Dana's Diary Wednesday 9am Pensacola time

I'm home!!! I've been sitting here at my computer trying to think of how I can end this series of blogs. How do you put into words a life-changing experience? How do I convey to all of you how meeting the troops made me me a better person?

Thank you to all of you who took the time to send me messages, comment on the blog, call the station, and pray for my safe return. This means more than you will ever know.

Thank you to Dave and Mary Hoxeng for giving me the opportunity to put smiles on the faces of the men and women who are scarificing time away from their families so that our nation is safe and other nations become better. Your dedication is unbelievable and I am inspired. I couldn't ask for better bosses. Now Dave can relax until his next project.

Thank you to Col Caveman Holzworth who gave me the true idea of what it is like to be a world away in a combat zone. He worked me tirelessly and I loved every minute of it. He continues to be the motivator we all know him to be and we love him for it.

Thank you to Lt. Powell who had the task of escorting me around Al Asad, Iraq. He never let me out of his sight and trust me...there were times I'm sure he wanted to bury me in the sand.

Thank you to Major Tony Campbell who felt sorry for me in Kuwait and took me under his wing. He carried my bazillion bags, helped me to understand how things work in the Army,got me on the first helicopter out of Baghdad International and became a friend for life.

Thank you to Gunny Cox who scolded me countless times and made me trust him to get me home. I'm here, Gunny...thank you.

Thank you to the Public Affairs Officers at LSA Kuwait and Camp Arifjan for picking me up, escorting me around, and dropping me off. Next time can you slow down a little bit before kicking me out of the vehicle? Tuck and roll Dana!

Thank you to our very own Battalion 11 who were very gracious and fun. I enjoyed my time with you and look forward to your return back to Pensacola.

Thank you to Sgt. Cook who befriended me in Kuwait during lockdown to get processed out of the country. He carried my 100 pound bag with little complaining and let me sleep on his shoulder during the 15 hour flight back to the states. Sorry about drooling on your uniform!!

Thank you to Brent and Jim for holding down the fort while I was away. Brent worked just as hard as I did getting all the audio I recorded edited and on the air. You guys are two of my best friends and I love you.

Thank you to my boys who were brave and strong while I was away. They continue to surprise me each and everyday. I am proud to be called your mom.

Thank you to my parents for understanding my need to put myself in danger for a cause. You have supported me my whole life and I know I have caused you many sleepless nights. I love you. Sleep well tonight...I am home.

Thank you to Tracey for being there for my kids when I couldn't. You are my best friend and like a sister to me. I have always been so glad to have you in my life.

Thank you to Nick who cheered me up when I had my meltdowns. He kept things in perspective for me and calmed me down so that I could focus again. You stepped up, made sure I was ready for the trip, helped with the boys, and welcomed me back with open arms. You are a great boyfriend..I know how much of a pain I can be.

And finally, thank you to all of Cat Country for believing in me. I am honored to be a part of this community and will continue to do my best to make you all proud. Your support of the troops is undying and trust me...it is felt by each and every man and woman in uniform.

Until our next adventure together....
Dana

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 6pm in Kuwait

Well the good news is that I got to take a shower this morning! Thank God for small miracles. I even shaved my legs….science experiment OVER. I met with my escort and we headed to the hospital at Camp Arifjan where I have been staying. It was neat to see how sophisticated it was even though it was in a tent. MASH from the outside, Baptist Medical on the inside. I met with the surgeon there who showed me the OR and I talked with some of the patients. There are a few Pensacola IA’s who work there but I didn’t get to talk to them because they were on R and R and mush deserved I am sure.

That tent hospital will soon be relocated into a brand new building sometime in January.

From there I went and visited another DFAC (Dining facility.) It was a good breakfast of bacon and eggs and coffee. There were tons of things to choose from…even made to order omelets. Again…no worries…the troops are being WELL FED! Thank goodness I am walking all over the place lugging heavy gear or else you would be rolling me off the plane in Pensacola!

I also got to do my laundry. There is a trailer with washers and dryers and it was free. Pretty much everything is free for our troops except for phone calls, internet, and things they want to buy. Food, shelter, laundry, entertainment…all free. You could really save some money over here and most do. You can’t have a vehicle here so there are shuttles that run. I just walked everywhere or rode with my escort to places that were far. The PX (personal exchange…think Wal-Mart or Target but smaller) sell bicycles that seem to be popular as well.

Apparently I am here at the perfect time. The weather has been perfect. Chilly at night and about 70 during the day but breezy. I don’t think I would want to be here at any other time. The temps get up into the 120’s!! To make it worse, the men and women have to wear long sleeves on their uniforms.

You can’t drink enough water. There are charts in the bathrooms with bars of colors. You are supposed to compare the color of your urine to that on the chart to see if you are dehydrated. For some reason, I found this fun. By the way…I never have been able to get completely hydrated despite the free bottles of water everywhere I turn. My body is wrecked right now and I think it is mad at me.

More good news. I am on the list to fly out of Kuwait very soon if all goes well. I can’t give specific times due to security threats, but I am hoping to get home and in my bed before you know it. Not that I don’t love being in a big tent on a dusty bunk bed with 8 other women in there too. But as we all know….There is no place like home.

I miss you all!

Dana

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

Dana’ Diary Friday 9pm Kuwait time

My oh my…I arrived back in Kuwait tonight after leaving Al Asad , Iraq. I think Caveman Holzworth actually got a little teary-eyed saying goodbye to me today.

What a great visit! Having the opportunity to spend my Thanksgiving with the troops was a once in a lifetime experience that I will not soon forget. The marines and sailors at Al Asad were very nice and always willing to talk to me. They jumped at the chance to be able to send a message home to their families.

I think the most valuable thing I learned from my time in Iraq was that our US Troops are the most highly trained, highly motivated individuals I have EVER met! You can put them a hot desert, away from their loved ones, away from civilization, and they will still greet you with an energetic HOORAH! That is dedication. I am a better person just because I got the chance to be a part of their lives if even for a short time.

I look forward to my time in Kuwait. I am exhausted and I miss my family, but then I think about how I am here for less than 2 weeks and I get to go home. These men and women are here from 6-18 months. I have no right to complain.

The living conditions on this Army base are not as good as in Iraq (which were mediocre.) I am in a big green tent with a plywood floor and 4 bunk beds. So far, I am in this tent alone. Everything in here is dusty. Everything EVERYWHERE is dusty. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will also be dusty until I reach the comfort of my own shower back home.

I am scheduled to meet with our very own deployed Battalion 11 out of Saufley Field. I am very excited about this visit because we have been following this group since before they left Pensacola. It is so cool to me that we were not only there when they left and will certainly plan on being there when they return home…but we are also here right in the middle of it all. Seeing first hand what they are doing, how they are coping, and what they miss about home. Again…this is an incredible opportunity and I am honored to be able to be the one to share it with you all.

Until next time…

Dana

Dana's Diary from Iraq Thursday 9:40pm Iraq time

Happy Thanksgiving from Al Asad!! Another busy day here in Iraq. It was pretty much business as usual for the men and women in uniform here. There were no 96 hour liberties, or even a single day off. There was, however, an USO show at 1pm today that some of the troops were allowed to attend. You know the guy that plays Fez on That 70;s Show? He was there as well as some model named Myra.

Something I was VERY surprised about was the Thanksgiving Day spread at the dining facility. It was magnificent! Be sure and check out the photos of the sculptures, cakes, and more. There were over 15,000 meals served today and the food was delicious. It may not have been as good as mom's, but they served roasted and baked turkey, all the trimmings, plus prime rib and Cornish hen. There were all kinds of
pies and desserts and a ton of bread. The troops seemed pleased.

Today I toured the air wing of the base where the helicopter squadrons are. I once again ran into many men and women who received their training in Pensacola. I actually met two gentlemen who graduated from our area. One was from Pace and the other was from Tate. They were excited to share their Pensacola memories with me.

Col. Caveman Holzworth made it out to check on me and spend a little time with me. Seeing him talk with his Marines is so awesome. You can almost see the inspiration on there faces. He captures them and they respect him. He is such an asset here in Iraq.

Many of the guys and gals had a little free time today to play some sports, cards, hackey sack, and football. Speaking of football, as usual that was the Thanksgiving talk at most of the dining tables. Ahhhh….just like at home.

Tomorrow I continue my journey with a stop in Kuwait for a few days. My mission? To track down and talk to our deployed sailors serving at a Navy Hospital there. I also will be speaking with members of Battalion 11 whose stories we have been following for months.

As my Thanksgiving Day comes to an end, I want to ask something of all of you. I want you to give your family the biggest hug EVER! Tell them how much you love them and how much you appreciate them. It is hard to be away from my family today, but it makes me realize that perhaps I take them for granted all too often. Please say a prayer for our troops serving over here in Iraq and all over the world. I know now
how much they are sacrificing to do the job they are doing so well.

Thank you and God Bless.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Dana

Dana’s Diary Wednesday 915pm Iraqi time

Wow…today has been busy!! Col Caveman Holzworth had a FULL day of touring the base for me when I got to his office. First, I had the pleasure of sitting with Command General Halifan. He shed some light on the history of this war, the efforts that are being made now, and the future as he sees it. Be sure and tune in to Cat Country 98.7 to hear part of that great interview on the Cat Pak morning show. He had nothing nut great things to say about Pensacola, the training he received there, and the importance of our community’s support of the military.

Next, I was off to visit all the air squadrons on the Southside of the base. I talked to many Marines and Sailors who couldn’t wait to share how much they loved the time they spent in Pensacola. Some have plans on returning as instructors so that they can be a part of the essential training that is going on at NATTC.

Then it was chow time. Al Asad has four dining facilities. The huge one that most people go to and the satellite chow halls for those who are too far away to walk. Today I ate lunch with the Marines from the Southside….yes, it was great! The food was pretty good but the company was great! The moral here at this base is unbelievable. I guess I thought I would get here and find a bunch of lonely Marines and sailors who were feeling sorry for themselves for getting stuck in the desert for months and months. Not the case…they are here to do a job and that is what their focus is on. They are motivated and ready.

There is not a whole lot of spare time, the men and women usually work 12-18 hour days. But when they do have some free time, they spend it playing sports, cards, video games, and watching DVD’s. There is always a tournament for something. A Helo 4 tourney, a ping pong championship, the Texas Hold ‘Em finals. Never a dull moment that is for sure. Some get quite creative. Tonight there are plans of a real life WWE wrestling match between the Public Affairs Office and the Combat camera crew. They are pretty pumped up. My money is on the PAO’s. They are pretty ripped.

It amazes me that I am half way across the planet, yet I had a nice chat with SSgt Williams who graduated from Woodham High in 2000. Or how about this…I got a tour of the C130 hangar from SSGT Morales who just finished 3 years in Pensacola with the Blue Angels. It was nice to see we knew the same people.

I guess it is important to me to tell you what they need over here. The US is doing a wonderful job making sure these men and women are taken care of. They have wonderful dining, places to shop, and lots of recreation. What they don’t have is YOU. They enjoy hearing from their friends and family. So start emailing! If you have a friend of family member serving in another part of the country, write to them! Don’t waste your time baking cookies to mail. We had some wonderful desert tonight in the chow hall. If you want to send a care package, send their favorite magazines even if they are outdated. Send them things you just can’t find anywhere but the good ole USA. One man showed me a care package he got from a stinger, a child actually. It had things like silly putty, a squishy ball, and some sort of goo that when you push it into a can it sounds like a fart. This entertained 4 Marines for more than 2 hours. DVD box sets are nice too. Especially if you can find their favorite TV show that is in a season box set. Christmas is coming so get those boxes in the mail now! And don’t forget to send photos!!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and there is a lot planned here. A USO show of some sort is happening…I’ll keep you posted.

Til Then…

Dana