More Sand, More Sun and More Shipmates

Merry Christmas to you all from the desert!

This week was mostly set aside to help us acclimate to the Middle East and to its time zone. As to the temp – well that was easy. Typically we have 70 for the day time high and 50 for the evening low with sun or fog.

We are 8 hours head in time and shifting the eight hours ahead is taking more time than I expected … In addition to the time shift, we are sleeping on very uncomfortable cots. I look forward to Iraq where I will be able to sleep, instead, on an uncomfortable bed.

I guess the question of the day is how does one celebrate Christmas in Kuwait? Well, I went to mass last night (the Catholic priest is at other bases today) after coming back from a couple of days of training in the desert. There were about 35 other people there, some of whom I have come to know over the last three weeks of training – others in Kuwait on different assignments. We started by singing carols. We sounded terrible, but all sang and it moved us (me at least) into the Christmas season. The mass proceeded as one would expect (except for less singing). After Mass I headed off to the USO and got in line to use the computer (checked email). Then I got in line to use the phone and called home to family. Then there was a little reading, a little food and a little talking with my shipmates who where hanging out.

This morning (Christmas Day) I set the alarm for 4:30 so that I could make it to Starbucks and Skype with my wife and kids on their Christmas Eve. Today I will get in line for the phone some more and try to call my Mom and Dad and my family again. Some more reading, some more conversations with shipmates, some more working out, perhaps a movie and some Christmas food in the dinning facility. Most everyone wishes they were back home with their loved ones – ironically this is a bond that ties us all together today and in sharing that bond … it makes missing my family a little more tolerable.

Not being home for Christmas – I now know it feels. Still, I don’t feel too sorry for myself, because after all, Jesus wasn’t home for Christmas either. He was in a barn in the middle of the desert (a mere 750 mile drive from current position) far from home. To me it speaks of the love of God for us – to voluntarily accept such conditions on our behalf. It is a love that I need to remind myself of.

I admit that often I do not always feel close to God – although I always have the desire. Today, missing God and missing my family are kind of mixing in my head. As I struggle to connect to them this holiday, I am reminded and renewed of my struggles to connect with God on this Holy of Days. And having had a great conversation with my family early this morning, I am hopeful for a good connection with God as well.

And even should my feelings remain melancholy (which at times happens with my family too, depending on how things are going at home) I now that that the connection of Love is concrete and there is a deep and true peace in knowing the reality of this love.

To all of you I wish you a very Merry Christmas. May you feel the warmth of love through family, friends and the God who loves us so much that he did not spare his only son,

Chris Culver

PS. The picture is me enjoying the fine dining of an MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) at the desert training site.

In the desert

Kuwait has been slow as our main task here is to adjust to the weather (more of an issue for the summer) and adjust to the time zone. When we first arrived in the desert of Kuwait I was struck by the vast desolation of the land. There were no trees, except for a few palm trees planted near the airport (only about 2 blocks worth). And this was true for as far as the eye could see – even looking from the airplane window for the previous two hours before landing. Additionally, we had a minor sand storm after getting off the plane with no building to enter. Instead we waited on a gravel covered lot which had a shade covering off to one corner. From my history I knew that this area of the world was the cradle of civilization. For the life of me, I could not understand why humanity started in such conditions, but I could readily relate to why humanity left for other parts of the world. We aren’t in South Bend anymore – water, trees, greenery and snow were all part of the past. I was feeling that this is definitely NOT a land worth fighting for.

But as I am living her now for a couple of days, I can see how people make a living here. It is definitely not my cup of tea, but for others … it works. For me then, it is the people for whom this fight exists. I have met a few locals and they are nice and friendly much in the same way back home. It reminds me that we are all simple people in the end. For what I need to do here this complicates things (as it always does). It will be my challenge for the next year to align myself with those who choose to build and work to thwart those who choose to destroy – as our common humanity makes discerning who is who difficult.

As to life here for the sailor … I am not longer living with 34 of my favorite friends. … Now I am living with 41 of my favorite friends. J. Here is our berthing area.

The food is plentiful (if not good even). The air is very dry and we have all of the bottled water we can drink. They stack it outside of every building for the taking. I have come to find out that this is the one of the top benefits to being military in the Middle East. On a side note, this didn’t stop the Base Exchange (BX) from offering to sell bottled water. I was amazed and then saw the bottles were covered with dust and marked “May”. I guess the store manager discovered water was poor choice of product when Uncle Sam provided it free. Uncle Sam doesn’t want any soldiers passing out from dehydration.

They have a nice USO, which I heard was highlighted on an episode of “Man Caves.” Don’t watch the show myself but I am thankful for their work. In the USO, I am allowed to make a 20 minute call home (have to wait for an hour or an hour and half to do so) which is great. They also have nice couches, several TV’s (watch only a little TV) and a few other nice things here and there. Kind of crowded all the time, but a great place all the same.

Some of the unique things about living on a Military Base in the Middle East are that there is no running water in the berthing areas. To shower we need to head to the shower truck. To go to the head (navy term for “bathroom”) you can visit any one of the hundreds of port-a-potties scattered throughout the base. None of the heads have electricity so if it dark outside you need to feel your way around or take a flashlight. It makes for some interesting yoga as one tries to juggle keeping clean and carrying a weapon (right now I am only carrying a pistol on my leg). One needs to be uniform going to and from these facilities which makes taking care of your personal business last just that much longer (have to dress to go to the bathroom). As you can see from the picture we all sleep on the uncomfortable cots. Overall though it is not a bad place. Beats living in the deep desert which is what we will do for two days (of training) in the coming week.

The chapel is actually quite nice, but as a total package I am finding it hard to get into the Christmas spirit this season. Advent on the other hand … I am gaining a new appreciating of the concept of a season of “waiting.” First off waiting can be frustrating. I have experienced this to the full this advent season. There were times when we got up at 4:30 am at Fort Jackson only to sit around and start training at 9 or 10 am. It seemed useless and meaningless waste of sleep time. At other times, the waiting wasn’t bad – if not productive (I used the waiting time to get some necessary items accomplished). And then there were other times when I saw the meaning of waiting (like giving a shipmate time to qual on the gun range). Waiting can be good or bad – it is what we make of it. I guess that is much like life. We are given situations to deal with and what we choose (to do in action, to think and to feel) in the end makes or doesn’t make a life worth living.

During this lent I have been praying for myself so that I will be able to live the good decisions (even if difficult) while I spend the next year in Iraq. Some of the guys have determined to shut their “brain off and endure the year.” I find that existence meaningless and intolerable. I do not know how yet, but I to leave Iraq, and the men and women I serve better for having met me. If you pray for me, please add that intentions to your prayers.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your family and friends,

Chris Culver

PS

Here are a few pictures of the base …

First off to my Army buddies I enjoy the following section in the library. What is wrong with this picture?

By the way, this is what the library looks like (as well as most of the buildings on base) …



This is the center of town …

And this is the a close-up of the second building from the left.

Address

All,

I found out my address for when I am in Iraq:

CDR Chris Culver
Unit 2042, Box 42
APO AE 09870-2042

Peace,
Chris Culver

Final Days State Side

I am in my final couple of hours here in the US. Soon I will be on a plane to Kuwait (where I will spend Christmas) for some additional training and acclimation to the desert weather. Then I will travel on to Iraq.


Over the last couple of days we completed our Fort Jackson training which included a Land Navigation Exercise (did NOT get lost - yeah) and a Convoy Exercise (which also went well - OK. so more training on that in Kuwait).

In addition to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, I thought I would spend some time listing a few comments about the "constants" here at Fort Jackson. First off there are the drill sergeants who are a great bunch of trainers. They are experienced and eager to pass on all they know. They also are a little quirky (and this is all of the time). I thought I would let the video do most of that talking.

There have also been some great quotes by the group. My two favorite are:

" He gets around everywhere he goes." and

"We'll leave at 6:30 or 6:45, which ever come first."

On of the many things the Drill Sergeants urge us to do is drink all day long. While here in the United States it can be an issue, over in the desert it is definitely an issue. We all need to remain hydrated. But in typical Army fashion they have to break things do so that even the lowest private can understand. Thus in every bathroom you will see the following sign. It is very helpful for the visual learners. I know it is kind of goofy, but I couldn't just let it pass.



My next comment may have to wait two weeks depending on the kind of Internet connection I can get in Kuwait, should I miss it, I want to wish all of your a very Merry Christmas. May you see and know how much God has blessed you with and may we all sing his praises.

Peace,
Chris Culver

A great week of training

Its been another fine week at Camp McCrady here in the south.

Much of the week was spent refining our marksmanship skills and learning a few cultural does and don't about life in Iraq - i.e. Never ask an Iraqi to take off his head gear or show him your shoe. In addition we learned about the subservient role of women in the Middle East - navigating that will be an internal challenge. Perhaps I will have a chance to write about more on that in the coming months ...

But for today the main message is learning to shoot. As a teacher I am quite impressed with the weapons training that we've received. The Navy's stance on personal weapon training is quite sterile. Our guns are cleaned by others, our targets are always bright white and neither the targets nor the shoots move vary much (if at all). Not so in the Army. The targets move, the shooters move, we clear our one jams and clean our own weapons. Making that shift and doing it safely is the word for this week. In the words of students at St. Joe, I would like to give a shout out to all of our Army Drill Instructors in this blog as they helped me and 200 other fine Navy sailors (some of whom never shot until this week) make the transition.

To get us to the point of moving and shooting with a loaded weapon, we started our mornings between 3:30 and 5:30 am everyday. The only plus to that was being able to watch the sun come up in SC, which by the way is quite beautiful. During the week we each shot about 720 rounds of ammunition. Here I am on one of the ranges getting ready to shoot. If you notice the dirt on my gear, that is from laying in the wet mud/clay/sand mixture during a shoot (and the rain) the previous day.



Now learning to shoot also requires some interesting classes, so in addition to spending time on the range we went to class. Here is a friend of mine during one of those fine classes :-). Actually here is a friend of mine waiting for classes to start.



And speaking of waiting, we spend a lot of time waiting in lines to accomplish just about everything. In the Navy we say that we do more before 9 AM than most people do all day. In the Narmy we say that we waste more time before 9 AM that most people do all day. For those of you now me even moderately well, you can imagine how much I enjoy that aspect of this training.

One of the things I DO enjoy though is meeting several fine sailors. Below is one of those fine sailors ... I think he's Popeye's younger brother.



Just so you can appreciate the level of training I included two videos from the week. Here is the M-16 qual range. Notice the targets moving up and down. I shot a 29 out of 40 (qualing required that hit 23 of 40 targets). It is quite a challenge given that we are wearing about 60 lbs of gear while shooting.

This next shoot is wear the Drill Sergeants make all of their money. The guns are loaded with live ammo that entire time. Their job here is to stress us out with running and yelling and then get us to shoot DOWN range at the targets. We had no issues during this class, but in classes past there have been some close calls.

I don't know if I will be able to write next week as I will be traveling through Kuwait. Standing by to see how that goes.

Peace and Merry Christmas (should I not be able to write),

Chris Culver

From the Navy to the Narmy

It has been quite the week!

In fact when I was talking with my parents today, last Sunday seemed like a life time ago. If last week was my transformation from civilian life to active duty, this week was my transformation from Navy to Army life (a transformation that will continue through the next two weeks (when I head off to Kuwait following on to Iraq). The training is required because all of us Navy folks will be serving roles in Army commands. We need to know the Army way of life.

On Sunday night I checked in after the 14 hour drive from South Bend (it was great to see the family for Thanksgiving). I then when to berthing (sleeping area) where I found my rack (bed) and locker. I am sleeping with myself and 34 of my best friends.



For those of you who have trouble sensing sarcasm, that last sentence was sarcastic. It took a couple days for all of us to get used to living with each other. At an average age of 36 years old, we are all pretty much used to our privacy – which is no longer there.

Monday was basic introduction and get a bunch of stuff day. Some of the stuff we will never use and other stuff we will use all of the time. Everybody gets it all. Some of the stuff I will get to keep and other stuff I will have to turn back in. By and large it is a lot of cool stuff (like the Gortex jacket) – unfortunately it is all colored in Army camouflage. One of the things we received was our 45 lbs (or approx 25 Newtons) of Individual Body Armor (IBA’s). This is the stuff that stops bullets which is good. But after wearing it much of this last week, it is pretty heavy. Took some getting used to wearing.

Wednesday was a full day of briefing on about things that really brought the war part of this mission home. We talked about things to do when attacked and how to administer first aid. Please continue to pray for all of those affected by war, that their hearts not be hardened by the violence they see, but that they remain open to the Love who is God.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were early mornings (up at 4:30 or 5:00)

During these mornings, we practiced shooting our weapons – a lot. I was able to qualify on all of the weapons I need the first time through. It was challenging moving around with all of the Body Armor on and took some practice. Through all of this we are being trained by 12 Army Drill sergeants and civilians. I appreciate their patience as they work with bunch of older sailors who by choice picked the Navy over the Army – some of which who are still struggling with now being in the Narmy.

One of the interesting things about the week is that wherever we go we have to carry our weapons with us (a pistol and a riffle). This is to get us used to carrying a weapon around which what we will do once we get into county.

Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning I was able to see my parents who live about 40 miles away. That was really cool. I will get to see them again next weekend. Here is my dad and me in the barracks.

Below is a link to a video that kind of explains what I am doing in Fort Jackson these three weeks. The only thing different from what I am doing is that I will NOT be working in an anti- IED role. I will be working on ensuring that the US economic support is still effective Iraq as we draw down the number of troops during 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7C6j5oPRR8&feature=related

Take care and God bless,
Chris Culver

A Happy Thanksgiving

Well,

This last week was a wirlwind!


We arrived (me and 50 other mobilized reservists) in Gulfport on Sunday evening to begin our transition to Active Duty. A surprise was that all (both us reservists and the active duty in command) were looking to make this a short week and finish up our five days of work in 3 days. We ran around here there and everywhere for those three days. And we did it!

This made it possible for me to drive (14 plus hours) in the car home for Thanksgiving. What a blessing and a great reason to be thankful. Simply spending time with family.


Spent the holiday and Friday and part of Saturday with the family.
It was all wonderful. Our God is a God of surprises and for that I am very thankful.

Peace,

Chris Culver



PS. Unfortunately this is the only picture to mark the event (such poor quality), so here you have me and my wife at the family gathering.

In the beginning

It is Sunday morning and I am getting ready to fly out to Mississippi to receive all of my equipment and uniforms. I will be there about a week and then head off to South Carolina for three weeks of training on how to live in Iraq (i.e how to live in the desert and handle my weapons).

So far the trip is pretty uneventful. I arrived on Thursday afternoon and had to wait 3 hours to get the duty driver to run me over to my hotel. It appears that several Admirals were needed the duty drivers attention and so I waited. Then on Friday I went to visit several offices at the Reserve Center; where they checked this and that box on my six page pre-deployment checklist. I finally cleared the list at 4 pm on Friday afternoon. Let's just say I read a lot in my first 24 hours here in D.C. Yesterday I met up with my Navel (and yes that is how it was spelled on my diploma - the first one anyway) Academy roommate and his family. He drove up 2 hours from Virgina and had a wonderful time.

They asked me a million times, "What is it that you will need over there in Iraq?" "What can we send you?" And as we were walking around Annapolis we saw a girl scout troop selling cookies to support the troops overseas. These experiences joined the incredible blessing and send that I received from my school community on Wednesday. They joined the great party my wife threw for me on Sunday. and They joined the prayers of my Parish community as well. Through all of this I felt very supported and loved. For that I am grateful. ... as well as reminded about what I will miss most during this next year - the community. It answers the question of what I need in Iraq - letters and news of home (pictures, notes etc). I hope I get them.

Peace,

Chris Culver

Picture of me receiveing blessing at school