- I'm a stereotype. I'm not wrong. I'm cuddly.
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ALCON,
I am now in Kuwait. I am not sure if I will be on the computer too much until we get back to Bragg. It is too much a pain in the ass. Can't wait to get home though. We are sooooo close. Today is the 3rd... so in like 11 days! YAY! I am excited! I can't wait to get back and take a break. Should be in the academy in July (insha allah) I am hoping! I hope that all is well on the home front. Look forward to hearing from you all! HIUGS!
Katie/ Kat
- Workin' like a one-armed paper-hanger with an itch... (2)
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Hey all!!
Almost out of here! Should be in St. Louis by the 14th of June! YAY! I am wicked excited! I have been working wicked hard to get us out of here. I am not sure how well I did, but I tried. Remind me to never again take on supply! This has been the most stressful 2 weeks ever! Been working 15+ hour days. I am going to be so glad to get back home! I am not going to have the best computer acess for the next 2 weeks, so I won't be able to check my MySpace. Send me emails my Yahoo and I should be able to get it and reply quickly. Hopefully everything is tracking so that I start the police academy in July. Crossing my fingers, hoping, and praying. Since I am starting so soon after the deployment I will be able to finish the academy and all of any probation time that I have to complete before any more deployments come up! Thank goodness!!!! I hope that everyone is doing well. I can't wait to see you all!
HUGS
Katie / Kat
A wise girl kisses but doesn't love, listens but doesnt believe, and leaves before she is left - Marilyn Monroe
- re: please don't call me a chinchilla
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Hey all. D-day is drawing nearer. I can't wait! Our replacements are here and setting in just fine which means we should still be on schedule to get back. I can't wait! The last month has been wicked crazy busy! But it is almost over so that is all that matters. More good news... I got an email from one of the detectives at the PD. He is going to do my background investigation. YAY! That is good news! So if he calls, put in a good word for me ;)
Well I have to get to work. I will try to keep in touch better... but I don't have internet in my room anymore.
HUGS to you all,
Katie-Kat
- Foreign Excellent Raincoat Company
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Hey all! How is everyone! Not much new. I thought that I would throw out an email while I still had internet. Nothing has changed... still looks like I should be home in the 2nd week in June-ish. I am really looking forward to a big steak and a cold beer! It is the little things that are missed here. Like rain... heard you have been getting a lot of rain lately! I miss thunderstorms! How are the earthquakes? I bet that is interesting! Well I hope all is well and I look forward to seeing you all (most of you all?) very soon! Take care, stay safe... and the next 30 days or so should fly by!
HUGS!
Katie / Kat
- Coming home
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Hey all...
It is about that time again. Sorry I haven't written in so long. We have
communication blackouts. Just like last time, except we hadn't had one
for a long time here. I apologize that it has been a while. Haven't been
able to check my mail on MYSPACE in a while either. I can log in it
seems but I get no further.
I hope that all of you are doing well. I am doing as well as possible.
Took over the supply section again so it has been a crazy month. Been
working longer hours than before... But it is almost done. Soon I will
be back home. I can't give exact dates for OPSEC reasons. But it is
about 40 days out give or take. So close... I am freaking out. I have so
much that I have to get done before we leave here it is insane. I can't
wait to get back and dress like a girl once in a while again. That will
be great!
It is starting to get hot here. The sand storms are dying down finally.
Not a moment too soon either! I feel like I have the Sahara desert in my
chest! With the change of seasons, it make me realize all the little
things that I miss. This is going to sound insane, but I miss the sound
of lawn mowers on a Saturday afternoon, the smell of freshly cut grass.
I miss being able to get into my car and just drive! I miss having my
friends close by. I missed one of my good friends making a spur of the
moment decision and getting married... I wish I could have been there.
An army friend of mine and his wife just had twins... CONGRATS! I wish I
could have been home to send them a little something. It is surprisingly
the little stuff that I miss! Amazing!
I heard about all the earthquakes in St. Louis... How come all the cool
stuff happens when I am gone??!?? Not that it's good, but yeah, I am
jealous. I also heard that it is slightly cooler than normal at home.
That means I am going to be freezing at night for the first couple of
weeks. Anything below the mid 70s is going to be chilly... And it only
gets hotter here. Who knows!
There isn't that much to report on over here. Not much going on. Just
getting ready for the redeployment and getting ready for the
replacements to take over. The quicker they take over the sooner we can
get out of here. That's why the approx. day is give or take.
See you all soon!!! HUGS!
Katie
- Story from a Contractor in Iraq
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I got to go on my first trip outside the gate yesterday. Myself and another IPLO/IPA (International Police Laison Officer recently changed to International Police Advisor), Little Jim (he is normal sized, but we have another Jim that is bis, so...). He has been here about three months and has only been out the gate four times before today. I have tried to keep from useing the alphabet soup that is so prevelent here, but ned to throw some in just this once. Jim and I loaded up with a small group of MPs in three HMMWV (humvees) and an ASV (Armored Security Vehicle) and headed out the gate to the local IHP (Iraqi Highway Police) station. Just outside the gate is MSR Tampa (Main Supply Route), the largest supply route in the country. It is a big four lane with a median strip that starts down in Kuwait, goes up past Baghdad and runs clear out west to the Syrian border. It is one of the heavest traveled roads for convoys and so attracts more then its share of trouble. THe IHP dont patrol it so much, but they do set up checkpoints at frequentenough intervals that they are within sight of each other, the Idea being the they can monitor the road for any shady insurgent behavior.
During the day. They have to go out every morning at sunrise to see if the badguys have been up to thier tricks during the night. So, anyway, we got out on the road and headed up to the IHP station bout five miles up the road. It was a nice change to get off post.
Everythoing inside the gate is a dull sand color, but outside, there is a lot of greenery and color in the Euphrates River Valley. There is also a lot of trash. The countryhas a general seedy apperance, but for thoes not living in palaces, finding a meal and trying to stay alive seem to be bigger priorities than adopt-a-highway programs. Like everyware else in the country, there was a lot of trash lying around which includes blown up vehicles and equipment. Once at the police station there was a lot of meet and greet with handshakes all around as we met the Police Chief and his officers for the region. In Iraq, an officer is a policeman of the rank of leutienent or above, everything else is a police man. Jim, a couple of the soldiers and our interprater, Paulie located the station classroom and assembled an audience of six policemen and we conducted a class on building entry and room clearing. THe class went well and the Iraqis seemes to be eager to learn and enthusiastic about training. Myself and a couple of the soldiers critiqued and played bed guys, generically referred to as Ali Babba. After about an hourof that we wrapped up the class and went to visit with the Police CHief. Aside from doing a bit of training on these visits, we are required to get some stats from the Chief that we submit to our admin people. We spent an hour doing that, then saddles up and headed towards our next objective, the IP (Iraqi Police) station in Tunis, back down Tampa and across a side road a couple of miles. More of the same, a little handshaking, and another half-dozen guys for the same class taughtby your's truly.
To Be Continued..............
- Scratch golfer finds ball in poison oak
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Hello all! I am sorry that I have been a terrible emailer. I suck!
Well good news! I should be back in STL no later than the 1st of June! Although that is not in time to get back into the June class of the academy :( But hopefully I will be back at it by the next class start! Plus it'll give me a chance to get my head back into the game and study a bit. I miss home! It is starting to warm up here and I heard that there has been a lot of snow! So I don't really miss that! Sorry guys! I hope that all is well I don't really have any thing else to say. I attached some photos... went to the fireman's BBQ and got into their pants... See the pictures you dirty minds! Don't worry I am not trading over to the dark side... I'll stick to stying out of burning buildings thank you!
Hugs to all!
Katie
- What? Am I flypaper for freaks?!?!
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Hi all! I am still kicking! Been wicked busy. Other than the usual not much going on out this way. Which is a good thing for all of you worry-worts. Hmmmmm I am not sure what to report on this week. I am sure that my emails are getting dull. At least last time I had stuff to talk about. Oh we got snow a couple of weeks ago. That was crazy! Been 5 years or so since it snowed it this part of the country. HUGE snowflakes. It was awesome. Made me a tad homesick though. Looks like I am not coming home on leave. I think that I told everyone that. Trying to get my troops out first. I may take a 4 day pass to Qatar. But otherwise, we are at 4 months and counting. (That is if we get out of here by May) But if not it'll be July. No biggie. Last deployment was way longer. Unless you count the time I was working in the rear this last year. Then it is about the same. I miss home very much! Oh I finally got one of my Christmas packages that was missing... My sister Lori and her kids sent me a pink build-a-bear cat, dressed in the old army greens... beret an all! It was too cute. I also received a Gund Teddy Bear from an unidentified sender. That was weird. It was in a gift bag, sent directly from the merchant... but no invoice or who it was from. WEIRD! I hope that all is well on the home front. I can't wait to get home and take a holiday. That is all I have for this letter. Miss you all. HUGS! Katie, Kat, SGT Blackburn... whatever it is these days :)
Slainte!!
Wellllllll. I tried to send this out a week ago... but as you can see it went NOWHERE! Then I got stuck in Ramadi for a few extra days... Not much new since the last time I wrote ^ Ummmm Oh yeah... 3 weeks ago I started having pain in my right hip... I haven't been able to sleep!!! Turns out I have bursitis! Oi! They gave me an anti inflammatory... and now I just wait it out. Turns out I run too much... The Doc wants me to cut back on the mileage that I run weekly. Oh well... I guess that it will get better. Doc said that it'll take a while to get better but it will eventually go away, and it isn't going to cause any serious damage. Whew! Thank goodness!!! Hope that everyone is doing well. HUGS!!!! Miss you all tons!!! Laters, Katie.... Kat
- the art of driving a giant, nuclear powered duck
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Hey all,
I know that I have promised pictures... BUT the computers here hate me right now... soooooo you just have to wait. Hmmmmm I don't think that I have emailed since Christmas. Let me see... been wicked quiet here. Not so much in other areas so I am glad that I am here (sort of). Sounds dumb but more action would make the PSYOP job easier. It gives us stuff to actually counter. But here they are really supportive of most everything... so it is like *Pat on the back* good job guys keep doing what you are doing! But I am glad that it is safer here... less to worry about with the guys out there daily. The holidays were okay. We gave the lower enlisted the day off on Christmas, and all the NCO's that aren't in key positions. (I had to work a half day so it wasn't bad) No one actually really worked. The guys sat in the main office (with the 42in plasma TV) playing X-box and Playstation. And the Sirs were here playing too... it actually got kind of out of control. I feel like I have said this already... so on the New Years Eve
Soooo My roommate and got to go watch a controlled detonation of like 2000lbs of explosives! It was massive. We were still close enough that we felt the "thump" in our chests when the boom went off. WOW! It is so cool when the explosion isn't being placed to kill you. (Not many people get out of a vehicle after being blown up and says "Wow, that was cool!" We usually smoke and thank god that we didn't poop ourselves... that would be embarrassing!) Well the explosion got the guys that did it in trouble... blew out a couple of windows in the chapel... the Ugandans that guard the mess hall shut it down because they thought that we were being attacked.... and out in town it blew out a bunch of windows so they had to go apologize to the locals. But otherwise it was awesome!!! Good times. Who would have thought (not me) that I would ring in 2008 with 2000lbs worth of explosives in the Iraq desert. Would have been better with family and friends but I will take what I can get!
Ummmmmm not really all that much more that would of any interest. Eat, sleep, and go to the gym. Still working on quitting the smoking. BUT they just dumped a whole separate section on to me. I have two sections being run by ME that are usually run by two people! Good times! Wicked awesome. Oh well. I will survive.
Miss everyone and can't wait to see most of you when I get home. Hope everyone is doing great.
Take care and HUGS
Kati
- we never once talked about a blow dryer
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Hi guys...
Sorry for the delay. I have been busy. I got a position promotion. I am taking over the whole s-4 (Which is supply and motorpool for you non-military) The computers are temperamental here. I hope that everyone's Christmas and New Years was all that is should have been. I miss you all, and i will try to do a real update to include pictures very soon. HUGS
Misses you!
Kaite
Kat
SGT Blackburn
- Happy New Now!
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Hey everyone!!!!
I have pictures!
Sorry it has been a little bit longer than a week! Glad to see so many emails in my inbox to ensure that I am still in fact alive. (Which I am!) I was out with one of the teams in Ramadi. Good times! I miss getting out there! We got to eat some local food... I miss that too. It is so good! There is nothing better than eating out on the economy after 2 months of the same old same old in the mess hall. And after walking around all morning with that heavy body armor and ammo on it is a welcome relief. Especially since in the area we went to is a secure compound so we got to take all the heavy crap off and enjoy lunch, 7UP, and chai (Tea in Arabic). There was also the sweetest most adorable little girl there too. She was not shy at all. One of the guys goes into the area all the time so she knows him. It was cute, as soon as we rounded the corner to the alley she ran up to him to get her hugs! She let me pick her up and hold her. She is about 3 and a half so she was on my level of Arabic speaking. She spoke English really well for her age as well. There were IPs (Iraqi Police) in the area as well. They thought that I was the coolest thing since sliced bread... There are almost no military women that go out with the guys. SO the Iraqis in this area haven't seen too many of us, if any. Much like my old area last time. Got to spend time with the teams, that is always fun! I miss the guys that are bot collocated with us here on Fallujah. It is so hard to get out to see them too sometimes.
I hope all is well. Take care!!
Happy Holidays! Hope that they are wonderful and bright!
Love Katie, Kat, SGT Blackburn
- Iraq Care Packages
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Many people are sending care packages to the middle east for our soldiers. I have been asked several times what is good to send. In light of this I have developed a list of useful things to send to Iraq.
- Non-perishable snacks
- Gatorade powder
- Flashlights (with a red lens if possible)
- Seasonings and spices (army cooks are not too good)
- Microwave popcorn
- DVD’s
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- AA batteries
- D batteries
- Air freshener, stick-ups, Fabreeze
- Canned air to blow dust out of electronics
- Sewing kit
- Lysol wipes /wet wipes (baby wipes work too)
- Hot cocoa mix
- Hand warmers
- Inflatable seat cushions
- Razors
- Ink pens
- Word Puzzle books
- Icy/hot patches
- Air activated heat wraps for sore muscles
- Microwaveable plates and bowls, paper plates
- Foot powder
- Vitamins
- Paperback books
This is obviously not a complete list. These are the things in my experience that I found useful. If you have any additions feel free to add them as a comment.
- Happy let's eat lots of yummy food day!
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Hello everyone!
Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was great. Missing you all, wicked hardcore! This time last year I was sitting around with friends and family and couldn't have been happier. (Well except for the headache thing... a couple of you will get that) I got to go to Baghdad and see my Uncle Mark... that was good. At least I got to have family around. I was thinking of all of the things that I am thankful for and here are a few (I know totally Cliche!)
I am thankful for all of you who support me. If I didn't have you all back home giving all the positive reinforcement that you send, I don't think that I would make it through the deployment with my head on straight. I am thankful that I have a family that understands that I won't get to be home for every holiday, birthday or anniversary any more. I know that you all think that it SUCKS but I know that you all understand too. I am thankful that I have such wonderful people in my life. If it weren't for you even back stateside I could probably loose my mind. I love you all, and miss most of you ;) (JUST KIDDING!!! Miss you all!!)
Happy Thanksgiving. Hope that it was everything it was supposed to be.
HUGS!!
Katie
Kat
Little Bird
- ASAP's Fables
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Hey everyone,
How are things back home? I am doing well. Nothing too exciting... That is the way we like it (sometimes). Sometimes it gets too boring. Sorry if it has been a while since my last email... I can't remember when the last one went out. This one has pictures though so it makes up for me being untimely! One of our guys had a baby last week so that is the reason for the cigars. (Well his wife had the baby he got to hear it over the phone!) We decided that we should celebrate. The cigar that I am holding is not actually mine... I just wanted to hold it so that I looked cool!!
I hope that all is well back home. I will try to be more timely on my weekly (biweekly) updates... I just sometimes have nothing to talk about since NOTHING happens here!
Love you all,
HUGS
Katie, Kat, Little Bird.
- Veterans Day
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It is Monday November 12th 2007, and it is Veterans Day.
I guess I am a veteran. I got back from Iraq over a year and a half ago. It seems like a different life. I don't feel like a veteran.
I like to sit with my grandfather and listen to his stories from the army. My dad used to tell about when he was a police officer in Globe, AZ. My dad was not in the army but his father was and he would tell me second hand stories from his father. I can remember visiting my uncle at the different forts that he was stationed at when I was a kid. He was in during the first gulf war. These are the people that are veterans. These are the hero's that we should honor today and every day.
If you know of a hero that we should honor place a post here.
--Travis
