Beyond a Shadow of a Gun

Months from tomorrow, morning at the trucks, like yesterday and for the foreseeable future. The UAV balloon in the sunrise is for observation and uses hi-tech cameras and whatever else, after they send it up, to keep an eye out for a variety of security threats. The brief is put out and we're off in the long shadows. The recent "sig-acts" in Mosul involving another MP unit and their interpreter were covered in the brief. According to news reports at least one soldier died and three or more were injured while in an IP station where they were doing the same mission we do, in a scenario of meet and greet before going through checks with the IP chief and officers. This news gave me a refreshed and renewed sense of what is still real and possible among the day-to-day peaceful transactions, one-on-one interaction, and perfect moments to photograph. Really, getting good shots feels too easy. I come back to Echo everyday with a camera full of wonderful pictures, and I don't always quite know what to do, feeling like something special should be done with them. Thank goodness for blogging. Just too good to keep to myself. The people are beautiful here. This isn't my bleeding heart talking... it's my camera.




From my e-mail home to my mom and brother today with some of these pictures:

This is maybe 1/3 of the photographs I took today. I'm loving my camera. Why did it take me so long?! (to just get one) Cool to think that I can send home things I've seen in the same day. Rolling off the FOB early, children and people, and riding in with my collection after the day. The little girl, she was so shy at first, but her bravery increased as the boys kept playing around. The kids seem to come looking for me. "What the Hell Buckles!?" my truckmates say. They tend to ignore the children all together. The fact that I smile, joke and make faces with them must be something really unusual. As the medic, and an extra on the set, or so it feels like, I can interact more, whereas the gunner has his every minute duties, and the driver his truck and radio. Notice the shadow of the gun, and the posters behind the kids of Maliki, and Talabani.



The little Iraqi Princess disappeared, but soon returned with a friend who was now wearing her headgear and they seemed to be posing for pictures. The funny shape beneath the black proved to be rounded blonde and brown braids with white bows. Simple and natural, but amazing.