If I had a hammer...i'd hammer out love...

Ok, here is my long awaited and greatly anticipated, latest and greatest update! I am now in country and have been for a few weeks. Been getting settled in with my job and with my unit. I moved into a lovely ummm…¼ wide trailer and I don’t use that word ¼ wide loosely, it truly is…but it is mine for the next many days/months. This is definitely a combat zone. I am sure you all see that stuff but for the sake of my family and the regular ‘grunt’ out on the streets , I’ll focus on positive stuff! This place is truly amazing. The huge majority of folks want to wake up in peace, go to work and provide for their families, just like us back in the USA. It is all the ‘other few’ bad guys that are trying to screw this thing up. I guess that whole ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ has ticked them off or something. In my humble opinion, we are making an amazing difference here and the huge majority of people like it! As long as things back home don’t ‘cut this off’, this is going to be a great county one day. I was thinking about Japan, even after all the fighting we did in WWII and us even dropping a ‘nuke’ on them, our countries have a fabulous relationship and we are close economic partners! So that prompted me to think up another one if my great ideas! In an effort to start and build the country here, we need to generate some mulla flow (I mean $$$, not a guy in charge of a religious sect). I figure this place has good leather workmanship, some nice gold, jems, camels….umm…oil….a good amount of sand and rocks (read concrete)….so I would like to start a BUY IRAQI campaign! Think about it…it is a win win. If folks back home want us out of here, help build the economy and government by purchasing Iraqi ‘stuff’. It would be a great way for the American people to 1-Support & build the country, 2-maybe buy things cheaper, 3- help finish this up and come home! It is a win for Iraq and for us and ummm for the free world (I guess it is a win, win, win)! Now if we can just get the few jerks (read bad guys) to hold their breathe for eternity, or get w/ the program, my plan will work! I am not a politician so, I better shut up now.… I have a great appreciation for the young grunts out here. I was at the store (navy read NEX) and there were these 3 or 4 young gunslingers standing around, dirty, dusty, sweaty and just looking ruff then out of their pockets they pull out cell phones and start texting (or just checking their phone calls ….I think texting). They are no more than your average young college student except not only were they all grungy, they had their M-4s and SAWs slung across their shoulders and had just returned from ‘God knows what’ kind of mission out in the streets trying to help with the goal of “get the few jerks to hold their breathe for eternity or get with the program”. We do truly have the worlds best ….I pray this finds everyone doing well and blessed, for I am. To my family back home, I do miss you and love you bunches. Keep praying for me and I’ll be praying for you. BE SAFE, sandboxrich