Christmas Day in Iraq...my version!

Merry Christmas! It is 1pm Christmas Day right now (here)! Subtract 8 hours for most of Florida. I know, you're still sleeping.

I noticed that I must have been sleepy when I posted last time, because I found several errors: most notably that it is 14 hours when I worked from noon until 2am, not 20 hours. I don't want my math students thinking I'm losing my skills over here!

Technology is usually our friend, but my Iraqi simm card in my phone is not. I have wrestling pictures and others that I can't get off the card. I'll keep trying.

Well, today has been nice so far. About 16 members of my unit participated in a "white elephant gift exchange" this morning. (Notice the wrapping papers in the picture.) When it is your turn, you get to take someone else's present that they unwrapped or go get a new one of your own. I "stole" a nice 24in. x 36 in. "Operation Iraqi Freedom" wall hanging and got to keep it. It could be a rug, but I'll hang it up and bring it home later. Everyone laughed when I brought fruitcake out, cut in pieces to offer. I just don't understand the joke about fruitcake! I love a good one...and about 1/2 the people at the gift exchange admitted they like it too. The other half tried to use peer pressure to get people to leave the cake alone :-(

I'm on my way to my chu to open presents from home. My stuffed camel, Claude, will help me. I count my blessings! Many of our troops are working out of trucks and/or sheds, and are living in tents. One group did not have the ability to call home on phones until last night. I'll keep them in my thoughts!

I have to come back to the office to call home later, or go to the computer lab to use Skype and call.

Tidbits about life here: 1. Imagine trying to take 3-5 minute showers for fear that the water might run out! The water is all brought in trucks and poured into big containers. We've been told to turn water off as often as possible because hot water is being used up too soon.

2. We got our first real taste of the mud after a rain! ONE step in it and your shoe is caked with mud...very difficult to get off! Usually, so far, it has been almost completely dry. That means that some mornings you open your chu door and see light orange. The dust is so thick in the air!

3. I have a bike now. It's definitely used and maybe I have all the lights I need to ride in the dark now. OK: picture this: unlock your bike from the T-wall (see earlier picture); push it up the dirt mound; ride it to the walkway bridge (see pic); walk across; ride it to work; lock until night, then reverse the effort. I'm relearning the paths to take around here since I want to stay on a road, so can't use the shortcuts up and down steps etc. Oh, while you're riding, you have your weapon (rifle) slung over your back....keep it out of the spokes!

4. My new profile picture is showing me at work: teaching in a classroom. Imagine that! Baghdad Signal University teaches about computers and other related skills.

Enjoy the pictures! Does anybody recognize that nice man with me..and the four-legged friend?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Iraq in the winter!

Chu (trailer home) peeking out of its

protective T-walls. There are 3 rooms

with 6 people living here. Each person
has a 6 ft. by 12 ft. space. Two share a
room.

Bunker for Safety While

Walking By

You should see this place! We have a palace, lakes, lots of rock and concrete, and Florida-type winter weather without the rain. I'll include a couple of pictures of the area.

I work in a building or in the dirt/rock yard behind the building. It's a comfortaboe office, but I haven't been able to settle into a work schedule so have been working some long and odd hours. Some days have been 8am to 8pm; others noon to midnight; one was noon to 2am (20 hours later). The work is challenging! It is fixing equipment like computers and radios when they have to be fixed quickly so people can call on phones and use computers again.

We have seen professional wrestlers including John Cena, Bautista, Jeff Hardy, JBL, Crime Time, and The Big Show. They were on the other side of a large crowd, but I may be able to include a picture soon. I'm interested to see who else comes to visit.

We had Thanksgiving decorations at the Dining Facility and a holiday meal. Christmas decorations are showing up and we're eating candy sent from the US. : - )

I walk a lot. It is about a mile to and from work because I haven't found anyone to sell me a bike yet. We walk to meals, the store (like a Gate or a really small Walmart), the gym (when I finally get a schedule so I can go), etc.

The most notable daily event is a pair of helicopters that fly overhead several times a day.
Enjoy the pictures and write me when you can. dehjax@comcast.net for email.

Home Sweet Home!
My RoomMate's Bed

BTW: I dreamt of my students last night. It was on ok dream...nothing unusual, just interesting that I had you/them in my dreams.

Home Sweet Home again

I'm Definitely in Kuwait!

My first clues that I am in Kuwait, or at least not Florida, were the herds of camels behind us as we stood out in the desert!
Imagine being in a boat with no land in sight. Now imagine that the water just turned to pretty, soft sand. On your left are cardboard targets. On your right are a few cars, what looks like shacks or could be tents in the far distance, and a couple of herds of camels about 1/4 mile away.
That was the scene as we took one more chance to fire our weapons to be sure they worked properly. Eventually, the camels ambled within 30-100 yards (less than a football field) of us.
Yep, we are not in Floriday! Mickey Mouse is nowhere in sight!
I have only a few more minutes to be on the computer because I share these privileges with many more people. The telephones are also shared, unless I want to pay a lot of money to talk. We sign up for computer time and phone time, then wait 20-60 minutes for our turn. Then we have 20-30 minutes to use the equipment.
I'll add some pictures and try to update from our final destination soon. The pics are not cooperating from here.
Donna

We Have Been Proclaimed "Ready To Go"!

We (soldiers; not the horse) finished a 6 day 24-hour exercise during which we practiced our signal management skills and other tasks that will "pop" up in Iraq. I worked day-shift from 0700-1930hrs (I did that so my students might try to figure out the time...).

My unit is lucky enough to be mobilizing with our higher headquarters. I say "lucky" because during this exercise, we figured out who does what and needs to work with whom. We would have had to figure out all these possibly confusing actions in Iraq.

Ooops. Must go to a formation. I'll be back.

I'm back. We train again tomorrow for 4-5 hours. We will be taught several weapons, and practice firing them.

On Thursday and Friday we will train on "Base Defense". I think the fake base has guard towers and fake insurgents try to sneak in. I heard it is fun.

Posted is a picture of the only horse I have seen since October 3rd and a picture of my fancy office here at McGregor, TX (near El Paso). My other office is at the recreation room with the PX. I can settle in there and watch tv; play pool; work on the internet; and eat snacks. I could get a haircut, but I'm not sure the barbers know anything besides the men's military haircut (not for me!!).

Have a great day!

Donna

Train; Practice; Train Some More

We moved to permanent housing from the tent city and are continuing training. See the pictures at the top. I share a room with a lieutenant. She is broadening my horizons via ipod/mp3 players; watching tv shows on my computer that I did not get to see when they aired; but we split company when I want to watch sports.


The most recent training we completed included convoy operations. I was the driver.....what a blast! I drove a HMMV off road as we escaped "explosives and insurgents" (actors). My team had to tow another HMMV 5 different times...even "off road".


For the next weeks, we will have less action, but more mission focused activity as we prepare to support units with our communications. We are the telephone company for the soldiers around us. We give them telephone and internet. We HAVE to be good so they can talk to each other and make plans!


Enjoy the pictures above! They are: old tent city; new room in a building;

me with our HMMV named Cobra 6; other soldiers doing 1st aide

Here We Go!

Hi, everybody,
I'm finally beginning the blog adventure!
We had a ceremony on Oct. 4th before departing for Texas.
In a nutshell, so far we have trained on what to do if our HMMV (jeep) turns over; how to watch for IEDs (explosive devices); speak a few Iraqi phrases; do first aide; and fire our weapons.
We have lived in a tent city (concrete floors and real beds, though); seen Texas duststorms; rain (once); and recently moved into a building with real furniture for clothes etc.
The dfac (dining facility) food is about the same as school, so I'm doing fine in that department.
When not training I am working in an office or traveling around the area looking for sites on which to place our signal equipment.

BELOW: We thank the Patriot Riders for coming to show respect and protect our ceremony from negative protestors (there weren't any this time, thank goodness);
Patriot Riders standing guard around the ceremony (motorcycle riders who also showed up at 5am the next day to escort us toward the airport....cool!);
see me in the middle of the back row in formation (during ceremony).

As soon as I can, I'll return to this site and add pics of "wrestling" (Combative Training) and others.
You can post to this blog. I'll look at your post, then let it show on the site. You can also write to me at donna.hicks@us.army.mil.