See ya after my Vacation!!

[ender098]

I've been busy lately and haven't had the time to post many pics. I have got my next dio story 95% complete, but a busted water heater and Comic book Creator V1 going bad delayed my plans to publish it before I left. (not to mention that 4 emails and 2 calls to Planetwide comics have been totally ignored!!) Anyway I hoped to get all this stuff (and much more) taken care of before I shipped out to Iraq.

Yeah, I got the news Last week that one of the guys heading over there decided to take orders to another base at the last minute and they needed a Staff NCO to take his place. I was told Mid-late august, but I found it just got moved up...mid-late July. So I'll be outta here before I can spit! I've been told twice before I was going but the plans fell through....either someone else took my place or my unit wouldn't part with me...so I didn't want to tell everyone "bye" again and then look like a fool once more. But this time it seems fairly certain that I'm deploying. I've got about 200lbs of new weird gear issued to me and I'm doing the most screwed up of training. Oh well!

Anyway, I SHOULD be able to log on to JD once I get online in country (even though my Personal laptop I just bought to take won't get here until AFTER I leave and Kris is gonna have to ship it to me!). Man, this trip is more stress than it's worth. I don't mind the danger, it's the jumping through my @$$ to get ready to go that's ticking me off. Anyway, if it takes a while before I get the chance to talk to anyone, you know where I'm at! I'll be fine and back in the US around February - March of 2009 timeframe!

Catch ya on da bounce!

[ToneGunsRevisited]

I can't say I'm happy to see a friend flying for a country that is in flames, but it was your wish so I'll stay here hoping to talk with you at Iraqi!

Go!!!

[Outrider]

Frank, stay safe my man, and log on whenever you have the chance. Can't wait until you're back safe and sound! God bless, buddy.

[ender098]

[QUOTE=Outrider]Frank, stay safe my man, and log on whenever you have the chance. Can't wait until you're back safe and sound! God bless, buddy.[/QUOTE]


Thanks! I'll keep my eyes open for goodies we can use in Dios over there. Yeah, it ain't like we're gonna be running out to the local Walmart, but they usually have Local Trinkets for sale at the little PX's. Since the war has calmed down a bit, maybe I will get a chance to see what the country is like rather than hiding behind the wire and fixing computers!

[Agent Viper]

Good luck man!

[C-GDSM 2487]

HAVE a safe tour of duty... :)

[silentdusty]

Have a safe tour over there Frank. Keep your head down, and we'll keep an eye out for your return.

[snakeeater]

Stay safe Frank. Hope you get to post here often while you're over there too.

[Urban Saboteur]

My Best wishes to you dude, as someone else said it's seemed what you wanted so go for it! :D

[justinm]

stay safe and have fun posting pics there!

[Rambo]

You are in our prayers. I know you will return safe and sound. I would like to make more deals with ya... :cool: Semper Fi!!

[Bayer]

[QUOTE/Ender98]I don't mind the danger, it's the jumping through my @$$ to get ready to go that's ticking me off. Anyway, if it takes a while before I get the chance to talk to anyone, you know where I'm at! I'll be fine and back in the US around February - March of 2009 timeframe![QUOTE]

Remember Jarhead - its the military! That's what they think your @$$ is for. Speaking from my turn in the green, keep you head down, ears open and @$$ (or mouth - which ever sounds off more) shut and all will be rosie. Watch out for sand fleas and we'll see ya soon. Semper Fi!!

[ender098]

[QUOTE=Urban Saboteur]My Best wishes to you dude, as someone else said it's seemed what you wanted so go for it! :D[/QUOTE]


Rich, please tell me that pic for CoolandComsic isn't your wife or girlfriend! And is that young lady single? Why do you have to torture a guy like that before 7 months without my wife? LOL

[justinm]

[QUOTE=ender098]Rich, please tell me that pic for CoolandComsic isn't your wife or girlfriend! And is that young lady single? Why do you have to torture a guy like that before 7 months without my wife? LOL[/QUOTE]
lol,stop making me wish I was in my 20's!

[Urban Saboteur]

She's a member over on my forum :D and she participates in cosmic chat every friday night.. if that helps..
I was going to also say I don't know of her status.. but you could ask her that right? :o

[justinm]

[QUOTE=Urban Saboteur]She's a member over on my forum :D and she participates in cosmic chat every friday night.. if that helps..
I was going to also say I don't know of her status.. but you could ask her that right? :o[/QUOTE]
F***,today is saturday! One day late!

[lehsreh]

[COLOR=Red]like i said before, it takes some real guts to go where your going. just stay out of harms way and uh... enjoy the vacation.[/COLOR]

[troopsofdoom]

Best of luck!

[Scarrviper]

[QUOTE=Outrider]Frank, stay safe my man, and log on whenever you have the chance. Can't wait until you're back safe and sound! God bless, buddy.[/QUOTE]

Couldn't have said it better. Good luck.

[ender098]

Well, I Made it. I'm here and doing well. Can't take pics, but what the heck, right? I'll have a ton of stories to tell when I get back. Thanks for all the well Wishes and I'll try to drop a few comments every week until I can get back!

[General Scarlett]

Stay safe Frank.....don't come back feet first.... :cool:

[nando]

STAY SAFE man God BLEES U , GOOD LUCK

[Agent Viper]

Aye Frank, alas.
Have fun and tuck that lip in before you get it caught on tripwire!

[4-Cobra]

Hey Man stay Safe,and a BIG THANKS to you and everyone else in our Military for the GREAT Job you do!All of you are in my thoughts & Prayers....Again..Stay Safe & God Bless.. :)

[ender098]

Don't worry all, I will stay safe. I'm not a young man anymore and I know the difference between bravery and stupidity! Thanks for the well wishes and I'll keep in touch!

[ToneGunsRevisited]

[QUOTE=ender098]Don't worry all, I will stay safe. I'm not a young man anymore and I know the difference between bravery and stupidity! Thanks for the well wishes and I'll keep in touch![/QUOTE]
Go on Frank. Your friends know how long you are trying to get on field.

[neapolitan joe]

Good luck Brò, take Your eyes well opened and take control of Yourself.
I'll think and I'll pray for You, my Friend.
Here in south Italy the old people remember with love and friendship the U.S. guys that give us Freedom during WWII from the Nazis (our ex-ally).
Now I cannot understand all the reasons of this war :confused: : in Europe we think this is a "strange" war, but always a war.

Do not worry about Joes, in March everythink'll be ready for the "Movie-Invasion"!
Francesco. :)
YO JOE!!!

[ender098]

[QUOTE=neapolitan joe]Good luck Brò, take Your eyes well opened and take control of Yourself.
I'll think and I'll pray for You, my Friend.
Here in south Italy the old people remember with love and friendship the U.S. guys that give us Freedom during WWII from the Nazis (our ex-ally).
Now I cannot understand all the reasons of this war :confused: : in Europe we think this is a "strange" war, but always a war.

Do not worry about Joes, in March everythink'll be ready for the "Movie-Invasion"!
Francesco. :)
YO JOE!!![/QUOTE]


Yes, this is a strange war. We started it on intelligence that didn't pan out (no WMD found!), yet in the end we did a good thing by getting rid of Saddam Hussein. The problem was, we didn't realize that all these different factions (Sunni Shia, Kurd, not to mention different families, tribes and cliques) didn't get along. Saddam kept them in line with violence and trechery. We had NO idea what we were getting into. Once Saddam was gone, the old feuds started again and we had to intervene. Now, we are trying to rebuild a country and hopefully make a friend.

See, in WWII it was easy, the Nazi's were bad guys and everyone was glad to see them leave, but in the Middle East the evil people have twisted the common man to believe that their religion wants them to fight and kill anyone who is not muslim. So we have to reassure them that this is not a crusade to convert them, they can remain muslim, but we won't tolerate terrorism. We need a friend in the Middle East because the countries over here won't always stop terrorists. It's a matter of "Yeah, they may be bad, but they are Muslim, like us, not infidel like you." It's a hard battle to fight. Even more than Vietnam, here we have to try harder to win "Hearts and Minds". Not to mention these people are poor, and some are not terrorist, but terrorists pay them to plant bombs. If you're children were starving and someone offered you $300 to plant a bomb, wouldn't you do it to feed your family? In the begining, we didn't realize this and were thinking these guys were insurgents and killing and arresting them. Most of the time now, we catch them and interrogate them and they help us catch the insurgents. then we give them some money for thier families, thank them and let them go home! Many come back to us to tell us when the insurgents come back.

For right now, we are winning. We are helping the Iraqis build an infastructure with water, power, and governement to include a police force and military. I hope in 20 years it will be safe enough to bring my kids here on vacation and show them where I worked. I know I don't wanna sit home and watch Iraq fall apart if I can help rebuild it into a better place!