Day 3, Al Asad  

5k race with approximately 500 runners. Frank and I run with big packs. Perfect weather 90 and a slight breeze at 6 am. It was surreal running in this setting in the middle of vast desert all around. It was run on all paved roads thru the base. After each race we sign posters and do tons of photos.   

We set up a 2-mile race on paved but pretty rough roads through the base. We have 175 runners. I meet lots of soldiers with Pennsylvania connections at Taji. 

The common thing we hear is: “It’s like Groundhog Day every day here.” They see the same people and do the same thing, day in, day out. Race day was  a welcome change for them – a temporary joy from the tedious repetition, something different. And some firsts too: unlike other runs they’ve done on base, this time they had chip timing, a real race announcer and the Frank, Sandy and Bart show but it’s really not about us, it’s about them. The runners got a goodie bag complete with real schwag, a race medal and two tech shirts, division awards, and post race food.

As for us, they are taking great care of us – from food, housing, transportation and general knowledge about what it is they are doing. All the men and women are such professionals at their craft.

After the race, Frank and I get to sit in an Apache helicopter cockpit. After I get out, the maintenance guy says: “Dude, I’ve worked here 2 years and never sat in one!” It’s real VIP treatment.

We get very little sleep. Three hours max. We are always on the go. Meeting and greeting. Flying in Chinooks in darkness over this vast desert landscape. We get to our sleeping quarters late and get up at 4 am to set up the race.  Runners everywhere we go and they love the welcome addition of a real down-home style running race complete with pre-race expo setting. The Iraqi base expo booths are so cool.

I miss my family, wife and kitty. The soldiers are here for 6 to 9 month depoyments. We have it easy. It’s hard to hear them talk about their families. You can in their eyes how much they would love to go home but with honor the do their job and carry out the mission of freedom.