Breakfast In America

This morning, I had breakfast in the USA, or something that looked like breakfast (they don't have grits up here). What a blessing it is to be back in the greatest country in the world.

I haven't had the heart to write in the blog in a long time. Our last few weeks in Iraq seemed to suck all the life out of us. That country has a way of draining you. But coming home, and coming through Bangor, Maine, has given me at least one more subject for this tired ole friend, Dancing Goat.

Our flight home originated in Kuwait with stops in Budapest, Shannon, Bangor and finally Voight Field. When we got off the plane at Bangor, we walked down a jetway filled with cheering, flag waving veterans and their families who had come out just to welcome us back to the US. What a moving experience. I think we all cried some, and I made sure to shake every hand. Then, they handed us cell phones to call our families anywhere in the world. We sat with them and fellowshipped with guys from WWII, Korea, Vietnam and other wars. I'm choking back the tears right now. Please....excuse me for a moment.

I'm back....thanks. This is what makes America THE GREATEST COUNTRY in the world. All our freedoms, all our conveniences were paid by people just like these, and yet, they still make time to ensure we are welcomed, that we are remembered, that we are made to feel special. But for some reason, as I spoke to a guy who survived the winter of 44 in Belgium, I felt a little unworthy. No, a LOT unworthy. To me, this "regular guy" is more important than the whole of humanity in Washington or any government body around the world. He's who I'm thinking about when I put on my uniform and ask God to make me worthy of those who've gone before. And, with a little help from God, I'll do my very best to honor him and guys like AJ Miller, Bob Lafoon, Lee Piper and dozens of other combat veterans who have influenced me through the years.

If you care to see some photos from our arrival, you can go to: www.mainetroopgreeters.com.

Yeah, I think it's time to close this little blog down and move on to something a little more interesting. But, there's still un-finished business back at Besmaya and in Iraq in general. So, if you will, please do not forget to pray for those I left behind. Specifically, for:

* The coalition team that replaced us - Colonel Dale Maxfield, Major George Dixon, Captain Hudson, and team
* The Iraqi Combat Arms School (and their families) - especially Staff Colonel Husam, Colonel Muhammed, and my brother, Colonel Hassan
* My interpreters - Mazin, Mick, Charlie, Russel, Hayder, Mohamed, Ali, Moneer, Omar, and of course, my little brother Antonio and his fiance' Jwan (they get married later this summer).

Thanks for all your prayers and support - too many to mention by name. And, thanks for reading.

awe

Wrapping It Up

at Besmaya is not easy. We graduated our students on Thursday and we've been in the process of handing the reins over to the new team from the 104th Division. So, we've been working very hard the past two weeks. But now, it's time for us to leave.

Not so fast there Highspeed....all flights tomorrow have been cancelled.....

Looks like another few days here in beautiful Besmaya.

I can't tell you how difficult it is to farewell my friends here. It is very unlikely that I will ever see them again. These guys, especially my interpreters, are really like brothers to me. They have looked out for me, kept danger away from me, kept me straight on who is telling the truth (through translation) and who is full of bull, and frankly, made me their kin. And my cadre of Iraqi officers.....that's a story unto itself. I wish I could convey just how much they mean to me and how proud I am of their progress.

Perhaps I'll write more over the next few days as I await transportation back to America. In the mean time....here are a few pics for you to enjoy.

Our post graduation feast. This is in the Commandant's office and catered by the Iraqi cooks from the school dining facility. It is very good food.....IF you don't mind eating with your fingers or having someone grab a piece of lamb (with their hand) and put it on your plate for you.

A council of colonels - These are the three Iraqi Officers I advise: Staff Colonel H, the commandant, his deputy, Colonel M (right), and the chief of instruction, Colonel H2 (left). It's really a great team. As I was leaving the school yesterday, one of the majors came up to me with tears in his eyes and said, "We don't want you to leave. You're what holds us together." What a compliment. But, if we've done our job, they'll be fine.

A couple of guys who keep us safe while we sleep... dropped by to say good bye.

May Fair Lady

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

(#18, W.S.)

Happy Birthday, Beasle. Sorry I missed it.

awe

Anna Banana


was born on 4 May 1994.
So, as of Friday, she is officially a “teenager”. God help us.

But this is my baby. And, no matter how much she grows up, she will never stop being my baby. And I love her so much it hurts.


It’s not really her, that beautiful young lady in the picture. In my mind she’s two, maybe four, but definitely not thirteen. I used to swing her in our back yard and she’d say, “higher Daddy. Higher.” She always had friends around, and she was a mean soccer player….best in the county.

But now she’s a teenager. Now.....

when you say she’s looking good,
she acts as if it’s understood,
she’s coo-oo-oo-oo-ol…..
Girrrrrl ……ahhh Girrrrrl.


Pretty soon she’ll be somebody else’s dream, but for now, she’s still ours. And we love her.


But…..

Baby slow down
the end is not as fun as the start
Please stay a child somewhere in your heart.
(Bono)


And I love you, Girlie.
Happy Birthday.

daddy

May Day

Eight guys woke up at Besmaya this morning with HUGE smiles on their faces. And, we’ve been grinning all day. It’s like we have a secret - but it’s no secret…..Today is the first day of our final month in Iraq. When we wake up and get out of bed on June 1st, we will be in another country!

I’m extra happy because my replacement is already in Iraq and will be on the ground (at Besmaya) by the end of this week. Colonel Dale Maxfield is my new best friend! He’s coming now and the rest of his team will be here in about two weeks.

In getting ready for their arrival, we have begun packing, cleaning and mailing stuff back home in order to make room. I’ve already mailed a 50 pound foot locker home but still have plenty more stuff that I can either throw away or mail. Whatever I can't dispose of goes out of here on my back. So…I’m motivated to lighten the load.

Packing has presented me with a particular dilemma…what to do with all the great art work and cards sent to me from children all over Georgia? Sharon said that it’s okay to throw it away because it has served its purpose. But I haven’t been able to do that. It’s hard. Every card is a reflection of some little personality. Every card was intended to lift my spirits, and let me know I was not forgotten. There must be over a hundred and I've read every single one. And, every single one was perfect, powerful enough to move a 45 year old Airborne Ranger to tears. Is this silly? Do I need to find a good doctor?

My darling girl, my darling girl
You’re all that matters in this wicked world
All that matters, all that matters.

My darling boy, my darling boy
All of my sunshine and all of my joy
You’re all that matters, all that matters.

Well I can’t stop the pain when it calls, I’m a man
And I can’t stop the rain when it falls,
My darling who can?

My darling friend, my darling friend
All we have going is love in the end
It’s all that matters, all that matters.

(M. Knopfler)

Sorry Beasle, the letters and cards are coming home.

awe

A Good Read

Please check out this piece from Newsweek: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18367801/site/newsweek/

And I'll post something later this week.

awe

Just Like The Animals

Has anybody noticed that April is a bad month? Bad things happen in April, not just income tax either. Tornados rip appart the midwest and southeast in April, killing thousands through the years. Wars start in April. Murders happen in April (Dr. King was murdered on April 4th). The Titanic hit the ice on an April evening. And for some reason, lots of masacres happen in April; Chicago, Belfast, St Peterberg, Tiananmen, Rwanda, Tblisi, Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine now Blacksburg, Virginia. Adolf Hitler was born in April.

Maybe we should outlaw April. Yes, somebody get the Senator on the phone. Get special interest mobilzed, lobbiest moving. This is going to be big. We have statistics to show that April is the most dangerous time of the year. More people die in April than any other month. April Kills! It's bad for our kids! It must be done away with.

And sheep and cattle, even horses get out of control in April. You know the trouble we've had here at Besmaya. They must be locked up. Well, I spoke to the sheep and they agreed that being locked up wasn't so bad. At least while they were in the jail they received plenty of food and drink. But the best thing, according to the sheep, they were protected from fools with guns.

















Note to self....outlaw fools.
awe

Message from the Chief

I just got this today and thought I'd share it with you. From the new Chief of Staff of the US Army; a good guy (and sometimes mean SOB). Just what we need, another George W. in charge. I can't help but think of Lincoln at Gettysburg. awe

Soldiers, Civilians, and Families of the United States Army,
I am extremely proud to be taking charge of an organization that is rightly regarded as the best in the world. I have watched the men and women of our Army in action for the past several years in the most demanding combat environment. I am proud of the courage, competence, and commitment of our Soldiers and civilians both to the ideals that made this country great and to making a difference in our world. You epitomize what is best about America. You and your families carry a heavy burden in today’s war, with a hard road ahead. Your willingness to sacrifice to build a better future for others and to preserve our way of life is a great strength of our Nation. In every generation, when faced with difficult challenges, Americans have risen to the occasion. Today, such heroes fill the Army’s ranks. It is your efforts that will make victory possible.
We are locked in a war against a global extremist network that is fixed on defeating the United States and destroying our way of life. This foe will not go away nor will they give up easily, and the next decade will likely be one of persistent conflict. We are engaged in a long war.
At stake are the power of our values and our civilization, exemplified by the promise of America, to confront and defeat the menace of extremist terrorists. At stake is whether the authority of those who treasure the rights of free individuals will stand firm against the ruthless and pitiless men who wantonly slay the defenseless. At stake is whether the future will be framed by the individual freedoms we hold so dear or dominated by a demented form of extremism. At stake is whether we will continue to expand freedom, opportunity, and decency for those who thirst for it, or let fall the darkness of extremism and terror.
We have been at war for over five years, fighting for our freedom, our security, and our future as a Nation. We have made hard sacrifices. There will be more. Faced with such a long and difficult struggle, it is useful to remind ourselves that the Army exists to field forces for victory. We are in this war to win. We have fought this way since 1775. We always will.
As Soldiers, we will lead the Nation to victory over this enemy. Our combat veterans know well the meaning of “Army Strong”. They have been “baptized in fire and blood, and they have come out as steel.” That steel endures. Our Warrior Ethos has it right:
· I will always place the mission first.
· I will never quit.
· I will never accept defeat.
· I will never leave a fallen comrade.
Seldom in our history have Soldiers faced greater challenges. We serve at a time when the stakes for our Nation and our way of life are high, and the demands on our force significant. We will continue to reflect the very best of our Nation by defeating the enemies of freedom and the proponents of terror, by defending our homeland, and by assisting our Nation to build a better future for coming generations.
I could not be more proud to be a Soldier today and to stand shoulder to shoulder with you and your families during this time of great danger and uncertainty. Together we are, and always will be, ARMY STRONG.


George W. Casey, Jr.
General, U.S. Army
Chief of Staff

Sunrise Service

Yesterday, I was chatting with the birthday girl and she asked me, “are they doing anything special for you guys tomorrow?” I had no idea what she was talking about. She said, “Dad, for EASTER….are they doing anything special for you for Easter?” I’m so ashamed. I had no clue.

Here, we seldom know what day it is. The week starts on Saturday and ends on Friday. And, we don’t have the normal markers like weekends. There are no weekends, no hump days. So, I’m sailing along with no clue that it was Saturday, the day after Good Friday, and the day before Easter. And, because this is an Islamic country, there’s nothing plastered on walls to remind us. No Easter Bunny, eggs or flowers. And I lost track. And, I knew my guys had lost track too, because none of them had mentioned it.

So, this morning, we headed north at 5:30 am for PT (physical training) with our students. After PT, I asked them all to meet me in our little office on the second floor of the HQ building. When we all assembled, I read to them the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24, verses 1-6. This was very hard for me because I know these guys know me. They know I ain’t no Chaplain. “Gentlemen, this is the good news: He is not here, but is risen. In this land that is as empty of Jesus as Joseph’s tomb, our hope is a risen Saviour.”

We took some time to reflect. We prayed, and we went to work. But for just a few precious minutes this morning, it was Easter. Jesus was very close to us because we sought Him here, among the dead.

awe