"Sorry I have been kinda MIA recently. They have posted us on 16 hour mandatory work days. We really don't have any free time!
-W"
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Induction
Yesterday we inducted over 100 pieces of gear. A typical day is around 20-30. Inducting gear consists verifying all of their paperwork is correct, and filling out more paperwork, as well as logging the gear into the shop. You have to love grunt units. They turned in 37 pieces of the same type of radio. A little motorola hand radio. Apparently they are not desert proof. When asked "How do you break 37 pieces of the same gear?" The response was "Easy, you line them all up and then run over them with a Humvee.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Tired
I've heard from Will and things are getting up and running in his new job. Right now he's still getting acclimated to all of these changes.
He's been super busy and worn out. It sounded like his days have been a blur between WORK, meals, and sleep with work taking up a good 12 or more hours a day - 7 days a week. He hasn't had much of a chance to do anything other than those three things.
Evidently a common thing is getting sick when you first arrive. Your body needs to adjust to the foreign country just as if you were traveling. Different things in the food or water than what you are used to. At the moment, it sounds like that is his hurdle he's facing.
MotoMails have been arriving to him at the address, so I'm glad that system is up and working. He says they arrive sorta like bills. You rip off the three sides, and get the letter/email printed for you inside.
He also passed along this URL:
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/90398464FCA173998525734F00454E64?opendocument
He's been super busy and worn out. It sounded like his days have been a blur between WORK, meals, and sleep with work taking up a good 12 or more hours a day - 7 days a week. He hasn't had much of a chance to do anything other than those three things.
Evidently a common thing is getting sick when you first arrive. Your body needs to adjust to the foreign country just as if you were traveling. Different things in the food or water than what you are used to. At the moment, it sounds like that is his hurdle he's facing.
MotoMails have been arriving to him at the address, so I'm glad that system is up and working. He says they arrive sorta like bills. You rip off the three sides, and get the letter/email printed for you inside.
He also passed along this URL:
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/90398464FCA173998525734F00454E64?opendocument
Monday, September 3, 2007
Arrived and How to Communicate
Will is now officially at his 'home' in Iraq for the next 7 or so months. He was able to call on Saturday and say he was there. He says the chow hall had a wide variety and was happy to see things from home like "Coke" were available. He is very grateful for the kindness of CEC for the phone cards. They work perfectly and certainly help as a morale boost.
I have moved forward with trying out a few communication techniques. I want to get a feel of the different types so I could answer or help anyone else with questions. Check out the post early on this blog about "Investigating communication" for specific details about these avenues.
First I called the post office and requested the Military Care package set. That was super easy. About half a week later a big box appeared with great supplies in it. They shipped me 6 boxes (of 3 flat rate sizes), a role of tape, customs forms, address stickers, and the baggies for everything. I have completed my first box which will go out tomorrow morning. From the address link on the side bar, I've linked to an example of how to fill out the customs form. It was VERY helpful to me, since this is all new to me. From what I understand it should be $8 and some change to ship this package. I've read that you should not mix food and hygiene style products in one box. So the box I'm sending has no food, but other goodies that can be useful. I will try my best to send them about once a month, so if you want something to go in one let me know ;).
Next up, I've also tried MotoMail. I think I really like it, and once it is confirmed that all went as planned with it, I think I'd recommend it to anyone fairly computer savvy who would like to send letters or notes to our troops. MotoMail is a hybrid email / letter provider for the troops. We write into the system similar to an email, then it is printed at his base and handed to him like a letter. I've written one and it appears it was printed for delivery 14 hours after I wrote it. Not too bad of a deal. It stepped me through the process for setting up his address in the system. If this first test one went well, I plan to send these on a fairly regular basis. Maybe to tell him what I've been up to that day or any little tidbits from home. They are super easy and hopefully if it all went well a great way of adding a regular taste of home.
I have moved forward with trying out a few communication techniques. I want to get a feel of the different types so I could answer or help anyone else with questions. Check out the post early on this blog about "Investigating communication" for specific details about these avenues.
First I called the post office and requested the Military Care package set. That was super easy. About half a week later a big box appeared with great supplies in it. They shipped me 6 boxes (of 3 flat rate sizes), a role of tape, customs forms, address stickers, and the baggies for everything. I have completed my first box which will go out tomorrow morning. From the address link on the side bar, I've linked to an example of how to fill out the customs form. It was VERY helpful to me, since this is all new to me. From what I understand it should be $8 and some change to ship this package. I've read that you should not mix food and hygiene style products in one box. So the box I'm sending has no food, but other goodies that can be useful. I will try my best to send them about once a month, so if you want something to go in one let me know ;).
Next up, I've also tried MotoMail. I think I really like it, and once it is confirmed that all went as planned with it, I think I'd recommend it to anyone fairly computer savvy who would like to send letters or notes to our troops. MotoMail is a hybrid email / letter provider for the troops. We write into the system similar to an email, then it is printed at his base and handed to him like a letter. I've written one and it appears it was printed for delivery 14 hours after I wrote it. Not too bad of a deal. It stepped me through the process for setting up his address in the system. If this first test one went well, I plan to send these on a fairly regular basis. Maybe to tell him what I've been up to that day or any little tidbits from home. They are super easy and hopefully if it all went well a great way of adding a regular taste of home.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Kuwait
"Hi,
so we are in Kuwait for a few days here. Oh man is it hot. It feels like an oven. When we landed yesterday it was about 125 on the tarmac. Dry heat lol ok, its still hot. Oh did I mention the A/c in our living area went out this morning. Wooo its hot in there. Not bad though I walked to the USO center here when they opened and waited an hour for a computer. Its very slow! I saw the blog comments and the blog picture. The breakfast chow was very good, but this is mainly an army base. I hope everything is going good back in the states :)
- Will"
Also - I edited the last post after it had been emailed. If you haven't seen the great picture that the Maine Troop Greeters took - stop by and check it out. www.WillinIraq.blogspot.com
so we are in Kuwait for a few days here. Oh man is it hot. It feels like an oven. When we landed yesterday it was about 125 on the tarmac. Dry heat lol ok, its still hot. Oh did I mention the A/c in our living area went out this morning. Wooo its hot in there. Not bad though I walked to the USO center here when they opened and waited an hour for a computer. Its very slow! I saw the blog comments and the blog picture. The breakfast chow was very good, but this is mainly an army base. I hope everything is going good back in the states :)
- Will"
Also - I edited the last post after it had been emailed. If you haven't seen the great picture that the Maine Troop Greeters took - stop by and check it out. www.WillinIraq.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
... and he has left for war
Well reality finally hit hard today. Today was the day where a new phase begins. Will has boarded the plane and left American soil. Will described it best with "Surreal". It's crazy to think that life can change so much with a flight. The blog will be updated as soon as we know he's safe and settled at his base. It could be a bit of time, so we all will need to sit tight and be patient.
I'm so grateful for the Maine Troop Greeters. Big thanks!!! They are a volunteer based group that makes sure they hug all the troops coming and going. Will was able to drop a quick call from one of their available cell phones. Here's an article about them and the wonderful part they play in the deployments of our troops.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0124/p01s01-usmi.html
Good chance they got a photo which should be posted soon at http://mainetroopgreeters.smugmug.com/Troop%20Pictures%20by%20Month/357893
I'll post the photo if I can find him!
*** Edit - Robin found the best picture ever!!! Here's the URL for it if I doesn't show up. http://mainetroopgreeters.smugmug.com/gallery/3391495#189577122
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Field Day
Finally a Field Day like most people across the country think of field day! After playing soccer for 2.5 hours we get the rest of the day off to start packing our gear and mailing stuff home. They tell us we leave sometime in the next week! Everyone here is ready to kick this thing off, and get over to Iraq and fix some electronic gear!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Training before war
Schedule of events leading to a cycle of training:
1630: Training might happen tomorrow, Stand by
1633: Training will happen tomorrow, time to be determined, Stand by
1645: Training will start @ 5:15 tomorrow morning be there
-----------------------------------------------------
0420: Get up shower, find gear needed for training
0450: Meet with rest of platoon for morning accountability
0500: Move off to rally point
0515: Wait at rally point for 7-ton trucks to transport
1030: Trucks finally show up
1045: Arrive at armory, no weapons available, Call important people, they cancel.
Rinse Repeat for tomorrow
1630: Training might happen tomorrow, Stand by
1633: Training will happen tomorrow, time to be determined, Stand by
1645: Training will start @ 5:15 tomorrow morning be there
-----------------------------------------------------
0420: Get up shower, find gear needed for training
0450: Meet with rest of platoon for morning accountability
0500: Move off to rally point
0515: Wait at rally point for 7-ton trucks to transport
1030: Trucks finally show up
1045: Arrive at armory, no weapons available, Call important people, they cancel.
Rinse Repeat for tomorrow
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
6 Flags
While on pre-deployment block leave Carolyn and I went to 6-Flags in IL. A very cool place. One thing that struck me as humorous was as I was walking in the park I had to pass through a metal detector. What seemed rather twisted in that bizarre kind of way was the person monitoring the metal detector was of Middle Eastern descent. He had a very thick accent and it was obvious he recently had immigrated to the states. How funny, in prolly a month the roles will be reversed. Yet, he is guarding our theme parks, which are capitalism at its finest ($3.50 for a 20 oz. coke out of a machine anyone?), while I will be guarding his country (I'm going with he was Iraqi here for sake of argument) making sure no one blows it up.
I finished reading Colby Buzzell's book "My War Killing Time in Iraq". Colby was a 240 gunner back in 03-04 in Iraq. His mission was to "punish the deserving". We Marines would have called it "go get some". Its a very quick read for those interested in an honest outlook on military life. A lot of the observations are cross-branch for the military. OK, I am not going to shamelessly plug his book anymore because well he's making good money off of it now, and he had a way cooler blog than I do ;)
(Jim, if you read this, I know I have violated about a dozen grammer/punctuation rules but I'm tired )
-W
I finished reading Colby Buzzell's book "My War Killing Time in Iraq". Colby was a 240 gunner back in 03-04 in Iraq. His mission was to "punish the deserving". We Marines would have called it "go get some". Its a very quick read for those interested in an honest outlook on military life. A lot of the observations are cross-branch for the military. OK, I am not going to shamelessly plug his book anymore because well he's making good money off of it now, and he had a way cooler blog than I do ;)
(Jim, if you read this, I know I have violated about a dozen grammer/punctuation rules but I'm tired )
-W
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
