Counterflow

Part One

Counterflow: So Love May Find Us. This is a long song/short film cut into two parts. Youtube and every other site I've looked at have a 15 minute time limit. The song is almost 20, so here's 10 and 8 in two parts. The footage and photos are mine, the music - Australian band extraordinaire ,"The Church."

Part Two

American Soldiers

A couple of friends asked me about my blog this morning. So I "tweeted" that I'm taking a break, on Twitter. Mostly because I'm in-between places right now, in transit, and on my way home. It's nearly a two week process, moving an entire army company from Iraq back to the states through Kuwait, and that's with all good weather. But this morning with a wireless connection and little else to do, I figured I'd post a counter balance to my previous theme.

It may or may not need to be said, but I'm proud of being a soldier and of the people I work with. I was primed to get stuck on the Hero/Soldier theme as I encountered those Facebook groups right after a couple weeks of hearing a lot of silly talk from soldiers on the subject of returning home. Some guys (and girls), particularly the younger set, see the return home as a license to do whatever they want when they get back. As if going crazy is something they deserve, like a spring break from school amplified. Perhaps it's all just, could it be?, me dealing with concerns or even worry for these guys doing something dangerous or regrettable? Am I really growing up finally?

But I've gone on enough about all that. What follows is a selection of photos taken over the last 15 months of my fellow American soldiers from the 110th MP Company, one of the very last units in Iraq (if not the very last) to begin and complete a 15 month deployment.

Gunner Spc. Amato giving a wave.


Sgt. Anderson and PFC Smith, we did a lot of training with ASVs (the vehicle), but barely used them at all in theater.


Spc. Chambers, a meet and greet with locals. Even if the young guys talk big, we're still fortunate that our mission involved this kind of contact, and not the kind of "contact!" we train for in basic.


Spc. Hackler


It was often interesting to watch how receptive, or not, the Iraqi Police were to our assistance or advice, particularly coming from an American female. Sgt. Irlbeck with the local cops.


Pfc. Johnson with the tough guy look, I think he forgot there was a purple bear on his vest.


Spc. Ward while at an IP station. The "shoulder pads" are called DAPs by us, only used by gunners by the end of the deployment.


This is a picture I got from another soldier's Facebook. Judging by the DCUs this was most likely '04-'06.


Ever curious, the local kids who have lived their entire lives with American presence, gather around whenever we would show up.


A muddy field the day after a day of rain, I think it was April, the only time I saw any precipitation in Diwaniya. The black mask is worn by an Iraqi interpreter.

My R.E.M. "Accelerate" video in Baghdad

I shot the film in late summer'08 (when I was still a PFC). Made the video on my computer recently. Dig In. More videos for fun soon to come.REM: Accellerate

86th CSH Ibn Sina

Last year during my current 15 month deployment in Iraq, I spent a month with the 86th CSH at Ibn Sina Hospital in Baghdad. The level of emergency care offered by these Doctors Nurses and Medics is among the best in the world by any standard. Most of my shots were taken during quieter moments for obvious reasons.

PFC Shook (hands)

PFC Shook's buddies here are already making Forrest Gump jokes, as our fastest runner, ex-football star, injured in the butt, and meets the president, it was bound to happen.
President George W. Bush shakes the hand of U.S. Army PFC Lukas Shook of Strafford, Mo., after presenting him with a Purple Heart Monday, Dec. 22, 2008, during a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the soldier is recovering from injuries received in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Looking on are PFC Shook's mother and father, Dennis and Cynthia Shook. White House photo by Eric Draper

Random Photo Sample, Carson, Baghdad

Haven't posted anything in a while. Things have been quiet in our little section of Baghdad, a good thing. So here's a couple of beautiful Ft. Carson and a couple of not-so-beautiful Iraq.

An Invite, Not Reality

The HBO comedy/show Flight of the Conchords, in its second season, about the lives of two New Zealand musicians moving to NYC and their subsequent (mis)adventures is a big word of mouth hit on our FOB. Soldiers recollecting episodes, "remember when Bret and Jemaine..." and singing the songs, often changing lyrics around to fit a friend or match the army is now the norm. Certainly something that FTOC may have never imagined.

Blood vs. The Numbers

A week ago today our FOB was nearly hit by rockets. Less than a click away rockets hit and killed non-American civilians. This made the news within hours, I suspect because civilians are not expected to keep silent. As well, the powers that be know American bloodshed is the real news getter and opinion maker/challenger in our country.

The next day one of two more rockets hit our FOB. One of our soldiers was seriously hurt and "woke up in Germany." I haven't seen a single note of the incident as it pertained to day two, our soldiers, or otherwise. We were placed in a "communication blackout" for 12 hours. There is of course good reason for this: notification of family and the elements who fired at us using the information for further attack. I know that as I write this the "perps" have been arrested and the family informed.

Recently while serving a rotation at 86th CSH in Baghdad I often saw soldiers come in the ER with severe combat related injuries, who survived, but the incident which caused their bloodshed did not make the news either.

I don't intend to blame the media in this case, if there is anyone to blame besides the "insurgency." My suspicions rest at the feet of our government, which is certainly in a convoluted state, and not necessarily in a state of permanent pure evil as many neo-conspiracy theorists portend. It only benefits the swing of past and current political momentum to make little known of incidents which require less obligation to release, like deaths to service members. Political positions are only silly putty no matter if you sit in the left of right wing of the building. I make no conclusion. I only state my curiosity.

Certainly, it has been reported that November '08 statistically had the lowest numbers for US bloodshed since '03. But for those of us in my company it was the bloodiest since we got here in June. Human perspective and statistical parallax.

Back to the Blog

I recently read an article on the CNN website about how the army now encourages soldiers to write blogs whereas previously there was prohibition. That got me to thinking about my old blog, this one, I had long forgotten the user name and password, but after jumping through a few e-mail hoops I got myself back into my profile and updated it.

Previously I wrote entries about living with an old friend and her kids. There is nothing to add to that old theme but a few un-rumored facts. She we went back to her ex-husband before I even finished basic, and before I finished AIT she was remarried to a whole new guy. No bitterness now, but there was a little, for a time.

I joined the army partially because I imagined that a dedicated launch into a new career would solidify some of the uneasiness, economically and socially. The the initial craft was abandoned, but I continue to destinations new and unknown in this new ship. I keep a decent wind in my sails. My work is rewarding and I look forward to my duties, when I used to, in my overextended bohemian childhood, avoid duty of any kind, and wondered in my empty spaces why I felt unfulfilled and down.

I was stationed at Fort Carson Colorado where I spent a year. I've been in Iraq since June '07. I spent some time here working as an RTO (radio transmission operator) while my unit got settled in at our FOB (forward operating base). Since that time I've gone on patrols and worked in our aid station. More recently I've done a rotation at the Ibn Sina Hospital with members of the 86th CSH out of Fort Campbell.

I plan on writing about my experiences within the parameters of what is acceptable to the military and our mission. http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/13/soldier.blogger/index.html#cnnSTCText