I just got an email from my Darling

[The Walker]

I was happy to hear from him. I will cut and paste it here except I will cut out the naughty parts directed to me.

"Hi Hon. Things are a little on the disorganized side right now. We have to get better dispersal. We have had two false alarms for chemical attacks, but you can't afford to ignore them. I think I may sleep in my mask, so I won't have to get up and put it on in the night (just kidding, hon). Tent city right now with portapotties that get pretty ripe in the sun. Hope to be reasigned and billeted in concrete later this weekend. Rank hath its priviliges. I guess I am to work on the organizing of what I told you before I left. I had to take out Calamity Jane and show her the desert and let her clear her throat a little. I have to tweak the sights for the altitude, we're not too far above sea level here. Old 55 gallon barrels serve as targets, paint them black and put them out a couple of clicks and have at it. I am comfortable enough, I am glad you bought me that minidisk MP3 player and that LED flashlight and recorded all those songs on disk for me. You are a thoughtful and caring wife. When you send me anything, send AA batteries along with it. They are worth their weight in gold here. I have a bunch but I will probably get mooched. And send some of those cookies you make, the chocolate chip peanut butter bar cookies. Pack them in popcorn as I told you, then seal the coffee can with duct tape they should make it okay. We are living off MREs right now until we get a field kitchen set up for the new arrivals. Oh, and send me at least three large bottles of Tabasco. I am using a lot to get the MREs down. I have talked to the general and I am going to be working 12-16 hour days. I will try to get off an email to you every day that I can. Don't worry, we are safe here as anywhere. Tell the mom and the girls I love them and XXXXXXXX (Grandson's name-VICKY) too. Of course I miss you a ton, and" (here I cut it off-VICKY)

So you see he is okay but I still worry especially about the chemical warnings. Calamity Jane is his rifle. I don't know what a click is. I am going to work on the cookies tomorrow and mail everything he asked for Saturday. I wish I could mail myself. I would live in his tent and clean his things and cook for him on a Coleman stove like I did in the Florida Keys. I miss him so much and I am so afraid for him. He loses weight on MREs as he does not eat enough of them and he does not need to lose weight. I would even wear a full cloth over me like the Muslim women do and a veil too. I do not care so long as we could be together.

[yorktr]

... in response to I just got an email from my Darling, posted by The Walker on Feb 27, 2003

...is nominally a kilometer.

[SteveB]

... in response to I just got an email from my Darling, posted by The Walker on Feb 27, 2003

Our army tents come complete with computers now!  So darn Insane hasn't got a chance!

[The Walker]

... in response to Dam!!!!!, posted by SteveB on Feb 28, 2003

I imagine he sent the email from headquarters you teaser. He is living in tents right now until they find something better for him. He told me in his personal part that they have places set up for the soldiers to email home but since he is working in a headquarters I imagine he has access more often. I like that. The American military is very internet connected by satellite. They are also setting up telephone tents that the soldiers can use to call collect or use calling cards in places that are not at all close to a telephone booth. Some of the places are within range for cell phone use too but that is very expensive and Don did not even bother to take a cell phone with him. He did take a notebook computer and he will compose his mails on that and then send them out all at once later on. The tents have electricity many of them and later they will have air conditioning units attached just like in Desert Storm if it lasts that long.

VICKY

[Ray]

... in response to I just got an email from my Darling, posted by The Walker on Feb 27, 2003

Hi VICKY,

Now that's an interesting name for Don's rifle. Ask him if Calamity Jane can remove the cap from a 12-oz bottle of Tabasco at 2 clicks, at night with a quarter-moon and clear skies, without spilling any of the sauce. Just checking to see if the old fart has lost his touch :-)

Glad to hear that he made it O.K. and remind him to wear his mask when he's pinching a loaf (he'll know what I mean) because that combination of Tabasco & MRE's can sometimes produce some rather toxic fumes.

Oh, and when you're packing that CARE package for Don, don't forget to sprinkle in a little of your favorite cologne (they always like that) and throw in an extra shovel; it sounds like he could use it :-)

Ray

[Dave H]

... in response to Calamity Jane, posted by Ray on Feb 28, 2003

Hi Ray,

If you want to remove the cap from a 12-oz bottle of Tabasco at a distance, better stick with .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO), .30-06 or .300 Win. Magnum. Distance is great with .50 cal., but ammunition is usually of poor quality. You will probaly just knock over the barrel knock that the bottle is sitting on. ) Much better for larger targets, at long range. Forget about .223 unless you're close. (That's why those guys were shooting out of the back of a trunk) If the wind didn't blow it off target and you could actually hit the bottle, it would probably just bounce off of it.  

Dave H.

[Jeff S]

... in response to Good Luck!, posted by Dave H on Mar 1, 2003

True the military ammo is marginally accurate, since it's designed for the M-2 but you can hand load match grade bullets and cases for some tack driving accuracy in 50 bolt action guns. The semi auto Barret is so so with this kind of ammo but in the the bolts the accuracy is something else. They even sabots for 30 cal Match bullets for the .50 BMG that fly a shade over 5000 fps.
- Jeff S.

[Dave H]

... in response to You know, Dave, posted by Jeff S on Mar 3, 2003

Hi Jeff,

I appreciate that info! .50 caliber rifles are a blast to shoot. Even though it is not perfect, I especially enjoy the Barrett .50 cal. The effective range is around 1500m-1800m and used mainly for stopping  a jeep or penetrating light armored vehicles. I've used it in many different scenarios: Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, Conflict: Dessert Storm, Rainbow Six - Rogue Spear, Delta Force,  Delta Force: Land Warrior, etc. In Delta Force, Sp4 Terrence Williams uses a Barrett .50 cal with a X2 ammo load. In Delta Force: Land Warrior, Longbow (sniper-Sergeant Daniel Lonetree) prefers all sniper rifles, but says this about his Barrett. "You don't have to get out of my way. My 50 cal will connect with the target whether you're standing there or not." Got to love it! ;o)))

Dave H.

[Dave H]

... in response to Thanks!, posted by Dave H on Mar 3, 2003

I don't play video games! Learned all of that from my sons. ROFLMAO!

Dave H.

[Ray]

... in response to Good Luck!, posted by Dave H on Mar 1, 2003

You're right Dave! That's why I said a 12-oz bottle of Tabasco, not a 2-oz.

Besides, knowing Don, he probably wouldn't screw around with those little 2-oz "girl's size" Tabasco bottles (ROFL)

Ray

[Dave H]

... in response to Re: Good Luck!, posted by Ray on Mar 1, 2003

[This message has been edited by Dave H]

Hi Ray,

I'm a 2-oz. man myself. LOL He probably uses custom ammo, if using .50 cal. Military grade would be tough to keep the shots grouped very tightly. Probably why the Barrett gives you 10 chances. Best for hard targets. Not so good for sniping people, since they tend to move quickly when they hear and see stuff cracking and exploding around them. )))

Dave H.

[Ray]

... in response to You're Right!, posted by Dave H on Mar 1, 2003

Dave,

Thanks for the sniper lesson!

2-oz Tabasco bottles? What a wimp! (LOL) O.K., I'll confess that I occasionally use the little 2-oz size. Those saved my life more than once in the Philippines. When you go to someone’s home in the Phils, you never know what they might offer you to eat. I always expect the worst and carry a small bottle of Tabasco in my pocket. You’d be surprised how much better dried squid or dinuguan tastes with a good dousing of Tabasco. I found some real cute little 1/8 oz bottles of Tabasco that come in a six-pack. I’m going to use those for pocket protection next trip over. Should be just about the right size to treat a small plate of squid adobo :-)

Ray
 

[Dave H]

... in response to Re: You're Right!, posted by Ray on Mar 3, 2003

Hi Ray,

Mr. "1/8 oz" Tabasco! ROFBMAO! That is actually a very good idea. I am a wimp! Too much Tobasco and my ass catches fire! =8oO

Dave "Wimpy" H.

[Kreeger]

... in response to I just got an email from my Darling, posted by The Walker on Feb 27, 2003