February 2007 - Comanche Company Rocks

What Day is Today?
Ok, I have no excuse for the huge gap between this post and my last. We have been busy, true; but not so busy that I couldn’t keep you all informed. Probably, the biggest thing that has kept me from writing is the monotonous nature of this war. Everyday is just like the last. There are no weekends here. No holidays. Everyday is the same. I have a really bad habit of missing chapel on Sunday because I don’t even realize that it IS Sunday. I’m not complaining. There’s not much to write about.

I Miss the Scouts - Boo Hoo!
I was pretty bummed when I first got to C Company. I didn’t know the guys, and I really missed the scouts. I felt like I had failed. I felt thrown away. The thing that helped most to pull me out of my funk was getting back into my Bible. I still miss scout platoon. I miss the mission, the equipment, and the soldiers. Actually, in my human pride, I think I actually miss the status the most. There was something special about being a scout - or at least there used to be, they have lost a lot of respect lately (more about the later). When I miss them, I just think about the reasons why I agreed to leave. If scouts are like a delicious loaf of fresh bread, my old platoon sergeant was like a patch of mold. HE ruined it for everyone. Aside from the platoon leader, I don’t think anyone in that platoon actually thinks he does a good job or even that he is a good person. I worry for my friends over there because of him.

Comanche Company Rocks
But that’s not my platoon anymore. Things are so much better here in Comanche (C) Company. We have more responsibilities, but we have more free time because there’s less micromanaging and extraneous junk in this platoon. I’ve been able to catch up on my bible reading. I’ve been able to talk with several of the guys here about God. In fact, one of the least desirable aspects of being on the line (by the way “on the line” means that you are assigned to a regular line infantry company) is tower guard. You spend hours on end guarding your sector waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever does. Of course, you must stay vigilant because the minute you stop paying attention would be the minute they enemy would try to take advantage of your complacency. All you can do is hope that your buddy on guard is a good conversationalist. God has been able to use these times of “boredom” to give me the chance to share his gospel with three different soldiers. I can only hope and pray that the seeds He has planted take root. It really has been a blessing.

Chai (aka Tea)
The missions here are much more varied, which I like; and they involve much more interaction with the people of Iraq. We work with Iraqi Army and Police, but we also interact with the public. Sometimes, when you’re lucky, they will ask you to sit down and drink Chai (Tea) with them. Chai, I learned from an Iraqi interpreter, dates back to the British occupation of Iraq after defeating the Ottoman Empire in WWI. Before that, they drank coffee. The Chai is pretty standard tea and is served in a tiny, glass cup on a saucer. The tea cup isn’t shaped like a western tea cup. It’s more like a miniature drinking glass. The Chai is served with sugar, but the sugar isn’t mixed in until you get it. It’s all at the bottom of the glass. Most people stir it in, but some don’t. Did I mention that the tea is scalding hot, and the thin glass doesn’t spare your poor little fingers from the heat. One way that some of the locals drink the tea is by pouring it into the saucer so that it cools more quickly and the slurping it out of the saucer. If you’re really lucky and you have enough time, the locals will invite you to eat a meal with them. I enjoyed a meal with some locals. It consisted of rice and a lentil soup that you combined and wrapped in bitter herbs. It didn’t care much for the herbs, but the rice was pretty yummy. Of course, I’m half Puerto Rican; so rice is always yummy.

Taveling With Munchkins
Laura went to Virginia with the girls in January and February. We were hoping that it would be a good break for her since she would have family around to help her with the girls. As it turns out, she really enjoyed being able to see her family and friends, but the vacation was anything but relaxing. I guess traveling with two preschoolers can never be relaxing. Who wudda thunkit?

More To Come
This pretty much wrap up what happen in February. I’ll post another blog about March.

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