The end is the beginning

Okay, so I lied again about updating. I find myself with a little unexpected downtime on this Sunday morning and decided to get the final post up.

My thanks go out to everyone that showed an iota of support during the last nine months. My close friends and family members have been an invaluable keystone during some difficult times. The near & perfect strangers that have written, sent packages and emailed me have kept my spirits buoyed and maintained my faith in humanity.

I maintain that US & Coalition forces are doing a good thing in Iraq. It's hot, dangerous, repetetive work for the best of causes. I know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that I have made a difference in this world. It is a shame that so many in this world live in the shadow of tyranny and fear. I can think of no greater honor than to aid in the liberation of the oppressed.

As I have mentioned before, this is my last post. I suppose I could continue to make updates, but it would be terribly mundane. Lost keys, Late bills and Gas Prices would be the norm. I think I spin a good yarn, but I'm afraid I'm light years away from making any of that interesting. I may keep the website up, as a marker of sorts. I may delete it. Either way, I will save all my posts.

Some of you have told me to write a damn book, already. I'm going to try. With luck, you should be able to find my name in print someday.

It's been a long road. Thanks for riding along with me.

I've taken my sweet-ass time updating because almost everyone already knows I'm in Lejeune. If you have spent the last few days wondering where I've been, then I apologize.

We should be flying out of here sometime early on Friday. Of course, that date is subject to change, as always.

This is my second-to-last update, FYI. The next update won't be for a couple weeks, after I've gotten home and settled in. It should be at least 1/10 more interesting than the last two posts.

Leaving, on a jet plane.

A quick, detail-free post brought to you by the USMC and OpSec. I am in Kuwait, and will be re-entering the states very, very soon. I'll throw another quick & dirty post up as soon as I have a few free minutes in Lejeune.

Company......Halt!

In the past 48 hours, two very important things have happened. First, we have moved to "tent city". Tent city is transition billeting. This is where we will spend the next couple weeks waiting for a flight to Kuwait, and from Kuwait back to the states. The tents are very hot during the day and extremely crowded, but at this stage in the game, nobody cares, because....

Operations have ceased. That's right. We are DONE. Finally. The only thing we're held to that even comes close to responsibility is taking a shower every day or two. My new schedule is something like this:

0900 - Sit up in bed, look around, smirk, lay back down.
1000 - Sit up in bed, look around, smirk, get up and go take a shower.
1100 - Read a book
1130 - Go to chow, get haircut (if applicable), head to MWR
1230 - Check email, play fooseball, pool or ping pong.
1500 - Go back to tent. Take afternoon nap.
1730 - Go to evening chow, head to MWR
1800 - Play video games, watch movie, get on internet & update blog.
2200 - Go back to tent. Watch suckers lose money at poker.
2215 - "Put in some money or get the fuck out of here."
2216 - Get the fuck out of there.
2217 - Watch a movie, read a book, listen to ipod.
0000 - Sleep.

Yeah, that's a pretty good schedule, right? Of course, I've been an advocate of that schedule since February. It's good to see the higher-ups admit when they've been wrong.

As always, I will put more word up as situations develop. If you've been following me for this long, you can make it another couple weeks, right?