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.
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