Augments

Two days until Christmas but it is business as usual here. Actually, we have ramped up our mentoring efforts and are now spending more time at the IA compound. As we are planning on spending 16 or more hours a day at the IA Brigade, we are getting 4 additional augmentees for our team to let us catch a break occasionally. Now we just need to move a chu out to Dezil so we have somewhere other than our trucks to hang out in. Getting chow and somewhere to put the discharge is another issue.





My mother says I don't post enough pictures of myself. Well, at least my nephews will like this picture.

Here at COP Meade we aren't allowed to adopt a stray, but a stray seems to have adopted us. We drive the roads everyday and see all the dogs, mutts all, and wish we could have one to guard our compound and cheer us up.

When we returned today, there under our shower chu was a small dog. At first we thought he was injured, but he turned out to be merely terrified of us. After some coaxing and two bags of beef jerky we were able to convince him that we were friendly. He seems to have been abused, as his tail seems to have been lopped off (I'm convinced he didn't receive a tail from one of his parents). He is about 4-5 months old, and seems to never have met a kind person in his short life. Willy, one of our interpreters, named him "Penkish," but "Punkass" works too. It's hard not to get attached to him, and I fear he may just wander off after tomorrow. Perhaps getting attached would be bad since leaving a dog here would be heartwrenching. But he really is a cute little guy, with an excited smile and a constant butt wiggle from trying to wag the tail that isn't there.

SFC Parker couldn't find the back door to his truck, so he went out the escape hatch in the top.

SGT Kessinger is pretty much like me; highstrung with not enough to do. Except SGT Kessinger is quite a bit more hoah than I am and really into the Army. He seems really happy to be with us as we are to have his help and expertise.

SGT Khoubeche (I cant spell my own name sometimes) speaks Arabic and several other languages. It's nice having him on the team, taking away the need for a native interpreter.

SPC Chase, originally from Montana is a great asset to our team since he is a former armorer. This guy is really easy going and a welcome member of the team.

This is the best photo I have taken so far of SPC Huddleston. A cook, he wasn't happy with his job and is not intending on re-enlisting. SGM Clark, the 4-27 FA top NCO sent SPC Huddleston to us to see a different side of the Army. From the Houston area, we all have to listen to Hudd and Maj Brott reminisce about "back home" all day long. From what I hear I could navigate my way through Houston without a map.

We lock our office chu from the outside with a combination lock. After our morning brief and the order to be "red-con-one" in ten minutes we were all, well, almost all loaded in our trucks and ready to go.

After putting on my headset I heard Major Brott call over our internal net for Jedi Fox (CPT Connaroe) to come unlock the door. It honestly didn't occur to me what was going on until Major Brott called a third time for someone to come open the door. I initially thought he needed someone to open it for him (this was before I finished my coffee) since maybe he had his hands full. SPC Chase reminded me that for Major Brott to call over the net he would have to be in the office.

Major Brott was the first person to get locked in the office. I told everyone my truck that perhaps we should move to another truck, but Major Brott took it well and was able to joke about it.

I was surprised to get a package today from my cousin, Jeff, who I haven't seen in several years. I was pleased with the package and even more pleased with how considerate he and his wife are. Thank you Jeff and Lori.

Thanks also to my Mother for the Christmas presents, they will help cheer me up on Christmas morning.

I would also really like to thank Wendy J Jones, Glen and Elizabeth Hammond for the goods.

And as always, my beautiful wife. Without your support I couldn't make it through, I love you.

Well spellchecker isn't working and it's late, so I'm going to post it anyway. Sometimes my attempts to post end up as drafts and I get to feeling guilty for slacking, so forgive my sloppyness.