Reporting for duty at Anaconda

My first report from Anaconda, Balad, Iraq:

Iraq at last! Greetings everyone! Yep! I'm in Balad. This place is the logistics center for everything going on here in country. It's referred to as Logistic (or Life, depending on who you talk to) Support Area Anaconda. We just call it Anaconda for short. It will be my home for the next year (though not where I'll spend the entire time). However, it will serve as the place I hang my hat and keep my gear. As accomodations go I'm living large. I'm in a one-man trailer that has it's own latrine (including shower). Is it a big deal? Hell yeah. Once I get my trailer configured it will have a TV, internet, coffee maker, frig, and a microwave. This isn't your typical redneck trailer home that tornados zero in on. My trailer is part of a huge complex of trailer billets. Each cell has a mayor and is surrounded by giant jersey barriers. Each individual trailer is, in turn, surrounded by sandbags. I didn't mention that this place gets mortared a lot. Over the years it's come to be known as "Mortaritaville".

Let's see... I also have my own level 2 up-armored humvee to drive around. I know that some of you have actually been here so you already know what this place is all about. Most of you haven't so you may find all this hard to believe. However, Anaconda has an excellent gym, a first-run movie theater, several excellent dining facilities (mess halls for you old-school types), and a swimming pool. When I have time off I do have things to keep me occupied.

My work will have me travelling quite a bit so Anaconda is just a place to call home. As time moves on I'll fill you all in on what I do and what a normal day consists of. I don't have any photos right now but many will follow. Also, I'm still intent on starting a blog. I'm going to be working very closely with just about every major Army unit presently in country. Remember what I told all of you before I left - my job is to help soldiers come home faster. Stay tuned. Sorry this was more generic than my normal updates. Let me just say this - I'm fuckin' happy as hell to have Camp Shelby in the rear view mirror. Now it's time to get down to business.

Days without a beer: 8

Later my friends!