We are down to the last 40 days of deployment and are really looking forward to heading home.  The entire MEU will be boarding back onto their ships over the next few days after a long 40 plus day training operation in Kuwait.  It proved to be one of our best training operations yet, which it should be seeing how long we have been working together.

The trip home is going to feel long.  As before, there isn't a whole lot to do on the ship, but we are all pretty sure they will find things for us to do.  We will do a final customs inspection somewhere in Europe before we finally set sail across the Atlantic, and then it's home free.

For many of us, this will be our last deployment.  Some of the guys I came in with will be reenlisting and moving on to other things, others will be extending to go on the next deployment with 2/6.  Most of the guys though will be doing the same thing I am, and thats getting out of the military.  With the war effort slowing down to a snails pace, most of us get the feeling that we wont be deploying much anymore.  Even though we complain sometimes and love those homecoming events, we all joined the military to deploy to foreign countries and defend our countries freedom.  A lot of us are getting nervous because we aren't sure what the economy is actually like back home because we aren't there right now.  All of us are determined to get jobs though, and many of us have solid plans.

Until I return, thanks to everyone as usually.  Next time the big bell hits, I hope to be home for it.  Looks like a great stop on Warrior Road guys.