Recent Pics

Texas sized training

I never knew how flat it was in Texas. The sky is so blue, the clouds are so magnificant and the mountains are so beautiful in the background. Just for clarification, those mountains are about 8-12 miles away. Yes that is a 9mm Beretta I'm holding. Most ecerybody else as the M4 Assult Rifle but I just got lucky and was issued a 9mm for this exercise. It sure is a lot lighter to be carrying around, thats for sure!

Just had to share so pics of where we are so you can see what I get to see. Word on the street is that we will be rolling out of here on Saturday and get back in Kansas sometime early Sunday morning (19 hour bus trip) so hopefully I should get some better reception and be able to call home and tell you guys all about it.

Thank God for WiFi,

Frank

Chicks dig my ride

So I have been spending alot of time thinking about what car I will buy when I get back from the sandbox next August. For those of you that dont know, I have not had a license for close to 4 years now. I won't get into details about why I dont have one but lets just say I was young, dumb and immature. These past 4 years have taught me alot about myself and the kind of person I want to be.

I have done my time and then some. I think about my new car and wicked long road trip i will take once I get it. I have narrowed it down to a few favorites. let me know what you think and which one you would have and why. Im looking for some feedback and help here people!

In no partiqular order:

Late 90's Dodge Viper GTS

2010 Chevy Camero

2009 Nissan 370Z

So what do you think?


Dazed and Confused
Knarf

My Future Self and Me

Good morning, OHIO!!! Actually, it's not morning, it's not good and I am definately not in Ohio. However, it was the first thing to come to my mind when I started typing so naturally, it went in the post. Thats pretty much how I write all of these things. First thing to invade the space between my ears gets typed and forever etched in this blog. I really can't wait for 10 years down the road when I go back and re-read all of these posts and think "what the hell was I thinking about??!" Well Future Frank, now you know.

I don't know if Mom has told any of you but the deployment is getting pushed back by about a month or so. I can't tell you the exact date or really the place we will be stationed because of OPSEC (Operation Security). Can't let the bad guys know when or where you are going. But I can tell you it will be in mid August. Also, prob more important to anyone that reads this, the block leave has been rescheduled to July 11-26 so pencil me into your calanders. I say pencil cause if you have learned anything from these posts in the past months, the Army is very unpredicable. Anything and everything can be changed at a moments notice. Well now you know.

Present Day Frank

The confusion of my noggin

This is a song by Stone Sour called "Zzyzx Rd." that I have been listening to alot lately. Its a very slow and methodical song, completely different from what I normally listen to. The words become clearer with every listen and always speak to me on a deep level. I thought you should read then to get a feel of whats going on in my head. Enjoy...

I don't know how else to put this

It's taken me so long to do this

I'm falling asleep and I can't see straight

My muscles feel like a melee

My body's curled in a U-shape

I put on my best but I'm still afraid

Propped up by lies and promises

Saving my place as life forgets

Maybe its time I saw the world

I'm only here for a while

But patience is not my style

And I'm so tired that I gotta go

What am I supposed to hide now?

What am I suppose to do?

Did you really think I wouldn't see this through

Tell me I should stick around for you

Tell me I could have it all

I'm still too tired to care and I gotta go

I get to go home in one week

But I leaving home in three weeks

They throw me a bone just to pick me dry

I'm following suit and directions

I crawl up inside for protection'

m told what to do and I don't know why

I'm over existing in limbo

I'm over the myths and placebos

I don't really mind if I just fade away

I'm ready to live with my family

I'm ready to die in obscurity

'Cause I'm so tired that I gotta go

Where am I supposed to hide now?

What am I suppose to do?

You still don't think I'm going see this through

Tell me I'm a part of history

Tell me I can have it all

I'm still to tired to care and I gotta go

Oh yeahOh yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Still too tired to care and I gotta go

Still too tired to care and I gotta go

Still too tired to care and I gotta go

Yeah, yeah

Still to tired to care and I gotta go

Go home

Still to tired to care and I gotta go

Yeah yeah

Still to tired to care and I gotta go

Random pics and Knapps wedding

Anthrax and smallpox and typhoid.....oh my!!!

Ok so I have some info to put out to anyone that still reads this anymore. In case you have been living under a rock and doesnt know, I will be deploying to Iraq sometime during the first week of July. We still dont have a definate date yet but we have a 2 week timeframe that seems to be solid. Regardless of what you heard on TV, Obama is not pulling everyone out of Iraq in 18 months. He is just pulling all the COMBAT troops out which means soldiers like me will still occupy Iraq for sometime. It will end up being like South Korea or Germany. My main mission during my 12 months (or longer) in the sandbox will be support to the Detainment Facility in Taji which is about 25 miles northwest of Bagdad. I will setting up and maintaining communication equipment and generally sleeping alot, playing video games and deciding on what car to buy when I get back.

Ok now that that is out of the way, I can tell you a little about what has been happening the past couple of weeks. Today, we turned over responsibility of the battalion to the new battalion that got stood up. Basically that means that I am no longer responsible for all the automation and daily tasks that I used to do. All I have to do now is train and prepare for the deployment. I started to get a taste of that the past 2 days. Both days we had formation at 0430 and rode buses to Ft Riley (about 2 hours away) to get issued gear and check that our medical and finances were in order. Monday, I had a mini Xmas, Army style. I got so much free stuff that it filled 2 duffel bags and a brand new ACU ruck sack. If I had to list it all, i would be here all day. But some of my favorites, A Gerber multitool, 2 pairs of shades, ACU backpack, hi speed gloves and lots of cold weather clothes that will completely useless in the Iraqi 120 degree summer. Tuesday, however, was not as pleasent. In one day, I got infected with smallpox, typhoid and anthrax and had to wait in amusment park length lines all day. Overall, it ended up being a 16 hour day and now my right arm is sore and my left arm will have to be covered for at least the next 3 weeks while the pox works its wonder after which it will leave a nice 1/2 inch scar. I guess I will have to get a tattoo to cover it up (haha Mom)

Ok well I guess that is about all for now. I plan to be coming home during the first week in June for about 2 weeks so plan wisely kids. Thank you to everyone who has sent me a card or a package recently. Trust me, they means more than you can fathom. I save everyone of them.

Your highly contageious soldier
Frank