Decline and Fall

The life of someone preparing to go to Iraq is a busy one, which is why I haven't "blogged more freely" this past week. Last week was spent at Ft. Benning, Georgia, land of the 56k modem, checking off a bunch of bureaucratic boxes to ensure that I was ready to embark. These boxes included everything from making sure my inoculations were up to date (lucky me I'm not "mission essential," so I got out of the Anthrax shot this time) to learning the latest techniques for spotting IEDs, and attending to a gunshot wound. Let's just say I hope I never have to use my new needle decompression of tension pneumothorax skills.

By the end of the week I should be somewhere in the Middle East, and I will likely have landed in Baghdad by this time next week. Beyond that I don't know much. I'll check in once I'm on the ground in Iraq, if not sooner, and I'll have some analysis up once I've gotten my bearings.

Labels: Iraq, personal