First post

My National Guard unit received our official mobilization orders to deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom this last Wednesday, and now seemed to be a good a time as any to begin writing. There are moments in life I don't think I'll ever forget... as it pertains to this blog, I'd say the moment I enlisted and sat back in my chair realizing what I'd just committed myself to was a big one. And so was March 19th, 2008 when I walked into the orderly room at the Yakima Firing Center to hear SFC Snodgrass quietly announce, "Well, looks like we just got our Mob Order..." It seemed almost surreal standing on the drill floor a few minutes later as a Company Commander from one of the Battalions read the Mobilization Order to everyone there at the Combat Lifesaver Class I was helping instruct. Did everyone already know we were on alert and most likely going? Yeah, we did. But this made it official, and the gravity of the situation came to bear a lot harder than I thought it would.

"So... we're going to war..."

I've always kept a journal, but rather than writing it down in a book for my life to be read at a later date, this should be a better way for people in my life to know what's going on as it happens. There are still a few months before we head out, but there's going to be a lot of change and training for me in the next few months so... this is the beginning.