Another Day Down

Wow it’s been quite some time since I’ve written anything here. Well I’m still in Iraq and I’m still at FOB Falcon. Things here have been alright. With each day that passes the more I miss home and my wife. During my downtime I try to find things to occupy my time whether its playing video games, drawing, or watching movies, but sometimes it doesn’t always work. I’m guessing summer is in full swing here or at least it feels like it. I don’t think it can get any hotter, average temp is usually around 115 but it has been about 120 a few times.

It really has been an experience that I am proud of but I think it’s about time for us to pack it up and bring it home. Don’t think I’m not supportive of the war because I am, but in my opinion I believe the Iraqi’s are ready for us to leave. Case in point there was the June 30th withdraw from the cities and I just read that many of the barricades and T-walls that US forces put up for security around Baghdad are coming down per the Iraqi government. What is not in the news is that military convoy’s are only allowed to be on the roads between certain hours of the day and that each vehicle has a sheet of paper explaining who we are in case we’re stopped at in Iraqi checkpoint.

We’re on water restrictions here because of a broken sewer main somewhere in Baghdad so we are only allowed to use the showers between certain times of the day and bathrooms have been converted into Porta Johns…nothing like using one of those in 115 degree weather.

I hope to post more just so I can find an outlet. I’ll leave you with this link of the area:Local Area

“Problems”

Well I finally made it to Iraq and to FOB Falcon.  I’m settled into my room,  unpacked, and most importantly I’m off the cot.  The rooms are nice, but compared back to the states people would be like “really this is what they have you staying in”.  It’s enough for me I have a bed and place to put my clothes.  We have internet in all the rooms, a PX, gym, and the typical stuff you would find on an Army post.

I have been fortunate enough to go to three foreign countries Brazil, Kuwait, and Iraq and each time I realize how fortunate I am to be living in the USA.  How easily I could have been born in a 3rd world country.  I say fortunate because going to Iraq and Brazil really puts things into perspective on how good we have it.  When did it become ok to complain about needing a bigger house when you already have 3/2 and it’s just a wife and husband?  When did it become ok to complain about needing more options in your car or additional car.  When did these things become “problems” in the eyes of American’s?  After brushing your teeth out of a water bottle, using a porta john for 5 months, or going to take a shower and to find all the water is gone because the water truck didn’t make it yet or all the water is used up really helps put things life into perspective.  As you can tell I have put some thought into this.  It’s funny, if you were to ask a typical American if they are wealthy or rich that would laugh and proceed to tell you no.  After seeing Iraq and how some man’s little Bazaar is how he makes his living to provide for his family everything else goes out the window.  I’ll end with this Matthew 19:24 “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

**Let me go ahead and step off my soap box**

By the way here is a link to photos of my deployment. Check back every now and then as I will update them.
http://picasaweb.google.com/robert.evansII

Death By Boredom

Look at this 2 postings within a week.

I’m still in Kuwait and will be here until who knows when.  I’m actually hanging out at the Starbucks this morning.  Mainly because internet in the tent during the day is, well, nonexistent and this is the best place to get on the net.  As long as I don’t look out the window or pay attention Arabic like English it’s just like I’m at home.  From the drinks down to the pastries.  It’s standing room only here, I actually had to setup on a 5 foot stack of skimmed milk boxes.  We still have not got word of when we’ll be leaving here.  I sure hope it sometime soon because I’m going to go crazy between living out of a bag and doing nothing.

From Kuwait

From Kuwait

I know from time to time I get some stragglers stopping by.  If any of you happened to be deploying for the first time and is unsure of what to bring shoot me an e-mail.  I have been debating on putting together a list of those things and so far I have not found a reason to.

Till next time.

And We’re Back

So after months of being absent I’m back.  Last time I updated this I was at Camp Shelby, MS.  Since then I’ve been to NTC out at Fort Irwin, CA and I revisited Fort Bragg for a few weeks.  But right now I’m in Kuwait, I’ve been in Kuwait since the 16th of April and I will be here until who knows.  They haven’t given me any sort of time frame of when I will be leaving for Iraq.  I sure hope it’s sometime soon though because sleeping on cots and living out of a duffel bag for the lat 3 months is getting old.  Have you ever tried to find a pair of socks at the bottom of a duffel bag without unpacking it?  It’s not fun you end up grabbing everything else but a pair of socks.  Not to say Kuwait is bad there’s a decent gym, a movie theater, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Burger King, a nice PX, and some other great amenities.  The time difference of seven hours is something to get use to.  I’m saying goodnight to Jen and she’s about to eat lunch. I find myself up until 1230 or even later sometimes.  The heat really doesn’t bother me.  I actually welcome the heat compared to the biter cold months back in the states.

I do have a lot of pictures from the beginning of my deployment in December and up until now.  As I get more pictures I will upload them to the location below.  I’m hoping that I can get back into updating my blog so just bear with me.

http://picasaweb.google.com/robert.evansII

Till next time folks.

Hey All

I hope all is going well back home.  Things in Mississippi are going alright.  A week ago I had to get some more shots…never enough shots I say.  Anyways I had to begin my Anthrax series, finish my HEP B series, and my favorite, Small Pox.  I’ve always wondered about the circle scar some people have, well now I will have one of my own.  I never realized how much is involved in the small pox shot.  I will spare the details if you like.

I’ve been doing a field exercise since Wednesday, 4 of us from the fuel section have been manning a fuel point for other vehicles doing training.  It’s not to bad 7 – 12:30 and then I knock off for the day unless there is a night mission.  Other then that not whole lot going on.  Probably because we’re getting ready to head to California.

Speaking of California I found out that I will be part of a group heading to California before the rest of the unit to prepare for there arrival.  Wish I had some exciting details or stories to share, but I am safe and doing well.

One last thing I’ve thrown in some pictures for your viewing pleasure.  The boxy looking homes (CHU) is what we are staying in while we’re in the field and when we get to Iraq.  These hold 12 people, but that’s because there are 3 CHU’s put together.  While we’re in Iraq it should be one CHU and that would hold 2-3 soldiers.  The photo called living area is just the area of the barracks.

Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Bobby

I know

Currently I’m sitting in Cheeburger Cheeburger, by the way have excellent burgers, in the Richmond, Va Airport waiting for a return flight back Mississippi.  I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything.  Mainly I’ve been without internet.  You would think in the year 2009 the United States Army would have decent internet available…guess again.

So January I reported to my unit to for a 32 hour or 2 day convoy to Mississippi.  Clocking in 32 hours you would’ve thought we were driving to Texas or something.  Anyways Mississippi has been interesting a lot of training and some down time.  Now how I got to Richmond is interesting.  January 17th I needed to report to school and they either forgot or….well I think they forgot.  When they finally got my flight made I was in the middle of a training exercise.  I got word I needed to report and I was promptly dropped off on the side of the road with full gear waiting for a ride.  So for about 15 minutes freezing in the middle of who knows where I was waiting for my ride.  I had about 5 minutes to grab and pack.  Gotta love the Army.

So since January 17th I’ve been at Fort Pickett for MOS (my job) training.  There’s not much of anything except woods and gravel there.  But it was nice to have some down time from the hectic training and plus I got to see Jen for a weekend.   In a way I don’t want to leave, but also looking forward to getting back to my unit.  The deployment mobilization has had some high times and some low times.  Occasionally I have a day where I just want to be back home and with family and friends.

Thanks everyone for the prayers and support.

Merry Christmas

After a long 23 days of training at FOB Patriot (Fort Bragg) I finally have a break for the holidays.  We spent about 2 weeks on and off the range with getting people qualified and doing range detail.  Have no fear, f I am attacked by targets that pop up for anywhere between 2-5 seconds, I have time to setup my shot, I’m relaxed, and I know where they will be coming from I will have no problem laying them down.  I’ve gone through so many Warrior Tasks, not once, not twice, but three times.  I have also re-certified my combat lifesaving license and I have a permit to drive a wide range of vehicles.  We also went through a Humvee roll over exercise, which was pretty fun.  Although it was not as nearly as fast a real roll over, but still fun.  I kept pushing for it to go faster, but it had one speed…slow.

Our 16 man condo.  Wonderful plastic covered mattresses and plastic flooring.

The Humvee roll over experience.  I was the driver and my ACH (helmet) and my body got wedge as I was trying to get out.  We had to get out upside down.

Me getting ready to give an IV to some poor sap.

Laundry service trailer.  There are 8 washers and 6 dryers.  There were only 3 of these on the FOB and about 500 or more of us.  The math does not add up, but thankfully a week before we left they opened up a laundry tent…way to go Army.  By the way right next to the laundry trailer is our wonderful bathroom.  Not sure what’s worse having it as sauna or as an icebox.  Much of the time it was in the 40’s at night….I think you get the picture.

That was my home for 23 days.

One of the things I have a permit on.

So from here I head to Mississippi to Camp Shelby for about a month a half.  I have no idea what to expect accept madnesses and chaos…organized chaos hopefully.

Till next time folks.

Update from Bobby

Hi Everyone!  This is Jen.  I just wanted to post some updates from Bobby.  We went to his mobilization ceremony yesterday and I have never been more proud to be his wife.  He is very happy and seems to be making a lot of friends.  I got to meet some of his tent mates as well yesterday which was nice to finally have some faces with names.  Here is a copy of his latest email:

Things are going well here believe it or not.  We’ve had some really cold days here and we’ve been outside everyday.  We’ve been at the range everyday.  Two days shooting and two days working the range passing out ammo.  I hate all the paperwork and briefings the army has, but shooting is what I enjoy.

It’s only been about a week but it’s really amazing what the Lord can do within a week.  I have found myself praying and communicating more then I was before.  I’ve also had some opportunities to let others know who I side with.  Last night one of my tent mates was asking me about my tattoos (Star of David & Cross) and how I went from Jewish to Christian.  So I was able to share with him and 6 others who didn’t even ask.  It was pretty cool to be able to do that.

Thank you all for your prayers and support and I look forward to Christmas Break.

I have also uploaded pictures from yesterday’s visit.  They can be viewed here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74282&l=ec661&id=557844883

and here we go

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Jen, her parents, and I went to Arkansas to see her Aunt and Uncle for Thanksgiving.  Driving to Arkansas is seriously the longest drive ever.  It’s about a 13 hour drive, but it felt like it would never end.  Her dad helped with the driving, but even just riding is long.  We left Wednesday for Arkansas and left Friday night at 10 to return home.  Mike and I drove through the night and got back in Charlotte around 12:30pm.  The cheapest gas we saw was 1.53 and that was in Tennessee around mile marker 187 on I-40, just incase your curious.

Today is my last day at the house until Christmas.  I leave tomorrow morning at 4am for Fort Bragg. I really can’t believe how quickly time goes.  I found out in July I was being deployed in December and hello December.  So today will be spent packing the rest of my gear and spending time with the wife.  So from today on I will be centering this blog around my deployment.  Let me get this out of the way.  Even though we have had a change in Office this may or may not affect me.  The military is a big moving machine and even if he does want to pull out of Iraq it will take time to move the military.  So I will still be leaving and I do not suspect my deployment shortening.

So until next time folks.

COPS but with chickens

I love the show COPS especially when someone gets tazed, but this is just amazing.

Watch the top chicken at the 19 sec mark “move it along buddy nothing more to see here”.