Diwaniya, Iraq.

Got up early for transit to Hillah. I found out I was sitting in the SAW gunner’s seat, so I was the SAW gunner. I got some training on the weapon, and we mounted up. Outside the gate, the Staff Sargeant ordered “Lock and Load!”. Five machine guns racking a round is an amazing sound. It all got very real. We convoyed up to Hillah without incident.

Iraq is not desert in the sense of the Sahara. It is just really arid and dusty. It actually looks a lot like the American Southwest, but with boatloads of trash and beat up cars. The Iraqis have to pull over to let American military convoys pass, which makes the trip that much safer and faster.

Hillah, Iraq.

We rolled into town, and met the Delta Force guys we are supporting. They are really cool guys, and are serious about doing a good job. However, they definitely believe in non standard uniforms, grooming, etc. They led us over to the shooting range. Military convoys are to wave aside traffic, and if the traffic doesn’t pull over, we are to honk. If honking doesn’t clear the road, we are authorized to fire warning shots. The Delta guys cranked off three or four rounds on the way there, which really got our attention. We fired a lot of ammo, and got training in combat handgunning from the Delta guys. I fired a bunch of rounds in the SAW, and that is now my primary weapon.

Up until now, I thought that Iraq was hot, but not blazing. However, standing out in that sun with all the weapons, armor, gear, and ammo really made me hot. I sweated through my cammies. We convoyed back to the camp, which took about 20 minutes and half a dozen rounds. Evening meetings with the SF guys, and the let the relaxation begin. My AC works great, and it is awesome to need a blanket again.