DAY 110 / MAR 19

DAY 110 / MAR 19

 

Still quiet here.  Its been 41 days since the last mortars fell here and 23 days since the last blackout.   I hope it continues to stay quiet.

 

Things are changing here; at least they are for me.  During this last week, I've learned that I will be moving on from where I am now.   I will be moving to another Battalion on another FOB near Ad-Dawr within the next month or so.  The potential for moving has been out there all along (because nothing ever stays the same in the Army) but I had kind of hoped that I would have a little bit longer to prepare the way.  

 

The unit I'm going to is nothing like where I am and the next job I have will be nothing like what I do now.  I have been trying to get some information from the guys there now and its slowly starting to trickle in, but the things I don't know by far outweigh the things I do.  The big things aren't going to an issue – I know that I will still redeploy back home at the same time as the rest of the Brigade because the unit I'm in is still in the Brigade (although it is detached from the Brigade and is attached to another Division).

 

I'm still trying to get info on the recent enemy activity in the area, but because its out of our Brigade's area of operations, it takes a little longer to get.   I do know, from some things my wife discovered and sent me, that the area I'm heading into is the same area where Saddaam was captured in 2003.  As for its current situation – I don't know.

 

Back home, the gas prices are still going up despite all the oil we are supposedly stealing here.  None of my cars has less than eight cylinders.   As it turns out, my wife and I loaned a nice, reliable four-cylinder Mazda to my brother for a couple months – that was about 2 ½  years ago.   And, we're still trying to get it back – or have him buy it.  The car is worth well over $15k, but just to be done with the deal, we'd take $3k.   The problem comes in the fact that my brother left the car with his girlfriend in Florida who is subsequently NOT his girlfriend and in fact, has ANOTHER boyfriend.   Convincing him to go get it hasn't been easy although we have been promised numerous times that he will be going to get it soon, or that they will start paying for it soon, or that she will be bringing it up soon.   Moral of the story is: don't loan stuff to your family.