1/10/2008

Its been a long time since I last wrote, and as much as I wish this was a full update, I don't have the time. I am working on it, though. Since our computer time is limited, I have to type it on my laptop, put it on a thumb drive, and then transfer it once I'm in the computer room. It all works out, though.
I had to share these pics with everyone, though. Today started off cold and cloudy, but we didn't give it a second thought. I was originally told that I was to have a "down day" where I didn't have anything on the schedule. Those are few and far between, and are a much enjoyed break. However, this morning one of our NCO's stopped in the aid station and told me that we had a mission in 30 minutes...so much for a "day off." Our patrol consisted of checking out areas of interest out in the middle of the desert. Usually there's nothing but a whole lot of rocks and sand, though occasionally something is actually found. On our drive out it started raining, though it quickly changed to freezing rain. About 30 minutes later, there was no doubt about it...it was snowing!!!! That's right...snow in Iraq. I tried taking a couple pictures while we were out in the desert, but since everything is so monotone out there, the snow had nothing to contrast against. Our patrol lasted five and a half hours (which is a long time to sit in the back of a humvee and shiver), and it snowed almost the whole time. Nothing was really sticking at first, but it didn't take long for the ground to cool off and start to show a dusting of white. Its now many hours later, and the snow is still coming down. We're at an altitude of about half a mile, and things are cold enough that its sticking. I'll get a couple pics in the morning once I get up; from the looks of things, there will definitely be a layer of snow on everything.
Since my last email, we've moved several times; our current location is a train station in the far western Anbar province, which is a high wasteland. Its not mountainous, but there are plenty of large plateaus and hills in our area, though once you start decending towards KV everything levels out, and is flat for as far as you can see.
We're counting down until we start getting ready to move back to the States. Still looking at early April (I think) but of course that's always subject to change.
I wanted to get these pics out to you guys; we heard that they occasionally got snow up here, but not many of us believed it. Obviously, they were wrong! The weather has stayed cold for the last month, though the wind makes things even less enjoyable. Besides this snow, the only precipitation we've seen in the last 8 months has been a 5 minute shower that did nothing but turn the top layer of dust to mud.

I hope to email everyone again soon.

All the best
Troy