Our kids in this?

A school in a small mountain village in Iraq

A friend of mine, John Binford, is a construction representative for the Army Corp of Engineers in the Dahuk province of Iraq. These people are poor, yet they constructed a school house for their children out of the best materials they had available. You may laugh, but they live in mud huts. John says it breaks his heart when he goes to these villages. He, as an American is welcomed with open arms. He is often invited to eat, but delicately refuses. He knows that the children would go hungry, because they would give him more than they could afford to give in food.
John is a jovial sort, always a jokester. He and I have become close friends and enjoy each others company when we have the opportunity. But when he talks about the kids, I've seen his eyes well up with tears.

So here is how you can help, it is not much. The school teachers have to by their own chalk and no supplies are provided to the children. If the parents can't afford pencils and paper the kids don't go, instead help tend the sheep and cattle. Gather up some school supplies and things for children and mail them by US Postal Service to:

USACE Dahuk RO
426 th CA BN
Task Force Olympia
APO AE 09334

Also it would be nice to send a small note thanking the Construction Reps and Engineers representing us all so well.Please pass this link along, the more people that can help the better.

God Bless,

Frank Wolfe

Combat Zone Rainbow

I big thunder storm blew through Mosul on March 3rd. Lightning and thunder like you wouldn't believe. So dark you would have thought it was after midnight. Like all storms it blew over finally and left behind a beatuiful rainbox. The big concrete things are Texas barrier or T-barriers. They surround all the no harden structures.
The white spots are, believe it or not, are white doves.


Was a beatuiful site. Gives one a sense of hope for this region of the world.

Update from Mosul

Sorry it has been awhile. They have been keeping me really busy. Usually working 12-14 hour days. I've lost about 30 lbs. Know I am not starving. The food is pretty good here.

Here is what the average day is like.

5 AM go to gym work out for an hour
1/2 mile walk to gym
1/2 mile walk back
7 AM go to Office
1/2 mile walk there
additional 1/2 to new HQ (palace) and back. Go there 3 or 4 times a day.
10 PM Go back to hooch.
Pass out
Repeat.

The Corp of Engineer's headquarters is moving here, so since IT is everything here, even telephone service, I am going to be really really busy the next couple of weeks. But hey that is the price you pay when you move into a palace of your own.

It had been peaceful hear until a day or so ago. Hey, the occasional rocket attack breaks the monotony. Myself and two coworkers were on our way to the new HQ. We had just walked thru the anti-vehicle barriers in front of the old palace, when we heard a whistling thru the air. Yes folks, it sounds just like in the movies. We all in the ground fast and hard. About 30 people were basically out in the open or between the barriers. The weight loss and workout has been helping. Everybody got up and broke for the hard cover of the old palace. I was first or second thru the doors, beat most of the soldiers in.

Most attacks are hit and run and they can't hit crap anyway. But... You can't count on just one coming in. The rocket hit a Texas Barrier (t-barrier) wall that surrounds the places people sleep and work here. (These are concrete sectional walls that are 20 feet high and 2 feet thick at the top.) It made a dent in the outside of a t-wall, damage a couple vehicles parked there, but no one was hurt.

It doesn't happen often, but God you feel really alive for an hour or so. LOL

Don't forget to check the post about schools and please try to help if you can.

God Bless,

Frank