Al Qa'im Chronicles Day 6&7

7 November 2005, 2230 Monday

Another good and quick day today at work.  We blew up LOTS of buildings.  In fact, a couple of the GBU’s dropped were dropped by Shaggy!  (Scott’s friend we hung out with in VA Beach).  How cool is that?!  I didn’t work out today, but did laundry in the afternoon instead.  Lots of laughs all day, but worked about 16 hours.  Feeling a little better but have the sniffles.  I need good sleep so desperately.

Dear Lord, please keep special watch over all the Marines and soldiers throughout this operation.  Send love to my lovelies J, be with Scott on his flight with Puck, Chris on his flight home, and Alex at work.  Fill me with your spirit, Jesus, and thank you so much for all you do every day.

8 November 2005, 2011 Tuesday

We had a pretty uneventful day work-wise.  The Marines have basically already cleared the city.  Although, tonight some Tomcats dropped GBU’s again.  I got some Sudafed and Tylenol for my cold today because I was feeling very icky.  Took a short nap this afternoon and then ended up going for a great run.  (I didn’t carry my pistol this time).  Even with a very strong headwind the whole backstretch I felt really smooth.  Apparently my running attracts IDF, though.  AQ hasn’t taken any in months and today on my run a round hit VERY close to me…but I just kept going.  Anyway, after my run I talked to my roomie (Capt Jen Schrantz) for a while.  She is really nice.  Then after work I had a good chat with Dave about guys, religion, and life.  I started off the day poopy, but feel pretty good now. 

Lord, I pray that You lift Theresa up right now, too.  She is feeling down and really needs your love.  Thank you for DJ’s understanding, and all my great friends that I love so much.  Help me to be more understanding and compassionate, Lord.

Scan Eagle "landing"

Al Qa'im Chronicles Day 5

living and work spaces at AQ

6 November 2005, 2030, Sunday

Today was a good day.  Work passed pretty quickly, lunch was awesome, I watched some Dave Chapell Show with Dave, ran with Lt Deleal, lifted, back to work, shower, and back to work.  At the end of the day we blasted 80’s rock and were totally silly.  It was a blast! My Marines are great.  I would rather stay here than TQ if I could get a permanent living space.  Having a fun crew to work with makes such a huge (positive) difference. 

Oh, this morning, we had eyes on a building they were about to drop bombs on, and all of a sudden a group of women and children came down the street and stood in the courtyard of that house.  We called friendlies off, saving 20 innocent Iraqis’ lives; it gave everyone a really good feeling.  Other than that, the insurgents mostly stayed inside, so we didn’t see too much action.  Oh, I also talked to Capt Schrantz this afternoon for a while about flying and stuff.  She was super positive about what she does and it got me all excited about going back to flight school.  Boy will I miss having Marines, though.  Also, she is a Christian and we talked about that a bit, too.

Anyway, overall, I feel very fatigued, but my morale is high again.  I totally don’t want to date Patrick and I’ve barely even thought of Mike.  I think of Chris and Matt if anyone. 

P.S. You can see even more stars in the sky here than at TQ.

P.P.S I have another new nickname/callsign they gave me here: “Pep Rally.”  Hhahaha! J

PPPS  I forgot to write about how on the flight out here, as I looked out the back hatch of the CH-53, I could see little dust tornados (Tasmanian devils) all across the desert.  I thought that was neat.

I am happy.  I confess, I feel a little chubby or something, but am feeling much more like myself again the last couple of days.  Thanks, Lord J and please read the worries of my heart, and comfort and protect all my Marine friends, family, and dear ones.

Frogs all lined up at AQ

Al Qa'im Chronicles Day 4

 5 November 2005, 2130, Saturday – D Day

So, Operation Steel Curtain kicked off today.  It was eventful and busy, but nothing my Marines couldn’t handle.  We helped find insurgents, blow up over 10 buildings, and kill bad guys.  I sat in on the mission for a while this morning and it was great; I definitely got fired up.  J  Overall, the work day was good.  I enjoy working with Dave, Cornejo, and Daniels and Koopman a lot.  I feel like everyone respects me, but we have a good time. 

I did a puny workout today in the very meager gym here, met my new roommate (a CH-46 pilot, female, Captain, very cool, but works the night shift), and dealt with a horrible all-day dust storm.  The sandstorm was the worst I’ve ever seen.  Everything is just covered with silt and I feel like my eyes, throat, and lungs are, as well.  I barely slept at all last night, so I am run down, but will truck along.  I can’t imagine how the guys out in the field feel.

I do not like Patrick “that way.”  He has some very redeeming qualities, but I don’t see me with him long-term and it’s so not worth any fling anyway because of work.  I heard from Alex today via email; it’s been over a month since he last wrote.  He sent me some pics; he is hot. J  I also got an affectionate email from Chris.  He got jets, by the way.  He still makes romantic overtures, but I dunno, ya know.

Al Qa'im Chronicles Day 3

Dave, aka: "Funky"

4 November 2005, 21:00 Friday

I got to work (aka: walked 10feet to the left) around 7:00 this morning and we had another “warm up” day because the mission got pushed back a day.  It is a pretty fun working environment.  Everyone gives me a hard time, but it is good natured and we laugh a lot.  Dave and I went to lunch and hung out a little, but mostly I was at work all day until just now.  I flew the plane (directed the payload) this afternoon for about a half hour which was super cool.  LCpl Daniels and I comm’d on the ICS.  Then I helped Top Gomez write up some awards and edited the enlisted Marines’ work after the flights were complete.  Tomorrow the big show starts.  I have so many prayers for all those Marines …over 5,000!  It was very windy all day today (which annoyed me) but I hope it lets up because I’m sure it really bugs the guys actually out in it.  Anyway, the pace will be faster and the atmosphere more serious tomorrow.  We brief at 0530 and will fly till dark all day tomorrow.

Personally, I am solid – neither high nor low.  Music is still a weakness for me as far as forgetting Mike goes.  I had such a good talk with Dave about him yesterday, but it’s still a little raw at some moments…especially when I hear David Gray, or Coldplay, or Fallout Boy, or a dozen other bands and hundreds of songs.  On another note, Patrick and I spoke briefly before I left for AQ and he said he has thought a lot about dating/wants to date.  I mean, I knew that was probably how he felt, but I went ahead and put it out in the open by point blank asking him what he felt.  I admit, there is a part of me that has thought about it, too, but I have very mixed feelings about that for a lot of reasons.  First and foremost, I do not want anything to “happen” because of work.  So, that puts an end to that in my mind, but now I’m afraid he’s going to think it’s ok to act differently with me.  I will talk to him again when I return, though, and clarify my boundaries.

On yet another “note,” I barely heard from Matt while he was home.  Well, in fact, not at all other than me calling him, and then I got a quick email from him yesterday which said he’ll be “off the radar” for a few weeks.  What the Hell?  I can’t help but feel like he hasn’t changed at all.  He talks a big game about communicating, then doesn’t follow through.  I’ve been there to talk and listen to him about Buck and then he essentially blew me off when I was having a rough week and I asked him to specifically please email me while he was home…and he didn’t.  Not once.

I want to be swept off my feet by someone who is completely wonderful inside and out and makes me forget about Mike and Matt.  A man of God whose heart is totally devoted to Him and me, super smart, funny, hot, athletic, active, loves music, etc, etc.  Anyway, I’m tired of past pain.  I want to move forward instead of always looking back on love. 

me being toolish (on purpose ;-p)

taking the bird up

about to launch

Al Qa'im Chronicles Day 2

3 November 2005, 08:20, Thursday

I was up at 0600, out of bed at 0615 to literally stumble to work next door for the brief at 0630.  We’ve got dual ops going.  The crew here consists of Capt Funkhouser, MSgt Gomez, me, SSgt Cornejo, LCpl Daniels and LCpl Koopman, four civilians, and like four other (non-intel) VMU Marines running around.

Anyway, the showers and heads are co-ed (since Lt Deleal and I are the only two females) and that was interesting this morning walking in on a Major while he was shaving.  And as much as everyone warned me about how cold it was going to be out here, it’s not that bad.  In fact, it’s perfect during the day, a little chilly in the morning, and at night I’m in bed in a room with a heater.

 

my room in AQ

I’m reading Jarhead right now, so it’s got me in one of those pensive, journalistic mindsets kind of like when I was reading Into the Wild.  Other than my back still hurting, I am having a good time so far.  Everyone is on the headset and gets along and jokes and stuff.  (My writing’s not so hot right now because I’m actually at work).  We are 17-18 miles from the Syrian border, but in the middle of nowhere.  Ok, gotta go for now.

21:00 – The rest of the day was uneventful other than good conversation about life, etc with Dave in the afternoon.  I perked up after dinner and my back feels a little better.  It is noisy here, though, and I probably won’t sleep great again.  I will read for a while first.

The Chronic! What?! Cuhls! of Narnia

With the Lazy Sunday SNL short having just gone viral, many of our jokes centered around that video.  Thus, I decided to name my journal entries whilst forward at AQ The Al Qa'im Chronicles. 

Daniels at TQ J-COT

 2 November 2005, 15:20 Wednesday, Al Qa’im Iraq

So, I just got to the Al Qa’im Forward Operating Base (AQ FOB) a couple hours ago.  I am very tired and my back hurts, so I’ll write more later.

THE AL QA’IM CHRONICLES

me, about to leave TQ J-COT

Day 1 – The flight from TQ to Camp Korean Village was on a CH-53.  Both Marines to my right and left puked.  Scenery looked like Aladdin/Arabian Nights’ rolling sand dunes.  Flight DV to Camp AQ I looked out the back the whole way.  Scenery more like Arizona mesas, but hard dirt instead of rock, and all brown instead of myriad of oragnes, reds, and browns.  Arrived around 1400ish and enthusiastically greeted by Dave (Capt “Funky” Funkhouser).  He gave me a quick tour and then I read for a bit and took a short nap.  I am staying in a “hooch” (which is actually a plywood “house” that looks like the kind you drew in the first grade) with an office on the front end, a female Lt (the only other female on this whole base), a male SSgt, a male Major, (all three from MWSS), and then me at the “back door.”  I am 10ft from work. 

After my nap, we all went to dinner.  AQ is definitely different and definitely has more of a “tip of the spear” feel.  This place is still fine, but TQ is lush compared to it.  I got stared at in the chow hall.  I noticed many more Lt’s and officers, in general, here.  We are in grunt land and grunts need Lt Platoon Commanders.  After chow, I tagged along with Dave for the big cheese meeting.  It was cool.  I felt like I was in a scene from a war movie as they briefed the plans for the huge upcoming operation: STEEL CURTAIN.  This is the largest operation this close to the Syrian border ever and AQI (Al Queda Iraq)’s last major stronghold.  It is exciting to imagine my comrades catching bad guys and knowing my Marines and I will be their eyes in the sky and making a direct impact on operations. 

Anyway, out of about 50 people (mostly Captains), I was one of two women.  Out of the whole brief, she was the only one they teased when she stood up to speak.  She handled it well, though.  I felt like a lot of eyes were on me, though: the new kid and a female.  Well, it does feel more like war out here.  The only road on the “base” is also the runway (only helos), and LAV’s, tanks, and big trucks abound and the remaining space is populated with tents, little wooden “houses,” and Marines everywhere else.   I am part of history here, for sure. I am excited and nervous.  In a way, I don’t have a lot of responsibility – I’ll be more of a “floater” than anything else – but I will keep busy and the overall operation will be big.  If we are successful it will be very big toward a free Iraq.  I think Jamey Warner will be in harm’s way and I pray for him.  Also, a Cobra was shot down in Ramadi today; I pray for the pilots’ families. 

Enough for tonight…22:00 now and up at 0:600…

MEMORANDUM: Reasons for wanting to switch from AFROTC to NROTC as a Marine Option

* I found another gem among my archives :)  So, after I received the warning letter from my father (posted on the blog last week), I waited one week, then 9/11 happened, and the next day, I gave this official letter to the Wing Commander of the Air Force Det, an USAF Colonel.  I'm aware that I sound like a tool....but be aware that I was a 20 year old "moto-kitty" as we used to say  :-)  ;-p

MEMORANDUM FOR COL Axxxxxxx                                                                                  12 SEPT 01
FROM:                  Sarah Pxxxxxx
SUBJECT:             Reasons for wanting to switch from AFROTC to NROTC as a Marine Option

1.       My military career goals have become less Air Force oriented and increasingly more focused on the Marine Corps environment and job opportunities.

2.       The Marine Corps offers the specific internal and external opportunities and challenges I seek in a military career.  It fulfills my personal expectations as well as my desire for physically demanding conditions in a work environment.

a.       The Air Force will not teach me the specifics of ground warfare tactics, which highly interests me in a career path.  The Marine Corps, on the other hand, focuses on this subject in depth.  Furthermore, I will be able t practice and actively participate in these tactics.

b.      The training I can receive from the Marine Corps during and after college will put me in an intense physical and outdoors environment upon which I thrive.  In nits nature, such an environment is more prevalent in the Marine Corps than in the Air Force.

c.       The most physically demanding and challenging careers paths in the Air Force (Pararescue Jumpers and Combat Controllers) are not open to women.  And while I am aware woman cannot hold infantry positions in the Marine Corps, I would receive more demanding and physically challenging training for years even before attending MOS school with the Marine Corps than anything available in the Air Force.

3.       I have observed all the services, and the Marine Corps is simply a more appealing setting for the condition in which I would like my mind and body in my career.  The Marine Corps stresses physical fitness and emphasizes strict regulations on appearances both on and off the job.  The Marine Corps cultivates a bond among its people that is undeniable strong, unique, and admirable.  I want to be a part of that.  I prefer to work in an atmosphere where I will have more demanded of me and where I will be pushed to my limits.  Unfortunately, I no longer feel confident that the Air Force can provide such an environment, either in college or while on active duty.  The Marine Corps offers me a setting in which to test myself both mentally and physically while simultaneously rewarding me with the satisfaction of knowing I am one of the “few, the proud.”

4.       Ultimately, the Marine Corps possesses all the intangibles I desire most.