And the heat goes on
My time in Kuwait continues. I won’t actually start real work until I arrive in Iraq, but I don’t know when that will be. And, of course, opsec means I couldn’t talk about specific travel dates or arrivals/departures until after the fact.
In the chow hall today, one of our captains asked me if this would be my last deployment. I said I figured I might have one more in me after this one. That depends on how well my physical condition holds up, and may depend on what happens during this deployment, but the reasons I had when I first joined up (and then renewed my commitment, back in 2006) still hold true.
I have a wife now - or I could just as accurately say I have my wife back now - and her place in all of this will of course be a consideration. Staying as active as I can, however, will help in the long term to contribute to preparations for a retirement that is still a ways off yet, but getting closer all the time. That being so, I suppose I can count myself as lucky that what’s to my benefit is also something that I so much enjoy doing.
I hope to get some good fanfic writing done during this deployment; I had similar good fortune during my first time in Iraq (2003-04), in Afghanistan (2005-06), and at Guantanamo (2007). I have more duties now, and I intend to take them more seriously, but even a small daily output, religiously maintained, mounts up quickly.
At Fort Dix, my unit got one three-day pass and one four-day pass. On both occasions, I chose to stay where I was and conserve my funds. The reasons were good and I don’t regret the choice I made … but I will be very, very happy to see my wife again. When my mid-tour leave arrives, I won’t be trying to save money; I’ll look to spend what time I can with her and make it good for our memories.
I have a year ahead of me. I look forward to it. But it’s still a year.