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Old 01-05-2006, 10:25 AM
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Keith_Hixson Keith_Hixson is offline
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Post Brad, A letter from Iraq

Howdy all!

Yet another mass-mailing. Internet access isn?t near as good as it was last-time-around? but still not so bad. But ? bad enough that I?m stuck with throwing together messages beforehand and then shooting it out later.

All is well. We are at out final destination for our deployment. At least for now? who knows for how long though! Since it?s in our mailing address I suppose it?s AOK to put it in a letter: We are at Q-West in Iraq. It?s someplace up North. I don?t mind it here at all. I eat good at a nice chow hall and sleep good on a real bed.

Today we are off on a small mission. I?m on site but am out-of-the-loop working on organizational junk? the boring officer end of it all. Taking a quick break to continue working on this letter.

No real news to report except one VERY important tid-bit: There are porcupines in Iraq! Never would have even crossed my mind until we saw one splattered on the road. There is plenty of other wildlife too ? quite a few different kind of birds? my favorite being the magpie ? which like the porcupine: also lives in Alaska. Coincidently enough the magpies were eating the porcupine. Other than that we saw a herd of camels in Kuwait. The lazy way they dragged their feet reminded me of a lazy version of how Reagan runs.

From where I am sitting right now I am overlooking the work we are doing to my left and right and in front of me over our perimeter. All I can see out there is a worked field. It looks like a disked field at the moment. From what I understand is that there is some sort of winter-wheat planted. From where we live we can see mountains to the Northeast of us in the distance. Not too spectacular to look at, but it?s a lot better then the endless flat nothing we saw in Kuwait. The sunsets and sunrises here are really great though ? thanks to all this wonderful dust.

The weather has been pretty cold. A couple of days it was around freezing. Supposedly in January we?ll start seeing temperatures around the teens. It warms up to 45-65 during the day with off-and-on wind cooling it a bit more. It rained one day on us for a good portion of the day. Nice chilly rain. Was a good day to hide inside.

Of course the most major event that has occurred in the world recently I was able to witness from all the way over here in Iraq. Such a terrible tragedy. It?s really sad to think of all the lives changed for the worse ? of everyone that had lost something so dear to them. Most of these poor unfortunates of course live in Michigan. On the otherhand: what a day for Nebraska? how ?bout them Huskers! I was able to watch the game with another LT from Nebraska (that I went to school with) and an LT from Michigan. The bet was the winner would be able to fly their team?s flag over here. Regardless, my Nebraska floor mat would be at our front door. I?ll pull rank if I have to for that.

Since I really don?t get much of a chance to respond to messages online ? I?ll hit the big questions now:
Q: Hey Brad, are you gunna be able to watch THE GAME?
A: You bet I am! Didn?t you read that part above?!

Q: Hey Brad, how many people do you work with? how many are you in charge of?
A: Silly duck! I can?t answer questions like that. I can say this though: eventually you?ll probably be working for me, yo mama too.

Q: Hey Brad, what stuff do you want over there?
A: Honestly we?re pretty well set-up? there?s nothing I really need. Pictures of friends/family to put up would be great. Email sorta works but I can?t print color. Also, it would be really cool if my dog was here or the ATV. But wish in one hand and? well, I guess Reagan and the ATV can stay where they are for now.

Q: Hey Brad, speaking of Reagan: where is your dog, at your parents?
A: Negative, Reagan is staying at the Schaaf?s house in Eagle River, Alaska. Curt Schaaf is one of my fellow LT?s over here (the Nebraskan). So his wife, Ginger, is taking care of Reagan. Reagan will be spoiled rotten when I get back? a big yard, a good buddy dog, a cat to ignore and to top it all off Ginger?s taking really good care of her!

Q: Hey Brad, what did you do with your house?
A: I sold it!

Q: Really?
A: Really.

Q: Hey Brad, what kind of place do you live in over there?
A: I hate these questions because I can?t really give specifics. Where I am at now has heat and A/C. What more could a boy ask for?

Q: Hey Brad, I heard a lot of people get bored over there. Have you been getting bored?
A: No. Nice thing about being an engineer is that we are plenty busy. When I do get a few moments to myself I either take a nap or read out of a book. Right now I?m reading Pompeii by Robert Harris. Good book? some big conspiracy going on, however it doesn?t matter ? have a good idea Vesuvius will finish on top no matter what. Otherwise I can fill time by having bizarre question and answer sessions with myself.

Q: Hey Brad, are you going to get some leave time?
A: Yes I am, somewhere around the 2/3rd mark. If I can get a passport I?m looking at going to Greece or Peru or Australia or someplace exotic like Canada. Right now I?m leaning toward Peru even though it?s outside the tourist season. Having troubles figuring out if I can get a passport or not while I am ?over here.?

Q: Hey Brad, are you still single? I mean, well, I don?t, um, want to be forward or anything, but, I mean, well, you are smart and funny and have really cute hair, for an army guy, well, I was thinking you should date my [circle one: daughter/ sister/ friend/ cousin/ niece/ dogsitter/ masseuse/ teacher/ student/ parole officer/ pen pal].
A: Yes, I?m still single. Sure, that?s cool.

Q: Hey Brad, have heard the one about the priest, the rabbi and the high-dive board?
A: Yup.

Q: Hey Brad, why are you such a wuss?
A: What!? Who said that?! I swear I?ll break their neck. If that?s okay I mean.

Q: Hey Brad, I forgot to write down your address when you told me. What is it?
A: I haven?t said it yet, dummy. Here it is:

Brad Pietzyk
C/84th ECB(H)
FOB Q-West
APO AE 09334

Q: Hey Brad, does any of that stuff in the address mean anything?
A: Yeah it does. The first line is my name ? the second my assigned unit ? the third is where I am and the fourth is some sort of zip-code thingy.

Q: Hey Brad, what is your job right now?
A: Right now I am a platoon leader ? I?ll be the executive officer sometime this spring.

Q: Hey Brad, that?s pretty cool sounding, executive officer. What rank are you now?
A: Are you kidding me?! I would prefer to stay a platoon leader. Executive officer ain?t all that and a bag o? potato chips, if you know what I mean. I?m still just a silly lieutenant. Right around the end of the year I should be promoted to Captain, assuming that the Army doesn?t catch me doing, well, just about anything that I do.

Q: Hey Brad, boxers or briefs?
A: Seriously, that?s a bit personal. Leave me alone.

Q: Hey Brad, is this ever going to end?
A: Fine. It?s over.

Anyway ? that about wraps up all the junk all?y?all?ve been asking me.

Follow Your Nose,
BRAD
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Old 01-05-2006, 01:38 PM
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Keith_Hixson Keith_Hixson is offline
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Default Just thought

Just thought everyone would like to keep track of Brad.

We keep in contact through email.

Keith
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Old 01-05-2006, 02:48 PM
sn-e3 sn-e3 is offline
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I love Brads since of humor . He just about covered all possible questions that was very creative.
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Old 01-05-2006, 06:10 PM
DMZ-LT DMZ-LT is offline
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He has come a long way grasshopper. Still makes me proud.
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