NEW UNIT

Well, it is almost time to get out of COB Adder and back up to my unit so I can start flying again. I wanted to pause and reflect upon what the new unit has done to me over the last month.
At first it looked like the unit and I would butt heads a lot over some issues, but it turns out they have completely left me alone. I haven't been tasked to do anything for them except to provide slides and aviation information. That being said, I did have three issues.

1. After asking everyday for mail and explaining that even though I was part of the last unit for a couple of months, I was still here and my mail would be coming to them. Well, they sent all my mail back to the old unit because they thought I wasn't here anymore, they didn't even mark it return to sender, and so I won't get it until I get home to Fort Hood.

2. They gave away my room. One day there was someone new in my room moving stuff around. They thought it was wmpty so they put someone in it. When I made a comment to the Brigade Commander, they got me a new room right away. So now I have my own room, but it is in a different part of the base. The shower trailer doesn't have any hot water and there are no latrines so I have to use the Port-a-johns.

3. After extensive discussions with the new unit it appeared the Commander was willing to let me go back and they would do without a liasion officer. However all the rest of the staff was upset and said I needed to stay here since they enjoy my briefings so much. They said that my humor and interesting briefings were the highlight of their day. So now they get dry humorless briefings. One Major made the argument that I don't need to be here since I can send the slides from Balad and they should let me go back so I can fly. Then another officer said no it was important to have me down here because our unit does so many amazing things that the information needs to be desseminated down to all the soldiers so they know how well things are going. He said it was a big morale booster to see on a daily basis all the great things the unit does. The major then responded that we only have 8 pilots total and I am down here. That leaves 7 pilots and 2 pilots per aircraft mean that we can fly 3 missions a night. If they are so happy with what we are getting, then why not send the pilot back so can fly more and get even more intelligence?
It has honestly been a very rough 3 months. I know that I haven't done a lot here and that some people would kill for a job where they work for 3 hours a day and then just spend the rest of the day waiting for it to end so you can do it all over again. However, I didn't join the ARMY to sit on my behind at a desk making slides. I can't wait to get back to Balad and fly.

Scandal in Iraq

I will admit that the Army has had a couple black eyes with respect to our involvement in Iraq. Abu Ghraib was an embarrassment to the Army. The WMD never materialized in the capacity we expected. These two events pale in comparison with what is currently occurring right now in Iraq and the Liberal media is not covering it. President Obama can say the failing economy and Afghanistan are problems he inherited, but this occurred on his own watch. He allowed this to happen and I think that our political leaders should be held accountable. While I could get into a lot of trouble for writing this, the truth must come out.

For the last 5 days there has been no Diet Coke at COB Adder. No one can explain why there is no Diet Coke, but it has significantly impacted my morale. I would understand if the only thing we had was Diet Pepsi, while I am not a fan of Pepsi I could live with it. However there is no diet soda in the whole dinning facility. No Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi or even Diet 7-Up. I have been looking in the national papers and this isn't even mentioned by the media. No one is holding our leadership accountable. What do they expect me to drink when I eat my lunch? Water? I drink 2 gallons of water a day, but as human beings we have come a long way from living in huts in the jungle and I will not go back to drinking water with meals. Our ancestors came to this country because they wanted a better life for their families. I happen to think that part of a better life is the ability to drink a sugar free beverage instead of having to settle for water.

I know when many of you read this you will be so angry you will be called to action. While I know it may seem like a good idea to take up arms and march on Washington, violence is not the answer. Instead write your congressman, go on a hunger strike and remember this when you take to the polls in the future.

If I was able to ask the media one question it would be: Why is it that you haven't held the administration responsible for this mistreatment of America’s troops? I know the answer would be: well you can just buy Diet Coke at the shoppete 100 feet from where you work. So I am supposed to pay 45 cents for a can of Diet Coke? I don't think so! That's not the America I want to be a part of.