Arrival, Kuwait…
Hello from the Kuwaiti desert,
I just connected to the Internet for the first time and immediately went to this site. It is so magnetic!
The pictures are incredibly moving and I am thankful for a brother-in-law with the willingness to cover the family and the talent to capture the moment.
As Tiffany mentioned, we will conduct a little more training here in the desert before we cross-the-berm.
The unit is currently acclimatizing to several things: the heat, the dryness, the brightness and the time zone (being approxmately 7 hours ahead of home).
The heat…we arrived in the evening at about 10:00PM (Kuwait time) and the temperature was about 107 degrees fahrenheit! We got off the plane and it was such hot air, we all thought we were downwind of the engine exhaust. As we looked at the engines, we noticed they were already shutdown. During the day, the temp is 124-130 degrees.
The dryness…within an hour or so of arrival, most of us noticed our nasal passages dry and feeling like our noses were clogged. The humidity is less than 9%! Coming from a high-humidity region, this was a drastic change.
The brightness…by 0630 the sun is so bright, you have to absolutely have sunglasses on or your eyes are squinting so hard that you’ll have a headache with 40 minutes or so. By noon, it’s blinding. All of us now wear boonie hats (wide brim army hats), to add additional shade for the head and eyes. It is so bright, that when you come in our tents from outside - you immediately need a flashlight to see in the tent because your eyes cannot adapt fast enough. It’s kind of funny watching people “feel” their way to the bunks.
The time zone…we are currently 7 hours ahead of home. Transitioning the timezones has left the soldiers lethargic and exhausted. Sleep cycles and circadian rythms have not yet been established and I estimate it may take several more days before people are resting adequately.
Other than the aforementioned, everyone appears to be doing well and are maintaining a high morale. Everyone is getting their “game face” on and understand the magnitude of the next step.
I am blessed with such an incredibly talented team!
I will write as soon as I can.
Thank you all for supporting Tiffany and our family! The strong support you have all delivered, truly allows me to focus the unit on what’s ahead.
Take care,
Tim
Wow! It is GREAT to hear (well not really hear but you know what I mean) from you! I am so proud of you. It feels hot here…I cannot imagine 130 degrees.
All is well on the home front. Briggs started flag football camp today. Gage is immersed in a Batman cartoon. And, the girls are wondering through each bedroom to see what they can get into. I am keeping my mind occupied with home renovations! Don’t freak out…they are relatively cheap ones. Painting, moving around furniture, etc.
I Love You! Please let us know what you need. Sounds like you could use some nasal drops!
Tiffany
Tiffany - August 6th, 2007 at 9:33 amI am happy you and your unit arrived safely. Take care of yourself and your team and we promise to take good care of your family.
xoxoxo,
Suzy
p.s…. in your latest pictures you look like a total stud! Tiffany is a lucky girl.
Suzy - August 6th, 2007 at 9:36 amGlad you made it safely. I can’t even believe I complain about the heat after hearing how hot it is there!! Stay safe!
Susan
Susan - August 6th, 2007 at 4:46 pmAfter learning about this blog today from Tiffany (I don’t know where I’ve been), I sat down tonight and read every posting from beginning of May until today. Two hours and half a box of kleenex later, all I can really say is I’m so proud of both of you and I’m very privileged to call you my friends.
I think of you all every single day and say a little prayer–for safety for Tim and sanity and strength for Tiffany.
Tim–Be safe. I have so much confidence in you. I can’t think of a better person for the important job you’re doing. We’re so proud of you. Thank you!
Tiffany–I feel so far away, I wish I was closer and could help you more (I usually have Saturday nights free
). I will call, I will read this blog every day and we will visit soon. Please don’t hesitate to call–any time of the day.
I recently heard a marathon runner give a personal speech. In it, she said when she runs a marathon she never thinks of how far she has to run, instead she focuses on getting to the next mile marker. I think of this for you. The race has started. There are about 13 mile markers and now you’re navigating to the next one. Then to 12, to 11, and so on.
You’re such an inspiration. I love you.
A
Ann Smith - August 7th, 2007 at 1:00 amGlad you made it safe Major!
Stacy - August 7th, 2007 at 6:27 amLet us know how we can support you and your family.
Stacy
“But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep, I wake again, because,the Lord sustains me.” Psalm 3:3-5
God is your shield. I pray for God’s protection over you and your men.
Alfega
Alfega - August 7th, 2007 at 7:45 amI came across your site when I googled Tallil. My son deployed there in June and the “mama” in me wanted to find out all I could about where he is based. What a precious family you have…thank you for making the sacrifice for us. God Bless You!
Kelley Williams - August 8th, 2007 at 9:19 am