February 8, 2010 | Day 1 in Balad

Below are some notes I took when we got here. I’m too tired to put these is paragraph form right now.

-This base was the first test unit of integration during WWII. They let the blacks fly… known as the Tuskagee Airmen – Red Tails – 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. About 50% of soldiers here are Air Force
-This place gets mortared almost on a daily basis. We have been told the hits are usually on the other side of the base where the air crafts are located. We are only 50 miles from Bagdad.
-We received a commander’s coin from 332nd Red Tail One; a coin that most soldiers don’t even dream of receiving.
-Nice CHU except my bathroom was flooded!
-Even though the flight lines are miles from us we can hear the air craft taking off every few minutes.
While having dinner at DFAC we heard ‘Indirect hit, all clear, all clear’ over the intercom. We were told if it’s a ladies voice we are safe. If it’s a man’s voice then we are to run to a bunker. That did not occur!

After dinner we went to see the C-RAM in action. Currently can’t remember what that stands for but the machine is used to detect and intersect incoming air threats. When an air threat is detected, this machine is pointed in the general direction and fired off. It shoots and finds the threat and blows it up in the air. There is a more technical way of explaining this but the best way I can explain it is by relating it to the red turtle shell you get on Mario Cart. When you have a red turtle shell you can shoot at any opponent in site and the turtle shell will find them and make them burn out!!
After watching the C-RAM we proceeded to Super Bowl party at the MWR, signed autographs, performed and held a cheer contest among units and the winner gets dinner with us tomorrow night.

We have been lucky with the rain because it keeps the dust down a little bit. Unfortunately the dust is starting to get to us. We are noticing dust in our ears more frequently, dirty snot when we blow our noses and we all have developed a minor, shallow cough. We are embracing every aspect of this trip, including the dust! It wouldn’t be a trip to Iraq with out a few dust issues! Headed to bed for another long day in Balad. All we know about tomorrow is that the entire day is scheduled and that we get to go to the hospital on base. We are a little nervous about this but excited at the same time. Updates tomorrow!

Good Night – God Bless!

P.s. The past 3 nights were spent at a place called Camp Speicher. On this base they have place called Freedom Rest where soldiers can go for 4 days at a time to rest. They have nice rooms, a pool, a 24 hour restaurant where they can pretty much order anything they want, computers, TV, every gaming machine you want, karaoke… I could go on. The neat thing about staying here was being able to witness the soldiers let lose. Most of them there are from all different bases and don’t know each other but it’s so fun to see them let lose on karaoke and even have a ‘dance party’ in the restaurant area because a good song came on!