Message from Doug

All,
Sorry it's taken so long to send an e-mail out to everyone. I had a military account that I tried to send some mail out to some of you but it broke down. So if you sent me an e-mail to my military account and I didn't respond, I apologize. As you can imagine, the ability to communicate in the desert isn't the easiest process.
Life isn't the greatest here in Iraq but we've settled into our base and a fairly decent routine. I'm at a place called Hit (pronouced Heat) in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. I live in a FOB or forward operating base. So far the temperatures haven't been horrendously hot but they're getting there. The living conditions aren't too bad although there are definately better days than others. The Marines are still motivated and professional and looking out for one another.
Our missions mainly consist of keeping the roads clear for convoys although we do patrol the cities and look for weapons caches and insurgents and conducting civil affairs missions to support local clinics and construction projects.
Feel free to e-mail (dgls_gardner@yahoo.com) and feel free to pass on to others (yahoo wouldn't let me include everyone). I'll get to them eventually and will promise a more lengthy reply.

Take Care

Doug