So I guess this is home now. My "house" looks like a shack that belongs in some Louisiana bijou. We're living in a small shanty town instead of a tent village, and I'm not sure that's an improvement. The really creepy thing is that this place use to be a Japanese internment camp. I kid you not. When I was first told, I didn't believe it. But now that I'm here and have had a look around it makes perfect sense. I'm not sure it's good karma to train for war on the site where a historic injustice occurred. Wasn't the government suppose to bulldoze this place and pretend it never happened or something? Anyway, other than the messed up history of this camp, there are various other aspects that my friends and I are not fond of. Sharing 20 shower stalls with 8oo men is definitely one of them. The fact that we are all paying for cell phone service that has suddenly become useless is another. On the brighter side, however, I am now the proud owner of a bottom bunk. I've hung blankets all around the top so now I have my own private room. It might only be 3ft by 6ft, but it's sure better than nothing.

Tomorrow morning marks the first day of our "official" training. I wasn't aware of the fact that all the crap I've been doing up until now wasn't "official." It's enough to make a guy wonder why in the hell the Army dragged him and his buddies off to Texas two months early. Oh well, the time is gone and it's a little ate to complain. I am glad that we are finally going to be trained by soldiers from outside our unit who have actually been to Iraq as Cav Scouts. As many of you know, I'm an avid reader. But when it comes to learning the skills I'll need in Iraq I'd much prefer that the person doing the teaching have real life experience and not just an Army manual. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.