By Major John Rosnow
Monday, February 16, 2004 10:45 PM

Well this completes the journal of Operation Iraqi Freedom! I am back home again in Minnesota and am now on transition leave. Today was the first day I really had mostly to myself. I will spend the next couple of weeks at home trying to get caught up on the last year worth of mail, taxes, finances, etc. I will then be off on a long vacation. I will be spending a week in Montana, and then driving South to Orlando. After a week in Orlando, I will be heading back North via Mississippi. I have not finalized all the stops in between yet, but I have a few weeks at home to do that.

Thanks to everyone for your support over the past year. Time certainly has went by fast.

Week 49

18 January 2004 - I woke up a little after 0800. I heard a mouse under my cot chewing on something. I shook the box, but that only helped for a minute or so and he was back. I could not get back to sleep so I got up and went to the gym. I biked about 25 minutes while reading my PC magazine. Then I did the elliptical machine for 20 minutes. I walked into the theater and they had the news on. There was a large car bomb this morning in Baghdad. 18 Iraqis killed, 22 injured, 4 US Contractors injured and 1 soldier wounded. I just realized I must have made a mistake counting weeks as this is week 47 and I have been doing this since 17 January 2003. Oh well, I will keep the sequence for now. I mailed a couple of boxes today. One to me and one to my brother. I got in to work about 1500. I worked on email, issues and started reading FRAGOs before dinner. Around 1730 I heard a bunch of explosions and gunfire. It sounded like the 4th of July outside. It is now 2034 and I am finishing up reading FRAGOs. I was going to listen to my Peter Gabriel DVD tonight, but the computer up here does not play a DVD. Not sure why not, it has the software for it. I plan to make it an early night tonight. I may watch a movie, but am kind of tired out now. I will probably get a second wind. I am just tired from dinner. We had our usual Sunday evening dinner - Prime Rib (more like roast beef), shrimp, and lobster tail. We have had that for the last few weeks on Sunday night. The beef and shrimp were good tonight but the lobster was overcooked. I was able to cut the shell with my plastic knife. We ate dinner at DFAC 3 and there were a couple of people from KBR there. I have lost a lot of social skills since I have been here. There was a woman sitting across from me and I just started the conversation by asking what she does here. She replied back by introducing herself first, and then letting me know she works for KBR. Then she asked about me. It is strange to carry on a conversation with someone like that, which is probably pretty normal back home when you meet a stranger. She has only been here about a week, so maybe that is why it was strange for her and she said something. I left work about 2330 and went back to the tent and went to sleep. I could hear the helicopters out working the perimeter on my way back to the tent. Sounds like they spotted something.

1 February 2004 - Another tax free month! I had a nightmare last night. I was walking through a swampy area and a skeleton grabbed my hand and was dragging me into the swamp. That is when I woke up. I am not sure where that came from. I slept on and off until 0600 when I decided to get up. We had formation at 0700 with the MMC. We found out we have a meeting at 1630. Not much of a reason to get everyone out of bed and in formation to put that out, but that is something they have been doing for awhile as the Company Commander was directed to get out information. There will be no formation tomorrow because of the Super Bowl. After formation we went for breakfast. Tom, Lee and I stopped by the internet cafe and signed up for a half hour of internet time. I am back in this old house updating the journal, backing up some files, and doing some new slides for the YTP. Toby Keith is on the Larry King show on AFN. I am listening to that while I work. After I get done with my work, Tom is going to burn some music and I am going to go for a run and take a shower. It is nice and sunny this morning, but I am going to let it warm up a bit before I go and run. Also I want breakfast to settle. I went for a long run out to the North Gate. I went to the stadium showers and they were closed, so I went back to our trailer shower and did have some warm water for my shower. I ran by DOL on my run and set up a meeting to discuss the YTB with COL Swanson. I went to lunch and came back to the LSA. We had a mortar attack so we had to put on the helmet and flack vest and get accountability. I left for my internet appointment at 1430 and we got the all clear when I got up to the MWR tent. I checked my email for 30 minutes, then dropped off my flack jacket and helmet at the tent on the way over to DOL. That meeting went well. I got a ride over to the meeting at the Mayor's cell. I left the meeting about 1700 and stopped up at the CREAR. I am sending the YTB to the 88th RRG. I want to send my weekly email too, but have to compose it. It is already 1800. It is lightning out and looks like we will get another storm. It poured out last night. It let up about 1915 when I went to eat. I had some kind of meat, I think it was chicken, and it must have been prepared by the TCN (third country national) cooks. It was good, but had spices and things I had not had before. There was no more steak. The shrimp was overcooked, but good. The lobster tail was a little dry. I did get a diet coke though. They have been out for over a week. They also had pecan and pumpkin pie. I came back to the tent. My clothes are still on the line, but it is clear out so they can dry in the morning. I played my video game a bit, then watched Inspector Gadget 2. It was OK.

2 February 2004 - It rained again this morning. I got up about 0930 and am hanging out in the tent. I backed up some files and am updating this. I put my notebook on my lap and it feels like I am getting a shock. Very strange. I put a towel on my legs now so that is better. Maybe it has to do with sitting on a cot also. I will do some preliminary landscape planning and may do some studying after they turn the lights on. Not much planned for today as I got everything I needed to send to the 88th sent last night. It was a good day. Very relaxing. It rained again today before lunch. I finally got my clothes off the line as I washed them once and the rain washed them twice. I spent some time vacation planning. Tom, Travis, and I went to lunch and then to an internet appointment where I checked email. After that Tom and I stopped in the MWR tent to see if Lee was there so he and Tom could play ping pong. Lee was not there so we played a little foosball. We each scored a goal. They were just starting a movie so Tom and I watched it. Domestic Disturbance with John Travolta. I thought it was a pretty good movie. Tom thought it was kind of slow. After that Tom and I had a cigar and talked a bit. Then I talked with Mike, then with COL Swanson. It sounded like there was another mortar attack today, but we did not go to flack vest and helmet. I went to the tent and read a bit, then Mike and I went to the 1830 staff meeting. After the meeting we went to dinner at DFAC 3. I had breaded pork chops. They taste better than they look. After that Tom and Travis were going to another internet appointment. Travis did not feel very good so I took his appointment. I checked email and got to online chat with Andrea and also Chuck and Crystal. Andrea was working from home today because of all the snow. After the internet appointment, Travis used my computer to back up some photos. Then we watched a movie, Head Over Heels with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Monica Potter. It was good. It was a romantic comedy. We watched it on the computer in this old house. We tried to watch it on the big screen but SFC Candelaria did not have the right cables and I did not bring mine from home. It was still good on the computer though. Now I am burning some CDs for people and will then get some sleep. I am tired and we have formation at 0900 tomorrow. I hope it is dried out enough to have the gym open. I am going to mail a couple of boxes of books and videos home so I do not have to carry them.

3 February 2004 - Formation at 0900 this morning. I did not sleep past 0800 though as others were up and about. The 19th SC folks are leaving today. Tom, Travis, and I went and had lunch at DFAC 3 then came back to the LSA to say our goodbyes. We got word that we would be leaving on the 5th. COL Swanson got together with the officers, then the senior NCOs, then the enlisted soldiers to go over details and answer questions. We are going to go through Spain, so maybe I can see my brother Mike. I emailed him and got his home and cell phone in case we get time and I can see him. We are supposed to have an 8 hour layover. After the meeting, Tom and I went to the MWR tent and checked email. We then went to the PX. It was sunny out, but cold. Mike and I went to the 1830 meeting tonight. It was short as most everything is completed. After the meeting, we took COL Swanson's SUV and went to dinner at DFAC 3. I was going to my internet time after that, but had to go up to the CREAR to email the flight information to the folks back in the states. It had to be on SIPR so I got to do that. I went up there and finished the email, then checked NIPR as long as I was there. I helped a couple of the 4th MMC folks with computer issues, and worked a little with Rich. I left about 2245 and came back and read just a little and went to sleep about 2330. I figured this was the last night I had for sleeping horizontal for the next three days.

4 February 2004 - Good day today. I got up about 0810 as people in the tent were loud. I got ready for formation. There was no water to shave with so it looks like I will do that later. People started to show up early as the formation yesterday was almost ten minutes early. We waited this morning, which was good. After formation, I packed up some of my things and took an inventory. I then went and took a shower. We heated a bottle of water up in front of the heater to shave with. The showers were nice and hot though. I went over to the stadium. When I got back, I heard we had a change to our flights. I was now leaving 24 hours later. Chalk 2 remained the same. Tom and I went to lunch at DFAC 3 and then to the MWR tent to check email. It sounded like a few more explosions today, but no big voice went off. After that we went back and sat in the sun and read. We had a formation at 1600. Our times changed again. After formation I went back to sit in the sun and my chair, magazine, and stationary were gone. Someone took them. It is probably the new people. They keep coming by the tent looking for stuff and just waiting for us to leave. Piss me off! I looked for it but could not find it. I then told CPT Sherwood and he will talk with their 1SG. After that I cleaned up my tennis shoes and then Tom and I went to eat at DFAC 2. After dinner I went to the CREAR to email the manifest update and flight change information. I left there about 2015. The sky is very clear tonight. You can really see the stars, but the moon is very bright too. Tom got back from checking email at MWR and I finished packing. We watched Moonlight Mile with Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon. It was kind of slow at first, but was interesting. I would rate it as OK. (2.5 out of 5 stars). It was worth seeing. It took place in the late 60's or early 70's. Interesting story line. Well it is now after midnight (I started the journal for the 5th before finishing this as there was some late breaking artillery). I better get some rest. I am glad we leave in the early evening so we do not have to spend the night sitting at the APOE.

5 February 2004 - It is shortly after midnight and I was just finishing up the journal from the 4th. We have more explosions, it sounds like outgoing though. !#$!%!, sounds like incoming now as well as outgoing. It sounds like they are shooting by the south end of the airfield. I went outside and it looks like one of our planes is flying over too. No big voice though and it sounds like a plane is taking off so the threat must not be too great. I woke up with all the noise in the tent a little after 0500. I got out of bed a little before 0700. I said goodbye to the guys and went to eat breakfast. I came back and gave my give away things to Rich. I then finished repacking. We had a baggage inspection, and then went to lunch at DFAC 3. After that, I took my computer out of my footlocker and packed the inside of my duffle bag in the footlocker. The footlocker I have is smaller than the duffle bag so I had to unpack it. After that, we got on the bus and went to the APOE. We now had a couple of hours so I watched Poltergeist II. It was pretty good. I started Poltergeist III, but then we had to go and manifest. We had another thunderstorm too. After manifesting, we went through customs and dumped our bags. I know just have my carry on and ruck sack with me. It is now 1755 and I just heard the first C5 taxi out of here. We just went back to customs to palletize our bag and they were not ready so I am now back in the tent. I brought the power strip with me so I have power for my laptop. I will probably leave it here in the tent. Back to move the bags again, it has been almost 3 minutes since they were not ready. I will finish this up and then watch the rest of the movie. The other plane did not leave until after 1900. We had a shelf stable meal for dinner. I had macaroni and cheese (cold), peaches, Peanut Butter and Jelly on stale bread, some Pizza flavor Pringles, and some Oreos. I watched Poltergeist III and put in another movie and we got the call forward, about 2000. We lined up to go out to the plane and they said another 30 minutes, so we went into the PAX Terminal and waited there until about 2120. Then we walked out to the plane and waited on the flight line about another 15 minutes. We took off about 2230.

6 February 2004 - We landed in Spain early in the morning. We had breakfast at the DFAC and then went over to a holding building. It did not have any heat in it, but it had bunk beds, a TV, and a few tables. I called my brother Mike. Rota was about an hour and a half from where we were located. He was just on his way to work and would see if he could come up. I went and lay down for a few hours, then went back to the DFAC about 0930 for another breakfast. Mike showed up and we visited awhile, then we all went over to flight operations. Mike drove on over and we sat out on the deck and talked some more. Then he had to get going back to work. We took off about 1400 local time in Spain. We got to Maine around 1330 EST. We were only going to stay about 45 minutes to get through customs and then leave. It was snowing out. We heard there were some people in the terminal that were there to welcome us back to the US so we went inside the terminal. Several members of the local VFW were there with flags. They thanked us and shook our hands. It was very touching. They also had cell phones for people to call home. The had some cookies to eat as well. We were there about 30 minutes and then went back to the plane. They started to de-ice the plane. It is now 2224 EST, or 0624 on the 7th in Iraq. We are in Brewer Maine, which is one of the Twin Cities of Brewer and

7 February 2004 - Good night's rest, but I was awake a little after 0500. Mike woke up too. We talked a bit, then he took a shower, I shaved, and then took a shower. The tile on the bathroom floor was like the tile in our old bathroom in Crystal. They had coffee and doughnuts in the lobby. Mike brought back a couple of cups of coffee and a couple doughnuts. We watched some TV and I played Medal of Honor for awhile. Then Mike downloaded his photos to my computer. We left the hotel about 1100 and went back to the armory. We had spaghetti for lunch. I sat with a few of the Maine Air National Guard Security Police folks. They have been activated since September 11th. They spent some time taking prisoners from Afghanistan to Cuba. After lunch we got our weapons and I bought a few souvenirs at the Guard Base. The theme of the unit is Maineiacs. It is now 1330 and we are in the lobby at the airport. It is snowing so I am not sure if we will leave or not. I found a power outlet so I plugged in the laptop and will watch an episode of the Outer Limits as there is not a wireless connection here in the airport. I got through one episode and almost all of the second when we got our call to the plane. We got on the plane about 1530 and did not take off until about 1830. We got to Volk Field and it was cold. BG Kirkland was there to welcome us. We went into a building and they scanned our ID cards. Then we took a bus to McCoy. I was tired and took a short nap on the bus. We got to McCoy and turned in our weapons. We then downloaded our gear off the truck and hauled it over to our building. Nice place. It is open bay, but we have a footlocker, desk, chest of drawers, bed with mattress and a pillow. Very nice indeed. The showers and latrines are on each floor and are new. No dinner tonight. I was tired anyway. I had a couple of Rolling Rock beers and then went to sleep about 2330.

Week 50

8 February 2004 - I woke up about 0300, and then again about 0430. I decided to get up and take a shower and go and eat breakfast. We then got a ride down to our out-processing location about three blocks down the road. We spent the morning filling out forms. There was no break for lunch so the officers chipped in and bought everyone pizza. It was $13 each. We got 22 pizzas. It was very good. We were all finished up by 1500 or so as that is all we could do that day. I think there would have been time for lunch, or we should have made the time. After that I went and checked email across the parking lot at the computer lab. I then walked back to the company area. I went and had some dinner and then went to the staff meeting at 1830. We finished about 1915 and then were off for the evening. I ran into Tom so he and I changed clothes and went to McCoy's (the club on base). I had the majority of a pitcher of beer that Steve bought then a couple of bottles of beer, then some Crown Royal on the rocks. Bettina was at the club. She was sitting at the bar playing trivia. I visited with her for awhile and then some folks from our unit. I watched Tom play some pool and then we had to leave about midnight. I could not find my fleece so I checked the manager's office and it was not there. I got a ride back to the building and went to sleep about 0030.

9 February 2004 - I woke up around 0500 before the alarm again today. I got out of bed about 0530 and took a shower. Scott grabbed my fleece last night as he did not see me around. I walked over to breakfast, and then down to the SRC (Soldier Readiness Center) where we did some more out-processing. I then went to check email, and then CPT Sherwood and I went to check on some training requirements. I ran into Todd from my CGSC class. He got extended on active duty for a second year. I came back to the room and went through my bag from Germany. I had a ceramic coffee cup on top of it. I do not know how that made it here in one piece, but I am glad. After that I went and ate lunch before our 1200 meeting on travel vouchers. After a very good lunch of chili dogs on fresh rolls, and a turkey salad sandwich, I went back to the SRC for more out-processing. I finished up about 1430, then went to check email and then walked back to clean my weapon. They are organizing the weapons now so I can not sign my weapon out to clean it. I came back to the room and am updating my journal and then doing the training requirements we need to complete before we leave. I will clean my weapon later and will probably go up to McCoy's again after our staff meeting tonight. I ended up working on the training requirements until 2200 and was falling asleep at the computer so I went to sleep by 2230.

10 February 2004 - More out-processing today. We had a meeting at 0730 and COL Swanson put out that we will be working Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That was a shock to all of the staff, and everyone else as this was the first we have heard of that. We will need to adjust everyone's paperwork here to change the leave day to start on Monday. No problem, but I doubt we will make it out of here on Thursday if we need to do all those changes. We then completed a Command Climate Survey. After that, I handed out a training sheet that everyone needed to complete. I finished up the training requirements and got a print out and gave it to CPT Sherwood. I spent some time talking with the 88th RRC Forward about things that are required to do at home station and COL Swanson's change in plans. I ran into LTC Loskota and he told me he talked with COL Swanson and our leave will start Saturday as planned. After meeting with the RRC I went back and changed clothes as we had a final get together at the Sparta American Legion. They had a BBQ rib dinner. The newly promoted LTC's bought the dinner and a keg of beer. Another group purchased a second keg of beer. The meal was great and at the end of dinner we watched a slide presentation that SGT Raatz put together. Mike and his wife were there as well so I visited with them after dinner. They gave a few of us a ride back to the base. I went to sleep about 2300.

11 February 2004 - We finished up our out-processing today. I spent the morning going through all the training forms making sure I had one on everyone. Then I went to lunch and at 1430 I went to the SRC to complete my DD 214 and finish out-processing. I finished up about 1600 and went to check email, then I stopped by the 88th and then went to the company area. I only had a couple of training forms to complete. A few of us went to dinner at McCoy's. I had a BBQ cheeseburger and onion rings. It was great. After dinner I went back to the room and packed up my stuff. I put it in the trailer and then met Tom and he and I went back to McCoy's. We sat and visited and said our goodbyes to people as the first bus of augmentees left at 0300. Bettina and a friend of hers Tom, from class came in about 2100. I sat and talked with them for awhile. Tom is a pilot for Spirit Airlines in Wisconsin. He had been out about 10 years and just came back in to the reserves. He was interesting to talk too. I went back to the room about midnight and got ready for bed by 0030.

12 February 2004 - Early morning today. We got up at 0415 and cleaned the barracks. We were all done by 0515 or so and then I went over to the company area. At 0600 we went and had breakfast and hung out in the DFAC until after 0700. I then helped Mike make sure things were ready to be turned in. We went and checked email and then went to turn in the copy machine and blankets. The bus showed up about 0930 and we loaded up. Tom's wife Laura showed up about the same time as the busses so I met her and said goodbye to Tom. We left Fort McCoy about 1015. We arrived back at Arden Hills about 1315. My mom, dad, Mary, Julie, Terry, Judy, Steve, and Marie were there to meet me. There were 3 TV stations there as well. After we said our hellos, we got the rest of our things off the bus and then went to the drill hall. The family support group had lots of things for us to eat. COL Swanson said a few words and then released us. I had something to eat, then went home and unpacked a little. I visited with Julie and Steve a bit and then I got real tired.

13 February 2004 - I drove in to the Reserve Center this morning about 0645. We had formation and then turned in our equipment. LTC Loskota and I worked on getting the closure report done. We finished up about 1500 and then I did some training things and turned in my pay voucher and left about 1630. I helped SPC G get his car started and then went to Julie's. She came home from work and we drove to the Officer's Club to meet some folks for dinner.

14 February 2004 - the first day of terminal leave, and I think the last day of the journal. I got up and made some coffee and ended up cleaning the kitchen and doing some unpacking and washing clothes. It is nice to have all the amenities of home.

MAJ John F. Rosnow, 1837
3rd COSCOM/19th Support Center
APO AE  09391
john.rosnow@us.army.mil
GSO:  DNVT 302-558-2240, DSN 318-829-1011
Class I:  DSN 318-829-1018