Almost Home

In 24 hours my plane will be touching down in Atlanta and I'll finally be home. My year long deployment is all but over and I must say I feel relieved.

I'm still at Fort Bliss but all of my redeployment tasks (like turning in gear and filling out forms) is done, so all I have to do now is wait until tomorrow morning to get on a plane and fly home.

Although it feels like I have left Iraq behind me, it seems to have followed me here.

I learned yesterday that one of my friends in Iraq was killed by an IED.

His name was Phil and he was a fellow contracting officer.

Phil and I first met when I was attending the Naval Post Graduate School and we were both surprised when we ran into each other again in Iraq. Phil was a Navy officer and was very well respected within our command.

Phil was traveling outside of the IZ to oversee construction of a new Iraqi Justice Facility. Phil's convoy was hit by an IED and he and two others were killed.

I spent time with Phil just 2 days before I left Iraq and its very hard to beleive that he is now dead.

Phil was dedicated to our mission in Iraq and I am proud to say that I served along side of him.

Although Phil almost made it to his home in the US, I'd like to think that has been welcomed Home as the Hero that he is.

Although my deployment in Iraq has come to an end, the mission there goes on.