Hello from Iraq!

[bruce drake]

Hey Folks,

Just a note from a fellow caster currently serving in Iraq. Been here three months now and have finally got decent internet bandwidth to support logging in here.

My Company is all settled into their work here in Kirkuk and we are turning some serious wrenches.

Found a 4 oz wheelweight in the dirt along the side of the road here and almost picked it up for melting later. Old addictions die hard.[smilie=1:

Looking forward to seeing the USA in 12 months.

Bruce Drake
CPT, USA
Ordnance Corps
Bulldog 6:castmine:

[45nut]

Good to hear from you Bruce. Good Luck in your endeavor and God Speed.
Leave the ww's alone this time and keep your eyes open for transferable "souvenirs" Eh?

[NVcurmudgeon]

Thanks to you and a few thousand others for serving where you are. Never mind the WW, take good care of yourself.

[725]

God bless. Stay safe. Come back proud.

[RugerFan]

Hey Bruce
I'm at Warhorse (as a civilian now though). If you're ever up this way look me up (DSN ext 1589). We'll shoot the breeze over a couple of cokes.

-Todd

[DLCTEX]

Bruce, thank you for your service. Where do you call home? Come back safe. Dale

[Single Shot]

BRUCE


THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

Don't go picking up anything along the road.

Gods Protection and Speed.


Come Home Proud of what you accomplished and leave all the other stress there.

[DLCTEX]

Single shot, I drove through Ohio once. I was going to stop for lunch but I had driven out of state before I knew I was there. Saw a post card once with a picture of a fellow driving from Texarkana to El Paso. It said, "the sun has riz and the sun has set, and here I iz in Texas yet". I drove in a military convoy from Abilene to El Paso, It took three days. Dale

[Russell James]

Well done mate, I poignant reminder for today being Remebrance day [Armistice day] here in Australia and overseas. Regards Russell James.

[randyrat]

Gotta give you guys and girls(women) credit for serving and in that desert environment. I know i would die just from the heat. When i went in i had one demand and it was i would only serve in a cold weather unit, well they gave it to me. Our mission was Alaska, we trained in northern Minnesotta in Jan every year.
I'm sure glad you got on line and was able to get on Cast boolits Keep us informed.
Thanks for your service

[PPpastordon]

bruce drake;
Thank you for your service for this country. Be safe. Can I say it - WW are not all that important, especially at this point, time and place in your life.
My prayers are with you and I will lift you in prayer at church this morning.

[Single Shot]

Single shot, I drove through Ohio once. I was going to stop for lunch but I had driven out of state before I knew I was there. Saw a post card once with a picture of a fellow driving from Texarkana to El Paso. It said, "the sun has riz and the sun has set, and here I iz in Texas yet". I drove in a military convoy from Abilene to El Paso, It took three days. Dale

Thanks for clearing my head DALE. See YOUR PM.

Ands Thanks for your service too.

I deleted the junk posts.

[Single Shot]

Well done mate, I poignant reminder for today being Remebrance day [Armistice day] here in Australia and overseas. Regards Russell James.

Thanks AGAIN RUSSELL, I needed that. Check PM

[sundog]

Hooah, Bruce.

[Jim]

Bruce,
Thank you for protecting my freedom. It is of great value to me and I understand the sacrifice you are making and the one you're willing to make for me. PLEASE, be safe and come home!

[Urny]

Thanks for everything, Bruce, and happy Veterans Day, from an old Army vet to a (far) younger one.

[USARO4]

Thank you for your service to our country Bruce. God bless you and all your and all our troops.

[Three44s]

Bruce Drake,

Thank you for you taking time to check in!

Thank you for your service!

God Bless and God Speed till you can come home again!

Three 44s

[9.3X62AL]

Bruce--

Forget the wheelweights--they're likely zinc, anyway. :)

To you--and to all that are serving or have served our country--THANK YOU, GOD BLESS YOU, and keep your heads down. There are lots of snakes in the grass, bears in the woods, and scorpions in the sane dunes.

[Dave Berryhill]

Bruce - please don't pick up those really big bullets that you may find on the side of the road. They make a big mess when you try to melt them!

Seriously though, stay safe and thank you for your service Sir!

[38-55]

CPT Drake,
Have a good veterans day and WY6.
Stay safe
Calvin

[JeffinNZ]

Now that's the sign of a true boolit caster. Most serviceman will try and bring home a war souvenir but you're looking for WW's. That's my boy!!!!!

Tell me, how hard on the equipment is the environment o'there? I understand the vehicles are wearing out faster than normal.

Best of luck.

[Ricochet]

You'd have to use a dry hard lube over there and keep the noses clean. And clean sizing lube off the cases better than I usually do.

[waksupi]

Thanks for your service~!!!!!

[testhop]

hey Bruce
thank you and those who serve
keep your hand , head and your butt down
from the movie never oso few come a great line
"NEVER SO MANY OWED SO MUCH TO SO FEW "
COME HOME SAFE WE NEED ALL THE GOOD MEN WE CAN GET

[Nueces]

Come home safe, Bruce and thanks for your service. Please pass the word to all over there that a lot of us are keeping you all in our thoughts and prayers.

Mark

[trk]

Don't worry about picking stuff up but KEEP YOUR EYES open!

I stopped once on a fire trail at Ft Gordon to pick up the end of an ammo crate to see what caliber it was (turned out to be a 105mm two-round crate).

If I hadn't stopped to look my next step would have been squarely on a 5' Eastern Diamondback!

That night in my daily reading program was Ps 107:2 - Let the redemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redemed from the hand of the enemy.

We are supporting you in prayer - keep us posted!

[whisler]

Bruce: My prayers are added to the others. Stay safe and Godspeed back to the USA

[mag_01]

Good luck young man --- Come home safe ---- That old casting pot will be waiting for you --- Mag_01

[dagamore]

Cpt.

keep safe, and if you swing by Germany on the route back, i.e. ramstine AFB. Give me a holler i am just up the road from them.

good luck
Brad.

[bruce drake]

Thanks everyone for the best wishes.

I just did a Combat Patch ceremony yesterday afternoon for my new Soldiers who have never deployed before. Of the 76 in my company 35 received the patch for the first time. I unfortunately am looking at my fifth. I probably have a pretty good poker hand by now.

The equipment has been rode hard but my guys are working around the clock shifts to ensure that those trucks stay on the road and their guns fire straight.

I don't think that 750gr of lead is worth picking up the expended 50 cal rounds lying around. Some of them actually have exploding tips!

Talk to you all soon.

Bruce

[LeadThrower]

Bruce,
Come back soon, be safe till then. There are a lot of folks back home thinkfing of you and those beside you!
LeadThrower

[1Shirt]

Hang tough over there Bruce! Kick tail and take names, but come back to cast, load, shoot, and swap war stories with us other old war horses!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Jon K]

Bruce,

Thank You for your service GOD BLESS YOU AND THE TROOPS THIS VETERANS DAY.

Jon

[Steve Collins]

Bruce,

Stay Safe! I'm in Baghdad, running a PSD team. If you get to the IZ look me up!

Steve

[Nueces]

All the best to you, too, Steve and thank you for your service.

To all 'over there', you may take all these comments and well wishings to be your own, no matter to whom they are addressed. You are all on the team and in our thoughts.

Mark

[snuffy]

Thanks for your service Bruce and Steve, your sacrifice is welcomed and stay safe to return to a grateful country.

[mtgrs737]

May the Lord look after you and all your bothers and sisters there, and I wish you safe passage to come home safe and whole.

[Cherokee]

God Bless you and all others serving against the enemy. Vet to Vet.

[Lloyd Smale]

Bruce bless you and the rest of the troops over there!!

[Dave Berryhill]

....I don't think that 750gr of lead is worth picking up the expended 50 cal rounds lying around. Some of them actually have exploding tips!...

No, I mean the BIG bullets that are lying on the side of the road!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/1918_German_UXOs1.JPG/800px-1918_German_UXOs1.JPG
If you think dripping water into your furnace is bad, wait until you try putting one of those in it!

You guys stay safe over there.

[corvette8n]

Bruce
Happy Veterans Day, I am grateful you are serving, Be safe.
:-D:-D

[Bret4207]

Hey Bruce- Keep yer head down. You'll continue to be in our thougths and prayers.

[medic44]

Bruce: God Bless ya. Tell everyone out there that we are prayin for ya'll