Jumpy at home

I've been home for about five months, and I'm adjusting, though more slowly than I thought. I sat in the conference room at work last week. Just outside the room was a door the closed automatically, and closed pretty firmly.

Each time it shut, which was every couple of minutes or so, it would bang, and I would jump. After a few minutes I was feeling kind of woozy and my heart was hammering away. I almost left the room. I was not able to concentrate on the meeting I was attending.

I was not a jumpy person before Iraq, but I sure am now.

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Some of our equipment has begun to arrive. Half of my stuff was unloaded last weekend, and hopefully the other half will arrive and can be unloaded next drill.

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Went to yet another change of command ceremony on Sunday. The incoming commander told me that his chief priority is recruiting. Not training, recruiting. Big Army is talking about doing away with at least one Guard Brigade, and key factor will be personnel strength. Of the five under discussion, ours most recently came off deployment and is reorganizing, so our strength percentage is the lowest of the group. The losing brigade will be broken up and assigned out, piecemeal, to other units. Also, a good many jobs, both full-time and weekend, will disappear.



The first picture is of burning oil wells.



The second picture is also of burning oil wells.



The last picture is of an oil well being put out. Note the water being sprayed on the fire, and the white smoke.