May 23 2008
USACE Range Day in Mosul
We conducted our quarterly Aegis client training yesterday and today. Our timing couldn’t have been better. Yesterday the temperature got up to 100F (38C), and today it hit 104F (40C). Fortunately, going to a weapons range while deployed to Iraq is not quite the ordeal it is at home station. It also helps that Aegis handles running of the range and even supplies the weapons and ammunition. They also provide the transportation. All USACE has to do is shoot. The “Annie Oakley” award has to go to Liz. She seemed to enjoy the shooting immensely!
Here’s a closeup of her target.
Hello Dale, and hello all other Manry’s and Friends.
Dale, it’s good to see you’re still ok and I am sorry about the loss of your friends. I now what you felt like. I will never forget the day I visitd the Soldier I lost during my tour in Iraq, I was the last one to see him at the morgue before they prepared him for his return home. I keep a picture of him in my wallet and every year on the anniversary of his death I take his picture out to honor him. Our Brigade lost more Soldiers KIA than I care to recall and I went to more memorials than ever care to go to. The Louisiana National Guard continues to loose Soldiers, we just buried a KIA last month. Everytime I hear TAPS tears come to my eyes, I can’t help myself. I say all that to say this…it get’s better with time, trust me. With your faith you will make it, hang in there buddy, come home safe and sound, but most importantly, come home! With only two months left, you can do that standing on your feet.
FYI, not sure if i told y’all or not but we had a baby girl, Emma Claire, September 21, 2007, she is now 8 months old, crawling around, and pulling herself. She has slept through the night since the day she came home (HOOAH!) we are all doing fine.
Hope all the Manry’s are doing well. And when Dale comes home, it would be nice to visit again.
Take Care All!
By the way: We are old. I remember when we left for basic and now we are talking about retirement…Not me though, I can still hang! No UNSAT landings or collapsed chutes for me!
Hey Joey, great to hear from you. Nothing like having an 8-month old baby to make you feel really old! Congratulations. I hope she looks like her mother.
SAT Fall. It’s amazing how nice it was to finally hear those words. Maybe if I had known that my chute was going to collapse the following week, I wouldn’t have wanted a SAT Fall!