The Gunner's World

It has been 1 year since I have retired and stepped away from the Marine Corps but the memories remain. Today 19 March is the 7th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. I also did not thin...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2010/03/anniversary.html

1 March 2008 the day I was retired from the Marine Corps after 25 years. I spent my first 8 years on active duty and the last 17 as a reservist. I have come a long way since I first set foot ...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2008/04/retirement-full-circle.html

I have still been in contact with Col Visconage in Baghdad since my return. We have traded email on various topics and I asked him about his latest collection missions and he agreed to be a gu...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/09/guest-blogger-col-michael-visconage.html

Sitting in the darkness of my living room before dawn I gaze out at my backyard and drink my coffee. Sitting in my favorite chair I let my mind wonder. The house is still with everyone still as...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/09/iraq-and-back.html

Glancing out the window of the Lufthansa flight I was taken aback by all the green I saw, after months in the desert everything seemed so alive with color from my view headed into Dulles Airport....

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/08/return.html

Are you ready? That’s the question I have asked myself over and over. From the moment I accepted to go on this deployment, to my first night in Kuwait when I could not sleep and spent the lon...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/08/are-you-ready.html

I am jolted by the Soldier walking past me who snaps a salute and says “Good Morning Sir” I wonder what the hell is he doing? I have been in Iraq since May and we Marines do not salute in...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/08/baghdad.html

The old man shook my hand and said follow him, he was dressed in an old green camouflage uniform with the markings of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division (2/1) of the Iraqi Army; he seemed ol...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/07/future.html

I have another guest blog entry from Colonel Michael Visconage at Camp Victory in Baghdad. For those new to my blog the Colonel is my Commanding Officer and is the Officer in Charge of my unit �...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/07/guest-blogger-colonel-michael-visconage_24.html

I had a whole week in Fallujah due to some scheduling problems, so I took advantage of the time and got a lot of my writing done and enjoyed a week with no travel. Felt good to be sleeping in...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/07/fallujah.html

I do the time conversion in my mind, I am 8 hours ahead of the east coast, as I glance at my watch it is 4:00pm my time so 8:00am back home. My wife and daughter should be seated on a United ...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/07/teufelhunden.html

I had just returned from a week out on a collection trip at Al Asad and was in my summer home of Fallujah. I was relaxing with a cigar and chatting with my office and can mate Capt Tony Licari...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/07/pearl.html

I wonder will I ever get back to some kind of normal schedule, I glance at my watch it is 2:55am. I have just landed in Al Asad, I step out the back of the CH-46 and the early morning air ho...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/07/al-asad.html

I was talking with the Officer in Charge of my unit, the Field history branch this week, Col Michael Visconage. He is currently on a six month assignment in Baghdad working on the Multi-National ...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/07/guest-blogger-colonel-michael-visconage.html

4th of July and I am in Iraq, I am out from Camp Fallujah and at the Air Base of Al Asad on a collection trip. While out and about today I thought about today and what it means, lots of BBQ's and...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/07/4th-of-julyiraq.html

The motions come to me now without much thought: flack jacket buttoned up, helmet and goggles strapped and on, gloves on, magazine in, pistol locked and loaded. I climb into the HUMMER knowin...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/06/2d-battalion-5th-marines-al-fallujah.html

With a quick smack from my right hand the magazine slides into place, my left hand pulls the upper receiver of my pistol back and letting it slide forward it goes home with a click driving th...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/06/ar-ramadi.html

Standing on the rooftop of the old Iraqi Air Force control tower my eyes scan the horizon stretched out before me to where the desert meets the sky of this barren lunar landscape. The hot wi...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/06/al-taqaddum.html

The cool air felt great after walking in the 113 degree heat that had engulfed this day, now sitting in the air conditioned office of the Commanding General Forward (CG FWD) for the 2nd Marine ...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/06/general-and-gunner.html

Reading through some material here in Fallujah, I ran across a memorial card for a service that was conducted for some Marines sadly who were killed in action during their tour in Iraq. What caus...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/06/history.html

it's 12:40am and I am in a single line of Marines standing in the darkness, it's been a long hot day with temps again in the 105+ area. I am hot and tired already but my legs keep moving me f...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/06/wing.html

I have settled in here in Fallujah and have begun getting into a work routine, it took a few nights to get my sleeping patterns corrected from the east coast but I am on track now. I am not sure ...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/05/week-one.html

The first thing that hit me was the hot rotor wash of the CH-46 as I walked in the ink black darkness towards my final flight of a very long day to take me to my new home. In the darkness I follo...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/05/destination-camp-fullujah.html

Well all the shots have been received, I stopped counting when I hit seven. The equipment issued and the good byes in person and on the phone completed. I have my orders and a flight departing ...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/05/departure.html

Midway through week 2 and I am hopefully nearing completion of checking in. I had to return to medical today for 3 more shots, I think I have been immunized for all known diseases to man. I...

http://thegunnersworld.blogspot.com/2007/05/checking-in.html