i have a departure date

May 27th. Or 28th. I suppose, in the strict sense of the word, those are "dates" rather than "a date" but I'm not splitting hairs at this point. I have a pretty clear target for when I'm going to arrive in Iraq and that's more than I have had for quite some time.

The wheels are officially in motion. I can start putting dates to everything that needs to happen in the next 2 months before I leave.

Here is a sample of some of the things I need to get together before heading down to Ft. Benning, GA for my orientation and pre-deployment training:

• 30 copies of your orders, with exact and accurate name & SSN.
• Passport & 5 copies of it
• Drivers License or state ID (current, and not to expire while you are deployed) & 5 copies
• Generic Physical Inspection signed & dated from your doctor. Some type of cover letter stating that you are healthy and fit to be deployed, away from medical services, signed by your doctor is great. Also bring a list of any allergies, conditions, or prior surgeries, heart conditions, etc that you may have experienced. Anything of question should be explained in the doctor’s letter.
• Dental x-rays, less than 6 months old, signed & dated by your dentist. You will also need your dentists license number for DoD paperwork. Complete form DD2813 with your dentist (attached).
• Printed statement of your eyewear prescription, updated within last 6 months (if applicable).
• TWO pairs of Rx glasses (only if you need corrective lenses). On medical check-in day, you will be asked to show both pairs of your glasses if you do not have 20/20 vision. One pair of eyeglasses and various sets of contact lenses do not count.
• A record of any immunizations you have received in the last 10 years. If you cannot show prior immunization, you will at a minimum receive the following: Hepatitus A & B, Influenza, MMR, Tetanus-Diptheria-Pertussis, Typhoid, & Tuberculin skin test.
• Any prescriptions you may need, with a supply that you expect to last for the full length of your deployment. You may not need to show this at CRC, but if your conditions require serious medication, they may ask to see & verify that you have enough to last deployment.
• Know your blood type.

So far I have my Passport and Driver's License (but no copies of them)...I don't think I have anything else on this list. I need another pair of glasses? I need a recent prescription for my eyes? I need a physical? I need dental x-rays? I need to get moving!

I don't even know my blood type. But I'm sure the doctor who gives me my physical can handle that for me.

on the road again...

Today was an interesting day in traveling. Fortunately, all of my flights, hotel arrangements, subway rides, etc. went smoothly all day long (in sharp contrast to last week with 2 missed flights, a missed wake up call and piecing travel reservations together on the fly).

Only 1 minor annoyance with TSA in Omaha. I apparently did not drink the last 1/2 ounce of water out of my water bottle when I went through security. Rather than pouring out the water or letting me drink the last partial gulp, they packed up all of my things and walked me out of the gate area so I could dump the smallest imaginable amount of water into a trash can and go all the way through security again. Fun times. Very logical outcome.

I'm in D.C. in my hotel room getting ready for dinner. Spent the day talking about survey/questionnaire design. I was kind of in geek heaven. Lots of interesting topics and lots of good learning, growth and development in preparation for the Iraq position. I am going to be a full fledged polling dilettante by the end of this process; I am going to know a little bit about an awful lot.

And there are always worse places to spend a day or two than D.C. Now for dinner plans...

and so it begins...

I have been thinking about beginning this process for some time and I suppose this is how it starts...

This is certainly a transitional point in time in my life and writing about such transitions has always proved cathartic in the past. I have actually had a few requests to start a blog from friends and colleagues as the next 8 months of my life will likely hold a fair degree of drama and intrigue; more than most epochs of my life have thus far.

In late May or early June, I will leave for Iraq where I will live and work for 6 months. I am not in the military and I am not leaving my employer. I'm being "transferred" in a sense. I work for Gallup and our mission is "helping people be heard." The chance to work toward that mission in Baghdad was too great an opportunity to pass up.

I am hoping to share the process of preparing for this adventure and the subsequent 6 months with anyone who is interested.

As of today, I am living in Lincoln, NE, working at one of our Gallup Interviewing centers and waiting for the details of this trip to solidify.

As I am not entirely sure how much detail should or should not be included in my debut blog, I will leave matters at this and will expand in coming days, weeks and months. Cheers to all who are interested in following along on this journey.