Merry Christmas everyone! Well, not quite yet, but none the less. Well, today it is 0100 of the 23rd, all of you are in the 22nd still. So your probably curious about my title there huh? Well, it's all true! Except that we don't really get a 'frost' here, it is more like a freeze; we have no moisture in the air, so you don't get dew, therefore, no frost. But anyways, it was pretty wild. My buddy Arends and I were working at the ECP (Entry Control Point), freezing our butts off, but minding our own business. Here comes this car, wipers flying across it's windshield, working feverishly to rid their windshield of slush.... wait, SLUSH!? Yes, slush. "Ok," we thought, "maybe that was a fluke of some sort."
So we continue to roast our water bottles over our heater, and put them inside our jackets to help keep us warm. Sipping on hot chocolate and tea from the same type of roasted water, another truck approaches, wipers going like crazy as well. "Hmmm, this truck looks funny." I thought, "It's almost like it's windshield is all fogged up. What in the world would he be using his wipers for if it is fogged up?" Well, as he got closer, it wasn't fog at all, but a nice layer of ice across the entire windshield! The truck passes us, the driver waving and smiling about his frozen windshield, and here we are, hands raised in an attempt to wave, but 'frozen' starring at his frozen windshield.... we bust out in laughter thinking about ICE in the DESERT!
Well, then the jimmy jon pooper suckers come to clean them out and wash them down. They usually come the same time we are delivered breakfast, so you can imagine the mixture of smells on top of a hungry stomach... yeah. Anyways, they suck 'em out and spray them down, soap sliding down the sides, and they drive on. We don't really pay any attention to the jimmy jons, because were trying not to gag while eating, but the pooper dudes drive back by us, and point at the crappers, smiling and laughing. "Hmmm, what could they be thinking?" I then look over at them and notice that the soap they sprayed is no longer sliding down the sides. I yell over to Arends, "Hey, did the jons freeze!?" I stroll towards them, cradling a hot water bottle in my jacket, moving quickly so I can get back to the heater as soon as possible. Once I got close enough to them, I felt like I went back in time to the ice age; the water they sprayed the jons down with froze completely, over the entire thing from top to bottom! It seriously looked like something from the ice age; a jimmy jon just chiseled out of a frozen glacier!
Not only that, but once I sat back down behind the heater, taking my bottle out to 'recharge' the warmth and sipping my hot chocolate, SGT Harcey comes over the radio and says that there is ice on the lake in areas! Arends and I started joking around about calling our wives and having them send us ice skates! Arends says, "Hey, wouldn't that be awesome if we got some snow on Christmas?" Sure, were just joking, but hey, it could happen! I mean, it is cold enough, all we need is some precipitation during this cold stuff and BAM! SNOW! We'll just have to wait and see though.
Hope everyone is able to dig themselves out of the snow there fairly easily, and don't worry, my boogers haven't frozen across my face like 'dumb and dumber' yet, so it's all good! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Brandon
22 December 2007
26 November 2007
Happy Belated Thanksgiving!
Well, Thanksgiving is over, everyone's stuffed stomachs have now shrank back to normal size by now, and that last bit of left overs are probably getting finished up. I hope that everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving, that the food was good, and that time with family was fun and as stress free as the holiday times allow. I'm finally off of that 2 week detail in the 'Green Zone' in down town Baghdad, and I have to say, the end of that COULD have come sooner! One thing that was a bummer was that I was there for Thanksgiving, and the food was so bad it is almost funny! The mashed potatoes, oh my gosh, were so devoid of flavor that it almost hurt my tongue! I put two of those single serving butter things into it, a load of salt and pepper and I STILL could not taste anything... yeah, weird. The Gatorade was good though! Then again, it does get shipped over here, so it is impossible for the cooks over here to screw that up.
I also have some very good news for everyone! Now, this is subject to change, as is everything in regards to the military, but none the less, they said that we could tell this to people. That fact alone leads me to believe that this is more than likely going to happen more than it wouldn't. Ok, so I'm sure the suspense is killing everyone, so here it is: We got word that we will be leaving about an entire month early! That puts us traveling back to the states around.... late April, early May, roughly. I obviously couldn't tell anyone the exact date, even if I did know which I don't, but because of that fantastic thing called OPSEC! But either way, I've just jumped one month closer to home! I'M OVER HALF WAY DONE!
At first I was thinking, you've got to be kidding right? Well, the reason for this 'change in orders' was because someone, either in Washington or a high up Military official, was concerned that we would go over our 400 day total deployment. Why the concern? Well, because we are the first National Guard group to get deployed in this brand new 400 day deployment length. It would look pretty bad if they screwed up with the first group that went over, even if that was what all of us was expecting. To be honest, I was expecting to get extended a bunch of times. Not nearly as much as the last group from Minnesota that was here for 22 months, but still getting extended closer to the standard deployment length of 15 months.
So that's the news here! Pretty good stuff too, I might add! I'm definitely excited. Oh yeah, and it gets down to around mid 40's here at night! Man, I though that getting down to the 60's was cold, it feels like the dead of winter here! I'm sure everyone knows what that is like right about now, 20's as the low? NASTY! I never was one for the cold to begin with. How that ever happened to me being born and raised in Minnesota I will never know, but I like it a little warmer... ok, quite a bit warmer than 20 degrees! Well, I'll talk to everyone later; peace out.
Brandon
PS - JOHN BOWERS! You must email me or post your email! I never got your email. I tried to get either Pat or Doug to get everyone's emails together for me so I could keep in touch, but I never got them, whatever the reason is I don't really care. I don't even know if they are still at Brown or not! It would be really cool to touch base through an email; I'm itching to find out who's still there (obviously you still are!... right?), how everyone is, and what you guys have been doing! My email should still be up on the side of my blog somewhere... and if not, I will put it back up!
PSS - I'M COMING HOME A MONTH EARLIER! WOOT! (that's a gamer term, hehe)
I also have some very good news for everyone! Now, this is subject to change, as is everything in regards to the military, but none the less, they said that we could tell this to people. That fact alone leads me to believe that this is more than likely going to happen more than it wouldn't. Ok, so I'm sure the suspense is killing everyone, so here it is: We got word that we will be leaving about an entire month early! That puts us traveling back to the states around.... late April, early May, roughly. I obviously couldn't tell anyone the exact date, even if I did know which I don't, but because of that fantastic thing called OPSEC! But either way, I've just jumped one month closer to home! I'M OVER HALF WAY DONE!
At first I was thinking, you've got to be kidding right? Well, the reason for this 'change in orders' was because someone, either in Washington or a high up Military official, was concerned that we would go over our 400 day total deployment. Why the concern? Well, because we are the first National Guard group to get deployed in this brand new 400 day deployment length. It would look pretty bad if they screwed up with the first group that went over, even if that was what all of us was expecting. To be honest, I was expecting to get extended a bunch of times. Not nearly as much as the last group from Minnesota that was here for 22 months, but still getting extended closer to the standard deployment length of 15 months.
So that's the news here! Pretty good stuff too, I might add! I'm definitely excited. Oh yeah, and it gets down to around mid 40's here at night! Man, I though that getting down to the 60's was cold, it feels like the dead of winter here! I'm sure everyone knows what that is like right about now, 20's as the low? NASTY! I never was one for the cold to begin with. How that ever happened to me being born and raised in Minnesota I will never know, but I like it a little warmer... ok, quite a bit warmer than 20 degrees! Well, I'll talk to everyone later; peace out.
Brandon
PS - JOHN BOWERS! You must email me or post your email! I never got your email. I tried to get either Pat or Doug to get everyone's emails together for me so I could keep in touch, but I never got them, whatever the reason is I don't really care. I don't even know if they are still at Brown or not! It would be really cool to touch base through an email; I'm itching to find out who's still there (obviously you still are!... right?), how everyone is, and what you guys have been doing! My email should still be up on the side of my blog somewhere... and if not, I will put it back up!
PSS - I'M COMING HOME A MONTH EARLIER! WOOT! (that's a gamer term, hehe)
18 November 2007
A Long Time Coming
It has almost been an entire MONTH since my last update, and for that I apologize. I've had good intention on updating readily, but for me, there just hasn't been things that seem that noteworthy. I'm going to try and change my approach since everyone probably doesn't need a huge long post to know that I'm doing fine. But today, however, I've actually got some stuff to talk about. So let's get started.
Well, for many of you, this part probably won't make much sense, but for a handful of you, it will probably come as a sigh of relief. About 8 days ago, or so, I was sent on a special mission. The location of this place that I was going to is a place where soldiers go to 'get away' from 'stresses' of war, like an IED attack, death of a fellow soldier, etc. What exactly my mission entailed, I had no idea. Through the grapevine, however, there was word that I might have been sent on this detail because I had gone through one of those things and was dealing with the 'stress' of war.
This is by no means an attack on anyone, or pointing any fingers at anyone, but I would just like to relieve any built up tensions over these possibilities. Any information that I give out to anyone, in regards to what I do over here, is not false information to preserve OPSEC (OPeration SECurity). Everything I share with anyone is the truth, whether it is good or bad news. If there are things that I do not tell, it is because of OPSEC, but I will never say something false, I'll just say that I can't say anything about it. With that said, I was sent on this detail strictly to perform a security task for this area that other soldiers go to to de-stress. So have no fear, Anderson is... (what rhymes with fear that is good)... SUPER DUPER FANTASTIC! (ok, so that doesn't rhyme, but it conveys my intent!)
I've been basically sitting behind a desk, checking people in, checking people out (of their rooms! so John, don't get any ideas!), overeating on junk food, and getting way too much sleep. I have, however, been able to get some personal work done! Many of you know that I was going to college for 'Interactive Multimedia' (ok, so that isn't the 'real' name, but OPSEC wins this one). Anyways, I've had, for quite a while, many different ideas for games. One of which I was forced into creating by one of my teachers (a teacher who I really respect, and game idea that turned out to not be half bad). We had to create a huge paper, called a 'Design Document'! Actually, it wasn't a real design document because mine was only 10 pages. Real design docs are sometimes hundreds of pages!
Well, through my time sitting behind this boring desk, I figured it was as good a time as ever to do some work on these 'ideas' that I've had floating around up there. I've begun re-writing my previous design doc, the one for that class at college, and I am proud to say that I am currently up to around 34 pages! So, this is probably annoying boring for some of you, but for me, it is exciting! I love working through all the different scenarios that it takes to create a game. Like how will the player accomplish this task, what makes this game better than the others, how will this gameplay aspect be executed effectively to convince the player of realism, etc.
This will probably be news to everybody, but I have resumed working with SourceForts; a game MOD (modification) of a very popular computer game that a group of people across the globe are working together to create. Members everywhere from Germany to England to the US are all bringing their skills together to make a game; and I'm a concept artist for them! I'm one of the guys who's main purpose on the team is to come up with different ideas for things needed in the game like characters, weapons, landscapes, architecture, etc., and then draw them so that people can use them as references while 'building' them in different software programs. So, while sitting behind this boring desk, I have been thinking and drawing up multiple character sketches, building templates of human poses to build numerous character outfits off of, researching different artistically expressive techniques to help create the aesthetics that will define our MOD and catch the attention of gamers as a game to play!
So, needless to say, I am busy working while I'm 'working'! I hope that everyone is doing good, and people are staying healthy and as stress free as life will allow!
Brandon
Well, for many of you, this part probably won't make much sense, but for a handful of you, it will probably come as a sigh of relief. About 8 days ago, or so, I was sent on a special mission. The location of this place that I was going to is a place where soldiers go to 'get away' from 'stresses' of war, like an IED attack, death of a fellow soldier, etc. What exactly my mission entailed, I had no idea. Through the grapevine, however, there was word that I might have been sent on this detail because I had gone through one of those things and was dealing with the 'stress' of war.
This is by no means an attack on anyone, or pointing any fingers at anyone, but I would just like to relieve any built up tensions over these possibilities. Any information that I give out to anyone, in regards to what I do over here, is not false information to preserve OPSEC (OPeration SECurity). Everything I share with anyone is the truth, whether it is good or bad news. If there are things that I do not tell, it is because of OPSEC, but I will never say something false, I'll just say that I can't say anything about it. With that said, I was sent on this detail strictly to perform a security task for this area that other soldiers go to to de-stress. So have no fear, Anderson is... (what rhymes with fear that is good)... SUPER DUPER FANTASTIC! (ok, so that doesn't rhyme, but it conveys my intent!)
I've been basically sitting behind a desk, checking people in, checking people out (of their rooms! so John, don't get any ideas!), overeating on junk food, and getting way too much sleep. I have, however, been able to get some personal work done! Many of you know that I was going to college for 'Interactive Multimedia' (ok, so that isn't the 'real' name, but OPSEC wins this one). Anyways, I've had, for quite a while, many different ideas for games. One of which I was forced into creating by one of my teachers (a teacher who I really respect, and game idea that turned out to not be half bad). We had to create a huge paper, called a 'Design Document'! Actually, it wasn't a real design document because mine was only 10 pages. Real design docs are sometimes hundreds of pages!
Well, through my time sitting behind this boring desk, I figured it was as good a time as ever to do some work on these 'ideas' that I've had floating around up there. I've begun re-writing my previous design doc, the one for that class at college, and I am proud to say that I am currently up to around 34 pages! So, this is probably annoying boring for some of you, but for me, it is exciting! I love working through all the different scenarios that it takes to create a game. Like how will the player accomplish this task, what makes this game better than the others, how will this gameplay aspect be executed effectively to convince the player of realism, etc.
This will probably be news to everybody, but I have resumed working with SourceForts; a game MOD (modification) of a very popular computer game that a group of people across the globe are working together to create. Members everywhere from Germany to England to the US are all bringing their skills together to make a game; and I'm a concept artist for them! I'm one of the guys who's main purpose on the team is to come up with different ideas for things needed in the game like characters, weapons, landscapes, architecture, etc., and then draw them so that people can use them as references while 'building' them in different software programs. So, while sitting behind this boring desk, I have been thinking and drawing up multiple character sketches, building templates of human poses to build numerous character outfits off of, researching different artistically expressive techniques to help create the aesthetics that will define our MOD and catch the attention of gamers as a game to play!
So, needless to say, I am busy working while I'm 'working'! I hope that everyone is doing good, and people are staying healthy and as stress free as life will allow!
Brandon
20 October 2007
Good Morning!
Hello everyone!
This morning I was woken up TWICE before my alarm by one of my guys yelling at his computer because he was outbid by $1 on EBay! Go figure! Anyways, I appreciate all the letters and stuff from people! I'm a little excited this morning. If you couldn't tell by all the exclamation points so far! 'Why' Your asking? Well, I rediscovered ChristianRock.net! It is a Christian Rock radio station that is online! So now, since there is no REAL radio over here that plays Christian music, I can get my fill of my style of Christian music whenever I'm in my room!
Well, some of you might already know this, most of you might not. I've had some interaction with the Iraqi kids. Which means that I have been 'driving around'. But, I'm having a hard time dealing with the kids. They are extremely selfish and deceiving in nature. I can't even begin to explain how many children I told that 'no, you can't have my pen, I need that.', and I told each kid that at least 10 times in a row! The only reason they stopped asking for my pen was either they started asking for something else, or I walked to an area where they were not allowed to go, or got back in the vehicle! Even if I got in the vehicle, they would chase after them like it is some sort of parade. We haven't been told we CAN'T give these kids anything, but you really can't because you would just get mobbed! It is also very hard to figure out how to deal with them the way that Jesus would deal with them, especially since these kids are not my mission, and I'm not there to teach them how to be respectful and give them something without worrying about them getting beaten up by the bigger kids who will then steal it from them. So yeah, that is the newest difficulties presenting themselves.
Otherwise everything is going pretty well. Today is my last day off for... almost 2 weeks? Yeah, kinda bites, but I won't need to work 12 hour days! At least for a little while. It has been getting pretty cold here; lower 60's! I know it is nowhere NEAR how cold it has been in Minnesota (or Iowa), I mean, lower 60's might even be a warm day for you peeps! But my mom told me that the weather thingy she looked at said that Baghdad would only get in the 80's for 3 days! Yikes! Winter is coming! HA! I never though that I would say that about 80 degrees, or even 60 degrees. But I guess when your body is acclimated to a different climate, weird things happen...
Well, I hope everyone stays warm!
Brandon
This morning I was woken up TWICE before my alarm by one of my guys yelling at his computer because he was outbid by $1 on EBay! Go figure! Anyways, I appreciate all the letters and stuff from people! I'm a little excited this morning. If you couldn't tell by all the exclamation points so far! 'Why' Your asking? Well, I rediscovered ChristianRock.net! It is a Christian Rock radio station that is online! So now, since there is no REAL radio over here that plays Christian music, I can get my fill of my style of Christian music whenever I'm in my room!
Well, some of you might already know this, most of you might not. I've had some interaction with the Iraqi kids. Which means that I have been 'driving around'. But, I'm having a hard time dealing with the kids. They are extremely selfish and deceiving in nature. I can't even begin to explain how many children I told that 'no, you can't have my pen, I need that.', and I told each kid that at least 10 times in a row! The only reason they stopped asking for my pen was either they started asking for something else, or I walked to an area where they were not allowed to go, or got back in the vehicle! Even if I got in the vehicle, they would chase after them like it is some sort of parade. We haven't been told we CAN'T give these kids anything, but you really can't because you would just get mobbed! It is also very hard to figure out how to deal with them the way that Jesus would deal with them, especially since these kids are not my mission, and I'm not there to teach them how to be respectful and give them something without worrying about them getting beaten up by the bigger kids who will then steal it from them. So yeah, that is the newest difficulties presenting themselves.
Otherwise everything is going pretty well. Today is my last day off for... almost 2 weeks? Yeah, kinda bites, but I won't need to work 12 hour days! At least for a little while. It has been getting pretty cold here; lower 60's! I know it is nowhere NEAR how cold it has been in Minnesota (or Iowa), I mean, lower 60's might even be a warm day for you peeps! But my mom told me that the weather thingy she looked at said that Baghdad would only get in the 80's for 3 days! Yikes! Winter is coming! HA! I never though that I would say that about 80 degrees, or even 60 degrees. But I guess when your body is acclimated to a different climate, weird things happen...
Well, I hope everyone stays warm!
Brandon
07 October 2007
07 Oct 07
Hello everyone, I want to first start off by saying thank you for all the emails that I have been getting! It is really nice to hear from people, a real morale booster, even if I haven't been able to email back. For that I would like to apologize, however, there really isn't much I can do about that one as most of my time is spent either working where I can't use my computer, or sleeping.
Well, today is the 3rd day in a row where we have had a slight drizzle and overcast cloud cover for most/ part of the day! The drizzle isn't anything like a Minnesota drizzle, where everything gets a little wet, this drizzle is evaporated before you could grab your camera and take a picture of it! The cloud cover is really nice. It keeps the morning/ afternoon temperatures down into the upper 90's, which make for some really nice relaxing evenings when I start work! Other than these last 3 days, the last time I saw a cloud was in Mississippi! Soon the temperatures will drop to, well, cold. Last night was supposed to get around 65 or so, but with the asphalt that I work on, it didn't drop below 74... roughly. My ears still got a slight chill to them, but overall I was good.
Last night I saw 2 baby scorpions! One was black, which I think are king scorpions, and really little, we first mistook it for a really large ant! Which they have plenty of around here. It looked like it had gotten into a fight because it's stinger tail thingy wasn't working properly, and one of the pinchers was not working. The second scorpion was kind of a pail red-ish tan color. It was really cool watching it walk along with it's tail in the air. I poked at the thing with my knife, and it would spread out his pinchers like he was going to bear hug someone, and he arched his tail as high into the air as possible, it was pretty cool!
Other than those 2 things, there isn't much going on. Pretty much just doing the same job, day in and day out, kinda like work back at home. Actually, I'm doing roughly the same thing here as I was when I worked security; check ID badges to ensure that personnel entering our facility are authorized to be there, and if they are not, that they have a legitimate point of contact so they can get on, otherwise they are not allowed on. Just, for work, you would substitute the word 'on' for 'in'! It makes me kind of laugh thinking about it... but then my laugh trails off into a groan. Oh well, I am safe, have a roof over my head, and contact with my family, so everything is good. Right? Right!
Well, I'm off to sleep now. It's about 0638 back in Minnesota when I posted this, but it is really 1438 for me! I get to wake up in 5 hours, yay!
Brandon
Well, today is the 3rd day in a row where we have had a slight drizzle and overcast cloud cover for most/ part of the day! The drizzle isn't anything like a Minnesota drizzle, where everything gets a little wet, this drizzle is evaporated before you could grab your camera and take a picture of it! The cloud cover is really nice. It keeps the morning/ afternoon temperatures down into the upper 90's, which make for some really nice relaxing evenings when I start work! Other than these last 3 days, the last time I saw a cloud was in Mississippi! Soon the temperatures will drop to, well, cold. Last night was supposed to get around 65 or so, but with the asphalt that I work on, it didn't drop below 74... roughly. My ears still got a slight chill to them, but overall I was good.
Last night I saw 2 baby scorpions! One was black, which I think are king scorpions, and really little, we first mistook it for a really large ant! Which they have plenty of around here. It looked like it had gotten into a fight because it's stinger tail thingy wasn't working properly, and one of the pinchers was not working. The second scorpion was kind of a pail red-ish tan color. It was really cool watching it walk along with it's tail in the air. I poked at the thing with my knife, and it would spread out his pinchers like he was going to bear hug someone, and he arched his tail as high into the air as possible, it was pretty cool!
Other than those 2 things, there isn't much going on. Pretty much just doing the same job, day in and day out, kinda like work back at home. Actually, I'm doing roughly the same thing here as I was when I worked security; check ID badges to ensure that personnel entering our facility are authorized to be there, and if they are not, that they have a legitimate point of contact so they can get on, otherwise they are not allowed on. Just, for work, you would substitute the word 'on' for 'in'! It makes me kind of laugh thinking about it... but then my laugh trails off into a groan. Oh well, I am safe, have a roof over my head, and contact with my family, so everything is good. Right? Right!
Well, I'm off to sleep now. It's about 0638 back in Minnesota when I posted this, but it is really 1438 for me! I get to wake up in 5 hours, yay!
Brandon
24 September 2007
Marhaba!
Well, I'm finally moved into my permanent residence, and as you can see, I finally have some internet access. I must say though, that up until the time of writing this, the internet has been so extremely slow that I have been contemplating the thought of quite possibly canceling my subscription. Although, it is actually moving with some decent speed... so maybe it will work out after all? Hopefully it all works out, because this is my main avenue of communication. I gets hot here, around 110 or so, in the afternoon time and into the evening, but then it cools off to the point that my ears fingers and nose get cold! It might only be like 70 some outide, but brrr!
I've been working long hours, as Sarah said earlier, 12 hour shifts right through the night! I work at what is called an ECP - entry control point. This is where vehicles come in and out of the base. There is also an LSF - legion security force ECP located just in front of ours. This is where 2 Iraqi's work. It is pretty fun being able to talk to all of those guys. It's kind of weird, for many different reasons. First of all, I've never come in close contact with people of such a different culture before! The left hand is considered the 'dirty' hand, so you don't point, shake, or wave with this hand. The 'thumbs up' symbol is horribly offensive here, along with the 'OK' symbol. Another thing that makes it weird, is that in order to communicate, you have to speak all broken up. You pretty much drop all words of the English language except for the important verbs and adjectives. Then, to fill in the blanks, you use a whole crap load of hand gestures.
Well, Sarah sent me the camcorder, so I hope to take a small video tour of my living area so that everyone can see what it is that I live in. I have to say though, that for this being my first deployment, I am getting extremely spoiled at this base. It is a very nice place, with lots of food, and enough space so that you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the ECP area, and still be a few minutes drive away from the DFAC - dining facility or the GYM!
I hope to keep in touch a lot more! Especially if this internet keeps up! And thank you to everyone for all your prayers and continued support for my wife as she battles civilian life back home.
P.S. - The title of this post is the Arabic word for 'hello', and I spelled it how it should be pronounced phonetically.
I've been working long hours, as Sarah said earlier, 12 hour shifts right through the night! I work at what is called an ECP - entry control point. This is where vehicles come in and out of the base. There is also an LSF - legion security force ECP located just in front of ours. This is where 2 Iraqi's work. It is pretty fun being able to talk to all of those guys. It's kind of weird, for many different reasons. First of all, I've never come in close contact with people of such a different culture before! The left hand is considered the 'dirty' hand, so you don't point, shake, or wave with this hand. The 'thumbs up' symbol is horribly offensive here, along with the 'OK' symbol. Another thing that makes it weird, is that in order to communicate, you have to speak all broken up. You pretty much drop all words of the English language except for the important verbs and adjectives. Then, to fill in the blanks, you use a whole crap load of hand gestures.
Well, Sarah sent me the camcorder, so I hope to take a small video tour of my living area so that everyone can see what it is that I live in. I have to say though, that for this being my first deployment, I am getting extremely spoiled at this base. It is a very nice place, with lots of food, and enough space so that you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the ECP area, and still be a few minutes drive away from the DFAC - dining facility or the GYM!
I hope to keep in touch a lot more! Especially if this internet keeps up! And thank you to everyone for all your prayers and continued support for my wife as she battles civilian life back home.
P.S. - The title of this post is the Arabic word for 'hello', and I spelled it how it should be pronounced phonetically.
19 September 2007
2 a.m.
Last night, around 5:00pm, I was lying in bed with the latest sickness going around, a cold. I had a headache and my nose was stuffy. I was tired. It had been a week since I'd heard from Brandon, and he was heavy on my mind.
The phone rang.
I checked the number...it was HIM!
"Hello?" I said. A few seconds passed. There was a short delay between lines.
"Hi," he said.
Relief and warm fuzzies washed over me as we began our third conversation since he's been in Iraq. It was 2:00am over there.
He's been doing 12-hour overnight security shifts for the past couple weeks. He's not in his permanent location yet, but his address will remain the same when he DOES relocate.
He bought a TV from a guy over there who is leaving soon. Now, when he has the chance, he'll be able to watch movies and play games. There is a place there where he can purchase movies cheaply.
His health is good, and he's been spending some time working out at the gym. The food is apparently better than what he ate in Mississippi and Kuwait. Its really hot over there, like 120 degrees during the day, but its dry heat, so its tolerable (if you can call it that).
He bought a pellet gun and some pellets and has been shooting at rats. Hehe. He's learned, through observation, that the rats (size of his foot) are attracted to pop-tart crumbs so when he gets more pellets, he's going to bait the rats with crumbs and then get em! Haha. That is so like him to do that. It brought us a lot of laughs.
Although our conversations are limited as far as details of his mission and such, we are able to connect in other ways, talking about our thoughts, and dreams and you know, heart stuff.
We talked for over an hour and it was wonderful. He still can't think of anything he needs yet, but feel free to write him. When he relocates to his permanent location, he'll have internet access.
He'd like prayer for the ability and patience to deal with those who are leading his platoon. The bible instructs us to pray for those in authority. I ask that you do this also, pray that they will give wise instruction for the troops that is in the best interest of the soldiers and the mission.
-Sarah
The phone rang.
I checked the number...it was HIM!
"Hello?" I said. A few seconds passed. There was a short delay between lines.
"Hi," he said.
Relief and warm fuzzies washed over me as we began our third conversation since he's been in Iraq. It was 2:00am over there.
He's been doing 12-hour overnight security shifts for the past couple weeks. He's not in his permanent location yet, but his address will remain the same when he DOES relocate.
He bought a TV from a guy over there who is leaving soon. Now, when he has the chance, he'll be able to watch movies and play games. There is a place there where he can purchase movies cheaply.
His health is good, and he's been spending some time working out at the gym. The food is apparently better than what he ate in Mississippi and Kuwait. Its really hot over there, like 120 degrees during the day, but its dry heat, so its tolerable (if you can call it that).
He bought a pellet gun and some pellets and has been shooting at rats. Hehe. He's learned, through observation, that the rats (size of his foot) are attracted to pop-tart crumbs so when he gets more pellets, he's going to bait the rats with crumbs and then get em! Haha. That is so like him to do that. It brought us a lot of laughs.
Although our conversations are limited as far as details of his mission and such, we are able to connect in other ways, talking about our thoughts, and dreams and you know, heart stuff.
We talked for over an hour and it was wonderful. He still can't think of anything he needs yet, but feel free to write him. When he relocates to his permanent location, he'll have internet access.
He'd like prayer for the ability and patience to deal with those who are leading his platoon. The bible instructs us to pray for those in authority. I ask that you do this also, pray that they will give wise instruction for the troops that is in the best interest of the soldiers and the mission.
-Sarah
18 September 2007
Us
I haven't updated this in a little while, so I thought I'd share what I know. Brandon is in Iraq now, although not in his permanent location just yet. I talked to him early last week. He is unable to share details, for security purposes. When I asked, he couldn't think of anything he needed or wanted presently, but said he'd keep me posted. He thinks he will have internet access at some point, just not yet. I'm sure he would appreciate letters, though. His current address is posted on the right.
As for me, I'm doing well. Its raining today and I absolutely LOVE rain. God has blessed me incredibly and although this is the toughest thing I've ever gone through, by God's grace, I'm growing. Even on the really hard days, I never regret this decision. I have faced so many challenges over the past four and a half weeks since saying goodbye to Brandon, and with each one, I remember the face of my Bran and ask God for strength and push through.
I'm so proud of my husband. Bran, if you read this, know that I love you!
As for me, I'm doing well. Its raining today and I absolutely LOVE rain. God has blessed me incredibly and although this is the toughest thing I've ever gone through, by God's grace, I'm growing. Even on the really hard days, I never regret this decision. I have faced so many challenges over the past four and a half weeks since saying goodbye to Brandon, and with each one, I remember the face of my Bran and ask God for strength and push through.
I'm so proud of my husband. Bran, if you read this, know that I love you!
04 September 2007
News from Kuwait
I heard from Brandon yesterday! He's doing well. He's been spending the past two weeks attending a few classes, seeing the desert, enduring lots of sand and preparing to head into Iraq to begin their missions.
While on a "tour" of the desert, he noticed small holes here and there. Then, a lizard, about two and a half feet long, poked his head out, skittered across the desert and ducked into another hole. Crazy, huh? He also saw a camel rolling around in the sand, another one got spooked and started booking it across the sand. He saw a sand tornado, too. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should take a look at the sandstorm videos at the bottom of the blog. They're pretty wild...and common over there.
His access to phone and internet is pretty limited right now, so as I hear more, I will update the blog. Please, keep praying for the safety of Brandon and the other soldiers and that they would be able to focus on their missions ahead of them.
Sarah
While on a "tour" of the desert, he noticed small holes here and there. Then, a lizard, about two and a half feet long, poked his head out, skittered across the desert and ducked into another hole. Crazy, huh? He also saw a camel rolling around in the sand, another one got spooked and started booking it across the sand. He saw a sand tornado, too. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should take a look at the sandstorm videos at the bottom of the blog. They're pretty wild...and common over there.
His access to phone and internet is pretty limited right now, so as I hear more, I will update the blog. Please, keep praying for the safety of Brandon and the other soldiers and that they would be able to focus on their missions ahead of them.
Sarah
01 September 2007
Thus Far
I have no new news from Brandon, although if you check out his buddies' blogs (links at right), you can read about what some of the troops have been doing. I just wanted to show you all this picture of Brandon from last week on his way to Kuwait. Note what he's carrying with him...his laptop. Hehehe. Typical Bran.
24 August 2007
The Trip
On August 12th, Kim, Jordan and I flew down to Gulfport, Mississippi. We arrived in the early afternoon, made our way to our hotel where I set about to beautifying myself for my wonderful man. Then we hit the road.
It took us about an hour to get to Camp Shelby, where Brandon had been training all summer. Along about 4:30 or so, we approached his barracks (where he sleeps). There he stood, in the blazing summer sun, all handsome: Sergeant Brandon James Anderson.
Thus began the trip. It was an amazing four and a half days we got to spend with him, playing on the beach, seeing movies, eating and laughing together. It was awesome! We were so blessed to get to spend time with him before he left. Back in May, when he initially deployed, we weren't sure if we'd see him before he left the country. It was really awesome. Woot!
One highlight of the trip was a surprise Brandon had been keeping from us. It was a yacht cruise out to an island and a sunset dinner on the way back! A very generous couple of men offered their services and boat for us and Brandon's buddy's family to go out on this cruise for free! It was about 7 hours long and was soooo amazing. These two men just wanted to thank Brandon and Bryce for what they do for our country. Isn't that awesome?!
So yeah, it was really amazing. The whole trip was awesome. The memories we made were wonderful.
Thanks to everyone who prayed for our travel and trip. It went off without a hitch!
-Sarah
22 August 2007
The Next Phase
Hello everyone. Brandon is now in Kuwait. He arrived safely after a long journey; 30 hours. He says that its extremely hot, like 90 degrees at 11pm. Sand blows everywhere. When you look up, you see blue sky, but as you move your eyes toward the horizon, it becomes more tan and then...sand. I will be posting more as I hear more.
Sarah
Sarah
06 August 2007
Alaska: Coming Soon to a Blog Near You
Greetings to all our readers! This is Sarah writing. I recently took a wonderful trip to Alaska and I wanted to give you a preview of that. I haven't updated the blog for some time, however, I see Brandon got the chance to...YAY!
On Sunday, the 12th, my mother-in-law, my brother-in-law and I will be flying down to see Brandon! We will get to spend four days with him! There have been a lot of flight cancellations lately and this is just one trip we really can't miss. Typically most of the cancellations are near the end of the month, so we're really praying that all would go smooth. Please, if you think about it, pray that we wouldn't have any complications with travel this coming weekend.
Once I return and have a little more time, I will be blogging a little about my trip. The photo in the corner is of adolescent seals on a buoy, being territorial. If you click on the picture, it will enlarge and you can see clearly that the one is trying to get on the buoy, but is being viciously barked at by another. It was quite a funny sight.
24 July 2007
We're getting closer!
The time is quickly approaching for when I will be flying over to Iraq. But not before I go on my 4 day pass! I'm really excited to get out and see the real world, it gets pretty monotomous around here; seeing the same stuff, the same uniform on everyone, the same ... shall I say interesting ... food, and the same people. I've got a lot of pictures, and I hope to soon get them up so everyone can see them. We have a really long training event coming up in a few days or so, so I won't be able to do anything before then, but quite possibly after that. I hope everyone is doing good! I'm doing good down here. My back is holding up, and my health is doing good. During training exercises, when stuff starts to happen, like getting ambushed by some OPFOR (Oposition Forces) I've been starting to take charge more, and get people doing what needs to get done. It is really cool to see how my training over the course of my enlistment (getting close to 5 years) actualy takes over when the situations call for it. I hope everyone has a good rest of this ever fading month.
Talk to everyone later!
Brandon Anderson
Talk to everyone later!
Brandon Anderson
07 July 2007
777
Well, Today is the 7th of July, 2007! Kind of a cool number! Well, it was hot today, what's new right? One thing that I have noticed down here is that the weather can change drastically in an hour or two! What I mean is, it started out overcast this morning. It then became clear skies, and scorching heat. Then we got sprinkled on and cooled off, it heated right back up, then sprinkled again, then heated back up again. You look East, and it is clear skies. You look West and it is a wall of storm clouds with lots of thunder. It keeps it interesting at least. I'm doing good down here. The heat is still pretty bad, but you get used to the temperature, even if your body still sweats the same amount. Well, I wish I could say more, but OPSEC (Operational Security) is kind of preventing me from doing so. I hope everyone had a good Fourth of July and I hope to hear from people! If I confused people with which email address to send emails to, don't worry about it. I will have Sarah help redirect emails to the appropriate email inbox.
Talk to everyone later!
Talk to everyone later!
04 July 2007
Predeployment Photos
Here are some photos of the days prior to Brandon's deployment. Click on the photo above to view in a larger scale. Then, on the right hand side of the screen about halfway down you'll see in blue lettering "slideshow". Click on that.
July 4th
Hello again everyone. I haven't quite figured out how to publish a photo ALBUM on the web yet so here's one picture I like. This is Brandon sitting on his bags at the Litchfield Armory the morning he left.
Training seems to be going well aside from the humidity that causes them to sweat right through their boots. He has limited access to the internet so what you see from him directly will be few and far between. The soldiers got today, the 4th, off so Bran got to sleep in this morning and has been hanging out all day, watching movies, avoiding the torrential downpour outside and just trying to stay cool.
To everyone who has been sending him stuff, he greatly appreciates it and thanks you.
Life here in Minnesota is going well. I've been quite busy spending time with family and friends. I am now preparing for a trip to Alaska with some family. Should be a good time. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Thanks for all your prayers!
23 June 2007
Family Readiness Group Meeting
Hello all,
Today, I [Sarah] attended a Family Readiness Group Meeting in Hutchinson, MN. Its a time when families of deployed soldiers get together to chat, get updated, and have a good time together. As far as I can remember, we were not updated on anything new, but we did have a good time together. I got to meet a few more of the wives, and...the best part, I got a massage! A local spa donated their services to the women, fixing their hair, doing their makeup and giving massages. It was wonderful. I never realized how tense my muscles were! I think that was the highlight of my day. I also attended a small demonstration and lesson on making homemade barbeque sauce and excellent corn on the cob. Amidst all this, I spend time chatting and listening to other wives talk about how life is going. They've decided that they'll be putting together one of these meetings once a month and the activities will vary each time.
I've decided to leave my job. I put my notice in last Tuesday. I am going to spend the summer getting organized and look for something else part-time in the fall. I've been wanting to get out of corporate retail for some time now and after much thought, prayer and Brandon's encouragement, I did it. I have a lot on my plate right now, and this is the next step for me.
Brandon has been doing weapons training for a couple days now and is loving it. He's finally getting to work with his hands and get some of the training he needs. That's the latest.
Today, I [Sarah] attended a Family Readiness Group Meeting in Hutchinson, MN. Its a time when families of deployed soldiers get together to chat, get updated, and have a good time together. As far as I can remember, we were not updated on anything new, but we did have a good time together. I got to meet a few more of the wives, and...the best part, I got a massage! A local spa donated their services to the women, fixing their hair, doing their makeup and giving massages. It was wonderful. I never realized how tense my muscles were! I think that was the highlight of my day. I also attended a small demonstration and lesson on making homemade barbeque sauce and excellent corn on the cob. Amidst all this, I spend time chatting and listening to other wives talk about how life is going. They've decided that they'll be putting together one of these meetings once a month and the activities will vary each time.
I've decided to leave my job. I put my notice in last Tuesday. I am going to spend the summer getting organized and look for something else part-time in the fall. I've been wanting to get out of corporate retail for some time now and after much thought, prayer and Brandon's encouragement, I did it. I have a lot on my plate right now, and this is the next step for me.
Brandon has been doing weapons training for a couple days now and is loving it. He's finally getting to work with his hands and get some of the training he needs. That's the latest.
19 June 2007
Catching Some Z's
Greetings. Our dear Bran-man is sleeping at the moment after doing a CQ (night watch) last night. Every night, two soldiers, including one NCO (Non-commissioned officer), and one other soldier have to stay up, listen for phone calls and guard the weapons and equipment. They switch off sleeping throughout the night. Bran did this a few nights ago also. Due to certain circumstances out of his control, he was told late yesterday that he would be doing it again. He's recovering slowly from the bronchitis. He has been quite frustrated with the lack of organization down there. Please pray that things will turn around and that they will get to do the training necessary to equip them for the year ahead. As of right now, we're looking at him leaving for Iraq in August some time. If you want to send him something and you happen upon powdered gatorade mix (the just-add-water kind), that's about all he's mentioned he needs. Thanks again for your support and prayers.
13 June 2007
Greetings from Mississippi
I'VE HAD TO TAKE OUT SOME INFORMATION, BUT THAT IS BECAUSE OF SOMETHING CALLED OPSEC - OPERATIONAL SECURITY. IT IS NOT A BIG PROBLEM. THEY DIDN'T TELL US WHAT WE COULD AND COULDN'T SAY UNTIL A FEW DAYS AFTER THEY TOLD US WHAT OUR NEW MISSION ENTITLED.
Well, it has been a hot and extremely humid 2 1/2 weeks, and I have finally found where I can access some Internet! As Sarah has mentioned in other posts, I suffered from heat cramps and dehydration, even though I was eating all my meals and drinking plenty of fluids. My Minnesota blood was not ready for this heat where you sweat all the time. Then, because the humidity is so high, it doesn't cool you off, so what does your body do? Sweat some more! I basically ran out of salt from sweating so much, then, no matter how much water I drank, I wouldn't have been able to retain it because my salt was gone. Now I have bronchitis, which I have 5 different medicines to take, all of them seemingly at different times throughout the day. I was on bed rest today, and will be on bed rest tomorrow. I then can't do any extraneous activities for 2 more days after that.
As for our mission update, Sarah got the gist of it out there. Once we deploy to Iraq, we will be deploying in a Battalion (which is comprised up of multiple Companies). My Company will not be with the rest of the Battalion, we will be separated from them where it will be our company, and a bunch of "high speed individuals". From there we will be conducting Tower security, and checkpoints in and out of the base. Security is so tight that if your not supposed to be on the base, you will not be let on for any reason. Aside from the duties we have to do on base, we will also be required to do things off base including vehicle convoys (mounted patrols) and dismounted patrols (on foot) through the city, or cities, that surround the base. They have been catching a lot of the IED's (Improvise Explosive Devices or Roadside Bombs) as they are set up on the road and they are able to disarm and destroys these before they are used on convoys.
The Urban part of our mission is 'eerie', as my Platoon Sergeant called it. When we do foot patrols through the city, we do not have the advantage, and he said you can feel it. While he was there, he had to assist the soldiers that were there in clearing an abandoned multi-level, multi-room building where small arms fire (pistols, rifles, etc.) had been reported to be coming from. Having to clear a small, one story 3 room building is hard enough, but a multi level building? That takes a ton of coordination and troops. It is also not uncommon for our base to receive small arms fire on a fairly steady basis.
I say all this, not to scare people, but to show people that what our mission has changed to is not going to be easy. I say this because it gives people the opportunity to pray for more specific things, and to understand what will be going on while I am over there. I also ask that people pray for the mental health of all our soldiers, as there is now a high probability that soldiers will be injured while we are there, and that can take a huge psychological toll on a person. Not that there wasn't a risk of that before, but being on a base that receives small arms fire from buildings that we have to clear increases that risk.
I hope to send out an email updating things for everyone, but right now my personal computer is dead, and it contains all my contacts. Thanks everyone for your continuing prayers and support as Sarah and I go through this difficult step in life.
I'VE HAD TO TAKE OUT SOME INFORMATION, BUT THAT IS BECAUSE OF SOMETHING CALLED OPSEC - OPERATIONAL SECURITY. IT IS NOT A BIG PROBLEM. THEY DIDN'T TELL US WHAT WE COULD AND COULDN'T SAY UNTIL A FEW DAYS AFTER THEY TOLD US WHAT OUR NEW MISSION ENTITLED.
Well, it has been a hot and extremely humid 2 1/2 weeks, and I have finally found where I can access some Internet! As Sarah has mentioned in other posts, I suffered from heat cramps and dehydration, even though I was eating all my meals and drinking plenty of fluids. My Minnesota blood was not ready for this heat where you sweat all the time. Then, because the humidity is so high, it doesn't cool you off, so what does your body do? Sweat some more! I basically ran out of salt from sweating so much, then, no matter how much water I drank, I wouldn't have been able to retain it because my salt was gone. Now I have bronchitis, which I have 5 different medicines to take, all of them seemingly at different times throughout the day. I was on bed rest today, and will be on bed rest tomorrow. I then can't do any extraneous activities for 2 more days after that.
As for our mission update, Sarah got the gist of it out there. Once we deploy to Iraq, we will be deploying in a Battalion (which is comprised up of multiple Companies). My Company will not be with the rest of the Battalion, we will be separated from them where it will be our company, and a bunch of "high speed individuals". From there we will be conducting Tower security, and checkpoints in and out of the base. Security is so tight that if your not supposed to be on the base, you will not be let on for any reason. Aside from the duties we have to do on base, we will also be required to do things off base including vehicle convoys (mounted patrols) and dismounted patrols (on foot) through the city, or cities, that surround the base. They have been catching a lot of the IED's (Improvise Explosive Devices or Roadside Bombs) as they are set up on the road and they are able to disarm and destroys these before they are used on convoys.
The Urban part of our mission is 'eerie', as my Platoon Sergeant called it. When we do foot patrols through the city, we do not have the advantage, and he said you can feel it. While he was there, he had to assist the soldiers that were there in clearing an abandoned multi-level, multi-room building where small arms fire (pistols, rifles, etc.) had been reported to be coming from. Having to clear a small, one story 3 room building is hard enough, but a multi level building? That takes a ton of coordination and troops. It is also not uncommon for our base to receive small arms fire on a fairly steady basis.
I say all this, not to scare people, but to show people that what our mission has changed to is not going to be easy. I say this because it gives people the opportunity to pray for more specific things, and to understand what will be going on while I am over there. I also ask that people pray for the mental health of all our soldiers, as there is now a high probability that soldiers will be injured while we are there, and that can take a huge psychological toll on a person. Not that there wasn't a risk of that before, but being on a base that receives small arms fire from buildings that we have to clear increases that risk.
I hope to send out an email updating things for everyone, but right now my personal computer is dead, and it contains all my contacts. Thanks everyone for your continuing prayers and support as Sarah and I go through this difficult step in life.
I'VE HAD TO TAKE OUT SOME INFORMATION, BUT THAT IS BECAUSE OF SOMETHING CALLED OPSEC - OPERATIONAL SECURITY. IT IS NOT A BIG PROBLEM. THEY DIDN'T TELL US WHAT WE COULD AND COULDN'T SAY UNTIL A FEW DAYS AFTER THEY TOLD US WHAT OUR NEW MISSION ENTITLED.
Staying sane...
Hey everyone, here's the latest on our hero, Bran. He found out earlier this week what his mission in Iraq will entail. I know you all are praying, this might just step it up. Brandon's platoon will be working alongside "high speed individuals". They will be conducting security operations in places known to be frequently under fire. They will also be running convoys in vehicles and on foot through towns; going through buildings and homes and the streets, stopping the insurgents they find and ensuring the safety of themselves, the Iraqi people and all of us. Its really serious stuff. I know Bran will want to share his thoughts once he's able to access the internet. He likes what he's doing and has done "urban warfare" training before. I'm confident he's making a great leader.
Please pray that the soldiers' instructors these next couple months will be able to equip them with the knowledge and training they will need to be prepared as much as possible for this mission.
Also, Brandon has bronchitis. He's got an extremely sore throat and is very tired. He got checked out this morning, and is on medication. He's on bedrest for two days and then restrictions for another couple days. Its been a rough few weeks for him, but he's still plugging away. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers!
Please pray that the soldiers' instructors these next couple months will be able to equip them with the knowledge and training they will need to be prepared as much as possible for this mission.
Also, Brandon has bronchitis. He's got an extremely sore throat and is very tired. He got checked out this morning, and is on medication. He's on bedrest for two days and then restrictions for another couple days. Its been a rough few weeks for him, but he's still plugging away. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers!
10 June 2007
Update
I heard from Brandon this evening. I asked him what he need and wanted right now and he couldn't really think of anything. He doesn't want a lot of sweets (he's trying to stay as healthy as possible, granted he eats army food). Snacky foods are ok, although he's got a stockpile of sunflower seeds. Pretty much, he's going to let me know once he thinks of stuff. He's well provided for right now and can't think of anything he wants. Perhaps once he's in Iraq, more will come to mind.
Other than that, he's doing well. He's out on the field until tomorrow. He says its like a little campground with all the tents up and stuff. However, they return to the buildings tomorrow, at which time the soldiers will be going through an SRP (Soldier Readiness P...something, I don't remember).
Please pray for Brandon as he will be receiving an Anthrax vaccination which is quite painful (he's had one before). It will be a series of shots, the first of which he'll get tomorrow, the next in two weeks, then a month after that and so on. He will also be getting a small pox shot soon, too. Not a fun time, but necessary precaution, nonetheless.
Ok, so Brandon's birthday was on the sixth, last Wednesday. I posted earlier about the effect of the heat, but didn't give full detail. So here it is: the soldiers in the WLC course went out to the field to do some final evaluations and training. It was about 98 degrees out there and stinkin' humid! After the first mission, just before heading out for the second one (said by one of the leaders to be much longer and hotter), Brandon started to not feel so good. Well, one thing lead to another, and he ended up getting hooked up to an IV. He wasn't the only one. They had an ambulence bring them off the base to a hospital just so they could get checked out and make sure everything was ok (as much as it could be). He said he drank two camelbacks full of water and a ton of Gatorade, but still, it got to him. So, this is how he spent his birthday.
BUT! While he was in the hospital, a nurse asked him his date of birth and so on, and he told her it was that day. Well, later she came in with chocolate cupcakes for him! This blessed me so much to know that he was being taken care of! Even when I couldn't be there to make him a cake and celebrate with him, God brought that nurse into his path. YAY!
Since then, he's been doing pretty good with the heat. They haven't felt the worst of it yet, but with our prayers and a whole lot of water, I know they'll get through.
Tonight, while sitting doing lovely paperwork, I got a phone call from Gina Harcey (Brandon's bud's wife), asking me if I wanted to go walk in the park with her and her sister-in-law. Well, of course I couldn't pass that up! We had a great time walking and talking. I'm so thankful to have someone who understands the feelings and trials that we're going through. God set it up, I have no doubt about that.
Well, beyond that, I'm not sure what else to say except that Brandon says hi to everyone!
Other than that, he's doing well. He's out on the field until tomorrow. He says its like a little campground with all the tents up and stuff. However, they return to the buildings tomorrow, at which time the soldiers will be going through an SRP (Soldier Readiness P...something, I don't remember).
Please pray for Brandon as he will be receiving an Anthrax vaccination which is quite painful (he's had one before). It will be a series of shots, the first of which he'll get tomorrow, the next in two weeks, then a month after that and so on. He will also be getting a small pox shot soon, too. Not a fun time, but necessary precaution, nonetheless.
Ok, so Brandon's birthday was on the sixth, last Wednesday. I posted earlier about the effect of the heat, but didn't give full detail. So here it is: the soldiers in the WLC course went out to the field to do some final evaluations and training. It was about 98 degrees out there and stinkin' humid! After the first mission, just before heading out for the second one (said by one of the leaders to be much longer and hotter), Brandon started to not feel so good. Well, one thing lead to another, and he ended up getting hooked up to an IV. He wasn't the only one. They had an ambulence bring them off the base to a hospital just so they could get checked out and make sure everything was ok (as much as it could be). He said he drank two camelbacks full of water and a ton of Gatorade, but still, it got to him. So, this is how he spent his birthday.
BUT! While he was in the hospital, a nurse asked him his date of birth and so on, and he told her it was that day. Well, later she came in with chocolate cupcakes for him! This blessed me so much to know that he was being taken care of! Even when I couldn't be there to make him a cake and celebrate with him, God brought that nurse into his path. YAY!
Since then, he's been doing pretty good with the heat. They haven't felt the worst of it yet, but with our prayers and a whole lot of water, I know they'll get through.
Tonight, while sitting doing lovely paperwork, I got a phone call from Gina Harcey (Brandon's bud's wife), asking me if I wanted to go walk in the park with her and her sister-in-law. Well, of course I couldn't pass that up! We had a great time walking and talking. I'm so thankful to have someone who understands the feelings and trials that we're going through. God set it up, I have no doubt about that.
Well, beyond that, I'm not sure what else to say except that Brandon says hi to everyone!
Brandon's Address!
SGT. Brandon James Anderson
849th MAC
2490 25th Street
Camp Shelby, MS 39407-5500
849th MAC
2490 25th Street
Camp Shelby, MS 39407-5500
For those of you wondering about sending Brandon stuff, I should be hearing from him this week and I can get an idea of what kinds of things he wants and needs.
09 June 2007
Graduated!
Well, today is June 9th, and this morning, Brandon graduated from WLC! The heat and humidity were tough this past week and really affected the soldiers. Your prayers for their health and safety during this training period are greatly appreciated as they still have another two months to endure of it. Most of the guys are just looking forward to Iraq where the heat is dry. Although the temperature is hot over there, the lack of humidity makes it bearable.
He is now supposed to be hooking up with the main body of his unit and heading out to the field to live in tents for the next few weeks for training, so you may not see any updates on him during that period, as I will likely not be hearing from him. He's been looking forward to seeing his buddy, Bryce Harcey, who was mobilized with the main body. The two of them motivate each other. We are SO thankful that they will be in the same platoon while in Iraq. Once again, thank you so much for your prayers and comments.
He is now supposed to be hooking up with the main body of his unit and heading out to the field to live in tents for the next few weeks for training, so you may not see any updates on him during that period, as I will likely not be hearing from him. He's been looking forward to seeing his buddy, Bryce Harcey, who was mobilized with the main body. The two of them motivate each other. We are SO thankful that they will be in the same platoon while in Iraq. Once again, thank you so much for your prayers and comments.
06 June 2007
Orders
Just a little update. Brandon finally received his long awaited mobilization orders.
Also, today is his 23rd birthday! Happy Birthday, Bran! FYI, I know some of you have been wondering about sending him cards. He does not currently have an address. If you are interested in sending him one though, I'm going to be packing up a box for him as soon as he gets an address, so if you want, you can send them to our home, and I will be more than happy to pack them in there. If you need our home address or if you have any other questions, email me at sarah@andersondd.com
I hope everyone is enjoying this lovely summer! I know I am. All the rain makes me happy. I love rain...helps me sleep. Brandon loves thunderstorms.
Also, today is his 23rd birthday! Happy Birthday, Bran! FYI, I know some of you have been wondering about sending him cards. He does not currently have an address. If you are interested in sending him one though, I'm going to be packing up a box for him as soon as he gets an address, so if you want, you can send them to our home, and I will be more than happy to pack them in there. If you need our home address or if you have any other questions, email me at sarah@andersondd.com
I hope everyone is enjoying this lovely summer! I know I am. All the rain makes me happy. I love rain...helps me sleep. Brandon loves thunderstorms.
28 May 2007
On the homefront...
Hi everyone, its Sarah. I posted earlier on behalf of Brandon. Now I'm going to give everyone an update on the life of the other half, me.
Well, this evening is my first time back at home in St. Paul since last week. I went to Litchfield with Brandon for "homestations activities" which consisted of signing up for medical insurance and other important stuff. Despite the military's seeming lack of organization, they really DO have a lot to offer for families of deployed soldiers. Which reminds me, the reason Brandon has not yet received his orders for mobilization is because they are updating the computer system and somehow he didn't get switched over before this update began, thus, he is stuck on the one side. So, until that update is completed, he's without orders. We're not concerned though. He still has two weeks of WLC before he needs them.
I got minimal sleep the morning Brandon left, but managed to drive three hours back to Cambridge, go to a garage sale, set up a computer at my mom's, attend a wedding rehearsal and dinner, and still squeeze in some Z's before the next part of my weekend. Saturday, I woke up early, did my hair for the wedding in which I was a bridesmaid, showed up at the Salon, videotaped the bride getting her new do, then to the church, pictures, the wedding, the reception, more pictures and THEN...deep breath...I took off for Walker, MN where my cousin was having a graduation party. I stayed there and chilled out and fished and hung out with family and stuff, and finally returned home today.
This past week has certainly been an interesting one. My work was so kind to give me several weeks off to spend with Brandon and prepare for his deployment. I return to work tomorrow. I'm both dreading it and looking forward to it. I have truly enjoyed this time off and still have so much to take care of at homewith paperwork, laundry, and whatnot. However, I miss my coworkers and it will be good to stay busy.
I have never felt anything like what I felt the day Brandon left. In fact, it wasn't until I had brought my mother home from the farewell and I was on my way to my friends' wedding rehearsal that I really started to feel the absence of my husband. Unlike other drill weekends and summer AT, he won't be coming home anytime soon. Although, he and I are able to talk pretty regularly so far, I still have this awareness that part of me is missing.
One thing I know for certain though, is that God has a lot to teach us during this time and He will not leave us. I have always known during other times that we've been apart that God is always there waiting for us to make HIM our "security blanket." Well, I have no choice but to do that now, and that's good; hard, but good. I'm looking forward to how we will grow in our walks with God and in our relationship with each other. Although its tough without each other, and we haven't felt the worst of it yet, I'm confident that we'll pull through and be stronger for it.
Well, this evening is my first time back at home in St. Paul since last week. I went to Litchfield with Brandon for "homestations activities" which consisted of signing up for medical insurance and other important stuff. Despite the military's seeming lack of organization, they really DO have a lot to offer for families of deployed soldiers. Which reminds me, the reason Brandon has not yet received his orders for mobilization is because they are updating the computer system and somehow he didn't get switched over before this update began, thus, he is stuck on the one side. So, until that update is completed, he's without orders. We're not concerned though. He still has two weeks of WLC before he needs them.
I got minimal sleep the morning Brandon left, but managed to drive three hours back to Cambridge, go to a garage sale, set up a computer at my mom's, attend a wedding rehearsal and dinner, and still squeeze in some Z's before the next part of my weekend. Saturday, I woke up early, did my hair for the wedding in which I was a bridesmaid, showed up at the Salon, videotaped the bride getting her new do, then to the church, pictures, the wedding, the reception, more pictures and THEN...deep breath...I took off for Walker, MN where my cousin was having a graduation party. I stayed there and chilled out and fished and hung out with family and stuff, and finally returned home today.
This past week has certainly been an interesting one. My work was so kind to give me several weeks off to spend with Brandon and prepare for his deployment. I return to work tomorrow. I'm both dreading it and looking forward to it. I have truly enjoyed this time off and still have so much to take care of at homewith paperwork, laundry, and whatnot. However, I miss my coworkers and it will be good to stay busy.
I have never felt anything like what I felt the day Brandon left. In fact, it wasn't until I had brought my mother home from the farewell and I was on my way to my friends' wedding rehearsal that I really started to feel the absence of my husband. Unlike other drill weekends and summer AT, he won't be coming home anytime soon. Although, he and I are able to talk pretty regularly so far, I still have this awareness that part of me is missing.
One thing I know for certain though, is that God has a lot to teach us during this time and He will not leave us. I have always known during other times that we've been apart that God is always there waiting for us to make HIM our "security blanket." Well, I have no choice but to do that now, and that's good; hard, but good. I'm looking forward to how we will grow in our walks with God and in our relationship with each other. Although its tough without each other, and we haven't felt the worst of it yet, I'm confident that we'll pull through and be stronger for it.
Mississippi
On Friday morning, the 25th, at 3 a.m. Brandon boarded a bus outside of the Litchfield Armory with about 18 other soldiers. They were lead by a fire truck and several motorcycles filled with veterans of war days gone by. The families, including ours, stood watch and waved as they departed for the airport, where they would fly to Mississippi for WLC (Warrior Leader Course).
The soldiers were split into two groups as there were two seperate flights going out to bring them to their destination. Brandon was chosen to be "chop commander" over one of the groups. This meant that he had to keep track of about 8 soldiers, convince airport security to let them keep their boots on when passing through (regulations these days requires passengers to remove shoes for screening), and basically just make sure everyone got there ok. Already, he's been given opportunity to exercise leadership.
He will more than likely blog more about the details later when he is able to access the internet.
They all arrived safely in the warm, muggy state of Mississippi. The first night, he and some other guys ordered pizza.
The next couple days they woke up at 0450 (4:50 am), and attended classes until about 2030 (8:30 pm). One thing that Brandon was concerned about was his PT test; a physical strength test in which he does sit ups, push ups, and a two mile run. He had been out of shape and unable to train over the past year due to a back problem (that is now back to about 98%). He was not required to pass this test to graduate the course. However, he would be given a "marginal," meaning, he was less likely to be promoted in the future. He took the test this morning and I'm so excited to tell you all that he PASSED! He even shaved a minute off of the minimum requirement for the run!
That is the news I have thus far. I will probably be blogging about life on the home front sometime later this week. Thanks everyone for your prayers!
The soldiers were split into two groups as there were two seperate flights going out to bring them to their destination. Brandon was chosen to be "chop commander" over one of the groups. This meant that he had to keep track of about 8 soldiers, convince airport security to let them keep their boots on when passing through (regulations these days requires passengers to remove shoes for screening), and basically just make sure everyone got there ok. Already, he's been given opportunity to exercise leadership.
He will more than likely blog more about the details later when he is able to access the internet.
They all arrived safely in the warm, muggy state of Mississippi. The first night, he and some other guys ordered pizza.
The next couple days they woke up at 0450 (4:50 am), and attended classes until about 2030 (8:30 pm). One thing that Brandon was concerned about was his PT test; a physical strength test in which he does sit ups, push ups, and a two mile run. He had been out of shape and unable to train over the past year due to a back problem (that is now back to about 98%). He was not required to pass this test to graduate the course. However, he would be given a "marginal," meaning, he was less likely to be promoted in the future. He took the test this morning and I'm so excited to tell you all that he PASSED! He even shaved a minute off of the minimum requirement for the run!
That is the news I have thus far. I will probably be blogging about life on the home front sometime later this week. Thanks everyone for your prayers!
21 May 2007
The Countdown
The time is ever decreasing before my time as a 'free man' ends. For those of you that do not know yet, Sarah and I will go over to Litchfield this Wednesday by 0800 hours in the morning. It is about a 2 hour drive so we will be waking up super early. Wednesday and Thursday we will be doing a whole bunch of Homestation Activities, things that involve getting Sarah registered in a bunch of different Army systems, and all sorts of stuff. I will be released from Army stuff by 1400 hours on Thursday, in which time I will be able to spend the rest of that day with the majority of my immediate family. Then I have to report back to our Homestation at 2200 hours and sleep there on Thursday night. The reason for that is because I will need to be up UBER early! We have an Equipment Loading formation at 0230 hours, and by 0300 hours we load ourselves up on the bus and head out for the airport. By 0645 hours I will be in the plane awaiting take-off.
One extremely frustrating thing, that probably a bunch of people don't understand, is that I still do not have my MOB orders. These orders are extremely important. It lets my employer, my students loans, credit cards, mortgage company, etc., know that I am being deployed. There are certain things that, by law, all of these 'entities' need to do or cannot do. I am the ONLY one in my platoon that DOES NOT have his orders. It is extremely frustrating, and I am seriously contemplating writing an email to our governor, or our congressman, and see if there is anything that can be done about this. One of the most IMPORTANT things, that can now not happen, is getting Sarah signed up for FULL coverage from the Army health system. She will still be covered under some coverage, but if anything WERE to happen, we would still need to pay for some of it. Even if I were to get my orders TODAY, it would be too late, because the application for FULL Army health coverage needs to be filled out by the 20th of this month...Sunday...and it is now Monday. They basically say that we now have to wait over a month before we can get her under full coverage, and that there is nothing that can be done about it.
If anyone is wondering what the times mean, it is really simple:
1400 hours = 2:00 PM (12:00 plus 2:00 = 14:00; pronounced 'fourteen-hundred' hours)
0000 hours is Midnight (pronounced 'zero-hundred' hours)
0300 hours is 3:00 AM (pronounce 'zero-three-hundred' hours)
My next post will be in Mississippi; time and date unknown.
One extremely frustrating thing, that probably a bunch of people don't understand, is that I still do not have my MOB orders. These orders are extremely important. It lets my employer, my students loans, credit cards, mortgage company, etc., know that I am being deployed. There are certain things that, by law, all of these 'entities' need to do or cannot do. I am the ONLY one in my platoon that DOES NOT have his orders. It is extremely frustrating, and I am seriously contemplating writing an email to our governor, or our congressman, and see if there is anything that can be done about this. One of the most IMPORTANT things, that can now not happen, is getting Sarah signed up for FULL coverage from the Army health system. She will still be covered under some coverage, but if anything WERE to happen, we would still need to pay for some of it. Even if I were to get my orders TODAY, it would be too late, because the application for FULL Army health coverage needs to be filled out by the 20th of this month...Sunday...and it is now Monday. They basically say that we now have to wait over a month before we can get her under full coverage, and that there is nothing that can be done about it.
If anyone is wondering what the times mean, it is really simple:
1400 hours = 2:00 PM (12:00 plus 2:00 = 14:00; pronounced 'fourteen-hundred' hours)
0000 hours is Midnight (pronounced 'zero-hundred' hours)
0300 hours is 3:00 AM (pronounce 'zero-three-hundred' hours)
My next post will be in Mississippi; time and date unknown.
08 May 2007
Extracted Wisdom
So today I had all my wisdom removed...ok, so technically it was just my 4 wisdom TEETH. Talk about weird! The last thing I remember is I was talking to the doctor about the different type of weapons we will be using over there. Then I started feeling light headed, tried to keep talking but I couldn't think of the words to finish my sentence, and then I was told to lay down on a bed with a pillow and my mouth was filled with gauze. Talk about strange! I've never had to have any type of operation done on me to where I needed to be put 'under', but it sure was nice. One second your sitting in the dental chair, next SECOND your resting on a bed!
I do have to say though, I am sore... and I will probably only get more sore as the time goes on. I have to take 3 things of Ibuprofen, 3 times a day, for 3 days, and then take some Tylenol with Codeine when the pain gets really bad. I've already had to take the Tylenol once so far, but hopefully things will begin to taper off. I'm just thankful that I was able to get them done NOW and not down in Camp Shelby! The Army doesn't put you 'under', they simply load you up with Novocaine, wipe the blood off your forehead that might splatter on you while your awake, and then give you 3 days before your up and training again! NO THANK YOU!
Anyways, in about one week I have another dental exam where they will fill 3 - 4 more cavities. All of this work, by the way, is paid for by the Army; thank you taxpayers! (and, of course, my own tax money)
I do have to say though, I am sore... and I will probably only get more sore as the time goes on. I have to take 3 things of Ibuprofen, 3 times a day, for 3 days, and then take some Tylenol with Codeine when the pain gets really bad. I've already had to take the Tylenol once so far, but hopefully things will begin to taper off. I'm just thankful that I was able to get them done NOW and not down in Camp Shelby! The Army doesn't put you 'under', they simply load you up with Novocaine, wipe the blood off your forehead that might splatter on you while your awake, and then give you 3 days before your up and training again! NO THANK YOU!
Anyways, in about one week I have another dental exam where they will fill 3 - 4 more cavities. All of this work, by the way, is paid for by the Army; thank you taxpayers! (and, of course, my own tax money)
05 May 2007
Mobolization Orders
Finally! The day has arrived where I have received my individual mobolization orders for the WLC (Warrior Leader Course) school I need to attend. May 23rd and 24th will be my 'Home station activities' days. That means Sarah will come with me over to the Litchfield Armory (which is where the unit I am deploying with is based out of) where we will go over paperwork, get her a Military I.D. card, and all that fancy jazz. They will be putting us up in a hotel over there because we live outside of a 50 mile radius from the Armory, so that helps save on gas and time. Then on May 25th is the day I leave for my WLC school. I will say my final goodbyes to Sarah, and any other family members that think they can make it over there that day. I will be transported to the airport where I will be flown, in a round about way, to Camp Shelby, Mississippi. (Also known as the 'Armpit of America' because of the humidity, blah)
Once I am in Shelby, I will have a few days to wait before I take my first P.T. (Physical Training) Test. For many of you that didn't know this, I was having some really nasty back problems. These problems resulted in me not being able to do any P.T. training for... well lets just say a VERY long time. According to the Army standards for this course, you are required to PASS your P.T. Test in order to complete the course. Having not done an P.T. for a VERY long time, I was extremely freaked out. (My back problems have since been fixed and I have been operating at 98%! But only for 1 month, so my P.T. still bites.) By me not passing this test, I would have been forced to stay down in Shelby for the length of the course, and that would not be any fun. However, I just learned this weekend that the Army has changed the P.T. standards for all Leadership schools (Which is what WLC is) meaning that you now DON'T need to pass your P.T. test in order to graduate the school! Talk about a HUGE sigh of relief! I have only been able to train for about 1 month so far to get my 2 Mile run time up to 16:35. Push-Ups and Sit-Ups are no problem, its all that dang running that gets me. Let me just say that I am nowhere near that. Now, however, I have some more time to get ready for the test!
The WLC school is approximately 2 weeks long. The graduation date from the school will be on June 9th. I will not be returning after the school is over, which was a possibility before. (We were hoping I could come back because there was a possibility that the Main Body was deploying later in June. That would allow me a bigger 'Family Day' with the Unit, but that did not happen) The Main Body will be arriving at Camp Shelby on June 7th so I will join up with my Unit right after I graduate. From there we will begin training, training, and still more training. We will be training as close to non-stop as possible. One of the last Units to be deployed to Iraq spent 6 Months training here in the States before they went to Iraq. We, however, will only be training in the States for a MAXIMUM of 90 days! That means we need to cram 6 months worth of training into anywhere from 2 1/2 - 3 Months. Add to that the fact that we are in America's Armpit, and you have some wonderfully warm days and nights!
Talk to everyone later!
Once I am in Shelby, I will have a few days to wait before I take my first P.T. (Physical Training) Test. For many of you that didn't know this, I was having some really nasty back problems. These problems resulted in me not being able to do any P.T. training for... well lets just say a VERY long time. According to the Army standards for this course, you are required to PASS your P.T. Test in order to complete the course. Having not done an P.T. for a VERY long time, I was extremely freaked out. (My back problems have since been fixed and I have been operating at 98%! But only for 1 month, so my P.T. still bites.) By me not passing this test, I would have been forced to stay down in Shelby for the length of the course, and that would not be any fun. However, I just learned this weekend that the Army has changed the P.T. standards for all Leadership schools (Which is what WLC is) meaning that you now DON'T need to pass your P.T. test in order to graduate the school! Talk about a HUGE sigh of relief! I have only been able to train for about 1 month so far to get my 2 Mile run time up to 16:35. Push-Ups and Sit-Ups are no problem, its all that dang running that gets me. Let me just say that I am nowhere near that. Now, however, I have some more time to get ready for the test!
The WLC school is approximately 2 weeks long. The graduation date from the school will be on June 9th. I will not be returning after the school is over, which was a possibility before. (We were hoping I could come back because there was a possibility that the Main Body was deploying later in June. That would allow me a bigger 'Family Day' with the Unit, but that did not happen) The Main Body will be arriving at Camp Shelby on June 7th so I will join up with my Unit right after I graduate. From there we will begin training, training, and still more training. We will be training as close to non-stop as possible. One of the last Units to be deployed to Iraq spent 6 Months training here in the States before they went to Iraq. We, however, will only be training in the States for a MAXIMUM of 90 days! That means we need to cram 6 months worth of training into anywhere from 2 1/2 - 3 Months. Add to that the fact that we are in America's Armpit, and you have some wonderfully warm days and nights!
Talk to everyone later!
21 April 2007
Blog Activation
Greetings! This is the first day for the life of this blog. I hope that this will help to keep everyone informed about what I'm doing over in Iraq, as well as about my wellbeing. Feel free to comment here with any questions or concerns. Depending on how busy I get with our missions, it might be a day before I can respond, or it might be weeks, I'm just not sure at this point.
Starting tomorrow I have exactly 1 month before I leave to begin training! I will be leaving for Camp Shelby, Mississippi for WLC - Warrior Leader Course. This is a 2 week long training course for Sergeants so they can work on the skills and procedures (paperwork, etc.) to function in a leadership position like a Team Leader (which is me) or a Squad Leader. I'll update again later once the Army figures out when we will begin our deployment training.
Sarah, my wife, has been added to the authors of this blog so she can keep people up on things going on at the home-front.
I have some Iraqi Sandstorm footage at the bottom of the page. I couldn't get just one video to show, so my favorite one is the second from the left.
I hope to talk with everyone soon!
Starting tomorrow I have exactly 1 month before I leave to begin training! I will be leaving for Camp Shelby, Mississippi for WLC - Warrior Leader Course. This is a 2 week long training course for Sergeants so they can work on the skills and procedures (paperwork, etc.) to function in a leadership position like a Team Leader (which is me) or a Squad Leader. I'll update again later once the Army figures out when we will begin our deployment training.
Sarah, my wife, has been added to the authors of this blog so she can keep people up on things going on at the home-front.
I have some Iraqi Sandstorm footage at the bottom of the page. I couldn't get just one video to show, so my favorite one is the second from the left.
I hope to talk with everyone soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
