Ok so now(after a year back in the states) I am going to Afghanistan. I will leave out of Greenville, SC after a week of training there. I really don't know what to expect this time as I know no one over there. I am certain it will be much like Iraq, but still am not sure. I will be there as a Fire Protection Specialist. That is just a fancy term for Fire Inspector. I am getting anxious to get the year started and things are getting crazy trying to get everything finalized and ready to go. Hope you all come back to see more on my adventure. I will try to post more frequently than I managed to while in Iraq, but no promises. Until then...Stay safe.

Camp Liberty, Iraq......A year in review!

There have been so many things happen this year, both good and bad, that I don't know where to start. The last week alone has been filled with many joys and tragedies. I guess it would be best to start at the beginning.
The first step was quite possibly one of the hardest. Making the decision to get on the plane heading for Houston one year ago. This would be the time it set in that I would be leaving the most important thing in my life for a whole year. I had to leave Heather at the checkpoint with tears in both of our eyes, but we had both agreed that this journey would help make the life we wanted so much easier to obtain. After spending a week in Houston, it was back on a plane and off to Iraq.
When I landed in Baghdad mid May the temperature was already in the 100's during the heat of the day. It took several days to get used to a heat that the breeze couldn't even make feel a little bit more bearable. The wind felt like someone holding a blow dryer to your face! I was assigned to Camp Liberty Fire Station #1. Not only is this the HQ for all operations in Iraq, it is also the biggest base in Iraq.
As the year wore on, the responsibilities kept pouring in. Before I had even been on my first R&R, I was already in charge of all the training for the entire VBC. That is 4 sites, 6 stations, and about 70 firefighters. In late September I made my way home for my first vacation. I had a great time. Heather and I took a trip to Jacksonville Beach and just enjoyed each others company away from the fast paced lives we had been used to for the last 3 years.
When I returned from R&R, I not only got assigned a prevention program responsible for 39,000 inspections a year, but I was also put in a position as a company officer. Sleep became a figment of my imagination as there was always one more thing that needed done. I learned just how short tempered I really am and found my breaking point when it comes to stress. The 4 months between R&R's was a very long time. Finally, February rolled around and I got to take an amazing trip.
Heather and I met in Rome! I hadn't seen anything that amazingly beautiful for 4 months. We spent our first couple of days exploring, and getting lost in Rome. After that we hopped on a train to Venice. We spent two days there. Carnival was in full swing there and Heather absolutely loved it. Next it was another train ride to Florence. We spent a day there with Heather sneaking pictures inside a museum where pictures were strictly forbidden. After that, one more train ride back to Rome for the final day of our trip.
Shortly after returning from my second R&R, I officially got the promotion to Lieutenant. Unfortunately, with the title came more responsibilities. I was sent to run another station, returned just in time to prepare for a big inspection and somehow lose track of time. Now that the final few days are here, it feels like someone has tied an anchor to the clock. The minutes seem like hours and so on. I only have to make it through Saturday and then it will be on a plane out of here.
I am ready to go home, but at the same time, I am nervous about what that brings. Will I get a job? Will things be the way they were? Will my dog remember who I am? I will soon find the answers to these questions and so much more. There have been many good things come out of this year. Many things have been made possible by the decision to come here. But in the end, was it worth the year lost at home? I will soon find out!

April is almost here

One more full month left! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have been at South Victory now for 3 weeks. The change in scenery has been a nice break up to the same old thing. I get to go back to my regular station on Wednesday. That will begin the final 7 weeks until I get to come home. May 17th is getting closer and closer.
On a much happier note....I am an Uncle again!!??!!! Well sort of. Our good friends Stephanie and Jason gave birth to a beautiful baby girl Friday morning. Samantha is doing well and should be home today. I can't wait to meet her. Congratulations to the Smith family!
The weeks down here have been pretty uneventful. Just a nice relaxing time so not a lot of things to write about. I will try to post again soon.

It was over before I knew it!

First of all, let me say Italy was AMAZING. Heather and I had such a great time. I was so happy to get to spend time with her. We did many things while we were there. We started out spending 3 days in Rome. From there, we went to Venice where we spent 2 days. On to Florence from there for a day. Last, back to Rome for one last hoorah in Rome. There were plenty of sites to see. We saw the Colosseum, The Sistine Chapel, Spanish Steps, Vatican City, The Pantheon, San Marco Square, The David, and even took a gondola ride in Venice!
The food was also an experience. True Italian food is nothing like Olive Garden or Carabba's presents it. In some cases it was better, but it was in every case....different. I have, however discovered a new treat...Crepes! The are the most fantastic dessert choice in Italy. A must try.
Since my return to Baghdad after my all too short vacation; many interesting things have happened. My computer decided that it was fed up with all of the dust. I had to send it back home so it could be taken in to be fixed. So....no more talking on Skype! Shortly after I got back to the station, I was moved to a different site to run it. The station Captain there had to go home on medical leave and the Lieutenant is at home on R&R. So, here I am at South Victory running a station by myself. When I go back to my station, I will only have 6 weeks left until I come home! I am ready to get back.
I have been in contact with a department back home and it is looking like a good possibility that I can get a job there when I get home. Things are going to work out just fine!

Just a few days until Rome!

I am within a week of being out of here! I will leave the base and fly to Dubai next Monday! It is definitely time for a break. The time has gone a lot quicker this time, but I am really starting to miss Heather as the days get longer and move slower. This last week dragged by. I didn't think it was ever going to end and this one has started out the same. A few interesting things have happened this week that has made it at least a bearable place. We have began an "Activity of the Day". Yesterday was Stranger Rodeo. This is where you just at random jump on someone's back like you are going for a piggy back ride and try to hang on for 8 seconds while they try wildly to buck you off. The day was interesting and full of skinned knees! Other than that, nothing interesting happening here. Hope all is well for everybody. Talk to you all after I get back from Rome!

It is what it is!

Sorry Heather, I had to use your phrase. It has been one of those weeks. The kind when nothing seems to go right. We have a team here doing an audit to make sure as a company that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. This obviously has put everyone on edge. Heather had a bad couple of weeks at school. It makes it hard for me to stay over here (even though I have to) when I know she needs me there. I wish I could be there to do the little things for her to make her life at work and school easier.
On a little lighter note, I am finally through with all of my classes. I will officially be a Lieutenant on Feb. 15th. I have worked extremely hard for it and it will be nice to finally get it. I fly out of here in 3 weeks. Being out of here, even if only for 2 weeks will be nice. And I look forward to seeing my wife! It has been almost 4 months again. I cant wait to hold her. Soon!
Everything else is going alright I guess. The same old stuff. We have been busy with paperwork and other admin stuff. We took a few rounds the other night and had a few calls from that, but all in all pretty quite here in the 'Burbs of Baghdad. Hope everyone is doing ok and I look forward to hearing from you all.

Merry Christmas!

It is indeed that time of the year. Snow, Christmas tree, Lights, Presents, Hot chocolate, and my personal favorite....SAND! Christmas in Iraq. There is really no way to describe it. It has been a tough time on everyone. Most of the guys here are kinda down, Heather has been a little more emotional than usual, but we have all pulled together and I think all of us are going to make it out of this bit of a rut together. I have been able to feel at least a little bit like a part of everything. Heather has done well with calling and letting me talk to everyone and has also sent a few pictures and videos of various things to give me a little feel of home. She is the most amazing person in some of the simplest ways. I never knew how much receiving a card on a regular basis could really give you something to look forward to. On this holiday I have found myself getting out of the slump that I was in by looking at all I have to be thankful for. I have the most wonderful wife and family to support me and still include me from half way around the world. I would like to thank all of them for that.
Things have been crazy around here like usual. I have still been running the station here. I am looking forward to the break I am going to get when I start class next week. I will be in the final classes I need for my official promotion. I have 12 days of class. I am looking at it as a break from the hustle and bustle of the station.
We have also had a few special guests here on base this last week. On Thursday of last week, Kid Rock and Kelly Pickler were here for a concert. I got to go to that one. Wasn't that great but was at least something to do. Then on Saturday, Craig Morgan and Mark Wills were here in concert. We did not make it to that show, but we had a suprise visit at the station around 2:30am. A few of our good friends from the Military Police (Thanks Paul and Semko) brought Mark Wills by the station. He stayed and talked for about 15 minutes. Other than that, not a whole lot going on here now. Counting down the days until Rome (47 to be precise!) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Here it comes...the HARDEST time of my year!

It has been a hectic few weeks once again. I am now running the busiest bas in Iraq! I still have to do the inspections program but on top of all of that I not have to do the schedule, send up all reports to HQ on a daily basis, take care of making sure all personnel get in the vacation request and follow up on that...EVERYTHING! I stay busy which makes the days fly by. The only hard part is convincing myself to get out of bed every morning. After I get up..I'm fine.
It is that time of year....already. CHRISTMAS! The season already has me a litle down just because I am so far away from everyone. I wish I could be home to spend the holdiays with everyone especially Heather. She seems to be handling it so far. She seems a little down, but for the most part, she is doing well.
Heather and I are both getting excited about out upcoming trip to Rome! I can't wait to get out of here for a few days and I am looking forward to seeing Heather again. Only 58 more days until I fly out. That will be here before I know it.
Hope this finds everyone well! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I have been back from R&R a month now. I'm still not quite sure whch end is up. I have been so swamped with work. When I got back I had been taken off Training and put in charge of the Prevention(Inspections) program for the base. Sounds easy enough until you find out that as a base with 4 stations we do 39,000 inspections a year! I have finally gotten everything figured out and running smooth. So once again things are starting to slowly get back to normal. Heather and I have began to plan my second R&R. I will fly out on February 10th to Rome, Italy! Heather will join me a couple of days later and we will get to spend Valentine's day together in Europe. We are both very excited about this trip. The details are still in the making but the plane tickets have been bought! Last but not least, after 3 years of absence from the two wheel scene...Heather finally let me buy a motorcycle! As of today, I have ordered a 2009 Harley Davidson Night Train. It will be sent to a dealership in Georgia and ready for me to pick up when I get home in May. Today is officially the start of my second half over here. Just 179 more days to go and I will be back home to see everyone and enjoy my new toy!

Back in the 'Burbs of Baghdad!

Im back in Iraq. I am finally getting back into the swing of things over here. Jet lag is a real pain in the butt. It has taken a few days more than expected this time to get used to the time difference! My vacation at home was awesome. Heather and I even got to spend a few days at Jacksonville Beach. When I got back here, I was assigned a new job. I am now in charge of inspections for the base. It is a very time consuming and frustrating job. I have to schedule all of the inspections, check all the paperwork, and make sure everything is done correctly for 39,000 inspections a year. I am even busier now than I was before on training. I started a new class on Wednesday. I am in to get my Fire Inspector II certification. It is a very boring and redundant class, but it is another certification to add to my resume'. I will be out of class tomorrow and back on the truck. When I got back our crew and station had been totally revamped. Our Heavy Rescue got moved to another one of our stations(more of the HAZMAT areas are in that stations area). The crew for that truck was also reassigned to that station. We now only have about 10 guys in this station designed to hold 24! It is much quieter and less crowded. My two good friends Cain and Whitt are both still here. We have a good time. I am just trying to focus on my job here and make it to my next R&R. Until then, it is all uphill!

Could someone restart time!!

I have tried to stay extremely busy these last few weeks, but time seems to be standing still. I have been in class for the last 5 days(Got put in Driver/Operator class at the last minute) but even with all of the assigned work it seems like Saturday is never going to get here. I guess I am just getting anxious about going home. I only have 4 more days to get through then I get to come home. We are still having fun and something is always going on here at the station. Most of us here get along really well and have a good time together. There are a few here that don't seem to have the team player mentality as they spend most of their time isolated, however with some of the things that we get into here it isn't at all suprising. Most normal people would want to crawl up in a ball and sit in a corner! What can I say, we are firefighters to begin with then put us in the middle of a war zone away from our families and this is what you get! Hope that everyone is doing well as I am doing much better. Even though I am anxious about coming home, the time spent here wasn't as hard as it used to be. Anyway, I will see some of you soon and talk to the rest of you in a few days!

I know, I know, It's been awhile!

It has been awhile since I have posted something new. But as they say...good things come to those who wait! Anyway, it has been extremely hectic around here since I last posted. I have been working 108 hours a week, trying to teach someone my job so it will get done while I'm home, and it is FINALS week!!!! I'm so busy right now I don't know which way is up! Other than that things are good here. We actually saw a little rain this week. And by a little I mean it sprinkled for about 10 minutes and was done. We all looked like idiots out standing staring up at the sky. What else, What else...? We had a pin pong tournament last week. That was a very interesting afternoon. We had a full bracket system to map out the matches. In the end, combined we played 25 matches and crowned one champion. Unfortunately...wasn't me. Some of these guys are good. Maybe next time. We made some good friends last week and acquired some new ballistic vests. Now instead of wearing ones that look like police issue from the states, we actually have military style kevlar. Hopefully, we never actually need it but it is noce to know it is there. My new attitude has been working out great for me. I haven't really had a bad day since. Days go by so much faster and easier when you have a positive outlook on things. I am really looking forward to coming home. I only have 2 weeks left! I think Heather is starting to get a little anxious for me to be home as well. We don't really have any plans, just spending time with her. The picture is a few of us acting like fools..Imagine that! It was taken at one of three fire extinguisher classes I taught to the employees at the PX, some of which were Iraqi citizens. I had a blast that day! That is about all I can think of for now...I am sure though I am leaving something out. Oh well, there is always next time. Until then, stay safe and see you soon!

It is all in perspective

I find it amazing how things can look so different when someone shows you a new way of seeing things. I was having a hard time...AGAIN...and was complaining to a couple of absolutely amazing women. After hearing what they had to say and really taking what the said to heart I have really seen things in a new light. Being here isn't as bad as I had made it out to be. So, now armed with my new outlook on my experience, here is how it is. I am finally out of dispatch. Come to find out the sun really does still exist. I am going back to the gym or a regular basis and feel so much better. I only have 37 more days until I get to come home for a break. Life is Good!! Once again I would like to thank those two fantastic ladies. You two know who you are!! See you all in just a few weeks.

On the Downhill Side!!

Only 5 more days in dispatch then back on the truck. FINALLY. My time in dispatch hasn't been bad. I have gotten alot of stuff accomplished. I have plenty of time to work on my reports here as well as keep ahead of schedule in my classes. I also have gotten to talk to Heather alot becuase I am actually up when she is. Next week when I get out of here I will be up, for the most part, while she is either asleep or at work. Oh well. I only have 45 more days until I get to go home anyway. I am really looking forward to getting back home at least for a few days. It will be hard getting back on a plane knowing exactly what I am coming back to and what I will be leaving behind AGAIN. I will cross that bridge when I get there. For now I am going to stay positive. Can't wait to get home and see some of you. Talk to you all soon!

Do you know the Muffin Man???

I have finally met the illusive Muffin Man. He lives in Baghdad. There are definitely some interesting people here and they make it a little more bearable. Last week was rough for me, but this week is looking much better. I have gotten caught up on everything and feel a little less stressed. I still would rather be home, but here is livable for now. Thanks to everyone for writing. It really helped a lot to hear from all of you back home. I plan to get around and see most everyone when I get back on my R&R. It is only 56 days away. I am really looking forward to it. I've got two more weeks in dispatch then finally back on a rig. I look forward to getting back on the truck as night dispatch here is completely ridiculous. Hardly any calls, everyone else is in bed while I am at work, then everyone is awake and loud while I try to sleep. Oh well I only have two more weeks in here then no more dispatch the rest of the time I am here. Talk to you all soon!!

Thought things were getting better....WRONG

Things just keep getting worse. I have so many responsibilities and just keep getting more. I can't catch up. I have no time for it and on top of that I really don't want to be here. I want to come home so bad that I can barely stand it. I know deep down that I need to stay for several reasons, but I have no desire to be here. I am going to stay because I have signed a contract and have an obligation to stay but it is definitely a hard thing to do. Any emails and phonecalls would be greatly appreciated as I miss everything about being home!!

Half way to my first R&R

I am finally on the downhill side of my first leg over here. I get to go home on September 27th. I am really looking forward to getting home and spending time with Heather and Teddy. I am staying really busy and didn't have a lot of time to worry about home until this last week. I have started my month rotation in dispatch and I got night shift. It gets lonely around here with no one to talk to. I have gotten to catch up on a few things though. I am current with Rescue Me and even ahead of schedule for my classes. I found out today that I passed Fire Inspector 1. Not much has happened around here the last few weeks other than the guys here being complete idiots. We have found interesting ways to keep ourselves occupied in the absence of calls and actual fire department things to do. That is about all I have for now. I will try to get better again about more current updates. See you all soon!!

Things are going better now!

These last couple of weeks have been a real rollercoaster for me. I have went through all emotions that you could imagine. I have missed home, hated here, loved being here, and not sure what to do about it. After talking to Heather and really discussing it with her, it is all better now. She is awesome! From half a world away she knows exactly what I need to hear to keep going. So now that I have found my "Big Boy Pants" I'm doing much better. We had another big fire at the landfill where I got extremely dehydrated. A few other things have happened over the last few weeks but because of OPSEC can't be discussed. Anyway, things are looking up here in the Burbs of Baghdad and I am looking forward to the next few weeks. There will be alot of things to tell about in the near future.

Where did the week go??!!??

This week has gone by very quickly. We started out the week with a training drill at our on-site training facility. Since then, I have spent the rest of my daytime hours in Inspector 1 class this week. After class, we have been going out and doing inspections, as well as our other daily routine. All of that with study time in the evenings and time has just disappeared. As far as the crew, We have all really gotten comfortable with each other. We had a cookout for Father's Day here at the station. There were also some military personnel that came. We had a good time. Not a whole lot exciting this week, but definately not a down moment in sight this week. All is well and going good here at Victory.

My First Fire in Iraq

We had our first fire since I have been here this last week. It was on June 4. Our whole engine crew was actually at the gym working out when the call came out. When we stepped outside, the smoke was very black and heavy. We found out on the way that the fire was at an MRAP(armored personnel carrier) yard. The fire had caught several pallets of stuff on fire as well as a few tanks of JP-8 fuel. Needless to say if the 120 degree ambient aire temp didn't make it bad enough, the fuel did the rest. We spent about 4 hours out there. Other than that, the week was very uneventful. I am being trained to take over as the Base Training Officer here at Camp Liberty. I will be responsible for diseminating the training material that comes from HQ to all of the stations here on the base. I will also be responsible for making sure all of the data is sent back to HQ after the training has been done. It is a handful trying to keep up with 4 stations and about 70 firefighters. Inspections is also another big task here every day. And of course, there is always alot of paperwork to be done. That is about all for this week. Oh, in the pictuer, I am the third from the left. Hopefully I will have more by the end of the week.