The Future of Iraq

I took these pictures today while on a mission in the Adhamiya district of Baghdad -- north of the Green Zone, on the east bank of the Tigris. We dismounted our vehicles and had to walk several blocks to access the civil courthouse, where we were to meet the judge and talk with lawyers practicing at the court. Adhamiya is the oldest part of Baghdad, and predominantly Sunni. This was our 7th attempt to visit this courthouse--previous efforts had been scrubbed due to security.

After we got back to the Green Zone this afternoon, I showed the pictures to an Iraqi national who works on our staff. Iraqis can sometimes (or most of the time!) be pretty dramatic, but what he shared with me is important, and so I thought I would share it with you.

He said,

"Look at those faces, at those children. They are the future of Iraq. Remember them in everything you do here. And remember, that in Adhamiya, one of the most dangerous places for Americans in Baghdad, the children greeted you with smiles."

Penn State Football 2007

Welcome to my autumnal obsession -- Penn State football. With every passing year, my inner Penn Stater grows stronger. And it seems even more so this year, probably compounded by the distance between Haifa Street in Baghdad and College Avenue in my hometown, State College, PA. It's also heightened by the fact that fall is without question my favorite season -- there is simply no better place than State College on a crisp, cool October day. So for me, obsessing about the Blue and White is a way of connecting to my home, and all the great things about growing up in such an incredible place. I miss it. And I will miss getting to at least one game with my Dad, like I do every year. So here's my video tribute -- the annual pre-season stadium video!

Welcome Back!

Where have I been?

That's a welcome back to me -- and an apology for being so blog-deficient for nearly 2 months.

What is truly amazing about this adventure, is the speed at which time flies by. Days very quickly turn into weeks and months -- all with some degree of confusion about how many days and weeks have acutally passed. One of my colleagues remarked shortly after we arrived in theater that "I have no idea what day it is, but I know it must be time to eat." Meals seem to be an even that marks the movement of the clock, and more often than not, are a social event. I can't even begin to count the number of times that I have joined in with a group to grab chow, when I wasn't even really hungry. But, given the wide menu of entertainment options here in downtown Bag-city, a visit to the DFAC usually fits the bill.

So, what have I been up to since I last posted in June?

Answer? Sweating. A lot.

Seriously, Iraq is hot. Even the Iraqis think it's too hot. As I have said so many times before, the next time we invade and occupy a country, can we think about one that's a little more temparate? Canada, for instance. I was just there, and if nothing else, it's certainly very pleasant...and cool.

Speaking of Canada, in addition to sweating, I was also spending an incredible 15 days on R&R. With travel to and from Iraq added in, I was gone for 3 weeks, and only arrived back 2 days ago. Being at home was just perfect. My parents and sister and nieces were at the airport in State College, PA to meet my plane when it arrived, complete with flags and a welcome home sign! After spending almost a week in State College, I spent 8 nights in Seattle and Vancouver, touring the cool, green Pacific Northwest.

Rob at the Queen Anne overlook, Seattle.

At Rialto Beach on the Pacific, Olympic National Park, near Forks, WA.

On top of Mt. Rainier!

Whistler Peak, British Columbia, Canada. Site of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games

Now that my body clock is more or less in sync with the clock on the wall, and I'm actually sleeping when it's dark outside, inside of daylight, it's time to get back down to business. (Note to self: Maybe 4 Tylenol PMs for the 14 hour plane ride to Kuwait was a little over the top.) I just have to take a couple of more days and remember exactly what that business is.

But take a minute and just look at those pictures...what an incredibly beautiful country we are blessed to live in. After being just 4 months in a country where the predominant color is brown, and all its lovely shades of tan and beige, the blues and greens of home were almost overwhelming. It's not just the breathtaking Pacific Northwest, but the gentle hills and mountains of my own Central Pennsylvania have the own peaceful beauty about them. And Canada is pretty ok, too.

Further contributing to my blog-avoidance behavior is that I have been writing in my journal quite a bit at night. In my journal, I can write about things that I simply can't post on an open forum, and for me, it's been a very important means of sorting through all that I see and do in the course of my work, and all that I read and hear in the news media about Iraq.

Those who know me well, know that I am very concerned about the level of civic discourse in the United States about the war. Our leaders in Congress, and the commentators and talking heads that appear in the media, too often present choices that are at one extreme or the other, failing to realize that most Americans know that the reality is somewhere in between. Yet, our leaders continue to offer us nothing more than all in or all out as the options, and fail to appreciate that as Americans we can not only understand that the situtation here in Iraq is far more complicated than those choices allow, but also that so many want a serious assessment of what is really happening here. I'll post more about that shortly, and about what I found in my conversations with people at home, but in a nutshell, if I can give a quick assessment, it's that Americans are simply hungry for straight talk about Iraq from all sides--they just want to know, what is really happening.

So, I'll close for today simply by saying that it is good to be back in Bagtown. Seriously, it is. What motivates me here is knowing that I have an important mission to accomplish. After being at home, I'm further motivated by the encouragement and good wishes of so many Americans who want us to succeed. With an eye toward next spring when this deployment will come to a close, I'll do my best to honor those good wishes, make a difference here, and come home safely.