Chris' Deployment Journal

I am 'Ghengis Chez', Warlord of All the Earth, but Especially 3rd Platoon's Squad Bays, Sultan of Plywood Walls, Lord of Details and Police Calls (aka 'picking up trash'), Owner of a Faux Fur 'Snow Leopard' vest!

The first question is just why do I have a faux fur vest in a country that's currently running at about 120+ degrees each day? A funny story that. My high school buddy Jeff Mann has a lovely wife named Sarah, who is amazingly talented and sings, dances, and just generally cavorts on stage for nationally-touring plays. Currently she's also a hostess on ShopNBC.com. While on leave, my wife Sally was kind enough to show me a clip of Sarah's work, as she was passionately pitching reversible faux fur snow leopard vests for all the (probably older) ladies watching ShopNBC.com.

So I called Jeff and when he picked up, I acted like I wanted to order a snow leopard vest. I made the joke several times during the call and again, I think, over email. Later I thought, 'You know, I think I might have just set myself up there...' So one day a care package shows up here in Iraq, all the way from Minneapolis. It is very light. The customs form on it says 'clothing'. It is... a faux fur snow leopard vest. And now, I am Ghengis Chez!

(The knife by the way is a homemade, replica Ghurka knife (the Ghurka were soldiers from northern India/present day Nepal) that Sgt. Shriver actually carries around with him in sector. It was made out of a truck spring.)