A few of you have been trying to get ahold of me. Sorry I haven't been much at replying, but here's what I'm up to: I managed to get on a Transition Team for Iraq. We basically go in and help the Iraqi Army, Police or Border Patrols set up training, advise and Assist. We are a 9 to 11 man team (Communications, Mechanic, Intel, Weapons specialists, ) Like a special forces teams, only not trained to that same level. We are gonna have about 6 months training.

So, since I got on the team last week, I have done Combat Lifesaver (tourniquets, tubing airways, chest decompression from a collapsed lung), Iraqi (arabic) Language courses, Thise week we have been doing Combat shooting ranges and transitioning from rifle to pistol on the move. (Think the scene in Black Hawk Down on the beach were Sgt Sanders is shooting the rifle moving forward and switches to the pistol mid walk.) I have been getting up around 5-7am and not getting home until like 7pm-1am some nights. I'm tired, sore, headaches from learning too much, and when people jump out on me, I reflexively reach for my rifle and then pistol before I realize I'm not wearing them. You wanna talk about conditioned responses!

We have heard that this team will get canceled, but until it is, we are training for war. I'm tired! I need to crash. I'll try to catch up with everyone this weekend!