(sand storm)I don't get to update this very often (though, admittedly I haven't had much to update recently)- but if this is your first time here, start at the bottom and work yourself up...By the way, I just figured out if you click on the pictures they get real big... this may (not) be a good thing..
I just found out that I am going to Okinawa, Japan as my next destination (details later) but I'll be reporting by 1 January 'o9 NOT next summer which means 6 less months in Iraq. Okinawa is a tropical island not on the Japanese mainland. It seems my days working on the cruiseship will come back in handy!
Updates-
things are churning along here. Scheduling court martials (criminal trials in the military) in a deployed zone is very difficult due to the need of flying a judge down to Iraq (usually from Germany) and getting all the witnesses together in one place. Flights are cancelled due to the weather all of the time, important missions obviously cause problems a well. Speaking of crazy weather- we had a small sand storm yesterday and I posted some pics below...
Two of my big cases have been put on the docket during my last month in Iraq. While everyone else will have their replacements here and taking it easy preparing to go home, I'm scheduled for two consecutive court martials in three consecutive days.
One of these trials is the equivalent of a major felony trial, and I've already secured a guilty plea for over 20 years. When the judge goes through the proceedings, he will also make a sentence finding, and the Soldier will serve whichever is LESS between our deal and his finding.
The other trial involves over 20 witnesses from a small base (pics below) outside the mainbase where I live. It gave me another chance to go out into 'real' Iraq and stay at a JCOP, which is a local base made up of abandoned houses or buildings. It usually holds up to 40-60 Soldiers though not at the same time as there are always misions going on (FOB Warhorse holds about 4000). You will see how cramped it is in the pictures. Makes my CHU look like a palace.
Here's a picture taken only 7-10 minutes after coming outside to see the sandstorm.
Crazy colors of the sand storm.
Tonight I will try to take a picture of this area at the same time to see the difference in weather
The following pics are all taken from the much smaller base 30 minutes from where I live. From these small bases companies and platoons do their patrols and missions.
This is my friend Nick Anderson, we went to OBC together back in 'o5.
Squads of 5-7 share the same room for bunking
Here's a Stryker, what this Regiment is known for.
Ghetto-pong
