A surprise party

I’m home.

The trip seemed endless.

We had an awards ceremony at Camp Atterbury but the awards were cookie cutter style - everyone basically got the same thing regardless of what his or her contribution was during our deployment. I really don’t mind that but I’m noting it because it irritates me that the Army does such a poor job of individualizing and doling out promotions and recognition based on merit.

My friends and family surprised me with a welcome home party. The scam went like this - my wife’s boss called and invited us over for dinner and to “catch up.” When we got there, he told me me we needed to go collect his wife from their subdivision’s club house. When we walked into the club house the lights came on and everyone was there. It was great.
I’m not really the type of person who wears his emotions near the surface, and I’m not that comfortable being the center of attention, but I truly appreciated seeing the folks that really matter in life - the people who I interface with on a personal and professional level. I felt a little overwhelmed trying to talk to everyone at once, but it was good to see all those people who cared about me while I was away.
Many of them had been reading my blog without my knowledge and so they knew more about what I’ve been doing then I did about what they’ve been doing. I tried to get caught up with everyone.
The North Georgia mountains and the fall leaves are good for my heart. I love the rolling hills and the sounds of nature. I hope I never hear another mortar in my life. In the weeks it took to travel home and start putting my life back in order, events have continued in Iraq. The violence has continued, and things are still rough. Saddam Hussein has finally been sentenced to death - an end he worked a lifetime to earn. In my opinion, death by hanging is a light sentence. I’m not a judge, nor do I want to be, but the man was a human cancer cell.

He may have been somewhat shaped by his environment, but nothing justifies the sum of the actions that made up his legacy. Iraq is a mess, but I’d rather have the mess than the tyrant. I’m sure many would disagree. Some people would prefer an iron fisted ruler where the killing is done in dark rooms behind thick walls and none of us have to think about it because it’s far away.

Many of us don’t want to think about this war now. It’s painful, messy and heartrending. Some of us who went won’t be coming home - ever. I’m one of the lucky ones. To anyone who reads this entry - remember that this war has a human cost.

This is an election year. Honor those who defend you by taking some time out of your busy life to exercise your freedom and vote. Don’t just vote for anyone - examine the candidates and their stances and cast a ballot for those you believe in. And remember that on your worst day, you’re probably doing a lot better than a lot of people elsewhere in the world. You are blessed to be American. Don’t take what that means for granted.