A salute to my amazing wife

I was putting things into perspective today. The soldier gets so much respect. They are the ones that travel across the world to do what they have to do to support operations out here. Yes, some soldiers have it hard, but I guarantee you many wives at home have it even harder. As I was out running errands this morning I was comparing my day with Rachel's day and realizing how what she is doing is much more challenging than my day.

I wake up, exercise, shower, eat, work, eat, go back to my room and then go to bed. Anything I need is a walk away. My meals are free and served up to me and don't even have to do the dishes. I can take a 15 minute long shower uninterrupted. I can sleep solid through a whole night. I get a few hours everyday to myself to do whatever I want. I can go for a walk, read, play a video game, go watch a movie for free, go rent a movie for free or go to the library. Sure I "work" 7 days a week, but I can walk away from work if I need a break. So, that's a quick look into my daily life.

We have three daughters and Rachel is pregnant with our fourth. My oldest daughter is Ellie, she is 6. Vayda is 5 and Willa is 2. Rachel gets out of bed every morning as early as I do and gets Ellie dressed, fed and ready for school. After  Ellie leaves for the bus stop, Vayda is awoken and prepared for school. After she is dressed Willa is woken up and she is dressed so she can tag along for the ride to school. My wife and both daughters go to preschool where Vayda is deposited for the day. By then it's only 0730. Once Rachel and Willa get home they both have breakfast. You'd think there is time to relax after the morning rush, but there's cleaning and laundry to do. This is also the best time to get shopping done while the other two are at school. After that is done it's time to prepare lunch then try to get Willa down for a nap before they have to leave to go get Vayda from school. When Willa is napping during the day is Rachel's first chance to get a break. Only if Willa sleeps and there are no more chores to do around the house. Once all the girls are back from school it's outside playtime and Rachel goes out so Willa can join them. Before they know it, its time for dinner and homework then it's getting everyone to bed. IF Willa decides to sleep early then Rachel may get an hour to herself. However, that hour is usually after 2100 and Rachel is so tired it may just be spent sleeping. But most of the time it's talking to me right after I get up at 0500 to say goodnight.

The work and care that Rachel puts into the family is something only the most loving and devoted Mother could do. I can't believe that I am lucky enough to have stumbled upon someone in my lifetime who is so amazing. Thank you for all that you do at home, Rachel, and I can't wait to come back home to be Dad and husband again. I love you.

Driving Mission II

Sunday very well could have been the best day I've had since I have been here. I was given a driving mission to pick up a judge from the airport with another sergeant in my office. I've been to the airport before, really not that exciting. We drive to the "back door" military entrance and sit and wait in a parking lot for two hours for the plane to land and the VIP to get off and find us. Planes always land after dark so you can never see anything cool on the way and the drivers are insane. But I was then told it was a daytime mission to the civilian airport! Whoa. Sunday is my half day and we were scheduled to leave at 1300 and return by 1700, that meant I didn't even have to go to work and I could spend the day in civilian clothes.

We left the office a little after 1300 with our memos that stated that we could leave the Camp. Our first order of business was Starbucks. The SGT I was with exaggerated the arrival a bit to give us time to fill up on whole beaned goodness before we had to start our mission. Coffees in hand, we went through the many checkpoints necessary to clear the Camp and join the civilian world.

One thing I find funny is we aren't allowed to leave the Camp in Uniform. I understand that, we don't want people seeing we are soldiers being that we are targets outside the safety of the Camp. But, it is still quite obvious who we are. Two tall white guys with military haircuts, drinking Starbucks and wearing jeans and t-shirts. We really didn't blend too well into the surroundings.

Once we passed the last checkpoint I was eager to see what was out there! I had never seen the outside world around the Camp in daylight. The first thing that surprised me were the trees. Very dense olive trees lined the small highway that connects to the main freeway that leads towards Kuwait City and the airport. Also, lots of garbage strewn about. In the trees, shrubs, road and ditches that ran alongside it. As we neared our on ramp to the freeway I couldn't help but notice the horizon becoming a very deep blue, then it hit me. That was the Persian Gulf! As we drove closer the deep blue gave way to a beautiful sparkling turquoise. Distorted on the hazy horizon I could make out many ships on their way to different destinations in the world. I assume many of them were oil tankers being I was also driving by the biggest refinery I had ever seen. We exited onto the freeway and the gulf disappeared behind the urban sprawl of Kuwait City.

During the daytime the drivers recklessness doesn't give up! Our vehicle has a governor on it that doesn't let us surpass 120kph (just so happens to be the speed limit on the freeway) Other cars were passing us easily going 90 or 100 MILES per hour. We were behind an SUV and I was surprised to see two boys no older than my girls literally hanging out of the window. Their body's out of the window from their waist, gleefully waving and enjoying the wind in their faces. Looking around me I noticed that no car seats were present in any of the vehicles with small children. I guess this shouldn't surprise me but boy did that make me nervous.

I've been asked if the females here drive. They do. I never saw on the night drives, but in the daytime I noticed that many women here drive. I also learned that they vote and have all the rights that men to in the country.

I was brought along to learn how to get to the airport so I could drive the next time. There are no signs that say "airport" so we learn through landmarks. So, I have to make sure to exit at the amusement park, then again at the "Suzuki Bridge". If I see a Burger King I have gone too far and I will not find a good place to turn around. Instead of graffiti, all of the bridges have advertisements spray painted on them. I couldn't tell you what any of them are for, but us Americans only recognize the Suzuki symbol.

There was a major accident on the highway that ran around the airport. We saw the back up and all sorts of flashing lights. When we got closer we saw a semi had tipped and spilled it's load all over the highway. All of the lanes were blocked from the accident and debris, but that didn't stop the hundreds of vehicles racing for the airport. Everybody just went off road to get around the truck (including us). It's a good thing we had an SUV, don't think that would have worked in a sedan. The driver of the semi must have just gotten out. There was blood running down his face and he was on the phone. I couldn't tell what the load was, but it looked like plaster or chalk. We made it to the airport with time to spare and I was delighted to see that the waiting area for arrivals was a two story mall! We then saw that his flight was delayed two hours. We were in heaven. Getting off post, then realizing we had hours to kill in a mall instead of sitting in a cube all day. A Cinnabon caught my eye and before I knew it I was indulging in a sweet cinnamon treat. I was surprised to see so many American stores there, even a Bath and Body Works! My SGT and I spent the next hour or so just calmly shooting the breeze and enjoying our day out of "jail". Our judge found us and we sadly left to go back to the Camp.

On the way back I was trying to wrap my head around the size of this refinery I was looking at on the way to the airport. The freeway ran adjacent to it and it just went on and on. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of steel structures jutting into the dusty sky. Many of them were lit with bright orange flames shooting out the top. Behind the refinery were the oil tankers distorted by the emissions of the steel towers. They were floating around a Gulf that looked a dirty gray from the pollution in the air. I looked on Google Maps later that night and found the refinery is three miles long by about 1 mile wide.

We made it back safely to Camp by 1730 and to the office at 1800 on the dot. It was a perfect day. Instead of working a half day I got to go for a drive, finally see some culture, spend time at a mall and even see the Persian Gulf. Not to mention the Cinnabon and Starbucks!

Computers and Elk Jerky

What a busy week! I spent most of the week playing computer IT guy.

My section at work is split into two offices that are in different parts of the building. We were told it was time to move together into one area of the building and it fell onto my shoulders to get all the workstations moved and set up. You'd think that would be easy enough, but these workstations have been in one place for years and all of the cords and connections are jumbled into a "Lampoons Christmas Vacation" sized ball. If everyone remembers the scene where Clark pulls the ball of lights out of the box and hands it to Rusty, "Here son". That's how I felt. Also, the Army doesn't make it easy to just move a workstation to a different part of the building. You need to access a computer system and first request a change, then wait for it to be approved. If you don't, then all of the workstations would become locked and you would have to e-mail a network guy who would take days to actually unlock them. Once the workstation was moved you would have to wait for someone to "turn on" the ports the user was plugged into for access to the shared network and internet. Army bureaucracy at it's finest! I played by the rules and finally got the green light to move all these workstations to a different area. Of course I had to move all of the Colonels and Captains in the office who did not understand the process and expected everything to just work once they were moved and set up. I also had to help move all of their desks, bookshelves, file cabinets and other random things from their offices. We moved one person at a time so that way the others could keep working. It took three days and a lot of whining from the officers, but everyone was successfully moved.

Of course that wasn't my only job last week, I also had my regular work to do. It made a for a few late nights and missed lunches. One morning I was getting out of bed. It was about 0630 and my plan was to shower, eat and get to work early to move more of peoples stuff. I grabbed my clothes, towel and bathroom stuff then quickly exited my room all while trying to figure out network issues in my head. I did my morning routine and when I finished shaving I put the razor back in my back, grabbed my towel and felt for my room keys in my pocket...."^%$&!" I had successfully locked myself out of my room. It was about 0645 and I called housing to admit to my embarrassing feat. They told me it was going to be an hour or more until someone would come..."&^%#!" I was sitting on the floor outside of my room, in shame, still holding my bathroom stuff and wet towel then it hit me, ROOMMATE! He works nights (2200-1000). He was still at work, so all I had to do was walk over to the security shack and call him to get his key. So, there I was walking around the Camp in flip flops, shorts and a dirty t-shirt all while still carrying my bathroom bag and wet towel. I was breaking so many regulations and was getting the stink eye from just about everybody I walked past. I got into the security shack and the guard new EXACTLY what had happened. Didn't have to say a word. Guess this happens quite often? He handed me the directory and I started calling random numbers in my roommates office. I finally got him and he saved the day! I got his keys, brought them back to the room to get myself in, grabbed my keys and finished getting dressed. I walked back to the security shack, called him again and he retrieved his keys. When I got back to the room I took some elk steak out of my locker and put it on his bed as a thanks.  I don't see myself forgetting my keys again, not after that!

What is Elk Steak you ask? It's actual Elk Jerky from the Colorado Rocky Mountains. It tastes great and for some reason it's free at the post office. Another one of my odd jobs is to get the mail and packages that come in daily. If someone sends a care package to the Camp it ends up there and open for the takings. Someone is sending that jerky to us weekly and I am okay with that!

I have another driving mission today to go off post. I will be driving this time and I am scared out of my mind. Let's hope the locals drive nicely during the day.

Well, a month has gone by since I have arrived here. I'm reaching deep to try to find new and interesting things to talk about, but it is pretty much same ol' same ol'. I work everyday, see the same people and do the same things. It's a little maddening being stuck in one place for such a long time. I don't know how some people do this for a whole year.

Over the past couple weeks I have made a few notes of things to mention. I usually write them on my hands, then when I get back to the computer I put it on the "stickies" program. It's like digital post-its you can put on your desktop and they just sit there until you erase it. Here they are in order.

Street Sweeper. The first is sort of an irony. I was walking to the DFAC for lunch on a windy day. The camp had deployed the street sweepers to clear the sand and dust off the roads from the prior days sandstorm. The sweeper would sweep the dirt up and it would go onto a conveyer belt where it SHOULD have dumped into the back of the truck. However, the wind just blew it right off the belt and back onto the road. That guy probably had a frustrating day.

Melons. Everyday when I go to get food at the DFAC I enjoy looking at the wonderfully carved melons on display. One of the workers there has quite the talent, carving scenery into watermelons. Flowers, clouds, landscapes and even faces. One day he carved his buddy (one of the other cooks). His melon doppelganger was astoundingly real looking. Somehow he even got his mustache right. Every meal there is a new melon on display and the worker that does it awards somebody with the carving when the DFAC closes at the end of the meal.

Fire Alarms. Now, this is getting old. Every room has smoke alarms on the ceiling. Makes sense right? Well, it's posted everywhere around here not to put any aerosol spray on in your rooms. No AXE, hairspray, body spray, colognes, or anything that sprays. Why? because it sets off the fire alarm. Now, do people listen? Of course not. SO, weekly, at horrible times, I find myself outside waiting for the FD to come and clear the building. They are not hasty at all with an average 10 minute response time. It almost creates a "boy who cried wolf" situation. Not even half the people leave so if there was a REAL fire? Not good.

"Nice". I don't know who is in charge of marketing in the middle-east, but someone came up with the idea of calling the potato chips "Nice" chips. That's the name on the bag. Us Americans must see that and think, "I want to eat that because it's Nice!". Now this was mildly humorous to me at first because I found some "Nice" candy at the PX and some "Nice" Pretzels at the Shoppette. It finally became blog-worthy the day I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom. While I was investigating my brushing job I looked in the reflection of the mirror and saw the cases of toilet paper in a storage closet behind me. What do you think was on that box? You got it, we even have "Nice" toilet paper. Thank goodness the toilet paper is "Nice". I would hate to see "Upset" toilet paper or even worse..."Disgruntled"!

Unfortunately that's it for my random observations from the past week.  I will have to keep my eyes open for new and interesting things to talk about.

I got a great care package from Mom and Dad (THANKS GUYS). More coffee, trail mixes, poppycock, movie theater boxed candy and some Valentines treats. Much appreciated! Hopefully, today, Rachel's package will come! I am really looking forward to that because the contents include beef jerky and mini pop-tarts.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day and from what I hear, I should get a greeting from Rachel and the girls printed in the "Stars and Stripes" tomorrow! Maybe Rachel will get a surprise from me tomorrow too ;)

Well, that's about it for my rambling update. I apologize if it lacks many interesting experiences. Until next week!

Comics

I want to take a moment to talk about something completely non-Army related. This morning I was enjoying my omelet and coffee at the DFAC while reading the Sunday Stars and Stripes newspaper. Now, anyone who follows me on facebook may have caught a comment I made about how happy I was that the newspaper here runs Calvin and Hobbes on Sundays. Now I am a die hard Calvin and Hobbes fan. I had ALL of their books when I was younger. (Wish I would have held on to that collection..) ANYWAYS, the Stars and Stripes runs another comic strip called "Frazz". It's about a 30-something guy who was in a band and recorded a few successful singles and has great personal wealth. While he was doing music he picked up a job as a school janitor to pay bills and after his success, keeps that job because he enjoys being with the children. Seems like an original idea right? Well, here is an example strip.

Notice a resemblance to a certain 8 year old with a stuffed tiger? I did some wikipedia-ing when I got back to my room and discovered this strip has been running since April of 2001.  He continuously fends off critics that say he is ripping off of Bill Watterson (creator of Calvin and Hobbes) and is trying to say he is writing his own original strip. He even references Calvin and Hobbes once and awhile IN his comic strips. I think the example I have is a good C&H reference, having his main character throwing snowballs joyously, (One of Calvin's favorite pastimes). The cartoonist also denies this being a sequel or extension of Calvin's life. I think this creates a nice resolution though. I could imagine Calvin finally getting his act together, finishing school and making it in the music industry to end up in a job, at an elementary school playing with other kids as an adult. My hat goes off to Jef Mallet for boldly starting a comic strip that, I think, is a continuation of Calvin's life. I will be getting more of these books so I can catch up from the beginning.

Half Day

Today was a much needed half day. This is the first chance I've had all week to catch up on laundry, cleaning my room, sleep and, of course, my blog. A solder left the office for training and another went back to the states so I have been bogged down with a lot of extra work. I like it though because it keeps me busy and time goes faster.

My goal today was to get a replacement necklace for Vayda.  I sent the girls camels and necklaces a couple weeks ago, and when they arrived in Georgia the box was completely ruined. Someone must have been playing soccer with it because it had a large hole on the side. When opened, the necklace I bought for Vayda wasn't in there. Speaking of packages...I have received my first packages here this week! How exciting. The first was from Rachel and it was very yummy cupcakes! The maker put them in jars so they stay fresh and I can eat them with a fork right out of the jar. The second package was from Mom and Dad and it had coffee, Valentines candy and a very entertaining book. My office appreciates the good dark roast blends.

Today was the first day that I've missed breakfast. I guess I needed the sleep. I couldn't believe it this morning when I woke up and my watch said 0930. I guess not having windows and a warm bed makes it easy to sleep late. (I find it funny that I consider 0930 late)

I craved breakfast meats and egg and remembered there's a Burger King in Zone 1. I hoped that they were still serving breakfast, showered, shaved and was on my way to "meet the king". It's about a half mile walk to the PX and food court in Zone 1 and the whole walk was spent trying to adjust to the bright morning sun. I feel like a cave dwelling hobbit in these barracks. My room is dimly lit with a floor lamp in a room with no windows, in a converted warehouse with no windows. When you walk outside you feel kind of like a vampire.

I arrived at Burger King and wasn't expecting the breakfast negotiations that I was about to endure. All I wanted was a croissant sandwich with sausage, egg and cheese. I was first asked if I wanted a meal, I declined. Then I was asked if I wanted an orange juice, I declined. I asked if they had coffee, no, they didn't. However, I was offered an onion ring for the price of a coffee. Because, when one doesn't get their morning coffee, obviously onion rings would suffice. I turned down the onion ring deal and was finally offered an apple pie. So, their theory of attacking you with food options until you gave up worked, I accepted the dollar apple pie and was on my way to find coffee.

I stopped at the green beans and got my "Cup of Joe" and was off to find a nice place to sit and eat my late breakfast. I decided it was such a nice day that I would eat outside on the dining pavilion by Burger King. I sat down, got my sandwich out, had a drink of coffee and started to eat. As I was eating I couldn't help but notice a sparrow sitting on the other side of the bench watching me. Then another arrived...and another, then a few more. Soon, I had an audience of about 20 sparrows intently watching me chow down on BK. It was quite an uncomfortable feeling, so, I gave in and took a small piece of croissant off and tossed it in their general direction. However, I didn't notice the whole flock of sparrows on an adjacent building. Before that crumb hit the ground I had at least 50 crazed sparrows all fighting over the same crumb. Once it was devoured they all sat completely still and watched me. I tossed a second morsel and sparrows that were behind me flew right over my shoulder to get their shot at some food. I was greatly outnumbered at this point and the birds slowly started getting closer and closer. They knew that if they wanted they could come in for the steal. I weighed my options and retreated to the indoors where I could eat in peace. So, that answers my question of why I never see people eating on the pavilion.

After finishing my breakfast inside I explored the PX for the replacement necklace for Vayda. I found a nice, over the top pink necklace that screamed princess. The guy started bartering and I really didn't have the patience, but I still ended up with a matching pink bracelet. I went to the post office and waited in line a good 45 minutes for someone to check my items. Once cleared, the box was taped up and shipped off to its final destination. I had just enough time to make it back to the barracks to change, then grab lunch to go so I could eat at the office.

Every other day this week has been work, eat, sleep, so this is actually the most interesting day I've had in awhile haha. It is getting late and I have to be up at 0500 to run tomorrow morning. Have a good night/morning/day everyone.

Spend a Morning with me.

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*
*BEEP BEEP BEEP*
*BEE-*
I try to push the little button on my watch to turn the alarm off. Successfully stopped, I instinctively reach for the computer so I can say goodnight to Rachel back in the states.   A quick conversation later and I am using the light from the laptop to peer into my closet so I can find my PT uniform. If you are out exercising anytime between 0500 and 0800 and are active duty Army the PT uniform must be worn. I try to stay quiet as I shuffle around, as not to wake my roomate, and put on my black wind pants, short sleeve ARMY t-shirt, and the ubiquitous PT belt. The PT belt must be worn with the PT uniform and anytime that it is dark outside. The PT belt is a reflective, glow-in-the-dark belt that can be worn around the waist or slung around your shoulder. If it is slung around your shoulder it must go from left to right (Over left shoulder going to the right).

I walk down the long corridor from my room to the bathroom. I live in a converted warehouse. No windows and the structure built to maximize space. There is a skinny hallway running along the perimeter of my quadrant. The quadrant is rectangular, about 150m long and 30m wide. Inside the perimeter hallway there are 12 short hallways going to the long hallway on the other side. The bathrooms are on hallway B12 and my room is on the B3 hallway. That means that I am a good hundred meters (football field) from the bathrooms. That is a LOOOOOONG hike in the middle of the night when you have to utilize. Needless to say, I try not to drink anything after dinner.

I brush my teeth and shave, take the hike back to my room to put away my stuff in my closet and exit the room so I can conduct Physical Fitness Training. "My room mate is lazy", I think to myself as I slam the door hard to wake him up as I leave to go on my run. He's going home in a couple of days so he doesn't do PT nor does he have to go to work. I guess I am sore that I am running and working a 7 day week while he just lays around all day. I make the long walk towards the bathrooms again because that is where the exit door is. The exit door is marked by a bright green "EXIT" sign with the Arabic translation underneath it. I exit and take my first breath of the Kuwaiti morning air. I wish I could say it was fresh, but it is heavy with exhaust from all of the generators running all night. The mornings are very cool and comfortable. It's humid and in the 50's and the cool breeze tickles my neck as I make my walk to where I will run. It's still dark outside, but the hundreds of lights on generators make it feel like it's daytime. I go walk back to Zone 1 where I run around the perimeter of the Zone. I used to live in Zone 1 when I first got here and that is where I learned that the perimeter is exactly a mile. It's a 5 minute walk and once I cross the main boulevard, I arrive. I find a nice place to stretch my legs and warm up. Once I feel loose I start running and let my mind wander.

I think about how the girls and Rachel are doing and how I can't wait to be back there to be Daddy and husband again. I know I am missing my daughters birthday in a couple months and the loss of her first tooth. I think about my other daughter and her princess world she lives in. Her goal in life right now is to grow up to be a princess and live in a castle. And, of course, my youngest daughter. Missing how she learns new ways to say things everyday and her cute dances she does as she sings, "Dooo doo dooooo". Thoughts of Rachel being a single Mom having to get all the kids ready in the morning, making all of their food, washing their clothes and working herself to the bone. Even giving up her personal time so I can pursue a career with the Army. She is absolutely amazing and I know I could never take her for granted. I think about my parents and sister back in Minnesota and how cold it must be there. I realize how I have probably lost my hardiness to the sub zero temperatures of the Northern winters and that makes me feel a little sad. As a Minnesotan I am proud to say that I live through -20F temperatures in January and February and the snowfalls of 12+ inches. I decide that the experience of being deployed is worth the hiatus of winter for 4 years.

I snap back to reality when I smell bacon and eggs from the DFAC. I know that just one more time around the perimeter and I can go back to Zone 2, where I live, to eat a nice hardy breakfast. The sun is starting to peek over the horizon in another spectacular show brought by Mother Nature. All the pollution in the air here creates brilliant sunrises. It's a little treat for getting out and being productive before it comes up. I like to think of it as my own private show. I finish up my two mile run as the sky explodes with reds, oranges and yellows while the blues and purples of night fade away on the other side of the sky.

My cool down is the walk back to Zone 2. I feel very refreshed and energized as I take my time walking back. I will have one of those, "WOW" moments as I remember exactly where in the world I am and what I am doing with my life. I jokingly imagine myself at 29 going back in time to talk to myself at 19. I would probably have found myself at a Perkins at 2am with a large group of slacker friends.

"Hey, John...it's me, yourself from the future...Just wanted to say in 10 years you will be deployed with the Army in Kuwait with a pregnant wife and three daughters at home."

My 19 year old self probably would have fallen over laughing never thinking he would amount to all of that. Or he would have just fainted. hahah Well...goes to show you really can do anything you want as long as you put your mind up to it.

I reach my warehouse and make the hike from the entrance to the door to my room. I go in and, of course, the roommate is still sleeping. "REALLY!?", I think to myself, "He was asleep at 2000 last night". Shaking my head I rummage through the closet for the computer. I use the laptop again for light as I get my shower stuff and clean clothes. I make the trek to the bathroom and shower off the sweat and dust I have accumulated from my run. Breakfast is number one priority on the mind so I quickly get my ACU's on and walk to the DFAC.

Zone 2 DFAC is a large structure build from corrugated metal. It is nestled in the middle of a small community of more corrugated metal buildings, all with matching metal roofs. The whole commercial area is built on coarse gravel. The surrounding structures are much smaller. There's the shopette PX first, then Panda chinese food, Subway, Green Beans Coffee, Pizza city, barber shop, salon, mini-bazaar, qnet and a few administrative buildings. The DFAC is known for their great breakfasts and they have yet to fail me. All of the food here is GREAT. There's a smaller room in front of the DFAC with 6 sinks in it. It is mandatory to wash hands before eating, so you wash your hands then walk up a small staircase and enter the Dining Facility. I get my ID scanned so they know I can't come in again for seconds. All of the workers are what people call "TCN's" or Third Country Nationals. Since Kuwait runs the whole Camp they hire workers from third world countries. It's a mix of workers from India, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Philippines. I get my tray and silverware and to go the omelet bar. The worker quickly executes my ham, cheese and green pepper confection and sends me down the line to get my sides. I am feeling bacon-y today so I get some bacon and a biscuit. I grab a bottle of water and, of course, coffee. The DFAC is divided by TVs. One side is the fox news channel, and the other side is CNN. I giggle to myself as I sit down on the Fox News side for some great morning entertainment. One side must leave breakfast thinking Obama is trying hard and doing the best he can, while the other side must leave, excited to join the republican domination that is forecasted in 2012. Full of yummy eggs and hot coffee I make my way out of the DFAC and back to the room for the last time of the day to get my security pass to get into my work complex.

I get into my room, open the closet and take a minute to organize all of my stuff, make the bed, sweep the floors and throw away any trash I have laying around. I grab my ID and as I walk out I almost trip over the roommates clothes he has strewn everywhere. He is passed out, face down in bed, with his laptop still open and his role playing game still on. His character is just standing there in his fantasy world. Another shake of my head and I exit. Again, I give the door an extra hard slam to let him know it's almost 0900 and I am going off to be a productive member of the Army while he wastes his life away in bed.

I open the door to the outside world and the sun blinds me. I put my hat down further to shield my eyes and I squintily walk around my warehouse. I reach the road that goes behind the building and turn right. As I walk along the road I pass two more warehouses that are surrounded by a 20ft tall fence with barbed wire spiraling across the top, running the whole perimeter. It looks like a prison within the secure camp I live on. I go to the small security shack that's situated between the two warehouses on the outside of the perimeter. I enter and I am happily greeted by two armed guards who check my security badge and military ID. I am waved through to the other side and now I am inside one of most secured places in Kuwait. My badge is yellow which shows I have a secret clearance, so I can freely walk through the compound and not get hassled by the roving security that roams the complex. I walk into my building and navigate the maze of cubicles, wires and computers until I reach my office. We are in the very back of the building and I use my key to get into the office, sit down at my computer and start the process of checking mail and entering in packets that we have recieved since 1800 the night before.

And that is an average morning.