100 Days Down

"America must raise an empire of permanent duration, supported upon the
grand pillars of Truth, Freedom, and Religion, encouraged by the smiles of
Justice and defended by her own patriotic sons." - Nathanael Greene

Although it seemed like any other Friday, 15 July 2011 marked a milestone for our deployment. It was the 100th day since we had first arrived in Kuwait and, hence, began our "boots on the ground" count. There was no fanfare. A significant number of our Soldiers were on convoys delivering cargo all across northern Iraq. But it was an important day to reflect on what we'd accomplished since arriving and also focus on the work that still lay ahead. 100 days goes by rather quickly. In that time the Soldiers of our Battalion have driven hundreds of thousands of miles across some of the most dangerous roads in Iraq in order to deliver all classes of supply to our Comrades. At the same time, they've been carrying thousands of tons of cargo southward as part of our retrograde from the country. There have been IEDs and other hostile activities designed to disrupt our battle rhythm and bring harm to our Soldiers. However, the enemy has been unsuccessful. Our convoys march on without loss or incident. It is a testament to the young men and women who are so steadfast and loyal to our mission. They are the best. At the same time we've been a key neighbor at COB Speicher for the base closure plan. Actually, there are simply too many things to mention. I'm damn proud of the "Roadmasters" from Fort Eustis, VA, the "Border Bandits" from Brownsville, TX, and our very own "Mad Dawgs" from Fort Lee, VA. We've also gained some new responsibilities, new Soldiers, and expanding roles for the days ahead. We've a ways to go yet but we are ready. Our OPTEMPO is already at fever pitch.

Although we didn't really have time to celebrate the passing of our 100th day, CSM and I did give some of our Soldiers a chance to unwind around our firepit at the BN HQ. We had a DJ from MWR set up and he provided karaoke. While Soldiers sang and danced, we smoked cigars and drank fake beer around the fire. I joined in the fun as well, singing tunes like "Creep" by Radiohead, "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel, and "Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots. Yes, we had fun for a few hours. After all, day 101 was right around the corner.