Troy departs soon

Hey Guys,
Thought I'd share some pictures with you. These were taken at the formal party for the infantry company I'm attached to as a medic. It was in Savannah at a microbrewery, hence the drinks in most people's hands. The food was good, and it was an open bar which kept everyone in "cheerful spirits." The uniform we're in isn't the standard "Class A" uniform; the shirt is white instead of green, and the bowtie instead of the necktie. My roommate had difficulties keeping his bowtie from listing, as is obvious in some of the pictures. It worked out, though, because most people were listing by the end of the evening, so I'm sure his tie looked just fine.
The second pic is 3 of the 4 medics attached to Bravo Company, 2-7 Infantry Battalion. The 4th wasn't there because his wife was due with their child any day. The Soldier on the left is my boss, Corporal Goeman; my roommate is on the right (with the crazy tie) Specialist Harding. For those of you with a keen eye, Goeman is still wearing Specialist rank; he was promoted about a week after this event.
Pic 3 is the Company Commander, Captain Fitch with the three of us. He's in charge of everyone in Bravo Co., around 150 Soldiers.
The last one is me and Harding with our Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Chrisman. He's the boss of approx. 1,000 Soldiers that make up 2-7 Infantry Battalion.

The Soldiers at this event are those with whom I will be running missions in Iraq. All three of us were treated quite well during the party, and more than a couple drinks were shared that evening.

Things continue to be finalized down here in Georgia as we prepare for our departure next week. Only a few issues remain, and they will all be taken care of by Friday. All of our gear that remains will be packed and ready to load before the weekend; after that its just a waiting game until we draw our weapons, load the bus to the air field in Savannah, and board the plane for a long, long flight to Kuwait. I plan on giving myself a hefty dose of benadryl to make the flight as short as possible. Better living through chemistry!

I'll do my best to send updates after we get overseas. I'm going to a base that hasn't been "modernized" as much as the larger ones, but they promise we'll have access to the internet...we'll see.

Happy New Years!!!