Happy Anniversary Carmen

Just wanted to give a nice big shout out to HQ6 AKA Carmen on our Anniversary, which was on the 27th but since I didn't get a chance to update the blog I figured better late than never! Wow hard to imagine it's been 23 years since we tied the knot and based on our calculations with us being apart this year it looks like we have been together on the 27th only 11 times out of the 23, mostly due to military maneuvers or Carmen spending the summers in Spain with the kids and her parents when the kids were a lot younger. And to think that when we married I told her that I was going to finish my three years active duty obligation and then do my time in the Reserves and get out, and that was a looong time ago when I was a butter bar. Look at the bright side I only have a couple more years left before I retire from the Army Reserves and then I guess no more excuses as to why we're not together for our anniversary! So Carmen just to remind you of what it's like to be with me here is a picture of us on our last weekend together before I shipped out to the box from Kansas!

Back to reality here in Iraq things are moving along regarding construction, with three buildings being worked on and us doing some design reviews on a couple more buildings. What is starting to get somewhat bothersome is the fact that there are now several parties trying to have their say into what is going on here and I feel like the poor native on one of the Tarzan movies that I vividly remember as a kid. Where they bend two palm trees and tie this guy up to both trees, and then they cut the rope and the trees swing back to their upright position and his body parts go flying in several different directions ouch!! A two star general back in the States wants a piece of the action, our construction guys in the IZ want a piece of the action, meanwhile I am trying to keep things lined up and moving forward. From the likes of it I will more than likely have to head down to the IZ soon to sit down with some the interested parties and sort out the designs and construction plans and get final buy in so I can move with a purpose and get these buildings renovated, built and equipped.

Training will be starting soon for the Iraqi's and the Aussies are doing a great job with constructing the classroom, developing the course instruction plans and training materials for the classes that they will be teaching. They have been a great help in getting things moving and doing lots of the leg work required to resolve issues and procure supplies and equipment.

One last item that makes me wonder why things in Iraq are so different than back home. Why is it that in our PX here (the largest one in Iraq) we can't buy a comb or some of the other needed items but the shelf next to the sundry items is loaded with condoms when General Order Number 1 prohibits us from having sex while we are stationed in this area of operations? Is something wrong with this picture? Or is it that since regulations prohibit me from running with my IPOD, the lack of background noise has forced me to begin pondering about some of the mysteries of life out here in the desert?

Things that make you go hmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Colonel