Friends and Family,
Sorry its been so long since my last letter. The last
few months have gone by quickly. I've moved a few times, once
from the Baghdad suburbs into the city, and now I'm about 30 miles
north at Camp Taji. Taji maintains our brigade which is
quite a contrast to our last few "homes" which held only a
battalion or even a company of soldiers. These bigger bases
are great because the living conditions and food are so much
better. I'm currently living in an AC trailer (even though
winter can be a little chilly) and have access to a few different
meal options.
In late October through early November I took my 15 days
of leave.. I spent most of the time at home, but also
spent a few days travelling. I had a great time and I
can notice how much more relaxed I've been since I
returned. Probably the most interesting event was that I
celebrated my birthday at home for the first time in 7 years.
I should do that more often.
Unfortunately when I returned to Iraq I found out I had
been removed from my position as a platoon leader. Generally,
lieutenants can expect to see 12 months in the position, but I was
able to make it to 16 months before it was someone else's
turn. My new job is to coordinate between the
Iraqi Army brigade and my battalion. I got the short end of
the stick and work nights, 9 PM to 9 AM. The upside is that the
early morning shifts are usually pretty quiet. The long hours
can be monotonous, but time is flying by.
We are approaching the final month of the
deployment. We currently don't have a date set for returning
to Ft. Hood, but I can see the bureaucratic wheels turning that
will lead to everyone getting on a plane and flying home. My
estimates would have us in Texas sometime in mid
January.
I'd like to thank everyone again for their support. Your
friendship has all meant so much. I look forward to seeing
everyone when I get home. Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year to all.
Zach
Hey Donnie,
I hope you’re doing well! I know it’s
been a really long time since I’ve talked to you last.
Currently I am deployed. I just left in October so still sort of
getting used to things over here. I got lucky because I am in UAE
which is one of the safer places to be, but still we aren’t
allowed to go anywhere and are locked down most of the time. They
have a pool here and I did pack some swim stuff and I’m gonna
try to start swimming again. Hopefully I won’t drown,
it’s been a while since I’ve been swimming. I just
wanted to say hello and hope that you and Ronnie and the team is
doing well. It’s weird that I don’t know anyone anymore
on the team. Hope to hear from you soon!
Well I am air defense artillery so basically we are
sitting here and watching Iran making sure they don't try to do
anything. I am a platoon leader and a tactical control officer so I
am in charge of missiles and firing them off if I need to. I am
glad OA is doing great, I can't believe it will be your 20th year
at Miramonte! That’s a long time. I went swimming last night
and thought I was going to die but it felt good to get back in the
water and swim again. Nicolas is good, he is deploying in January
to Afghanistan for a few months. He is now in Fort Benning,
Georgia. Recently he just proposed to his girlfriend so he is now
engaged. Not sure when the wedding will be, I haven't heard any
details yet. My parents say hello to you and Ronnie. They are doing
well. I got a puppy a few months before I left and so they have him
right now and he keeps them pretty occupied, haha. I hope to hear
from you soon and hope you had a Merry Christmas!
Love,
Sylvia
Love,
Sylvia
