The first week and some change...

Has been quite interesting... We are surrounded by T-walls (12 ft cement walls) topped with razor wire, which makes for quite the feeling of claustrophobia at times, but of relative safety as well, so I guess I can't complain. I also started regular night shifts in the ER and work with all different kinds of people. The one thing I will say is that it is very strange providing emergent healthcare through Arabic interpreters... I always have to remind myself that I don't need to speak louder; They are not deaf, they just don't speak English. Ha-ha.

One of the best things so far about deployment are the little shops outside of the PX's. They sell cute little things and really cheap DVDs. However, there were some strange looking mannequins outside of one of the shops wearing odd costumes. (I am guessing they are leftovers from St. Patrick's Day? Who knows.) On closer inspection, because Leah and I had to go look, the mannequins were a mix of boy and girl parts, which explained why they looked so strange from a distance. So, of course, being the little trouble-makers we are together, we had to get pictures. And here I am grabbing the stuffed boob of the boy mannequin with a wig and a girl's costume on. Hilarious, I know...

I have already had two highlights for this deployment so far... What are they you ask? Well, the first is not truly mine, but my good friend Leah and I have endured so much together in the almost three years we have known each other, that I share equally in her joy... After a lot of hard work and dedication throughout her deployment, Leah was promoted to First Lieutenant the day her rotation left theater, and I was there to witness it! I am so proud of her, she has turned the corner and is now on her way to Army Nurse Corps greatness! Here we are right after her promotion ceremony in the main hallway of the hospital. Now, the second highlight is truly mine! I competed for, and acheived gold in the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency. It is a comprehensive three-day competition including the long-jump, shot-put, 100 meter dash, 3.1 mile run, 9mm pistol qualification, 200 meter swim, and a 12.5 mile road-march with a 25 pound rucksack (or assault pack). It was quite the challenge, with the shot-put being the most difficult and the swim being the easiest (go figure)! The unit Public Affairs Officer took massive amounts of photos, so as soon as they are available I will post some. The most interesting part of the competition was the road-march. I can now say that I road-marched across Baghdad International Airport (the actual active runways), which is pretty cool. We started at 4:00 am and I crossed the finish line with a time of 3 hours and 12 minutes. Needless to say, my entire body still hurts... My feet from the 5 miles of uneven gravel, my legs from the 15-minute-mile pace, my low back from the pad of my assault pack, and my shoulders from the 25 pounds of crap I had to carry. BUT, I have no blisters on my feet! For those Army-types reading this, you know how amazing that is... Ha-ha.

Anyhow, that is the jist of the first week and some change of my life here in Iraq... Just living the dream one day in the desert at a time!

66HM5 out...