VIPs

We've had a pretty exciting couple of weeks around here. I think I've given briefings to half the staff generals in the coalition and several Iraqi generals willing to make the trip out of Baghdad. All's well and everybody is quite happy to leave us to our work here in the desert. Actually, they're quite happy just to leave us in the desert. This is a picture of me with my friend, the Italian General Angenelli. The other guy is his flunky captain (aide de camp) from Portugal. Actually, he's a very sharp cookie.

Later in the week, I had a bunch of guys from NATO come up and spend a couple of days with me here at Besmaya. NATO has the mission to run the Iraqi military academies. They had a good time listening to me tell them how to do their business. As a matter of fact, they even invited me down to Rustamiyah so I could explain to the rest of the Euro trash what's what. I have some good pictures of that trip that I'll share in my next blog entry, so stay tuned.

I also learned this week that I've been selected for 0-6 (Colonel). I guess I've fooled them once again. Remember, this is the Army, it ain't NASA. The problem is, I can't pin on Eagles until I find a Colonel billet (job). So...I might be retired before they actually promote me. Nonetheless, it's a real honor to be a first time select. The board considered 3559 Lieutenant Colonels and selected 633, or about 18%. Somewhere in the mountains of North Georgia is a graveyard that is the eternal resting place of a former Dean of North Georgia College. That guy's rolling over in his grave about now.