Saturday, May 5, 2018

May 6, 2018

Hello! This is Jared, letting everyone know that we are still doing alright. Some things have been happening though.

John has been super busy at work, so he said that is making the days go by fast. We have the same day off, and that is today, so we will actually get to see each other for a while today. I got news a couple days ago that I would be moving rooms and switching shifts, which involves me packing all of my stuff, carrying it about 50 yards and upstairs, then unpacking it again. I did that yesterday, which was not much fun. Also, I was working midnight to noon, now I’ll be working noon to midnight, so I have to completely change my sleep schedule. It is ok though, John and I will now be working at the same time. Also on the plus side, the bed in my old room was about 20 years past it’s prime. My new bed is only about 5 years past it’s prime. So an upgrade!

I found out yesterday by experience that while you are deployed, there is absolutely nothing to do on days of other than eat, workout, and hang out in your room. I was in the room most of the day because if I go anywhere, I have to be in uniform. It’s nice being in your room so you can wear whatever you want.

I’ve been getting several cards and packages, so thank you everyone for those. It is so great to get mail here. I feel like our time here is going by quickly, so that is good. That’s it for now! Until next time!

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

April 18, 2018

Hey folks, this is Jared. Just checking in and letting everyone know that we are still doing good! A few interesting facts about our trip so far.

1. I have met my move goal everyday so far (I have an apple watch, and we do a LOT of walking!)
2. The food is really good. The more I'm here, the more I realize that. The bread pudding is really good, but I'm sure it is horribly unhealthy.
3. Playing cards makes time pass by.
4. Working makes time pass by even quicker.
5. The gym is my friend. We've been hanging out a lot lately.

Today is the first day of our 90 day tour here. The unit that was here before us was running the show while we got here, and today, they (finally) officially passed the reigns over to our unit. Since this was the first day we were in charge, this is technically day 1. That doesn't mean that we will LEAVE 90 days from now, but it does mean that we will hand over the responsibilities to another unit 90 days from now.

I got a letter today from Ronnie and Shirley, which was really great! Thank you! Feel free to send John and I things. Getting mail is pretty cool.

This guy is going to bed. Adios!

Jared

Sunday, April 15, 2018

April 15, 2018

Hello everyone! This is a blog to keep everyone informed of how John and I are doing while we are away, and what in the world we are up to way over here. I will not give specific details on this blog, such as dates when we leave, arrive, etc., unless they have already happened, nor will I give exact locations on here for security purposes. For the sake of security, we will call where we are Location X.

Alright, where to begin? Well, we left Fort Wayne, IN on 10 April at about 1:30 AM. It was about a 6-7 hour flight to Germany, our first stop. We spent a few hours there in a secure terminal where there was a cafe, gift shop, and really really bad WiFi. Next, we got back on the plane and landed in Kuwait about 5 hours later. We landed in Kuwait at about 2:00 AM local time, so we really didn't get to see much there since it was the middle of the night. A few hours later, we puddle jumped over to Al Udeid, Qatar, where I have been for the last several days.

Al Udeid is an Air Field in Qatar, mainly used for people traveling to the middle east. Most people at the Deid are just passing through; here for a few days, then off to somewhere else. During my time here, I am referred to as a "transient passenger." I've been living out of a backpack for a few days, but it has been OK. I have walked a TON, it is crazy hot during the day, and cools down nicely at night. There is no WiFi in my dorm room, so I have to walk somewhere if I want to do anything on my phone. This place is not completely desolate though- there is a pool, dairy queen, burger king, pizza hut, BX (military convenience store), movie theater, chow hall, etc.

A few days ago, we traveled from the Deid to Location X. It is nice here. There are several pros and cons, but all in all, it will be a nice place to be deployed to. Wifi in the rooms is decent, gym is nice and right by where we sleep, it's about a 20 minute walk to the BX/chow hall, but the food is pretty good so far. There is a coffee place right outside our gate, which if anyone knows John and I, that is super important. We will be working 12 hour days, and John and I are on opposite shifts, so not sure if we will see much of each other except on days off.

Feel free to ask questions! I look forward to hearing from all of you, and we miss everyone! Thank you for your prayers!



Jared