tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81360092012-02-02T05:49:09.880-05:00Stevenoreply@blogger.comBlogger1971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-15093547348972414242010-05-24T13:52:00.001-04:002011-11-20T13:02:24.353-05:00

It's been almost five years since I've written here, and wow has blogging technology changed! I thought I'd give a little update here for those who use to follow the blog. Feel free to send me an email at steven.kiel@gmail.com if you'd like to reconnect or if you have any questions. I got back from Iraq in December 2005. It was a great experience with a lot of memories. My tour was certainly

Stevenoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1133816254007986052005-12-05T15:56:00.000-05:002005-12-05T15:57:34.020-05:00

I just got home and haven't had access to the internet for the last few weeks. I'll be responding to e-mails as soon as I can get to them. Thanks for all of the support.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1131465642079308722005-11-08T10:55:00.000-05:002005-11-08T11:00:42.100-05:00

If you're looking for a little bit of good news, check out this site. Kurdistan is a peaceful, relatively wealthy region in Iraq. It's a symbol for the rest of the country.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1131459194729631212005-11-08T09:11:00.000-05:002005-11-08T09:13:14.730-05:00

If you're looking to donate things to soldiers and Iraqis out here, I urge you to take a look at anysoldier.com. They are a great organization that matches up those who want to donate and the soldiers who want to receive specific things. Thanks to Caroll Melton for reminding me of this site.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1131459032960802002005-11-08T09:08:00.000-05:002005-11-08T09:10:32.976-05:00

Many thanks to Michelle and Scott Slusher and Richard Wood for their recent donations to our internet!

Stevenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1131277701943593702005-11-06T06:44:00.000-05:002005-11-06T06:48:21.956-05:00

If you'd like to help out Kat send some Christmas cards to the troops over here, please visit this link for more information. She'll be collecting messages and cards to send to a few units over here who have suffered some heavy casualties.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com162tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1131197960968332732005-11-05T08:33:00.000-05:002005-11-05T08:39:21.813-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to have a story published in National Review Online. The direct link is here.Many thanks to Jim, Kathryn, Sam, and Caroline for your help. I appreciate it. If you've found my blog through NRO, thank you for the support. I've received quite a few emails, and I will try to respond to as many as I can. I'm getting ready to leave Iraq soon and can no longer receive mail

Stevenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1130784669312234852005-10-31T13:03:00.000-05:002005-10-31T13:56:13.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I wrote about what it's like to live here, but I've got a good example for you. There is a water shortage right now on the base, so Higher put out for us to take "combat showers." Basically, do what you have to do, and get out. So I go to take a shower and KBR has changed all of the shower nozzles to the reduced water usage spray variety. I guess when there is no water

Stevenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1130570770253445992005-10-29T03:23:00.000-04:002005-10-29T04:46:36.976-04:00

Here's a good article discussing Scooter Libby's indictment:Obstruction for what?and some alternative views here.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1130570303585900222005-10-29T03:16:00.000-04:002005-10-29T03:18:23.596-04:00

Many thanks to Joseph VanDyke for his generous donation to our satellite.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1129721260591581692005-10-19T07:22:00.000-04:002005-10-19T13:19:09.173-04:00

I came across this article today and kind of laughed:When a bonus isn’t a bonus, Murray firesBasically it's saying that the bonuses that were given for reenlisting earlier this year are no longer valid. Here's a quote from the article, "A Pentagon spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, confirmed the bonuses had been canceled, saying they violated Pentagon policies because they duplicated other

Stevenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1129491772312350902005-10-16T15:28:00.000-04:002005-10-16T15:42:52.316-04:00

I've now been here for two votes: the election of members of parliament on January 31st and the constitutional referendum yesterday. According to published reports, it appears that the constitution is going to pass. Both of these votes have been relatively violence-free. In all honesty, after January 31st I thought we would see a big decrease in violence. That hasn't happened. The biggest

Stevenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1129490809797491612005-10-16T15:25:00.000-04:002005-10-16T15:26:49.803-04:00

Many thanks to Ann Klucsarits, Carol Taylor and Melinda Brown for their donations to our satellite. We appreciate it!

Stevenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128963205647623772005-10-10T12:31:00.000-04:002005-10-10T12:53:25.720-04:00

It's hard to believe, but Caroline and I started Iraq Files one year ago today. If you've been a frequent visitor, thank you. If you haven't had the chance to check it out yet, now is a great time. Iraq Files is updated daily with the latest news, and contains links to milblogs, support organizations, and Iraqi blogs. Please let me know if you have a military blog and you'd like it added to the

Stevenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128785552406490742005-10-08T11:28:00.000-04:002005-10-08T11:33:57.140-04:00

The Quiet Consensus on IraqSome 30 months after the removal of Saddam Hussein, an unspoken consensus is emerging about Iraq. The Howard Dean/Michael Moore/Cindy Sheehan fringe of the Democratic party so far has made almost no inroads into mainstream party thinking. Perhaps this new Copperhead movement to find political resonance has failed because most Democratic stalwarts — senators Kerry,

Stevenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128693730204906612005-10-07T09:54:00.000-04:002005-10-07T10:02:10.223-04:00

Below are the last pictures of the stuffed animals and soccer balls. Hopefully, in the next week or two, I'll get some more pictures of us delivering them from the helicopter. Thanks again to all of you who donated the things, and for all of you who supported us through the year. I can no longer receive packages, but if you'd still like to support me and my platoon, I do have another way. The

Stevenoreply@blogger.com200tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128693113135139152005-10-07T09:51:00.000-04:002005-10-07T09:51:53.143-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128692979844148032005-10-07T09:49:00.000-04:002005-10-07T09:49:39.883-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128613333786250072005-10-06T11:42:00.000-04:002005-10-06T11:42:13.820-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128612472471502602005-10-06T11:27:00.000-04:002005-10-06T11:27:52.526-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128531338745659482005-10-05T12:52:00.000-04:002005-10-05T12:55:38.753-04:00

6 Iraq war veterans running for Congress

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128528475391220462005-10-05T12:07:00.000-04:002005-10-05T12:07:55.396-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128528247406790902005-10-05T12:04:00.000-04:002005-10-05T12:04:07.450-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128506883610633672005-10-05T06:04:00.000-04:002005-10-05T06:15:06.483-04:00

The latest George Will column is excellent.Miers is the wrong pickIncidentally, I picked her to be chosen at Intrade, a site where you can trade shares on certain events. Check it out. If you decide to open an account, give them my name and account number: 11250884 and we'll both get a bonus.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128444946955167752005-10-04T12:55:00.000-04:002005-10-04T12:55:46.963-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128444735029617432005-10-04T12:52:00.000-04:002005-10-04T12:52:15.100-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128396165911139502005-10-03T23:22:00.000-04:002005-10-03T23:22:45.916-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128396115371243722005-10-03T23:21:00.000-04:002005-10-03T23:21:55.373-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128396056212339542005-10-03T23:20:00.000-04:002005-10-03T23:20:56.340-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128359630851055462005-10-03T13:13:00.000-04:002005-10-03T13:13:50.856-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128359868833685002005-10-03T13:01:00.000-04:002005-10-03T13:17:48.840-04:00

I was going to make a page of pictures, but the internet is too slow. I'll be adding a few pictures every day instead. We made a pile of all the stuffed animals and soccer balls I received to better show you the quantity. We then boxed them all back up and gave them to the Blackhawk pilots to toss to the kids below. Eventually i'll be posting some pics of that as well. Thanks again to everyone

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128233242953529092005-10-02T02:01:00.000-04:002005-10-02T02:07:22.963-04:00

Another Vicki update:Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005Rob, the Police Dept contact, met up with Pete andDenny on Thursday night when they arrived. Heexplained that there were more than 60 police officersfrom their command center that had lost their homes.Yet, they were out working day in and day out--helpingeveryone else. The command center had been set up asa gathering point for those volunteering to

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128155267509490382005-10-01T04:24:00.000-04:002005-10-01T04:27:47.513-04:00

Another installment from Vicki:Pete and Dennis are able to hook up with WinstonWalker and his family. Winston is a soldier who wasserving in Iraq and happened to be home on his twoweek R&R leave when Katrina hit. Winston is a verytalented medic who has saved the lives of many. Hisname was referred to us by Janis Galatas, the wife ofNorris Galatas, who was seriously injured in April,2005 while

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128154983872289842005-10-01T04:18:00.000-04:002005-10-01T04:23:03.873-04:00

The 28 foot trailer is filled with supplies andgoodies and Peter and his neighbor, Dennis, are readyto roll. After fueling up, they hit the road around6:00am.11:00 am - I try to call them and reach them in St.Louis. They are getting a WHOPPING 7 MILES PER GALLONOF GAS! A FULL tank of gas lasts only TWO HOURS!Hopefully they'll have no problems getting fuel asthey get further south.3:00pm - I

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128154351566331972005-10-01T04:00:00.000-04:002005-10-01T04:12:31.640-04:00

Here is Vicki's email about getting ready to deliver all of the collected items to the hurricane victims:As I mentioned in my Operation Backpack email,although I had confidence that we would get thebackpacks into the hands of children in the gulfstates, I had no idea of the actual means ofdistribution.After learning that the Tinley shelter had very fewchildren, it was time to explore another

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128111733925207192005-09-30T16:30:00.000-04:002005-09-30T16:33:18.170-04:00

My cousin, Vicki, who has instigated and organized the delivery of a ton (literally) of stuff to the soldiers out here in Iraq, has also been collecting and delivering things to the hurricane victims. It's difficult for me to comprehend the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina since I couldn't follow it on the evening news, but reading her emails made me realize just how much some of these

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128111863120824492005-09-30T16:24:00.000-04:002005-09-30T16:24:23.126-04:00

Here's one. There are many more coming.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1128071728106717082005-09-30T05:12:00.000-04:002005-09-30T11:46:38.926-04:00

My internet has been sketchy lately, so I haven't been able to upload the pictures of the stuffed animals and soccer balls yet. Hopefully it will be soon.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1127846576092326172005-09-27T14:37:00.000-04:002005-09-27T14:42:56.093-04:00

I'll be posting a page of pictures in the next day or two. We took all of the stuffed animals and soccer balls that Dave Thielen and others recently sent to me and took a few pictures to demonstrate how much there actually was. I'll be passing most of these gifts on to the Blackhawk pilots to drop from the sky to the kids below.More soon.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1127592898258948292005-09-24T16:09:00.000-04:002005-09-24T16:14:58.260-04:00

Bill Brady In the MediaBrady has worked harder than anyone thought he would. He's tenacious, more energetic than anyone else in the pack and did a pretty good job of fundraising this spring. Sen. Brady also upset better known Republican candidates at last weekend's Conservative Summit, winning the influential group's endorsement and delivering a major blow to Sen. Steve Rauschenberger and dairy

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1127318164917221552005-09-21T11:30:00.000-04:002005-09-21T12:06:46.446-04:00

I came across news that Simon Wiesenthal had passed away yesterday. He was a holocaust survivor who dedicated his life to seeking justice for those who carried out crimes against the Jews during WWII. The reason this caught my attention is because just recently I came across a book of his, The Sunflower, where he recounted an experience while in a concentration camp. An SS man, on his deathbed,

Stevenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1127316340880912802005-09-21T11:21:00.000-04:002005-09-21T11:25:40.886-04:00

We're All in the Same Bloat In the presidential campaign last year, Democrats were said to be counting on some misfortune--terrorists attacking on American soil, the Iraq War taking a turn for the worse, the economy going south--to help them beat George W. Bush. That didn't happen, of course. But now disaster has struck, and it's becoming increasingly clear that Democrats are better off for it.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1127068057747354822005-09-18T14:24:00.000-04:002005-09-18T14:27:37.753-04:00

Going (Down) by the Book When President Bush spoke from Jackson Square on Thursday night, across the Mississippi River a few men sitting next to a trailer watched him on a television powered by a generator. They listened respectfully, but they were not exactly dazzled...

Stevenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1126895426106293042005-09-16T14:30:00.000-04:002005-09-16T15:46:21.393-04:00

I received a ton of boxes today filled with stuffed animals and soccer balls for the Iraqis and their kids. Many thanks go to Dave and his kids.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1126895474677285252005-09-16T14:23:00.000-04:002005-09-16T14:34:10.143-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1126689064776350562005-09-14T04:57:00.000-04:002005-09-14T05:11:04.783-04:00

I was really touched by this story the other day. Basically, some Iraqi soldiers in Taji gathered some money together to give to the victims of Katrina and presented it to the American base commander. It was one million dinars, or about $700. Not a lot of money to us, but quite a bit for them. You can see other stories like this at Iraq Files.I try not to criticize the media that often, but this

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1126447453334263972005-09-11T10:04:00.000-04:002005-09-11T10:04:16.706-04:00

And one of the family

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1126376283705386672005-09-10T14:18:00.000-04:002005-09-10T14:21:28.883-04:00

Caroline and me at Kate and Mike's wedding

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1126376512164926792005-09-10T14:17:00.000-04:002005-09-10T14:27:39.753-04:00

Bill, Alycia, Mike, Kate, me and Caroline

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1126376609914143912005-09-10T14:16:00.000-04:002005-09-10T14:28:46.016-04:00

Kris, Bryan, Pete and me in Bloomington/Normal

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1126287820317871702005-09-09T13:28:00.000-04:002005-09-09T13:43:40.383-04:00

There's a nice article yesterday in The Daily Camera from Colorado. Many thanks to Dave and his kids, who are hooking me up with a lot of things for the Iraqis, as described in the article. Since I've been away awhile, I also want to thank Vicki and her crew for all of the things I recently received and will soon be receiving.I'm told that the last day to send packages to me should be September

Stevenoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1124608678988967062005-08-21T03:17:00.000-04:002005-08-23T04:08:22.556-04:00

Preparing to go on leave was so stressful that it required some R&R of it’s own. At one point I was awake for more than 24 hours, sitting through briefings in Kuwait. Later we stood outside for more than an hour. It was 120 in the shade and we were in the sun, carrying our bas with us. I really felt bad for the people who had to sit next to us on the plane. All that sweating, with no chance to

Stevenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1124442297954937892005-08-19T05:04:00.000-04:002005-08-20T02:39:00.576-04:00

My cousin Don, Caroline and me underneath the sign at Cooper Service, my cousin' s auto service shop.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1124442168705856002005-08-19T05:02:00.000-04:002005-08-19T06:23:34.030-04:00

I'll be adding some more pics of my leave along the way. Here's one of my brother and me with Ronnie "Woo Woo" Wickers at the Cubs game.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1124236796097860642005-08-16T19:59:00.000-04:002005-08-16T19:59:56.130-04:00

These kids are the recipients of all of your generosity. Thank you all very much.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1124225930064216312005-08-16T16:58:00.000-04:002005-08-16T16:58:50.070-04:00

Many thanks to Vicki for the party while I was home. It was a blast. Thank you also to all of you who are helping out by sending things over here. We all appreciate your support. I'm glad I was able to personally thank many of you.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1124224105899220992005-08-16T16:27:00.000-04:002005-08-16T16:28:25.906-04:00

This is just sad.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1122198092814444732005-07-24T05:33:00.000-04:002005-07-24T05:41:32.823-04:00

Chris's latest update in his journey to thank those who supported him while he was deployed comes from El Paso, Texas. According to the latest comments, he's in Georgia right now, and should be updating his site soon. Take a look at his pictures from his first few stops and read through his accounts. Don't forget to thank him too.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1122130559149250542005-07-23T10:53:00.000-04:002005-07-23T10:57:49.423-04:00

I’m supposed to be heading home on leave pretty soon and I have a few questions, so I’ll know what to expect. In some of the bagged chips here, they have these ketchup flavored chips: ketchup-flavored Doritos, Lays, etc. Are those new back home or something? They’re disgusting!Are we having a global warming problem in America or what? All I hear about is how hot it is there and how all of these

Stevenoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1122104423700053742005-07-23T03:30:00.000-04:002005-07-23T10:53:30.253-04:00

An Operation Iraqi Freedom vet is running for Congress. He’s the first one and hopefully not the last. In Wisconsin a former co-worker of mine from The Heritage Foundation, Nick Reid, is running for Congress against David Obey. I’m sure he would love your support, both money and time as a volunteer. I can personally attest to Nick’s intelligence, hard-working nature and strong principles. If you

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1121674514411984472005-07-18T04:13:00.000-04:002005-07-18T04:15:14.420-04:00

If you're near a television from 11:00 to noon today, switch over to MSNBC to see Bill Brady being interviewed by Monica Crowley and Ron Reagan.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1121175118094923012005-07-12T09:26:00.000-04:002005-07-12T09:31:58.103-04:00

I decided to re-enlist for six more years. Below are a few pictures from my ceremony today. There was a nice bonus, so I joked around about getting a big check to carry it around, like Happy Gilmore. SSG Wheaton made it happen with a little help from SGT Arce and SGT Andrade.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1121175556818141082005-07-12T09:25:00.000-04:002005-07-12T09:42:19.376-04:00

Me taking my re-enlistment oath

Stevenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1121175890463520192005-07-12T09:24:00.000-04:002005-07-12T09:45:30.200-04:00

My big check

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1121175504381264692005-07-12T09:22:00.000-04:002005-07-12T09:43:46.510-04:00

Me going to the bank to cash it

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1120553744346530862005-07-05T04:51:00.000-04:002005-07-05T04:55:44.353-04:00

I’ve been exceedingly amused about the recent complaints about Guantanamo Bay culminating in, of course, Dick Durbin’s over the top comparisons and subsequent apology. A gulag! What an insult to the souls of those who were actually sent to the gulags. What did Gitmo’s critics want to accomplish? Did they want it closed down? What, then, would have happened to the detainees? Scenario one: They

Stevenoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1120292256519013582005-07-02T04:12:00.000-04:002005-07-02T04:21:49.013-04:00

Check out our latest offerings at the Iraq Files Store. Just in time for the 4th of July, we have more patriotic bands, sandals and hats. And as always, free shipping!

Stevenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1120244505167386052005-07-01T14:49:00.000-04:002005-07-01T15:01:45.173-04:00

I knocked back a beer a few days ago for the first time since November. Tuborg. Ever heard of it? Me neither. I moved on to Heineken and everything was better then. Last night the Denver Bronco cheerleaders performed. Apparently they had followed me to Qatar. It's been a relaxing few days. I've laid out by the pool, eaten something other than chow hall food (although eating at Chili's made me

Stevenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1120162991929912962005-06-30T16:01:00.000-04:002005-06-30T16:23:11.950-04:00

Last I checked Bill Brady was behind a bit in the poll at Capitol Fax. If you haven't already voted, please go there, wait for the green polling box to come up on the right side of the screen, and vote for him in the Gubernatorial straw poll. The poll is open until Friday night at midnight.The question then is, why is he behind right now? Well, I know he has a lot of support on the base I'm on

Stevenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1120077307963628482005-06-29T16:24:00.000-04:002005-06-29T16:35:07.973-04:00

My old friend, (I've known him almost a year now) Chris Missick, returned from the Middle East a few months ago. He has a brilliant idea, in my opinion, of traveling throughout the U.S. to thank all of those people who supported him while he was serving. He's going to post about it on his blog, Web of Support and put together a book talking about his experiences both in the Middle East and with

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1120063874583411532005-06-29T12:46:00.000-04:002005-06-29T12:51:14.590-04:00

I'll explain more in another post, but can each one of my readers please click on this link and vote my old boss, Bill Brady, on the green poll on the right side of the screen? Let's see how much my blog can influence the poll. I'll be talking more about his candidacy soon. Thanks for the favor!

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1119541564560452702005-06-23T11:46:00.000-04:002005-06-23T11:46:04.566-04:00

The Iraqi soldiers love the old hats. My parents sent some the other day, and I thought we should test them out first. Our favorite one was definitely the white one with the ponytail attached. Below this picture is one of SSG Wheaton playing the air guitar with the 80's hair hat.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1119541666361142642005-06-23T11:45:00.000-04:002005-06-23T11:50:00.396-04:00

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1118997432636907762005-06-17T04:29:00.000-04:002005-06-17T04:37:12.643-04:00

It looks like that Iraqi soldier I talked about four months ago is now one step closer to being able to open up his night club. The Ministry of Interior recently got rid of the prohibition on alcohol, night clubs and casinos in Iraq. Read the post here.It sounds like the beginning of a Middle Eastern Las Vegas to me.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1118586657753697972005-06-12T10:27:00.000-04:002005-06-12T10:30:57.760-04:00

Same as for Mother's Day, Cardstore.com is allowing all servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan to order Father's Day cards online and send them home for free.The promotional code is USDAD. So, yes Dad, you'll be getting a card. I already ordered it.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1118567298946051472005-06-12T04:54:00.000-04:002005-06-12T05:08:18.953-04:00

Thank you to those who sent me soccer balls recently. I received 52 over the past week. The pictures are below. I handed these out to the interpreter, who is passing them along to the Iraqi soldiers. As many of you know, I don't leave the base much, so I usually give the things to the Iraqi soldiers. My girlfriend's friend's fiance is in Iraq too, working in the villages, and he's agreed to

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1118566048802546052005-06-12T04:51:00.000-04:002005-06-12T04:54:42.366-04:00

A few of the soccer balls that were sent to me.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1118566151781225952005-06-12T04:49:00.000-04:002005-06-12T04:49:11.790-04:00

Here's my help: SGT Jivan and SGT Trump, who volunteered to pump up the soccer balls.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1118566284038187472005-06-12T04:48:00.000-04:002005-06-12T04:54:10.166-04:00

And here are the balls themselves, all 52 of them.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1118029225895036082005-06-05T23:37:00.000-04:002005-06-05T23:40:25.900-04:00

If any of you know of a milblogger from North Carolina (or if you are one), please drop me an e-mail. A local reporter is looking to do a story on you. The Charlotte area would be the best, but lacking that, anyone from the state would work as well.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1117889487616853862005-06-04T08:49:00.000-04:002005-06-04T08:51:27.656-04:00

People look at time in different ways out here. Some count down the days, some the months. It’s hard because we’re not sure exactly when we’re leaving. I got an e-mail from a Vietnam vet recently with a chart that soldiers in his unit used to use. It was basically a paint-by-number picture of a provocatively positioned woman. One, for example, had 90 little areas on it and, as you had 90 days to

Stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1117533606092469262005-05-31T05:56:00.000-04:002005-05-31T06:00:06.103-04:00

There have been a lot or arguments lately about whether the military is big enough or not, and whether the fighting force here in Iraq should be increased or decreased. I think many of the articles are missing the point though, especially the ones calling for a larger military (leave aside the point that, with decreasing enlistment numbers, dramatically increasing the size of the military would

Stevenoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1117212702138146132005-05-27T12:33:00.000-04:002005-05-28T08:37:39.413-04:00

I got this e-mail yesterday under the subject of "Honor Our Fallen Soldiers: Investigate Bush's Lies."You all know how I feel about this. I thought you might enjoy reading an excerpt below and sending an e-mail or three to activist@democrats.com (This e-mail did not come from the official Democratic party site) and telling them whether you feel this was in poor taste or not- specifically the part

Stevenoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1117208643866177942005-05-27T11:29:00.000-04:002005-05-27T11:44:03.893-04:00

When I was at Ft. Bragg I posted about what a typical day was like, but it’s been about seven months so I figured I’d give it another go. This was yesterday:Wake up… 4:45. I gathered up all the remedial PT soldiers (and anyone else who wanted to go) and got to the work area by 5:30. I had passed, but a few soldiers in my squad had not. Thursday was road march day. We packed up a backpack and

Stevenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1116940847197205612005-05-24T09:19:00.000-04:002005-05-24T09:20:47.216-04:00

Let me start off by saying that I prefer heat to cold any day. I won’t forget those nights on guard duty where my feet were numb for the entire night and were still cold when I woke up in the afternoon.That said, it’s really freaking hot here. There’s a thermometer that says 110 in the shade, and one that says 130 in the sun. I can’t even believe that. I remember hearing about the summer heat

Stevenoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1116594238320669132005-05-20T09:02:00.000-04:002005-05-20T09:03:58.326-04:00

There are also many little things here that I don’t have to worry about:What to wear. I only have two choices, Desert Combat Uniform (DCU) or PTs. Situation dictates.My hair- except for the fact that it’s rapidly disappearing.Dirt under my fingernails? No problem.Laundry. It does itself. All I have to do is turn it in. Missing a phone call. Nobody’s called me in five months.Cooking dinner. Paying

Stevenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1116416871345417422005-05-18T07:42:00.000-04:002005-05-18T07:47:51.353-04:00

Everyday life over here, obviously, is much different than at home. I’ve been here more than five months and I’ve found myself thinking a lot about little things that you take for granted at home. Take these for example:I have to put DEET on my feet so they don’t get bit up at night when they hang out of my sleeping bag. I need a flashlight to take a shower, which is 200 meters away. The shower

Stevenoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1116266076529440182005-05-16T13:49:00.000-04:002005-05-16T13:54:36.536-04:00

Thanks for all the name suggestions. That one seems fitting since my hands are certainly full, and I’m hoping that the Iraqi soldiers’ hands will be too. When I first got here I was on night guard duty for a few months and worked alongside some of the Iraqi soldiers. I began to hand things out to them, mostly extra things from care packages. They loved it. They had never received anything from

Stevenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1116095328331055392005-05-14T14:13:00.000-04:002005-05-14T14:28:48.340-04:00

Thank you to all of you that contacted me. I appreciate the words of support, and I’ll try to respond to the e-mails. I like all the name suggestions for helping out the Iraqi soldiers. Keep them coming. Keep the link requests coming too, I’ll be adding them soon. Also, to give credit where it’s due, the picture in USA Today was taken by Jon Jivan. If you check out his site you’ll see pictures

Stevenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1115972446509383862005-05-13T04:17:00.000-04:002005-05-13T04:20:46.516-04:00

When I brought the boxes of stuff to the translator (I’ll call him “Z” from here on out), we were talking for awhile and we got on the subject of taxes. A few weeks earlier his “boss,” who I believe is American, told him and the other translators that the Iraqi government was going to begin withholding taxes out of their paychecks. It hadn’t occurred to me, but Z said that they had never paid

Stevenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1115914402215638592005-05-12T11:57:00.000-04:002005-05-12T12:13:22.333-04:00

USA Today just came out with a few articles about milblogs as well as a few excerpts. I landed a quote here and a picture here, as well as a few mentions of my blog and Iraq Files.The other two articles are about blog content and a gripping excerpt from SPC Francisco Martinez, who died on March 20.I hope you'll take a look at the articles. Thanks for following along.

Stevenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1115883329645615452005-05-12T03:31:00.000-04:002005-05-12T03:35:30.603-04:00

I gave away all the donations to the Iraqi soldiers a few days ago through my interpreter friend. We could only carry so many boxes, so I gave him some things on Monday and some on Tuesday. There was a lot of stuff. The interpreter is kind of a shorter guy, and I had him piled up with boxes over his eyes. I carried even more than he did. When I came back on Tuesday to give him the other boxes, he

Stevenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1115837181827372762005-05-11T14:41:00.000-04:002005-05-11T14:46:22.096-04:00

Click here for a great story about a Blackhawk helicopter landing outside of an elementary school. It turns out it was on purpose, as a way to thank the kids for supporting the troops when they were overseas. (Visit Iraq Files for more stories like this one.)This story reminded me of my first Blackhawk ride, which was less than a month ago. It was pretty cool to see the countryside and feel the

Stevenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1115649716919836762005-05-09T10:38:00.000-04:002005-05-09T10:41:56.923-04:00

Many thanks to Leah for the books and magazines she collected. I've got them in our common area and will put them out on the bookshelf, as soon as I build one. The financial magazines are also great and, actually, some of the older ones are particularly entertaining because their stock predictions couldn't have been more wrong. So, it is kind of fun to pat myself on the back for not buying in to

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1115400262954814872005-05-06T13:19:00.000-04:002005-05-06T13:24:22.976-04:00

All that dancing got me two things: very tired and, today, promoted. The promotion was back-dated to March 15, which may have been the precise day I broke it down for our Middle Eastern friends. The moral of the story is: enjoy yourself, take care of your soldiers (both American and Iraqi), and build morale and kinship any way that you think will be effective. You’ll be rewarded.SPC Jivan also

Stevenoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1115200572549138952005-05-04T05:53:00.000-04:002005-05-04T05:56:12.560-04:00

I picked up the two main Arabic dance moves by watching a DVD of music videos given to me by the translator. I took it upon myself as my duty to broaden their perspective. There are no dance clubs in Iraq, according to the Iraqi soldiers. Apparently there are some in a few other Arabic countries but it’s mostly guy dancing with guy which, believe me, cannot be nearly as good as watching two women

Stevenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1115115955780422952005-05-03T06:22:00.000-04:002005-05-03T06:25:55.783-04:00

By my estimation Arabic dancing consists of two main dance moves. There is the shoulder shimmy for the females in which they look, for example, over their right shoulder, bat their eyes, and do a come hither motion with their right shoulder while leaving their arm hanging on their side. This can also apply to the left shoulder but the eyes must be glancing left at the time. Doing the left

Stevenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1114847864641052382005-04-30T03:53:00.000-04:002005-04-30T09:22:02.336-04:00

"Now troops serving overseas have no excuse for forgetting to send a card on Mother’s Day. Cardstore.com, one of the newest members of the Defense Department’s America Supports You campaign, will allow all servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan to order Mother’s Day cards online and send them home for free. The California-based business will offer the free cards from April 22 until Mother’s Day,

Stevenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1114461516610863282005-04-25T16:34:00.000-04:002005-04-25T16:41:46.843-04:00

Visit the Iraq Files Store.On January 30th the people of Iraq overwhelmingly expressed their desire to live in freedom. Show your support for them and for the American soldiers promoting it by wearing a Freedom wristband. Available in desert camouflage and red, white and blue; adult and children sizes. A portion of all proceeds go to soldier charities. Freedom wristbands are also a great

Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136009.post-1114455230555523832005-04-25T14:29:00.000-04:002005-04-25T14:53:50.556-04:00

I received this e-mail a few days ago- for those of you who are interested:WAR POETRY CONTESTPostmark Deadline: May 31Prizes of $1,500, $500, $250 and 10 honorable mentions of $75 each. Submit 1-3 original, unpublished poems on the theme of war, up to 500 lines in all. $12 entry fee, payable to Winning Writers. Judge: Jendi Reiter. Submit online or mail to Winning Writers, Attn: War Poetry

Stevenoreply@blogger.com0