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Ev update, via a note from his commander:

Dear Family and Friends of the *-***th Inf Bn,

I hope all family members and friends had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all a Happy New Year. Our Christmas here was uneventful, except for the cold and two days of rain we received. The dining facility was very festive with streamers and other colorful decorations. The Christmas meal was similar to the Thanksgiving feast we had. We were served turkey, ham and prime rib with yams, potatoes and all the trimmings to go along with it. As far as holiday activities go, there was a Christmas Eve dance for the camp, a movie marathon, and a bingo tournament for all to participate in. But, with the torrent of rain and cold that came, most soldiers stayed indoors and spent Christmas with their roommates and battle buddies watching movies or playing games. Additionally, a group of Kuwaiti corporations participating in an eleven-year-old program called Operation Christmas Basket, which was founded to thank U.S. servicemen and women, presented each E-4 and below with a Christmas present. The gift, a traditional Kuwaiti “Saduõ bag containing wrapped presents ranging from baseball caps to games, appeared to go over very well in our unit. There were enough presents left over that each soldier could have received one if they wanted.

On December 17th, exactly four months to the day the unit was mobilized for federal service, CSM ****** and I went to all the camps and awarded the soldiers the **nd Infantry Brigade combat patch. The last time this patch was authorized for wear as a Combat Patch was during World War II, when the ***th Infantry Regiment and 32nd Infantry Division were still in combat action when the cease fire order came on Aug. 15, 1945. The **nd Division had been in combat 654 days - more than any U.S. Division in any war. The soldiers were extremely proud and this ceremony was well received by all. It is truly unbelievable the amount of mail these soldiers receive on a daily basis, and I realize the majority of it this time of year is presents, but it makes me wonder how they are going to get it all sent home. The wives and mothers keep sending candy and cookies. I am beginning to worry about our weight come February for the APFT. We may have to postpone the weigh-in to give soldiers a chance to work off the Christmas cheer.

The companies are continuing to improve their camps, refine their operations, and upgrading their living quarters. Everything going extremely well and morale remains high. We receive complements weekly from military dignitaries on our hard work and professionalism. You can be very proud of your soldier ; I know I am!

As we approach the New Year, please enjoy it in a safe manner. We think about family and friends daily and would like for you to be in good health when we visit home on our leave period and when we return from our deployment at the end of 2006. God bless you all and Happy New Year! "