23Jun09 LANDSTUHL, Germany - The boxes arrive daily from the United States. Some days, 15 boxes arrive. Some days, 20. Typically each week, between $8,000 and $12,000 in cash also pours in from U.S. citizens and groups.
     The boxes and the money are meant for the wounded warriors who pass through here, most coming from Afghanistan or Iraq. More than 54,000 wounded warriors have passed through Landstuhl Regional Medical Center's doors since Operation Enduring Freedom began October 2001, according to a hospital spokesman.
     Lined with shelves organized in a manner that would make even the most obsessive-compulsive supply sergeant proud is the Chaplains' Closet. The name is a misnomer, because it is about the size of your average neighborhood convenience store. Its official name is the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center.

Father Vakoc, a Minnesota Army chaplain who was seriously injured in Iraq in 2004, died June 20. No cause of death was given. Family and friends were with him when he died, according to his CaringBridge Web site.

There are times when I think that it could not get any hotter.  Then it does.
The other day we had our first true sand storm.  Up until then we had had dust storms.
What is the difference between a dust storm and a sand storm?
A sand storm hurts.

Pentecost in Iraq started as actually a pretty nice day, given the weather over here. It probably wasn’t even 85 degrees before Mass began at 09:30. Almost spring-like.

During my Mass at Camp Ramadi I confirmed two of my Marines, a corporal and a gunnery sergeant. I had a proxy Guard officer for the corporal and the gunny asked her XO to be here sponsor.

As the photo shows, everyone but I was armed for the ceremony.