I'VE DEPARTED IRAQ AND I'M IN KUWAIT WAITING FOR MY FREEDOM FLIGHT TO THE UNITED STATES

After 98 days in Iraq I left Wednesday, 26 and flew by military transport to Ali Al Salem Airfield in Kuwait where I'm waiting for the weekly flight to the United States, also know as the Freedom Plane.  I flew by military transport which is always an adventure. Although officially Kuwait is still considered  a war zone it's much more relaxed than Iraq and I believe there haven't been any hostile fire incidents recently.  We're actually not even required to carry our weapons with us.  Ali Al Salem Airfield is not only a military base it's the gateway to  Iraq and Afghanistan.  On my way to Iraq...

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THESE ARE THE LAST DAYS OF MY DEPLOYMENT!!

All good things have to come to an end and it looks like the end iscoming. I'm supposed to to be on active duty not longer than 120 days with 90 days "in theater" (don't you love this term).  Actually, I arrived in theater 10/23 so I'm already over 90 days and it will be about 100 days by the time I leave although I've been assured that I won't go over 120 days by the time I get home.  It's useless to argue with them anyway. I'm not allowed to say when I'm leaving because troop flights are considered classified. Unit begins to assemble for the ceremony Colonel pins medal My replacement, Major Andrew Altman,  arrived this...

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Mission to Ur, The Biblical Home of Abraham & The Ziggurat

Unless you are on an assigned mission soldiers are never allowed at any times to go "outside the wire" of the base. Today we were taken to one of the most well known archeological sites in all of Iraq "The Ziggurat of Ur". (Ur is the ancient name for this area.) This trip was actually the only bit of sightseeing I ever even had a chance of doing and since I'll be leaving soon I was quite relieved that I was able to go. The area of Iraq know as Mesopitamia, which means "the land between two rivers" and it is called the "cradle of civilization" because ancient people were able to use the availability...

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