Mosul #2

So far the deployment has been real smooth. Still, not one surgery on any US soldiers (more about that later). My day generally revolves around scheduling the dining hall versus the gym. Those of you who know me know that I am much more familiar with going to the dining hall than the gym. So, I am currently going through what I call my “soreness period.” This will probably last for 6 months or more. So, the other day, I over did it in the gym and pulled a muscle in my neck and back. The stretching, ibuprofen and bitching wasn’t cutting it so I went out in search of a massage. After all, this is one big freaking country club over here. Locating said massage involved traveling to our sister base, FOB Marez. Although this technically involves going outside the wire, it amounts to basically crossing the street and is very safe.

Upon arriving at Marez, I noticed that the place had all the comforts of home. 7-eleven, Burger King and a Barber/Massage parlor. $25 for a half hour was just what I needed. Rosa was not the best massage I ever had but she certainly wasn’t the worst either. She was from the Philippines and I regaled her with stories of all my insane Philippine acquaintances and their driving skills. Yes… you Sig Tan! Anyway, with my back greatly improved it was time to eat. No, not Burger King. I couldn’t imagine that BK is any better in Iraq than it is in the US. So, off to the mess hall.

The mess hall was an experience I was not expecting. On 21 Dec 2004, a suicide bomber was able to enter the Marez mess hall and detonate during a crowded lunch hour. 22 people died and 66 were injured in what remains the deadliest single attack against Americans since the start of the war. At the time, I was at Walter Reed and we subsequently received a lot of these wounded soldiers. Obviously, it was strange for me to be here and to see the memorial and reflect. There really isn’t much I want to say about it except this. I really appreciate those of you who have offered to send me care packages but the truth is that I don’t need anything. I love receiving your emails and knowing that you care. Some of you have expressed an interest in doing something to help the troops and I think that is great. Two organizations that I would recommend are “The Wounded Warrior Project” and “The Fisher House.” These are both fantastic organizations helping those soldiers and families that are truly in need.


Thanks,

Pedro