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.

Balad, Iraq

Made it in this morning early am. We flew from Kuwait to Balad, did a combat landing at the airfield (corkscrew straight down, pull up at the last minute and land) it nearly made me throw up! Air Force C 130. Packed like sardines, hot, tired and that type of landing was just about my limit. We inprocessed and got in the rack at 330 am...moved into permananent housing at about 1 pm. I have a room by myself, short walk to nice showers and bathrooms. I got a TV from the guy leaving, Ill work on a microwave and fridge later this week. Ill post my address tomorrow, we will get inprocessed and get settled, tomorrow is a day off for us to get unpacked and settled. Lunch in the KBR mess hall today was complete with crablegs...cant say they dont take care of the troops.

I dont wan to make it sound all glory and easy, this base is in the middle of the insurgent territory and it didnt get the nickname "Mortaritaville" for no reason. Im about a 20 minute walk from the PX, gym ect. I am glad to be settled finally, this has been a long raod to get here. Im tired and a USO rep has offered to take me and my battle buddy back to our hooches in her car so I am taking her up on that, so I have to go for now.

Camp Buehring 5K

Ran in the ST Patricks Day 5K today at Camp Buehring. Put up about 24 minutes, which isnt as quick as I have run in the past, the wind was in our face all the way out and all the way back. Got a nice T-Shirt to comemorate the event.

Its all about the troops

What a hoot, the Legends and Divas tour came to the USO today at Camp Buehring, picture is me with....Jimmy "the mouth of the south Hart" Nasty Boy Brian Knobs, SoCal Val, Greg "the hammer" Valentine and Traci Brooks. I was talking with Jimmy Hart and told him I watched him every Sunday with Lance Russell and Dave, and he said, "Bryan, those were the days brother, man Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler, those were the days"!! It was classic! I got an autographed picture with all of the "Legends and Divas'" There were lots of side conversations with several soldiers debating who all Hart ad brought into wrestling...it was hilarious.

KY Boys

Ky contingent on this mission, L to R

1LT Haygood-Louisville

MAJ BAcon- Mayfield

MAJ Rowe- Owensboro

SGT Messer- Bowling Green

My Hummer team:

SSG Brown

CPT Phillips

MAJ Bacon

MSG Jackson

SFC Smith (gunner in window)

Uadari Range Convoy Leader

We just got back from being on the range in Kuwait. We slept in tents on the floor for 3 days. We had sandstorms every day, the sky turns brown and you cant see but jsut a few feet in front of you. It lasts for hours and and gets into places you didnt think it could. The sand out here is fine like baby powder and man when the wind kicks up, its hell. We did combat logistics patrols with some contrators in Kuwait and practice CQM (close quarters marksmanship with my M9 pistol) it was pretty cool. The first night out, I was eating my MRE on a sandpile and a group of camels came cruising by us at dusk, it was pretty surreal and very cool. We were staying 5 miles from the checkpoint to enter Iraq, at nigt you can see the lights from the checkpoint, pretty neat. We are not to far off from leaving here and heading into Iraq. I have some more training today and more PT tonight, thats the routine here in Kuwait. Ill write more later and post a few more pics.

update

Still in Kuwait, we are drawing our kevlar vest today in preparation for going to the firing range later this week. The days are pretty slow, the object of coming here is to allow you body to adjust before going to Iraq, which I thought was silly until we got here, its not so much the temp, but going from when your body says is 2 am to it being 6pm is quite a hard thing to overcome. We had steak and lobster for dinner last night. One thing I learned is that the Kuwait govt provides all the food to US forces in Kuwait as a donation, except for pork, if that s served, the US has to buy it for obvious reasons. They have a cool movie theater here that you can reserve a time, go in, pick your own movie (they have all first run stuff here) and the theater is yours for 2 hours! you have to sign up for a time, but its pretty cool. We have watched several like that. The USO by far has the best set up here. They have a place where you can go in and they will video you reading books to your kids, then sedn the tape AND the book home to them free of charge..I have done several recordings for Ella and Avery. Im on my cot at 5am typing this, we bought HS WIFI here for 12/week, so I can sit on my bunk at 5am in the middle of the desert and post on this blog...pretty sweet. I have an international plan on my cell and for a mere $2.50 a minute , I can call home wherever I am...obviously I dont use it much, so dont be offended, but if you call, I wont answer for 2.50$ a minute. Well, going to eat breakfast now, eveyone is staring to get up. If you have ever had to endure 40 guys in one place sleeping and snoring, its horrible..it sounds like a band with all of the noises all night...


Write again tomorrow.

Bryan

Sand, Sand, Sand........

We woke up to our first sandstorm today. The sky went brown and you couldn't see 5 feet in front of you for hours. Despite the boonie hat, goggles, baclava....it gets in your hair, teeth and ears. its fine sand like baby powder, and it blows everywhere.

my sleep cycle is screwed up, I laid down today in our "hooch" at 9am after training for a "quick" nap and woke up at 5pm!!! Were 8 hours ahead and its hard to adjust after flying for 24 hours....we went and watched Quantum of Solace (James Bond) today at the post theater, a big tent, with comfy chairs and a big plastic movies screen, a classic war zone set up. The movie was awesome, a nice touch of civilization in a vast expanse of desert. All you can see in any direction is sand. It desolate out here...all you can see is sand beyond the perimeter.

We are hearing stories of being here for 2 weeks....thing is, is much better than Ft Hood, TX which is sad. Apparently the unit we are replacing hasn't left yet and there is no room for us at balad until they get out. The stars and stripes said that two Brigades (12,000 GI's) leaving this month will not be replaced..a definite sign of a draw down in Iraq. Ive been working out hard every day, running and weight lifting, its slow right now and might as well hit it while I can. Well I'm going to call home, Ill write more tomorrow.

Bryan

Camp Behuring, Kuwait

Well, Im here. After a 24 hour plane ride/stopovers in the states and Europe (drank German Beer at 6am ( German Becks level 7) we arrived to sun, sand and wind in Kuwait at 330 am, Kuwait time. It is 8 hours ahead of central time here, when its lunch here, KY folks are still in a deep sleep back home. It was 90 + degrees here today. The camp is pretty nice and the food is good so far, actually more to do that at Ft Hood and you can buy Under Armor in the base PX so things aint all bad

We are staying in large, open bay tents with about 40 per tent/wood floor. Its not that bad, we have air conditioning a cot and electricity. Be aware of scorpions in your boots though. There is no real timeframe for how long we stay here, were hopeful not long, but my tax free money started today with all the extra allotments so I really dont care how long we stay, it all counts at this point. Ive already deducted that you dont drink water past about dinner because its a 50 yard walk to relieve yourself in the middle of the night. I am still trying to get a handle on the lay of the land and how is the best way to call home and when...that will be a work in progress I guess. Anyway, my email address is on the blog, it is bryan.bacon@us.army.mil, please write and make comments on this blog, so far, I cant tell if anyone is even reading it because there are no comments being left and I havent recieved any emails.

So god willing well leave this place for more comfortable environs in the near future...write more later. Bryan

Moving on

We are in a very short window for leaving Ft Hood, for operational secruity reasons I cant post the departure date, but my next blog posting will be from in Southwest Asia. We have picked up a few new members of the unit in the past few days to replace some that we lost due to medical reasons. Last night, they sent another 8 soldiers home due to being excess on the roster. They were very upset, one was a freind that I had gotten to know well since being here and I was sorry to see him leave. Its hard to understand how the Army can stress taking care of soldiers and then send them home arbitrarily after 3 months of preparation...they are seeking remedy with the Inspector General over this injustice, I hope they manage to get somewhere with it.

We got issued some new boots yesterday (of course it was after I had gone out and purchased myself some) but I am still glad to have them.

I wanted to give a special hello to Laurie Beths elementary class in Mississippi. When I get settled at Balad Air Base, I will post my address and expect to get something from her class that I can hang on the wall in my living area.

I hope to hear from as many as possible while I am gone. Ill post pictures when I start taking some interesting ones...believe me, there is nothing interesting about Ft Hood, Tx.

Will post again soon.

Bryan

FT HOOD

We have been here pushing a month now and everyone is fairly ready to leave. We get a pass in 2 weeks to go home for 4 days, return and then leave for Kuwait. The time here has drug by, I have validated all of my training requirements and am done...I spend my days walking with the walkers club (4 guys that walk the backroads every day at 4pm, one of which is our command Chaplain) we have shared much fellowship and mutual complaints about all of the excess time spent at FT Hood. Running, and self development things...reading, online military classes ect. I have lost 25 pounds since November which is great...running alot. I am ready to get a break and come home...this is a pretty boring place. I wish I had more interesting things to write, Im sure I will later.

A message about the ice storm from a man in Owensboro

The ice storm of 2009 did one thing for> everyone in it’s path – it got our attention!> For the multiplied thousands of> residents who lost power, heat, water,> trees and not a little sleep, it was a> storm to remember. But hopefully,> we’
ll do more than remember; we> should also learn to listen when God> speaks in the storm.> We’
ve been saddened by the loss of so> much beauty in our community. The> magnificent trees that line our streets> and shade our homes; the great oaks,> maples and pines that adorn our countryside> will never be the same. They> look like a scene taken from war. And> it is right to be sad, because those trees> are God’s handiwork and were stamped> with something of His glory as creator.> Now they are twisted and broken. But> our sadness ought to be tempered with> knowing that they were only meant to> be temporary anyway. This world is> not supposed to last, and its true beauty> will one day be forever eclipsed by the> unstained beauty of the new heavens> and the new earth. If we are too sad> about the trees, it betrays in us an inordinate> attachment to this earth and a> failure to see past the trees.> We’
ve all been touched by the many> expressions of human kindness this> week. People have opened their homes,> volunteered to man shelters, transported> the elderly, checked on shut-ins, shared> resources and generally looked out for> one another. Crews from many states> have come to our aid. It has been an> overflow of kindness and compassion!> We call that common grace from the> hand of God. But the great sadness is> that many will only see the triumph of> the human spirit rising over adversity> and overcoming this bad turn of> “luck.” Man will be the hero rather> than God as the giver of every good> thing.> The danger we face, greater than the> loss of thousands of dollars of property,> food and resources, is that we won’t be> humbled by this stroke of providence> from the hand of God. A little rain,> dropping temperatures and a few inches> of snow undid us. It reduced us to near> helplessness. We
couldn’t stop it. With> all our technical
wizardry, pinpoint> forecasts, government agencies and> emergency response teams we simply> could not stop it. We could not will it> away. We watched the flash of exploding> transformers and listened all> through the night with cringing fear as> trees far older than the oldest residents> of our community were stripped of their> limbs by just a coating of ice. We were> at God’s mercy, but were we humbled?> Did we repent? Did we even think of> that day when the elements will melt> with fervent heat and all men will stand> truly helpless before God? Did we see> the storm as a call from God to abandon> our self-reliance and throw ourselves> upon His mercy? Or was it just another> feather in our collective cap that we> made it through another crisis on our> own?> The ice storm of 2009 is a serious call> to humility, repentance, renewed dependence> upon God and an appreciation> of what is to come at the end of the age.>

New Assignment

I have now been re-assigned to the Army Contracting section. I will be a contracting officer in Iraq. This entails what you might imagine, contracting for infrastructure improvements on different bases in Iraq...or any other projects that the US military contracts out, (which seems to most every funtion anymore) Ill be a contracts administrator, doing bid lettings and assigneing contracts. The assignments keep changing prmarily because as folks get dropped from this deployment for medical reasons or security clearance problems, they have to shioft everyone around again. The "drop dead" date for sending folks home is a few days away so the roster should be getting pretty solid. I may be going temporary duty (TDY) to Ft Carson, CO for the contracting course week afetr next...who knows. Anyway, I have cleared all my hurdles and am actually in the minority...the Army makes it pretty tough to mobilize, between medical requirements, security clearance issues, training qualifications ect, if you dont hit every mark...they send you packing. Anyway, I am good to go. getting a 4 day pass in March to go home before wheels up to Iraq. In Iraq, well be assigned to the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command (Sustain the line!! is the unit motto) based in........FT Knox, KY!! and when they leave, well get assigned to the 13 ESC..so I should earn two different combat patches for serving with both units. Gotta go for now.

Bryan

North Ft Hood...continued

Last few days I have been in the Army Blue Force Tracker operator course. Its a complex computer system that is like a GPS tracking system for units on the battlefield...I don't know how much more I can say about it, but its really high tech..Ill be an operator for the system tomorrow after a 4 hour final! Life is the same at Ft Hood, up at 04:45, eat, formation and go to work/class/training...what ever you have for the day. Its pretty uninteresting right now...we have been given fairly firm time frames for departure to SouthWest Asia, which are about what I have shared with most everyone. We have been in language lab learning basic Iraqi language and some regional customs, dos and donts when interfacing with the population. I have been re-assigend to the Redistribution section in Support Operations..Ill be in charge of an Air Force team that will go out and close down a FOB (forward operating base) in Iraq. When the govt of the USA leaves a FOB, it is handed over to the Iraqis, however the US pulls back all of the serviceable equipment on the FOB to redistribute to other areas or inventory and ship back home. Ill be involved in this operation, I have been told I will have ample opportunity to "chopper or convoy" to these areas throughout my commands area of responsibility and assist in the closing of the FOB's. Sounds interesting. With Obamas pledge to pull back troops, this job will likely be pretty busy, especially the second half of my tour. Anyway gotta go for now.

Bryan

Soldier Rediness processing center- FT hood

I cleared medical processing on Thursday. I guess you can say I got my ticket punched for Iraq! It has been a long journey starting when I got the call in July while I was on family vacation that I was being mobilized. I was transfered to the unit in August, went to Tucson, AZ for processnig in October, spent the month of December at FT Dix, NJ (we walked to a little store called a "Shoppette" just to see a little Christmas tree and hear Christmas music a couple times a week just to try and salvage some christmas spirit.) Came home, I had some intense Chiropractic care for a couple weeks to get my back straightened out from a pinched nerve I got as soon as I got to Ft Dix....last few days couldnt feel my toes on my right foot but kept training. If it werent for Dr. Wuest in Murray, I wouldnt have mad my next stop...Riverside , CA...2 more weeks of training there at an AFB, then left for Ft, Hood, TX which is wher I am now. I am finishing training here and will take a 5 day class on army contracting, since I will have some contractor duties in Iraq. As of now, I am tasked with running the postal operation on Camp Anaconda for the Brigade....pretty big job as you might could guess, but that assignment could change as I have learned that the Army is fond of change, sometime, just for change sake. Anyway, I have kept up with the big "storm of the century" in Mayfield. I appreciate everyone who has checked on Leila and the kids...she has done great, Bear Grills shes not, but has provided just fine for the kids (compliments of Hampton Inn!) Gotta run for now, doing PT with an 9MM pistol strapped to my hip is a new experience! Ill post pics later.

Bryan

Leaving Paducah for parts unknown

Ft Hood, Texas

I have been from FT Dix, NJ to March Air Base, California to FT Hood, Texas which is where I am currently. The accommodations have ranged from Barracks (Dix) to NICE hotel (California) to a concrete one man room in the middle of the scrub (FT Hood) I am currently trying to clear medical...which I must say is very difficult. The Army record keeping system is horrible and there are parts of my record scattered all over the place. My physical was taken in May 08' and was JUST processed in January 09' my blood sugar was flagged as high and I am testing my fasting blood glucose and A1C average tomorrow to send to the Army Human Resource Command Surgeon in ST Louis. He will decide weather or not I go forward. Many others are in the same boat. I have never seen the Army work so hard at trying to NOT mobilize folks...its amazing. Other than this wall I have hit with the Army this year, I would not trade it for anything. Its been great to me and I am TRYING to give it something back by going to Iraq, but the system is not helping me do that as swiftly as I would like. This last few weeks has been fun...like college again (with 60 pounds of gear and waking up at 0400). I pray it all works out for me...I have 19 years in so, Ill be locking in my retirement in 12 more months either way. Email me at the address on my blog and leave me notes, wifi is sparse but I can check it every other day or so.