Same old

I apologize for the weak post earlier, time is severely limited on these computers and I had to stop mid way through. This place has lots of phone and internet available, but the free centers have long lines and time limits and the pay centers rip you off. Give me some time and I’ll figure out a system.

Right now we are at a camp in the middle of the desert that, as far as I can tell, is in the middle of nowhere. Right now that’s about as specific as I can be. I haven’t been here that long, but what I have learned is that the wind is always blowing and the sand is always flying every place. No matter how short a walk I take I always return with dirt in my mouth and eyes. If I was willing to dig through my giant duffle bags to look for them it would probably be a good idea to wear my goggles.

While I wouldn’t want to spend much time here, the army has done a decent job of improving the place. We have a few small post exchanges where we can by the junk we need. One is like a small 7-11 and the other is the equivalent of small market/sporting goods/video store. There are also several fast food joints and a souvenir shop. In other words, if you’re looking to spend money, the U.S. government affords you the opportunity to throw it all away pretty easily.

Our current living situation is not much different than what I had expected. Same tent, different country. By now we’re pros at cramming a hundred men into a seventy man tent. The place is pretty much composed of wall to wall cots. The space that isn’t being occupied by a cot is crammed with duffle bags. It’s simple living, but it isn’t that bad at all. We’re all trying to stay positive about the situation and are at least thankful that we’re in a relatively safe area.

As I said earlier, I don’t have a clue how long we’re going to be here. Days, weeks, months, I couldn’t tell you which. I’m still looking forward to finding out where we’re going to end up and what our primary mission will be. There are always lots of rumors, but I’ve learned not to believe anything until it actually happens. For now I’m glad that they’ve given us a few days to rest. Morale is fairly high and we’re all pretty ready to see how this thing is going to play out.