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.

My Navy friends are gone...

Hello everyone,
It is now June and I am the only Navy officer left with the Civil Affairs Battalion over here. As I arrived later than the rest of the sailors with the 448th, I will be leaving later. I have just about two and a half months left, so it isn't so bad. My R&R leave seems like such a long time ago, and I am really looking forward to getting back to Hawaii. The more I am away from the island, the more I miss it. And of course I miss MY WIFE!! That goes without saying, but I have to because Jenna subscribes to this blog. :)

I have been very very busy lately. I have been going out on missions nearly every day of the week and from the early morning until the early evening. I get back and have to catch up on paperwork and before I know it the clock is approaching midnight and I haven't even gone to the gym yet. This past week has been the busiest thus far. I have been going out on missions a lot more, riding in vehicles that have air condtioning that barely makes a dent in the 110+ degree heat, and putting off laundry runs until I am down to my last pair of socks. Over the course of five days I have attended three local government meetings, inspected and closed out a canal clean up project, inspected two school renovation projects, inspected two water treatment projects, and a handful of other small missions. I feasted on local food five days in a row and didn't once get an upset stomach. I must be building up an immunity to "Saddam's revenge." With all the projects we are inspecting, I have been applying a very strict standard to the contractors' finished products. We are controlling the money and we will get (really the Iraqi people will get) their money's worth. If you let these guys get away with shoddy workmanship and sloppy results, then that is what you will always get. I have been doing my best to make it abundantly clear that a slipshod finished product will not cut it. The good part is that the contractors learn this lesson very fast... or they have to put up with my again and eventually don't get paid! This has been the part of the deployment that my training and experience as the Quality Assurance Officer on the USS Honolulu is really paying off. Although I am not inspecting nuclear welds or verifying correct materials were used to repair high temperature steam systems, the concept of ensuring quality workmanship still very much applies. Only now I am inspecting the paint on walls, newly installed wall outlets and light switches, new glass in the window pains, replacement "Eastern style" toilets, and so on and so forth.

I have seen some interesting things here lately as well. On a daily basis, dozens of dirt devils can be seen literally dancing around in the desert. Some are small, but others are large enough in height and diameter that they would give Tornado Alley a run for its money. I was in a village earlier this week where one of those big ones came moving through. It must have hit the village trash pile because all of a sudden hundreds of peices of paper and plastic, water bottles, and soda cans were airborne. It moved just like the videos of tornadoes you see. This day was uncannily clear and cloudless, and looking high up in the sky the gnarly funnel snaked its way up into the blue. It was spectacular! I tried not to spend too much time gawking up at the sky, though, as I was still in the middle of a village in Iraq. The danger is still out there and we still have to remain cautious.

Two weeks ago, I was with my Battalion Commander's personnel security detachment and we stopped at the site of an old Christian church right inside Tikrit. It is actually located inside an Iraqi Army compound that U.S. Forces used to occupy. Because of the relative safety at the site, the other soldiers and I were able to dismount (get out of the trucks) and do a little exploring. The pictures I have attached below were taken there. The rumor is that the church is from the 4th century, but I am not so sure of that. It is obvious that the site has been continuously built upon for many hundreds of years, but that is to be expected given the region. It isn't so much a church like what you would imagine, but rather several prayer chambers and inlets built into the wall of a cliff that formed on the edge of the Tigris. There aren't any large rooms or cathedral ceilings, but it was interesting nonetheless. I tried to imagine ancient Christians gathering together to worship or to listen to the early missionaries spread the gospel that was passed on to them by perhaps one of the original 12 disciples. Being in this region and seeing the way things are today makes it hard to believe this was the land of early Biblical times. This is the land of Abraham and many of the patriarchs we read about in the Old Testament. For that matter, it is the land of the patriarchs in the Quran as well. This land is so mysterious and frustrating. How can the three most recognizable faiths be seated all in the same place with literally the same early lineage. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all claim "Father Abraham." It is easy to understand why this is such a turmultous region... but that doesn't make it any less saddening.

Speaking of this region, President Obama's recent speech in Cairo has really captivated the people in and around Tikrit. All the Arabic news channels were zeroed in on his speech and literally the streets of Tikrit shut down while the President spoke to his audience just across the Gulf. The local nationals we have talked to have been inspired and uplifted by the message he conveyed. I was actually out on a mission, but when I got back all the soldiers were talking about it. They all joked that we are no longer fighting "terrorists" but rather "religious extremists." I think that is what they were saying. If that is in fact what the President said, then it seems to me he has made our counter-insurgency fight into more of a "holy war." I will have to browse through the transcript, but surely that isn't the language he used.

Well, it is getting late and I have to go home and get to bed... maybe go to the gym. Again, thank you for all the love and support sent this way. I got several care packages from the Guntersville DHR today and the soldiers and sailors I work with LOVED them! I think the boxes were empty within fifteen minutes. They all wanted me to pass along to the employees and staff at the DHR their appreciation for putting all that stuff together. I thank you as well. You all have really helped to make this deployment much better than it could have been. I wish that I could have received letters and packages in this quantity while I was submerged in the Pacific Ocean for six months! That's the thing about submarine duty - mail call, fresh fruit, getting email, going to the gym, and watching television (and maintaining a public blog) are only possible as often as we pull in for a port call. Many times soldiers ask me what is better: a submarine deployment for six months or a 10 month deployment to the desert. Without hesitation I tell them they've got it good and would trade 5 knots at 150 feet for an occasional dust storm everytime!

Once again, thank you, everyone!

God bless,
Jonathan

Is it May already?!

Hello, friends and family!

Well, I finally did it... I let a whole month go by without a blog post. For those of you "regulars" that subscribe to my blog, you probably saw it coming. I am most motivated to write when interesting or exciting things happen to me, but here lately it has really been like "groundhog day" for several weeks now. I will do my best to bring everyone up to speed, though.

I got back to COB Speicher from my R&R leave on or around April 9th. Really the whole traveling process gets really blurry when I try to recall... but of course the six days I was enroute seemed to run together as they were happening. Jenna dropped me off on Saturday afternoon at Honolulu International Airport for a direct flight to Atlanta. (Wouldn't you know that I had several layovers on my way home, but was "lucky" enough to get a direct flight going back?) In Atlanta I waited 15 hours for the military contract flight that would take us all back to Kuwait. Leaving Atlanta on Sunday the 5th, we had a layover in Eastern Germany (much different from my layover in Western Germany back in November) and then finally touched down in Kuwait sometime in the evening on Tuesday the 7th. Literally, April the 6th did not exist to me. (Coincidentally, that was my sister's birthday, so as far as I am concerned she is still one year younger than what her driver's license says.) Anyway, I got stuck in Kuwait until the morning of the 9th due to dust storms and some Air Force logistical problems (not enough seats on the flight I was supposed to take on the 8th). We finally arrived back here at COB Speicher, Iraq in the afternoon on April 9th and I took the rest of the day and all of the next day off. My "internal clock" just didn't seem right, but our commanders also allow us one full day of recovery before we jump back into things.

As far as "jumping back into things" was concerned, while I had been gone nearly 40 different projects to improve the infrastructure (water, transportation, electricity, schools, clinics, governance centers, etc.) in and around Tikrit had been nominated and forwarded up the chain for funding. Was I surprised to find out that I was coming back and inheriting those projects as the Civil Affairs Team Leader and Non-Lethal Effects Coordinator! Apparently, while I was at home enjoying my time off with my wife, the Commanding General of Multi-National Division North was told to "clear out the coffers" of the Iraq-Commander's Emergency Response Program funding. So the process to get projects funded was all of a sudden streamlined, and the subordinate brigades and their battalions answered the call. To date, my battalion has 3.9 million dollars worth of projects funded with more on the way. Now before everyone gets upset about that kind of spending during our recession, let me tell you that the majority of that money is actually from the Iraqi budget surplus. Albeit, that surplus is shrinking as the price per barrel of oil is declining. As it turns out, those lowering gas prices at home are great for the average American, but are not so great for the average Iraqi citizen. Over here the government owns all the oil that comes out of the ground, and all the revenues generated by oil sales go directly to the Iraqi budget. They don't collect income taxes, so that is really the only way that the government gets any kind of operating budget. For the most part, Iraq is a very socialist country. True, they have elections for their local, provincial, and national leaders, but that is the only way in which Iraq appears democratic to me. Everything is provided by the government at little to no cost to the citizenry.

Medical treatment costs 500 Iraqi Dinar (about 45 cents) per visit. That is if you are getting open heart surgery or just getting your blood pressure checked - 500 Dinar. Granted, there are very few doctors that can actually perform open heart surgery, and medically speaking, this country appears to be stuck in the dark ages. The hospitals and clinics all have no smoking signs that are not enforced, so the halls and rooms are hazy like smoking parlors. In addition to the no smoking signs, there are "no talking on your cell phone" and "no weapons allowed" signs that are just as equally ignored. That really cracked me up the first time I saw the classic circle/line symbol over a pack of cigarettes, a cell phone, and an AK-47 just as I walked into the Tikrit Teaching Hospital. I really should have gotten a picture of it. Could you imagine a hosptal in the U.S. with that same sign at all entrances? What's more, could you imagine those rules not really being enforced?

So getting back to my point about all those projects for all that money, it is now my job to manage the contracts and make routine trips to each project throughout our Area of Operations (AO) and make sure work is proceeding as scheduled. I am really hopeful about all the improvements we are bringing to this part of Iraq. My only prayer is that the people of Iraq really start to take the intiative and develop some ownership over their own country. I have discussed this point at great lenghts with the Mayor and Council Chairman of Tikrit, and they agree with me that the ultimate problem that leads to all others in Iraq is that lack of personal responsibility. In my opinion (and I have read a few scholarly essays that also support it), the phrase "Insha'a Allah" alleviates one from having to take responsibility to be actively engaged in making one's own situation better. That is, "If God wills it" or "God willing." I have never had a conversation with a local national during which "Insha'a Allah" wasn't repeated over and over again by my Iraqi counterpart. I doesn't matter if it was a government leader, military commander, police chief, or farmer. Everyone adheres to this mantra. "We will be at the meeting on Thursday... if God wills it." "The project will be compete in two weeks... if God wills it." "The council will vote on your proposal at our next meeting... if God wills it." This has been one of the most frustrating facets of working in Iraq. This mindset carries over into every part of their existence. The streets get filled with trash, but will be cleaned if God wills it. The water treatment facility will get fixed if God wills it. No one wants to take the initiative. No individual wants to take ownership of a problem and fix it... because it will get fixed on its own if God wills it. The only aspect of this culture that doesn't stand idle waiting for Allah to carry out his will is when it involved an attack on Coalition Forces. Insurgents will take the initiative to set an improvised explosive device (IED), throw a grenade at a passing convoy, or to take cheap shots at unsuspecting Americans. I guess in those cases, Allah willed it. Don't get me wrong, those incidents are fewer and far more between than ever. I have a cautious feeling of safety when I am "outside the wire." As long as I remain alert and my soldiers are doing the same, then we could hardly be surprised in most of the neighborhoods we visit.

I also don't mean to fault the Iraqi population or the entire culture on their devoted religious beliefs. You have to give credit to a people who are so focused and hold such an unshakeable faith in their god's provision that they go out of their way not to interfere. I actually admire that about them. These people exhibit an immense devotion... to religion, to tribe, and to family. I don't see that in America these days... a devotion to God, country and family. And you don't have to be a Christian to be devoted to God. In fact, in a secular sense, I am using "devotion to God" as a general calling to be generous, kind, and neighborly to those around you.

Since getting back from leave, I have witnessed some spectacular electrical storms. On a few dry nights, I have witnessed lightning bolts hit the desert without even a sound. I assume it was just "heat lightning" but it is still eery. Also amazing is the immense cloud lighting. Huge clouds light up with what appear to be hundreds of miles worth of lightning all woven within. Again, no thunder... not even a hint. A few weeks ago, we had what I assume will be the last thunderstorm with rain for the rest of the spring and summer. The dry season is definitely upon us and the level of the Tigris is dropping. Iraq has been in a state of persistent drought for around eight years. When that is combined with the surrounding countries diverting mountain streams and rivers for drinking water before they flow into Iraq, it creates a big problem. That is probably the biggest "battle" we are fighting here, especially as the hot dry months are approaching. We are doing the best we can to get water to all towns and villages. During the winter, electricity was the priority. During the summer, water is at the top of the list.

Well, I guess I will wrap this up. I have included some pictures of the most recent dust storm we had. It was a bad one. And of course I had to include a staged patriotic photo of me. I hope and pray all who are reading this are in good health and happy spirits. Your love and support for us mean more than you could ever know.

God bless,
Jonathan

LT Jonathan Gandy, USN
HHC 448th CA BN
COB Speicher
APO AE 09393

Normal day.

The new "normal day".

Awesome view!

The dust is closing in on us!

Couldn't pass up the opportunity for a good shot before the dust got too thick.