By Major John Rosnow
Friday, July 04, 2003 1:36 PM
Hello everyone,
I am hoping you all have a very good 4th of July. It has been a good day here, but plenty busy, even though a lot of people got a break from work for part of the day. Here is the latest from the last couple of weeks.
19 June 2003 - I left work about 0130 after I ordered my dad a father's day gift certificate from Cabelas. I was not able to get online to do it earlier. I walked down to the MWR tents to take a look at them. Pretty nice set up down there. Not much in the weight room, but more equipment should be coming in. I went to sleep about 0200. It feels about 20 degrees warmer in the building then it is outside. The brick structure seems to retain the heat. I got up around 0630 and did some PT. Nothing like the sound of automatic weapons and burning turds to motivate you during a run! (for those that are not familiar with the latrine situation here, they use a modified portable toilet. It is made out of wood and has 3 stalls per one unit. Under the seat is a barrel. The barrels are removed and burned by adding JP8 (diesel substitute). It creates quite the unforgettable aroma.) I went for a long run this morning, down to the North gate and back. I was gone about 55 minutes. After that I had breakfast. I usually am not hungry after working out, but I was this morning. We had B-ration eggs (dehydrated) and creamed beef over a piece of toast. A few canned pears topped off the meal. I shaved and took a shower. I was told the shower point was open until 0930, but when I got there at 0910 it was closed so I needed to use a solar shower. It was fine, just not as fast as a regular shower. I got into work about 0945, and went right to a meeting. We skipped our 1030 meeting today and then had a quick meeting at noon. It is now almost 1500 and I am getting caught up on work email and working on the 4th of July meal plan and water plan for Iraq. I have been told we no longer have access to any email or websites other than .mil. People can no longer access their bank accounts or other email. Phones have been restricted as well. I will check later. I have plenty of email to check from last nights download so if it takes a day to come back up, that will be OK. I should still be able to get to my AKO email, as it is a .mil account. Just no checking the bank account. I found out later that we may have gotten Saddam. That may be one of the reasons for the cut off of communications. We could not access NIPR sites and could not call out of the country on the phone. I think probably because of the reports about Saddam. There was an ambulance that was shot up today, 2 people injured, one died. We are supposed to be attacked either tonight or tomorrow night. I worked until 0030 tonight, went back and got some sleep. No personal email tonight.
20 June 2003 - Another ambulance attack and one more US soldier KIA. I got up this morning and had some breakfast, shaved, and then went out on the front step and read my mail in my new chair that I bought from Paul. He got it from CPT R who got it from her husband back in Arifjan. We have a new CPT in our section. CPT H from Ohio. Nice guy, he just came from the Advanced Course. He will be helping out in the Class I section. I am getting caught up tonight on work email. I am down to 46 unread messages. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I tried calling Dad this afternoon, but all I got was his voicemail. I will try again later. It is now 2335 and I am getting tired. I am down to 38 unread messages now J.
21 June 2003 - Good day thus far. It is 1335 and I am just getting caught up on email now and enjoying a cup of noodles that I got from my friend Loice. It is hitting the spot today. I got all caught up on email last night and had 38 new ones this morning. That is what I am working on now. I got up and did PT this morning. I was going for a shorter run today, but I bet it was still 2 miles. I did the run for 30 seconds and walk for 30 seconds for about 10 minutes of the run. Push ups are a little better, but it is hard to get out 20. Sit ups were not a problem. Knocked out 50 this morning, and then 50 crunches on top of that. Well, I better get back to work.
22 June 2003 - Good day today. I stayed on top of my work and even got a chance to check some personal email. I am going to through the NIPR drive in here in a bit and check some of the old ones. Our new Dining Facility opened today. I had toast and bacon with my eggs this morning. Also real oven browned potatoes. Very good. Lunch was a hot dog and a hamburger and more potatoes. Someone brought back and extra plate of dinner. I had some rice with gravy, peas, and a chicken breast. Very good and very tasty. First real food since some time in March.
23 June 2003 - Well it is now 2141 and I am about tired of working. It was cooler today, only 111. I had a meeting about how rations are going to flow around the Baghdad area as we are going from a Theater and Corps to a Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF). With the CJTF, everyone in Iraq comes under one umbrella so we need to change the way we do business. We no longer have to worry just about the Corps, but the Theater units as well. Basically everyone in Iraq, to include all the coalition forces. The room it was in was hot as no AC. I got my 4.5 bottles of water drank already today. I am debating checking email or just leaving. I was tired this morning and did not run very far. I did push ups and sit ups. Well, time for a little email, then off to bed early tonight. Maybe I will run in the morning.
24 June 2003 - Crabby day yesterday (I am writing this on the 25th). I spent about 5 hours working on an excel spreadsheet to get the new CJTF-7 water plan updated. Frustrating. Only 111 degrees today. I left work early, 2200, got back to the room and we had power for the one outlet, but our surge protector was fried so my fan did not work. I went to sleep about 2230.
25 June 2003 - Better day today after a good nights sleep. I got up at 0600. It was cool outside. I did some push ups, sit-ups, crunches, and then went for a run. I was only going to run two miles but I never seen the finish line on the road so I kept going. I hit a chunk of cement with my foot. I heard the crack and the next thing I new, the ground was coming up fast. I smashed my toes right into it. I got up and brushed off then kept on running. I have been sore all day though. I am limping around quite a bit. I took a break this evening and went to see the movie About Schmidt at the MWR tent. I went to the 1800 show, then went and ate, then came back in to work. The movie was OK, kind of depressing at times, somewhat funny in parts. It was good, but not what I expected. I was walking back from with the movie with SSG S and SFC L. I had told them that things seem to be getting better in the Supply Division and SFC L said that he thought it was because I was there now. He said he has heard that from others too. I am not sure if it is true or not, but it was nice to hear. I am seeing the tornado damage to Buffalo Lake MN on the computer tonight. Nobody hurt, but several homes were destroyed. Well it is 2310 and I think I am going to hobble on back to my room. I am tired out.
26 June 2003 - It is 2150 and the SIPR email is down so I flipped in the NIPR drive and am going to get my old NIPR email caught up. Good day today. Very busy this morning but I managed to get caught up this afternoon. Then had dinner and a few more things to work on tonight. I just have a few more things to answer when I get back over to SIPR. I got a box from my dad and Mary yesterday. It had 4 Heat and Serve meals in it and some Kudos. The heat and serves are like UGRs, but there is a Lasagna meal and I have not had that in a long time. The others sure look good too. They will come in handy for lunch, as I usually do not leave for lunch. It is an MRE for lunch so I usually bring food with me to eat. It saves me about a 10-minute walk each way. It would be good to get out and about, but I prefer just to have a small lunch and keep working. More Americans getting shot by snipers and RPG attacks. This country is still not safe. I am glad I do not have to go anywhere. My foot is better today. My big toe and one next to it are purple, but I could wiggle them this morning and am in less pain and limping less when I walk today. Time to get some email done.
27 June 2003 - Well I was at work until a little after 0100 this morning. I did through all my old email and then logged back on to SIPR to deal with a few more issues before leaving I slept good. I stopped by the SEN team from the ACP on the way back and talked with PFC B and SPC S. They were glad I stopped by to chat. They may be going home before long. They just support a few of the phones. No fan still as the person that was going to get me a power strip did not deliver for the second day in a row. At least it was cooler outside again by the time I got off. I slept until 0730 or so this morning. My foot still hurt so I did not work out. It is getting better though. This morning I read the May edition of The Officer magazine with my article in it. They did a very nice job with the photos and the introduction. I was also mentioned a few pages later as the former Director for Army Affairs mentioned my name as someone who helped him out a lot over the years. That was nice to hear. I tried to get to mail call tonight as I have a package. I got there 5 minutes late and nobody was around. I will have to try again tomorrow. It is 2215 and I am tired so I will head back to the room. I got back to the room and we have a light in our room again. CPT H bought another fan on his trip so we now have 3. They are all spliced into each other as we only have one outlet. I can actually get a breeze now from one of them.
28 June 2003 - I got up a little after 0700 this morning and went for a short run. My toes still hurt so I only ran to the work out tent where I did some push ups, sit ups, and lifted weights. Then I ran back (only a few blocks). I took a shower and had some cereal then went to work. I found out that a KBR driver was shot last night so they are not moving the 4th of July meal today. I am sorry to hear that he got shot, but I remember having a conversation with someone at ROA on this several years ago. What happens when the Army contracts everything out and gets rid of the Army to do its own work? Everything runs fine until the bullets start flying, then they do not drive (or provided support) and we are screwed. We are making adjustments now. Well I have not had a chance to check NIPR much in the last couple of days. I want to do that this afternoon. I used to do it during the DMB in the morning and the Tactical Updated in the evening. The last few days other people got the same idea so I cannot get on the computer to check. I did get a couple of regular snail mail letters written though. I got my mail at noon today. I got some letters and 5 boxes. The first was my Melaleuca order. Julie sent me some cookies and the paper. My dad and Mary sent me a small fan that can either use an AC adapter or batteries. Kind of nice to have that as I do not have power to use the one from my brother. My mom sent me some unique munchies, a pack of postcards, and a writing tablet. Andrea sent some home made goodies and some store bought goodies. The brownies and cookies bars were good, but the cupcakes started to mold L. I got on to NIPR tonight and got my hotmail caught up (I do not get a chance to really ever check that). I also got to a lot of my NIPR. I am going to get back on after I get the 20 SIPR messages caught back up. I am really hating this computer. Every message in Outlook hangs when I go to send or save an attachment.
29 June 2003 - Good day today, a little quieter. I am about to get on to NIPR and check my AKO email. I wrote a FRAGO (Fragmentary Order - it is like an information paper that instructs people to do things) this morning on reporting and I have sent it around for staffing. The 4th of July meal is delayed as one of the KBR drivers was shot two days ago. He has severe abdominal wounds and has had to be revived twice already. One thing I keep forgetting to write about is the soda over here. They use the old type pull rings on the cans. The kind they got rid of in the states because people would put them in there can when the can was full and then end up drinking them. Anyway, time to check the NIPR, then work on my new OER Support Form. I just checked back in my journal, the last time I had a day off was the 16th..of February. I have not gotten to my OER support form yet. I will work on that now. Then finish up my NIPR email when I can get on. I never got to the OER last night. I did get all caught up on hotmail and AKO mail though. I got to talk with Julie before I left, about 0100.
30 June 2003 - Well I set my alarm clock for 0600 (4.5 hours of sleep). I could not get up. I was still beat. I got up about 0745 and skipped the work out this morning. Work is going well today. It is a little slower so I am going to work on my OER today. I just read that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be here on the 4th of July. He will be doing group photos only, 20 to 30 in a group. Kind of neat. We will have a Rock band here too, from the V Corps band. Fourth of July food convoys are in route from the PWC. I left work around 1945 last night and went for a two mile run. My time was 18:45 which is not very fast, but at least my toe was not too bad. After that I took a quick shower and went to the movies with Tom, Mike, and Doug. I am not sure what the movie was, but it was about a high school football coach in Alabama and how the small town reacted to the closing of the high school. It was good. I went to lay down about 2300 and tossed and turned a lot. I may have been over tired.
1 July 2003 - I tossed and turned a lot and woke up a few times to drink some water. I woke up around 0720 or so and fell back to sleep until 0850. I got up, got dressed, shaved, and came in to work. The 0930 DMB was lousy this morning. MG W was there and he wanted specifics on the 4th of July meal. Hot dogs, hamburgers, steak, chips, soda was not good enough. I am going to try and get out of here for a late dinner and a movie again tonight. I have my PT test at 0430 in the morning and I am sure I will not sleep very much tonight as I got so much sleep last night. Arnold was going to preview Terminator 3 here, but we do not have the theater up and running yet. He will do it in Doha instead. L I left work about 2000 and went to the consolidated DFAC, then to watch a movie with Mike and Doug. We seen the movie Signs. I had seen it already, but it was good. There were things in there that I did not pick up on the first time.
2 July 2003 - APFT this morning at 0430. I woke up at 0300 and had to use the latrine, then went back to sleep until 0400. It was not very cool outside for the test, but cooler then during the day. I did OK. I did about 40 pushups, 50+ sit-ups and ran the 2 miles in 16:36. We then weighed in and I have lost about 20 pounds. After the APFT I took a shower and did laundry, then had breakfast and got ready for work. It was a busy day at work today. Hard to get caught up. The tactical update had too much static to listen so I came back to get caught up on my email and try to get out of here by 2030 tonight so I can go and see Ali, the movie, with Mike and Doug. I saw part of it on the plane back from Germany last year. It was better than I thought it was going to be.
3 July 2003 - I saw Ali last night. Good movie. I did not know he was such good friends with Howard Cosell or with Malcom X. Busy day today. I was working on getting the 4th of July meal delivered and working all the delivery problems. Units were missing containers, some had too many, others said they were shorted. What a day. I left about 2045 and went to dinner. Grab and Go at the new DFAC. I had a hotdog and veal patty sandwich with some plain mashed potatoes. Not bad. I walked home and ate on the way. It was 2130 by the time I got back so I did not go to the movie. Instead, I read some mail, wrote a letter, then went to sleep around 2300. We had some mortar rounds hit about 2230. Found out it hit the CSH about 2 miles away. 17 soldiers injured. Nobody killed. I went too bed and I heard a 50 cal shortly after I went to sleep, but that was the last I heard.
4 July 2003 - Good day today. It started out with an awards ceremony. I was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. We got to wear them for the ceremony, then turned the medal back in. I still have not seen the certificate yet. Several people received awards today so that is why they did it this way. We also got a coin from the 19th Support Center. LTC B gave a nice speech at the start of the ceremony. After the ceremony, we took some pictures then I came to work. It was not a slow day at all. It is 2015 and I am still working. I did take a break about 1230 to go and have lunch. Steak, burgers, brats, knockwurst, all on the grill. Great baked beans with hamburger and onions in them. Watermelon, chips, soda, brownies (I skipped those). Very good food. I can't believe I ate all that. I did skip the watermelon and brownies. I went back to work until 1700 when they were supposed to have another awards ceremony. The ceremony was late starting so I had dinner. Steak and burger tonight, and more beans. They were great. I had some watermelon tonight too. After dinner, I came back to work and am still here. Arnold Schwarzenegger was here today, but I did not get a chance to go see him. He was doing group photos in groups of about 15 people. No chance to talk with him and no autographs. He was here two hours so they wanted to maximize his time. I was going to go for a movie tonight, but may get the NIPR drive out and send out the weekly email and check my finances. It is nice to be in AC also. It was 115 today, and a bit humid.
MAJ John F. Rosnow
1837
HHC, 3rd COSCOM #9-1684
ATTN: ACP
APO AE 09372-1684
e-mail: John.Rosnow@us.army.mil
Commercial: 00-49-151-1420-6863
Iridium: 8816-7632-7549
