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