Well, I am getting pretty short. What I mean, obviously, is that I don’t have much time left here. It’s the morning of the 27th, and I have a flight out of Iraq on the 9th. I’m flying to Kuwait, and I’ll stay there until my flight home on the 15th. I’ve decided to fly to Virginia after I out process through CRC, and that will give me a chance to hang out with my dear friends Meghan and Ellen there in Alexandria. I have a car there, and a storage facility full of gear, so I’ll pack it all up and head west, via Memphis, in early November. Dave is going to be wrapping up some training there, and he’ll join me for the drive to California. That’ll be a blast!

Lately, I have been helping my team here to prep for a possible redeployment. Our contract is still in a state of suspended animation here (I won’t supply the details), so we’re in a bit of a holding pattern. In the meantime, we are preparing for the worst-case scenario. I’ve been getting everybody’s orders and ID cards (an extension) prepared, and I’m trying to get a handle on the turnover of our equipment/property book. What a nightmare that is! (Ok, ok; it’s not soooo bad.)

I also do some logistical stuff that involves driving our folks to where they need to be, and stuff like that. When I’m working at my desk here in the headquarters building, I get to listen to the battle update briefing (BUA) a couple of times per day. It’s really interesting to hear what is going on with the troops each day. We also hear real-time information on troops in contact, requests for air support, IED attacks, etc. It’s so easy to sit here in my comfortable and safe office and forget that troops are out there facing serious dangers each and every minute of every day. I hope that you all keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

And to all those asshole politicians and liberal journalists out there, please don’t take what I just said and use it as ammunition against what we’re doing here in Iraq. The troops I just mentioned are in harm’s way, but they aren’t complaining. They’re doing their jobs, and they are doing them exceedingly well. They’re getting the job done here; so butt out.