HOLIDAY SEASON

Time just seems to be flying by. It seems like every time I get a second to catch a breath, something pops up and I am suddenly behind again. The last week and a half were so hectic, but it sure makes the time go quicker. We had a BBQ today for the deployment’s “Over the Hump”. It is a time honored tradition of recognizing the middle of deployment and taking a breather. Since I arrived later in October then most of the people it is not MY Over the Hump, but I will take it.

I had one trip this week. It was only for a day, but it turned out to be very worthwhile. I have started hosting a group gathering of the Operations Officer’s so we can deconflict projects, address any issues, and talk about future work. This month’s meeting was at Al Taqaddum which was an old Iraqi Air Base. It is right along a lake which makes it almost tranquil if you are on that side of the base. It also has a bunch of old Iraqi aircraft which had been buried in hopes of hiding them from us and reusing them at a later date. It has a fascinating history.

The holidays are starting to build up. We have not heard if anyone is visiting for Christmas, but it would not surprise me. A church group of one of our guys sent knit caps for everyone. They were all hand knitted and in multi colors. You find people walking around the office with random color hats on.

I am continuing to study for my Fleet Marine Force qualification. It is a big long process to learn all about the Marines, their capabilities, and how they operate. I have my qualification board at the end of the month. It is a lot of studying but worth it.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. Thanks as always for the support from back home. It is very appreciated by everyone.