In the States

I made it home from the Middle East Saturday evening. It was truly a strange feeling being at home that first night. It was so good to see my family. I'll never forget walking through the passage way of BWI and seeing them standing there and how my two girls ran to meet me. It had been a long few days. We left Kirkuk on a straight flight to Qatar, which was very nice because many flights out bounce you around all over the AOR picking up people. My assistant and I had been somewhat concerned because we didn't get confirmation of flights until the last minute. But it all came together thanks to someone checking on it for us. We spend a couple of evenings in Qatar. Not much to do down there. We visited Jacks, a sitting lounge, but after Hotel Charlie (our lounge in Kirkuk) it was just too quiet and restrictive feeling. We always had people coming and going, talking and visiting. Jacks is more of a library reading room. We watched several movies at the theater. Sleeping was a bit of a challenge there since we were crammed into tents stacked like cattle in a cattle car with lots of noise, snoring, and comings and goings. But it was only a few days. The worst part of it was waiting at the PAX terminal for three hours of standing room only in the middle of the night before finally being taken to another holding area where we could at least sit down. Then once aboard the plane we were off. World Airlines took great care of us on our flight home. The attendants on that plane did there best to spoil us in truth. Everyone did a fairly good job getting us off the plane and unloaded and through customs fairly quickly. Some of my home team were here to welcome us home. It was good to see them again. Then my wife and my family and I loaded up and headed home, after stopping at the coffee shop for a good American capuccino!

Later that evening though I had trouble sleeping, not because of jet lag or being off schedule. I managed my sleep over the past few days of waiting in Al Udied and on 20 or so hour of flying. For awhile I felt out of place. It is a huge transition in mode of living from there to here. Tonot have any mission responsibilities. Like going from full speed ahead to dead stop - the quiet, the calm, the strange feeling of so long having been moving at breakneck speed to stillness and not having anywhere you truly have to be. There you are on 24/7, even when sleeping - the radio is on and you sleep with one ear open so to speak. You are constantly thinking about the needs of the mission. What is going on. Who needs assistance. What group of folks, what area of the job needs attention now, in the next hours, today, tomorrow. There is always a sort of hypervigilence listening for the swish of inbound rockets. There is always somewhere to go, something that can be done, someone to visit and talk to, a difference that can be made every moment.

And there is comradery. The Commander shared with me before I left some truly powerful words. Three things in his opinion make life great - transcendence, signficance, and comradery. You have all three deployed, or at least we did in Kirkuk. As good as it is to be home, I can say in all honesty I miss the men and women I served with and I miss the job. There was transcendence - being part of something much bigger than oneself but having an impact over history in the making. Significance - tons of it - I think back to so many things where I was able to contribute. People who opened up with their stresses and problems, some very severe. The impact we had on our Iraqi friends when we helped with the restoration of the war memorial site. The many folks who came by the chapel and the tears that were shed as we said goodbye to one another. I will treasure many of those goodbyes. For we did indeed have comradery. Our chapel team invested itself into the lives of folks and they invested themselves into our work. One of the cops said it nicely to me the day before I left. He had come into the chapel to get coffee and shook my hand and said chaplain, it just won't be the same. I told him I'll be praying for them as I come home and they remain for a time to continue to watch the wire. They are out there right now, eyes peering like eagles, locked and loaded keeping my brothers and sisters safe. I was dissapointed the day that I left. I had planned to get to EMEDS before my flying out to say goodbye to many good friends, but our plane left early and I had only 20 minutes of warning time before I had to go. I was touched though when our Commander came by to say goodbye. We had our picture made together in our full battle rattle one last time. It truly was an honor to work for him.

Now that I am home I can post some pictures. I took many. Incredible sunsets and pictures of incredible people and places. Many night the combination of dirt in the air and moisture as teh rainy season came on created some spectacular sunsets like the one to the left. It was amazing to see the transition as the heat faded and temperatures moderated and even became cool with rain showers from time to time bringing out grass and other vegitation. We even had a few days of constant rain, a truly suprising experience given the dry heat and dust storms of our first days there.

To my friends and family who kept me, my family, and my ministry in your prayers I thank you for your support. It was a great ride, an incredible experience that words cannot capture.

Coming to a close

This may be my last entry from in country. I will soon be heading home and handing off all responsibilties to my replacements. It has been one great ride! I want to say here publically to all with whom I have served thank you for making this an incredible deployment. Our commanders come no better than they came here. I've had the privilege to pray for most of them at change of command ceremonies. It has been my privilege to serve them and their squadrons.

My fellow chaplain from the Army in ministry was top notch. As I told him in person, keep your hiney down brother!

EMEDS - You got r done! Thanks for making me part of your family.

Cops, thanks for watching the wire so we were safe and for stopping by so often to visit with us at the chapel.

I brag on the group commander, all our commanders, the cheifs, and most of the senior NCOs but I have to brag on the airmen as well. Worked and play hard with integrity and honor -- this they did.

There is a sadness as we transfer off our responsibilities. I almost feel as if I have sold a beloved home and am moved into the basement while my buyers are moving into the main rooms. I will miss the people I have served with and I will miss the incredible opportunities that exist to make a difference in the lives of so many folks. This is my first deployment to a war zone, but even the veterans of such are talking of how our group of folks were something exceptional, and they were and are. They always had a can do attitude and got it done. There energy level was incredible. They seized opportunities and when they did not exist engineered them. Attacks from the enemy did not shake their resolve in the least. We made a difference. We were encouraged to finish strong and return with honor and it is my sincere belief we did it -- together. I wish I could tell you more specifically about certain individuals and what they accomplished but operational security and respect for privacy prevents me from saying too much.

But I am looking forward to seeing my family. I find myself visualizing my wife coming with my kids running up to give me hugs. We plan to celebrate a delayed Christmas holiday. I have a couple of surprises for my girls that I'm looking forward to giving to them. I don't look forward to the flight home or the transit time sitting and waiting but it is endurable knowing what is at the end.

And I look forward to getting back home to my airmen at Andrews and to my squadrons, to getting back in touch with my folks and getting to know the news one, and even moving into my new digs over at Civil Engineering so I can be closer to the bulk of my people.

Again, to all who supported my work from back home through sending items for Operation Outreach, it has made a huge difference not only in the morale of our folks but also in my ability to connect with our folks. You too were outstanding.

Blessings to all.

A New Year - Continuing Mission

The calendar turned a page. In some ways the transition from Dec 31st to Jan 1st is an arbitrary one. Today is much the same as yesterday. A beautiful sun rose over a crisp morning through the haze of oil burning off from local refineries as our folks went about getting started with their day. But the importance of days often lies not just in what they contain but in the meaning we invest in them. I preached on New Years Day about attitudes and meaning - that we can invest life with meaning. That New Years can be a time for serious reflection on where have we been, where are we going, and is that where I can and need to be?

Take the past months for instance. I could write about a typical day, but in truth each day was unique. I could write that the next folks that will come in someday to replace us will experience something similar, but yet it will be different as well. Progress is happening and change is taking place. I know the media doesn't talk about that much. I wish the media spent half as much time talking about all the good stuff going on rather than just focusing on the bad stuff. We interpret our experiences investing them with meaning, but we do not interpret in a vacuum. We interpret based on the information we are receiving, which is why it is so important for parties that want to influence society to have the media edge. Whey we have public consultants and media spokemen and so forth. The point is, while I've been here, I've had first hand experience of it all. I've been attacked and carried wounded and even the dead. But I can still say the good is far greater than the bad. I've shaken the hands of Iraqi comrads and worked side by side with them on a project or two. I've seen the smiling faces of local children as school supplies were placed in their hands. I've heard the huge celebrations as important milestones were passed. Every day a new day dawns in Iraq.

I was out taking some photos of the section of Kirkuk north of the base with my telephoto lense and noticed and entire apartment complex that was not there six weeks ago. This is an area bustling with growth and activity. The chapel provides school supplies to local schools. So many times I've had our contacts explain to us how much difference this is making and how much things are changing. There are now entire sections of the area where our folks feel comfortable enough and welcome enough to walk down the streets of settlements without body armor knowing they are safe there.

I am very proud of the people I serve with. For the most part they have been shining examples of integrety, excellence, and service before self. I was concerned that being away from family at the holidays might effect them a great deal, but as one airman told me that when you can't have Christmas with your family then make a family of the people you are with.

One of my Army counterparts, one of our docs, and myself made a clandestine run the other night to various areas where the army works dropping off hundreds of boxes of Little Debbie cakes from Dayton TN and other snack items, many of these coming from Lutheran churches in the Cincinnati area. It is very cool knowing you made a difference to folks out there.

No more snow here so far, but it has been fairly cold. Enough that I am glad I decided to bring long underware and other underlayers and that when they offered me an old style field jacket I said yes. That is the only one I've seen on the base so far. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've been asked where I secured it.

Ministry this week has focused on visitation and official functions with some counseling. So I'll wrap up just by saying "Happy New Year".