Women's World Cup: Team USA

Team USA beat the People's Republic of Korea!

USA 2 : PRK 0

Bagram, Afghanistan

I landed in AFG in the wee-hours of the morning.

Rode up in the cockpit of the C-17 (yup, I am awesome!)

As soon as I get better internet and easier phone access I will try to call home.

Should find out in the next few days where I will be stationed for the next 6 months.

Kuwait

Wow! I forgot how hot it is here! And it seems like we can't really catch a break.


It was super hot when we:
-arrived just after dinner
-unloaded and moved our bags
-walked over to the 24-hour Subway for dinner
-went to and from the showers
-woke up the next morning for breakfast
-moved out of our tent
-hauled our bags to the PAX terminal
-loaded our bags on to pallets
-stood in formation for the aircraft boarding brief
-got on board the C-17 to fly us into AFG

...as evidenced by CPT Rodriquez's t-shirt when we finally got out of the heat.

Honoring the California Fallen

Army Staff Sergeant Russell J. Proctor, 25, of Oroville, CA, was assigned to 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. SSG Proctor died in Diyala province, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Army Specialist Kevin J. Hilaman, 28, of Albany, CA, was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, HI. SPC Hilaman died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire.

FIFA Women's World Cup

I have followed the United States Women's National Soccer Team since the mid-90's. As a kid I played soccer in the local community leagues and a little in high school. My closet doors were covered with posters and magazine articles about this team. I even have a lunch box of the team that I use everyday when I go to work. (I get a lot of fun comments on my lunch box)

This year the World Cup is being played in Germany. When a good friend from Walter Reed AMC CPT Katie Casper moved to Landstuhl, Germany a year ago we began to plan a 2011 summer vacation in Europe. The first week for me would be spent at soccer games and events while she still worked. The second week would be spent touring around. Plans changed a little (okay, a lot) when Katie received her orders to deploy to Afghanistan with the 115th Combat Support Hospital. I was still planning to head over to Germany for the 2 weeks of fun this summer until I received word of my deployment.

So instead of taking 2 weeks in Germany to watch some soccer, I am watching the US Women's Team play on AFN (Armed Forces Network) while in uniform and a loaded M9 on my hip. Just a little different than what I had planned.

The World Cup started the same day I officially deployed. Even though my adventure is a little different, I still got to start at the same time...

Good Luck Team USA!!!

Follow their blog HERE

Honoring the California Fallen

Army Staff Sergeant Nigel D. Kelly, 26, of Menifee, CA, was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, HI. SSG Kelly died in the Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire.

The Flight Over

After an amazingly long flight (USA to Europe to Kuwait) I have arrived safely and am at our first staging area. I will be here for a day or so while waiting for a flight into Afghanistan.

The flight itself I tried very hard to not be awake for. I was able to sleep a little on the first leg but had little to no success on the second leg. The third leg and longest leg of the flight I was able to get about 6-7 hours of good sleep. The plane was huge so many of us were able to have a seat left empty between soldiers allowing for a little more elbow room.

It is amazingly hot here in Kuwait yet again. Thankfully there is very little humidity this time. There are 9 of us here from the Enroute Critical Care Nurse team and we are having a little too much fun getting to know each other.

I have a few more flights and moves ahead of me so I will try to keep you as updated as I can.

Who Do You Mourn Today?

On 25 June 2009 1st Lt. Brian Bradshaw was killed in action in Kheyl, Afghanistan. He died from wounds sustained when in improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

1LT Bradshaw was 24 years old from Steilacoom, WA. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

1LT Brian Bradshaw is survived by parents, Paul and Mary (Gillis) Bradshaw; his brother, Robert Bradshaw; his grandmothers, Nancy Gillis of Hudson, Massachusetts, and Virginia Bradshaw of Parsons, Kansas; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Preceded in death by his grandfathers, Charles Bradshaw and John Gillis, and his aunt, Cathy Gillis and uncle, John Bradshaw.

Who do you mourn today? The King of Pop? Farrah Fawcett? Or do you mourn a March of Dimes participant who volunteered with the Pierce County Search and Rescue before joining the United States Army after ROTC. This former leader and counselor at CYO camps was ignored and forgotten by THIS nation when he lost his life fighting with OUR nation's military.

This soldier will never forget you 1LT Brian Bradshaw.
(8 OCT 1984 - 25 JUN 2009)

Army Spc. Joshua L. Hazlewood died June 25, 2009 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom 22, of Manvel, Texas; assigned to the 614th Automated Cargo Documentation Detachment; died June 25 in Arifjan, Kuwait, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.

Honoring the California Fallen

Marine Corporal Gurpreet Singh, 21, of Antelope, CA, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. CPL Singh died in the Helmand province, Afghanistan, from wounds received while conducting combat operations.

Honoring the California Fallen

Marine Lance Corporal Jared C. Verbeek, 22, of Visalia, CA, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. Lance Corporal Verbeek died from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Ft Benning, GA

Safe in GA. Of course DELTA "misplaced" one of my bags and it arrived a day late, but what can you expect from DELTA?!?

I will spend this week getting to know the team I will be working with and completing some mandatory training.

Honoring the Califonia Fallen

Marine Lance Corporal Jason D. Hill, 20, of Poway, CA, was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Hill died in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.

Happy Birthday

The big THREE - O this year!

Hanging with Alyson

If today was any indication of what summers are like here in Seattle, then this place is awesome!!!

My little cousin Alyson is a student at the University of Washington. Okay, okay...she is not my little cousin anymore. She is one of the first cousins I can remember holding as baby, so she will always have a soft spot in my heart. Alyson and I went to the Mariner's game this afternoon. Sure, they lost, but we had a blast sitting just behind homeplate! And who doesn't love a hot dog at a baseball game?!?

After the game she took me to Gas Works Parks. It was the perfect day to walk around the park! There were families everywhere and a handful of kites in the air. If I can spend my final few days of freedom before deployment like I did today, then this is going to be an awesome few days!

Medal of Honor Recipient

Army Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry to be awarded the Medal of Honor on 12JUL2011 by President Barrack Obama. You will be able to watch the ceremony at whitehouse.gov

Click on his picture so read about his heroic actions that saved his fellow soldiers.picture from: http://www.shadowspear.com/special-operations-news/105694-army-ranger-leroy-petry-medal-of-honor.html

He is why I do my job.