A Good Thing

It’s been terribly slow here for the last few weeks.  Outside of a few “priorities” that were really routines, there hasn’t been anything happening.  This means that the Iraqi Army and Police have been able to quell the bad guys,outside of a few incidents in the news, since we left the cities.  It also means that U.S. soldiers aren’t getting in accidents, or firefights, or being blown up.  The downside is that I am not doing anything (and as such I don’t have much to say).  Its that old medical Catch-22 again.

For the most part, I have spent my days waiting.  I get up, do maintenance on the helicopters, run them up, and then wait.  Nothing happens, I do some PT, and go to bed.  After all there is only so much AFN you can watch, or DVDs to buy from the local vendors.  The most excitement we have seen in a month was the rocket that landed behind our quarters a few days ago.  Not close, but close enough to remind you that the bad guys are still out there. 

This tour has been so completely different from my last tour.  I can’t even explain to you the differences in the way this place has changed. Personally, I think we may be approaching the decision point – leave Iraq or stay and be committed to “peacekeeping” for the next several years.  Iraq is never going to be quiet, at least not in the immediate future, but if the Iraqi’s can handle it themselves , then we should leave. That’s just my opinion, but as a soldier I go where they tell me and do what I must.

So the point of this was just to say that things are quiet out here on my little remote piece of dirt.  They aren’t as quiet everywhere, but the days of constant bombardment, IEDs, and firefights are long over – at least I hope.  As long as Dustoff is bored, as Martha Stewart would say, “… that is a Good Thing.”

Share: