09/20/2001 Entry: "We're Here"

Well, it has been a long time coming. We were at Fort Dix for four weeks and we were getting restless. We flew out Monday night, had a layover in Ireland, and then to Tuzla. By then it was Tuesday evening and 2nd platoon broke away from the rest of the troop and we headed from the main base where we landed to Forward Operating Base Connor (FOB), down in the Southern part of the US Sector. We were all anxious to see what the living conditions were going to be. The FOB is a small. It houses about 100 soldiers and has pretty good fortifications. The accommodations are more than adequate. We will have access to a gym, day room, phones, and computers. Though there are only four or five phones and computers. We went outside the gate on our first patrol today. The countryside is quite beautiful. Unfortunately the view is tarnished by the burned out and bombed buildings and houses. I had an opportunity to talk to some of the locals (with an interpreter of course). The folks we talked to are currently living out of a tent. Although they are quite sociable, the conversation always leads to politics.

Overall the men in the platoon are doing well. Spirits seem to be up, and they are eager to get outside the gate and begin patrols. I am looking forward to it as well. We still have some settling in to do, but things are going well.