Our young Folk

I stood at attention yesterday as the National Anthem was played over the base's loudspeaker. It was timely since it was the 4th of July. And I'm in a country that is becoming a country. The people of Iraq understand that they are making history. But they want it fast. Of course nothing is fast here and for that matter wasn't fast for us some 227 years ago but in this day and age people want things fast. The soldiers that are helping this country rebuild, the soldiers in the trenches with the local Iraqis are doing some of the most amazing work I've ever seen. These young men and women are reaching into their souls to make a difference for Iraq. They continue to show me how much they want to help this country. They volunteer for dangerous missions outside the wire to build a school, a playground, secure a city street. All the while knowing that someone out there doesn't want them to make this a better country; because it diminishes their worth and value. But as I look at these young kids, it makes me glad to see that their generation is standing up to what their country needs them to do. They are becoming "the next greatest generation". The ages of these young adults range from 18-26 and they are so into doing a great job that it makes me proud to still be wearing this uniform. And then the wounded at the hospital are asking for prayers for their unit and all of the other men and women in the field. They ask nothing for themselves. Unbelievable!

A funny thing happened to me on the way home from the gym. I've allowed some guys to use my roof on my hooch to attach a wireless internet signal booster. They need to use a plug in my hooch as well. So, thank goodness I let them because it required him to run this extension cord thru my window. As I am getting back from the gym I reach for my hooch keys only to find that I don't have them. Then I remember the window. I take off my flak vest and helmet and open the window. Well the opening is barely 1 feet wide. I think I can climb up and into my room. But, as luck would have it, I haven't worked out enough. I get halfway into the window when I get stuck. But I see my keys not more than 3 feet away on the bed. I can't reach it but I can reach my bathroom kit/bag. I put the kit on my keys but, this is where I've worked out too much, I pull it too hard dropping the keys onto the floor at the base of the window. By now I am securely stuck in the window. My hooch is behind a protective concrete barrier and I'm hoping nobody can see me. I can't go back out and I'm trying to suck in my gut to move in. I'm pulling at the bed, sucking in my gut and I'm moving very slowly into my hooch. I reach down and grab the keys and find that my feet are nearly pointing straight up outside window. My white chicken legs are waving about in the dusty breeze. My gut is getting ripped to pieces by the window, am I'm getting dusty from head to toe. I am stuck. I try to go back out, that don't work. I continue to try to go in only to find that if I continue inside, I will fall into the biggest pile of dust bunnies I ever seen on the side of the bed. By the way, this is not my bed, it's the spare one on the other side of the room. I see no other way but to force myself inside. I start moving my legs frantically like a helicopter to try to move forward. This starts to works so I twirl my legs harder, suck in my gut, keep my grunting low so as to not attract attention and I fall in a heap in the dust bunnies. Ha, I didn't have to walk to the office to get a spare key. That is that.