In Kuwait

We're at Camp Virginia in Kuwait. We're acclimating until later this week (at the buttcrack of dawn) when we head to the Udairi Range.

It was 120 today when we were unloading bags and the wind was kicking. The sand is about the consistency of talcolm powder -- lovely.

There's no humidity, we're all happy about that.

I'm attaching a photo on this send of me trying to lead a team out of an urban ops scenario. There's a reason the Army trains for urban ops for two months. We were in Keystone Kop mode for both this first house, the secure transit across the road, and taking down the second house. I think I'm safe enough to fall in with another group to get cover if I had to, but not to do house-to-house searches for a living.

The guys demo'ing are lighting quick and have a million pinches nudges, and pushes to signal stuff. That takes a lot of training.

I'm sending a second email with a pic of me as Truck Commander for H1 (vehicle in front). My battle-buddy was convoy commander and stuck me in the front humvee. I reminded him that buddy was only half a word. We had to see all the IEDs, put up blocking positions in roundabouts, and get ambushed. Good times (really good training, too).

My 30 minutes on this computer are up. Gotta go.