Operation Spartan Shield...WTF?!?

The "pool" at Camp Buehring

So here we are, June. Our LAST month in this hell hole. Hell hole is a pretty good name for Kuwait. The Shamal is up and kickin something fierce. A shamal is another word for dust storm or sandstorm. Seems like we haven't had a single day without wind. We've had rain, hail, rain and sand at the same time. It rained so hard one day that it filled an 8' deep pit FULL. For a week, Camp Buehring had it's own swimming pool. But the rain is definitely gone. All that remains is sand. Sand so thick its almost like night. If Forrest Gump was here, he'd say, "One day it started blowing sand, and it didn't quit for 4 months. We've been through every kind of sand there is: a little bit of stinging sand, and big ol fat sand. Sand that flew in sideways and sometimes sand seemed to come straight up from underneath. And then one day, we was out walking like always, and then, just like that, somebody turned off the sand and the sun came out!" It is TOTALLY unbearable at times. Even wearing goggles doesn't seem to mitigate that. Some people ask, "what's it like?" Well, turn on a hair dryer, and point it at your face, arm's length away. with your other hand, throw a fist full of sand and dirt in the intake of the hairdryer and let the sand pelt your burning face. That's exactly what it's like out here. And its only gonna get worse. Trying to fend off the boredom is key! Being stuffed into tents with 50 people for 5 months is hell. Everyone gets on everyone's nerves. Sanity comes in daily doses talking to family, my fiance, my friends.

Its been raining for an hour in this pic!

Sandstorm around Noon!

Walking to the motorpark!

So less than a month away, homecoming. To be honest, I'm nervous. its been 4 months since i've seen my family and my fiance. Its wierd, so ready to leave this place, but strangely i feel attached to it. Don't get me wrong, you couldn't pay me enough to stay any longer than i have to, but at the same time, going home is makin me a little nervous. Not really sure why. Perhaps its readjusting to being back stateside, or that my army career is ending earlier than expected. Could be uncertainty of the next step: civilian life. The guaranteed paycheck, health insurance, even job, is gone. I'll get a new job, that's not a problem, but the military was supposed to have job security in an economy where nothing was certain. I feel that to an extent my life hit the pause button while the rest of my friends kept moving forward. R&R was good at showing me that while in a different place geographically, we all were growing up, maturing and moving forward at the same speed. I get up and go to bed, just like them.

Leading edge of a bitchin' thunderstorm!

So looking back, since i've been in Kuwait, i've gotten engaged to the love of my life, planned our wedding, am getting out of the army 18 months early and have totally fixed up my truck. All in all, pretty successful. And leaving the army is a blessing in disguise. My back is healed, praise the Lord. But now, i get to live my life WITH my fiance and not have to spend 2 more moths apart while i'm at Fort Hood and she is in Cali before we get married, and i can jump into getting the career i want sooner rather than later. This deployment has time and time again showed me that when one door closes, the Lord is good to those who trust in Him and he opens another door. Multiple opportunities are available to me now. And instead of postponing our honeymoon because of leave concerns with the army and time accrued, we can actually have a honeymoon right after our wedding.

Now, time to brave the heat and the nonstop sand and just make it back to Fort Hood!