The Best Time

The above photo is probably one of my favorites from our time here. It was taken a couple of weeks ago as our soldiers were preparing their personal gear for inspection by Customs. It's my favorite because it signals the end of our time here and that our mission is near completion.

We're not yet home, but we're close...very close. This is also, historically, one of the key times that risks are the greatest. Soldiers are relaxed, have their guard down, and are generally not mindful of the many risks that still surround us all in a combat zone. I have to fight it every day. I want so badly to start thinking of home and daydreaming of a return to normalcy. Everyone does. Regardless, all of our leaders here are doing a fantastic job of protecting everyone. It's common knowledge that risks and threats here remain abundant, and we all discuss it openly every single day to ensure we don't forget.

Construction projects continue, but their number is diminishing. We only have a few that remain, and within the next couple of weeks those will either be completed or passed on to our replacements, the 226th Engineer Company, from Winfield, Kansas.

We're in full swing with inventorying our tools and equipment that will be handed off to the 226th Engineer Company. All other preparations have been made, and we've started the sending information back to Camp Atterbury for the de-mobilization process in Indiana. Our time there, however, ought to be short-lived (only a few days based on what we're hearing), and we should quickly be on the road from Indiana to Alabama.

If all goes well, the 166th Engineer Company soldiers will be back on U.S. soil in the next few weeks, and we'll all be home toward the end of February.

Life is good.