One Crazy Day...
To be honest, I had no intention of making another entry. After the phone call this morning (see previous entry), I was resigned to take cover and wait for the emotional storm to pass. Fortunately for me however life in the IZ doesn't work like that. The reason I am making a second entry is because the experience I had today here in Iraq I really want to share this experience.
So, as the story goes I got a phone call last night asking if I was up for a trip out of the IZ. This was a luck break for me but since none of the other guys in the office will set foot out, I got the call and quickly snapped up the opportunity. Now, I need to be very careful about what information I give out from the military perspective, but I am comfortable saying that I spent the day with a high ranking official from the Department of Defense, the Governor of Karbala, a high ranking official from the Prime Minister's office ,and media like you wouldn't believe. The purpose of meeting is to show that Americans, and eventually other countries, are interested in investing in Iraq's business.
Early this morning we boarded a blackhawk to Karbala. I have never flown in a helicopter nor did I have any desire to do so, but I sould not show weakness. I was expecting a horribly bumpy ride, but it was quite different. It was smooth the entire way. The flight out lasted awhile (can't even tell how long), but it was awesome. I was finally able to see what Baghdad looks like, what the Iraqi countryside looks like and on top of that some pretty amazing castles and mosques. The evidence of the 2003 war is very obvious. For me, when I think of war or targets, I think of military installations, leadership centers, or some other high profile location. However this is not necessarily the case. As a result you see the impact of the bombings all over the country. I could go on and on, but in short, it was an amazing trip. I was privileged to have spent five hours with the leaderships of the US, Iraq and of Karbala. We toured farms, factories, and small villages. Because of the immense security force surrounding us, we were able to walk around without personal armor and to interact with the Iraqi's. I took several pictures but unfortunately, I cannot post them. I did post one of me, but only because I am so damn cute in it.
What I learned from today is that our lives are dynamic yet not indefinite. After a rough morning I had the opportunity to overcome and to give of myself to my company, the US government, and to Iraq. Don't get me wrong, I am still sad but I still have a great friends and family.
