A chapter came to a complete close today. That chapter started way back in April. It was a little contest called "Balad Idol." I won't go into the whole story again. Refer back to my entries from April and you can read all about the fiasco. The fireworks all began when I came to the defense of a poor Army specialist who had been put on the spot by the senior AF Chief in Iraq. His name is SPC Bateman. Turns out that he entered the contest again, taking third place. I made a triumphant return to H6 MWR to cheer him on. Well, SPC Bateman's deployment has come to an end. His unit is heading back to Arkansas. Fifteen months of route clearance operations around Balad are completed. Damn if Bateman and his Arkansas boys didn't earn a trip home. The work they've been performing is some of the most harrowing operations in Iraq. They were the guys going outside the wire looking for IED's, EFP's, and other deadly traps along the roadways. That's right - I said LOOKING for them. That way other people could travel the roads safely. Despite having such a stressful job, SPC Bateman was always happy, upbeat, and he loved to sing. I will miss seeing him out at karaoke. I consider him my friend and I'm glad to have met such a good kid. I would come to his defense any day of the week.
I knew Bateman was leaving but thought he'd already departed. A few days ago I ran into him in the DFAC. He told me he was headed home. Fortunately, I got to say goodbye. I was traveling to Mosul for a mission. It just so happened that my team and I were flying fixed wing instead of helicopters. When I dropped by the pax terminal I heard someone calling me. It was Bateman. He was there with his whole company of combat engineers. He and several others that I'd met gathered around and we chatted for awhile. I had interrupted their last meal in Iraq - Taco Bell. We said our goodbyes. He told me about the big party they were having back in Arkansas. It just really made my heart swell with pride to know such good people. I'm also very thankful that he and his unit made it the whole year without losing anyone. Soon after we talked they all filed out to board the C130 that took them to Kuwait. From there they head back home. Since the unit is Army National Guard they will all be back to their civilian lives very soon. They'll remain brothers for life though.
Around 2200 I loaded up in another C130 headed north with four other members of my team. We had several stops. We made stops at Al Assad, Q-West, and then Mosul. I haven't been to Mosul since early May. It's amazing to think that's four months past. We didn't get in until around 0200. We'll be here for a few days. Upon exiting the aircraft we immediately felt the cooler temperatures. It's actually pleasant here. We're far enough north that the temperatures are noticeably cooler.
This will be my last mission before R&R. That is an awesome thought!
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