11 October 2007...

Last week was pretty nice, an all expenses paid trip to Doha, Qatar for four glorious days of R&R. If you have the opportunity to go during your deployment, I highly recommend it. I didn't see too many dudes sportin' War Whiskers down there, but it was probably 95% Army troops there. Maybe they just don't read Air Force Times. All in all it was a very relaxing time, and the MWR crew and facilities were top notch. The only down side was traveling back to Baghdad, which left me more exhausted than I was even before I left. We were coming back right as Iraq's rainy season was kicking off I guess, because our plane got struck by lightning on the way to our 1st stop, Balad. So a 30 minute stop turned into a 15 hour layover because the bird was damaged and they canceled the rest of our mission. But we eventually made it back safe and sound to Baghdad.

I think it goes without saying that the hardest part of deploying isn't doing the job, but leaving your loved ones behind. I can't say if this has been an especially tough deployment for me since it's my first, but it's been particularly difficult because I've missed a lot of firsts. Mine and my wife's first wedding anniversary. The first time she felt our unborn son move inside her. Depending on how long it takes me to get back to my home station in Japan after my deployment is up, I may not be there when he's born. Luckily, I've gotten to see a couple pictures of him from ultrasounds, and I have to say, the little tyke is already starting to take after his old man. But even as I think of the sacrifices I'm making to be over here, I know they pale in comparison to what many of my fellow servicemen and women have had to deal with. Even in the face of all that, things I see over here from time to time keep me believing that it's all worth it.

A few days ago one of the broadcast journalists I work with did a story here in Baghdad on what is called a "Model Muhalla." A muhalla is basically a small neighborhood, the basic units that make up the districts and city of Baghdad. Coalition soldiers are focusing security and reconstruction efforts on some select muhallas which, after they're revitalized, serve as examples to surrounding neighborhoods of what the future can hold. Seeing the footage of what can only be described as a vibrant urban setting with bustling markets and laughing children was a real inspiration to me. The reality is that the bigger picture in Iraq doesn't look much like what I saw in that video of that small section of Baghdad. But the optimist in me believes it is still possible for the rest of the country to one day share the happiness that I saw on those people's faces. We can do little to stop someone who decides to cause chaos by blowing them self up as an act of perceived holy retribution or vengeance. But if we can continue to show people a better way to live, maybe they won't make that decision in the first place. Success in that endeavor is what I one day hope to be able to tell my son that I was a part of.