Update 08/25/2006

Hi,
Just a short update on Rod's activities:

After the ceremony that is coming up at Camp Ripley, he will literally have about 1/2 hour to spend with his family before he has to start his journey to Iraq. He asks that we keep the number of people that show up for the ceremony limited to his immediate family, so that he will not feel totally overwhelmed. But, being the way he is, he also stated that anyone is welcome!
As far as what's going on with him, Rod reports that the Poison Ivy at Camp Ripley is particularly tenacious and that he is having a great time trying to get rid of it. He has been super busy with training and has been putting in 18-20 days since he got there. During his 2 week Infantry School at Ft Dix, he was awarded the 'Top Student' award for his stellar achievement during the program. Pictures of his training at Ft Dix coming soon. He's also pretty excited about wearing the new and 'Improved Body Armor'(TBA)(which he started to do just recently)in addition to humping a 60 lbs ruck plus his personal weapon and other misc gear. This is all strength training however, so that he can carry the weight easily when he gets to Iraq.

Thanks for the UPDATE, Rod! Safe Journey, my friend.