32. Back in the Sand Pit

Written: April 11 - 12, 2003

Friday, April 11th
Spent the day getting used to being back in the sand pit. Not too bad at all. The wind kept the sand blowing so, other than keeping the tent closed up, it was a relatively nice day.

Supposed to be moving north to Balad airport just north of Baghdad. This may be our final move but we do not know. Heard rumor that President Bush said that all troops who were here before the war started will be home by July 4th. When I stop to think about it, it is funny to even think that something like that could be true. I can vividly remember when I was in Operation Desert Shield (the run up to Desert Storm) we were told of rumors such as that all the time. We arrived in August 1990 and the rumor chain went something like this: We will be releaved by Thanksgiving. Then by December 1st. Then by December 15th, then by Christmas, then by New Years...you get the point. The point being that there is no guarantee of who will go home when. Its not necessarily based on first in, first out. It all depends on your mission and your speciality of what you bring to the battlefield. If they need more of what you provide then you will stay. If they don't need what you provide -- they will redesignate your mission and make you stay anyhow.

Found out that our imbedded reporter, CBS Bob is leaving us tomorrow to head back to the states. He was our link to the world--he had the sattelite internet connection and could keep us up to date on what was going on in the world...I was able to get into his computer and receive all the emails that people sent in response to the one we sent a few weeks ago. Also sent Stef a “final” message to tell her that I will have to resort to snail mail.

Cleaned up my hard drive and removed some files to clear up some space.

Saturday, April 12th
Woke up at 8:30am and went to breakfast then out to the aircraft to prepare for PR coverage. Could not get the High Frequency radio to work but other than that, everything was ready to go should we be needed.

Hung out and went back to the aircraft with SFC Middleton and Dave Woodward to work on the HF and they fixed it so we could talk to operations but still could not get the position reports to send.

While sitting outside our tent we saw new people/units moving into our area. I thought I recognized one of the guys as my old Company Commander from 21st Chemical Company but I wasn’t sure. Then I saw another guy who was another former commader and knew that I couldn’t be seeing things. I walked over to them and it was CPT Smith (now Lieutenant Colonel) and CPT Amos (now Major). I was a private under CPT Smith and he was my Commander before leaving for Desert Shield/Storm. CPT Amos was my commander many years later as I was a young Sergeant and Staff Sergeant. They are in the Chemical Battalion from Fort Polk now. We talked for a while and I found out that Ike Deal (another Chemical guy) is with 2nd Brigade of the 82nd so I must have just missed him at Samawah the other day.

More rumors that we will be moving north to Balad airport which is 30 miles north of Baghdad. Not sure when we will move but within a week or so. I guess we have to wait for 4th Infantry Division to get there and secure it.

Played Medal of Honor on my laptop for many hours then went to bed at 11:40pm (8:40zulu).