posted @ 05:11...

Spending endless hours manning a desk at the TOC tent (Brigade HQ), makes me wonder why in the world they needed me to come here so badly. Of course, the real mission hasn't started yet. We're still in Kuwait. But we finally found out where in Iraq we're going... but I can't tell. I'm an stinker like that when it comes to OPSEC. (OPSEC = Operational Security)

I can tell you that it's hot here. Morale is relatively high, and for now there's ample time to sit on our butts. I've been reading more than I otherwise would. Dan Brown has gotten me interested in reading again. I finished Digital Fortress in 4 days, and now am immersed in Deception Point. I hope to finally get The DaVinci Code in the mail pretty soon. That's all for now...

posted @ 10:08...

Kuwait is a stop-over point for most soldiers who are headed to Iraq. I don't know exactly how long we'll be here... but we're here, training and getting acclammated to the weather. Oh yeah, the weather: windy and 115 degrees, which means you get hot sand in your face when you go outside. Great fun. I sure miss my wife. That's all for now.

posted @ 07:55...

This is my last post before I get on the plane for Iraq. I hope to update this blog periodically from over there, but that'll depend on whether or not access to the web is available.

Heartbroken, I would say, is the number one thing I'm feeling right now. Number two would be a little bit of excitement. This will be an adventure. Though I've been overseas, military deployment is something I've never experienced before. At the same time, my only desire is to be here for my wife and baby. I have a job to do, a mission to accomplish, and I'm going to do it. Then I'll come home safely to my family... I'm so thankful that my wife has so many people around to take care of her, or at least check in from time to time to see how she's doing. People at church, especially, have been so willing to do whatever they could do for her. Her mom's here now, and pretty soon my parents will be here. I'm leaving her in good hands.

So, I get to show up in the middle of the night, draw my weapon, load bags on trucks, do a bunch of other stuff... and then get in a bus and go to the airfield. The plane lifts off about 7 hours after I report. So it's gonna be a long night.

Thanks for your prayers, etc. God bless you. My email address is brianmcgovern@gmail.com, in case anyone wants to write.

posted @ 06:06...

A little over a week and I'll be on a plane. Can't say exactly when, can't say exactly where. But I'm going to Iraq. We've been trying everything we can think of to get this baby to come out early. But we have to remember, it'll come out when he/she is good & ready.

posted @ 13:35...

Stop loss is when members of the military are suddenly prohibited from leaving the service, even if they're only under contract to the service for a certain period of time. There's a little clause in every contract saying something to the effect of "...depending on the needs of the Army." This doesn't affect me, since I won't getting out anyway until long after the stop loss has been lifted. But there are guys who were literally weeks from retirement, who are now headed to Iraq. There are guys who were approaching the end of their enlistment and had enrolled in school. There are some exemptions, but for the most part they'll be spending the next 12 to 18 months in Iraq. Crazy.

Here's an interesting quote (and no, I'm not related to him... I don't think I am anyway):
"I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in."
             --George McGovern