First book of the deployment ... The Last Punisher by Kevin Lacz

  Excerpt:
“GET YOUR S**T! All hands to the roof of Shark House!” Marc Lee’s breathless bark snapped me out of sleep.

I didn’t think as I jolted off my cot, stuck my bare feet in my Oakley boots, and grabbed my web gear, machine gun, helmet, and night-vision goggles (NVGs). I ran hot on Marc’s heels, in nothing but a pair of PT shorts and some assault gear, as we raced the hundred yards to the roof like sharks toward blood in the water.

Impending violence permeated the Euphrates’s musty breeze.

“Muj swimmers trying to attack Blue Diamond,” Marc called over his shoulder as we hit the ground-floor entrance to the house. Camp Blue Diamond was the Marine base across the river to our east. We bounded up the stairs, untied boot laces whipping our bare shins. On the roof, we joined about twenty other Teamguys, most of us in PT shorts and bare chested, the unofficial uniform for middle-of-the-night, just-out-of-your-rack muj hunting. I saw an occasional T-shirt and had to stifle a chuckle when I noticed Guy, one of our officers, and his perfect uniform. A hodgepodge of support guys intermixed among us. When Marc said all hands, he had meant all hands. Everybody wanted to get his war on.

opportuniy

Wow.

I am so thankful that I committed to volunteering with TAPS -- Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.
website
It was on a whim that I applied way back in January. I figured why not..

I love my country

Love my brothers and sisters at arms.

Love soldiers and soldiers families.
I like DC. And DC on Memorial Day weekend.

I had the great opportunity to work with the five and six year olds and it was right where I needed to be.

As fate would have it I met a very sweet girl who was way too young to remember her dad when he gave all in Ramadi in 2006.

Yeah, Ramadi a place where I found peace for nine months and made friendships I will never forget.

I will be back – this is too great of an organization not to support.

On top of that I caught up with an old friend I have not seen in almost 30 years...