Have I shown you this???
Uh yeah…well, I do not need this to tell me where I am on this deployment. My body is screaming that I have been in theater for 60 days. Every deployment, I know when I am around the 60-day mark. I get tired, lack enthusiasm, and pretty much just want to shut down at that point. But from previous experience, I also know that if I push through the 60-day blahs then I can garner a new head of steam to push me through to the end.
The Fourth of July was a nice rest time. The ops temp went down and there were BBQs and fireworks and activities abounding. I have included some of these activities as photos.
Chuck and Mickey
This is a baptism service we held on Saturday. Three people received baptism. And even though it looks like I am enjoying holding a guy underwater, I swear I let him right back up. BTW, that is the indoor pool facility. Great for lap swimming, but that lap swimming is a lot of work so you might find me at the outdoor pool playing water volleyball on my down time. There is one more baptismal candidate who was not able to be at the service. So I look forward to being able to baptize him later in the tour.
The other pictures are of our July 4th fireworks. Yes we had fireworks. Amazing what can happen when EOD puts enough C4 and flares together. And besides they added to the fireworks the Iraqi insurgents gave to us. I didn’t realize the insurgents celebrated the fourth of July, but thankfully they were able to contribute to our festivities. LOL
Finally, the sumo pic was a tournament held at the guntruckers compound. It was single elimination and there were ladies wrestling ladies and men wrestling men. Quite a show. FYI: I won the first match lost the second. I blame it all on the two bratwursts I ate just before the match. Which explains the weight gain… For those who don’t know that is just a sumo outfit we put on, that is not really me. I am still only 200 pounds. HAHA
I only hope that those who are forward deployed also had a great Fourth. I know many did as I have seen reports. Fox News was here as well and are now gone. I did get to be on the morning show Monday, and I know some of you did see that. It was very exciting to get to say hi to people back home. I know there is a lot of support for us out here and that really means a lot. I am on the downhill slide, and look forward to September being here quickly.
Gladiator, with sword in hand…
ABPnews will publish one entry a week from the journal then-Capt. Charles Seligman kept while deployed to Iraq as an Air Force chaplain in 2005. Now a major, Seligman currently serves as the deputy wing chaplain for the 59th Medical Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He is endorsed by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. You can read more of his story published September 11, 2013. You can also read older journal entries from Maj. Seligman.