandered around the store looking for something worthwhile, I headed to the counter. Like always, there was a long line and I found myself in the pleasant company of three Goth kids. As usual, I didn't feel like changing clothes after I got home so I still had my ACU's on. I noticed one of the kids, (two female, one male...although I had to study the male to discern his gender), kept looking at me and he was whispering something to this female companions. I purposely acted as if I didn't notice.... Suddenly the guy looks up and says.. "Hey man, are you in the Army?" I said, "Yes I am." He extended his hand and said, "Thanks man, I really appreciate it." (For a split second I felt guilty about thinking that he was up to no good.) He then said, "Man, you are a "Real American Hero"..."You...

What a dream... I'm not one of those people that believe in premonitions, tarot cards, or silly superstitions. The reason being, is that I have faith in God, and I have easily been able to recognize what he has shown me versus what has been on my mind and come forth in dreams. I had a funny dream last night that I had to get up and write about. I was walking in a huge file of Soldiers toward a group of UH-60's (Black Hawk Helicopters) with the blades turning. We would fill them up, and once one had about 7 or 8 Soldiers in it, it would take off vertically, (which you never really see except on the movies). A panic quickly seized me, I didn't want to get on, but it was too late to turn back. I tossed my ruck up to the Crew Chief and slung my weapon across my back as I boarded. He shouted over the engine and blade noise and said, "We're fitted for cargo, all the seats have been yanked, hope you don't mind, but it'll be a quick trip." I just shrugged and ...

I'm just a Roamin' Soldier... Three weeks in South Korea for a warfighter, another week stateside supporting a unit that is doing a trainup for a deployment, and finally a two week skills and evaluation session for me before I move out with the Grunts for my stint in Iraq. It seems like I am always on the go.I love what I do, and I am living my dream. I am doing the job that I wanted to do when I was a little boy. But, it does come at a price, there are so many things that I will miss.....

I must be out of my mind.... I am going TDY for yet another two weeks for a Small Arms Master Gunner Course before my deployment to Iraq. Unfortunately, the first day of this TDY trip is on Derby Day...My wife and some of her girlfriends are going out to a Derby Eve party. I took this photo in the living room. I have to hit the road early tomorrow, so I decided to stay at home, finish going over my packing list, and then I am going to hit the hay. I took a good look at my wife in this photo and thought to myself, "Man she is looking good..." And I sent her out without me. I must be nuts! :-) I suppose it was wrong to crop her friends out of the picture, here is the full photo that I edited. The girl in the white is named Derita and the girl in the back is named Nyra. The girl in the brown is named Renee, and she is mine! Here is a photo that my three year old daughter took tonight. She is actually a better photographer than her Mom.

Never mind the Homeland, is your home secure? Brian J. Doyle: All-American loser. Apparently the genius pictured above is the deputy press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. Kind of ironic that someone who works for the DHS is a severe threat to any home that happens to house pubescent girls. It seems that this genius thought it would be fun to initiate a conversation with a girl who he thought was a fourteen year old girl. Luckily for society-at-large, it was a sheriff's deputy who was baiting herself to be approached by pedophiles. Apparently this guy is 55 years old, and a divorced father. Just like a DUI charge, you are rarely caught on your first offense. There is no telling how many other children he has approached. Well, I would say that we are about to have a new GS level job opening at DHS. I realize that he is innocent until proven guilty, but this one looks bad. Here is an excerpt of the news story. Judd said that Doyle, in the first conversation, told th...

Conscientious Objector buried with full military honors.... Desmond Doss died Sunday in Piedmont Albama at the age of 87. Mr. Doss was a conscientious objector, the sort of person who usually was derided as a coward during the WWII era in which he served. He stuck to his convictions though, and refused to carry a weapon, and refused to take part in killing. Those were his convictions prior to his entrance into the military, and he maintained those standards during the war. You may ask, "What is the difference between this guy and anybody else who objects to taking part in violence?" The point is, Mr. Doss was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for wartime service during WWII. This excerpt from a CNN Story encapsulates the sort of man that he was. Medal of Honor Society records show he was among 3,442 recipients of the nation's highest military honor. While under fire on the island of Okinawa, Doss carried 75 wounded soldiers to the edge of a 400-foot cliff and...

Something about Michelle Malkin..... Do you know what I think about Michelle Malkin? Being a liberal sort of guy, my appraisal of Michelle Malkin is not much different than the average guy. I don't agree with her politics, her ideology, or her world view. I am not sure that I would be in diametric opposition to everything that she says, but we would probably disagree about a number of things. I don't think she is the scornfully derisive soul that Ann Coulter is. (Plus she has much better glamour shots on her page than Coulter.) But I tell you this much, I don't think about Michelle Malkin all of the time. Apparently someone does though. A person tracked her flight time, as well as her post times to "prove" that someone else does her posting for her. That may or may not be true, but I have to ask. "What difference does it make?" This sort of nitpicking on minor subjects is a signature maneuver that my party makes. When he could have been devot...

TDY is over...and so is Company Command.... Well, the TDY trip is over, no more smelly sewage, MRE's, or sleeping in the cold. However, this will more than likely be the last time I am at HHC, and it is the last time that I will be in command. The feeling is bittersweet, I am ceding company command, and going into a position with the BCT. Back to Iraq again...I suppose it was inevitable. Financially I feel good about everything, my wife is okay, my kids will be okay, but I am worried about how my mother will take things when I tell her about my upcoming deployment. The time here on the Peninsula is approximately 1105 HRS, and I will be heading out the door at 0400 HRS. I can't wait to get home and see my little ones. I can't wait home to see my wife either. It has been a looong 3 weeks. I know I will be jet-lagged as hell, but I can't wait to get there. As soon as I get home and can get these pictures developed off of this cheap-ass disposable camera, I will po...

I will pray for Abdul Rahman... Since I have been on this mission in Korea I have had less access to the internet than what I am accustomed. I got a chance to get on line a little while ago, and I happened across an article on CNN that talked about a born-Muslim who converted to Christianity approximately 16 years ago. He lived in Germany for a time, and converted then. It seems that his family turned him over to the authorities in Afghanistan because it is against the vaunted "sharia" law. The United States, Great Britain, and even the Pope have asked that this case be dropped out of respect for religous freedom. But, the Clerics in Afghanistan have demanded for this man to be executed unless he denies Christ and reverts to Islam. Now, don't get me wrong, I am all about respecting culture, and I do my best to not look at other customs and religions with an air of superiority, but in this instance I think it is time for Aghanistan to step out of the Dark Ages and show app...

Can you smelll-l-l-l-l-l- what the ROK is cookin'? Man, Korea stinks...and when I say stink, I mean funky. Since I stepped off the plane my olfactory senses have been assaulted with no mercy. Apparently a hot commodity in Korea is feces. When I did my initial site recon where my company will be, I noted that on the port-o-lets there was a sign that said, "Do not waste waste." No, they were not being redundant, they were simply letting us know that feces of all sorts, human, cow, pig, dog, or whatever is used as fertilizer. Anybody that knows me, knows what a keen sense of smell I have, consequently it makes me particularly sensitive to lets say....umm...pungent odors. I was taken to a restaurant by a gentleman by the name of Young Gap You who is a DOD contractor. Young was raised in the states, is an American Citizen, but has been living back in Korea for the last 5 years for work reasons. Anyway, we went to a restaurant, which was really cool by the way. It was j...

Korea Trip....Day 3 Well, I am into Day 3 of my trip, and I still have a few more until my unit gets here. Part of the problem of being advanced party is not knowing whether it is going to be "feast or famine" once you arrive. I am in waiting status to see what needs to be done before the rest of the Soldiers arrive. I will have a little bit of work to do tomorrow, but we shall see how that turns out. There were several plan changes today. Korea time, it is now 11:10 p.m. and I am trying to see how long I can stay up so that I can finally sleep all the way through the night. I just talked to my wife and my mother a little while ago, and they seem to be doing well. I have only been able to talk to my oldest, but I haven't been able to talk to my other two children. Got a little bad news yesterday, twice over, but all we can do is realize, react, realign, and respond as best we can. I didn't bring my digicam on this trip, because I thought that once we headed ou...

TDY South Korea.....Seoul..... I just got to my room about 15 minutes ago, my watch, which is still set on Eastern Standard time says 8:27 a.m. In reality, it is 10:27 p.m. here. I tried to send out a few emails to my wife, but I am not sure if my VPN is working correctly or not. I am hungry, and I am not sure whether or not I should make myself go to sleep or not. I am wide awake, but I have a peculiar "hangover" feeling. The flight was only 15 hours, but the total travel time is now hitting the 27th hour. Advanced party sucks....Hopefully I will be over jet lag by the time the rest of my unit gets here. I love you, Renee....I love you Devon...I love you Robbie....I love you Alexandra. Oh yes, I almost forgot. Happy Birthday to my big Sis! Gotta go...on a quest for food.

3:47 a.m.....Why am I awake? And I have actually been awake since acout a quarter after 2. My allergies are hammering me, and I don't feel sleepy at all. What's wrong with me?

Gordon Parks dead at 93... Gordon Parks, who I think of as the original "Renaissance Man" is dead. A person who made his way in life, originally as a laborer, piano player, and waiter ended up making a name for himself as a professional photographer with Vogue, and Life magazine. Imagine...buying a camera for about 6 bucks, and challenging the editors of vogue magazine to give you a shot. What was even more amazing than the "good eye" that he had, was the fact that he was able to convey a social commentary in his photographs for Life Magazine. His photographs of poverty-stricken people and places is a testament to his skill, and his ability to capture the gritty rawness of city life. He will truly be missed.

The Jordan legacy....continues. I got this video from the Volokh Conspiracy and he said it best. "I didn't think that a video about Michael Jordan could give me chills anymore....I was wrong." While I did get thrills thinking about this video, it kind of left me feeling wistful.....Jordan on the sidelines, never to fly again.

My Inner Captain... Get up Lieutenant! I find that I am in need of a lot of self-motivation lately because of some of the obstacles I am facing. The best way I motivate myself is to picture myself in the position that I want to be in, and I talk to myself as if I am already there, or as if I am "that person." I know, rather strange but it helps when things seem hopeless. If I deploy with the BCT, then I could perhaps make Captain within the year, but I have a lot of correspondence and physical conditioning to do before I would even attempt to put a promotion packet in. Some mornings when I am laying there, and I feel sooooo tired, I really want to just say, "to hell with it." But, I have to call on my inner Captain.... Inner Captain: "Get up Lieutenant." ME: "Go to hell..." Inner Captain: "Damnit! You are talking to a Captain, Soldier!" ME: "Go to hell...Sir?" Inner Captain: "Wrong freaking answer, you! Get out of that ra...