The hard part of being away…

I’m certain you’ve noticed I’ve been “off the air” for a few days. I moved offices and some things around here aren’t simple. Getting my systems back on-line was yet another one of the real challenges. Luckily for you I’ve been writing all along just unable to complete my access. It’s good to be back; enjoy the reading.

Today I had to say so long to Free… He’s the attorney who took pictures with Dave and I on the New Years day - cigars and all. His tour ended and he is returning home. It’s amazing how close you get in such a short time. I will miss him but know that I will see him again in the near future.

Update: New Subscription Tool

I updated the subscription tool on the left hand side. Please subscribe to get email notifications of Matt's new postings! He tries to post on a regular basis and it means a lot that you guys are reading.

Thanks! mowie.

Leave it to my sister to brighten my day with frustrations…

Today I received three very large packages from home. They contained all sorts of cookies and brownies from my sister. This is a birthday surprise. She cooked some tiny cookies with my mom a month ago and noted that the quarter sized cookies were not adequate for soldiers in Baghdad and decided I needed large cookies. This is reasonable I suppose. Large cookies! OK no problem but what I thought that meant was a couple maybe a dozen 2 to 3 inch diameter cookies. What the hell? Did you have a cookie bake-off? After all, how am I going to eat 25lbs of baked goods? Office dwellers can graze on this bucket of sugar goods for a month like cattle at a trough. Sure we have a large office here but this is enough to feed an entire division of ground troops for a week. It turned into a heck of a logistical task just giving these things away to the troopers walking through the passageways. One of the tins was bigger than my head. Never one for subtlety (don’t know where she gets that from) I can imagine the smile on my sister’s face when she finds out what an event this turned into… I even found myself “marketing” these things as “fresh-baked”. Which Mr. BUA responded “Have you no shame?”… “Well they were fresh baked at one time or another!” He rolled his eyes and ate the brownie. I will forever remember this as the Baghdad Cookie Incident. Thank you Sisterine! ;-p

Now this is a great surprise…

For the second year in a row I find myself on active duty in a different country on my birthday. Today I requested and received the day off to relax. My intent is to sleep all day… To my surprise several other folks have different ideas. Instead I was treated to a day out and about around the IZ with friends; from the crossed sabers, to FOB Liberty, to the Chancellery to raise a flag. Follow that up with a huge email campaign from friends and family and then a surprise birthday party from my hoochmate… complete with birthday cake, a DFAC full of warriors and State Dept Types singing Happy Birthday and a wrapped gift from the Haji shops (DVDs of BattleStar Gallactica). Thank you Dave, Ryan, and Katie for not letting me sleep through the day and forcing me to have a little bit of fun in an otherwise peculiar location. Thank you mama and daddy for the obvious reasons. And I especially want to call out the wonderful elf (also known as my girlfriend) who continues to surprise me day after day with all her generosity of time and loving support from the home front. Something tells me she had a heck of a lot to do with the spamming campaign that filled my email box as well as the great blog posting on the site. It’s easy for folks to forget that there are two of us on this deployment… I may be facing the physical challenges here in the combat zone but the she’s facing the same day in and day out challenges vicariously through me at home. The isolation is the same for us both. It means a lot to me, I love you darlin.
Like last years Birthday party at the sushi boat shop this yeas birthday is memorable. I suppose I am well on my way to living 99 different years instead of the same year 99 times. You all gave me a wonderful day that I will keep near and dear for the rest of my life. Thank You!

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday, Matt!
Though you aren't home with us, we hope that you're having a fun filled day off from work with your buddies. I'm sure if you had it your way you'd be spinning donuts in a hummer just to see how dusty it can get over there. Gotta love ya crazy Texan! Happy Birthday!!! PS: Shout out to Mr & Mrs Breedlove, thank you for bringing Matt to this world :)

Deep down inside, I’m still just a boy who wants to play war…

Today at lunch we were treated to a real combat moment. It’s really nice outside these days so my battle buddies and I have taken to eating out near the pool. (Yes Virginia there is a pool. I told you HQ was posh.) Anyway as I mentioned earlier Farhd al-Qanoon is in full effect and all the firefights and explosions make this seem like a real combat zone. Last night I couldn’t even sleep with all the commotion. Hell, it seemed like the scene out of Apocalypse Now with all the helo activity zooming (very low) over head. Sure we have our morning VBIEDS and rockets but those aren’t really organized campaigns. As Capt KJ and I were eating I heard the now very familiar sound of a Marine Corps COBRA helo flying over head. It had a ton of altitude which I thought was odd. Then the most amazing thing happened… It made a quick 180 degree turn dropped low from the sky and when it was almost directly over our table it fired off a series of salvos at a target across the river. Puffs of black smoke poured out of the rocket canisters as it zipped on past the compound. Moments later we heard a few booms but I couldn’t really tell if that was the rockets striking or something else. WOW! I know on the other side of that firefight there is a raging hell of fire and destruction but the kid in me still finds fascination with all these “toys”. As Marines always say that Cobra pilot was out to “Get Some!”