Various Info

Hi there...well, I'm starting to settle in a bit more, but my sleep is all stll wacky. I had heard when i go here that I was going to be on the night shift, so i was trying to get myself adjusted to that. Well, turns out i'm going to be on days. That has it's ups and downs, but at least i'll be on the same sleep cycle as my roomies. It is hot here! Yeah, i know...duh. But really. ONe thing i need is a thermometer. The closest i could find for temp was kuwait airport, but that is down on the gulf. it's 111 there today, but it has to be closer to 120 here. if anyone can find a closer city with reported temps that would be great. i do know that i stuck a couple of tea bags in a 1.5 liter water bottle to make sun tea and it was done in about an hour. :-)

I start work tomorrow at 0945. the day shift runs from 0945 to 0100 the next "morning." long days.

My address is:

SPC Last name, Brianna
A Co. 237 BSB
Camp Buering, Kuwait
APO AE 09330

Postage is just normal dowestic postage, not international rates.
I'll post pics soon, but it's like a moonscape here. just flat sand in every direction and a lot of blowing dust! Anyway, I'm doing ok, and no sun burns yet!

First Full Day

Well, I honestly can't say much about my first full day since i've slept through most of it so far. :-) For those of you who were wondering, I did track down that friend of mine who is here training before heading up to iraq. We hung out last night and my jet lag had me up until after 4am. When I did crash though I slept til almost 1pm. By the way, I am seven hours ahead of ohio, eight hours ahead of nebraska, tennessee and kingsford, and ten hours ahead of California. Anyway, so I woke up having to go potty so I tossed my pt's on and stumbled out the door to be hit by a blinding flash of light and flying dust! yikes! It's really hot, but the heat it's really that bad because there is NO humidity. it's like someone has turned a giant hair drier on you on high all the time. Last night walking around it was actually quite pleasant. it was probably in the nineties, but with no humidity and no sun it wasn't bad at all. it was 109 here yesterday. anyway...our barracks are nice. it's three girls to a room and so far i really like my roomies. And catch this...when I'm not on duty, I get to wear civilian clothes. Wow. That one surprised me. You can bet your sweet bippy I was in jeans last night though. :-) I uniform will just be easier most of the time, but it's still nice to have the option. Anyway, I don't have wireless on my laptop yet, so i'm gonna scoot as this costs money. I'll let you know more when I know it. I have a couple days to rest and i'm told that when i'm needed I will be found. love y'all and have a great day! Bri

Camp Buering

I'm here! I finally made it! I just got here a few hours ago and i'm so jet lagged it's crazy, but i'll be able to sleep for the next couple of days before I start working. I'm in a room with two other girls, and i've heard they're pretty cool. The ride here was wierd. At first we were on blacktop, then we just veered off driving through these big stakes in the ground for like 20min boefore hitting more blacktop and getting here. there is literally flat sand in every direction. I'll post pics when i can, but I'm at a computer lab at the moment, I'll have wireless in my room soon. Anyway, I'm here safe and sound. I got my kuwaiti cell phone turned on today and Aunt Linda was my first call as I was driving here. Well, love and Good Night! :-)

In Kuwait

i made it to kuwait. i'll stay overnight for processing at ali al salem air base and go on to buering in the am.

germany

Hey, our flight ended up being scheduled to leave at about 8pm, and actually leaving at about 9:30. I am currently in leipzig, Germany. We will be here about two hours, then it's on to kuwait. :-)

Pass pic

Here is me and mom at Live Bait

En Route

Hi! It's Sunday morning at about 1100 and I'm sitting in a Wendy's about 60 miles west of the airport. And guess what? Wendy's has free WIFi. Yeah! So here's an update from me on the road. We got up at three am and left base at five for a long ride on a bus to the airport. here's the best part...we should get there at about 1 pm and our flight leaves around midnight. It's a good thing i have lots of things to keep me busy. :-) I should be there around tuesday after an 18 hour flight and an eight hour time zone jump. Anyway, I'm good and finally on my way. love ya!

packing

So now that I'm back here at Camp Shelby i have the rather daunting proposition of packing. Now this might not seem like too big a deal, but there are specific packing lists for each of our bags. I have an A Bag, a B Bag, a giant rucksack, a rubbermaid box, and a carry on bag. Each bag has it's own list, in addition I have to fit all my non government issued stuff. Anyway, that's my current occupation. That and watching movies. :-)

Back at Shelby

Hey! I'm sad to report that I made it back to Camp Shelby. Pass was awesome! Mom flew down and actually got all of us not flying released early. We got released at about 1700 on Friday, which allowed us to get to gulf shores that night. We had a great time! We played atthe beach, at a klot of sea food and mom got hit on at a dance club. :-) it was a blast all around. She flew out tuesday morning and the reast of my friends and i got in at about eleven last night. It was a great relaxing time.

We will indeed be flying out on Sunday. I have more details i can give you if you email me, but i can't put it out on this page. Anyway, all is well and today is about packing. :-)

update

Hey Y'all. Sorry it's been so long. Life has been crazy! So here'e the update. I finished the last of my training and processing (at least in theory) today. We do end up getting a pass from Saturday through Wednesday. Mom is flying down from friday through monday and we are going with some of my friends to Gulf Shores, AL. My friend's family has a beach house there. it should be a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with mom and our spa day on monday when we are getting pedicures and massages. Yeah!

After that we are tenitively scheduled to fly out on the 18th to kuwait. I'm not banking on that date, but that's the latest info that i have. I was also given a kuwaiti cell phone by one of the girls in my bay, so i'll have that when i get there. i will forward the number along when I figure it out.

Anyway, I'm gonna run, but that's the deal. 8~D