These boots ain't made for walking...

....6 lousy pounds...that's how much these darn boots weigh...My feet look like raw hamburger right now...yuck! I understand that this is a "walking base" meaning that it is only about 1.5 miles from one end to the other, so vehicles aren't a necessity...but I literally live on one side and work on the other. GRRR!

Anyway, I made it through my first two sandstorms without getting lost...yay! They actually issue us dust guards (wild wild west style) and 3-inch switch blades and bunch of other sweet gear, but sleep is the only thing I really want. I have consistently been working 17 hour days and the hours are so inconsistent. It is hard to stay awake, but it is even harder to sleep, when I finally get the chance. I have decided that my celly is more like a bull-moose than an elephant, because that is how she snores. I have to sleep with headphones in and listen to opera music to drown her out. I get ready every morning in the dark so I don't wake her up (because she is a field-grade officer), which usually earns me some funny looks once I get to work and realize my hair is going sideways and I still have toothpaste on my face. Awesome.

Thankfully, the desert sucks so bad that no wildlife wants to live here, except for the desert foxes that have rabies and stalk you from the dumpsters back to your hut...but nothing loud enough to wake me up, other than the bull moose that sleeps 2 feet away.

Now for the serious stuff...We received an intel brief today that is very important. To everyone that reads this, please let people know that they cannot tell anyone where I am. Do not put the base or country on any public forum. If it's on FB, take it off. I am officially in an "undisclosed location in Southwest Asia" or if you prefer, "I'm on vacation." You can tell people that I am deployed, but that is it.

Also, I am in desperate need of starbucks single instant coffee packets. If people want to send me other stuff like M&Ms, gum, magazines (PG) or rice krispie treats, that would also be fantastic. I like kashi granola bars too, since the only ones they have here are a million calories. Anything that would make me smell good is also welcome. I have a lot of troops and you just aren't as credible when you stink. Trust me.

I have to go to work again, so everyone please pray for me. I can't send any pictures of where I am at, but if you watch the first star wars episode where Luke is in that awful desert, it looks exactly like that.

Love you all. Here is my address, and it must be printed EXACTLY like this, nothing else will reach me:


Carissa McDaniel
386 ELRS/LGRD
APO AE 09855



Thank you all in advance
Turkey 2...out