Whew, I'm Glad That's Over

I thought this BBC article's headline was a bit too trite.  Maybe it's just classic British understatement.  "No need to worry about that anymore..."

I wonder why I can't even find this story on CNN, USAToday or Google News.

Over Tigris, in the Night. A (Rough) First Draft

October 9, 2008:

In a quiet waiting line
of Soldiers at the twilight.
Stirring when we hear
the rotor whine of
blades come near.

The crew chief waves us o’er
to his waiting craft.
Armored, belted, locked we sit
near each open door
on the frame – we lift!

Over groves of date palm
and scattered farms we streak.
Turning to follow Tigris’ path along,
our rotors sound an airborne Psalm.
A turbine-soul, given song.

Baghdad’s lights catch me
with a dazzling flash.
So low flew our mission
o’er Tigris’ flow, it seemed we
slipped into a dream-like vision

A flare a-lights, joins our Iraqi night,
but soon melts into the City colors.
The door gunners keep watch upon
the River banks as our flight
soars over bridges there - then gone.

We turn by the heart of Baghdad,
and the crew scans the night
one last time. Soon we dropped
to the silent concrete pad,
the rotor hum then abated.

Though my day was passing long,
the night had shown me wonders
and I was loathe to let them go.
Reverie takes the place of engine-song
The others silent, perhaps thinking so.

33rd Leads the Way

I attended the regional Family Support Conference this last weekend and I have to say that there is a great deal of command emphasis on family support in the 33rd IBCT.

It is very refreshing to see that kind of focus from higher command. This is a program, if done correctly will be a tremendous asset to the families of deployed soldiers (and the 33rd is taking almost a third of the state with them) as well as an asset to the soldiers themselves.

When I went with the 33rd to Afghanistan (with CSM Bones and Major John) it was just the HHC of an ASG and it wasn't even used that way. On top of that there was no, none, zip, zero… support for the families. We had enough trouble trying to figure out what our jobs were and how we were going to do them with too few people. We didn't need the stress of worrying about our families back home.

The last thing a soldier needs to worry about when they're getting shot at is the leaky faucet at home (believe me, I've tried).

Now they have Family Assistance Center Representatives around the state to provide support and guidance to the families, including making a monthly phone call to a family member designated by each soldier. The 33rd has one better than that with the Family Readiness Support Assistant who helps the Family Readiness Groups of each individual Company.

Several Company Commanders even attended the training this weekend. Many of them attended with their FRGs or at least their FRG Leaders.

I applaud the efforts of the 33rd IBCT in this facet of keeping the soldiers safe and I give kudos to the leadership for making this a priority and providing the tools to get it done. The FACRs and the FRSA are state employees so the credit there goes to the Adjutant General (MG Enyart) and the state staff (JFHQ), but there seems also to be emphasis by the Brigade Command team.

A Thought for the Earlier Occupant

Just a thought I might offer,
to you that used this port-o-let earlier.
Did you need finish that cigarette in here?
As if an outhouse in Iraq
did not already smell bad enough.

Houston, the Eagle Has Landed

I just got word that Major John and the detachment from the 108th have safely arrived in Kuwait.

I don't suppose MJ has much internet access yet so I figured I'd post this.