This picture was taken by photographer Petr Josek last year. It shows the terrain here: agricultural farmlands along the Euphrates, perforated by canals. This can be a challenge on foot with an increasing equipment load.Many men in the Task Force have started doing workouts from www.crossfit.com. Already this website has received a steady following of soldiers and police. Detractors say it causes Rhabdo. When SSG Smith and I did the Hero workout named "The Murph,"56 minutes of suffering ensued.
Today we packed our gym--a sure sign that things are winding down. Often the gym is the inner sanctum of a patrol base. In Yusufiya the walls are lined with American flags, pictures of Governor Schwarzenegger, and the names of countries the U.S. Army has occupied. In 1901 we took Peking. I guess we gave it back.
