what's going on

[ksu_chainsaw]

People have been asking, so here is what I can tell you guys.  I am deployed to Iraq with my national guard unit out of Kansas.  We are a field artillery unit, but we did not bring any artillery units, only our wheels.  I am doing mostly networking, and cussing at people who walk by and snip cables when they feel like it.  I maintain over 3000 feet of cat-5 cable.  We never thought that we would come over here for this type of mission, but things always change.

On a side note, Hey Jeff, how do I change my tree on the member map to Iraq?  I tried, but it never changed.
--Never mind- i just noticed that was changed

There is a lot more that i would like to tell you guys, but most of what I know is classified, or borders on it.  I am not sure how long our unit will be over here, but I will let you guys know when we get home.

On the bright side, I should have enough cash saved up by the time i get home to buy that sawmill that I have been drooling over for the past year.

Charles Wist

[Swede]

ksu_chainsaw

"There is a lot more that i would like to tell you guys, but most of what I know is classified........."
Telling me why my smileys and some other buttons don´t work at Internet Explorer can´t be classified! (^___^)

I´ll tell You a story. I don´t remember if it was in Iraq but I think so. A friend of mine was working there. Ewerything that could be taken away get stolen and thats something that give my friend ants in his pants.
One day he placed a big monkey wrench on an I-bar and welded from underneath. Ran around a building just beside and get up on the roof for watchinng what should happen. It took just some minutes and a man came and started to pull the tool. My friend get crazy and ran over the roof going to catch the thief. Finding that the ladder already was gone he get so crazy they had to send him home the next day!

Swede.

[Corley5]

Charles,
Good to hear from you.  Keep your head down, watch your back and before you know it you'll be sawin' on that new mill.

[Norwiscutter]

Know what your going through man...believe me, if you were here, you'd wish you were over there. I Do.  Save all that hazard pay and the money you find  ;) and you'll be sawing with a LT 70 in no time.  Man I miss tax free deployments.

[DanG]

Charles, I just want to say THANK YOU!   8) 8)

I know exactly what it is like to be in a combat zone, and be restricted in the ways you can fight back. But, I can't imagine what it must be like to be ripped away from whatever life you had planned for yourself, for a long, unexpected overseas deployment.

When I went to 'Nam, I had volunteered to be a full-time soldier, and I understood, up front, that I could be sent anywhere at any time.  You NG types, however, expected to be called up for the occasional local emergency, and to be ready in case we are attacked, and you planned your lives around that.  To have that life interrupted for so long a period, and for such an obscure purpose, seems ABOVE AND BEYOND to me. I just want you to know that I appreciate what you are doing.

BTW, if you should run into Ga. NG. SFC Charles Allen, tell him Cousin Danny says hi.

[Norm]

Thanks for the update Charles, I've watched many of you fine folks leave friends and family behind at a moments notice. I know it must be tough but I wanted to let you and your fellow soldiers know how much we appreciate it back here.

You guys make us all proud to be Americans.

[Haytrader]

Ditto what they said.
Thanks for doin what you do.
Before I went to Nam I asked a drill sargeant (who did a tour there) for advice on how to make it back.
He said to stay scared and alert.
It worked for me so I will pass that advice on to you.
From a fellow Kansan.........thanks and hurry home.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Yeah man. I hate to be a copycat, but the guys ahead of me said it best. I used Haytraders system, and I got back home. Stay alert. That's the key.  Thanks, Charles. ;) ;) ;)