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