Spiderman...

Well, it's been a while since I've had a chance to update my blog. Usually the connection isn't that great, but when I have a good connection I can't waste time! So, I'm posting some Spiderman and Green Goblin sightings for William and Tre. I know they miss their Daddy, but they sure do get a kick out of seeing these little guys pop up all over the globe!

Spiderman and the Green Goblin hop on a "Humvee" for a ride...

Spiderman webs the mosque outside my tent...

The Green Goblin wants to throw a pumpkin at it too!

Spiderman and the Green Goblin hop on the plane from South Carolina to Kuwait.

Spiderman and the Green Goblin in Shannon, Ireland.

Full Battle Rattle

1. Interceptor Body Armor (front plate, back plate, side plates)

2. Shoulder protectors

3. Groin protector

4. Neck protector

5. Elbow pads

6. Knee pads

7. Shooting gloves

8. Advanced Combat Helmet

This is my "full battle rattle" as they call it. This doesn't even count the extra gear I have to carry (extra magazines for the M4 and M9), first aid kit, camelback, and other gear in a pack on my back. All in all, it's over 50 pounds of gear... and VERY uncomfortable!

Go ahead... It's okay to laugh.

Tres Knuckleheads

I don't even know what to say about this... Give men guns and they become little boys!

Gear issue and weapons issue complete. Seriously, I think this is kinda like Boy Scout camp with much cooler toys. Of course, it sucks that we'll have to carry our weapons with us everywhere and start wearing the body armor in this 90 degree humid weather, but it's only going to be worse once we get in country (115-120F). Heck, I think I'll be losing weight without even having to run!

Fort Jackson, Day 1

Well, I made it in to muggy Fort Jackson, South Carolina late Saturday night. Really not a whole lot to do other than get my linens, make my rack, and try to get a little sleep. Our first event was Sunday afternoon, so I woke up in time for breakfast (0700), worked out, ate lunch, tried to nap, and readied myself for the painful (but expected) briefs you get everytime you check into someplace new. You know, the usual "drink water" and "show up on time" speeches that you get from about 5 or 6 different people.

The only hiccup that first day came when I realized that it was awfully hard to take the lock off my sea bag using my apartment key! Yeah, I left my Master Lock key in Louisiana so that my in-laws would have access to our place. [Note: That won't work there either... just so you know!]

The second day started off when some enterprising (albeit annoying) individual turned the lights on in our barracks at 0415 to be ready for a 0500 formation. Seriously, I thought we only had men in there! I just got up before the hairdryers started going...

We were issued our gear - at least some of it - and spent the rest of the day putting together our Advanced Combat Helmets (ACH) and Interceptor Body Armor (IBA). All I can say right now is... QUITE uncomfortable! [I'll post pictures later!]

Oh! And, I had an MRE for lunch... Penne in tomato sauce with vegetable sausage crumbles. Eat your heart out, America!

Spiderman at Karate

After moving Sarah and the boys home to Lafayette in preparation for my deployment, I've been spending as much time as possible with them, trying to get a feel for what a "normal" life is like. We enrolled Tre in Karate and went to his first lesson yesterday. After downloading some video, I spotted something unusual... it looks like his Mommy and Daddy weren't the only ones interested in Tre's new education. Just watch.

"My Daddy Is Home!"

My flight got in late last night (almost midnight) but since my body was still on west coast time, I didn't quite feel like going to bed, even after downing a few pieces of cold pizza at about 0130. I finally convinced myself that if I went to sleep much later than 0200, I would be miserable the following morning.

No sooner than I closed my eyes, Tre started calling for "mommy" to cover him. Being the wonderful mom that she is, she climbed the stairs, covered her little boy, and came back to get into bed. The moment her head hit the pillow, Tre called out for "mommy" again. This time, however, I responded.

I went upstairs only to find Tre asking "what that noise was" (Sarah had closed the door a little too loudly). When I told him it was nothing, he realized I was back and leaned down from his bunk bed to give me a big hug. I loved it. I just didn't realize what a mistake that was.

After convincing Tre that I would still be there in the morning, I went back to bed and heard him call "daddy" for the next several hours. First, it was to turn the bathroom light on so he could go potty (hey, I can't complain with him asking not to wet the bed!) Then, it was to ask if I wanted to be the "green guy" (Luigi) on his Wii Mario game. Then, it was to ask if I would be wearing a shirt in the morning, and, if so, could he pick it out for me. [Note: My son does not like me walking around topless.]

Finally, it seemed like he was going to sleep. Until I heard him say, "William... My daddy is home!"