Knee Deep in the Hooah!

Here’s your weekly dose of good news from the front lines. Enjoy reading about all of the progress being made — progress and good news you will never hear about on the MSM! Once again you will see how the Iraq Army is stepping up to the plate and doing good work — thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of the US Armed Forces. Trust me, Iran had nothing to do with these successes! :rolleyes:

With no further ado:

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A Very Real Toy Soldier Steps Foot on American Soil
May 31, 2008
Knee Deep in the Hooah! News

(excerp from my brain)

The elusive blogger from False Motivation is the Definition of Hooah!, known best as “Toy Solider” has finished his tour in Baqubah, Iraq. Shortly after landing in Kuwait yesterday he was notified to not unpack anything because he was slated to leave on an earlier flight with 9 other fellow Company soldiers. Toy Soldier arrived in Illinois this morning at 5:30. He was glad to be back on American soil, and extremely glad to smell American air.

He called home first thing, and even though his mother was in bed sleeping, when she heard the special ring tone set for his US Cell phone she promptly jumped out of bed and yelled “WOO-HOO!” The cell phone ring tone is a sound she has been waiting to hear since Toy Soldier left the US for Baghdad back in April of last year.

Toy Soldier will remain at his post in Washington State until the Army is done with the debriefing process. He will then come home for a month of R&R where he will be spoiled rotten with visits from friends, family, and will feast on steak and cold beer. Stay tuned to Knee Deep news for follow ups!

My son is home, on American soil this morning. It’s the best feeling!

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Improved Iraqi Forces Contribute to Four-Year Violence Low
Friday, 30 May 2008 [Read more →]

Tags: Good News (Iraq) by Claire
10 Comments »

I love you. You know I do. Everyone who reads this blog knows how much I love you. I am devoted, faithful, and always have your best interest at heart with whatever I do. You know this, right? Well, it’s time, honey. It’s time to put away the big ugly green Army socks now. I can handle the closet that looks like a foot locker. I can handle the enduring and endearing flat top. Reflective Army PT shorts? I’m smiling here, but the socks have to go. You stay. Socks go. Deal?

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For those of you who don’t understand because you have never seen the big, green ugly Army socks, let me explain. These are not just socks. Oh no. They are Army issue socks, which means if the world comes to an end in a Nuclear disaster there will only be cockroaches, tootsie-rolls and big green ugly Army socks left.

They are a cotton/wool blend (I believe) mostly wool. There may even be some steel wool in that mix too. They are long. They are so flippin’ long that soldiers can use them as makeshift sleeping bags with a tug or two. A laundry load of big green ugly Army socks weighs 312 pounds exactly after the first spin cycle. They are so thick that the boots wear out before the socks ever do. As a matter of fact I am sure that they would do fine as a substitute for snow boots in the dead of winter.

I don’t dis the military. I have had very few complaints so far on this journey of being a military wife and mom. The socks though — I understand the practical need for such sturdy and ugly socks, but as a suggestion to the military, please confiscate them when someone exits military service. They should be treated like sensitive gear. No man should be allowed to take his big green ugly Army socks home with him.

I’m just saying…

Tags: Army Wife Posts by Claire
9 Comments »

My son is through surging, fighting, patrolling, and whatever else he was doing in Iraq. He is officially on his way home. I am not at liberty to say much more, but I wanted you all to know that he is officially no longer in a war zone as I type this.

He is coming home. I think that is the sweetest sentence I have ever typed.

Tags: Junk Drawer by Claire
16 Comments »

The picture below is a Reuters’ picture. I don’t have much to say about it other than I first saw it on a small board where I post, and it’s an awesome shot of some incredible meteorological might!

Lightning bolts appear above and around the Chaiten volcano as seen from Chana, some 30 kms
(Carlos Gutierrez/Reuters) (19 miles) north of the volcano, as it began its first eruption in thousands of years, in southern Chile May 2, 2008. Cases of electrical storms breaking out directly above erupting volcanoes are well documented, although scientists differ on what causes them. Picture taken May 2, 2008.

Tags: Junk Drawer by Claire
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The more things change the more they stay the same. This was the scenario from last year — both Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day were completely ignored by Google. I think it’s time for me to go through and get rid of my Google products. I got rid of Blogspot, now I need to get rid of Picasa, Google search, Google Analytics and anywhere else I see the big G. I appreciate Yahoo’s attention to this Holiday.

The Thunder Run has posted screen shots of both major search engines, take a peek, but you won’t be surprised.

Tags: holidays by Claire
8 Comments »

I know that we are all bombarded during this holiday with sales, cook outs, visits with friends and family and a nice day off from work. Please while you are enjoying yourself, and enjoying your family, take a moment to remember our fellow citizens who have died in wars, past and present. We would not be able to enjoy these daily indulgences, and our freedom if it were not for their selfless sacrifice. Freedom is a costly commodity these days, and we have many enemies that hate our freedom and who hate us for it.

Where would we be today if our soldiers would not fight and defend us, or freedom? The thought makes me shudder.

Remember also, all of our soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan or other deployment destinations, who are not with their families this weekend. Remember those who are deployed and maybe eating an MRE or nothing at all for their Memorial Day supper. Say a prayer for them and their safety. As a mother of a deployed soldier, I appreciate all the prayer that are uttered.

This weekend and tomorrow I implore you to have not just a happy Memorial Day, but have a thoughtful, reflective, and grateful one too!

Tags: deployment, history, holidays by Claire
8 Comments »

I have written many times on this blog about the fears I have had to battle since deployment. Fear of the known, fear of the unknown, fear of what lies ahead, fear of what was left behind, fears that I never knew existed. It has been a baptism by fire, to say the least, but it has been an incredible season of growth as well. Even though I am working through those fears and handling them better with each passing day, I have other struggles that are a residual affect of being in a very close and primary kinship position with a soldier who is deployed. [Read more →]

Tags: Army, Army Mom Posts, Iraq, Junk Drawer, deployment, holidays, memorial, military by Claire
3 Comments »

According to all of the skeptics there has been little to no progress in Iraq, and the Iraqi government has not lived up to the demands put on it. The good news recon this week will debunk those rumors. Have a great weekend, and remember our fallen heroes this Memorial Day weekend! [Read more →]

Tags: Good News (Iraq) by Claire
2 Comments »