You might being asking yourself, ‘How can you be in a funk?  Aren’t you coming home soon?’

Yes, the unit is due to return sometime in the next few weeks, but there are still many unknowns, and those unknowns weigh heavily on people who see a light at the end of a tunnel.  The travel plans of the replacement unit, the weather, bureaucratic paperwork, missed forms and overlooked emails, or a myriad of other things can slow down a Soldier who is greatly anticipating reunions with family, friends and, yes, even that civilian job they left more than a year ago.

All that uncertainty, and the unsettling nature it has on our Soldiers, has caused much of the funk and made me think about an Arabic phrase that we Americans here joke about often — ‘inshallah’.  The English language translation is roughly “God willing.”

Sometimes when we ask Iraqis to do something or make a commitment, they answer with ‘inshallah.’  We Americans seem to think it is because they are purposely being evasive, non-committal or lazy.  Perhaps that is true in some cases, but I think maybe there is something more important to the use of this phrase.  It’s about living with reality.

We Americans like to have a plan, but here in Iraq, planning your life seems like time not well spent.  American like to get a commitment, and we get upset when we don’t get what we want when we want it.  In fact, you might say that is the mantra that rules our lives.  If your computer network goes offline in Baghdad, you call 1LT Larrew to fix it immediately….we must have constant connectivity, we demand it.   If you don’t get what you want from a business, move on to one that will give it to you….you are customer and your dollars do the talking.  Or, if you are not happy with your relationship, move on…..there are more fish in the ocean. 

I’m not saying that people should not have expectations or goals, but I think it is unrealistic to build your whole life on the premise that you will always get what you want, when you want it.  Like the old Yiddish proverb (now part of American cuture): Man plans and God laughs.

Yes, our Soldiers want to be home — yesterday, if that were possible.   And yes, we are working as hard as we can to make that wish a reality.  We have prepared briefings and SOPs for our counterparts, packed up gear and shipped it home ahead of schedule, filled out forms in triplicate and sent them to the correct person (followed by a phone call to confirm their arrival), did maintenance on our weapons to make sure we can turn them in quickly, and even cleaned our work areas to remove all of our personal items, to make our replacements’ transition go more smoothly.  But, unfortunately, that does not provide any guarantees.  It only gives the illusion of a guarantee.

We need everyone to know that staking our happiness and mental health on getting what we want, when we want it, based on our experiences in the government, and especially in the U.S. military (the home of ‘hurry up and wait’), is more likely to lead to PTSD than a second year in Iraq.

So instead, I ask that you all support your Soldiers by adding ‘inshallah’ to your vocabulary and your life, at least for the next few weeks.  Realize that none of us (even when working together) can confirm that we will get what we want, when we want it.   There are just too many things that can, and often do, happen unexpectedly to change our best laid plans. 

For now, just know that everyone in the 314th PAOC is ready to come home, and that if all our plans do come to fruition, inshallah, we will be happy to see all of you sooner.  But, if the unexpected does happen, also realize that it may be for some reason that we may not know or appreciate. 

It is tough for all of us to live with that reality, but thankfully, tomorrow is the 314th PAOC’s farewell party from Iraq…a chance for us to say ‘thank you’ to the people and organizations who made our time here more enjoyable and effective…

…well, if it doesn’t rain and the food arrives on time.  Inshallah.

A few of our regular blog readers recently asked us to give you a tour of our dining facility.  That’s DFAC in military-speak, although some of our older readers might remember the military calling it a mess hall (ours is very clean….no mess here).

It took a few days, but I got permission to take pictures in the DFAC.  Our facility is very nice — well lit, clean, and lots of room for all of us Soldiers, civilian employees, contractors and even some local nationals.  It’s also a very secure building and well protected from enemy attack. 

After you enter the building, the first step is to clean up.  Signs announce that the best way to avoid disease is to wash your hands.  From my personal experience, the DFAC is the cleanest place on the FOB (and it also has the cleanest latrines), so I am more than willing to follow through on that request.   There are rows of soap dispensers, sinks and paper towels to get you on your way (I didn’t take pictures of the latrines…just take my word for it, they are clean).

Once you are giving permission to proceed, the world is your oyster (or veal cutlet).  Your first choice — eat in or take out.  Personally I like eating in.  The place is always filled with laughter, the sound of televisions, pots clanging….lots of activity.  My office is pretty quiet, so it’s a nice change of pace.  It’s always a great place to sit with friends and talk about life (please, no talking about work in the DFAC!!!).   But, if you really do need to get back to work quickly — and all of us are in that position sometimes — then you get the styrofoam 3-compartment container and some plastic utensils.

I must say at this point that all DFACs in Iraq are not created equal.  Some are very small.  In fact, some remote locations are pretty sparse.  Our Soldiers there get very little (if any) selection.  Luckily, those type of facilities are becoming rarer and rarer as the landscape of our presence in Iraq changes.  I’d say the DFAC at FOB Prosperity is a good size, but I have been in bigger.  

Since our DFAC is pretty good sized, we have a good selection of food.  We have a main line with a special menu of the day.  It might be steak and shrimp or it might be meatloaf.   It seems that many of our Soldiers, including LTC Perez, like it when it’s Mexican night in the main line.   However, our Executive Officer MAJ Lincoln nearly knocks people over on the way out of the office if he hears that pulled pork is on the main line.  Personally, I am not a big main line fan.

Besides the main line, we also have a sandwich line with all the fixings, and they will even grill it for you (mmmmm, melted cheese on pastrami).  Lots of our Soldiers take this line for lunch…and a cup of soup.

The next line over is the international line.  I am not sure why they call it that since the only thing they have there is spaghetti, a taco bar, and a couple types of curry.  Despite the misnomer, I do like the curry, and one of my new favorite foods is cauliflower curry.  It soaks up the flavor….in fact, I am salivating now just thinking of it. 

Just so you don’t think I hate vegetables, I will let you know there is a great salad bar with dozens of selections…and I have been seen grazing there.  You would hardly believe you are in a war zone in a desert with all the choices of fresh foods there. 

Before you sit down with that food you selected, don’t forget to stop by the drink area.  Although alcohol is off-limits in accordance with General Order #1, you can get a non-alcoholic beer in the drink lines, as well as sodas, teas, coffee, juices, water and energy drinks.

Oh….I forgot to tell you my favorite part of the DFAC, didn’t I?  Well, anyone who has been around me for even a few days knows my weakness for dessert….and the DFAC does nothing to help me curb that appetite for sweets.  Yes, they do put a beautiful selection of fresh fruit next to the hot cherry crisp ala mode, but come on, do you really think I can pass that up?  They also have a huge glass container filled with pies, cakes, and other desserts that changes every day.  Finally, at the end of the dessert area is my bliss — the ice cream line.  They ship in at least 8 different flavors of Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream….and then put a whole cart full of toppings right next to it.   If you have never had strawberry ice cream with pineapple chunks, drizzled chocolate sauce and some crumbled sugar cookies, you do not know the meaning of nirvana. 

1LT Joseph Larrew cleans up before entering the DFAC.

1LT Larrew grabs his tray, plate and utensils before choosing his preferred food line(s).

Lots of good food in the main line served by friendly staff.

Most of the staff in our DFAC are from outside Iraq. They run the facility almost non-stop (it shuts down only 2 hours every day).

A DFAC employee scoops up some mashed potatoes and gravy.

This is better than Burger King! Grilled the way you like while you watch (extra onions please).

Today's international line has spicy chicken curry and a mixed vegetable curry.

The taco bar is one of my favorite places....especially when they have guacamole!

This is only side of the salad bar. Lots to choose from...and very fresh.

I love broccoli!

Bacon bits, cheese, croutons? What else could a person want?

Every time one of these trays gets close to empty, a replacement is rushed out to fill the void.

Staying hydrated in Iraq is important...and the DFAC gives you plenty of options.

Coffee -- regular and decaf -- and next to this is a variety of creamers.

Just when you thought it was safe to sit down, you pass by these desserts.

I'm sure my mom is asking, "Why did he ask me to send cookies and fudge?"

After you get a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you might want to put some strawberries or caramel on it.

MAJ Lincoln is a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy.

1LT Larrew prefers his food a little more exotic.

Everyone from Birmingham will be glad to know that Soldiers like SGT Richardson can get sweet tea in Baghdad (well, at least you can at the DFAC).

SPC Clifton knows that nothing goes better with sweet tea than a hot slice of pecan pie.

Of course, you can choose to eat healthy at the DFAC. Every day we get a wide selection of fresh fruit.

The first thing you see when you enter the main hall of the DFAC, and the last thing you see as you exit are U.S. Soldiers. They maintain order, track numbers, and always greet you with a smile.

Today, one of our interpreters came into my office and asked how I was.  I gave the stock answer: “I can’t complain.” 

The truth is that I am often seen mumbling under my breath about something that irks me. 

After he left, however, I thought about my statement, and some of the things that have happened here in Baghdad over the past few months, and how insignificant my troubles seem in comparison to the events that are affecting people like these:

-  One of custodial staff is a local Iraqi (there are about 10 total).  He’s a wonderful man…a father of four children who drags himself out of bed at 4 a.m. every morning (and I mean EVERY morning — he has no weekends off).  He traverses the red zone (where all the bombs explode) and makes his way to the Combined Press Information Center to spend his 10-hour work day providing grounds maintenance (in extreme heat) and cleaning up after we fortunate American Soldiers leave here in a few weeks.  Unfortunately, he will stay.   Thanks to a bomb that exploded in August, the car that brings him here to work is even less dependable than it was before.  And, how much do you think he makes for all his troubles?  Less for a full day’s work than most of our Soldiers make in one hour working entry-level jobs.

-  Another man I know asked the Americans if he could build a restaurant on one of our forward operating bases about a year ago.  We told him yes, so he spent, by his estimate, about $200,000 creating a very nice building.  Then, we changed the rules and told him he could not open the building.  We told him the food from the local economy is not safe to feed American Soldiers, even though this man has catered all the special events at the CPIC for Soldiers and our guests, and no one has ever become ill.   He is a gracious man who always smiles….maybe because he knows that a frown may ruin any chance he has of someone, anyone, changing the rules again and letting him open his restaurant.

-  A local Iraqi woman who has visited the CPIC wants nothing else but to be a journalist.  She wants to make this country live up to promises of freedom.  She wants to be able to tell the stories that need to be told, but she cannot.  She fears for her life if some of her stories are printed.  Whether or not the fear is real or imagined is not important.  The truth is that Iraq has been the most dangerous place for journalists for the past six years.  When we dedicated the Combined Press Information Center to all those who had died to guarantee the freedoms of the people of Iraq, the number included more than the 4,300 American sons and daughters…it also included the more than 250 media staff that have died here since 2003.

With all this conflict and pain, and the hundreds of other similiar stories I’ve encountered over the past 10 months, you would think that I would become jaded and disillusioned, but just the opposite is true.  I realize that there is pain and suffering everywhere….Iraq is no different than any other place…but there is something special here that keeps me from mumbling too loud when I get upset. 

But, more than the acts of our own Soldiers, I am humbled by the generosity and resiliency of those with even less to give.  Today, our custodial staff — including the man I mentioned at the beginning of this blog — dug into their pockets and, with cooking assistance from their wives, brought our staff a delicious meal of barbequed fish, freshvegetables, stuffed grape leaves, baked bread, and a local dish with rice, dates, and nuts.  As we lined up to take part in this feast, they stood on the side refusing to eat until all of us had our fill. 

As LTC Perez has stated to me on several occasions, our CPIC is an oasis in many ways.  It seems to me that all those who come here have found a way to peacefully coexist and support each other.  So, I really have no right or need to complain.  We might not be able to change the overall course of the nation of Iraq, but together we have all changed the course for many of those who have passed through our doors.  Although we are all ready to leave Iraq, I hope each of us can bring some of that back with us.  Now I ask you, how could I complain about that?

Donzens of individuals and groups -- most strangers -- have sent us boxes of treats to make our time pass by quickly.

SPC Gardner and SGT Lee put smiles on the faces of children at the refugee center.

1LT Larrew poses with some of the friends he has helped during his year in Iraq.

SGT Leech's special friend visits her for a midnight snack (she wants to tell everyone she NEVER touched the cat since that is against the rules and could transmit disease).

Okay, so it’s been a while, but here we go. We are well over halfway done with our deployment, tied to the fact that I have yet to take leave just means that it’s only going to go downhill much faster from here. The deployment here hasn’t been too bad, besides the fact that I have not left the IZ since I’ve been here and I rarely get to leave the FOB. There is plenty to do here on Prosperity, so I’m not complaining too much.

I’m pretty much super-excited for leave though. I’ve got a fair amount planned out, one thing being a scuba diving trip to Panama City Beach. I’m going with a bunch of my Aunt’s friends from her church, so that’s going to be a lot of fun and I can’t wait. I want to buy a camera that’s good for underwater and post pictures up on my Facebook. I’m also pretty excited because I am going to buy a buoyancy compensator, a dive computer, and a regulator. I’ll hold off on the wetsuit because it’s only the Caribbean. Last time all I had was a shorty and was fine in that. I would’ve had no problem with just my bathing suit I’m sure. I will probably still use a shorty again, but we’ll see. I don’t need any of the extra buoyancy that a suit would give me! For anyone who reads this, I highly recommend it! It’s almost like flying in your dreams! Anyhow, I’m pretty excited about it, if you can’t tell.

The other planned event is my sister’s wedding, in which I’m a part of in two ways. One, I am one of the groomsman. Second, I’m supposed to perform their wedding song, which is quite a daunting task because I’m supposed to play the guitar for the song as well and I have to learn to play the song, which is very difficult for me! It is a good challenge and I am up to it. To go along with my learned Spanish skills, I will be performing the song in Spanish. The Peruvians love to hear me sing it simply because I am an American singing in Spanish. They eat it up. This will be a good time with family and friends and I’m looking forward to it. Plus, as a bonus, we are going to Six Flags Over Georgia the Saturday after my sister’s wedding, which will also be a blast. There may be some random visiting of friends in a couple of different places, we shall see.

This deployment has had it’s ups and downs, and it hasn’t been anywhere near as much fun as the first one, but it will definitely go down as a good deployment in my book. I think I have at least one more in me. I want to go to Afghanistan, so long as I don’t have to stay on the FOB all the time anyway. I hear there are far fewer contractors there too, that would be nice. Anyways, those are my thoughts about the current situation on the deployment. I’m wondering what is actually going to happen for the 4th of July, other than another 5K. We have those quite often here, so much it gets boring actually. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this post and I can’t wait to get home and see my family!

There is probably no rank in the Army worse than second lieutenant.  When an enlisted Soldier is a private, he or she has no responsibility and leaders have little or no expectations.  Just show up and stay out of trouble, and you have earned a promotion. 

Not so for second lieutenants.  As an officer, albiet the lowliest of all officers, they are expected by enlisted Soldiers and other officers, to be a leader.  They carry on their chest a rank insignia with a solitary gold rectangle — the infamous “butter bar.”  Commanders and NCOs know their responsibility to second lieutenants is to mentor them, and keep them out of trouble while they develop their leadership skills.   It’s a lot of pressure for a young officer — probably akin to treading water while studying for final exams.

The happiest day for a second lieutenant is probably not the first day they pin on their rank and initially join the ranks of officers.  Instead, it is alm0st assuredly the last day at that rank — the day they complete this rite of passage and are promoted to first lieutenant, hopefully never to return that rank. 

1LT Joseph Larrew shares a proud moment with two of his Peruvian friends at FOB Prosperity.

For 2LT Joseph Larrew that day was today. 

1LT Larrew has a leg-up on many of his fellow first lieutenants because he served five years as an enlisted Soldier, rising to the rank of specialist.  Ask any NCO and they will tell you that an officer with enlisted experience is an officer who knows why NCOs are the backbone of the Army.

On December 17, 2007, SPC Larrew graduated from Austin Peay University in Clarksville, TN, with his degree in Computer Science.  He left behind his former rank, but not his knowledge of the pride and potential of enlisted Soldiers.  Today, standing in the audience were NCOs who previously stood in formation with him when he work the rank of an enlisted Soldier.

Shortly after lunch, the combined staffs of the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center and the 222nd Broadcast Operatons Detatchment (and even a few Triple Canopy guards) gathered in the CPIC. At slightly after 2 p.m. (Baghdad time) on June 19, 2009, the audience witnessed the reading of the promotion orders as LTC Ignacio Perez removed the infamous butter bar from the lieutenant’s uniform and replaced it with a new one with the black rectangle of a first lieutenant.  The crowd erupted into a cheer as it became official.

As they exited the room, each person shook 1LT Larrew’s hand, some joked about his new rank and the added responsibility, but all shared the excitement, pride and relief that he felt.

So it has been one crazy day after another. Most of my days are longer than 10 hours and we haven’t had a day off yet. Those are still in planning, which I can’t wait for. The biggest bane of my existence is the title of “Information Management Officer”, or IMO. That gives me about 90% of my workload so far and has been running me ragged. I’ve taken computers apart, worked on countless network problems, taken computers to get re-imaged (meaning wiped clean of all data and re-loaded with a basic data set needed for each computer), and moved so many computers around to try and meet the needs of my unit. Not to mention that I feel like I’m an Outlook pro by default because of having to deal with numerous issues with that. To compound it all, the network is slower than dial-up somedays, which means a good amount of sitting around waiting for things to load.

It has by no means been all bad though. One of the highlights of my day is when I get to go out and talk with the Peruvians and practice and learn more Spanish. I’ve gotten to be pretty good. I’m able to hold a fairly normal conversation for a good 15 minutes or so. I have a feeling by the time this deployment ends, I will be fluent. Another highlight is that I get to feed the fish every morning and afternoon. They always enjoy that. Whenever I walk up to the fish tank, they always start swimming towards the top and go into a frenzy. It’s fun to watch them go at it when the food falls into the tank. I don’t think I’ve ever seen goldfish swim that vivaciously.  I also look forward to the 2 hours of time I get before everybody else comes in. I come in at 6 and everybody else comes in at 8, so I spend that two hours catching up on my e-mails that I get every day and do some other menial tasks while nobody bothers me about a tech issue they have. Another highlight of my day is when I’m here for that 2 hours before everybody else, I turn on the TV so I can listen to AFN play music. It may not be the best music, but it’s awesome to just sit in my chair and listen while I do my work. I also get to put in requests so I can hear the songs I want, which is always a good time, especially when they say my name over the radio.

So it’s not all bad. There is most definitely some good. When my schedule slows down, I will figure out time for PT, reading and smoking my pipe, and playing table tennis, which is different from ping pong… but that’s a-whole-nother issue/blog altogether. I’m excited about finding a rhythm and working off that to schedule fun times for myself and my troops. But until then, that’s the way the cookie crumbles…

(MODERATOR’S NOTE:  A previous blog entry supports 2LT Larrew’s statement that being a unit IMO is a very demanding — and often thankless – job.)

What a trip! What a trip!!! I can’t imagine a better way to send off soldiers to war by having them spend a day in NYC. We were treated like royalty. I felt so appreciated by so many people it was nothing short of a morale miracle. The whole unit was so energized by it. Hats off to the SGM for making it happen. I can’t tell you how many times I was thanked for my service and the benefits we were given just because we wear this uniform. I tell you what, I have no problem wearing this uniform for the next several years if this is how I get treated in such a big city. I think the climax of the day was the Broadway production Spamalot. What a play! What a performance! Not only that, but during the play, they made tribute to us during an improvised portion of the show. We were also able to go up on stage after the show was over and meet all the actors and get our pictures with them and on Broadway. We were also allowed to exit the theater stage left, STAGE LEFT ON BROADWAY! How cool is that? All of you that didn’t get to go should be jealous All of those who read this and haven’t been to a show on Broadway, should go and see one as soon as they can. It will not be an experience soon forgotten. I would also suggest that you should visit the Roxy Deli during this trip. Their sandwiches are legendary for their size. They were taller than my glass, they were so big. All in all, I could not ask for a better trip for me and my soldiers. Thanks again to the SGM working so hard to coordinate it all.

You know, I have to say that leaving my family this time has been harder for me than last time. I guess it’s mostly because since then I’ve been working really hard to have a closer family. Ever since I moved up to TN in 2002, I can say that my relationship with my family has grown exponentially closer (which means that it starts out slower then grows at an increasingly faster rate as time goes by).  It’s awesome to see how much investing time pays off. It’s almost like investing money into a healthy stock market, except for my relationship with my family has grown upward and not in a downward spiral.

My Christmas was a most excellent time spent with my extended family, although not long enough. It was an emotionally charged atmosphere because everyone knew where I was going to be real soon. Hugs meant more and were more heartfelt, there were more “I love you”s, and an overall feeling of a real family environment. I am making the most of every moment, judiciously choosing where to spend my last few days.

At this current moment, I’m tired as I can be after being in a car for 18 hours, fighting traffic in D.C., Baltimore, and Delaware, driving from Columbus, GA to, what is essentially, Atlantic City, NJ with my parents, who want to see me get on the plane for when we go over to Iraq. The last deployment they didn’t even get to make it to Ft. Stewart, GA when we left in March 2003. I am currently laying in my bed, while my mom is fast asleep in her bed and my dad is on his computer chatting on facebook. We are staying at a beach house that is probably about 50 feet from the beach and two miles from Atlantic City. We are going to NYC tomorrow and I still have to look up what it is that we are actually going to do when we get up there. I will cherish these last few days that I will have with my parents because I love them deeply and strongly.

Yes, this time my departure from my family is proving to be much more difficult, but I can look forward to knowing that I will be back in time for Christmas next year, and that is one I absolutely love doing with my family. I will spend these last few days knowing full well that I will be back here just under a year from now, spending more time with my family in a happy reunion.