The South

Hello from southern USA, and I do mean southern. The area we're in is like a completely different world, complete with its own other language. Yesterday we seriously thought about getting an interpreter to translate Mississippin' to Minnesotan'. The food is daaaamn good though. Southern women sure know how to cook.

There is hurricane damage everywhere. They are working every day on cleaning up Mississippi, but it is going to take months. We are 60 miles north of the coast, and there are thousands of trees and hundereds of roofs that are destroyed. People are sleeping in campers and RV's everywhere. There are buildings around base that are laying in big piles, remenents of what they used to be.

Training is going slow but well. The six months we're down here is gonna be long, but manageable. So far I'm doing ok as far as supplies go. I haven't really had much personal time, so don't worry about looking for things to pass my time. I don't think that's going to happen until I get to Iraq around March or April.

I'll be home for xmas, but only for a few days (until like the 3rd of Jan.) Sorry if you haven't heard from me, its a challenge to keep in contact with everyone. Just know that I'm doing ok, and we're training hard for 12 months in the sand box. I'll write more when I have time.

"Ya'll take care now."