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
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
