HOME!!!!

Got home to Fort Hood on 11 JAN 2006.

Completed return processing today at 0800 and now I am at home. It is so strange to be back, I haven't even put on civilian cloths yet- haven't unboxed my stuff. It feels strange to be here and not worrying about missions and the like.

We left Iraq on the 6th, and spent a day in baghdad before flying to Kuwait. We spent two days in Kuwait and flew out of theater 10 JAN at 0330 in the morning. We had a lay-over in Romania and Iceland before entering the country at Bangor Maine. There we had to walk through customs and clean our boots. {what the hell was that all about?}

We then flew down to Fort Dix, New Jersey and spent the night there. The team all went to the Officers Club and we tied on one, brother. Not enough sleep, not enough food and plenty of beer made a good unwinding session.

We left Dix at 0330 in the damn morning and slept the ride into Philly and fly down to Dallas. At Dallas we were bumped two times before flying down to Fort Hood. We arrived, got our bags and went through a quick Welcome Home cerimony that was touchingly annoying. Our new Brigade Commander can not talk in public...and should be only allowed out with supervised care.

After that it was a quick drop of stuff and then home. (at least for me as I live here) The boys and the dog were so glad to see me, and so was I to see them. The Wife of course was very happy and we both had tears. It is good to be home.

I fell asleep at about 8:30 pm and was wide awake at 0230. I drove into the post to check in with the rest of the team for our retrun processing and found we all had about the same sleep patterns. A day of medical proding and we closed shop about 4 pm. We had Tae Quan Do last night for the boys (Mikie got his Orange Belt) and then basketball practice until 8:30 pm.

I can home and struggled to stay awake until 10 pm when we went to bed.

This morning was another early day for the last of the medical and now, at 10:30 I am home until next Tuesday.

I will write more later, but it is damn good to be home.

dutch, out

Two and a wake up...

We are like three day from flying out of Iraq. Lat night MNSTC-I Commander MG XXXXXXX flew in and we had a little awards ceremony. We had just finish up my last patrol and of course got hit with an IED. I took a small piece of shrapnel in the face- barely enough to break the skin- but I looked cool for the deal.

This whole experience has been just so…I don’t even know what to call it…

Even though I am coming home I am going to continue to update this site for some time because I am sure I will have things I want to say and can’t right now. It’s just too overwhelming to think about rationally.

I am so looking forward to getting home.

Thanks to everyone for the support this last year.

Dutch- out