Aloha!  I want to personally thank each of you who helped make this a reality —you should know what you did for my Soldiers and the people who attended the luau. 

We publicized the luau all over the place. I sure wish I was on that beach right now!

The attached pictures are just a sample of the craziness and “aloha spirit” the Soldiers in my 314th PAOC from Birmingham, Ala., created for folks from all over the world here in the International Zone on August 21.  More than 300 attended – and of those about 10-15 were from Hawaii and many more had either been stationed there or visited the islands. 

SPC Brittany Gardner circulated in the crowd distributing plastic, silk and shell leis to luau attendees.

The Soldiers in my unit are great.  I convinced the 314th Soldeirs to wear donated aloha shirts and circulate through the crowd and give everyone a warm welcome and lei.  They made everyone feel special — you can tell from all smiles in the pictures.  It might not have been an “authentic” luau (we could not put a pig in the ground in a Muslim country, for example) but I could definitely feel the spirit.  Besides, with no mai tais (General Order #1), we had to act a little silly to get everyone to “hang loose”.  Of course, we could not have done this without the support of my friends in Hawaii like Sherri Okinaga, Lorraine Nakaji and Mike Mau.  And then they told their friends and co-workers.  

SGT Mary Lee was our photo assistant. We took photos of all the participants with their leis at a small kiddie pool (the closest thing we could find to simulate Waimea Bay).

 For instance, Lorraine told David Gonsalves at Hilo Hattie, a store in Hilo that sells aloha clothing and other items that make you think about Hawaii.  Collectively they shipped us everything from aloha shirts, grass skirts and haupia to tiki god statues, calendars of the men and women of Hawaii (in bathing suits) and more than 750 leis of all sorts.  Now tell me, how could this not have been fun?  We even had a huge Hawaii state flag flying over here (I think even King Kamehameha would have been happy). 

Soldiers at the luau got to try local food favorites like roast pork, macaroni salad, sticky rice (with seaweed sprinkled on top), chicken long rice, and haupia.

After we finished our luau, we took part in a teleconference with Hawaii  Governor Linda Lingle, U.S. Pacific Command Admiral Timothy Keating, Maj. Gen. Robert Lee, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki.  One Soldier from Hawaii now in Kentucky for college, SPC Amy Balli, a 2006 graduate of Konawaena High School, joined us in sending our collective “aloha” to the thousands of people in the Hawaii Convention Center listening in on that conversation.  It was quite an evening for all of us!

SFCs Jeremiah Glassford and Adam Daley enjoyed the food...and their aloha woven hats.

 I know some people in Hawaii did not want the state to celebrate.  They see statehood as a negative thing.  From my point of view, however, all this outpouring of love, generosity and the aloha spirit showered on my Soldiers and those at the luau would not have happened without statehood. 

 People stuck around the luau for more than hour after we closed everything down, just basking in the “aloha spirit” and enjoying a break from the reality of Iraq with all the boredom interrupted by moments of violence, death and insanity.

 For that, I thank all of you.  And to those who made my 17 years in Hawaii some of the best in my life, mahalo nui loa! 

LTC Lee Reynolds (left), a former resident of Hawaii, gives the shaka sign with our luau emcee SFC Benari Poulten, a Soldier in the 314th PAOC (and a Broadway actor and comedian when he is home in Manhattan).

There was no beach, so no surfing competition, so we improvised -- we had a limbo contest. I don't know, but I think MAJ James Lincoln, the 314th Executive Officer, might do pretty well "hanging ten" at Banzai Pipeline.

After the experienced hula dancers at the luau showed how to do it right, we opened it up to others (prizes for everyone who got up to entertain us). Here is SGT EMily Anderson. I think she looks pretty authentic...and she was darn good with the dancing, too.

At the end of the night, the Soldiers of the 314th took a well-deserve break from cleaning up the luau. Shortly after this, we moved to our Combined Press Information Center for a telephone call to talk to the thousands of people assembled in the Hawaii Convention Center. (Photos by SSG Paul Roberts, 314th PAOC)

When I was asked if I would like to go back to Victory Base Complex to help members of the 326st Area Support Group with their promotion board, I was very pleased with the idea. Last time I went there I was fortunate to learn a lot of information that I brought back to the unit and eventually used to help the members of our unit with their promotion packets and get promoted.

              When I arrived at VBC on  Saturday, Aug. 1, Sgt. 1st Class Jason Aumiller was the person there to assist me. He ensured that I was happy with the living conditions, food, etc. He also found time to take me along with another Soldier on a tour of Camp Slayer, originally presidential grounds and home to the Republican Guard and Iraqi Military Academy.  

The entire length of the tour lasted approximately three hours. When I was first told the tour would last that long I was surprised. I did not know what to expect. I did not think I would want to walk around looking at buildings in the heat (it was at least 105 degrees) for three hours. However, by the time the tour was over, I felt the time given was definitely well planned and spread appropriately between each stop. The three hours only seemed to feel like 30 minutes.  

My tour guide was 1st Lt. Stephanie Ramos, Camp Slayer MWR Officer. There were at least 150 other people gathered for the weekly Sunday tour. According to her, this number is about average for each tour. 

                The first stop on the tour was the Victory Over Iran Palace and the Victory Over America Palace. From the information I was told during the tour, the Victory over America Palace was going to connect to the Victory over Iran Palace, but it was never completed.

  Getting to see these buildings up close and personal was an eye opening experience. As we started up the front side of the Victory Over Iran Palace and the Victory Over America Palace, I could hear children singing an Arabic song. I’m not sure of the words but it was nice to hear and see. After their songs, we were told that these children were from the local boys and girls club. It was amazing to see the 20-30 children singing with so much cheer in their young angelic voices.

Inside the Ba’ath Party Convention Center today, damage can be seen across the top of the building with debris and rubble spread across the ledges years after the building was first hit with F-15-E fighter jets and a Tomahawk missile. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Emily Anderson)

                The next stop on our tour was of the final pictures of Saddam Hussein. His full length picture was painted on one of the buildings. On the wall of a building across from this building are silhouettes. The tour guide told us these silhouettes were for target practice. Although, weapons were pointed to these targets no bullets were ever shot because behind this building was something like a childcare center and they did not want to harm any children.

                The final stop on the tour was of the Ba’ath Party Convention Center. According to the pamphlet I was given at the beginning of the tour, the Convention Center was used as a meeting place for the political and military leadership of Iraq. The building was hit in March of 2003, by F-15-E fighter jets and a Tomahawk missile.

U.S. Army Soldier stands inside of a window frame inside of the Ba’ath Party Convention Center. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Emily Anderson)

Seeing inside of the building was breath taking, at least it was for me. Debris and rubble was all over the place. Chandeliers were barely hanging from the ceilings. The glass from the window panes were all over the ground. A film of dust formed over the top of everything. This place was just so interesting to see.

                Overall, my tour was amazing. I’m was and still so glad I was given the opportunity to see some of these places that many will never get to see except through pictures. I have no doubt this will definitely be place I will never forget.

Working at the Combined Press Information Center has afforded me with great opportunities. A few days ago, I was able to sit and speak to two journalists at dinner.  Our conversation started with them asking basic questions about me. Where am I from, how long have I been in the Army, how do I like being in Iraq, etc. I have been asked these questions so many times now that it is almost like second nature to answer them.

After the normal questions, we started talking about their future endeavors. They told me about their previous embedding (embedding is when journalists are able to come to Iraq to stay with a military unit and have one on one time to talk to, see, and learn about what Soldiers do and what it means to be a Soldier. This gives journalists a chance to write about these Soldiers and their mission, their experience trying to get to the CPIC, and other things along those lines.

The conversation finally turned to the idea of being young and being in the military. They brought up the fact that there are some people who are not supportive of Soldiers because of policies that Soldiers have no control over. They asked how I felt about having to be deployed and protecting those people who don’t support Soldiers.

I sat for a minute wondering what I was going to say. How do I honestly answer this question? These two journalists are sitting in front of me, waiting silently for my answer. I knew I would not be able to all of a sudden change the subject, so I started to really think about my next choice of words. Then I remembered the many care packages we’ve received from strangers, the words of encouragement through emails, and the lovely letters written by the many supporters of Soldiers.  

I decided my answer would express my true feelings, so I spoke. I told them it’s not the people who oppose us but the ones that are supportive of what we have to do that makes this job worth it. The people who join together with organizations to send us care packages to the elderly women who simply keep us in their prayers at night to the children that write us thank you letters are the reasons we fight for the rights and liberties of citizens.

Drawings from children with ‘thank you’ written on it have probably been the best thing I’ve received. Although the many care packages from strangers who want to give anything from soap to toothbrushes to even homemade cookies are greatly appreciated.  However, the heartfelt letters from children are definitely the best gifts. These are the people we are protecting. These are the people who believe in what we are doing. Even if people may not agree with the policies (or understand the policies which many children probably do not), they completely support what we are over here doing.

Before I was deployed, I would sometimes forget that for many seeing a person wearing a military uniform is an extraordinary thing. I would go to a grocery store after working at the unit during my one weekend of the month and I would have older ladies come up to me and just to say ‘thank you’ for serving. These women who are generations older than I am are thanking me.

Since I’ve been deployed, going through airports, meeting journalists, explaining to people what I do, the ‘thank you’s’ have increased. I’m not sure if people realize it or not but these two simple words definitely helps.

These were the thoughts I wanted to express when answer the journalists’ questions. Hopefully, I was able to show them why I’m willing to give up a weekend out of the month, a couple of weeks out of the year, and from time to time a year of my life to serve.

Fresh from her R&R leave, SPC(P) Roshonda Thurston walked into the press conference room at the Combined Press Information Center thinking it was a supply issue that needed her expertise.  Instead, she found a room full of her fellow 314th PAOC Soldiers ready to celebrate her promotion to SGT.

MAJ James Lincoln, Acting Commander (and CPIC Director), officiated the ceremony and reminded the group about the role she played, from being a last minute addition to the team to the supply sergeant responsbile for bringing all our Soldiers and equipment home to the United States (no pressure, huh?).

Congratulations SGT Thurston….job well done!

SGT Thurston is standing tall and ready to official become and NCO and MAJ Lincoln prepares to promote her.

After her new rank has been affixed, MAJ Lincoln congratulates SGT Thurston while her fellow Soldiers look on.

Finally it is time for the 314th Soldiers to share in the excitement -- and SSG Tull almost tackles SGT Thurston to show his joy. (All photos by SPC Brittany Gardner)