The End of the War in Iraq

Today the US Military formally ended the war in Iraq. Troops are coming home, bases being turned back over.

Thank you to all the men and women that fought for our freedom in Iraq. An even bigger thank you to those that kept me safe during my few years in this country, your hard work and dedication is why I am still here today.



Many many memories in this place for me and I hope someday its safe enough to go back for a visit.

There are lots of wonderful Iraqi’s and so many historic places throughout Iraq. This used to be a travel destination for the Middle East. If I ever had children (or nieces/nephews) I would love to take them to see the eternal flame, Babylon, the Tigris River, and all of the palaces I once worked in. Along with allowing them to experience the culture of this region.




Sadly I have several friends who never returned home – to them I am forever grateful as they made the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you.


Best of luck to Iraq in their quest for freedom, stability, safety, and becoming a country united not divided.

Hurt Locker

Has anyone watched this movie? Here is the synopsis:

“US Army Sergeant First Class Will James, Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge comprise the Bravo Company's bomb disposal unit currently stationed in Baghdad. James is the tech team leader. When James arrives on the scene, Bravo Company has thirty-nine days left on its current deployment. It will be a long thirty-nine days for Sanborn and Eldridge whose styles do not mesh with their new leader. James is a renegade for who the thrill of the dismantlement seems to be the ultimate goal regardless of the safety of his fellow team members, others on the scene or himself. On the other hand, Sanborn is by the books: he knows his place and duty and trusts others in the army to carry out theirs as well as he. And Eldridge is an insecure soldier who is constantly worried that an error or misjudgment on his part will lead to the death of an innocent civilian or a military colleague. While the three members face their own internal issues, they have to be aware of any person at the bomb sites, some of who may be bombers themselves.”

In 2004 I was stationed at Camp Victory in Iraq (same time and location of the EOD guys portrayed in this movie). I dated an EOD technician my first tour in Iraq, we met at Ft Bliss (CRC) and dated the entire tour. It was a deployment relationship. He was a jerk but I was thousands of miles away from home in a war zone and way more scared than I ever wanted to let on. I enjoyed having someone who I felt could protect me and in all honestly I liked his team. They were fun and dangerous, a tight knit click that I felt special to be included in.

Anyway back to the point as no one wants to hear my dating story. I finally watched the movie Saturday night. It was chilling and surreal. It looked just like Iraq (they filmed in Jordan and Kuwait – both places I have been), the Iraqis were Iraqis, and the base reminded me of Victory. I lived in those trailers, I was surrounded by heat and dust, the private security guards in their big armored SUVs drove me around on missions, I bought black market DVD’s from the Hodgie’s (horrible term I know but its in the movie). The boys would return from a mission and tell stories. It was scary, I never knew if they would all return. Luckily for me they did. These guys had dangerous jobs and explosive personalities – there was conflict yet there was also comradeship like none other. The movie portrays this well. Some parts of the movie are a bit far fetched (a soldier wandering around Baghdad solo) and a few that have watched it felt it was slow. But I would recommend it if you want a glimpse into the life of an EOD soldier at war. These guys risk their lives to protect us, there is nothing more honorable and I will always be grateful to them for my freedom.

I keep thinking about the movie – it’s weird to watch a movie that portrays your life. Obviously I wasn’t out diffusing bombs but I was in that country living with the possibility of an IED or mortar explosion both inside and outside the wire, living with the fear (and sometimes reality) that one of my friends (or boyfriend) would not return from a mission, loosing linguists and contractors to the war. Surreal at times, especially now that I am home surrounded by the comforts of my plush every day life. Even the scene at the grocery store when the solider has returned home was eerily familiar. I remember being overwhelmed with choices after having went so long with none. I miss the excitement and adventure but am also grateful to be home and safe in a wonderful country.

Fallujah, Iraq

Monday we had a Townhall for work. One of those forced events intended to get you excited about your organization and the mission. There was a short video about Afghanistan to entice volunteers. As much as I am trying not to be enticed, it definitely did just that. Watching the video made me want to be there right now. Be there making a difference in an exciting environment. Be a part of the change that is occurring and watch the country develop. I am not allowing myself to deploy for at least a year. Otherwise I will never truly settle down or have a normal life (and my parents will go nuts). Maybe a year from now it will be out of my system and I will have no desire to go to a war torn country to work. But right now the desire is strong and those darn videos only make it worse!

Until then I can reminisce about past deployments and share photos. I went to Fallujah, Iraq probably 4 or 5 times during my two years in Iraq. There was a claims center right in the heart of the city where several Marines lived and worked. Occasionally Real Estate would make the daunting trip (via PSD, Blackhawk, and military convoys) from Baghdad to Fallujah to pay out claims. We paid the locals for the use of their property. The amounts paid were nominal and pocket change to us, but to the Iraqis it made a huge difference. As you can see they lined up outside the gates in anticipation.

Of course all the little kids came out to play. Many were so cute and you felt awful as they had no shoes, ill fitting clothes, and such a hard life ahead of them.

I almost wanted to adopt a few and give them a better life!

Once inside more lines formed and we would sign a lease with each Iraqi (we determined in advance the various real estate being used, the fair market value for that property, and the owner) and paid them in cash for the use of their property. Usually for 6-12 months at a time.



Most women were fully clothes in the Burka to include covering their face entirely with only their eyes peaking out. However you occasionally had a few that were not fully covered and not camera shy.

It was amazing to interact with the Iraqis and listen to their thoughts about Americans, their country, and the war. Paying for the use of their property was a small way the US could help stimulate the economy and I loved being a part of the process. It was often dangerous as the convoy getting to Fallujah was treacherous as was staying in the middle of town. The living conditions were very harsh – you showered in a bathroom with no shower just a hose and a hole in the floor. We slept on cots and ate whatever food they could whip up. But I loved every minute of it as did most of the Marines working at this FOB.

I am grateful for my plush digs at the moment. Grateful that I don’t have to wear full battle rattle every time I leave a hard building. Grateful that every loud noise is not a threat. But I often miss the adventure. Guess I just need to find adventure here in Council Bluffs/Omaha! On a side note “dress code” was also discussed at the Townhall. The Commander had to inform all that wearing sweat pants to work is not acceptable. Seriously folks you work for a professional organization you should not need someone to remind you not to wear sweats!

Iraq – outside of the Palaces

Most of these photos are taken in and around Baghdad. Baghdad is considered a large city in Iraq.

I spent most of my time in Baghdad (Camp Victory and the Green Zone/International Zone). Once one left the secure Palace/Camp grounds the scenery drastically changed. It was very run down, dirty, and destitute. The Iraqis often went without power or electricity (the US is desperately trying to remedy this, along with building schools and hospitals but the ongoing war and insurgency issues make it difficult), people were very poor. We complain about no air in the Midwest and we rarely get over 90 degrees, there it was close to 125 degrees quite often. This is not to say there were not a few nice places in Iraq. Just overall it is a very rundown country. The markets looked like this.



And many people were afraid to even go shop as this is usually where the bombings would occur so it was dangerous. I can't imagine having to fear for your life just to shop. We were definitely not allowed to get out and shop. In fact to even leave the base you had to be in full battle rattle (Kevlar helmet, vest, ear plugs, and safety glasses!) and in either an armored SUV with a security team (usually several vehicles and about 16 armed ex military men).

Or in a Blackhawk. Again heavily armed and traveling in twos.

People sold anything they could to make money and often had little shacks or move able carts. The vehicles were rundown and old.

The further away from the main cities you traveled the more destitute and third world it seemed. People utilized animals as a means of transportation.


To add to the hardships of living in Iraq were the constant dust storms. When a dust storm rolled in it was brutal. You often could not see your hand in front of you and the dust was everywhere due to poor construction.

I truly hope that someday Iraq will rise above the violence and become a great city. Many other countries have been able to. Up North in Iraq is beautiful and there are also many very historic biblical sites (Babylon, the eternal flame, etc…) that would make great tourism sites.

*Sorry for the lack of posting, I have been sick all week and not motivated. I also lost my camera! Luckily it was found in the attic last night - who knows.

HGTV Iraq Edition

This was my “house” for six months. However, not just mine each trailer was shared with three others! Yes four of us lived in these tiny trailers. The trailers were divided in half with a bathroom on each side and two people shared each side. It was cramped quarters to say the least. However I was not one to let a small space look gloomy. This is how the trailer looked when I first arrived (as I was smart enough to bring at least a set of cute sheets, a few photos from home, the trusty bear).

However that wasn’t quite good enough. The government issued curtains obviously clashed and once the “winter” months hit the sheet alone wasn’t warm enough. So online shopped and ended up with this.

The curtains and comforter were from Pottery Barn kids.

The cute chair was bought out on the local economy. I actually wish I could have brought it home but that was not a PCS move so no free shipping and it was over the limit for APO type shipments. Would have been fun outside somewhere.

Most of the bathroom goodies came from my wonderful Mommy who sent me awesome care packages to spruce my trailer up. The shower was so small that the curtain touched you as you showered and more often than not we ran out of water. Nice eh. But I would not have complained as many of the soldiers had to trek to a separate trailer to shower and use the restroom. We were lucky to have our own!

Even though I lived in a postage stamp it was cozy and felt like a welcome retreat at the end of each 12-14 hour day. I had two roommates. One was Cynthia my shooting range buddy. Here she is holding up a piece of shrapnel that may have hit our trailer….

And the other after her was an older lady. I can’t remember her name which is awful. She was very sweat though. I definitely relish my solo living these days. At the end of our trailer park we had a "hang out" space. The Brits and Gurkhas had set it all up and often hosted parties and BBQs. It was fun.


We made the best of the situation, amazing how creative people can be.

Camp Victory - Baghdad Iraq

This was home for six months. These photos are all about five years old and Camp Victory now looks way different. I was amazed how different it was by the end of my second tour even. USACE moved from the trailers into a new office building(s) they built and all the employees moved into a barrack/dorm style building (benefit of not having to share a room but you had to walk down the hall to the bathrooms). A few of these pools I have been told are now closed.

Anyway before Camp Victory was taken over by the US Military and made into a base camp it was actually Saddam Hussein’s “hunting palace”. Nice huh. Rumor has it he had over a 100 palaces! The Iraqis lived in a hut at best and their ruler had palatial homes in the triple digits. Amazing and unfair. Anyway the hunting palace had not only one amazing palace where Saddam would have lived.


It also had a very cool lap pool right outside the palace. I swam in this pool many times.

There were also several other very large homes located within the palace grounds. I guess these were for his friends, family, and staff. Many of these were very ornate as well (photos to come in the future).


Many of these buildings, to include the two below that were the vacation homes of Saddam’s two very bad sons were badly bombed by US Forces during the initial month of war. However any building that was salvageable was made into either office space or living space. It was odd as you would walk around these palaces and see some walls or areas totally crumbling and falling apart from the bombs and the rest would be totally in tact. Very precise!


Even with all the buildings there were still more people than space. So many of us lived and worked in trailers. Below is a photo of the office area and also the trailers we all lived in. More photos of my trailer to follow in a future post.



We also had a huge tent that was the PX (post exchange) where you could buy any needed supplies such as snacks, toiletries, movies, magazines, etc.. Like a small Wal-Mart. Items were always limited and shipments were sometimes halted due to convoys being targeted by roadside bombs. But overall they did have a great selection and better than nothing. We also had a Burger King so you could get your fast food fix if needed! Now there are several additional fast food restaurant option.


Connected to Camp Victory was Camp Slayer which was another Saddam palace compound, this was known as the Perfume palace and the rumor is this is the compound where he kept all of his mistresses! Nice huh. Anyway here is the palace at Slayer and one of those pools we often used for hails and farewells.



Hope you are enjoying the brief photos tours of Iraq. I am hoping I can find some photos from my travels outside of Baghdad as well.