Life's Highway - The Randy Helms Express

As many of you may be aware, right now is the holy month of Ramadan. This is the time of the year that Muslims spend praising the great prophet Muhammad. They fast all day long, eating nothing, smoking, or consuming any drink, to include water. They do this from sun up to sun down. After the sun goes down it becomes a big time to eat and drink. The other night I went with a couple of our interpreters to the Iraqi chow hall. We ate so much food and it was so good. We had rice, sheep, potatoes, cucumbers, and rice like pudding. The funny thing was there was this Iraqi Sergeant who ran the chow hall. He was mad at the soldiers working in the chow hall because they were not cleaning the trays fast enough and were running out of clean trays for the soldiers coming into eat. He started yelling at them and screaming at the top of his lungs. Then he pulled out his pistol and started waving it in the air at the soldiers. It was not loaded, so I felt safe. I was laughing so hard. Then a couple of the Iraqi soldiers who were getting food started to ask for extra. He started yelling at them. I was just laughing my behind off. He came over to my table. At first I thought he was going to yell at me, because I was laughing. Instead of yelling at me, he apologized, because they did not enough sheep, he thought. I assured him I had plenty and the food was wonderful. He smiled and then went back to yelling at the soldiers. It was too funny.

We went to the Green Zone yesterday. The Green Zone is where the government of Iraq is and all the big US Generals reside. It's the most secure place in all of Iraq. We hade some business to take care of there and we decided that we would take half the morning to have a little fun. It has one of the nicest PXs in all of Iraq. I also had a chance to eat at Subway. After that we drove to our area of Baghdad to check on our Iraqi counterparts. So it was a fun, but very long day.

Posted by Randy at 2:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

Has it been a week since I wrote? Sorry, but we do not get to the MWR that much for me to use the computer. We go out in sector about every two or three days. The days we are not in sector we are busy doing maintaince and other things. I have duty every other day for four hours, but it's not that bad.

Yesterday we went on a raid. We were out all night long. So I was up for over 24 hours. I had to get up early, because it was my day to pull duty. So I sleep like a baby last night.

I am basically over the creeping crude. Seems my wife has it still. Isabel has been sick for going on about five or six weeks. I hope you get better Baby.

Randy

Posted by Randy at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments

We went to Taji for one night on Sunday. We got there late and then turned right around on Monday and returned to Baghdad. My roommate SFC I was very glad to see me. We stayed up to about three in the morning talking. He is doing better, but still has a lot of pain in his arm from the IED blast back in July.

They are telling us we will probably stay here in Baghdad until we leave country. That is not good news. I would love to go back to Taji, but what can you do. We leave to go to Kuwait in 100 days. Once in Kuwait, we will out-process theater and then go to Ft Carson, CO to finish all out-processing. I should be home in San Antonio by 10 JAN 2007.

I want to wish a late Happy Birthday to my Grandpa and my Uncles Kevin and Paul.

Got to go,

Randy

Posted by Randy at 7:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

Today we have a well deserved day off. So I am able to catch up on this blog, check myspace, and fiddle fart around on the Internet. The last couple of days we have been going out and checking on our Iraqi Army counterparts at different locations in Baghdad. Basically we just ride up to where they have a checkpoint and talk with the Commander of that checkpoint. I normally gun, but yesterday they wanted me to drive. I hate driving, because I am not that good at it. In the HUMVEE it is very hard to see. You have many blind spots. I guess I did alright, because we made it back with out me causing a wreck. Traffic in Baghdad is terrible. The Iraqi people will drive anyway they can to get where they are going. If there is a jam, they just start driving on the wrong side of the road. We have a siren in the HUMVEE, and we use it a lot. Finished reading a John Grissom book called Painted House. Very good book and not his normal style. There were no lawyers in it. I am now reading A Time to Kill by him. Great movie and the book is very good from the first 100 pages I have read. I had duty two nights in a row. I was on Radio watch from 7:00 pm until midnight. Of course, I still had to get up the next day at 0415 to go out on the missions. So no sleep for me, but as I said earlier, today is my day off, so I will rack out after lunch. Later, Randy

Posted by Randy at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

We went to Taji on Saturday and returned to Baghdad on Sunday. It was nice to get away for just a little while. I had the creeping crud the last couple of days. I have been hacking, coughing, spiting, and the whole nine yards. I also was running fever of about 100. I felt miserable, but I am feeling better today.

We have been basically off the last three or four days, so nothing to really report. We will get busy again real soon.

My beloved Cowboys lost, but at least the Bulldawgs won. Also Michael Schumacher announced he is retiring from Formula One at the end of the season. That is a bummer.

RIP Erk Russell and Harold Jennings. Mr. Jennings, I think God needed someone new to make him laugh that is why he called you home. I will miss you Sir. Erk, you defined what GA Southern football was all about.

Later,

Randy

Posted by Randy at 7:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

Just to clarify something that I guess some folks got confused on. I am eating. I said that I do not feel like eating after being in the hot sun. Trust me, I have not missed a meal. I just do not eat as much, and most of the time I don't finish what is on my plate. Every meal at least has a meat and a veggi. Maybe just a carb once a day, but I am not neglecting food.

The second thing is, I still have my head in the game. Every time I go out, I still feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise. That is a good thing. It means I am aware of my surroundings and not dropping my guard.

We are still busy with patrols and security of our new area. We should travel to Taji in the next week or so. That will be like a mini vacation for us. Go up there for a couple of days and hang out. Looking forward to it.

I was told that a good friend of our family is on the verge of seeing the Lord. Please keep Mr and Mrs Harold Jennings in your prayers. Mr Jennings is and always will be one of a kind.

Later,
Randy

Posted by Randy at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

The last week has been non stop and days full of work. We wake up very early in the morning, and then spend about six to seven hours out in our sector. The Iraqi Army (IA) would link up with another American unit and conduct raids on different houses. We basically just provided the link ups and try to stay out of the way. Of course when we would return in the afternoon, everyone was smoked. So we would sleep for about four hours and then wake up for evening chow. Then try to go to sleep around 11:00 pm. This type of schedule can wear you out very quick. Today is the first day off in about a week.

Major (MAJ) S and the Master Sergeant (MSG) L, that I have been riding with, are a hoot. Of course the MAJ has so much on his mind, that he forgets the easiest things and then the MSG starts laughing at him. This makes me just lose it up in the gunners station. The MAJ always get the directions wrong, calls in the wrong numbers or forgets his call sign. This adds to the humor. I will admit I have laughed more in the last week then the whole time I have been here.

On Saturday the IA searched a Mosque. This was some type of show. There were about 80 IA soldiers there, plus boat loads of US Army guys. I guess everybody wanted to be involved somehow. I could have cared less. I just wanted it to be over, because I knew we were off today. The funniest thing of the day was when CPT O had five Iraqi children singing “The Roof, The Roof Is On Fire, We Don’t Need No Water, Let The”, well you know the rest.

I was told yesterday that I am receiving some awards for my actions during the IED strike awhile back. I will be receiving a Combat Action Badge (CAB) and also an Army Commendation Medal with a V for Valor (ARCOM-V). Also my end of tour award was approved. That award will be a Bronze Star. Not much I can say. I am humble to receive them. I would gladly give back the CAB and the ARCOM-V if that would bring back Fasil. I really miss that guy. He was such a good man.

Good job Bulldawgs, just wish I could have seen the game. Just to let you know, Alvin (Isabel’s brother) and Eline (his girlfriend) our visiting Iz and the boys in San Antonio. I am sure that they will have a great time. Of course Ryleigh did not remember them, so he is acting shy around them. Caelan and Bailey were ecstatic to see them both.

We were told that we would be stuck here in Baghdad until around November. That really stinks. Only good thing is I am about 115 days from leaving IWAK (as Caelan calls it).

Have a great holiday tomorrow and thanks for all the prayers. I can fill the angels around me.

Randy

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Posted by Randy at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments