Bat Cave

In about a week, the unit who we are replacing will be departing for Kuwait, and then back home. When they leave, our unit will get to inherit their living spaces. It is affectionately known as the "Bat Cave." I didn't know what to expect when I first heard that, but the reality is not what the imagination might think. It is a large room in a hardened structure, with no windows, an old hydraulic press in the center of the room, several other pieces of abandoned machinery, and at least one bat that lives somewhere up in the 20 foot ceiling. I think Tom would love it. The room is probably40 feet by 50 feet, or so, and is subdivided into smaller caves for the officers to bunk in. We will have seven or eight in there. We are looking forward to our new digs.

Wild Wild West

I have arrived at the STP site. This place is definitely on the fringes of Iraqi society. We are a border town out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of bandits and hooligans running around the area. Our base is quite far removed from any of the activity, but all of the Marines are out patrolling the areas, trying to restore order. The chaos that you all remember after the initial invasion thrives out here, with the highest bidder getting the services of the thugs. Very difficult living for the Iraqi people, and the Marines can trust noone. Anyway, I feel pretty lucky to be where I am, sleeping in a wood building, eating hot meals, with air-conditioning. Granted, I will love coming home, but for now, it is more than I had hoped for. We are taking care of casualties already. There is still combat going on out here. I will post my address now, I shouldn't be moving for a while.

LCDR Grueskin
1st Med FRSS2/STP4
UIC 42131
FPO AP 96426-2131

P.S. It is not too hot here. Only 100.

Almost there

Greetings from Iraq! Made it to an airbase here. Lots of sand and heat. But there is still air conditioning. One thing that there is plenty of is food. You go to the chow hall and you can eat anything and everthing you want. It is free. For instance, breakfast today, if you got everything, would have been: scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, omelettes, eggs over easy, breakfast pizza, fruit, cereal, grits, various pastries, juices and coffee. It is amazing how things like that make your day.

I hear that where I am going, it will be hotter, and less tolerable in terms of food, so I am trying to enjoy every meal. I am well into my second book, and we are just sitting here waiting to be taken to the final destination. I will let you know the mailing address when I get there. Not much else to say. I am with a good bunch, and we intend to make the best of it. Be home in a jiffy.

Ice cream bars

All things are relative. Sleeping in a tent, on a cot, with fifty other guys sounds kind of crappy. But when it is 10 o'clock at night and the outdoor temperature is 111 degrees, and the tent is air conditioned, it doesn't sound so bad. I was actually cold this first night in Kuwait. Supposed to enter Iraq sometime today. Three hours of sleep last night. Ice cream bar with coffee for breakfast. Can't beat it, huh?

En route

Flying first class so far. Can't complain about that. We made it to a U`t(Ó«`t(Ó«0¾ Ó«PLÓ«Èt(Ó«€t(Ó«\"€t(Ó«hotter. I am lucky that I am going in late summer headed into fall. So far so good. See everyone soon.

I'm off

I am leaving Mom and Dad's to go to Camp Pendleton (via Tom and Mere's) tonight. I get up at a ridiculous hour and then the long journey begins. All is well. I will update soon.

Leaving on a jet plane.

As the consistency of the rumors continues, all signs point to a Tuesday departure. Probably get into Kuwait or thereabouts after a day or so, and then it is hard to tell how long it will take to get to where I am going. I tend to think only that I will know that I have arrived when they tell me to get off the plane/truck. Up to that point, it is unknown to me. I don't know when I will have e-mail access to the web once I arrive, so for a while it may be somewhat spotty. I am sure that things will settle into a fairly predicatable pattern later on, though. I have been trying to savor every taco or ice cream cone I am having. Maggie lined up a couple's massage today which was nice. Torrey Pines is a great place.

Tired of waiting

I know that some of you are wondering why I have not been putting any updates here. Well, quite simply, nothing has changed. We still waste a lot of time everyday, with no real plan. The most current rumors having us leaving next week, early. If I were a betting man, I would bet on Tuesday. They won't tell us, of course, but these are the rumors. The way I see it, the sooner I leave, the sooner I get back. I will update this site whenever something changes.