Back From A Long Hiatus!

Ironically, I am also back to my current job after more than a month off. The Army graciously allowed me to take 18 days of Rest and Recuperation leave (with travel time amounted to 32 days total) as a small benefit for 15 months of servitude in the desert.

My lovely wife encouraged me to begin posting again and at her prompting you will now enjoy more frequent updates of my life from the third world country I call home.

I guess 2 1/2 years without a post is more than just writer's block; it is blog neglect. Alot has happened in since I graduated Ranger School.

The short version:
-moved to Fort Drum, NY (30 miles from Canada and one of the coldest places in America)
-prepared a rifle platoon for deployment to Iraq
-deployed September '07 to Northern Iraq

Current situation:
We live in a patrol base (think remote, defensive base built to allow our Infantry company to operate and live closer to the people we provide security for) that is our home away from home.
We are located to the southwest of Kirkuk, near the Tigris river. The area is significantly less populated and more safe than the large cities that occupy headlines in the news.
The demographics of our area and isolation from many of the organized insurgent groups allows us to perform and operate more humanitarian missions.
I am the Platoon Leader and therefore the face of the war effort on a day to day basis. Although I am trained in tactics and weaponry, I apply my knowledge and training to help provide security, improve the infrastructure and establish the local government.
My actual role is to coordinate with many local leaders in villages, local security forces and villagers to assess their needs and find a solution through the Iraqi government to fix their problems. So, I guess I am more similar to a politician than a fighter.

We have about 8 months left in our deployment. I will try to send more updates and post a few pictures from my small portion of the war front.