Nightfighter Family,

Greetings from LSA Anaconda.­­ I am happy to report we have completed our move to Iraq and now have the entire Task Force settling in to our new location.­­ It has been a long process, a very long process if you consider we started this in May 2007.­­ All of the soldiers are now in their permanent housing units.­­ The soldiers are living two per room, the rooms are air conditioned with wall lockers, and a small dresser.­­ The shower trailers and restrooms are a short walk from their housing (within 2-­­3 minutes in most cases).­­ The dining facility most of the soldiers are eating in is outstanding.­­ They have great choices for every meal, no one should be going hungry.­­ The unit we are replacing has put together a great plan for the Relief in Place and we have jumped right into it.­­ The soldiers are very busy right now and will continue to be for the next few weeks while we learn everything we can from our counterparts.­­ Many of our soldiers have already started going out on missions with the unit we are replacing.­­ The training we have conducted up to this point has really prepared the soldiers for what we are doing over here.­­ We are "falling in" on well maintained equipment that is mission ready.­­.­­.­­.­­ in short we have everything we need to accomplish our mission.­­ The morale of the soldiers within Task Force 293 is outstanding, I have already heard comments from people over here how professional and disciplined our unit is.­­ That is no surprise to me, but it still makes me proud to hear it.­­ The soldiers do have access to internet through the MWR but right now that is limited due to time contstraints of our training.­­ You will hear about some soldiers having internet capability in their room.­­ That is due to some of the soldiers purchasing sattelite dishes from departing soldiers and setting up their own internet.­­ That is not a sanctioned military system, it is not a right to have but I have not intervened in the purchase of it, and I will not unless it becomes a distraction within the unit.­­ It is my opinion that every soldier will have ample time to contact loved ones at home regardless of unit or location of housing.­­ Remember in the case of emergencies use the FRG system and they will assist you with Red Cross messages.­­

I hope this update finds all of you doing well, please take care of each other, we will do the same.­­ We have outstanding soldiers in this unit doing an important mission, if communication drops off now and then it is due to the work load.­­ Remember what I said in an earlier message.­­.­­.­­ for us, busy is good it makes time go by much faster.­­

Proud to Serve

LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

Please say an extra prayer today!

Yippeee!!!

Zac called again today! =) Its always so good to hear his voice. He sounded good! Tired, but good.

He got my 5 packages today.....which one was the birthday cake. I guess it was a waste of $65. Yep, it was that expensive. He said he was super surprised, and it was cool, but said it tasted like burnt plastic...YUCK! Oh well. He was very appreciative though. The other packages included 2 sets of pre- washed (of course) bed sheets, a nice pillow, a box full of toiletries, and a box full of snacks, gatorade etc. He said they dont have any room in their trailer. They deliver bottles of water very fequently, so they have cases of that stacked up too. I am getting together another box....(I know, I am nuts) but it includes everything a medicine cabinet would hold.....Sudafed (the good kind that they regulate) Benadryl, Visine, Bengay, Vasaline, Men's One a Day, Carmax, Aleve, Bandaids, Neosporin, Halls, Lamisil, Tums, Q-tips....I think that is all I have so far. Because I know Zac, he would go and get anything if he needed it, he would just tough it out. But if he had it, he would take it, or use it. So he and Hoover will hopefully have anything they would ever need.

I actually had dinner with his wife and daughter tonight. Man I tell you, she is a ball of fire! Sweet as could be too =) His wife, Cari, was wearing the coolest necklace tonight. I am going to try to fine a place that makes them. Hoover got it made for her at the PX when he was in Georgia. Its in the shape of a dog tage, but it has his picture engraved in it. It is awesome!

Okay, off to bed. Church in the am

A wonderul surprise all of the way from Camp Anaconda!

I was getting ready to go into an appointment at work, and ReAnn is running around the office trying to find me. "Lindsay, Zac is on the phone!!!" I took off running into her office to grab the phone. I was shaking. It was so great to hear his voice again! I dont even remember the order of our conversation, but I know we said "I love you!" A LOT!! I tried so hard to be strong, but he could hear my voice cracking. I do surprisingly well considering the circumstance, but become so vulnerable when I talk to him. I really need to work on that.

When they flew into Iraq, Zac said that they were on a small plane. (I forget exactly what he called it) They were sitting on cartons and boxes. They were all so smashed in there, that their knees were touching the person's in front of them. He said they circled a lot before they landed, and they did a combat landing which (just learned today) is where they go from a very high altitude, to a very low altitude rather quickly that is lifts them off their seats.

He said they had moved into their rooms today. Boy, I tell you, the living conditions are SO much better this time! He went from living in a hole, and a tent, to living in a trailer.....which by the way has a window air conditioner!!!! He said it is MUCH better this time. Thank goodness. Considering what our military does for us, it is the least they could do to put them in tolerable living arrangements. =) That eases my mind tremendously! So, after a trip to the PX, their room is now equipped with a 21" tv, a dvd player and a mini fridge. His roomie is Scot Hoover. I am sure I will mention Hoover many times, so just to tell you who he is. They will be getting some rugs soon, they already bought a broom (that damn sand) and Zac said he bought tape. I thought, "ok?....tape?" but he said it was for him to tape my pictures up on the wall!

He loves me =)

He also said that they stocked the fridge with Dr Pepper and Red Bull. I wonder if they have access to fruits and veggies. I cant imagine not having those for a year. I will have our fridge stocked with them when he comes home! Especially pears. He also said he bought Twizzlers and Oreos. Thank goodness he is eating healthy- haha!!! Cookies, candy and soda. We will definitely visit the dentist when he gets back! =)

He said as of now, they dont have internet capabilities unless a group of them buy some sort of satellite.....which is thousands of dollars......so he isnt sure if they will do that or not. But he also said that in July, they are supposed to be getting internet in the trailers. I am looking forward to that, because I am getting a web cam. The last I heard, they are in 4 man trailers, 2 man rooms. So, I Googled ( I love Google) the sleeping/ living arrangements for soldiers at Camp Anaconda and this is what I found. So as of now, I am assuming this is the kind of set up he is in. But, I may be TOTALLY wrong.

But, Zac sounded good. His spirits were up. He said they had talked to the guys that they were relieving, just to get the scoop on things. In a few days they will slowly start to ween them out and replacing them on their missions. I think they will start with the drivers, then the gunners, then everyone else. But a good note, Zac said that, that unit hasnt had any problems, and have NOT had any kind of casualties what so ever. So that made me feel so GOOOOOOOD!!!

His birthday is next week. And so is mine. He said he was sorry that he wouldnt be able to get me anything. SILLY BOY! I DONT care! I dont even feel like celebrating my birthday. And besides, he bought me a saphire ring when we were in Savannah. A saphire for Sery, (her birthstone) and that was my birthday present. So I told him that he already bought me my birthday present, it was just early! And his birthday presents were whatever PSP games, computer games, and movies that he wanted. So we celebrated our birthdays early. (OH, and his birthday cake!!!)

I am not going to proof this entry so I apologize for any errors! And I have no idea why the spacing is weird, but its too late to try to figure out how to fix it! Good Night!

Another update!

Nightfighter Family,
I am back on the internet, I have been computer challenged the past few days. Thanks to Tracy Cox for posting an update a few days ago to let everyone know we were here. I am pleased to say that we have almost 100% of our Task Force in Kuwait, plus we also have E/113 (Team Golf) back under our command. As the CSM said in his posting the living condition here are not bad. The soldiers are on cots instead of mattresses, but the chow halls are substantially better than Fort Stewart. They also have access to coffee shops, PX, Fast Food and some limited internet. We should be here between 1 and 2 weeks, we do not all leave at the same time but fairly close together. As most of you know we cannot post dates on this site due to security reasons, if you hear the dates please keep that to yourself for the safety of our soldiers. We will continue to train on many of the same tasks we were working on at Fort Stewart. The morale of the soldiers is sky high, they look sharp and professional. It is easy to spot a TF Nightfighter soldier out in a crowd. As I have said many times I extremely proud to command this outstanding organization, I am confident our soldiers are ready for their mission... I can see it in their eyes and in their actions. I have been in contact with the battalion commander of the unit we are replacing, they are ready for us and have an excellent plan to turn over control of the mission. I will post another update before I leave Kuwait and I should have immediate internet access upon arriving in Iraq.
Continue to take care of each other, we will do the same here.
Proud to Serve with YOUR Soldier
LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

My Prayers

I just bought a BUNCH of blank cards, I am going to hand them out to EVERYONE I see on Easter. You will have to write a little note to Zac and I am going to mail them in a package. I know, many of you are probably thinking, "enough already!" But come on, its perfect, I will see both family on Easter!

There are so many different prayers I say from night to night and morning to morning.
This one, I just found today on a cross at Hallmark. And yes, of course I bought it!

It says:

Prayer for our Soldiers O' Lord
Be with our soldiers as the leave their homes and their families to serve our nation. Guide them as they plant the seeds of peace for these are the seeds that will forever keep America. The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Bless them O'Lord and bless their families for they are all the heroes of American Freedom. Their sacrifice for us will not be forgotten.

And another one that I say....

Lord, I lift Zac up to You and ask that You would put a hedge of protection around him. Protect his spirit, body, mind and emotions from any kind of evil or harm. I pray specifically for protection from accidents, disease, injury or any other physical, mental or emotional abuse. I pray that Zac will make refuge "in the shadow of Your wings" until "these calamities have passed by" (Psalm 57:1). Hide Zac from any kind of evil influences that would come against him. Keep him safe from any hidden dangers and let no weapons formed against him be able to prosper. Thank You Lord, for your many promises of protection. Help Zac to walk Your ways and in obedience to Your will so that he never comes out from under your umbrella of protection. Surround him with Your angels (Sery=)) and keep him safe in all he does and wherever he goes. In Jesus' name, I pray.


I just ordered his birthday cake. Yep, you heard me correctly, a birthday cake!!! Its through Bake Me a Wish, which is connected to Make a Wish Foundation, and a bakery in New York makes them. They send birthday cakes to soldiers overseas. How cool!? Granted, its the most expensive birthday cake I have ever bought, but he HAS to have a birthday cake! Or, should I say Cookies and Creme Oreo Cake. Yumm!!! It even comes in refrigerated packaging to insure freshness! =)

Love you all!

Update from Kuwait

Now, before I go believing all of these wonderful things, I want to ask Zac. He said they always make things sound better than they really are, but at least its wishful thinking......

Nightfighter Families & Friends,
I arrived in Kuwait at 3 AM this morning.­ I was on the last flight carrying 1-­293rd soldiers, so they are all here and are doing fine.­ The soldiers are staying in Air conditioned tents and have two very good mess halls to eat in.­ There is a Taco Bell, Pizza Inn, Chinese Restaurant and even a Starbucks here.­ The soldiers seem to have everything they need, except that the phones and internet are very limited -­ lots of soldiers with little resources.­ The phone and internet accessibility should greatly improve by the time we arrive in Iraq in the next couple of weeks (I CANNOT TELL YOU THE EXACT DATE).­ Please bear with us and be patient for the next couple of weeks while we get ready to move.­ LTC Hadley and I will do our best to keep you informed on as much info as we can.­ This is a time when the Nightfighters really need your support and for the soldiers to focus on our mission, so we can be as successful as possible.­ I will send more soon.­

Fighter 7

Savannah Georgia

When I arrived, I could hardly stand it. I was so excited to see Zac for the first time in two months. But, I had a entire day and a half before I would even see him. Jamie (my travel buddy) and I picked up our rental cars, made a trip to Walmart and got I some of Zac's favorite snacks to make an Easter basket for him, found a liquor store to buy some Miller Lite, and a cigar shop to get him a few cigars. That didnt take up nearly enough time.....The next day, we headed to Fort Stewart, just to look around, and find our way for the ceremony the next day. I wanted to hurry and go to bed early (and try to sleep) to make Saturday come even quicker. When I woke up, I got ready so quick, I had time to waste, go figure....Got to the ceremony early, too early. There were soldiers everywhere. Fat chance I was going to find Zac..........The ceremony started, we stayed back away from the bleachers, and sat on a parking curb. A Savannah news reporter started talking to us, and took us in front of the bleachers where the media/ reporters were. We were front row for the ceremony. Still couldnt see Zac though =( At the end of the ceremony, all of the soldiers marched around the field and saluted the 4 star general (which we JUST HAPPENED to be standing by) When the 1-293rd marched by, I was desperately hoping to get a first glance at Zac in 2 months. (This was when the Journal Gazette reported was writing down what I said, I HAD NO IDEA THAT SHE WAS!!!) But, no luck- I didnt see Zac, BUT later when I talked to him, HE SAW ME!!!!!! =) How cool!!??! We had time to kill (again) before we would finally be reunited with our soldiers. They had to turn in their sensitive materials (weapons, night vision etc) and everything had to be accounted for. His platoon was of course one of the last to be released GO FIGURE. When they were finally released, he called and asked where I was. I said I told him where I was and that I was jumping up and down waving my arms- basically making as big of a fool out of myself as I possibly could. He said he saw me and then he hung up the phone. I was going crazy looking all over for him. FINALLY I saw him in the distance. In uniform, looking just like the other thousands of soldiers there. But I knew him by his walk. Is that love or what!? I took off running to him. Not toofast though, because Jamie was my camera woman, capturing our reunion! I LOVE these pictures!

And then he twirled me!!! WEEE!!!!

And now, my NEW favorite picture of us....

One of the first things I noticed was how much weight he lost. You wont believe it. But he brought up a good point....what do you expect with sometimes just one meal a day, and a few hours of sleep?

We had a wonderful few days together. It was over way too fast. =(

Everything I felt is too deep to write about. I wouldnt even know how to put it into words. I am actually still working on writing everything about Sery. So maybe in time I will be able to write what it was like to say "good-bye" to Zac. We wouldnt say good bye to each other, we would say "See you soon." I still cry everyday. I think my face and eyes are going to permanently stay red and splotchy.

Here are a couple of home videos we took with my camera. This is within minutes from leaving the hotel to take him back to the base. I cry every time I watch them. I should probably stop watching them.

It beaks my heart when he apologizes for leaving....as much as I dont want him to go, I am so incredibly proud of him.

These were the last pictures we took before he reported back. (see what I mean about my red eyes and my splotchiness?)

My most favorite picture of Zac.......

Zac said he didnt want to walk away, and me have to watch him walk away......So he wanted me to get into the car and drive way. What the difference is/ was, I still dont know. It was just as hard to have to drive away as it would have been to watch him walk away. When I "drove away" I had my window down, and was driving along side of him. I couldnt do it. I just couldnt. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. That, and leave Sery at the cemetery, and walk away. Why is it that I keep having to walk away from the people I love most in the world?

But, Zac will be home soon, and all will be better.