Well I am at 34 days and a wake up , that is if the new unit gets here as planned. So far all indications are that they are on schedule so we are hoping. The first thing I think of as I try to kill off the last month or so is that when we got here the unit we replaced kept telling us that "don't worry it goes by fast". Well I am telling you that there has been nothing fast about this last 9 months. Sure there were times that seemed to fly by but I feel like I have been away from Tracy and the girls for a lifetime. I don't want to bring down anyone that is just getting started but let's face it 9 months is nine months. We are even lucky that since we got delayed at the MOB site we came a month later than we were supposed to.

     The one good thing I will put out though is I still feel that this is a positive thing we are doing. I have been in Balad for alot of my time and out in Al Asad for about a total of 3 months. My time out here has been spent doing routine sick call and that really gets monotonous. In Balad it is busy and a lot of minor complaints but here in Al Asad it is mostly all Transpotartion and convoy security guys/gals. Not to mention all the Marines here. What I am getting at is despite all the bad press Tracy sees at home, despite the way the news will try to make you think that everyone is against this war and no one wants us here if the press bothered to ask the soldiers they would get the same response for the most part. These soldiers are PROUD of what they are doing here. They don't care about the reasons/politics behind the decision to send them all they know is they were sent here to do a job and they intend on doing it well...and they are. Of course there are always a few soldiers who will tell you this is BS and we don't belong here but the majority of what I see is soldiers taking pride in thier mission even if it is outside thier MOS and doing the job. When it comes down to it, it doesn;t matter if it is BS this is what we get paid to do. As IRR call ups it is even more pronounced to me. If anyone has the right to complain it is those of us who have done our time and even some of us who have passed the 8 year obligation but still stepped up and came to do the job. I don't want to try to imply anything against those who got exemptions or delays that is not my point. Some of us had no legitimate reason to apply for either and that is what I mean by stepping up. While I hate being away from home and I don't particularly care for the unit I am asigned to I still am trying to do my job and take care of soldiers as a medical provider.

     Now I would like to ask for a little info from the folks that have finished thier rotation and have D-Mobed already. To be frank I HATE the unit I am with the leadership is pathetic and this has ben a frustrating year, probably teh most miserable military unit I have ever been exposed to, but since I was assigned to them at Ft. Benning and came to Iraq with them it looks like I have to return to the states with them. My question is do the other IRR guys and I have to go through the D-Mob process with the unit or can we go to the CRC at Benning when we get there and out process as inividuals. Where does our ties to the unit end?? Also which would be quicker?? Lets face it when I get to Benning I just want to get out and go home. Any info would be really appreciated.

34 days and a wake up!!!!