June 2009
26 posts
Jacoby Update #12 - Day #8, 342 to go
June 15, 2008
These past couple of days have been all about transit, and for OPSEC (Operational Security) reasons, I can’t tell her or you where I am, where I’m going, or when I’ll get there. But as soon as I do get there, I’ll be more periodic with updates and return letters. This Army “hurry up and wait” thing has hit all time highs, and Navy mentality is to...
Happy Birthday Dave!
Even though we are far apart you are in my thoughts always. I know this is going to be one of the strangest Birthdays you have had hope you can make the most of it. Love Love Jen
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to...”
– Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Day 5: Jacoby Update #11
June 12, 2009
BOG Days # 3-5
Sandstorms, ungodly high temps, trudging to the showers a walk from your bed outside down a dusty road, toilets stinky and a walk across that same road, sand in your tent and your clothes and your food and your bed and in your eyes, a bed actually and army cot, a tent full of snoring men, living out of a sea bag for a bureau that sits on the sandy floor… all things...
Day 2: Jacoby Update #10
Jun 9th, 2009 6:00am
Not a lot of sleep last night, and I pretty much just gave up by 0500, and decided to walk around and type up a new entry.
Today is Day #2 in Kuwait. Yesterday when we landed it was stupid o’clock in the morning on Monday. After what seemed like a week, it was around 30 hours of air time in three pieces, interrupted by 13 hours in Germany, about two hours in Iceland and...
Jacoby Update #9
Still Sunday, June 07, 2009 2300hrs, 11pm The level of surreal is thick enough to cut with a knife. I have a picture in my head of the guys going to a war zone like in the movies: rough, tough, unwaveringly confidence to the point of arrogance, chain smoking foul mouthed and rough around the edges, sitting in their airplane seats cleaning their rifles, joking about how many bad guys they’ll...
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Jacoby Update #8
Sunday, June 7, 2009, 1:30am (0130)
We’re pulling out of Iceland, stop two on our trek to Kuwait. The quiet cabin that was filled with the disgruntled and cranky took a dramatic shift to the jovial. Prior to the layover in Iceland, our flight had been cancelled, delayed, and we were stuck on the plane when we landed in Canada to refuel. But in Iceland, we got an hour in the airport to buy stuff,...
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Jacoby Update #7
June 5, 2009
This is an eerie start of our travel day. For the next [near] 30 hours we’ll be transiting from our training home to our new hot home. It’s strange how you get comfortable with your surroundings, and now, it seems quite normal to walk around with a pistol on your hip and “clearing” it every time you enter a building. We look like Lara Croft every day. And it seems natural to carry an...
Interview: Mr. Dave Jacoby
by Christian S.
Mr. Jacoby was my social studies teacher for AP European historythis year. He made this year in class one of my favorite. Although I found out I’m not very fond of European history, Mr. Jacoby made it seem interesting. When he told our class in March,” Well guys, I’ll be leavin in the beginning of May,” I thought, “Why would a teacher be leaving right when we were...
Day 1: Kuwait
Arrived at 0140 Kuwait time (1840 Eastern) “We still have lots of work unloading planes, loading trucks and then unloading trucks at temp barracks”
(1926 Eastern) “I really can’t belived I’m here! Dusty smell on bus after we started moving
Day 0 - Transit
The flight was delay leaving by about 12 hours. It left around noon on Saturday (6/6).
First stop Iceland (2011 Eastern): “Greetings from Iceland! Halfway to the Mideast. It is midnight and the sun is still out. Wild! Good times
Next stop Germany (6/7 0136 Eastern): “We are sitting in an airport in Germany we have a bit of a layover. 15 hours. Yes, that’s right ONE FIVE...
The Flight Deck →
Jacoby Update #6
This is our last day, our last few hours on American soil. As I write this, it’s not completely registered that this time tomorrow we’ll be in transit (over 25 hours transit time) and in two days we’ll be stepping out of an aircraft and into our very own Dante’s inferno. Surreal. It’ll be a cool 109 degrees our first day, and will get progressively warmer as the week progresses to hover at around...
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Jacoby Update #5
If you’re reading this blog, please drop me a note and say hi – I’d love to hear from you. Also, care packages would be welcome and can be sent to me or to Cris – I should arrive at my final destination in around ten days or so. Two more days of training, and then we fly to theater (the battle zone). Whoa, it’s the real deal now! Hopefully most of what we learned will never need to be applied, but...
May 2009
13 posts
Jacoby Update #4
If you feel a craving or if anything I say gets you thinking, please drop a note. I may not write back, but know I’m thinking of all of you all the time, and I’d love to hear about what’s going on there in your life.
These last couple of days have been all about training on moving targets. Early days again, up at 0410, suited “heavy” (all armor), then off to the range after a...
Jacoby Update #3
May 25 – Monday
I have such a huge respect for the army now. They are a different breed. Our purpose as IA’s is to backfill needs of the army, jobs we can do to help them out. Their training is hard and relenting. Although today we did have a break, tomorrow we’re up before the sun again and to the range where we have some moving and shooting, “heavy” (full battle rattle) and all.
Today we...
Dave with the Patriot Guard
Jacoby Update #1
5/13/09 I am still looking for the water. I joined the navy and all I ever see is the inside walls of a room with no windows. Well, that’s a lie. I’m now on the biggest Navy base in the world, so yes, ships are floating. You should see the houses the guys with stars on their sleeves live in - it’s like Tara in Gone with the Wind over and over.
We’re all about the briefs...
Write up in Courier times →
Jacoby Update #2
5/21/09 It’s strange to sit here in ACUs typing a note as the world still turns. ACUs are Army Combat Uniforms that we put a US NAVY tape on to make it all Navy. Army guys are TOUGH! Big time, high speed low drag training today was all about getting accustomed to the “full battle rattle.” That’s the armor the guys wear in the desert; about 60-70 pounds of armor and...