Desert Chief

WOSC Ft Rucker

2007-08-14T20:28:00.000-05:00

I'm totally bored.......I have been at Ft. Rucker for 3+ weeks now attending the Warrant Officer Staff Course. Parts of it are pretty good -- but parts are extremely boring. They are attempting to rewrite the course, and we're supposedly the "last" class that has a lot of "research" time! There's only so many stores and movie theates than can be researched in southeastern Alabama.

I drove to Mobile one Saturday afternoon to visit "Uncle Bob". Had a delightful time seeing him and Doris and getting to meet Doris' family. Great visit!

I drove to Atlanta to see my cousin Sheryee and husband Robert -- I felt like I was visiting at the Ritz! Wow -- do they know how to entertain!! Terrific food (Robert is a REAL gourmet cook!) and great laughs and conversation.

I'm waiting for the calendar to tick by -- 3 more wake-ups and then I'll be on my way home!

Til later,

Candy/Mom/Chief

July 2007

2007-07-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

It's been one year since I roasted in Kuwait. Hard to believe I've been home for a year now. Much has happened. I regret I haven't kept my blog up-t0-date!

I'm currently at Ft. Rucker, Alabama -- attending an Army school.

Last month we traveled to SD for fun! I got to spend a whole week with friends, including a 60th surprise birthday party; high school get-together; family reunion on Ed's side; and a tiny reunion on my side. Great fun! Great laughs!

More later,
Candy

Finally, another post!

2006-10-29T12:10:00.000-06:00

OK dear BLOG lovers. It's been over 3 months since I got back from the desert and home to some sense of normalcy. I promise to attempt to keep everyone up to date on the goings on of the stateside desert chief.

July, I took a very fun road trip. Just me, and my little black car to Arkansas (see Sarah and Jeff), to Nebraska to see dear old friends, on to South Dakota to see more dear old friends and family, then back through Ft. Worth to see more friends. Great trip -- more than 3,000 miles in 7 days, but well worth every mile and every gallon of EXPENSIVE gas I put into the car.

August was busy getting ready for Sarah's wedding!!! Even tiny weddings need the utmost detail of planning, and it was a big day for her. Her dress was beautiful (I made it, so it had to be gorgeous!) It was from a 1968 old Vogue pattern. It's one of my favorites, and must admit the bride beamed with beauty in her finery.

We gained a new son-in-law on September 16th. A delightful ceremony with the perfect touches -- all the family!!! It was a perfect day, and Sarah couldn't have beamed brighter.

On Labor Day weekend, we also gained a future daughter-in-law. Tom and Erika were engaged, but have to delay their weddings. Due to his deployment to Iraq, and her deployment next Summer, it looks as though it will be sometime 2008 before they're both back in the states long enough to have a wedding.

It's now October and we just celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 years on the 27th!!!! My does time fly. We started ballroom dance lessons. No.....its NEVER too late to learn. I had given Ed a gift certificate nearly two years ago (he actually asked for it!) and then my deployment put our life on hold. So....we started last week. Good news -- the instructor didn't laugh at us and it really is fun!

I start a new job this week. I've been transferred to the 75th Div, 2nd Bde, right here on Ft. Sam. Good news is that it will leave us here in San Antonio for a while now.

Ed's been busy working on the yard, and must admit the front yard is beautifully landscaped. The back is our next project, and has a lllooonnnnggggg way to go. It's going to be a challenge. I've been busy getting window treatments sewn and installed. Ed has gotten great in helping with the assembly of some of them, and hanging the window toppers.

I'm still enrolled in my online college class. I'm in class #3 -- only 8 more to go!!!! I say that I'm on the ever/never plan. For ever going to school, but never graduating anytime soon. Master's work is time consuming. They want us to do a lot of research!!!

I'll post pictures when I catch a few more minutes.

Love to all, Candy/Mom/Chief (whatever fits!)

Bags are Packed!

2006-07-14T13:37:00.000-05:00

My duffel bags are packed. I gave away the pink bike. I've sent the last of my emails here in Kuwait, and I am headed home!!!! It's been quite a year -- all 338 days of deployment. I've been to Iraq, Afghanistan, and here in Kuwait. It's been hot, hotest, and hotter!!! I've lived through the rainy season in Baghdad -- where we all had at least an inch of mud on the bottom of our boots. Couple the mud with the gravel from the places lucky enough to have anything other than mud -- and the boots turned into death traps -- because we would "skate" across floors with the rocks stuck in the bottom of our boots!

I'll try to continue posting and will continue to keep the name of The Desert Chief. Once a Chief lives through something like this -- it's a proud title!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!

The Desert Chief/Mom/Candy (whatever is appropriate to you!)

City of Ur, Iraq

2006-07-14T13:24:00.000-05:00

I was recently back in Iraq (for a short trip!) and visited the Ancient City of Ur. How fascinating. It's believed to be about 4300 years old, the oldest known form of civilization on earth. The large temple is the Ziggurat of Ur, which was built as a temple to the Moon God. The City is approximately 20% uncovered and it was done during during a 12 year period in the 1920s-1930s. Also at the site is the House of Abraham -- a house with 28 different rooms. The picture of me on the steps is half-way up the stairs of the Ziggurat. All of the city is made from bricks (made of sand and held together with tar) -- very interesting!!! It's hard to believe this country was once known as the "promised land". Makes you wonder what their prospective was like!

Afghanistan

2006-07-14T13:15:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I was in Afghanistan. The Pat Tillman USO Center is right across the street from the Air Passenger Terminal. We spent a lot of time there (I travelled with two fellow team members) as it was pretty much the hub of Bagram. The country is absolutely beautiful -- gorgeous weather, breath-taking scenery -- how unfortunate it's riddled with bad dudes running through the mountainous terrain!

The Grand Mosque

2006-05-06T04:40:00.000-05:00

A little cultural update is in store with this blog post. Recently, we went on an MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) trip. They load 25 of us on a bus, and take us somewhere usually fun or interesting. When I first got here to Kuwait, we were not allowed to ever go into a Mosque, walk near one, or stare at it. Well.....they changed the rules and took us on a trip to the Kuwaiti Grand Mosque. It's the 5th largest Mosque in the world, and will hold about 14,000 at one time inside, and 45,000 - 50,000 on the entire grounds (inside/outside). It was truly beautiful and the pictures don't do it justice. The Grand Mosque took almost six years to build and was fortunatly spared during the Iraq Invasion in August 1990. There is a little bit of damage (cracks in major spots) that suffered from all the bombing around the Mosque during the invasion, but the building is in fine beautiful shape. The intricate detail in the marble and wood carvings are unlike I've ever seen.

When we went into the Mosque, all the females had to put on an abaya. It is the black overgarment, including covering of the head, that all the women wear when they are out in public, much like we put on a coat. In their own homes, they wear brightly colored beautiful clothes to impress their family members (mainly their husbands), but outside -- they are supposed to draw attention to no one -- therefore, the black overgarment. In the picture (above), that's me, complete with the white tennis shoes sticking out!!!

After our visit to the Grand Mosque, we went to the City Centre Mall. It was relatively a small mall, but with fun little shops to go into. Most of the women were in the black abaya, however I think they forgot about the part that they're not supposed to draw much attention to themselves. I noticed the black overgarments were very beautiful -- beads, jewels, fringes, and much adornment on their beautiful abayas. My opinion -- the culture is changing -- while hanging on to the old customs. It reminded me of how some schools in the U. S. will put kids in school uniforms -- the kids will merely find another way to make a fashion statement -- hair do-dads, jewelry, shoes, etc.

That's all for today! Hope you enjoyed the Kuwait culture lesson!

Til later ~~ Candy

P. S. Go Spurs Go!! On to Round 2, and to beat the Mavericks!!!!!

Charlie Daniels

2006-04-18T07:15:00.000-05:00

The Charlie Daniels Band -- very entertaining -- very great concert!!! Camp Arifjan (here in Kuwait) set an attendance record for the outdoor stage entertainment. Estimated 5,000 fans slapping knees and whatever in time to the great fiddler. Of course, he brought the house down with the finale. He's got to be at least 70 years old -- perhaps older.

We discovered a purpose for Peeps -- you know the yellow marshmallowy things that used to be only at Easter and now come in all sorts of colors -- purple, blue, pink, and the standard yellow. They come in all sorts of shapes -- chicks, rabbits, pumpkins, etc. You name it -- there's a Peep for every occasion. Put them in the microwave and watch them grow!!! What a riot!!!! I think we've been in the desert too long.

Proud to Be an American

2006-04-14T07:35:00.000-05:00

USO shows are still a huge highlight to soldiers in theater. Lee Greenwood put on a fabulous show. What a talented guy -- not bad for a 63-year old!!!! He closed the show with GOD BLESS THE USA. When he started to sing it, I felt like we were all preparing for the National Anthem, as everyone immediately stood up for his closing song. When you think about it -- that song is probably the closest to the National Anthem as any song will ever be!!!! What a show -- if you didn't feel proud to be an American at the end of the show -- there's definitely something wrong!!!!! The Country-Western Band -- Restless Heart was also on the same USO Tour -- great songs from the 80's. The New England Patriot Cheerleaders were there, but did absolutely nothing for me the way they jumped around the stage, etc., etc., etc.

Til later ~~ Candy

2006-04-05T03:31:00.000-05:00

Dear Blog Fan Club,

I've been severely reprimanded -- for neglecting to mention that my two youngest, adorable, precious daughters were with me during my R&R break. Sorry Laura and Bec. I've also been scolded for not including more pictures.

Last week on our tour to the Kuwait Towers -- here's what they look like. The tower with two spheres is the restaurant on the bottom and the viewing tower in the top sphere. The tower with only one sphere is a working water tower. They're lit up at night and very beautiful -- the Kuwaiti's are extremely proud of their towers.

We went shopping while in San Antonio. This (believe it or not) is a pillow. If you've not been shopping with my daughters and me, you've missed a great experience. Someone always has a camera in their purse, and we always have some great kodak moments to remember the excursion.

That's it for today!!!

Til later ~~ Candy

Back In Kuwait

2006-04-03T11:52:00.000-05:00

Dear Blog Fans -- My apologies for not posting in such a long time! Much has happened. My life in Baghdad as the Theater PBO was very busy -- very little time for much of anything other than the office, sleep, shower, office, sleep, shower, etc. You get the idea!! I went home on R&R leave the first couple weeks of March. I had an absolute wonderful time. Best Friend Erlene, along with my adopted "Mother" (her Mom) and hubby came down for a few days. Sarah came home over the same weekend. We had a great time -- shopping, eating, touring, etc. I did get the rest of the unpacking done -- Ed was gracious to leave a few boxes so that I didn't feel TOO left out of the process!! I got all the china cabinet goodies washed and put away, as well as the curio cabinet treats. The real fun job was the sewing room!!! I do miss my hide-away!!

I came back to theater, and had somewhat good news when I got here. A new GS-14 had been hired in Baghdad, therefore, I didn't have to go back up to the property book team. Plans are to stay in Kuwait until my time is up here -- which looks like it may be July!!!!!

Last week we went on a short little day trip in Kuwait City. We toured the Kuwaiti Towers -- very beautiful and breathtaking from the observation windows. Check it out on goggle.com or some other search engine. The towers are the only real claim to tourism the entire country of Kuwait has -- other than the beautiful ocean. Good day -- lots of fun, and good to get away from the office on "official" business -- monkey business that is!!!

I'm still plugging along with my college class -- I'm certainly glad I opted for one this first semester out of the shoot!!! A lot of writing -- but I have no regrets as to getting enrolled and getting on with it.

Hope all of you are well.

Til later ~~ Candy

New Experiences

2006-01-23T02:54:00.000-06:00

My Son, Tom, is a HUGE Calvin and Hobbes fan. Often on his website, he relays his feelings through the famed comic strips. His recent posting said everything I'm feeling about my temporary assignment -- that new experiences are rarely the ones you choose!!!

Things are going relatively well, and I'd like to think that I've made some progress and made a difference. It's a high visibility office with much to do. There are days that I wonder -- why me? I particularly like the comic strip's take -- grow, learn, new horizons, solutions, etc........

I'm glad I've had the opportunity to work on the Theater Property Book Team -- it definitely is everything Calvin and Hobbes say it is. Two weeks down and three to go.

P. S. Thanks, Tom, for sharing Calvin with your Mother!

January 21, 1946

2006-01-21T08:34:00.000-06:00

It was sixty years ago today that my Mother and Father got married. They were able to spend a little more than 17 years married before he died in a car accident (some good years -- some bad years), but my mother always had fond memories and spoke fondly of her married years. I'm glad she remembered the good times and didn't dwell on the bad. She was a war bride. They married as soon as my Dad came back from a very long deployment during WWII. I have their "love" letters and look forward to reading them someday. Their wedding anniversary makes me think how much different things are today -- 60 years later. I'm the one deployed -- not my husband. (Although, he's doing everything he can to volunteer for the "cause"!) It's such a different time, different world, different war. We have CNN, telephones, and the internet. I'm able to keep in touch with loved ones much much easier than my Mother did more than 60 years ago.

College Days Again

2006-01-17T12:21:00.000-06:00

I was a late bloomer when it came to graduating from college. Time flies, as that was 1994!!! My personal goal was to be in a Master's program within five years of when I graduated. Where has the time gone?!?!?! Well....I finally did it. I have been seriously looking for the past few years for an online master's program (not MBA), that is directed toward leadership. I found it!!!

I am a college student again!! I am a Leadership Management major enrolled in a 100% online Masters in Liberal Studies program. Wish me luck!!!

Sarah had a fit that I'm now an Oklahoma Sooner, since her alma matre is one state away -- but I know she still loves me!!!

Back in Baghdad!

2006-01-14T03:13:00.000-06:00

Hi Blogger Buddies ~~

I know that my big brothers advised me to keep my backside out of Iraq -- but duty calls and I'm back at Camp Victory. I got here on January 8th, to temporarily serve as the theater property book officer (PBO) for the theater equipment. That means I have a HUGE dollar amount of equipment that I'm entrusted with, along with 14 teams that manage the hand receipts and property. We have approximately 2500 customers or elements that we support throughout Iraq and Kuwait. The "real" PBO has some medical issues and was transferred to Landstuhl Germany for outpatient treatment. She's doing well (thank God!) and will be back here toward the first part of February. She and I will overlap for a few days, before I head back to Kuwait about the 9th or 10th of February. Each job I end up in, here in Theater becomes more challening that the previous. I honestly don't know how much higher I could get with regard to property book work. Each day amazes me -- some of it good amazing and some of it you wouldn't want to know about!!! I have 139 employees (a mixture of military, civilian, and contractors) among the 14 teams. Some of their talent amazes me, and once again -- some of them are nothing to write home about!!! Most of the contractors are retired military, and of course I can spot the retired Warrant Officers immediately. Must be something about the Warrant Officer "secret handshake". We'll never tell!!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

2006-01-02T13:33:00.000-06:00

The best to you and yours in 2006!!!

New Years Eve was fun here. Our unit had a party in a very large tent -- complete with hats, horns, crowns, and those crank ratchet noisemakers that make a terrible racket!!! We played bingo, some great music games, and had a great time. Lot's of good food, good fun, and were able to toast in the New Year with our non-alcohol champagne!!!

A little excitement here tonight at my base camp. As we were finishing up our dinner, I was sitting with 5 other women -- all of a sudden there was a whole lot of commotion on the other half of the DFAC. At first I thought a fight had broke out, which was highly unlikely, as things like that don't happen here. Everyone was moving extremely quickly toward the door -- so -- we did too! Good plan, as the kitchen caught on fire. We all got out safely! I have no idea how bad the damage is, but I do know that anything that involves consumming a meal for the next couple of days will involve walking about 6 blocks away! No problem -- I need the exericse.

I promise to post pictures of the New Years party (once downloaded!)

Happy New Year!!

Love, Candy

Chip's New Clothes

2005-12-28T13:42:00.000-06:00

Many of you know and have met my little dog Chip. I know....I know....the kids think that I love him more than I do them. I teasingly tell them of course....he doesn't talk back!!! Of course they know I'm joking!!!!

Chip got a new T-shirt for Christmas and he's modeling it. I thought you would want to see his new clothes. Sarah and Laura despise "dog clothes", but since Chip doesn't know he's a dog -- this T-shirt is OK!

Til later ~~ Love, Candy

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-25T13:06:00.000-06:00

Christmas in the desert. It's not that bad. We don't have the hustle and bustle of a typical Christmas, but we have each other and that's a good thing. Dinner was delicious, the ice sculpture was a 4' green Christmas tree. The senior officers donned Santa hats to serve, and of course a few Santas strolled through the DFAC. I got my annual Christmas afternoon nap--it was a good day culminated with talking to Ed and the kids.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with Santa!!!!!

41 and Friends

2005-12-22T12:55:00.000-06:00

We had a visitor here. What a thrill!!!! There was no time for individual pictures, so we were lined up in groups of 27 or so. I don't know a soul, other than #41 (the guy in the red jacket), and of course yours truly on the right side of the front row.

Gearing up for Christmas

2005-12-19T12:20:00.000-06:00

Who would ever think that Christmas in the desert, thousands of miles away from family, friends, and loved ones would be nice -- but it's really not as bad as I thought it would be.

I find it truly amazing how those serving in the military always find a way to adapt and overcome; perhaps one of my many reasons for spending way more than one-half of my life in the Army. I've found many military members in my life to become almost like family to me and you know who you are!!! Therefore, getting ready for Christmas has been kind of fun here. You can't believe ALL the decorations that family members have sent over, all the cards & banners from school children and church groups, and all the good will being shared. All of our cubicles (as small as they may be!) are decorated with amazing thoughts and wishes. It's not been too bad. So far, I've seen three real.....live Christmas trees. Amazing what a bunch of soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen can do when they put their minds to something. The lights are bright, the tinsel sparkling and we're all getting ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour. For me --- I do plan on going to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service. Wouldn't be Christmas without it.

Til later ~~ Candy

Address

2005-12-06T12:41:00.000-06:00

Hi -- Many of you have asked for my mailing address. It's....

CW4 Candis Martin
143rd Transcom
APO AE 09366

The Palace

2005-12-01T00:21:00.000-06:00

Wow -- the best and only word to describe the palace!! I'm in Baghdad this week. I flew up here Monday morning, to provide some training and assistance to part of the Theater Property Book Team.

The flight up was....interesting. There were about 20 of us in a C17. A C17 is a HUGE aircraft, and they actually had real people airline chairs in the middle of the aircraft. It was about an hour flight, and we each had plenty of room to spread out. I've never flown in an aircraft where they hand you earplugs, and encourage you to wear your body armor and kevlar helmet for the flight!!! The take off was OK. The flight itself was smooth. The combat landing -- yikes!!! But, I guess I'd rather combat land, that get plucked out of the sky.

Now for the palace. I attended a meeting (can't describe the meeting, or attendees), but it was in the Palace. It was Saddam's primary palace, and he spared no money -- or I should say Iraq spared no money when building the palace and the palace grounds. (I promise to post pictures when I get them downloaded!) The U. S. Government has taken all of the furnishings and put them away (for safe keeping) to give back to the Iraqi government once it gets totally on their feet. They have left the thrown just inside the door of the palace -- a place for soldiers (like me!) who love a Kodak moment. Many pictures are taken of those sitting in the thrown. The chandeliers were unbelievable. The big one as you enter the palace is about 3 stories (VERY TALL stories) high. The base of the chandelier is about 25 - 30 foot across. There is no way my camera could take a picture of its entirety. I have two photos to capture all of it's beauty. The sinks and toilets were decorated with filigree gold paint. The Palace grounds have a moat system that intertwines several smaller palace-like houses. Many were for those that worked for Saddam. One -- a quaint and pretty palace -- is called the perfume palace. It's where all of Saddam's wives lived. It was quite a visit. Someday the Palace will go back to the Iraqi government, in the meantime -- it's used by the U. S. as office space.

At breakfast I saw two Iraqi Military officers. They have quite a life. They have to life off post and travel in through the gate each day. They travel in their civilian clothes and change into their uniform at a location where they are checked out by the U. S. forces before going to work. They have to really believe to put themselves and their family in jeopardy every minute of the day when they are outside the gates of this installation.

It's really different here in Baghdad, from where I am at in Kuwait. Here -- you KNOW you're in a combat zone. There are very few lights (don't want to light up a potential target!) and in the evenings no one is outside very much. At night you can hear a lot of gun fire and periodically in the daytime you hear a lot of explosions (RGP's or something). The Palace area is right next to the Baghdad International Airport, so we constantly hear low flying aircraft and helicopters. The walls around the camps are very high, approximately 20-25 foot. We're a few short miles from the green zone, or the International Zone (IZ). It's the 5-mile road from hell where all the car bombings occur frequently. I'm not going to test fate -- I have no need to travel over there! Those that work in that area (to include the American Embassy), life here, but travel daily back and forth. They go either by chopper, or ride in an armored bus. What a gothic-looking mode of transportation.

Til later ~~ Candy

Thanksgiving

2005-11-24T13:06:00.000-06:00

Hello blog fans. I know it's been a while since I wrote. Things are going extremely well here. We keep very busy, still working 12-14 hour days. Since there is not much else to do, that's absolutely fine with me, because it certainly helps the time fly!!

I've changed jobs -- I now work on the Theater Property Book Team as the Army Reserve PBO. What a truly interesting job. The PB Team is where we monitor and manage all of the equipment throughout Iraq, Afghanistan, as well as Kuwait. We get first hand knowledge of the equipment coming into theatre -- the new "neat" things that are going to the actual warfighters up north. Some of it looks like it's from a Steven Spielberg movie -- but it's working and if the soldiers are asking for it, we're getting it for them!!! I work with 6 men. Two are about my age. Three are in their mid 30's and one is young enough to be my Son. Strangely enough -- his last name is Martin! It's a great team, and everyone is always conscious about looking after one another.

Thanksgiving here was very nice -- an absolute gourmet meal -- served in very fine style. Each of the dining facilities were decorated beautifully, ice carvings, food displays with unbelievable garnish, and what a selection. The TCN's (third country nationals) are part of the staff that prepares and serves meals. They are always so nice and ALWAYS with a smile. I hate to think what a little bit of money they get paid, but we're told that it's a handsome salary compared to what they would get if they were in their native country. Most everyone ate with those they individually work with -- our family away from home. It's times like this that I really do miss my family.

Last week, Country Music Star, Aaron Tippin toured here, doing shows for all the soldiers. It was a great concert. The day of the concert, he was actually in the building where I work -- so, Kodak time!!! Now if only George Strait would make a trip here -- nothing could thrill me more than that thought!!!!

I "get to go" tdy next week. I'll write more about it later!

til later ~~ Candy

October 27, 1979

2005-10-27T12:10:00.000-05:00

On this date, 26 years ago, I married my best friend. More than one-half of my life, I've shared with Ed. I remember the day so well. A beautiful fall Saturday in my hometown -- Sioux Falls. On that morning, I remember all the butterflies and all the excitement. I was thrilled. I remember my Mother asking me, "You love him today. Will you love him when you're both old and have grey hair?" That's hard to imagine at the age of 25. But, I remember answering her with confidence -- "I know I will!" And.....I do!!!! It's been a terrific 26 years. My only regret today is that we're not together to celebrate. But, as his card and letter told me -- we'll have many more special days in our future to celebrate other special days. I'll hold him to that!

The Army Rummage "SALE"

2005-10-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

Something real funny happened here, and I just had to share it. All military installations have an office called the DRMO -- which stands for Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office. It's nothing more than a military junk yard. But all of those who have grown up thinking that one person's junk is anothers treasure would delight in rummaging through a DRMO. Typically, only the supply personnel "get" to go to DRMO. You'd be amazed what I've found for units over the years!!!

The DRMO here advertised well in advance that they were allowing soldiers to come in and "shop". Of course, no one was charged a thing. It was basically a real "free" for all. Imagine an area about the size of a half a football field -- full of wooden pallets and boxes of green (some tan) stuff on the pallets. There were so many soldiers there -- everyone was attempting to be polite -- but really now, when you're dragging your prized possessions to look at the next pile of junk -- it's hard to remain respect and dignity. The funny part was the ladies that worked at the DRMO. Several had large "shopping" bags they were handing out to those whose arms were overloaded. Others were barking out -- "BOOTS -- GET YOUR BOOTS OVER HERE!!!" "JACKETS -- COME ON GUYS -- GET YOUR JACKETS HERE!!" They even had large coolers of bottled water for the shopper. (Remember in one of my previous posts that there is bottled water everywhere!) It was really a fun time!!!

As we were leaving the area (six of us from my unit!) there was one lady who had a John Deere gator (forgot to tell you -- they're all over the theatre too!) and she was driving one guy over to his car, because he had so much stuff. I think she was too used to driving a forklift -- because all she kept saying was "BEEP" "BEEP" "BEEP" -- all the way out to the parking lot!!! It worked, because everyone did get out of her way!

Nothing more to write about -- had to share my fun day!

Til later ~~ Candy

Finally -- a post!

2005-10-13T11:05:00.000-05:00

Ok -- I've been duly reprimanded from my children -- so I better post an update!!! It's hard to believe that today is my 62 day here in Kuwait. Time has truly flown by! We continue to work long days, but are able to get the better part of a whole day off now. My "somewhat" day off is Saturday -- and I do get to sleep in and be lazy for most of the day; only stopping in the office to take care of critical issues.

The pink bike has become my pride and joy around the Camp, as well as my signature around the base camp. It's the only one like it, and now people wave and say hi before I even get right next to them. It's not Barbie Pink. I like to call it "little girl pink"! I am usually on it daily, running from one office to another. Of course, I don't take it to the other camps. I'm sure the security at the gates would love to see me try getting off post with it! Note the basket -- it's great for carrying "stuff". Just for Tom -- I think I need a little stuffed poodle (one that looks like Chip!) and carry it around in the basket. As if the pink bike doesn't turn enough heads!

The temperatures are getting a little bit better! They're down to 100 or 102 now!!! That's a good thing. The past few days have been extremely humid -- I admit, I was shocked that there would ever be any humidity in the dessert.

I've learned that Kuwait is an interesting place. Interesting, but don't know that I'd ever want to live here for an extended period. We're in the middle of Ramadan. Here on the Camp where I'm at, we don't have to do much of anything different. The other two locations I travel to, we can't eat, drink, smoke (like that was a problem for me!), or enjoy anything outdoors. Long sleeves and covered legs are a must and you can't be out much past sundown. I had a scare one early morning this week. I was coming out of the ladies bathroom (remember it's in the same building where my room is) and as I opened the door -- a muslim woman, complete with the burqa or bashiya, or whatever they call the all black robe outfit with only the slit for her eyes. (The women here in Kuwait only wear this entire outfit during Ramadan.) All that showed among the black everything was her eyes. It scared the $%^&#@ out of me. Never was I expecting a lady ninja walking into our bathroom at that time of day. I think she was the cleaning lady! She didn't attack me, and I think I frightened her as much with my reaction. She didn't laugh. :(

If anyone knows any drug dealers (and I don't) you may want to inform them that Kuwait doesn't play games. Trials are quick (usually no more than a week after a crime is committed) and the punishment is swift. Last week there was an article published in the local English version newspaper that there was to be a public hanging. Yep -- right there in the town square. Pakistan is now short three citizens. About nine months ago, there was a civilian (not a Kuwaiti) who was driving on the highway here in Kuwait. There were two American soldiers on the side of the highway, changing a tire on a military truck. The guy obviously didn't like American's and swerved to hit them. Unfortunately the two soldiers were killed. So was the driver about 4 days later. They hung him too -- public square.

OK -- enough gloom and doom. It's amazing all the different countries that have military here. Some of the more known Allies include the British; but I've seen so many more. Japan, South Korea, Australia, Macedonia, Italy, Slovakia are some of the ones that come to mind. Most of them speak English very well. I'm embarrassed that I don't speak any of their languages. Of course, the universal salute is always appropriate; and we salute their officers and recognize them just as we do our own. Some of the officers that are in my unit work very close with the Kuwaiti military. They were a patch on the breast pocket of their uniform that is equivalent to what they would be in the Kuwaiti military. It helps everyone recognize who outranks whom and who you need to pay particular attention to.

Ed is busy back in San Antonio, ensuring the last minute details are handled with the housing project. We've been busy going over window stuff by emails and phone calls. Of course the things I had selected before I left won't fit the windows!!! Oh well -- I'm sure he's going to do well. This week has been frustrating. Although we're happy with the color of the brick we selected -- we're not so sure we want to advertise for Acme Brick for the remainder of the life of our home!!! The fireplace had 25 bricks that proudly displayed the Acme logo on them. Not in any particular order or place; just wherever the brick layer decided to be lazy. Then if that wasn't enough -- there are two brick archways that go from the dining area into the sunroom. Yep -- more Acme Brick advertising. He did manage to get that redone (at the dismay of the builder and the brick layer) -- then he noticed this week that the outside has several bricks showing the Acme pride!! He was shocked! Then he looked around at houses in the neighborhood -- it's rampant!!!!! I'd never heard of such a thing. Obviously the middle to high bid builders use the low bid sub-contractors when completing a task! He did get them to agree that they would replace all the "Acme pride" on the front of the house. But...if you ever want to know what company made the brick for our home, come check out the sides and the back. Unbelievable!

He did get confirmation that we get the keys on October 31st!!! That's a good thing!!!!

I better close -- I'll try to do better on my posts!

Love to all ~~ Mom, Candy, or Chief (whatever the case may be!)

More Than A Week!

2005-09-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

So sorry dear bloggers -- I know it's been more than a week since my last post. I've been working some long hours, and it seems I never get a chance to get to the internet cafe. What a week it's been!!

The detachment we replaced finally was able to get on a plane and head home. They're all back in the U. S. now, and after some outprocessing will be home with family and friends. It was good to work with some of them :) -- but thankful to see some of them end their year-long tour!

I learned a few things this week. #1 During a dust storm, don't engage in conversation while outdoors. It gets tiring attempting to spit the sand out of your mouth. #2 Don't apply fresh chapstick (which is a normal routine in the dry desert heat) just before you walk outside into a dust storm. $%^ sand sticks to your lips, and you have a devil of a time wiping if off! Seriously, we had two days of dust this past week. The sky is a light brown; not that it's ever a bright blue here. The wind blew like crazy and it was difficult to see. I'm thankful for the concrete building that I spend most of my time!!

It's been cooling down some -- high temps are usually around 108 or 109. The mornings are very nice, and almost feel too cool -- usually in the high 80's to low 90's. Today was special -- it got to 114. I kept hoping the temperatures would cool down once we got into September -- wrong!!

Speaking of September -- I've been here for 29 days now!!! Tomorrow we're having our "patch ceremony". To all of you non-militaries, once you've been in a combat zone for a 30 day period, you not only wear your Unit patch on your upper left sleeve -- you wear the patch you served in combat on your upper right sleeve. We have a count-down wheel here, and to date we've served 9% of our time here! It is amazing that the time has really gone so quickly.

I got a new bike -- actually two of them!! The one bike that the Colonel left for me, and another one. Her bike was a racing bike that had the racing handlebars and a skinny little seat. It nearly killed me the first time I rode it -- I ended up walking the last 1/2 block back to the office!!! I donated that bike to my office and we keep the key where anyone can find it; use it, and put it back for the next one. It's certainly not going to go to waste. I found another bike at the PX. It was the last one. It's a real blast from the 60's. Old fashioned handle bars, a wide (and most comfortable) seat, fenders!, wide white-walled tires, and the strangest part -- it's pink. Not just any pink. Most would call it Barbie Pink. I like to refer to it as "litte girl pink". I'm not a pink person, all of you know that -- but it was the only one without the funny handlebars and the skinny little seat!!! I love it -- In Chip's honor (my little dog), I even put a basket on the front of it. I promise pictures!!!

I got my hair cut yesterday, and ended up going to the barber shop. Probably the best haircut I've ever had -- and the best part is -- paid only $5.25. Guys have it made. Same type of hair, mine is cut short, and they pay about 1/3 the price the gals pay. I'd heard that most of the ladies here with short hair were using the barber -- so I did too!!! It's short, but it's just hair, and it will grow back!!!

I'm moving out of the tent tomorrow and moving into a real room! It's not huge, but will be comfortable. My roommate is a Captain from our unit. She lives in Pennsylvania and we get along well. She works nights and I work days. In the past month I've seen her maybe four times, so it will definitely work out well. The best part about the room is that it's right next door to the office building. That will be good.

Ed keeps me updated frequently about the new house. Things are moving along very quickly and he takes pictures real often and emails them to me. The inside brick work is done and it looks sharp. Texture is done. The kitchen cabinets were delivered and should go in this week. Move in time will be sometime in October! I'm thankful the girls are there to help him out.

Tom and Sarah were home in San Antonio over Labor Day weekend, and all of them had a great time together. They sent me pictures of the five of them together and I was able to print one and put it on my desk!!!

I best go to dinner. Missed lunch and my tummy is talking to me.

Til later ~~ Love, Candy

Thoughts on a Friday Night

2005-09-02T19:45:00.000-05:00

Wow -- where did August go?! The next time I see the month of August, I'll be preparing for a trip back HOME.

Speaking of home, all of my family (along with a few friends) will be in San Antonio this weekend. I'm jealous, albeit thankful that they get to spend a weekend together! Have fun!!!

Life here is busy. I really thought I would have time to take on-line college courses. Maybe by the Spring Semester, things may slow down a bit! I hope. Actually, the volume of work helps the days (and nights) move by rapidly. BOG = 20 days! To my non-military friends and family, BOG stands for Boots on Ground! The past two nights I never got out of the office until after 10 p.m. But, without a home, and no purpose to hang out in my tent, I'd rather stay at the office. I'm excited about the possibilities of innovation and what I can do to help the transportation units here. It's going to be a good assignment.

We have multiple stores here at the camp, that are brought here by AAFES. AAFES is the Army/Air Force Exchange Service -- which provides the Main PX and little shoppette stores around all Army and Air Force Installations. Their motto is "We go where you go"! And they have, they're here with many, many civilian employees that work in the stores here. A slight problem -- apparently it's difficult to get American coins here. I'm sure it's costly to ship them overseas. So....the AAFES system has created "money". They're heavy-weight little cardboard-like discs (remember the old pogs that kids collected?) and they value anywhere from 5 to 10 to 25 cents each. Forget the pennies! They round up or down, whichever the case is; in the event the cash drawer doesn't have any pennies. We don't always get the pogs for change, just when the cash drawer gets low -- which is quite often. I thought it interesting.

The temperature was a mere 116 today. Yesterday, we had a cool spell -- the high was only 103!

Anyone who knows me well, knows how much I love my popcorn. I'd eat it for every meal of the day if it was deemed REAL healthy -- but it's not THAT healthy; so I limit myself to once or twice a week. The Rec Center has a popcorn popper cart (similar to the one we're going to have in our house! -- hint to Ed) and each evening they make fresh popcorn.

They really are trying to make it as pleasant as possible for everyone who's here.

Wherever this Labor Day Weekend takes you, please be safe. Please keep the friends and families of those suffering from the tragedy in New Orleans in your thoughts and prayers.

Til later ~~ Love, Candy

Sunday Blog Update

2005-08-28T20:54:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday evening here, and still HOT. Temps today were again in the mid 120's. They keep saying it's supposed to start cooling down. I can hardly wait.

Although, I must admit -- I bought a new blanket last night. The evenings get cold, and with the air conditioner on in at night, I freeze (or rather froze) nearly every night!!! So, I slept cozy last night, slept "in" this morning until 0600, then got up and ready for work. I didn't go to the gym. I decided to take Sundays "off"!

We work every day. Although, Sundays are a day that we can schedule ourselves for as many or as few of hours as we need. I had planned on working until about noon -- but didn't get out of the office until about 4:30.

The shower water is still hot (goes hand in hand with the outside temperature) -- so we still don't use the hot water tap at all. I laughed when doing laundry the other night and I looked at the water temperature knob. No way in Kuwait that you could ever wash clothes in cold water in the summer!!!

This afternoon was Organizational Day. That means all the sections were supposed to try to schedule their soldiers off, and we had a baseball game and a cookout. This is the last week for the team of soldiers we are replacing. They are most excited about headed home, and rightfully so -- they've done a year here without comforts of home and family and friends. We cooked steaks, and the DFAC provided salads and all the other trimmings. No way was I going to play ball -- I'll leave that up to the kids!

One thing I noticed is that the ball field is all sand. In fact the soccer field next to the ball diamond is all sand, too. Most of the roads are packed sand. In fact -- there is only ONE building on this entire installation that has grass growing. It's the headquarters building, and quite a landmark. When receiving directions to something on post, usually "the building with the grass" is somewhere among the instructions.

I've learned a lot this last week. The way we do supply business in the states is MUCH different that the way we do supply business here in a war zone. Very interesting -- very quick to get equipment -- and it's a much different procedure than I've ever used. Most of the people that I work with (up and down my chain of command) are great people. One of the units we work very close with is an Active Component unit out of Germany. Their Logistics Officer is a young Captain, and I'm impressed with his eagnerness and ability to pick things up quickly. Their Maintenance Officer is also a CW4, who's first name is Sweety. No kidding!!! He thinks it's great that my first name is Candy -- so, we've shared some great laughs.

The keyboard I'm typing on has arabic characters on the keys, along with the English ones. I'm trying to learn the symbols for the numerals. I don't have much hope for learning the letters. I'll do well with the numbers!!

I hope this finds all of my "blog" friends well. Thanks for all of your emails and posts. I don't get too much time each day on the internet, so forgive me if I don't respond quickly to your emails.

Til later ~~ Love, Candy

Kuwait Update

2005-08-25T18:45:00.000-05:00

Many of you have asked so many questions, and I'll try to answer some of them.

Yes -- we see herds of camels periodically. They are always with a herder (in an SUV!) and usually 15-25 in a herd.

I travel around Kuwait nearly every day, trying to locate equipment that is here, and getting it properly accounted for. The highways are much like those in the U.S. Except, they drive very fast, and very little regard for other drivers.

The Kuwaiti houses are beautiful -- very small palaces. Most of them are three story homes, very pretty concrete/or block and beautiful architecture. My guess is that each floor is in excess of 2,000 sq ft. We aren't allowed to go into the cities -- only observe from the highways.

It has cooled down a little bit. Temperatures reach the teens of the hundreds every day, sometimes tipping over the 120 degree mark. We drink a lot of water. The military has cases of water and gatorade in just about every location you can find a soldier, sailor, airman, or a marine. There are refrigerators or coolers like you'd see in a 7-11 store all over, and they are continually stocked. We never venture anywhere without water, and always have water in our packs or on our desks.

We're still staying in a tent -- it's not as bad as you'd think. We have beds with mattresses. The tents are air conditioned, and it gets "cold" at night! The bathrooms are just down the dirt path, next door to the shower trailer, and next door to the laundry trailer. We should be able to move into our permanent buildings within the next 10-14 days.

There's very little concrete on this base camp -- in fact, only sand in the zone where I live. The working zone of the camp has some paved streets.

Many have asked about sending care packages. Not yet -- please!!! I don't have any room for more stuff; and whatever I get I'll have to pack up and move soon!

One of the Colonels that is leaving shortly (from my unit) has a bicycle here, and she is going to give it to me. She uses it to get all around the camp -- so I'm looking forward to my future mobility! It has a basket on the front, and it will certainly remind me of biking with Chip in my basket! OK, Tom -- you can groan now!

The food in the DFAC is not bad. I'd heard horror stories -- but found them to be a bit exaggerated. So far we've had meals like spaghetti, meat loaf, chicken (fried, baked), salmon, lobster tails, chicken cordon bleu, swiss steak, and many others I can't remember. They switch between rice, potatoes, noodles, or rice -- so I can't really complain about the choices. There is more fresh fruit and vegetables than you can imagine. Many dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese, milk) for every meal. I person could gain a LOT of weight without trying. They say some come home fit, while other come home fat!!

Which brings me to -- I'm still going to the gym each morning. My muscles quit barking at me and the soreness has subsided -- thank goodness!!!!!

I've rambled long enough.

Til later ~~Candy

Wednesday, August 24th

2005-08-24T19:42:00.000-05:00

Today would have been my Mother's birthday. I miss her. In a way I'm glad she didn't have to see me go off to far away lands and live in a combat zone for a year. But, in a way, I know she would have been proud. I remember when I joined the Women's Army Corps -- nearly 31 years ago!!! She thought I would tire of it soon, and do my three years and get out. Twenty years later she was very proud. Happy Birthday Mom!!!!!

Saturday, 20 August

2005-08-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

Today is my husband's birthday. The first of many special occasions that I'll miss. I'm thankful Laura and Becky will be able to help him celebrate!

I started working today -- actually, showed up at the office. We'll work closely with our counterparts for two weeks and then they'll be able to redeploy back to the U. S. They are most excited we're here, as we are their ticket home!

It's still hot. I highly recommend UnderArmor. It's a brand name of underwear that absorbs moisture rapidly, in an effort to help keep the body cooler!!!! I'm typically not one to endorse clothing, but this stuff really works.

Sorry for the short post -- Til later ~~ Candy

Great Day!

2005-08-18T11:33:00.000-05:00

How many times does a person ever have a day that no one could ever ruin?! I had one of those days today. A very good friend and fellow warrant officer deployed last year to Iraq. Tracy is from the San Antonio area, and has the same type of job I do in the Army. During her year of deployment, I've been able to keep up with her through emails, and an occasional phone call (when she could get to a phone line.) This morning (after my 5:00 a.m. gym workout) I was in the shower trailer, and Tracy walked in. She arrived at the same camp that I'm on yesterday, and we'd been communicating by email to try to find each other. The lack of cell phones is definitely a deterrent. It was great to see her, and I actually was scheduled to have my first morning off duty. So......We went to Starbuck's and attempted to catch up on a year's worth of stories. She is due to redeploy back to the States soon, so I'll definitely be picking her brain for all her "lessons learned".

It was great to see her -- we shared laughs among the tears -- a relief to see someone we both know from "home".

Another thing about this place -- it's not necessary to EVER turn on the hot water faucet. Since the temperatures are soooooo extremely high -- the cold water NEVER has a chance to come out of the tap in the desired state -- COLD! Showers become a quick dip under the water and something to get used to the scalding water.

I put $.50 in a soda machine today for a diet coke, and had a flashback in time. The soda cans (pop cans for all the friends and family up north) have the old "pull tabs" -- like we had in the 60's and 70's. I laughed when I saw it -- what a trip down memory lane.

Til later ~~ Candy

Greetings From Kuwait

2005-08-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever mistakenly turned the hair-dryer toward your face, when attempting to blow-dry your hair? That's how it feels when the wind blows (even gently) here in Kuwait!! I made it here!! I can now share some of my recent travels. We left Ft. Benning, GA on Friday evening about 11:45 p.m. We landed in Gander Newfoundland, Canada and were able to get off the plane for about an hour and a half. Next stop was Budapest, but were not allowed off the plane. We flew straight from Hungary to Kuwait, going over the country of Iraq. It was dark when we flew over Iraq, but we could see lights from the major cities -- Mozul, Baghdad, etc. I was rather surprised when I heard that Iraq allowed international flights go over their air space, but at 35,000 feet -- we did it. 17 hours after we left Ft. Benning, we landed at one of the Airports in Kuwait that inprocesses Soldiers into the country. It was about 11:30 p.m., Saturday night, Kuwait time when we landed. We were bused to a location where we were inprocessed, and our ID cards were "swiped" to indicate we were now in "theatre". Ironically, the unit running that personnel inprocessing is one of my units from "back home". It was good to see my unit patch, and hear familiar names.

Next we were bused to a warehouse, where they gave us another duffle bag of equipment. Eventually we all got finished, and were bused to the base where we'll stay for about a week. We finally were able to get breakfast, then unload our baggage truck, and were able to lay down for a "nap" about 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. Sunday afternoon started the track of more briefings and classes.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we became "tourists"!! Since the 143d has such a huge responsibility for transporting soldiers and equipment all throughout the theatre, they wanted us to see locations that we'll be dealing with. Monday, we went up to the border. We didn't cross it -- just were able to get about 35 feet from the Iraq/Kuwait border. Before the trip, I did learn how to put the "plates" in my body armor -- one in the front and one in the back!!! While up at the border, we were able to get out of the sun for a short time in a make-shift wooden patio cover. Believe me -- nothing elaborate -- in fact, nothing in this entire country is elaborate. They had a thermometer on the wall that displayed inside (under the cover) and outside (in the direct Sun with a gentle breeze blowing). When we first got there -- it was 147 degrees outside, and 121 inside!!!! I think the breeze had an affect on the thermometer, because shortly the outside "cooled down" to a mere 141 degrees. Yikes!!! Have you ever experienced HOT!!! After I get some pictures downloaded from my camera, I'll share the picture of the 141 degrees!!!!

Tuesday, we went to the ports to get an overview of our role at those locations. Today (Wednesday), we were provided our security badges for access to the locations we'll be working. I can't say much about where we work. When you see the briefings and such from Kuwait with all of the Generals and staff -- we work in the building right next door.

Right now I'm living in a tent -- but, it's air conditioned!!!! It actually cools down at night along with the air, and I do need a blanket at night. I am scheduled to move on Saturday to where I'll be living for the next year -- a real building, with real furniture!!!

It's amazing the type of services here for soldiers. We have a Starbucks, Pizza Inn, Taco Bell, Hardee's, Burger King, and even Subway!! There's sand everywhere with occasional gravel. There are fitness centers on nearly every major base, and it may come as a shock to all of you -- I've been at the gym every morning before 5:00 a.m. to workout!!! There are AT&T Call centers on each base camp -- but I don't think they have soldier's "best interest" with how the calling cards work. Someone back in the states needs to alert all of the great service organizations that buy AT&T calling cards to send with soldiers that it's a rip-off!! I'm usually not one to complain about consumer products -- but ....... here goes. A 120 minute AT&T calling card was given to us from a DAR Chapter in Orlando, FL. I made a phone call to Ed, and when I dialed the first time, was told by the automated voice -- you have 9 minutes remaining on your card. We got to talk for the 9 minutes, and then I called AT&T to ask if there could possibly be a mistake with my card. Nope -- it was a connection charge. By the way -- that wasn't a typo -- it really was a mere 9 minutes on the 120 minute AT&T Calling card. I'll learn quickly what type of card to get, and how to do it here.

I hope this finds all of you well -- I'm doing fine -- just HOT!! Typically, the temps reach only 122-125 each day. Within a few days I hope to have some pictures posted for you.

Til later ~~ Candy

Last Note from Continental US

2005-08-08T11:54:00.000-05:00

Orlando has been fun (personally) and somewhat boring (professionally). Ed was able to come down for a weekend, and we had a great time doing the tourist things around Orlando -- Epcot was fantastic!!!! We even went to the Gourmet McDonald's -- World's largest McDonald's is in Orlando -- typical McDonald junk food at one counter; while another counter served salmon dinners, chicken alfredo, scrumptious deserts, etc. -- all on glass plates!!!! We enjoyed our two days together, and hated to tell him goodbye. I'm such a schmuck -- ask my family -- I cry at the thought of a Folger's Coffee commercial. OK -- enough about that, because the Captain sitting next to me is wondering, "what's wrong with this woman!"

Professionally, we've had a lot of briefings on what's going on in Kuwait, and expectations for our unit when we get there. Some of the briefings and classes have been unorganized and less than pertinent; while some have litterally kept me glued to the edge of my chair. I'm anxious to get there and get started, as my 365 day countdown can't start until we get "in country".

We head back to Ft. Benning tomorrow and wait for our airplane ride out of the country. I can't say much more than that, because it's classified as to when we actually leave. We know -- but we can't say. I will tell you that by duty time next Monday morning, I'll be in Kuwait.

I've taken a few pictures, and am learning how to get them posted to my website. My small problem is that I can't edit them (resize the photos) so that they are small, and open quickly. When I learn that task well, you'll all see the fruits of my education!!

I have been trying to get many of you called (by phone); unfortunately, I won't be able to call each of you before I leave the country. Please know that I think about all of you -- a lot!

My next update will be from Kuwait -- where the current temperatures are in excess of 122 degrees. But.....it's a dry heat!

Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers. Ed is enjoying his new job at Ft. Sam Houston and glad that he once again has a career outside the home! Tom is one week into his Officer Basic Course at Ft. Knox, KY. Sarah is gearing up for her last semester of ungrad work -- she's 9 semester hours away from that December graduation!!! Laura is finishing up her last pre-requisites for Nursing School. Hopefully, January will find her at UT Health Science Center as a Nursing Student. Becky has opted to stay in San Antonio for college this semester and has still trying to decide between San Antonio College or NW Vista. Chip (the wonder dog) -- I know he misses me!!

Love to all. Til later ~~ Candy

Made It Back to Orlando

2005-07-26T15:08:00.000-05:00

The Bus trip from Ft. Benning to Orlando was pretty uneventful. It was a short seven hour trip. The best part was our arrival -- back in a hotel, with satin-like sheets, and an entire weekend to enjoy them. I didn't know I could sleep so much on Saturday. It did manage to socialize with the rest of the unit for about an hour and a half during lunch -- but managed to make my way back to my room for my afternoon nap. My wagon was draggin'.

The training here at the headquarters is going well. Rather than overwhelm us with briefings, they sprinkle them around the training day. The briefings as to what our jobs will be once we deploy are extremely interesting, and we are on the edge of our seats to learn more! Most everyone knows and is familiar with Microsoft Office (to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). Today, we had classes on Microsoft Office and those particular programs. Most of the soldiers were amazed that they could truly be taught something in the classes. The military has a way of dressing up briefings with slide presentations, and most of us are self-taught, or have a buddy who has taught us what we need to know to navigate through the programs. Our instructor was fabulous, and was really able to teach some "PowerPoint Rangers" something new.

Ed is flying to Orlando on Friday, and am looking foward to spending a weekend with him. We've never been to Epcot, and are making plans for Saturday!!! This morning we took a break at 10:39 to watch the Space Shuttle Discovery Launch. Kennedy Space Center is not far from here, and we were able to see the Space Shuttle after it launched. Truly breathtaking to watch it -- even though we were quite a way from the launch pad.

I'm learning how to publish pictures, so I promise more soon!

Til later ~~ Candy

Less Than 24 hours left at Ft. Benning!

2005-07-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

I've decided that only in the Army does a person get up at 0315 (that's 3:15 am) to report to formation at 0430, to get on a bus at 0515 (half of us didn't have to draw our weapons from the arms room this morning), to get bussed across Ft. Benning to the Dining Facility or DFAC (mess hall) to eat, then find time between 0610 and 0630 to catch a "combat nap" on a concrete basketball court, to get in a formation to march up a hill to the training area, only to get pulled out of training to get back on a van at 0700 to go back to the offices to help coordinate logistical "stuff". Wow -- The picture is the demonstration on how to catch that "combat nap"!!!

Seriously, we get up at crazy hours, and get to where we need to be. It's tough to get 90+ soldiers from one point to another, particularly when the majority of them are officers, and well above the age of 22!!! It's been a long time since basic training, but we're all adjusting! A few more hours here at Ft. Benning, and I'll write again when we get back to Orlando.

Til later ~~ Candy

2005-07-17T21:55:00.000-05:00

Hi All ~~ One week down and one week to go at Ft. Benning, GA. A place my husband called "home" for most of his active duty career, as well as a place where our Son learned how to jump out of perfectly good airplanes!!!

The inprocessing has been extremely detailed -- dental, medical, personnel, legal, finance -- you name it -- they cover all the bases. My left upper arm is still sore -- shots. If you're ever required to get both an Anthrax AND a Yellow Fever shot in the same day (as well as in the same arm) -- try to decline!!! It hurts!!! Then to add to the pain -- I had to get a small pox vaccination on Friday morning. Remember those of us that are close to my age how we thought we were vaccinated against small pox for life. Those of us bearing the round little scar on our upper arms -- well....surprise -- now "they" say that the vaccination is only good for ten years!!!

The training has been pretty good. Very theatre specific -- a lot of hands on classes with what we can expect when we get to Kuwait. Many of the classes I'd like to repeat, or at least ask for "do-overs", because I don't think anyone can be prepared enough. Friday afternoon we had classes on our individual weapons that we'll carry. I have a 9mm pistol, and until Friday only knew how to requisition, account, store, and inventory all of those 9mm's. The range was Saturday morning, and I qualified my first time up! Needless to say, I was thrilled!! I asked to go to the back of the line and re-fire. The instructor said -- you don't need to -- you qualified. Remember how I feel about the "do-overs"? I wanted to go back, just to fire again -- so they let me.

My daily wardrobe changed this week from Army Green to Desert Tan. On Tuesday, I felt like we were filming the movie Private Benjamin. Each of us were issued three duffle bags, and shuffled through a huge warehouse collecting all of our new clothes and equipment. I hadn't done the "duffle bag drag" since basic training over 30 years ago. The best part of the desert uniform -- you don't have to shine the boots. Those of you who see me uniform on a daily basis will understand that comment! Remember hearing all of the hype about soldiers not having all of the equipment they need -- we're getting it now -- to include the proper body armor! My roommates (2 Majors) are still laughing about something I said after we got back to the barracks with three full duffle bags. As we were unpacking and putting equipment together. I unpacked my IBA (Interceptory Body Armor) and not one but two plates that are part of the IBA. My comment was... "this is great -- they're thinking ahead. They've given us a spare, in case the first gets shot." Janet calmly said.... "Candy, one is for the front and one is for the back." I'm learning!!! All of my friends that are, or have been, in theatre -- don't laugh -- just look out for me!

Did I say that Yellow Fever and Anthrax shots hurt!

Til later ~~ Candy

2005-07-12T16:38:00.000-05:00

Many of you know (or have heard) that I volunteered for deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I volunteered to go with the 143rd Transcom, a transportation command out of Orlando, FL, who is operating and managing the ports in Kuwait. My job is still being molded as to exactly what I'll be doing -- however, I know that I'll be working with the accountability and documentation of Army equipment that is left in theatre by units returning to the states and have leaving their equipment in theatre for other deploying units to use. That's the civilian description. In military terms -- I'll be the PBO for SBE!!

I spent my last weekend home in perfect style -- at a beach house south of Galveston, TX. Ed & I, and all the kids (along with some significant friends) joined some longtime good friends for a relaxing, fun, 4th of July celebration.

I left for Orlando on July 7th and will be here for just a few days. We travel to Ft. Benning, GA (by bus) on Sunday and meet up with the rest of our team. We'll be at Ft. Benning for two weeks of military training, then back to Orlando for a few more weeks before we travel to Kuwait. A lengthy military career in a variety of locations has always proven to be beneficial to me. After I got to Orlando -- sure enough there are some team members that I served with in previous assignments, as well as several that I'd "heard" of from other Army buddies. It's going to be a great team to serve with. Our team when fully assembled will be approximately 90 soldiers -- all of whom have volunteered!!!! We are scheduled to work in Kuwait, and will be getting there at the hottest time of the year -- where the mercury reaches 130+.

I hope to send updates by email periodically. I won't have a mailing address for a couple of months, so the best way to reach me is via email. I'm anxious about getting on with this assignment, because my 365 days "boots on the ground" start counting the first day I get in theatre. The quicker we get there -- the quicker we get back home to family and friends.

Regards,

Candy