MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM IRAQ

(Just an FYI - Mike called me from Baghdad yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG, imagine my surprise to receive a call from Baghdad!!!! It was amazing. Thanks, Mike, you made my Christmas!)

P.S./ Mike, your video came though as "quarantined material containing prohibited military content" and I was not able to upload it. Sorry...

Merry Christmas, Carron!

As I sit in my office trying to figure out how to explain to all of you what I do during the day, I thought it would be much easier to show you in a video clip to help you see what I'm doing.

Yesterday while out on Battlefield Circulation with LTG Abud, we went to three different suburbs/districts within Baghdad (or in Arabic it's:Belidayat) to meet with the local elders, local police, national police, and Iraqi Army personnel serving in these districts. Baghdad has between 9-10 million people living in the 'city limits' and is divided up into approximately 12-15 different districts (depending on who is counting and how they are counting). Everywhere we go, the Iraqi Soldiers treat LTG Abud like a god (he is in the middle in the red beret); they honestly worship him and swear their allegiance to a unified Iraq!

As you can see in the video clip, they have an almost 'tribal' like chant/dance that they do to honor him when he is in their district. If you can imagine trying to provide close-in protection for him when we get into these Belidayat's its almost impossible; people run out of houses & buildings just to try and touch his hand. So basically, when he is out, I spend my days trying to chase him down these crowed streets (with my security detachment); while I'm not exactly trained for this type of work, having been a Soldier for 26 years makes it pretty easy to adapt and sharpen old skills!

The good news is that when he isn't out on the streets, I'm sitting in the Palace working at a computer (something that I don't need practice at!).

Additionally, I attached a photo of the 'city hall' in Al Fruat so that you would get an idea of how crude some of their government buildings are! As you may be able to tell from the photos, we (the US Advisors) try to stay in the back (except for our Generals) and make everything look as if the Iraqi's are leading, and in charge.

Take care, and don't worry about me; I'm honestly having the 'Military time of my Life' even though I wake up extremely sore and tired each morning (old age setting in); I do wake up and I feel so lucky to love my profession and have an awesome Family that supports me continuing mycareer!

The final picture is me having Christmas Dinner!!! (3 lobstertails, Cornish hen, mac & cheese, corn on the cob, shrimp cocktail, & fake wine!!!!!)......looks like I will be going to the gym later tonight!!

Cheers,

Mike