One more airplane ride...

I can't believe this day has come. Even over the last week, as I would think forward to what these final few hours would be like, they still seemed an eternity away! I am sitting in the United First Class Lounge at the Chicago O'Hare Airport using the complimentary wi-fi that the hostess offered to me... a returning veteran. It is such a welcoming thing to come back into the United States and be around everyday people... strangers who for no apparent reason offer their support and many thanks. I am so happy to be back on US soil!!!

Well, I last wrote almost two weeks ago from Kuwait. I ended up being there for MUCH longer than what I had originally anticipated. The problem was that I had to wait for the main body of the group to arrive in Kuwait. They would be the other sailors that are leaving Iraq or Afghanistan to return home as well. We were enrolled as students in the Warrior Transition Program. Sounds fancy, doesn't it? Well, it is really about four hours worth of admin briefs, stress management workshops, and weapons/gear turn-in crammed into about four separate days... or in my case 11 days! There so sooooo much down time and I had no other choice but to keep myself busy. If I hadn't spent all my waking moments on the go, at the gym, at the pool, or on the phone with family back home, then I would have gone crazy! The bummer about the whole process is that in the end I didn't even need to out-process with the whole group. Instead of getting on the military contracted rotator flight with only military personnel on board, I ended up being booked on an civilian commercial itinerary all the way from Kuwait City International Airport back to Honolulu. Talk about racking up some frequent flyer miles! It would have actually been closer for me to fly east through Tokyo to Honolulu than to fly west. My first leg for 14 hours long direct from Kuwait to D.C. I had an interesting audience on that flight, though.

A few days before I had upgraded my seat to the business class... and happened to be assigned a seat right next to the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator Carl Levin happened to be leaving the Middle East and headed back to Washington. What an opportunity to interact with someone as significant as he... especially as it pertains to my chosen profession! I have mentioned a few times before in this blog about the "big wigs" I have had the opportunity to meet or converse with no matter how brief... and now what a way to wrap up my tour in Iraq! Once it was established that I was a Naval Academy graduate, I was quick to point out that my appointment came by a nomination from one of his fellow Armed Services Committee members, Senator Jeff Sessions. I paraphrased a quote that I read by Gen. Eisenhower by telling him that my relationship with Congress began with Naval Academy appointments from Sen. Sessions and Rep. Aderholt. He thought that was funny, and never once conveyed any kind of negative opinion of fellow legislators across the aisle. I have never been one to go out of my way to network, but I certainly have had the opportunity to at least briefly introduce myself to a few key leaders from our government and military. Maybe one day it will pay off!

Well, as I sit here and reflect on the last 14 months of my life, I am keenly aware of the sacrifices that were made... not by me, but by my wife, Jenna. I am so thankful that I am married to such a loving and supportive wife. When I toyed with the idea of volunteering for this deployment, she gave me her blessing and stood with me. She has taken care of our household and the bills and the cars and all the other little emergent things that pop up over the course of a year... and I haven't had to worry about any of it! I am so blessed! I find myself even now with a perpetual smile because I know I will be with her in less than 10 hours! I don't think there is anything that anyone could do at this point to bring me down from this level of satisfaction and anticipation!

Jenna, I love you so much! Thank you for standing by me... for supporting me... and for taking care of me... even as we have not been physically together! I LOVE YOU!

Ok... I guess this really will be my last blog post as an "Individual Augmentee." It has been fun documenting (if for no other reason than for my own journalistic tendencies) my time "outside the Navy." Thank you for all of those that followed this blog, sent me your encouraging notes, and kept me continuously in your payers. I could not have done it without you! May God bless all of you!

Your husband/son/brother/friend,
Jonathan

Next stop: Hawaii!

Friends and family,
I have made it one step further. I am at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait now. I got here two days ago and have had a really relaxing time since. I got here a few days early because my travel wasn't delayed for dust storms (I had built in five days worth of "dust days" just in case I had as hard a time leaving Iraq as I had when I left for R&R). Since I have been here I have been working on my tan, my fitness, and am halfway through a book I started yesterday.

There is a pool here at Arifjan and for the last two days I have gone there to lay out (trying to get rid of the farmer's and sock tan) and swim. So far I have racked up 2000m, and this afternoon I plan to make it 3000. I also have been going to the gym quite a bit. Two-a-days aren't so bad, really. I have put in 12 miles thus far with my morning visits, but I wrap up my days with some heavy lift workouts in the evenings. I even had to go by some more mix for my twice daily protein shakes. I have never been a bulky guy with the chiseled physique, but I am doing what I can before I get home to Jenna. Gotta impress her, you know! When I came home from my last submarine deployment I had lost a lot of weight... but not the healthy way. I sacrificed many meal times in order to catch 30 extra minutes of sleep. Getting rest was a commodity that I will never take for granted again. Anyway, when she met me on the pier and hugged me she said that she could fit her arms around me. What a compliment! I didn't think I was that big really, but I did manage to put all the weight back on plus some before our wedding three months later.

Today I weighed in below 200lbs on the scales at the gym. That is the first time since 2002 that I haven't had to use the 200 notch on the scales! As crummy and long as a deployment to Iraq is, it sure wasn't lacking in its opportunity for one to get in shape. Going to the gym back at Speicher became my favorite past time... and here in Kuwait the gym is so much bigger and nicer that it is hard not to enjoy! The real jewel, though, is the pool. I love it!

Well, enough about me and my new daily routine. I am here in Kuwait getting ready to out-process from the Middle Eastern theatre with the Navy's Warrior Transition Program. (To be perfectly honest, the whole process is a little bit ridiculous for an intelligent individual with a sound body and mind, but it is designed for the least common denominator... and I understand why the Navy requires it.) In a few days I will begin the process by turning in my weapons and all my gear. Then, I will begin the Post-Deployment Health Assessment. Next, will be the mandatory sit-down talks with the Navy psychologists and counselors to make sure we haven't been traumatized by our experiences here. Finally, after five days, though, I will be able to get on a plane and begin the trip home. So until then I will do my best to start saying "aye aye" instead of "roger" and will have to start calling myself "lieutenant" instead of "captain." (Well, I only really did that for the Iraqis... it seemed like it would have been a waste of time to explain to them that I was in the Navy and not the Army and that I was a lieutenant and not a captain... all through the use of a mediocre translator.)

Well, that is all I have for now. Thank you so much for all your prayers and letters and packages! They really kept me connected with home. I hope you all are doing well and healthy. I really hope I don't come through all of this over here just to get home and catch the swine flu!

God bless,
Jonathan

Big dust devil!

On really hot days, it is not uncommon to see dozens of these all over the desert around us here on COB Speicher.

Speaking of which... the MIA Navy pilot whose remains were identified earlier this week were those of CAPT Michael Scott Speicher. He is the MIA service member that the Consolidated Operating Base I live on is named for. I am sure his family is appreciative for the closure.

I have a special request for those of you that follow my blog. Please keep the family of Captain Matt Freeman, USMC in your prayers. He was my classmate from the Naval Academy and perished in a plane crash in Afghanistan. He was engaged to be married, so please keep his parents and fiance in your prayers. Thank you!

God bless,
Jonathan

Last days in Iraq...

Pictures on the banks of the Tigris are my favorite. This was probably my last opportunity to do it, so I jumped up on the bank and had one of my soldiers take the picture. "Aloha, Iraq!"

I had this picture on my facebook page with the caption, "This is NOT the engineroom of a submarine!" One of my Army counterparts left the comment, "What tipped you off? Is it the sunlight blazing in through the windows or the fact that you can't hear the Village People playing in the background?" I told him it was the latter. "In the Navy... you can sail the Seven Seas!!"

This is the balcony from which Saddam would review the parades that would march thru his palace in Tikrit on his birthday. You might remember seeing photos of him on a balcony shooting a rifle. Well, this is that spot. I just had to take the picture.

I am holding the "1st Navy Jack" in this photo. It is the smaller flag that is flown on the bow of a U.S. Navy ship when the ship is moored in-port alongside the pier. Before 9/11 the Navy Jack was just the blue star field from the American flag. This flag, however, dates back to the American Revolution and hearkens back to the wartime Navy. I think that is why the Secretary of the Navy changed it. Anyway, I thought it wouldn't hurt to show a little Navy pride. Over here I so often think to myself, "What a unique experience I am having as a Naval Officer."

So I had to get in some pictures of me wearing the Auburn hat my brother sent me. When there aren't any senior officers around, I will wear it with my uniform. In this picture, I am standing on the roof of Saddam Hussein's birthday palace with my back to the outskirts of Tikrit and the Western (Al Jazeera) Desert.

The 3rd Battalion-7th Field Artillery Regiment had an awards ceremony on August 7th. Since I am leaving soon, the battalion commander went ahead and presented my end of tour award at the ceremony. He spoke to the whole battalion assembled about everything I had done to help 3-7FA complete their mission here in Iraq. It was quite a moment... a very humbling experience. In contrast, my end of tour award onboard the USS HONOLULU was presented at a ceremony on the mess decks with only 1/3 of the crew there (the on-watch duty section). Shortly before that ceremony started, the Engineering Officer of the Watch called away an engineering casualty that required half the group to run back to the engineroom to respond. That left about 15 sailors there in the audience. It was such an anti-climactic end to my three years onboard the HONO. On Friday, though, there were nearly 400 soldiers assembled for this. Again, it was a very moving experience and poignant end to an amazing tour.

"TASK FORCE STEEL"
3rd Battalion-7th Field Artillery Regiment,
3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

Last blog from Iraq?

Greetings!

Well, the end is near. I am now inside the window of only four weeks left in Iraq! I will still spend several days in Kuwait out-processing, but there is light at the end of the tunnel!

In retrospect, this deployment has not been that bad. It was definitely longer than any of my submarine deployments, but the "amenities" made it seem much shorter. Deploying on the USS Honolulu was like being isolated in a cave without contact from the outside world and only a peep hole to look outside at the endless unchanging, indistinguishable horizon. Long periods of boredom would be followed by brief moments of excitement and heightened stress. There was no gym, no phone, no video chatting, no internet, no newspaper, no email, and no sunshine. In all respects, this deployment has been the exact opposite. All of those things were very much available - especially the sunshine (with dust and sand too). I have mentioned it before, but several soldiers have asked if I would rather deploy on a submarine for six months or with an Army battalion for twelve. My answer remains unchanged: definitely a deployment with the Army. Quality of life is so much better, the work load is lighter, and the tangible results of individual effort yield greater job satisfaction. All that being said, though, I would NOT trade being a Naval Officer for anything in the world! Nor would I trade my experience as a Submarine Officer!

On that note, Jenna and I received some good news since my last blog entry. Earlier this month, I was selected for redesignation as an Engineering Duty Officer. What does that mean? Well, I will no longer be a submarine warfare officer. I am still submarine warfare qualified, but my "profession" changes. Instead of serving on submarines, I will now be designing, building, maintaining, and repairing them. The career change could lead me into the field of R&D for Naval platforms and weapon systems as well as management and supervision of large scale ship building and repair. Many of you knew that I had been applying for this program for almost three years, and so I finally got it. Normally, submarine officers have to do a second sea tour (department head tour) before being allowed to leave the community, but my request to waive that requirement was justified by my voluntary deployment here. The next step for me and Jenna will be graduate school. I have two options: either the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, MA. If I am accepted into MIT that will be my first choice. Either way, we now have less than one year left in Hawaii. May of 2010 is our tentative "timeline for responsible withdrawal" from the island. (I have been in Iraq too long.)

Yesterday, I had a unique experience. I got to meet Major General Robert Caslen, commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division assigned to Multi-National Division-North. He had been scheduled to head down on a patrol to Tikrit to tour the Joint Command Center. The patrol he joined was the one I was riding down there with to go to my own meeting. The operations officer of my battalion made sure that General Caslen and I rode in the same truck for the trip down. That way he would have the opportunity... rather, I would be on hand to answer questions regarding our non-lethal efforts in and around Tikrit. So the engagement started when I greeted the general at his headquarters. "Good morning, Sir. I am LT Gandy, United States Navy, and I will be accompanying you on our trip down into Tikrit." That got his attention very effectively. The next forty minutes consisted of him picking my brain about my experience in the Navy and what I thought about the Army. Before we even crawled into the truck, though, I dutifully informed him that I was an Annapolis graduate. (General Caslen is a Westpoint graduate and was most recently the Commandant of Cadets at USMA.) That started out the engagement just fine... especially after I reminded him that Navy has beat Army in football for six years straight!

It was actually a very awesome experience to be able to talk one-on-one with such a high ranking officer for such a length of time. He asked me if I had ever thought I would one day find myself in Iraq. Without skipping a beat I said to him, "When I was commissioned as a submarine officer seven years ago from the Naval Academy, standing next to the Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division and getting ready to crawl into the back of an MRAP in Northern Iraq is the LAST place I could have ever imagined myself!" He got a big laugh out of that, but seemed to be impressed with the fact that I was here doing just that. He also asked me how I got this opportunity to serve in an Army unit. I told him that about 15 months ago I volunteered for a mission number with the vague description of "CA officer." Afterwards, I went and googled "CA officer" to find out what I had just gotten myself into. He really got a kick out of that too!

After the tour of the JCC, the General had to get back up to his headquarters, but I had to stay behind for another meeting. Before saying goodbye, though, he gave me his command coin. (For those of you that don't know, most commanders have "commemorative" coins minted that usually bear his or her name and rank with the unit patch or seal as part of its design. These coins get handed out for various reasons, but usually only as a token of commendation or achievement. The higher ranking the the coin is, the more prestigious.) I was deeply grateful to receive MG Caslen's "two-star" coin and very appreciative of the opportunity to occupy so much of his attention. You should have heard how jealous all the Army captains in my battalion were to find out that the "Navy guy" got the general's coin!

I guess that is enough book writing for now. I had to hurry up and publish a blog entry for July. It is amazing how fast the months go by! The beginning of each month I try to remind myself to update my blog, but time certainly gets away from me... or maybe I am just a chronic procrastinator! This time next month, though, I will be in Kuwait. I heard they have a pool at the base I am going to, so I asked Jenna to send me my board shorts. Hopefully, I won't be as pale as a ghost when I finally get back to Hawaii!

Thank you all for your prayers, love, and support!

God bless,
Jonathan

This picture was featured in a photo magazine called Lightning Strikes that is published by the 25th Infantry Division's public affairs officer. I think they selected the photo for the big smile, the 25ID patch on my arm, and the fact that I am a "Navy guy."

This is an old Iraqi Air Force jet that is over on the other side of COB Speicher. Every Thursday that I get the opportunity, my buddies and I go over to that side of Speicher for the BBQ ribs they serve at the Dining Facility (D-Fac). I think it is my favorite meal served here on base. Actually, it might be a tie with "taco day" but only when fresh guacamole is on the menu.

More of the Iraqi jet... and me being a ham.

(Imagine the Top Gun sound track being played from the speakers of the nearest mosque.)

One of my office mates is actually a retired police officer from Tampa Bay who is over here as an Army contractor. His specific job title is Law Enforcement Professional and he advises us on how to interact with, assess, and train the Iraqi Police. His buddy owns a web-based company that is aimed at supporting the law enforcement community. This picture is a few of us giving the website some free advertising... in exchange for a free T-shirt.