Looking In The Mirrors...

Sigh. Yes. I know. I haven't posted a blog in a long time...aside from the story that I did recently. So yeah...if I had blogged during my little hiatus it wouldn't have been very positive.
Anyway. I'm blogging now. I'm more content now...we're leaving Baghdad very soon. Things are starting to wind down for us as far as public affairs is concerned. I, on the other hand, still have to layout the newspaper and distribute it until our replacements arrive.
Things have changed since my last blog. The weather has been the most drastic change. No longer are the days where we swelter in the 115+ degree heat. Since about a couple weeks ago, the temps have been nice. Partly cloudy skies and temps in the 70s-80s during the day and between 50-60 degrees at night. The rains have turned everything to a sticky, mucky mess. A precursor to the December weather at Fort Dix.
I'm still reading books and teaching the GT improvement class. It's my last class. I'm glad I've had the opportunity to do that. Not only has it kept the 'rust' off but it's helped Soldiers put themselves in a position to change their course while they're here. Many of them want to become officers while others want to re-enlist and change their MOS.
Speaking of which, that's my major change.
The Army has done it's share in changing my life. When I first enlisted, it was so I could get some money to help finish college. I was 23 years old. I started out in aviation, working on Apache helicopters. At the University of Houston, I entered the Green to Gold program but had to drop it at the end of my junior year when I had to choose between that and teaching. I met COL Beesley, he and I taught LOTC in Galena Park ISD (some of my best years teaching) and I even worked for him as his PAO. He's the one who encouraged me to re-enlist when my contract was up and showed me the light...that light being public affairs. Since then, I've deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, I've served in Germany, and I've been with the 211th MPAD for almost 8 years now. 2LT Delgado and I are the only remaining Soldiers from the original crew when the unit came into being. I've been to so many schools and training events and have been very fortunate.
What I'm getting at is...after almost 15 years of service, I'm leaving the Army after my return home from Iraq. Many have tried to talk me out of this. "You only have five years left!" they'd say. Others have encouraged me and wished me well. I've thought about this for a long time. I've talked (and argued) about this with my wife before also. When she married me, she married the military too. She's been through a lot...but the one who finalized my decision for me is Loren, my daughter.
I remember blogging about an unhappy and unnerving experience I had during my leave in May. I don't want to her to miss out on anything...including her father. I've missed a lot already. My not being home has affected her and my wife. Call it selfish...I don't care. I've seen so many kids at school missing out when it's a single parent household. I don't want that for my family.
So, I'll be saying goodbye to the Army and the 211th MPAD. I've had the privilege of working with some great guys and girls during this last deployment. It's been quite a journey. I'll miss it at times...

Some Cheer--and Fear the U.S. Pulling Out

So, today is the day. The deadline that's been talked about for so long. The deadline that the previous administration worked out with the Iraqi government.

I read that there was a countdown on Iraqi TV last night...at midnight, they started partying and such. I guess I can say that it's a good time to be here, under the circumstances. A new government, military, and police/security forces taking the reigns from Coalition forces here. I hope they handle everything well.

The media has been going nuts about it of course. I've seen Gen. Odierno, the commander of U.S. forces here in Iraq, on TV more this week than at any other time. There is also a sort of dread or doom and gloom...the hardcore media asking if the Iraqi forces and powers that be can handle running their own country. This past week has seen it's share of bombings...all aimed at trying to throw everything in disarray. Our Soldiers have trained the Iraqis well. Let's hope that they use that training well because I've seen Afghan soldiers turn and run from a hot firefight. But...so far, the Iraqis have more pride and concern for their country.

I wouldn't want to see my child (or someone elses) come here in a military capacity. The bad stuff is what's going on across the border...in Iran. That's a whole other blog entirely...

Teacher, Student Reunite in Warzone

I had a reality check of sorts the day before yesterday. A former student of mine, Pfc. Johnny Cunningham, a combat engineer with the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division has kept in touch with me through the years after his graduation from North Shore like many others have. He joined the Army after high school. Back when he was in 7th and 8th grade, he joined a new program that I started at North Shore Middle called LOTC (Leadership Officers Training Corps). It was like JROTC for middle school.
I taught it using Army basics with lessons in D&C for parades/formations, the Army values to build character, learning what leadership and the styles people use when they apply it, how to be a good follower, land navigation and orienteering, platoon team-building activities, armed drill team, unarmed drill team, color guard, and cool field trips to round it out. On the left is my group marching during a pass and review back in 2003. All of those kids are in college now.
Johnny was one of the 1st in that group that had swelled to well over 1000 kids that participated in the program during the seven years that I taught it. He was my first commander for the boys' drill team before drill team was merged into one group.
About a week before we left the states he emailed me telling me he was here at Camp Liberty and he was looking forward to running into me when we got here.
Well, the day before yesterday he emailed me telling me that his vehicle (an MRAP)was attacked, hit with an EFP (explosively formed penetrator). It's a thick, copper cone-shaped plate that is placed on a charge and when fired, melts, forms, and then can penetrate just about anything. When it hits armor, it can turn that into projectiles too because it melts. The vehicle pictured is one version of an MPAP.
So, I'm reading his email and I freeze until I get to the words, "I'm ok." He was the driver and escaped with torn-up fingers and some shrapnel in his leg. His TC (the person commanding the vehicle, right seat) was hit worse and Johnny applied first aid until help arrived. His buddy is still in Germany getting treatment.
So I'm thinking, "I have to see him." Yesterday, I started to track him down. I found where is unit is, even found his room and he wasn't there. I went to his TOC (tactical operations center) and spoke to his First Sergeant. We finally hooked up through Myspace and I told him what building I work in and he took the shuttle here.
It's always a cool thing when one of my former students shows up to say hi. I used to get that often when I taught at Galena Park ISD. Not so much now when I'm at Pasadena ISD...I'm new there teaching 12th grade English. I got that same feeling again as he walked up to me smiling and shouting, "SGT Burke!"
So Cunningham shows up and we go to chow, Spc. Johnson in tow because she's writing about our reunion here in Iraq. He and I exchange stories and he tells me about the attack. Afterwards, I brought him back to his hootch and he showed me the pictures of his vehicle. The damage was extensive. The whole front driver's side dashboard was ripped away and wires were hanging all over the place. The driver's side window (I don't know how thick it is...but it's thick!) was fractured. He pulled out a ziplock bag and showed me a 'souvenir' of copper that had almost killed him and his TC. It weighed about 2 lbs. If he had driven forward just 12 inches, he wouldn't have been able to see me, let alone email me. That molten hot gob of copper would've hit him.
Not many people walk away from an EFP attack. He's a very lucky guy and I'm very proud of him for staying calm and taking care of his TC after the attack. That's what Soldiers do. I remember when he was that little soldier-wannabe joining LOTC and his eyes danced when he was given a rifle and told to learn the 15-count manual of arms.
Sometimes, the world can be very small. Those days teaching LOTC were some of the best in my teaching career. I guess you can say, "If you teach them well, they will come back."