Burt

Burt is a good guy. He runs the temporary billeting operation here, ensuring that soldiers transiting through this base have a place to rest their head for the night. Since there are thousands of beds here, he has a big job. Part of my task here was to help Burt automate his processes. I was pretty successful and they are now totally automated.
Being a good guy, Burt hooked me up. A friend of his was off post today with an MWR trip and Burt asked her to drop by a sushi restaurant and bring some sushi back to camp. He squared both me and his lieutenant away (the LT also loves sushi). The meal was great... there was ebi, maguro, salmon, crab, and several rolls to choose from. No sake or Sapporo, but lots of soy sauce and wasabi.
Burt was able to give me a very rare gift... while I was eating the sushi, I was mentally transported back to hanging out with friends at sushi places back home in Hollister, Morro Bay, and Pismo. Burt was able to give me a little slice of home and take me away from this place, if only for a couple minutes.
Thanks, Burt. Who knew raw fish could help so much.

Kim and Hunter

I got a chance to walk down to the phone trailer this evening in order to wish my sister Kim a happy 30th birthday. She should be somewhere in the Las Vegas vicinity by now gambling and having a grand time. All I got was voicemail, so if you haven't checked your voicemail yet, Happy Birthday, Kim.
After leaving the voicemail, I was able to reach Sarema in Hawaii. Amazing things, these modern communications devices. From the middle of the desert, I was able to talk to my wife on her cell phone on an island way out in the Pacific Ocean. Anyhow, she is having a good time and even got to go to the beach and take Hunter in the water. As we were wrapping up the phone conversation, she told me that Hunter has started to crawl. I'm happy that he's finally able to do it because he's been frustrated for the last couple weeks trying to learn how. On the long trek back from the phone trailer, I thought about what I was going to write here and I could not come up with the words to describe what I was feeling. I can't describe what it feels like to be stuck over here and miss the first major milestone's in my son's development.
Bad. It just feels bad.

Still Out

I'm still out on my off-post mission. I've been working hard on fielding a brand new computer system that I had a large part in developing. It's a long process, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I should be out here another 7 to 10 days.
It's not too bad here. Although I live in a tent, it's a large tent and I have it mostly to myself. I keep getting house guests from my unit as they pass through here. One has been stranded for two days so far trying to get on a plane up north.
Sarema and Hunter should be on their way to Hawaii shortly. Sarema was able to hook up a free flight and a free stay on Maui... how's that for cool?
Hunter's one well-traveled baby. He's probably logged more air miles in his 10 months that I did in my first 10 years.

Combat Computer Badge (CCB)

CombatComputerBadge
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

Some get the combat action badge for participating in combat. Infantrymen get the Combat Infantryman's Badge. For my tireless efforts supporting Information Technology in this war, I've been awarded the Combat Computer Badge!
(Rick had a good idea... I need to photoshop a Mac version of this)

On the Gulf

Gulf
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

I went on another trip to KC a few days ago (before coming on the mission I'm on now) and stopped by the water to get a picture. I'm glad that I get to see the water every couple of months or so... I miss living right next to it back in Morro Bay.
Swampmates Jim and John were on the trip with me and Jim snapped this picture (notice how it's a little crooked? ...get it? Jim=lawyer=crooked?) I thought it was funny anyhow.

Hoove Crew mini reunion

Well at least some of my DNA (Hunter) was present at the mini Hoove Crew reunion a few weeks ago in Morro Bay. Sarema posted a picture of the get-together on her website. Mike and Heather were on the left coast with their new son, Max, and they grabbed Randy and Cyndi to come over to Morro Bay for a visit.
I really wish I could have been there to see everyone and meet Max, but you know the deal...
I hope Mike and Heather made it back to the V.I. safely and get the next assignment they are hoping for in the DEA.
Nothing new here. Still working 16+ hours/day up here on this custom application & database I designed. I'll blog more about it when it's done. Until then, it's back to work!

Harvest Moon

Harvest Moon
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

I'm at my temporary assignment for the next couple of weeks. Here's a shot of the harvest moon rising over the tents.
Funny enough, a couple of people have emailed me thinking that my extended off-post mission was either back to the states or back to the place with the hot tub. Sha!
I guess I brought those questions on myself with my good fortune last month, but there are no hot tubs in this picture or within 30 miles, for that matter... and it is freezing cold here. It's in the high 30's low 40's at night, so it's good to be in a heated tent.
Anyhow, the internet cafe here is full of folks most of the time (I waited 30 minutes to get this spot) but I will try to keep everyone up to date on my travels.
...still no hot tub.

Carly Goodwin

Carly
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

I left on a new mission this morning and spent part of the day travelling.
A country music artist, Carly Goodwin, stopped by the camp I'm staying at this evening. She started off by singing the national anthem, so I liked her from the beginning. You can see in the picture that she had her leg up on a chair and a pillow (it's hidden under the blanket)
...apparently she took an accidental stage dive last night at my home camp and ended up needing medical attention. She soldiered on through the knee injury and the bitter outdoor cold here (low 40s) to give the troops a little taste of home tonight. She even brought a 13 mile long piece of butcher paper that she have carried around to all her concerts this past summer so that Americans could write good wishes to the troops. She leaves a couple hundred feet of the paper at every camp they visit. What a neat idea.
I'm not the biggest country music fan (Sarema can testify to that), but I enjoyed her music and I appreciate her spending a month over here traveling around and entertaining the troops. Thanks Carly.

New Pics

Sarema has new pictures posted from her three Christmases. Try to count how many pictures Hunter is wearing a Santa hat in.

Rain

More rain lately. I didn't think it would rain this much or get this cold in Kuwait. for six months out of the year, this is the hottest place on earth. Lately it's been cloudy most of the time and has rained for a few days twice this month. I'm sure we'll wish those clouds were back in a few months when the temperature rises above 100 and stays there for six months.
In a few days, I'm off on another extended mission (couple of weeks). I'll try to blog from my temporary location, but no guarantees. My XboX 360 should arrive soon, so I have something to look forward to upon my return to the Swamp (other than the swamp-mates).

Me and W... Separated at birth?

George and Rob
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

Back home, Art found a website that runs facial recognition software on a picture you provide and compares it with famous people. Kathy, another one of my co-workers back home, put the Macanudo picture in there to see who I look like. Apparently, facial recognition software thinks I look like my Commander in Chief. Fine with me, but I think the software is just concentrating on my ears.
My mom is not W.'s biggest fan, so I can just see her rolling her eyes at this post.
In case you are interested, the website is here.

Foot In Mouth

Foot In Mouth
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

It's a couple months old, but I laugh everytime I see this picture. Seeing this, I know for certain that Hunter is my son because he has my genetic predisposition for sticking my foot in my mouth.

Personal email back up ...kinda

I can access my personal email from work today and a test email from my army address arrived correctly in the charter inbox. I'm surprised that it is not full of junk mail, though. Also, an email from Sarema last night didn't end up in my charter inbox. That's strange.
Anyhow, things look like they are back to normal in the personal email world.

IEDs are no bueno

I work on the other side of a maintenance yard from the headquarters building here. On the way to/from staff meetings, I walk by mechanics, technicians, and welders doing their thing at all hours of the day and night. Sometimes, I get to see damaged vehicles brought down from Iraq. Today, I walked by an up-armored humvee that had obviously been through a roadside bomb or Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Without getting into the specifics, it was impressive what the thick armor could withstand. There was even a chunck of rock imbedded in the heavily armored door... like dropping a green bean into a tub of warm butter.
In case you haven't been reading the news, it's been a rough couple of days for our soldiers and marines over here. The mortuary affairs people are working overtime... they're the folks who make sure soldier's remains get home. I pray for those guys and girls up north that equipment like armored humvees will protect them from the people that mean them harm. In war, though, even prayer can't keep everyone safe.

Cigar Club

Cigar Club
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

When it was time to smoke the Macanudo, I went to the local expert. SFC McElroy, the proponent of the unit's "friday night cigar club," took some of us officers under his wing and showed us the proper way to light, smoke, and enjoy a cigar. (L to R:Jim, John, SFC McElroy, me, Dave)

Macanudo

Macanudo
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

Rick and Cali gave me two Macanudo cigars to take along with me to Kuwait. The humidor package they came in has this written on it: "Easier to explain than ruby slippers." I had never smoked a cigar before this deployment and only had my first one on R&R with Ron in December.
I smoked the first Macanudo the other night with some friends to celebrate the year 2006: the year I get go home to my family. I want Rick and Cali to know that your gift had exactly the intended effect... it was an "escape" back to hanging out and drinking beer with friends almost like we do back home (the beer here is non-alcoholic). Thanks for giving those to me Rick and Cali.
...It was also a much better cigar than my first. It was smooth and lasted like 45 minutes.
I'm saving the next one for Hunter's first birthday that I'm going to miss.

Banner Change

Needed a fresher look around here, so I photoshopped a picture of Sarema, Hunter, and me from my last leave in August and threw it up as a new banner (the top-most picture on the blog). The picture was taken at Shaver Lake in the Sierras, about 3 or 4 days before I left California.

Rock on

Last night, Nikki Barr and her band dropped by our camp to put on a great rock show. Jim and I wandered up to the stage to check out the concert and were pretty impressed. Nikki and the band put on a fun show and played both original tunes and rock classics. She sounded like a cross between Gwen Stefani of No Doubt and Alanis Morrisette.
It's very cool to have people come over all the here to entertain the troops. This place can really get to you after while, so it's good to have folks from home come visit and do something nice for us.

Jonesing

WFFC exit
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

Since I started skydiving in 1997, this deployment is the longest I have gone without leaping from an aircraft while in flight. I keep looking up at the sky wishing that I could be freeflying in it or gliding through it in my wingsuit. My last jump was a two-way with Sarema.
The jonesing is only going to get worse as I don't anticipate jumping again for at least the next eight months (hopefully sometime in september).

BTW, this photo made it into the United States Parachute Association's Parachutist magazine (Oct 04 edition), but it's really special to me because this was one of Hunter's 41 jumps while growing inside Sarema's tummy. (in the picture, she is just leaving the aircraft)

Personal Mail down

I haven't been able to get to my charter email through the web interface for a couple days now. I'm going to stick it out a little longer to see if the problem resolves itself like it has in the past. If you have important traffic for me, for now please email my work address or post it as a comment here.
Thanks!

Coined

Coined
Originally uploaded by Rob Wooldridge.

Major General Wade, the Adjutant General of California (aka the highest ranking Guardsman in the state) dropped by the middle east to visit deployed Calfornia Guardsmen during the holidays. He stopped here, listened to the troops' concerns and heard a very quick powerpoint brief. Before he punched out for the land of In-N-Out, he presented each of the primary staff officers and NCOs (about 12 of us) with one of his coins.

Denied

The off-post "secret" mission to a real New Year's Eve get-together was scrapped at the last minute. I was supposed to provide security (kinda like a wingman in a bar back home, but with a gun) for Dave to meet with his future in-laws who live most of the year just a few kilometers outside our base. His future in-laws don't merit special security, but you can't go off post without a buddy here. Our colonel had approved of the adventure, but his boss, the general, nixed it. Oh well.
So instead we stayed up late, finished off the second season of 24, and I called Sarema at midnite. She was rowing down the napa river in a canoe at the time. Just kidding, but the flooding back in northern California has made international news. Anyhow, I ushered in the new year talking to my lovely wife and watching distant fireworks go off in the Kuwaiti sky.
Back to the grind. here groundhog, heEEEere groundhog...