Greetings!!!

Hello and welcome to my blog. I'm pretty new to the blogosphere, so it might take me a little while to get used to writing down my thoughts for others to see.
The primary reason I've decided to do this is based on the fact that I am about to deploy to Iraq for the rest of the year and several of my friends and family have expressed a desire to learn about my experiences and to understand more about the Army and its role in the War in Iraq. For many, especially my family, I am the only person they know who has served in combat, or the military for that matter, while others really just want to know what it's like to be surrounded by another culture. I am sure that my time in Iraq will suffice both scenarios and hopefully provide a well-rounded understanding of the lifestyle our men and women in uniform lead on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, I am about leave all the things I know and love for the uncertainties of war, but the good Lord has truly blessed me with family and friends who are supportive of the commitment I made to service my country.
For those of you who do not know me or are not aware of my current status, below is a little more information about myself:
- I am married to Leslie, whom I met while in college at Carson-Newman College. I transferred to Maryville College in 2000, but we reconnected during my last semester and have been together ever since. We married on June 26, 2004 (happiest day of my life) and both started working on our Master's degrees at UT only a couple of months later. We completed our degrees in 2006, but I decided to continue my studies and am currently workingon my PhD in Political Science (however I've had to put that on hold for the most part while in the Army).
- Despite leaving the comfort and beauty of Knoxville, TN, Leslie and I are only a couple hundred miles west at Fort Campbell, KY. I am currently assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) 2nd Brigade Combat Team. For those of you unfamiliar with the organization structure of the Army, I will hopefully be able to provide some insight in the weeks and months to come.
- For the past 4 years, Leslie and I have been members of Providence Church in Knoxville. We continue to maintain our membership there because we hope to return home after my time in the Army is complete and plan on visiting our church family as much as possible. Leslie was active in the worship team and I hosted Kidstuf, a service designed for families with small children, and Married Life Live, a quarterly ministry for married couples. If any of you are looking for a church in the west Knoxville area, please feel free to visit their website http://www.providencechurch.com/ for more information.

Well, I guess that's enough information for now. I will hopefully be able to update this blog with plenty of information (unclassified, of course) from every aspect of my time spent in Iraq. If any of you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask and I will do my best to answer it in a timely, suitable manner.
Take care!