Topeka, Kansas! How is everyone?! So it’s been 3 months and I have been itching to blog the entire time. Believe it or not it’s taken this long to get approval from “higher”. That was one of my “potential blog topics” in the brief I put together…how difficult it is to blog back to the states. It’s all for a good reason....security. My main concern was making you all think I had deserted you. I haven’t. I think about returning home to Topeka every day. I have so much to share with you all, but first I will start with my position here. I am the MWR Officer for Camp Slayer, which stands for morale, welfare and recreation (on one of many camps throughout Baghdad). I ensure that all the soldiers and civilian contractors here on Camp Slayer, Iraq have enough events  they can enjoy on their down time when they return from missions outside the wire. Along with being the MWR Officer here in beautiful Iraq :) I give guided tours to distinguished visitors of Saddam's palaces. So far I have escorted nearly a thousand people through the rubble and palaces Saddam Hussein called home. Visitors range from Iraqi Generals, U.S. Military Generals to USO entertainment groups that travel to Iraq and Kuwait performing for the soliders. The tour includes the former "Victory over America" palace, "Victory over Iran" palace, one of the last murals of Saddam, Uday's home (Saddam's oldest son) and the Ba'ath Party Convention Center. I am enjoying myself as best as I can here in the desert. Every once in awhile I hear ak47's outside the wire and  see random flahes of light in the air, but all I can do is continue to do my job here until it's time to return to America. Take care everyone. Pictures included! Enjoy!

~LT Ramos