Here's our Task Force 34 Logo. The blue is Aviation Blue, the odd shaped outline in the background represents Iraq, the snorting bull stands for the 34th Inf Division "Red Bull Division", and the stars represent all the states who have soldiers in the Brigade. OIF 08-10 stands for Operation Iraqi Freedom, 08 for 2008, and the 10 stands for this being the 10th OIF cycle since 2003, when the war in Iraq began. TF 34 is actually the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade, augmented with some other National Guard elements. We are the second all National Guard Combat Aviation Brigade to take over this mission. The first was the 36th, which returned last September, and included units from around 34 states, including the Iowa National Guard Assault Helicopter Company from Boone.
The top pic is the full color version of the division shoulder patch. The Red Bull insignia of the 34th Infantry Division was based on a design by Marvin Cone of Cedar Rapids, Ia., who drew it for a contest while training with the Division at Camp Cody in 1917. A steer skull imposed on the shape of a Mexican water jar (called an "olla") recalled the Division's desert home not far from the Mexican border. During WW II, German soldiers in Italy referred to the American soldiers who wore the familiar patch as "Red Devils" or "Red Bulls". The latter name stuck, and the Division soon adopted it officially.
OK, enough of the boring history lesson..... We are mired in that looooong, sloooow period of waiting for deployment overseas. The aircraft are going to be enroute soon, so my maintenance business is very slow. A few later arriving soldiers are still doing some required training, but the rest of us are pretty much in the wait mode. There's no point in us going overseas until just before the aircraft arrive, so we might as well stay here out of harm's way for the time being. Most of us are taking a few days' leave in the next few weeks - getting home for those last minute hugs and honey-do's - but we're mostly ready to just get on with it.
The overall mood is OK, but it kind of goes up and down. The troops are bored, and chafing at the 'groundhog day' atmosphere. Our platoon went out for dinner last night to the Outback Steakhouse. It's amazing what a little change of pace can do for your attitude. We shopped at WalMart after dinner. Usually, Lois has to drag me in there, but it was actually pretty OK. I bought a couple of old movies to put on my external hard drive. I'm up to about 600GB worth at this point, so I should be properly entertained in the desert.
Let's see, did I tell you about Humvee rollover training? That was interesting. We climbed into a mockup Humvee trainer which flipped over. We had to figure out how to get out of our restraints and get out of the vehicle upside down - not an easy trick while wearing all the protective stuff and carrying your gas mask and weapon. At first, we treated it like a carnival ride, but with 40 extra pounds of crap on, it was an awful lot like grass drills the first week of highschool football practice. Oh, by the way, the doors on an up-armored hummer weigh about 450 pounds, so you don't just kick them open and roll out......
Well, I'd better go for now. Remember, comments and emails are always welcome.
Later,
Rollover Dave
Lois and the kids are doing pretty well at home, all things considered. Ranger the newest of the Wonder Dog line, is recovering nicely from ACL surgery earlier this year, and has resumed his perch on the back of the couch growling at squirrels and rabbits out the window. Laura is interning for a groomer in Hudson as part of her course at Hawkeye Community College, and Carrie and Mikey are living the high small town life in Readlyn, about 30 miles north of Cedar Falls.
These two geeky looking guys are my two cohorts, SFC "Jammer" Edwards and CPT Andy Nordseth from way up dere in da Nord country (St Paul). I made them pose by the bike because I'm always accused of not taking pictures of people....
