1st Lt Prifogle’s Blog

It’s close enough to count down now.  Count down the weeks, the days, the workouts, the miles left to run on an empty desert road.  At the chow hall we talk about the first thing we’re going to do when we get home.  What restaurant we’ll eat at, beer we’ll drink, who will be waiting […]

“Group, Atten-hut.” The Personal Security Detachment (PSD) First Sergeant (1st Sgt) calls the Marines to attention and does an about face to me. “Good morning, Ma’am.” He holds his hand up in a perfect salute.

I salute back, squinting in the burning sun. “Good morning.” I lower my hand to a […]

I overslept. I wake up and look at my clock and it’s already past 8. I didn’t go to bed particularly late, but when my alarm went off I must have turned it off in my sleep. My room is dark and I stumble to find a flashlight (recently all my lightbulbs […]

It’s 4:02 according to my little plastic alarm clock I bought at the PX over four months ago. I gave myself two minutes on purpose. I knew I’d be exhausted and hearing that god awful buzzing sound, something akin to a dying seal, at 4:02 opposed to 4:00 means I got up after […]

There is a sign as you walk outside one of the chow-halls on base, “complacency kills.”  It is engrained in our minds during training, “complacency kills.”  During staff meetings, “complacency kills.”  It is the signature of emails, “complacency kills.”  Everywhere you go you are reminded, “complacency kills.”  It is a fight.  Complacency sets in after […]

It’s easy to forget.  Forget why you are here.  Forget what you left behind.  Forget what left you behind.  It’s also easy to forget that you are here.  Here – in Iraq.  Habits, both good and bad, become routines and routines become a way of life.  Things that not too long ago felt like movements […]

“You married or single?” Ali asks me bluntly. I am in Iraq wearing a flak jacket and Kevlar helmet and do not feel feminine at all. I am not surprised when I am greeted as “sir” in all my gear so this question takes me off guard. I have just introduced […]

            Why run?  It’s a question normal people always ask runners.  To most people it seems insane that anyone would wake up at 5 in the morning to go run 11.5 miles, but to a runner not running seems insane.  To a runner, running is as essential as breathing and eating.
            Unlike football or […]

It’s less than a month until the XO’s challenge 11.5 on 5-11. Slowly and gradually CWO Colter and I have worked up to 9 miles on our long Sunday morning runs (5 miles on our weekday runs). In the mornings the base is quiet, peaceful, awaiting the day to come. We run […]

This piece is a joint effort for our Commanding Officer’s monthly family newsletter.  My Marines, LCpl Shivers and LCpl Curlee helped write this piece.  I think it’s rather amusing so I thought I’d post so everyone can see the lighter side of life out here.  Kill.
Happy Birthday
On a deployment units become like family.  We work […]

            “Captain White.”
            “Present.”
            “Major Thompson.”
            “Present.”
            “Lieutenant Colonel Maddox.”
            “Present.”
            “Lieutenant Colonel Walls.”
Silence.
            “Lieutenant Colonel Walls.”  The voice echoes through the silence of the Memorial Chapel.
            Silence.
             “Lieutenant Colonel Walls.”  Now, with an annoyance in each syllable like the sound of a teachers voice calling for a child skipping class.
            Silence.
 “Lieutenant Colonel […]

Let me tell you about the sky. It is perhaps my favorite part about being here. You have to picture yourself at home. Just sitting and drinking a cup of coffee – early, long before anyone else is awake. Now, imagine someone putting a giant bowl over you and everything you […]

I’m sitting outside. It’s 0924 AM on my computer – California time. That means it’s 1924 (7:24 PM) here. I am sitting outside trying to get a connection to the wireless Internet. The cool air blows my hair in my face. I always let my hair down at night. […]

I wake up. I barely open my eyes and the light in the room burns my eyes. I rub my eyes and hope I am not getting another eye infection from wearing my contacts while sleeping. I don’t think I could explain more scar tissue on my eyes to a doctor. My eyes burn and I rub them as tears roll down my cheeks rewetting the lenses on my eyes.

Where am I? I wonder before opening my eyes again. I’m not at home with Megan and Mom – that must have been a dream. Yes that was just a dream. I let myself go back to sleep for a split second.

I sit in my office on another Al Asad morning. My Marines are still asleep. The office is quiet for a change, but I know it’s only a matter of a few hours before Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, civilians, just about anyone you can imagine on this base coming or going through our warehouse-office […]

Things That I Miss (and unfortunately cannot be sent through the mail).

The sound of a child’s voice, their laugh, the eternal hope in their eyes.
Human contact other then a handshake – a hug, a kiss,
Lazy […]

I. Rivercity.
Rivercity is when we are cut off. Something has happened (usually unbeknownst to those of us on base) and a Marine, Soldier, Sailor or Airman was killed or had to be medevaced. They implement Rivercity so that we don’t contact our families or fellow service members to spread the […]

The First Sand Storm
Living in this dessert is something that most American’s will never experience. Personally, I wouldn’t mind going without the experience myself, but life had other plans for me.
We had our first sandstorm yesterday.
A cold front had crept in over the last couple days. It had been […]

Winter in Iraq
When you tell people “I’m a Marine.” There are various reactions. If you are the stereotypical Marine – tall, young, male, athletic – I imagine the response to be, “Oh thank you your service, we’re so proud of you.” If you are the less stereotypical Marine the response is for […]

Lost
I watch Lost. I only have a TV and DVD player – no channels. I never watch TV at home, so I’m not missing anything. Here, I watch Lost and I understand. I am on a deserted island. Only there are no white sand beaches. The water in the […]