Fruits and Nuts

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I can say that I've truly seen the desert. It is flat, dusty, desolate, very windy, and EXTREMELY hot. It's a dry heat but it's unlike anything I've ever felt. The wind doesn't help! Just imagine getting into a dry sauna, getting the temp up to 120f (it was actually a cool 114 today), then getting an industrial strength blow dryer and blasting it right in your face on the "extra hot" setting. Not pleasant but could be worse.

I am in Kuwait now. We left Bragg Monday night and flew to Maine, where a very zealous group of "Troop Greeters" enthusiastically met us as we deplaned. We hung out there for about an hour, then got back on the plane and took off for Ramstein, Germany...about a 7 hour flight. We deplaned there for fuel and a stretch, then took the last leg of our flight, which was 4 1/2 hours to Kuwait City Intl Airport. We got off the plane with all our weapons and everything and were hurried onto charter buses. We had to sit there with the lights off and the curtains down for a two hour ride across dirt roads escorted by gun trucks to Camp Buehring. Here we are just acclimating, doing medical classes, going to the range, the gym, and just prepping for Iraq. This place is seriously out in the middle of nowhere...like they just drove around the desert for a few days and then all of a sudden said this looks good, lets make a camp here. There's nothing really beautiful about this place...it's flat, hot, hazy, bright, and it smells bad. They feed us well, though, and I actually am able to find things to eat that don't contain meat.

We should be here for about two weeks. We are scheduled to fly to Iraq on the 21st of this month.

FAQs:
1. Where are you? Kuwait.
2. Is it hot there? YES.
2.5 What time is it there? It's west coast time plus 10 hours, so at your midnight it's 10 am here.
3. How long will you be there? about two weeks.
4. What types of things do you do? We eat, do classes, work at the aid station, go to the range, and sleep alot.
5. Is it dangerous? The only real danger here is the heat. Dehydration can kill in such a severe climate.
6. Are there scorpions and stuff? Yes, there are snakes, scorpions, and camel spiders, none of which I've seen yet, but they do exist here.
7. Do you carry weapons? Yes, everywhere we go. Isleep with it, eat with it, and bring it in the bathroom with me, and when I take a shower it hangs on the towel rack.
8. Do you have internet and phone? Yes. there are very good facilities here, in fact I am using my own laptop to type this email. It costs about 5 bucks an hour for the internet and I can use a phone card at the call center.
9. Will you have phone and internet in Iraq? I'm sure there will be some type of internet and phone access, but there's no way to tell yet. When I get there I'll know, and as soon as I can I'll write when I get there. In the interim here in Kuwait I should be able to write alot.
10. Do you have a mailing address? Not yet.
11. Will you have a mailing address in Iraq? Yes. It will be an APO address, which means you send it to an army post office and they collect it all up and fly it here to us.
12. What types of things can you get in the mail? Anything but porn, booze, and drugs. It's not too wise to send cash or very expensive things, since there are locals that handle the mail at times and thigs have been known to disappear.
13. What is your address is Iraq? I don't know yet, we have to get there first. They will tell us as soon as we get there.
14. How long will you be there? As of right now our tour is 15 months. Can't tell you any more than that...things change, so it could be less, it could be more.
15. Do you get to come home for leave? Yes, we get two weeks of mid-tour leave. It will be sometime between October 07 toAugust 08. I have no idea yet when mine will be.
16. Do you get to see your husband? No, he will be deployed in the Phillipines during my window for leave, so I won't see him till our tour is over.
17. Are you nervous? Ummm...yeah, a little!

They have Starbucks here, thank GOODNESS!!!!!


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