Dana’s Diary Monday in Kuwait 9am

I am thinking today is going to be a travel day. It could be a few more days before I actually set foot on Pensacola sand…but at least I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I have made some fantastic friends that I will probably stay in contact with for the rest of my life. This has truly been a humbling experience and I am a better person for doing it.

Last night I was in a tent with what ended up to be 12 other women. The lights are required to stay on all night because people come and go at all hours. I had my iPod so I was able to drown out the noise with good ole country music which I have missed over the last 10 days. It’s such a huge part of my life and it was nice to relax with a little Travis Tritt.

I was able to shower again this morning…wow…2 mornings in a row!! The stars must have aligned last night in my favor. I was extremely dehydrated this morning. I had forgotten to grab a bottle of water before heading to my tent and it is a FAR walk back to wear they were stored. I figured I would be fine but my pounding headache says differently. We all know drinking water is important…but here it is essential. It’s not even hot right now, but you can dehydrate so quickly. I am now working on a huge bottle to try to feel a little better.

I made some Army friends last night and hopefully we will all be on the same flight later. I’ve already enlisted their help in carrying my bags. I’ve been lucky so far with nice soldiers and marines helping me with my heavy load. I have learned that it is totally necessary to pack light. I thought I did pack light but I’m talking extra light. Two pair of pants, 2 shirts and some disposable underwear is what I should’ve brought. Instead, I have an entire salon as well as 5 outfits. Dumb….but hey, I was going to be reporting on TV for the first time. Next time, it’s a ball cap…what you see is what you get! J

The morale here is a little different. Most people here right now at this camp are transitioning through. They are headed home for 3 weeks leave and are very anxious. (I can relate.) So they seem to be a little more impatient then those who are still working everyday. They don’t want their vacation time to be eaten up by waiting around for flights. So instead of having conversations about missions, camaraderie, and focus, I am listening to them talk about everything they will do when they get home. I am looking at pictures of kids and wives. I am hearing about their holiday traditions and what they are getting their loved ones for Christmas. These are great conversations. The personal conversations that they are happy to tell.

I am so glad to be the friendly face from the states who is interested in talking to these men and women about THEM…not the war. This has been my mission from the start. As easy as it is here to get caught up in the politics of the war and the tactical and logistical side of everything, I have tried to stay focused on the PEOPLE. I hope I have done what I set out to do in telling the stories of our heroes who are making personal sacrifices everyday. I will have a lifetime of stories from this short trip and I look forward to sharing them with you.

Dana’s Diary Saturday 9pm Kuwait time

Today was a fantastic day! I made it through the night ok in my primitive tent. There was some sort of windstorm that made the tent “walls” flap a lot. Every time they did I thought someone was trying to come in my tent. Oh yeah…did I tell you they don’t lock anyway? Nothing like being alone in a tent in a strange country in a war zone and not being able to lock yourself in. Needless to say, I slept with a flashlight in my hand all night I guess I thought I would just shine them to death. Where’s MY M-16??? Everyone else has one!!

I had to leave one camp to get to another. The camp I am staying on is Army-run. The camp where I found Battalion 11 is a Kuwait base which has allowed us to “set up” camp there as well. They were not as pleased to have me there. I was detained coming through the checkpoint for about 35 minutes, but it turned out to be a paperwork glitch. Oh, I HAVE to mention…I think it is safer to be on the battlefield than it is to drive on the roads in Kuwait!! These people are out of their minds! I am not exaggerating when I tell you that the average rate of speed on the highways is 95 mph. It is nuts! Truly scary.

It is not unusual to have lines of cars wiz by you at 120 mph. The traffic accidents are frequent and most often fatal. You don’t see many kids in seatbelts either.

My visit with Battalion 11 was fantastic! They were very happy to see me and send their messages home. I look forward to getting those sent over to Brent to play so you all can hear for yourselves. They are doing very well and working so hard everyday. They are cargo handlers which is not an easy job. Their morale is good and they miss everyone back home very much. They hear how we are playing their stories back on the morning show and say that their families look forward to hearing them each time.

I am off now to try to find a call center to call home to my kids and also to find some internet so that I can post some stuff for you all. Again, thank you to all those who have taken the time to send an email to me while I have been away. You don’t know how much it means to stay connected to home.

Tomorrow I will try to find some Individual Augmentees serving here in Kuwait and then get ready for the “Hurry up and wait,” process of getting home. Keep those prayers coming…it has worked so far!

Dana