According to our countdown calendar, we have completed 20% of this deployment. It seems like just yesterday that I was getting on a plane for Kuwait. I remember getting off the Rhino in Baghdad and seeing all the bombed out buildings. I had a moment of wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. It almost mimicked the feeling I had when I got off the bus at basic training and the drill sergeants started yelling at me. In both cases, I had no choice but to adapt and overcome.

Everything felt better the next morning when I was able to meet the unit we would be replacing. I was not expecting to be driving around the IZ in a Suburban or a Ford mini-van.  I was also shocked to find out that contracted Peruvian and Ugandans, not U.S. soldiers would be providing security at the checkpoints.  I came to Iraq assuming Arabic would be the predominate language, only to find myself learning more Spanish and Swahili.

Sometimes I feel like this deployment is a social experiment. Baghdad has become a melting pot of cultures and beliefs. Every day I see something else that makes me remember how far away from home we are. I described this place to my mother as a Biblical scene with a modern military twist.  Baghdad is full of beautiful architecture behind the t-walls and concertina wire. I have enjoyed learning about the history and seeing the ruins of a fallen dictatorship.

Although this deployment isn’t exactly what I expected, every day is a new adventure. With adventure comes experience. So, in keeping true to our experience…..

See you later, Tutaonana (Swahili), Maasalaamah (Arabic), Hasta luego (Spanish)