MAY 1 – It’s May!!! I guess that I can’t complain the time is moving right along. I saw on CNN news about the shootings at Virginia Tech University. It’s tragic that life can come down to this. I want to express my prayers of support to the families, students, and staff that are affiliated with the university. Being here I can truly understand how things can just change in an instant. I’m going on patrol again today. We spent the night down at the station house. I don’t know what we are going to do because the temperatures are slowly climbing. Today weather will climb to about a hundred degrees of heat. I like this weather better than when I am down at Fort Jackson, South Carolina for basic training. The heat there is mixed with the humidity and it is brutal!! If you add the heat index the temperatures can reach as high as 104 degrees for a two-week period! Here in Baghdad, it’s more of dry heat with some wind current. It will be soon for me to open that bottle of sunscreen. We have one guy on the team that I will call ‘mayonnaise legs’. When he takes off his pants to go to bed he has the whitest legs that I have ever seen on a white man! ‘Mayonnaise legs’ sleep on the bunk bed over my bed. There was one morning while we were all getting dressed and when he got up in the morning he hung his legs over the side of the bed. When he does this he doesn’t pay attention when he does this because his legs are sometimes straight in my face! Well, one morning I got tired of this and I screamed “Where are my Oakley sunglasses, I can’t see!!!!! Well, thank goodness that ‘Mayo Legs’ has a sense of humor. We all laughed about it. These pranks help us get through the day around here.

MAY 2 – Out on mission today. I was in third position in the convoy today. That means I can throw candy at the kids today. Thank all of you for sending me candy for the kids. Trust me, they are in the bellies of young Iraqi children. Like I’ve stated before when they see those American vehicles they instantly shout out their cry for candy. We have to be careful to throw the candy from our rear vehicle because these children will literally jump out into oncoming traffic for a piece of candy. My favorite place to throw candy is in poor neighborhoods. The children there live in an area that is surrounded by bombed-out houses and trash piles everywhere. It is amazing what is used to make a house. Some of the houses are made out of collected bricks from other houses. There is no running water but you can bet you will see a satellite dish on top of it. In some yards, there are goats or sheep. In a yard or two, a donkey can be found hitched to a cart for transportation. In America, our poorest people don’t live like this. These people have my compassion. Hey, I can see some kids coming up in the distance. I have a fist full of candy ready to throw at them!

MAY 4 – Today I was down at the maintenance area today. I saw a Bradley tank that had been hit with an IED (improvised explosive device). It looked like a plastic toy tank that was left out in the sun! The armor and all of its metal were melted! Then I began to think about the people that were in that tank. That could have easily been me. This is the most serious situation that I have been in most of my 23-year military career.

MAY 6 – As my time ensues onward here I have time to think about the little things that I appreciate. Of course, I appreciate my wife, son, and daughter so much. I realized that I have the personality of my father. When I ride in his truck with him while he does his errands I noticed that he will talk to everyone everywhere we go. I noticed also that not only do I have my mother’s looks but I have her sensitivity that I have now passed on to my daughter. I miss my Venti bold cup of Star Bucks coffee. I miss my students from my fitness classes. I miss sleeping in my own bed and taking a bath in my own bathroom. I miss attending church and Sunday dinner right after that. All I can say to all of you who read this is please don’t take the little things in your life for granted. You may think that your life isn’t going the way you planned it but I say to you be ‘thankful’. I wake up every day to face the chance of being killed or watching someone else be killed. I see people and animals rummage through the trash to salvage something for a meal. Killing is an everyday thing here. So if you want to honor me and the guys that are over here I want you to go to someone today and tell them that you appreciate them. Tell them Sgt. Roy sent you! When I return to Charlotte I won’t be the same. I will be changed and I hope for the better.

MAY 8 – We got hit with an IED today. We were headed back to camp when it happened. It happened right behind me! We were able to limp back to camp. When we surveyed the damage it was a horrible scene. First of all, no one was hurt but the bulletproof glass on the right side of the vehicle was all but crushed. There were holes from all of the scrap metal in the trunk area. I heard the explosion and it kind of jarred me forward as I turned to look back at what happened. God is good and he has taken care of us since we have been here. No one stopped to thank God. I don’t put my trust in all of this electronic stuff or plated armor that is around me. It is the grace of God that is with us. I tell the guys that but they accommodate my comment and move on to something else. It doesn’t matter if they agree with me or not God is our source of safety. For security reasons, I can’t give any more details but all of my team is healthy and safe. When we got back as crazy as it sounds they all took pictures of the damage like they caught a prized trout or something!

MAY 9 – Well our vehicle is in for repairs. It is amazing how the maintenance shops here can get a vehicle up and running just about overnight! We are here at the camp today. I can tell that the guys are so relieved that we are not going out today. We went back down to the shop to take a better look at the vehicle. Some of the scrap metal went completely through the trunk of the truck. It is amazing because as we travel the streets of Baghdad it is difficult to spot the person or persons who trigger the explosion. It’s just as frustrating because we can’t see the person or persons who detonated the explosive device. Well, at least we have courtesy and respect for the citizens living in the area. I have a story the other day that a convoy was traveling down one of the roads in Baghdad. An insurgent inside a car threw a grenade out the window attempting to cripple one of the vehicles. Well, long story, short, the grenade did nothing but flatten the tire of the vehicle, It still managed to kill a small group of young girls en route to their school. We play with rules and the enemy doesn’t have to.

MAY 10 – We got hit again!!!!! It was the same vehicle too! We were almost back at base camp when the explosion happened. When I heard it I was in the gunner’s hatch. It was then we slowed down and let the vehicle that got hit come around in front of us. As they passed us on the right I heard our driver say “damn’. I turned and saw that the trunk hatch door was completely blown off! The right side tire was just hanging barely on the rim. Part of our mission is to move quickly out of the ‘kill zone’ quickly as soon as possible. The destroyed vehicle under our protection made it back to base camp. We pulled up to the maintenance shop and the mechanics couldn’t believe that the vehicle that they just worked on 2 days ago was damaged again! Before all this happened I just had a feeling something was going on. While we were in the city I heard at least 4 explosions in the distance somewhere. The communication on the radio network was more than usual. Well, I guess the most important thing is no one got hurt. It just feels like I’m part of some silly sick game in which I have no idea how to play.

MAY 12 – There was one point of interest I forgot to mention that happened to us one day. We were traveling through the city and it was then that our chief decided that we should stop by one of the TCPs (traffic control points) to say hello to the Iraqi soldiers that we work with. Well, we got there, and as always when we park we always take up a defensive posture for security. It was then that one of the soldiers came over to our vehicle to talk with us. Through the assistance of an interpreter, he reported that their checkpoint was hit thirty minutes ago by a mortar rocket attack. It was then that he walked over to where there was a pile of dirt to go get something that he found. When he came back he was carrying an actual mortar in his hands!!!! Well all of us who were watching this froze in shock! It was then that our guy in the truck instructed this guy to put the round back to where it was. It was then we got the sign to move out and head back to camp. I don’t want to think about what could have happened but we laughed hysterically about it over lunch when we got back. I prefer the man slipping on a banana peel joke myself. What the heck if you can find something to laugh about here it helps with getting through the day.

MAY 13 – We found out that our vehicle will be totaled out. I also found out that the cost of a Hummer without all the electronics is $147,000! Man, what a high sticker price for a vehicle. I will just say this I was in a yard where they take these damaged vehicles and if you do the math I think I stop counting at about 4 million! My teammate and I stopped to talk with the civilian who worked there. The civilians here have it made. They come here and work for just one year and they make between 100 – 150K tax-free. Well anyway, he told us how these vehicles come to his yard beyond repair and how they are stripped for parts. It was then he brought us over to a vehicle that just came in a few days ago. It was from an attack that took the legs and later the life of a colonel who was sitting in the front seat. It was as if he was giving us the play-by-play of the attack as he walked us around the vehicle. He pointed out all the impacted areas of the vehicle. He showed us where the guy sitting in the rear behind the driver was very lucky. He told us how the scrap metal had gone under his seat and hit the plate but didn’t hit the guy. Of course, I went back to the other side to see the damage that was done. An ice ball began forming in my stomach. There were four guys sitting in this truck about two days ago. Oh my Lord, what does the future hold for these guys? Then the guy that lost his legs, what will his life be like now? This could have easily been me and my team. The reality of all this just shook me. Then I thought about the families that are behind these soldiers. Nonetheless, another vehicle will be produced and pushed out the door ready for another mission. These lives that were in this vehicle just a few days ago are worth far more than a $147K truck!

MAY 15 – The heat is here! We are in the 108 – 110 mark for heat. The heat here is different. You will get a gush of wind with it at times. I guess they call it dry heat. I have to make sure I put some sunblock on because I will come home 2 shades darker. Having been a drill sergeant at Fort Jackson, S. C. where the heat is mixed with humidity I can usually get through a hot day. But heat is funny, if you don’t watch it you can get dehydrated very easily. There was one day a week where I would teach 3 aerobic classes back to back and not drink a single glass of water! Here I have to be very careful to remember to drink water. Wearing the body armor and all of my equipment will drain my body of strength. Here at the camp, they place pallets of water everywhere where people can just grab a bottle of water everywhere they go. I have to admit that ‘old sarge’ here is losing some of that gut! I want to thank all of you who sent me care packages from home. Thank you so much! The guys tease me because my room has so much food and goodies that they call my room the PX! As some of you know me, of course, I share my bounty with my team. I am in good spirits today. I think I will go get myself a haircut today. I always feel better when I get a fresh haircut.

MAY 16 – I heard a few days ago about the 3 soldiers that are missing here in Baghdad. I want to call on all of you that have faith to pray for these guys safe return. Pray for their families who are just worried sick about them. My wife had a scare 4 days ago when some unit somewhere in Tennessee called her. She wasn’t home at the time. So she returned their message and when their voice mail picked up it was a medical unit!! She panicked because she thought they were trying to contact her to tell her if I was injured or killed. So no one picked up the phone. It wasn’t until I got online on my computer that she was able to relax to find out that I was okay. So I just can imagine what these soldiers’ families are going through right now. So Charlotte and my friends around the world give prayer and concern for my comrades and their families. All I can tell you is that here they are doing everything they can to find these guys. I pray for God’s protection over these men.

MAY 17 – Well hello Charlotte this is yours truly sending greetings from the craziest place on earth right now, Baghdad, Iraq! I have to humor myself to help me keep my sanity. We were in a Shia neighborhood today with our Iraqi counterparts doing a search of houses. Today I’m riding in the gunner’s hatch. From here I have a bird’s eye view of the entire street. I noticed two little girls about the age of 8 holding hands walking down the street. They were wearing catholic school dresses. Their heads weren’t covered and they had their hair in a ponytail hairstyle. As they walked towards our vehicle they both smiled and waved at me and my driver who was eating some pop tarts as they passed by. “It’s a shame that these kids have to live through this” was his comment to me. I agreed with him because it’s a shame. I’ve written before that these kids are no different from our kids in the United States. The heat is about 110 degrees today. Of course, the sun is directly over me and I can feel the sun bake into my uniform. I look down the other end of the street and I see another young girl coming down the street carrying a bag of bread (I love Iraqi bread!!!) that she brought from the market. It’s then that I hear shots ring out in the distance! I spin my hatch around the side to side to see if I can notice anyone shooting. My eyes fall back to the young girl who now is running to her house which is next to our truck. She opens the gate and goes inside to safety. It couldn’t have been 10 minutes until later she came back outside and headed down the street to run another errand for her mother! You talk about living with the circumstances around you!

MAY 19 – Today I had my first experience with explosives! We were out today and I want everyone to understand that my role here is one of an advisor to the Iraqi National Police. We are to teach them techniques and tactics to help them be a self-sufficient fighting force for the security and safety of Iraq. I also want to let you all know that in Baghdad even though it is considered a city there are really no skyscrapers or skyline apartment buildings here. It’s just a large collage of neighborhoods that are made up of houses that extend out forever. In the downtown area, there are a few large-scale buildings but the rest of Baghdad is made up of neighborhoods. Well, today we were out with them on a mission in a neighborhood. Someone discovered a strange pipe-looking object in the yard of one of the houses. When this happens we call our demolition team. When they come out it is very impressive. When they want to check out a possible bomb threat they have this robot that is remotely controlled from the vehicle. The robot resembles something like a small little toy tank that has a long arm attached to it. So it happened today that my vehicle was parked directly in front of the yard where this pipe was located. I saw the robot come up and do its little analysis and then finally pull the pipe into the middle of the yard. We were all then instructed to clear the residents from both sides of the yard and take cover ourselves. The demolition team had decided to blow this IED up! The residents had been evacuated, the soldiers on the ground had taken cover and we were told to move our vehicle up to half a block for cover. When the blast came it took me by surprise because the concussion blew my body mixed with air and dust upward! Wow! I guess, no, I know this will be the closest I will ever get to being actually blown up! I’ll be rolling into our 6th month being here in Iraq. Time really has gone by fast. Minor irritations are setting in amongst the team. I can catch myself getting annoyed by certain people on the team. As for me, I have the faith that keeps me in check but the other guys are really trying to keep the peace. I know that since Kansas we have been together as a team for about 8 and ½ months! The personalities of all of us are different. I guess with the ever-increasing surge in violence here in Baghdad, everyone is dealing with it the best that they can. Our chief has mandated us to have 1 hour a week of ‘forced fun’ with each other. That means we have to plan an activity for the whole team to do together. I don’t think any understands that when we come back to the camp’s gates everyone needs the time to unwind both mentally and physically. Some of the guys go to the gym here. There are two guys (yours truly is one of them) is going to college online. I found an aerobics class once a week to teach at the gym. So having that time to release the anxiety and stress is vital to this team. Well, when it comes to my turn to plan an activity I think I might make these men do aerobics! One gear, wide open!

MAY 22 – Hello Charlotte, it’s me again. I have gotten so many emails, care packages, and letters from all of you. I want to say that to all of you! I want to thank Rachel Clapp and her staff at WCNC/NBC for supporting me and my ‘Life on Line’ stories from here in Baghdad. I want you all to keep these soldiers in your prayers of support here. When I go out on a mission I wear a headset in which I can hear all of the radio calls on the network. Today some U.S. soldiers were killed by an IED. For the sake of security, I can’t reveal detailed information. I just ask that you keep us, soldiers, in your prayers. It’s funny how as I ride through the streets of Baghdad I think back to when I worked in downtown Charlotte. I can’t help but think that my life as an American my life is so sheltered. Just like all of you, I too watch the current events of the world from the safety of my living room not worrying about being shot at or blown up. As the faces pass me by on the streets here I try to comprehend how these people do it. They all have families like the rest of us. I wonder what their hopes are. I wonder what future they can see if any. I know that I will return home and go back probably to working downtown sipping my cup of Starbucks venti bold coffee that I paid $3 for. Things like water, food, and gas are survival items here. If you don’t have any of these items chances are you will not make it.

MAY 23 – Today I received a package along with a letter from my Dad. I want everyone to know that I consider my Dad to be one of my heroes. With a 5th-grade education, my Dad and my Mom raised 6 children. My Dad did, later on, go on to get his GED. When he writes a letter he still writes in print letters but as I read his letter I became encouraged by his simple words. My Dad isn’t the most emotional person in the world but for him to send me a care package lets me know that he is worried for me. I learned one thing is that I have inherited his inner strength to never quit in any situation. He is a great man to me. In my box, I got tons of beef jerky. What I got from this was his expression of care for me. My Dad is special to me. I’ve got to go load up the truck for another mission today. I feel good today. I’ve got to get busy because I’ve got a lot of jerky to eat.

MAY 25 – The violence is picking up in the city. I hear more mortar attacks than usual on our camp. When that happens I just continue what I am doing and pray that one of those rounds doesn’t land anywhere near me! What scares me is that I am becoming so accustomed to it. The impact startled me but for the most part, I just continue with what I was doing. I am just about at my six-month mark on being here. As I’ve stated before my memories of places and faces are slowly fading away. When we go outside ‘the wire’ I am not aware of time. I am so busy trying to watch every face and every street corner to stay alert for any possible attack. When we come back in it’s the strangest thing, I will pick right back up with time.

MMAY 26 – The heat is unbearable today. I think it’s about 115 degrees. The wind does blow here but it’s like standing in front of a hairdryer. I am for the first time in my life beginning to wear sunblock. Some of the white soldiers are beginning to sport tans. I don’t need that by any means! I have to remember to drink water because this sun can really dehydrate you. I can feel my demeanor changing. When I got here I was so afraid of leaving the camp. Now I am trying to keep an optimistic attitude about this war but the things I see here are discouraging. For one thing, there doesn’t seem to be a unity of the people for the solidarity of Iraq. It just seems that the people are choosing sides from all different directions. There is so much that these people have to overcome before they become a solid nation.

MAY 28 – There is one interesting fact here in Iraq and that is marriage. I was sitting outside talking to one of our interpreters and he explained to me how marriage is done in Iraq. When I got here I noticed that people belonged to either the Shia or Sunni sect. What was interesting is that they also belong to a tribe. Our interpreter James has been married for about 3 years and he has 3 children. He told me that his parents picked his wife for him. He told me that wives are usually first cousins in their family structure. I told him that in America we don’t have a law against it but that kind of practice is strongly discouraged. I told him that growing up there were a few of my female cousins that were good-looking and that I would possibly consider such an undertaking. He thought it was strange that Americans frown upon marrying their cousins. I told him that genetics played a big part it! I asked him how does he feel turning his daughter over to such a practice.? He said that the young man is that he is in their family structure he felt he has some authority over the young man. The integrity of the family is an important issue here. The houses here which I think are simply beautiful are inhabited by two or sometimes three families. Also, the men here can have up to 4 wives! I have met at least two men that have two wives. 4 wives? That’s too much estrogen for me!

MAY 30 – We are staying the night at this abandoned house! We have no air conditioner, electricity or windows! For security reasons, I can reveal the location or describe it. All I know is that this will be a tough night for me to sleep. They say the heat is in the 120s today. Well, I got what I bargained for. I have the experience of a lifetime to be living in an abandoned house that was once owned by a prominent Sunni family. The house is completely gutted out and the only thing is left is a shell with bare walls. Don’t worry the engineers are coming to install the comforts of home soon but until then I have to prepare to sweat it out.