"Sir, I need your signature on this..."

"Americans are not a perfect people, but we are called to a perfect
mission" - Andrew Jackson

For every bright, sunny day here there's a sandstorm. Some are worse than others, but they occur with predictable regularity. They really make things miserable. Although they can blot out the sun, they actually raise the temperature a few degrees. That way it helps the dust cling to your skin as you sweat profusely. The Tigris and Euphrates valleys are known to be the cradle of civilization. Knowing that makes me realize that our ancestors were some very hardy folks. Nowadays we just adapt. Fortunately, Soldiers are very good at adapting. It doesn't make a sandstorm any more enjoyable though. Quite frankly, they suck. They are also inevitable. There are many more to follow during the course of this deployment.

I've come to realize that the seven most frequently repeated words around me are "Sir, I need your signature on this." Every day I hear that phrase multiple times. Such is life being the Battalion Commander. My signature is needed on practically everything. It's needed for evaluations, leave requests, convoy manifests, risk management worksheets, policy memorandums, award certificates, special meal requests, and on and on and on and on... After our patch ceremony we created certificates for all of the Soldiers in the Battalion that authorize them wear of their combat service unit patches. This created a comical moment when a stack of several hundred certificates were piled on my desk. That's when I realized how much a signature stamp would help. As it is, I've been signing about a hundred of those a day until I get them completed. I've already gone through a couple of pens. They'll get completed though.

Safety is an ever present task of everyone here. Military equipment will hurt friendly users just as fast as it will hurt the enemy. If you don't respect the equipment and follow the proper procedures you will likely get hurt. In my time in the Army I've seen people lose fingers, break bones, and even lose their lives when they fail to heed the importance of safety. Even traffic accidents happen here when you don't pay attention. This morning on the way to work I passed an accident that had happened at a gravel road intersection. A van carrying TCN (Third Country Nationals) was on its side and a pickup truck was off the road on the other side. The MPs were on the scene taking photos and statements. Fortunately, it didn't appear anyone was hurt. However, it was a stern reminder that in order to successfully accomplish our mission we have to place safety first in everything we do.

And in doing so we live to fight another day.