Tobiasly’s Blog

I’ve put up a website with most of the pictures I’ve taken so far. Most of you have probably seen the first few from the email I sent from Doha back in early March. Let me know if there are any problems viewing them!

http://www.tobiasly.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=oef

Just wanted to write a little more to everyone about my new home. We are helping to secure an airfield in Jordan. This will hopefully be our last mission, which still puts us on track for being home in late June or early July. Of course, that’s always subject to change!

Things are really nice here. There are phones (although they don’t always work right), computer lines (although they’re really slow), two nice chow halls, a decent-sized PX, and a morale tent with games, movies, etc. And of course, running water and electricity! Lemme tell ya, you don’t know how good a shower feels until you haven’t had one in 45 days.

The Air Force people that run the place probably think they have it pretty bad here, but for us infantry guys it’s Club Med. They even have a pool up the road that we can use for $5 a day (and we didn’t have to build it ourselves)! Oh yeah, there are no stray dogs around here, so I don’t have a pet anymore. The lieutenant of the unit that took over the place we just left said they would take care of Boots, but I’m wondering if they will reconsider once they find out how much she barks at night.

My platoon is pretty much doing more of the same — helping pull security for everyone else so they can do their jobs. My job is to run the operations center during my platoon’s shift. That’s not too bad a gig since there are computers and a phone line in here to keep me busy.

There is a civilian contractor here who was a Ranger-qualified platoon sergeant with the 82nd Airborne during the first Gulf War. His unit was the one that took down Talil Airfield back then, which is the one we just came from. So we were sure to thank him for destroying lots of the buildings that we could have used this time around!

Well, there really isn’t much to tell about our new digs other than that. Oh yeah, we may or may not be getting mail while we’re here. It’s a long way from Camp Doha, where our battalion headquarters is still located. We’re supposed to get a shipment flown in on Monday, but I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t end up arriving. I’m not gonna tell everyone to stop sending stuff, because as soon as I do we’ll be extended for two months. I just wanted to give a heads up that we might get everything else once we’re back at Camp Doha, a week or so before we come home!

Like I said, the computer lines are really slow, and sometimes don’t work at all. So I’m still reading through everyone’s letters up until now, and hopefully will be able to respond individually for a change! Take care all, and hope to see everyone before too much longer!