End of Tour in Iraq

As my time in Iraq comes to an end, I have been reflecting on my experiences here while also looking forward to something new back in the US. I have learned so much here, had lots of adventures, saw most of the country, and enjoyed my work.

Not many people can say they visited every province in Iraq, nor even several provinces. I was one of the lucky few who travelled out on a regular basis to reach Iraqis throughout the country. I worked with Iraqi English professors and teachers to help them update their teaching skills and learn new techniques. I worked with about 1,000 Iraqis in the field of education, brought 5 Iraqi teachers to the US for an English teaching conference, handed out thousands of books and materials, and conducted 23 training programs in 12 months.

This is a training program at Basrah University.

Since I always have to be escorted by a security team, I quickly found a way to conduct some relationship building also. I brought in soldiers to work with the teachers - they are great as native speakers, have different accents, they are usually young (like the students or teachers' children), and they are eager to meet Iraqis also. The soldiers have appreciated participating in lessons, and the teachers have found it interesting to meet American soldiers.

Sometimes I bore them to tears, but every now and then we have some fun!

More than half my time here was spent travelling. If I were in the US that might not be a big deal, taking a train or plane to a nice hotel, easy travel, routine… But here, it involves so much more. Leaving my apartment with 25 lbs of body armour and two bags, and maybe a couple boxes of materials, getting in an armored SUV for the 5-minute ride to the helipad, hauling everything across the helipad to check in, waiting an hour, putting on the helmet and vest and earplugs and sunglasses, carrying all my stuff out to the helicopter and crawling aboard (not gracefully), spending anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours flying around, potentially getting stuck in bad weather and staying overnight at another base, adding another glitch to the schedule, and finally arriving wherever to lug all my stuff into a CHU (containerized housing unit), or trailer where I would find a spring bedframe and thin mattress and hope the bedbugs might provide extra cushioning.

My own apartment was always a welcome sight on return from travel:


I unpack the Febreze first, spray everything, make up the bed (adding my own pillowcase), hang my clothing if there are hangers, or drape them wherever I can, take my toiletry kit and quick-dry towel to the female shower trailer for a combat shower (5 minute water-saving shower). My meals would take place in a large, sterile cafeteria, mostly offering the same things: meat, fried foods, sandwiches, salad bar, fountain drinks, Gatorade, cakes, ice cream, and on and on. Nothing very healthy, and after a while, nothing very appetizing. I managed to find things that worked for me, usually a salad with a piece of grilled chicken, and usually the same for every meal.


Not so glamorous, but fun in a strange way. As I said, I was one of the lucky few to get out and travel around the country. Most people are stuck here on the compound or in the IZ for the entire year. I would have gone insane!



This was one of the best meals I ever had - a delicious dinner at a local restaurant during Ramadan, with a group of teachers at the end of a week of training.


At times I was lucky enough to get out and walk freely in a village or city street (with security team nearby), and several times interacted with Iraqi children. Many of the teachers invited me to their homes to share a meal or meet their family, and I always responded honestly: I would love to, and hope to be able to do so one day in the future - when Iraq is a safe and secure country, I will come back and visit.

These women had fun dressing me up to look as beautiful as them!

Me and Karbala Barbie! (an Iraqi security guard)

My new wheels...

Yes, it really says "Petza Hoot" - not to be confused with Pizza Hut!

Driving through Najaf, mosque on the left, Humvee in front.


Through the year, we managed to celebrate every holiday and special occasion, with friends and drinks and costumes and fun. My birthday and Halloween coincided once again, with several days of parties. I volunteered as a bartender with a group of friends on a regular basis and had a blast (there’s a new career for me!).

Happy Birthday to me!!

Happy Halloween!!

During Thanksgiving, I took a short break to Crete (Greece), and had delicious pizza and red wine for dinner.

And Merry Cowmas!

Christmas and the New Year were quiet but fun, with many more parties and activities. And of course, the cows made an appearance again, replacing Rudolph and “grazing” in a few locations for about three weeks. (they have since disappeared, unfortunately… cattle rustling!)



I hope the blogs have been interesting or fun for all to read, and have kept you up to date on my adventures over the past 14 months. Soon I will head back to the US, and hope to see many of you again! Thanks for reading. :-)