tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57124550928194671762011-07-31T03:47:24.151+03:00Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.comBlogger151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-30380066302627025042009-07-19T20:45:00.006+03:002009-07-19T21:06:41.227+03:00

Since the last week of June, we've had ten or eleven dust storms.  Some of these storms have been so bad, the dust so thick, that you couldn't see beyond 200 feet in front of you.  Before I came to Iraq, during my stay in Kuwait, we had a sand storm.  The difference between a sand storm and a dust storm is you can feel the sand in a sand storm.  The dust in a dust storm you don't feel.  You can

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-92228720724848498332009-07-11T20:11:00.004+03:002009-07-11T20:33:14.365+03:00

Probably the most important event to occur during my time here in Iraq has been and will be the pull-back of U.S. combat forces from Iraqi urban areas on 30 June. This day placed a marker in history of when the Iraqi people took over the security of their country.It was a day of celebration for Iraqis as they took one giant leap in their maturity as a sovereign nation. It was also a day of

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-57562311876068707252009-07-11T19:58:00.004+03:002009-07-11T20:07:55.762+03:00

It's been over a month since I've been able to update this blog. The reason for this was I filled in for General Odierno's Deputy Public Affairs Officer while he was home visiting his family for R & R. This meant I moved over to Camp Victory to work at the MNF-I headquarters. Unfortunately, there is no public (free) Internet access there. So my blogging was hampered due to the lack of

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-55811449619586950862009-06-03T20:55:00.006+03:002009-06-03T21:49:17.355+03:00

Four weeks and three days have passed since my arrival here in Iraq.  It is amazing how time past seems to be going faster than time future.  It feels like I arrived here yesterday, but my departure date is so distant.  I suppose the most important thing is to stay busy, which I am trying to do.I've had three congressional delegations visit thus far which have provided some great opportunities to

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-86696020055472876762009-05-24T20:34:00.002+03:002009-05-24T21:14:53.289+03:00

Tomorrow will see my three week mark here in Iraq.  Tuesday will end two months of my one year deployment.  Only ten to go.Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to make a few trips out of the International Zone, formerly known as the Green Zone, into the Red Zone.  Some trips have been via vehicle convoys while others have been via air in UH-60 Blackhawks.Let me describe my

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-83312954320487714102009-05-15T20:49:00.004+03:002009-05-15T21:10:38.640+03:00

It has now been nearly two weeks since I arrived in Baghdad.  Those of us who went through training together and have ended up together in the International Zone (IZ), formerly known as the Green Zone, are figuring out where everything is, who everyone is, and what we're supposed to be doing.I've enjoyed meeting the folks here - military, Defense Department civilians, contractors, State

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-48402838912772088002009-05-08T20:41:00.004+03:002009-05-08T21:04:14.408+03:00

After five weeks of training in South Carolina and the deserts of Kuwait, I've finally made it to Iraq.On Monday evening we departed Kuwait on a C-130 aircraft and flew to Baghdad International Airport (BIAP).  At BIAP, I said goodbye to the rest of the people I trained with - they went to get in-processed over two days, I was taken to a depot where, at 2 a.m., I boarded an armored shuttle to get

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-28431354227133568462009-05-04T10:29:00.002+03:002009-05-04T10:45:52.843+03:00

On Saturday morning, after five weeks, we completed all of our training in preparation for our deployment to our final destinations. Our final training evolution consisted to two nights in the desert conducting close quarter marksmanship with our weapons and convoy training focusing on counter-ied techniques.Friday was an interesting day: we awoke at 0345 to be in formation on the range at 0500

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-60996833986255900012009-04-27T14:44:00.002+03:002009-04-27T14:59:05.135+03:00

Hello from Kuwait!I arrived hear late yesterday after travelling nearly 18 hours from Columbia, SC. We have been getting settled in to our tents and acclimated to the time difference and weather. Today it is in the 90's with a nice breeze and light overcast sky and almost no humidity. It is actually bearable.I grew up in the Northeast Louisiana delta where it was flat. But LA has nothing on

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-18359406821990591202009-04-21T16:27:00.004+03:002009-04-21T17:02:58.182+03:00

Of the many items that I have been issued since being mobilized, there is one with which I absolutely have a love-hate relationship.  It is the Interceptor Body Armor, or IBA for short.  (The military shortens the name of everything.)  I've nicknamed mine "The Beast."The Beast consists of eight pieces:  a vest with front and back armor plates, two side plates, two upper arm protectors, two side

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-85387798306416809922009-04-14T02:46:00.005+03:002009-04-14T11:59:37.468+03:00

Many of our training evolutions over the past week have been focused on weapons training and qualification for the M-9 9mm Beretta and the M-16 semi-automatic rifle.  We've shot over 200 rounds each at targets as close as 9 meters and as far away as 300 meters.Firing a weapon is somewhat of a science.  It is amazing the difference a zeroed rifle makes.  Once the sites were adjusted on my M-16, I

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-71157049313080091232009-04-09T05:11:00.009+03:002009-04-09T05:39:58.635+03:00

It think its Wednesday evening at 2200 (10pm). I'm certain of the time, but the days are harder to keep up with for they seem to just run into each other.Today started at 0430 to get ready for a 0515 muster. It takes forty five minutes to get up, make the bed, brush teeth (showered the night before), put on uniform and boots, put on all of the body armor which weighs about 50 lbs, gloves,

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-13511766907810210312009-04-06T04:32:00.006+03:002009-04-06T04:57:11.727+03:00

Yesterday, Saturday, 4 April, I mustered at 0700 at the NMPS site, said goodbyes and gave hugs and kisses to Theresa and Sarah, loaded a bus and rode seven hours south to Ft. Jackson, SC where I will spend the next two and a half weeks doing Army Training.  I am one of about 300 sailors who have been sent here from all over the country to learn how to shoot, move and communicate in a war

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-41031343944524384092009-04-01T23:13:00.004+03:002009-04-01T23:43:59.365+03:00

On Monday, 31 March, 0730, I arrived at the Navy Mobilization Processing Site (NMPS) in Norfolk for my first full week of mobilization.  I arrived not knowing exactly what was going to take place, but as this week has progressed, I am very glad the Navy has injected NMPS into the deployment process.Being ready for mobilization is not an easy undertaking.  In order to be ready for deployment, a

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5712455092819467176.post-87782358454412352452009-04-01T05:10:00.006+03:002009-04-01T05:23:29.984+03:00

On Friday, 27 March, 0730, I began a new life as an active duty sailor.  I was blessed to be able to check in remotely, which means that, instead of driving 200 miles to Norfolk on Friday to check in at the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, then sitting in Norfolk until Monday with nothing to do all weekend, I was able to drive 57 miles to the NOSC at

Tom Gordyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658041228936569553noreply@blogger.com1