Well Everyone its that time of the year where everyone is supposed ot be gettign ready to Celebrate christmas, wherther its because you are doing it int eh memory of our lord jesus christ, or because of the holiday spirit and you want to give as good as you might get..its all teh same....
For everyone but me...I'll tell you y
As most of you may already know, i've once again been assigned into iraq for a other tour in the "War agasint Terrorism and Iraqi Frredom".
Well i was hoping to be home for the holidays and Just when i thought things were goingot start looking up that i might get to spend an actually christmas home for once, since being in the Army, ive been away from home on almoost every single major holiday that there has been and now it looks like this year will be no different.
I have a Daughter, Her name Is Xi'an and those who have meet her know how vibrant and enthralling she can be..well ive been on this little monsters tail about what she wanted for christmas and of course she never told me up until a fe days ago, her words were "Daddy i want you home for christmas adn when you get here you dont have to worry about going to work anymore, you can stay here at home with me!" talk about your silent responses and Tear Jerkers Right???
Ii was totally stunned and speechless when i heard that..but in my hear i knew that i ahd submitted my leave two and a ahlf months in advanced so that i could be home for the holidays and be one of my babygirls presents..
Or atleast i thougth that woudl be the case...Someone in the system has been messing almost everyone leave dates up and it just amazes me at how you can be told, "Put in your Months and dates for leave and well make sure you get those dates square." Only to turn around and Then HAND OUT The Dates They want you to have...
Now some people get to know when they are goin onleave a few weeks to maybe a few months out., depending on how good the resources are for there company..well i got totally screwed on mine..most of you who are probably reading this know what im talking about,, teh I dont know yet because they haven gotten me a date as to when exactly im coming home...
Well asking for a month and a half straight, youd think someone would have gotten me an answer right??WRONG!!!
The NIght i found out when i was finally getting a chance to go on leave was when i got to the waiting station..What a Crock Of Bullshit!!!!!!!
Im out there doing ym job just like every soldier in this Hellish Place and I cant even get a simple request as to when im going home but several thousand other soldiers can???
Im sure im notthe only one who has fallen into this dilemma but i mena damn, this is my third time over here..never getting a chance to go on leave the first time i was back here in 2003 because at first it was 30 days of leave then it went to 15 days and when it came around ot my section it was 7 days..i told tehm where they could stick it...thats totally fucked up...how can you go from having 30 days of leave in a warzone to only 7...i refused to go through that and then my second time in 2005 before my window for leave could even open up, i got a Red Cross message tellign me that my grandmother on my Fathers side who practially helped raise me was Dying and then after the whole fiasco of tryingto get me out of there in time to see her she Died before i even had teh paperwork in hand and teh funeral was planned 5 days from then..i had to jump thorough hoops to get home and when i did, it was on the very day she was to be buried...and get this three days after we buried her, my first cousin who i was very close to died form heart complications in the hospital..so when i emailed My chain bacj teh news yes they extended my leave because it wasa family related matter but that was my leave..wat a way to spend it huh?
Well now its 2007..i got to germany in 2006 fully knowing that i would end up here in iraq again but i never had the opportunity to be on actually leave and enjoy the holidays or just being home for that matter..and now i get ot go through this????
Talk about your living hells huh..Not only do i get to risk life and limb but i also have to go tthrough buerocratic crap just to be albe to leave and i dont give a damn if its spelled wrong im really in just one hell of a foul mood and me being able to FINALLY Leave this place and all it BULLSHIT Behind will indeed imporove my mood some but not untill im on amercan soil, looking ito my babyguirls eyes and running form her as well as seeing what family and friends i can..im still lgettingot leave yes and for that small thing i am gratefull for but what i am not is all teh Ridicoulous things i have had to endure and go throught just to get to this point.
Well ive taken enough of everyone time ranting and venting about what most would call just nonsense but it makes sensee to me...hoepfully ill get to see or hear from most of you before The New Year and If not, KNock back one FOR Me Will ya..Lord knows im gonna need one or twenty when i do get a chance to get my hands on some.
Im Out For now
One Love
R
