Episode 21:  June of 2005

July 1, 2005 2:00 p.m. (Baghdad Time)
Al Asad, Iraq
By LCpl Sincioco
Revised on April 21, 2008

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain."
—Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

The Home Battle Front

This month did not start well and by no means did it end well (I will elaborate on future episodes).  In the beginning of the month, Cpl Williams had to go home on an emergency leave as his mother who had been fighting cancer had become very ill all of a sudden.  He did not make it home in time; she passed away before he got home.  And just a few days ago, LCpl Benjamin received a message from the Red Cross.  He left on an emergency leave also.  I didn't ask what it was about, he didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it.  As some prepare to go home, others are going home unprepared for what they may find.

Dust Storm

On the evening of June 5, a dust storm engulfed us again.  The Tin Can had provided us a safe haven from dust storms in the past, but this time it didn't.  An hour after the dust storm started you could smell and taste the dust inside the Tin Can.  The air was saturated with dust.  So much so that it became misty in the Tin Can.  I covered my nose from the dust, but that did not provide any comfort.  Soon, it was so dusty both inside and outside the Tin Can that you could write your name on any surface in the room, both vertically and horizontally.  I was continuously drinking water to clear my throat, but I started coughing eventually.  It was rather interesting that I was watching an episode of Smallville at the time where the villain could turn himself into sand while a sand storm was happening.

Smallville

I got Cpl Weller hooked into Smallville.  He watched all 4 seasons, 80+ episodes, in about two weeks.  And when he was done, he was thirsty for more.

I laughed.

Cpl Weller often agonized after finishing an episode whether he should start the next one.  The storyline, the acting, the characters, the special effects, and the music helps to create everything that is Smallville.  There is nothing small about Smallville.

Now that we have both finished watching Smallville, it's hard to get hooked into another T.V. series because nothing quite compares.

Clackler

One day, out of the blue, I got a call in the morning.  Low and behold, a voice from the past, it was Clackler!  I was both happy and surprised.  As it turned out, his ship has docked to a port in Kuwait and he was going to be there for a few days.  And for the next few days, he called me every morning and we chatted.  Unfortunately, we were using a DSN line, a military phone, so we could hear echoes and other line interference during our conversation.  Hey, military phones are not exactly AT&T, are they?  Still, it was good to hear from Clackler.

Qatar Me Not

My much anticipated trip to Qatar with LCpl Mummey was postponed until July.  Unfortunately, we didn't get rescheduled to go together.  Last I heard he was already on his way to Qatar.  I'm not scheduled to go until July 6th.  I can't say I'm looking forward to it as much as before.  I waited 5 hours in the flight line (Al Asad's airport, if you will) only to find out that I didn't make it to my flight.  I've always find vacations more stressful than my normal every day life, so I tend to not take or look forward to vacations in general.

My ideal vacation would be staying at home in my pajamas, reading a computer book or watching a movie of my choosing or listening to the music of my liking and not having to worry about picking up the phone or answering the door; that would be my kind of vacation.

Sgt Williams had a great time in Qatar, so we'll see how it turns out for me.  I will leave my laptop behind.  I will not have a computer for 4 days!  I hope I survive!  Pfft, who am I kidding?  There should be an internet cafe in Qatar.

Driving LCpl Sin

Cpl Williams left his footlocker under my care when he left home early June.  Because he had to leave in such a hurry, he didn't have time to send his stuff home.  I sent it home for him the next day.  LCpl Benjamin did the same thing.  He had to leave in such a hurry that he too did not have time to send his personal belongs home.  He left his footlocker with me as well.  Schuster and I drove to the Post Office two days later and mailed it to him.

It's the first time Schuster had driven me anywhere, so we took advantage of our new found freedom.  We drove to the Post Office, mailed LCpl Benjamin's footlocker, went to the Disbursing Office and withdrew some money, went to the Haji stores at the stadium and bought a game and a DVD, and then to the PX where we bought some snacks.

Indirect Fire (IDF)

On the bright side of things, there has not been any IDF attack on Al Asad since the start of May.  In just a few days, we will hit a 2-month mark where no IDF attack has come upon us.  Schuster told me it's because they caught the group of people that was attacking us.  One day, Marines just raided where the insurgent's hideout was.  And ever since, we have not been attacked.  Hey, if it's safe enough for Burger King and Subway to open a store here we must have reached a new level of safety.

Grand Openings

Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut and Green Beans Coffee Shop opened in Al Asad this month.  Burger King is practically the same as in the States except you get a can of soda with your order, not a cup.  (Sorry, no milkshakes.)  But other than that, it's the same good old Burger King.  Subway taste almost the same, except the sandwich is smaller.  I'm not much into pizza, but Pizza Hut is not bad.  The praffe (cold coffee) in Green Beans Coffee is pretty good.  There is even Western Union here for wiring money back and forth.  Opening these stores brings a piece of home here in Iraq.  It's great for moral.

The Al Asad swimming pool that had been much talked about since January finally opened this month.  Suffice to say, Marines have found the pool to be a cool place to chill.

Last Full Month

July is the last full month of this deployment.  With fewer days ahead than behind, Marines are eager to talk about what they might do or how they might spend their money when they get home.  I am happy for the new dads who will finally see their new born, Cpl Weller and LCpl Schuster in particular.  This deployment will end a chapter in my life and begin another exactly at the same spot—Al Asad, Iraq (I hope).

—LCpl Sincioco
United States Marine Corps, 8th Comm BN, Support Co., Data Platoon