Moroni Goes into Battle One More Time

The Heat is Here

Well, Iraq is starting to live up to its reputation.  Starting a few days ago it got hot and hasn't gotten any better.  It has been near 110 degrees during the day.  Now, this isn't as hot as it seems.  110 in Texas is about the worst thing I have ever felt, and I have lived in the Amazon!  It is so dry here that it feels a lot different.  It is still hot though.  It makes me glad that I work at night.  

I went to church today.  It was the first time in three weeks that I have been on post to go.  I finally gave up walking, mostly because of the heat, and convinced the people at OPS to give me the keys to a Hummer.  I got to drive to church in the air conditioning today.  A lot is changing around here.  The transition that will eventually lead to my replacement has started.  Some of our transportation elements are starting to be replaced (the people we escort) and the aviation brigade from the 4th ID is starting to be replaced by soldiers from the 1st Cavalry.  That means a lot of turnover at church.  There were only a couple of people there today that I recognized.  There are sure to be more people attending in the future as the new troops get settled in and people find the chapel where we hold services.   All the turnover means new callings and I have been asked to be the sunday school teacher.  I'm looking forward to it.  It will be easier than giving sacrament talks on short notice like I had to today.  My mission president told us that we should always have a talk ready and he wasn't lying! 

Speaking of replacements, the last time we were in Baghdad, which was a couple of days ago, we picked up a few soldiers that were just arriving to Iraq for the first time.  We brought them here to Camp Taji where they will be serving.  As we waited in the staging area for our time to leave I got talking to a couple of them.  They are from Washington and are relieving some of our transportation troops.  One of them looked at me and said, "I hear you are the artist", and pointed to my old truck.  A few weeks ago I had painted a stencil of the Angel Moroni on the turret because all the other guys in my platoon had painted the Archangel Michael on theirs (a catholic thing: the Archangel is the protector of the infantry).  I told the guy that yes I was the artist and he told me that he, and the soldier standing next to him, were members of the church and were really glad to see Moroni on one of the trucks after just arriving in Iraq.  I told them when and where church was held and we had a good time talking.  I was wondering if someone would ever comment on the stencil, and I'm glad that it worked!  I can't wait to get to know those guys (and a few others according to them) as they start coming to church.  

Back to Normal

Well, I think that things are getting back to normal for me. Not that things I am doing are normal with me being in a different truck doing a different job, but the way I am feeling is back to normal. I guess with this new mission that is a regular schedule day in and day out I a have lost the feeling that I had before. Now I anticipate things and expect them. My sleep is regular and now I’m getting too much because there isn’t any reason to get up. We work everyday but only for a few hours then we are off. It is nice that we are on mission and that no one is bothering us, but it isn’t like it was before. The unpredictability life during our last mission seemed to set me free. I don’t know if I feel that now.

It could also be that I am really tired after starting a this new workout routine!

I just don’t feel as focused as I was before. I’m not as motivated to read or write. My thoughts aren’t as deep. It was a good experience though while it was happening.

An Excerpt from my Journal

I know that this will be quite a long post, but after writing this in my journal today I wanted to share the whole entry in its entirety.  I hope you enjoy!

I have a couple of hours before I have to leave on mission. Today has been one of those days when I just feel in the zone. I woke up a few hours ago and the power was off. I have a corner room so I have two windows. They are usually covered with think blankets so that I can sleep during the day in darkness, but under the circumstances I was able to draw back the blankets and have some light. I couldn’t use my computer and it was quieter than it has ever been. Partly because the air conditioner wasn’t blowing and partly because everyone else left the are to be out of the darkness. It was a nice time to just sit in my chair and be alone. I read a little bit our of the book “Bridges of Madison County” that I found in our day room. I’m not quite sure what I think about the book, but it at least made me think. I guess that is what good literature is supposed to do even if you disagree with the author.

I had plenty of time because of our late SP time so after a while I decided to go out walking and do a few errands. I dropped off some laundry at the laundry facility and then walked to the PX. I was looking for some earbuds to take with us on this mission because my headphones are a little bulky to pack and carry around with me but the PX didn’t have any in stock. Instead I got a Newsweek magazine and some microwave popcorn. I wanted to go to chow but the DFAC didn’t open for quite a while so I decided to just sit at a picnic table outside the PX and read a little out of the magazine. I didn’t read much though because another soldier came up to me and started a conversation. I had never seen him before but I recognized the “Keystone” patch on his sleeve telling me he was part of the Pennsylvania National Guard Striker brigade that is also stationed here at camp Taji. I told him about Andy being from Pennsylvania and we made small talk for a little while. I was a little surprised at how bold he was to start the conversation, but enjoyed talking to someone. When his cigarette was finished he stood up and left leaving me to my reading. I read for a little while and then got up to go eat. It was nice just sitting there with my thoughts. It was warm today, but by this time a dust cloud had risen in the west and obscured the afternoon sun cooling things off a bit. It is a desert heat hear and the shade is considerably cooler than the direct sunlight. It was quite pleasant to sit and walk in. I walked to the DFAC, talked a little with an old friend from Steve’s body shop (who repainted my Mustang) who was also in line and then sat by myself. Once again it was nice to have time to just sit and ponder things. After a while SPC Herrera came and sat next to me and we had a good time talking about the strange fruits of south and central America. He lived in Panama for a few years. It was a nice slow meal.

Now I am back in my room eager to just express my thoughts as I wait to leave again. I like how I feel on days like this. I feel relaxed and at peace. My mind is active though and I like pondering things. When I feel this way I want to read things and write things and think about things. I wish I felt this way more often at home, and have tried to think of ways that I can do that but I am not quite sure I know what it is that puts me into this mood. I think part of it has to to with the simplicity of life here. There really isn’t much to worry about here like there is at home. Life is difficult here but simple. I think that frees me up to just think and ponder larger issues than day to day necessities. I don’t watch as much TV although I do watch some. I hope that when I do go home I can figure out a way to find some time to just sit in a quiet room or go outside to a public place and just sit there and let the worries of life fall off my mind for a little while.

As I was thinking today I thought of a few good ideas. I think that I am going to start a journal of my thoughts on different issues. I have a lot of different ideas and opinions on many different issues and have been looking for a way to express them in more concrete terms but up until know have not found a way to do so in a way that is comfortable to me. I have tried and failed many times. This time, instead of trying to write letters to people or articles to newspapers I am just going to put a subject in a heading on a sheet of paper and write about it. As time goes on I can write more about it or change what I have written as my ideas evolve. I thought about getting paper journals to write them on. The tangibility of paper and pen have something romantic and appealing about them. But I decided that I would write them on this computer like I am writing this journal. As I become better at typing I can write my thoughts almost as fast as I think them. Writing can be romantic, but cumbersome. Not to mention that I am a terrible speller and the spell checker on the computer will make me look better.

I like the digital age where you can fit so much information and do so much with one small tool that fits in a knapsack.

I also had a fleeting thought about how being here has been good for me in the fact that it has gotten me away from all of the day to day cares that distract me and let my mind be free to contemplate higher things. It isn’t just in an intellectual sense either. I feel like this has been a spiritual test too. When this all started I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle it. I am the only member of the church here and I am far away from anyone looking over my shoulder making sure I do the right things. I knew that I could either become more like the people here in order to fit in better and make the time more enjoyable or I could stand up and be different but keep my values in tact. I didn’t know what I would do or how I would react. I was nervous because I knew my own weaknesses and feared that in this environment I would succumb easily to them. I struggled at the beginning with these questions and these weaknesses wavering back and forth over this line. Then I was faced with the question of reenlistment. That story has already been recorded. I chose to follow the Lord on that occasion. Then came the decision to have another baby. Once again I decided to follow the Lord and what I knew I was supposed to do. I feel that I have made my choice. I have put my life in the Lord’s hands and have made that commitment to do these things even though they are difficult and given my own choice I would have avoided them. I feel the spirit with me now. I feel the peace of knowing that I am with the Lord and that he is on my side. I don’t worry anymore about fitting in or whether or not my weaknesses will get the best of me. I still have them, but I know that when it comes down to it I will follow the Lord.

I think that this has helped me free my mind as well. I feel like I did near the end of my mission when I was working hard and had no regrets. My mind was opened then too and I perceived and conceived of things that I never had before. I have looked for that feeling ever since and hadn’t found it until now. Mission life is simple too. Hard but simple. Lots of time to sit and think about the important things of life. But time alone isn’t all. The spirit, when you are worthy of it, will quicken the mind and lift the spirit and help you fulfill your full potential. I just hope I can bring this home with me this time.

I really was meant to come here and do this.  I thank the Lord for his hand in my life.

Some More Pics for Fun

This is a transient camp where we stay when we are on the road.  Military GP mediums! With air conditioning.

Inside the tents aren't so bad.

For all of you that want to see the tools of my trade.  Notice the warning label on the top...even in the military...

Work Out

We are just relaxing after a long mission and it has been nice.  The only thing that I had to do today was exercise.  We had a PT test last week and I guess less than 40% of the company passed it (I passed) so we have a mandatory program that started this week.  We went to the gym tonight to do some muscle strength training.  It was a good work out!  I usually run, but it was nice to lift some weight with someone who knew what they were doing.  Now I'm just tired!  Oh, and I had an anthrax vaccination earlier in the day which makes it feel like someone punched me in the shoulder.  I've had a fun day.

Some More Pics

Added 12 May 2009:

Compare the photo above to my favorite photo from the surface of Mars...

Pretty cool huh? The sun is smaller on Mars because it is so much farther from it.

Cool Lights in a Dust Storm

Finally Some Time to Rest

Well, Happy Mothers' Day to all you mothers.  I finally have some time to just sit and think and write a little bit.  I also have taken a few pictures that I hope to be able to upload and show with everyone.  I have had a few long days in the last couple of weeks and am glad to be back with nothing really to do for the next few days.  The trip that we just made, three times, is the longest that we have had to do so far.  It took us 250 miles south of here out into the desert.  At 35 mph that takes a long time.  Not to mention that the military transport trucks that we are escorting have been in Iraq for a long time and break down a lot.  It makes for a long trip.  There were many days that I went more than 24 hours without any sleep only to have six hours of downtime before rolling out again!  For all that though, I had a good time.  I like the simplicity of that life: just driving and eating and sleeping.  Never knowing when you would get to eat your next hot meal or get a few hours to sleep.  Never knowing where you were going to have to stop and how long it would be.  There is no planning for the future and no expectations.  You just let circumstances cary you along.  In a way it is relaxing.  Just to let go and go along for the ride.  

I was able to have a lot of time to think and be with my own thoughts.  I also got to know my crew a little better.  I started reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu.  I don't know much at all about Chinese history, but this book, including the lengthy introduction and historical background written by the translator, have awoken a fascination with classical Chinese history that has surprised me.  I even started to make notes and to practice writing the Chinese characters that represent the main points in the book.  I did all this reading in the driver's seat waiting for our start times or waiting for weather conditions to allow us to drive!  There is always something good to be taken out of almost any situation.

I got to see a lot of the countryside.  It is different than what most people probably think.  Between the rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, it is a lush oasis.  There are fields of crops and trees everywhere and lots of water.  It can be quite beautiful.  The farther away from the rivers that you get the more desert like it is until you get into the deep desert that is just sand and dust.  Even in the desert though there are people.  There are the beduins in their tents with their herds of camels and goats.  There are castle like fortresses built and manned by the Iraqi army as outposts and in the wilderness.  They are base stations for the many patrols and checkpoints that exists even way out there.  And finally there are the oil exploration companies with their fleets of white seismic monitoring trucks.  

Out in the desert the dust can blow like a blizzard.  At one point in one of our trips the visibility was about a tenth of a mile!  The dust is like talcum powder or baby powder and covers everything.  After a while you get an upset stomach because you end up eating so much of it.  

It's so amazing to be in such a different place from what I am used to.  

Well, as I sit here and think I will probably think of more to say.  Until then enjoy this little bit. 

Oh, and thank you Sister Crawford and all the primary for your wonderful package.  The pictures and flags that you made are already hanging up in the lobby or our headquarters building.  Everyone appreciates your support.  I especially liked the video you made!  Thank you so much.

Ziggurat of Ur

For those of you who keep asking and are curious here is a picture of what I saw.  This is the temple at Ur.