Power out

We lost power in our office so I came to the joint Operations cell to use a computer..The "JOC" never loses power because its where the CG works. Its HOT...officially hit 111 in the shade yesterday..its so hot all you can do is laugh about it....it will be 125 sustained in a few more weeks.

The vehicle thermometers read 125 now...but that in the direct sunshine...couple that with the intense dust storms (Charlie likes to lob things at the base during the dust storms) and it makes for one miserable place at times. We still have it better than most...last week after a 2 mile walk back to my living quarters ( I walk 2 miles to and 2 miles from work ever day) my AC had died....so I sat on my bed and watched TV and sweat..it was almost 90 in my room...about 1030 pm they said we cant get it fixed tonight so I went to an empty trailer to sleep...at least it had air...I am hitting the outdoor pool on weekends...headed there today actually... hope the power stays out..Ill be going REAL early to the pool...when you wake up the temp is already 85-90 at 5am. I have run in 6 5K runs so far and gotten a good enough time for a t-shirt each race...the last one was sponsored by the 5th Combat Engineer group here...the whole course was in the gravel! I said leave it to a bunch of combat engineers to lay out a course in the gravel when theres 50 miles of paved road on this base..oh well, it was fun.

get Rand R soon, ready to leave this place for a while. Hope to see some of you then.

Bacon...over and out.

Im here

Sorry its been a while since my last post...its hard getting to a computer...they say were going to have wireless soon in our living area...that will be great...noting much new here, its getting hot and the dust storms are getting bad....fine baby powder like dust...you cant see 10 feet when its blowing...I socred 230 on my PT test...best score i have had in 20 years...ran 2 miles in 15 minutes 30 seconds...not bad. 55 pushups and 55 situps in two minutes. Best shape I have been in in years. The times are interesting over here, much politics going on with drawdown...just watch the news...the Arabic news outlets report alot of stuff US news never reports...Charlie daniels has been here as well as Billy Blanks....no big deal really. We finally got our footlockers, they were shipped on an ocean freighter...it took 2 months from when they left Texas port to get to Iraq....at one pont I figured they had just been stolen by Pirates off the freighter. Anyway, write more later, Im fine, ready for R and R!

Bryan

update

Nothing much new here..I ran into an old buddy from Officer Basic Course at FT Knox nearly 18 years ago...Maj Chris Emmons..he and I were recalling thie big time we had during those months at Knox together. I have joined a bible study that meets for lunch 1 X weekly...Its just about 6 of us right now...same core group we had at Ft Hood...right now studing the book of John.

I told some buddies this place is like Bill Murray in "groundhog Day'...same routine every day...not much variation at all...Ive even threatened to put on Sonny and Cher "I got you babe" on my IPOD alarm clock to wake up to every morning just to make it authentic. The weather is nice...high 80's/day...low 60's/night...

I go over to the Iraqi Security office after work every night (some friends work there) and we watch a movie after work...Saturdays is movie and wings...we go load up on takeout wings a the Messhall and come back and watch a movie on a big plasma screen in their office.

Well, other than work, not much else goes on really...I got a camoflage bike to ride while I am here..it was a giveaway that I am ressurecting at the local bike repair shop....anyway, hope everyone is well...write again later.

Bryan

April 6

Not much new to report. I got a cost analyst that started working with me today...his name is Victor, hes from Nigeria and has MBA...sharp guy...he told me his job was to find cost savings in the budget, I told him "brother, your going to be busy 7 days per week over here"! I went out to a big field today where they house all of the destroyed Mig fighters and tanks left over from Saddam...I got some good pictures....I also saw an Iraqi family today...small child, mom and dad, dad had a little baby in a carrier on his back and they were tending a herd of sheep! It was interesting to see. Working 12 hrs/day...I like my job...working out the rest of the time...eating good too! Gotta run to shoft change...its almost 8pm here.

Bryan

Update

Well tomorrow is April fools day...I am participating in a 5k April fools day run here, they expect about 2,000 people to run in it...when you consider this FOB has 15,000 military and about 10,000 contractors living here..thats really not all that many folks. So much of what is interesting here is classified and cant be discussed in the open. I did go see where all of the Hunter/Predator unmaned remote control planes launch from...that was pretty cool...they fly the base peremeter all day and night.

One thing funny today was that my battle buddy, Patrick Rowe from Owensboro went to get a haircut (some Third Country National was the barber) and he got shaved nearly bald (he had quite a bit of hair) most of these folks cant understand much English so I guess there was a misunderstanding...he literally has no hair...the guy shaved his head with a straight razor. He told him "high and tight" which in the states means short sides and back with a tapered fade to longer hair on top...well he got the fade all the way..was pretty comical.

The bright spot of my day has been John Calapari coming to KY...man that Billy Gillespie turned out to be a hand wringing wack-o-loon as one of my frinds from back home put it. I said to a guy here when KY lost to the Irish in the NIT, they need to fire that guy and hire a guy like Coach Calapari, someone slick, with class. Man, they have hit a home run with him. The A.D. at Memphis said the Coach C said several years ago that the ONLY job that would take hime away from Memphis was U of KY coaching job...so the guy is sincere.

Nothing else much to report here...the days are actually moving on by...Ive been in theater a month already..not bad. Please pray that the situation doesnt deteriorate with the planned withdrawl here...too much blood and treasure has been spent here for this to fall apart. Gotta run for now. The cards and packages have started showing up , I appreciate them so much...

Hello

A quick update...not much to report here, life is pretty regimented here, up, eat breakfast, work, eat lunch, work out eat dinner go back to work....we work 12 hour shifts 6 days per week...that has taken some getting used to...no comp time here like back home. I have to attend a nightly briefing called shift change...its a down and dirty classified brief about what went on in Iraq in the last 24 hours...its for situational awareness, pretty interesting stuff. I am a go between between the army contractors (KBR aka Halliburton) and getting projects approved through the Army for FOB QWEST near Baghdad. Its busy and pretty interesting...I get a sampling of what kind of money is being spent over here...you wouldnt believe it so Ill spare you the depressing figures. This is a noble cause and soon the Iraqi people are going to have to drive the train themselves, there are many capable people here to make that happen. Gott run they called me to the phone!

address

OK...here is my address...please send me anything!! (no junk food)

Major Bryan Bacon
HHC/3rd ESC
Joint Base Balad
APO AE 09391

Today was first full day at work, Ill have a good mission I think. Pray for me and all of my comrades.

I worked out and its 10 oclock, I still have to call home and then 20 minute walk home, so Ill go for now. Please write.