Sand Storms

0315 wake up
0400 standing tall in full gear (The wind is already blowing)
0500 arrive at CQM Range (Close Quarters Marksmanship)
0530 completed download of equipment and loaded ammo
0600 Start breakfast- MRE (Meal Ready to Eat)
0630 finish breakfast / clean-up (Wind has become violent)
0645 start training (Sand Storm is now in full effect)
1015 finish training (Sand Storm hasn't let up... well for a few minutes here and there)
(Sitting in Sand Storm Waiting)
1115 second range finishes, begin brass collection of both ranges (Sand Storm... yeah)
(Sitting in Sand Storm Waiting)
1225 buses arrive to take us back to base (Finally)

I hate Sand!!!! By 1000 I had lost the ability to cry the sand out of my eyes, and yes we were all wearing eye protection, but not full fitted goggles, because when we left at 0400 their was no sand in the air and none of us thought "Hmmm, we could be out in the middle of the desert during this, and it could get worse." The effects of waking up way to early after a long day of training the day before. So there we were eating sand with our breakfast, drinking sand with our water and inhaling sand as we breathed for the entire day at the range... not pleasant.
On top of that we were told we would be doing advanced CQM (Because I have been doing basic CQM for the last 4 years, and while it is always good, the advanced techniques are what I need more time working on) And when we arrived it turned out we were learning the basics... all over again! Lucky the group we were with all needed it, with the exception of the five of us from my team, so yet another day of re familiarization. which is never a bad thing, but when you are expecting something more and get less it is always a bit frustrating... added to the fact that I am now out in the middle of a sandstorm for the duration of it... and on we went with all the basic movements and then we got to the shooting part... which is always fun, even in a sandstorm, and after going through all our training and 120 rounds of ammunition (Not much by my standards, but the beginners were all pretty exhausted at this point, because if you have never done CQM in full gear it is pretty painful the first few times) we ended with a 10 round magazine and a shooting competition.
4 lanes, 4 shooters, a piece of blue paper 4 inches by 4 inches as our target and 20 seconds to get as many hits on the target while moving. We started 200 meters back from the 25 meter line and had to sprint up to it, get into the kneeling position and start. Once the first person reached the line and fired the first shot the 20 second countdown to complete the competition started for everyone. After firing one controlled pair from the kneeling position at the 25 meter mark you then ran to the 15 meter mark and shot a controlled pair from the standing position. After that you walked in and fired a controlled pair while walking past the 10 meter, 7 meter and 4 meter points. I finished in 18 seconds and hit 5 out of 10 times. I was the only one to make it to the 4 meter mark out of the 16 soldiers on my line in under 20 seconds, and I also had the most hits, which meant I won... I was pretty surprised and to add insult to injury I was also the only soldier using his iron sights and not an aim point scope, which are supposed to make it easier, and you a better shooter.
You could say it was because I have done it before, but the other five that have had the training before included an SF Major (A proved superior marksman on multiple occasions when firing from any supported position) and my CSM who is in better shape then I am and has an EO-Tech, which is supposedly the best aim point for CQM available... and those two were in a group with a Col... which means they all trotted the 200 meters up to the line, to make sure he got there at the same time as them, versus the full out sprint the rest of us did... rank has it's privileges.(My group said that was what we were going to do, and then our short little 2LT took off as fast as she could upsetting the rest of us, so Dexter and I went into full sprint and left her in our dust for not sticking to the plan... she only got two shots off before I had finished... and that's what you get for not being a team player) It might just of been luck, but I am just going to have to say that I am just plain better at shooting and moving then most =) And since I am never, not counting this time, the best when it comes to marksmanship I am holding onto this victory with dear life =)
Anyways, after that we sat in the Sand Storm (Oh yeah, that was still going on, it wasn't enough so you couldn't see for a few hundred meters, but it was enough to notice when all you could do was sit in it and get whipped by it) We waited for the range next to us to finish and then we cleaned up the brass. After that was all done we sat waiting for the bus, and what a relief it was to be in out of the sand when it finally came! As I was pulling the clumps of sand out from my eyes where it had pilled up at. I still was having trouble making tears to try and force wash it all out and the pain was bothersome to say the least. Needless to say our first stop back at base was a sink, where all of us spent a good 15 minutes or more cleaning out our Eyes, ears and noses out... it was bad.
The good news, we all got today off after being completely warn down from the Sand Storm experience. I have had experiences of being out and operating in three sand storms now, and this one was by far the worst I have ever endured. The other two I experienced while I was on patrols in Iraq and those storms where much thicker where visibility was cut down to a matter of feet, but it was more like being in a mist or fog then it was getting whipped in the face for hours on end... and of coarse today there is no wind what so ever =( Oh well, another story to tell right!? other then that not much else, still surviving, still waiting to go to Iraq. I sent my address out by e-mail, so if you are wanting to receive it and haven't shot me an e-mail or ask someone in my family, I know they have it. Otherwise I look forward to giving you another update once I reach Iraq. Love you all!

-Chris

Update

A very good friend of mine sent me an e-mail the other day and he mentioned that it was about time for an update on what’s been going on these past few weeks, and I completely agree. Thx JR!
Let’s see... right now my team has completed final issue and all our bags are packed, all our equipment is zeroed in, and we are standing by for our flight to Kuwait. How long we will be on standby for keeps changing, but best estimate says I should get comfortable, and maybe unpack that bag that has my civilian clothes in it. Our team is pretty indifferent about the situation (We have all been in long enough to know how the hurry up and wait of the Army is still running rampant) though I feel that all of us are ready to get to work in our respective Area of Operation (AO).
So what’s a team to do? Well as Civil Affairs specialists we know that one of the big economic pushes in Iraq right now is to create Poultry and Fish farms in Iraq… so taking the initiative we have started researching both of these seemingly simple, but really complicated avenues that is the latest “fix” for helping to stimulate the Iraqi economy by providing needed, locally grown/produced products, for distribution and sale within each province. Can you guess what that means for me? You got it! Next week our team will be visiting both a fish hatchery and a Turkey Farm to do assessments on how we would start such endeavors from scratch in a desert environment!
This is one of the reasons I love my job, because in order to do my job better I am asked to go out and learn about all different aspects of building a nations economic possibilities. My last tour I worked on a cities water treatment plant, talk about being in over my head, but I learned a ton and enjoyed working to provide an entire city with clean water. So Chicken and Fish farms it is, plus most Americans who find out that we are trying to do in Iraq what they do here in the states gives them a chance to share their expertise, and problem solving conditions they would never experience here in the states is usually a lure to someone that loves their job. On that note I did discover that they have fish farms in Nevada, so I sent an e-mail to a couple local Hatcheries for advice on the dynamics of running a fish farm in the desert.
Aside from the new found research on Poultry and Fish Farms I have also taken interest in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s). Men, women, and children, singles, and entire families that have been displaced from their homes due to several different reasons. Most have been forced out by threat of death. It’s a huge issue in Iraq and within my AO we have the largest IDP population and currently 250 Humanitarian Assistance Organizations have different levels of involvement in the care of these 2.2. Million IDP’s, but conditions are very poor, so I am going to see if I can get involved in the business of coordinating the HA and ratification of new laws to help reintegrate the displaced populaces back into society. That alone can keep me busy for the next 10 years… and maybe this is the mission field God wants me to work in = ) We’ll see… getting out and starting a family still sounds pretty good too, but we can all just keep praying for it all.
So… when I get in country it will probably take some time before I get a handle on all the things we are starting to brain storm now, that adjustment period always exists when transferring into Iraq, but as soon as I get a lead on where God has fit me into all this opportunity to build a better Iraqi nation I will tell you all about it. Love you All!

-Chris

WoW!

Well I am in NY now preping the ground work for our next year in Iraq and I must say if first impressions are a sign of things to come then I am in for a great deployment! My room is great, I have cable and internet, and my own car for getting around... So for everyone who was praying for me about going to live in a tent at Fort Bragg... you did GREAT! Granted the rest of my group is still living on the FOB, so we need to keep them in our prayers, but I have been set up on easy street for the next month... now we just have to see what life in Iraq is going to be like, especially if this armed conflict with Sadr's followers keeps up... but God is in control. I hope all of you are well and in good health. Love you all!

-Chris

27 In Georgia

What did you do for your 27th Birthday? What do you think... I got an Anthrax shot, a TB test, had blood drawn and sat around doing medical SRP (Soldier Readiness & Preparedness) at Fort Benning, GA. Like there was any question of how I would rather spend my 27th Birthday... Oh... wait... that's not a good Birthday... well dang, why don't you just ship me off to Iraq for a year and call it a day then... what?.... wait... huh... you are? Geez. Sometimes I think I know just how Charlie Brown felt.

Well it's not so bad, in fact it could be a lot worse, so I am thankful for my current situation, I just thought it would be funny to start my "Birthday Blog" out with a very sarcastic tone. Anywho I am looking forward to getting this show on the road, and all in all it looks like we got a very good road ahead of us, so I will continue to let you all in on the bits and pieces that I can. Thx for all the support and prayers, they are felt. I love you all!

In Christ

-Chris

The Long Haul starts Today

Well... in typical Army fashion, someone got involved in the travel proccess last minute and changed everything... and not for the better! Our flights were changed last night... we found out this morning, and instead of driving for an hour and already being at Fort Benning my team and I are now sitting in an airport for a 5 hour layover... why? Because aparrently this is the way it is usually done. Wow! Way to go there buddy. Way to waste several hours and raise the price by purchasing 7 more tickets in less then 24 hours before our trip so that we can show up 7 to 9 houtrs later then we would of if you had just let us handle the job ourselves. This is the type of fearless leadership that scares me oh so often when working with the Army. On the flip side, everyone of the 7 on my team realize how ridiculous this is, and it's good to know I have 7 intelligant, fully functional thinkers on the team. Anywho... 3 more hours in Atlanta before we fly. Love You all!

The Plan Has changed... For The Better!

All my hard work has paid off in the biggest way possible, I have now been selected to go with 10th Mountain Division and deploy in country a month earlier then the rest of my BN. Why is this good? Because now I will be living in a hotel room with internet and cable T.V. for a month in NY instead of living under lockdown in a make shift tent city that is run by non-deployed trainers who don't know what it's really like in Iraq in NC. I still feel bad for the rest of the BN that has to go through the two months, but it will be motivation to work harder, so that when they arrive in country they are fully taken care of. Well, I am in a chipper mood now and I have a pretty relaxing weekend ahead... Thank You God. Love you all!

Still Going...

Unfortunately = ( I officially lost all my nrg and desire to be productive yesterday after being awake for 21 hours, and finishing that 21 hours with a visit to the doctor, followed by 5 hours of sleep and then going back for my shift... needless to say mentally, physically, and emotionally I am done with NY. I cannot wait to come home even if it's only for a week and a half before I leave for good
= ( Dang, this stuff is depressing. I still love you all though, thank you for the support!

Love in Christ
-Chris