Living the Life

What is it like in the Al Anbar Province today? Well, it 's quiet. The base is still an eyesore – a sandbag impressionistic painting done in vague watercolor. There is the usual hustle and bustle of military operations. Soldiers are putting on their gear, checking their equipment, and going out on missions that are dangerous as they were the day we arrived. But there is a change in the air. Perhaps it’s a vestige of emotion we’re riding through the holiday season, and once 2006 is upon us, reality will issue us a collective check. I do know that there are fewer explosions, so there is less death. Our hard work is paying off, and the Utah boys have held their own in every way. Conditions here are significantly less violent than they were six months ago. Even if we came home tomorrow, we would have made our mark on the war of our generation, and proudly contributed to the legacy of military history our unit represents back home. But we’re not done yet.

Today is a stark and beautiful day. The sky is a spotless artifact, bereft of clouds or anything other than bright blue sky and crisp, almost mountain-like wind. I was in such a good mood this afternoon that the smell of the burn pit reminded me of a camp fire, which always improves my attitude and can snap me into an instant nostalgic fervor. It’s about 50 degrees, so some folks are wearing their beanie caps or winter coats. After the summer we just endured, 50 degrees feels colder than it did last winter in Utah , I can assure you.

For some reason I’m picturing a young man jumping off the edge of a cliff near the Point of the Mountain out in Bluffdale,Utah. He’s just finished training for his Paraglider’s license, and this is his first solo ride. Now he’s free as a falcon, circling a mountaintop that is only achievable by an aircraft or a day’s long hike. Good God, can you imagine his view? The high Uintah Mountains in the far distance to the east. The Copper mine to the west - and the Salt Lake and Utah Valleys expanding out below him to the north and south. What incredible expanses of geology and civilization his perspective claims dominion over.

There are no mountains here, but that’s okay. Today is more bright than dark, more safe than dangerous, and more bearable than depressing. We have our fellow soldiers, we have our work to keep us busy, we have our music, we have our weapons to keep us safe, we have communication technologies that allow us to keep in touch with home, and we have our health. We’re on the front lines, in the heart of the Al Anbar Province, the infamous Sunni Triangle, living the life and making history. And we’re fighting on behalf of the citizens of the greatest country in the world, whether they believe in what we're fighting for or not. We still protect them. Tell me, what more could a guy ask for?



HEALTH: The slowest possible rate at which one can die. -- anonymous

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