Chaplain Kline

[...] have been especially busy for me. First, we have packed up and closed down operations at Camp Blue Diamond and returned to Camp Ramadi: where we spent the first two-and-half months of this deployment. [...]

[...] tiring. I would have to take every third week to catch up with the Soldiers back here at Camp Blue Diamond. Now, we work just as hard--if not more so--but it is so much more efficient. On our way to [...]

[...] and hard structures make life more comfortable. Most guys make it back here to Camp Blue Diamond about once every two weeks for laundry, internet and phones. The MPBs (plywood houses) [...]

[...] than we were when we first arrived here about a year ago. Camp Ramadi is much larger than Camp Blue Diamond. Based on my runs for exercise, I suspect it is about 5 miles in diameter. Its roads are not [...]

[...] Chuck Norris below.) This past week Sergeant Tremain and a few of our Soldiers traveled over to Camp Ramadi to see Miss USA, Lewis Black (comedian), Lance Armstrong, Robin Williams, and Kid Rock. [...]

[...] is of the of Latter-day Saint Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines who worship on Sunday evenings at Camp Ramadi. I visit SSG Risperess (pictured here in his maintenance trailer) and SPC Robinson at JSS [...]

[...] and turned over our battle space to incoming units, we are gathered together here at Camp Ramadi. Over the past 15 months, we have been spread out--so the nearly 900 Soldiers of our [...]

[...] . On our way to visit the Soldiers of Alpha company at JSS Sedgwick this week we swung by Camp Ramadi and picked up my good friends Captain Bolton and Staff Sergeant Moore of our brigade mental [...]

[...] dear friend Sheik Hayis (spelled "Heiss" in previous posts below). Our commander, LTC Silverman, has developed a genuine and meaningful friendship with Sheik Hayis, whose leadership has been [...]

[...] -to-earth leadership styles. (CPT Ralls is pictured here in conversation with our commander, LTC Silverman.) Moving areas is something they took in stride, even though their new area of responsibility [...]

[...] Gennaro to send us a guitar in memory of SPC Daniel Gagle--a Fender Stratacoustic (electric). LTC Silverman, CSM Sumner and I recently visited our Alpha Company Soldiers down at Joint Security Site [...]

[...] . Today, at JSS Hawas, I finished the last of these briefs; I have conducted 44 of them. LTC Silverman, CSM Sumner and 1SG Biggs have sometimes joined me in teaching—their occasional presence [...]

[...] trucks roll across the bridge. SGT Tremain and I visited with SSG Knudsen and his squad, while CSM Sumner met with their platoon sergeant, SFC Rodriguez. (Pictured next to me here at the top of one [...]

[...] looking forward to when we return to the States, and our favorite TV shows growing up. Because CSM Sumner and I are in our late thirties and SPC Crerend and PFC Testa are in their early twenties, many [...]

[...] A few weeks ago our battalion Command Sergeant Major, CSM Sumner (pictured above and below), and I came up with a plan to maximize Soldier care. Both he and the [...]

[...] Day. Finally, a few weeks ago, I was tossing the football with Sergeant Maltezo, NCO of CSM Sumner's Personal Security Detail: the convoy of gun trucks we travel with during the week. He has [...]

[...] offered that the service finally helped him "get into the Christmas Spirit". We left Fort Stewart about a year ago with the expectation that the term would be twelve months, as it was our [...]

[...] With so little time before we redeploy back to Fort Stewart and reunite with our families and friends, it can be difficult to focus and appreciate the [...]

[...] and your legs are rubbery. Seeing the family and friends of our Soldiers on Cotrell Field at Fort Stewart was a sweet experience. Anyone who considers the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform [...]

[...] weeks I have been giving classes to our Soldiers in preparation for our redeployment to Fort Stewart, Georgia and our reintegration with our families. As mentioned in an earlier post below, the [...]

[...] is always a joy to see them. My circulation on the battlefield often makes me wonder if my and SGT Tremain's experiences aren't somewhat like the Apostle Paul and Barnabas/Timothy's as they traveled [...]

[...] : an Alamo-type quad. My office/living quarters is the first door on the left at the entrance. SGT Tremain lives in the back-half of the room in which we store our religious supplies--right next door. [...]

[...] crossing. In the picture up top, a convoy of Iraqi Army gun trucks roll across the bridge. SGT Tremain and I visited with SSG Knudsen and his squad, while CSM Sumner met with their platoon sergeant, [...]

[...] Over the past several months SGT Tremain and I have facilitated our ministry to Soldiers by joining our Command Sergeant Major in his [...]

[...] Marine battalion. They recently left the city of Ramadi to relocate to a site on Lake Tharthar--JSS Zeimer (Named for PV2 Matthew Zeimer, of our battalion, who was killed-in-action in February of this [...]

[...] As we did the week before, the Soldiers of Charlie Company at JSS Zeimer and I went to the lagoon to hold our worship service. This time, however, we decided to hold it [...]

[...] a Christmas story involves a Harley Davidson Sportster--I'm game." Our last stop was JSS Zeimer, were they had set up for us in the tent-shelter maintenance bay. We made it back to Camp Blue [...]

[...] Ramadi. I visit SSG Risperess (pictured here in his maintenance trailer) and SPC Robinson at JSS Zeimer. SFC Stock and 1LT Denning are pictured below on the occasion of our setting apart Brother [...]

[...] four Alpha Company Soldiers who re-enlisted on the beach of Lake Habaniya, just outside JSS Sedgwick (pictured above). They asked their commander, Captain Ralls to re-enlist them. Their platoon [...]

[...] who were at Joint Security Sites Warrior and Pathfinder have moved more than an hour away to JSS Sedgwick. It's dusty--although not as bad as Hawas (see last post)--but it's more roomy than their [...]

[...] so--but it is so much more efficient. On our way to visit the Soldiers of Alpha company at JSS Sedgwick this week we swung by Camp Ramadi and picked up my good friends Captain Bolton and Staff [...]

[...] creature comforts. We left early Christmas morning as the sun was rising. Our first stop was JSS Sedgwick and the Soldiers of Alpha Company. Their mood was light and festive. The officers had all [...]

[...] comforts made possible by their first sergeant's attentive support. SSG Tucker, the Platoon Sergeant and griller of meats, is pictured here. Like the Soldiers at many of our outposts, [...]

[...] Kelly to the rank of Sergeant First Class. He had long since been serving in the capacity of platoon sergeant (a position associated with the rank of sergeant first class) so the joke was he would now [...]

[...] . SGT Tremain and I visited with SSG Knudsen and his squad, while CSM Sumner met with their platoon sergeant, SFC Rodriguez. (Pictured next to me here at the top of one tower is SGT "Q".) I [...]

[...] fellow Soldiers. Pictured here is me presenting the guitar to SFC Kelly, Daniel and Steve's platoon sergeant. SPC Dunkle took a few minutes to tune the guitar, and then played for the Soldiers [...]

[...] for exchange and conversation. Each class or brief was a little over one-hour long. Today, at JSS Hawas, I finished the last of these briefs; I have conducted 44 of them. LTC Silverman, CSM Sumner and [...]