August 14, 2006

What, you may ask, is important about this date? Well, as of this date, I have 40 days left on this deployment to Iraq. It was also 124 degrees outside this afternoon. The sun was out. I spent the day in court. I ate two meals and most important of all; I have 40 days left. I can see over the hill and will be looking at the bottom pretty soon.

The people coming to relieve me have a hard road to pave ahead of them. I certainly feel like we started melting the tar for them. The violence in other parts of Iraq have somewhat subsided. Baghdad, of course is another story. While I was in Mosul, the guys and girls of the 172 Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) were looking forward to going home to Alaska and seeing their families after a one year deployment. They packed up and had their going away parties only to be kept in Baghdad as the build up security team and will be here another 2 months after I am gone.

The E-7 selection board has met and made their selections. I looked really hard on the list but couldn't pull my name out. In other words, I will be an E-6 for at least another year. I did, however, apply for a Commission as a Limited duty Officer and should hear the results later in 2007.

August 14, 2006 comes to a close and another business day has gone and another day less we will fight this war. Most of all I have 40 days left.