Abu Ghraib: Day 2, Good News and Bad News
So far, so good. I arrived at Abu Ghraib yesterday morning. I traveled by convoy, uneventfully might I add. Apparently the rocket and mortar attacks by the insurgents have calmed down here in the past 2 weeks. Ironically, they have picked up at Camp Liberty. I am happy to be here, and happy to finally be working. I am living in a tent, but our station is a hard structure, which is a nice change. Unlike at Liberty, we have to wear our ballistic gear whenever we are outside. Not too much fun when it's 120 degrees out, but it's better than the alternative...
After I arrived yesterday, we had our daily training exercise. We went to a lake close to the station and practiced drafting water. Setting up drafting operations like we do at home (although nothing can compare to the quality of the job that Hereford Fire does) was one of the closest reminders of home that I've had in a month. Today I learned how to dispatch and spent my day doing so. This isn't one of the busiest bases in the country, but it will still prove to be an interesting experience, I'm sure.
Now, with a new base comes the good news and the bad news. First, the good news. I can take my personal laptop to the computer center here and plug it in, which will allow me to finally be able to send and receive pictures via email, as well as be able to post pictures on here. In other good news, I have an address. To send mail, the address must be written exactly as follows:
Firefighter M. Justin Kinsey
WSI Fire Department
Abu Ghraib Prison / Site I
C/O 306th MPBN
APO/AE 09342
Letters take approximately 10 days to receive, and packages take around two weeks.
Now the bad news, which isn't horrible, only slightly inconvenient... I am only able to use the internet a few times a week. This will be during my time off on Sunday afternoons and all day on Monday. I will have as much time on the internet as I need during that time, so I can reply to messages, send pictures, and do whatever else on those days. However, any email received Tuesday through Saturday will not be replied to until the following Sunday or Monday. While I enjoyed being able to write every day at Liberty, I remain grateful that the internet is available out here to begin with.
It's hard to believe that I left home a little more than a month ago. I miss everyone now more than ever, but I think that being out here working will finally allow me to point my mind in the direction it needs to go. Take care of each other, and keep writing (send pictures too).
Justin