Kristin,

Things are going well.  Yes, I did receive Girl Scout Cookies but I do not have an address or name or email to reply.  I think I read Betsy on the card.  Could you let me know who that is?  Of course, thank them if you do know who it is.  I will also when I get the chance to respond.

Also, please give me one day to get you a new mailing address.  The name to replace me is Captain Laurie Ludovici.  She is another friend of mine from Rhode Island.  She is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot who is over here for one year.  She is with the rest of her unit from the Rhode Island Army National Guard.  If you want to talk about Patriots, Laurie has a one-year-old boy at home along with a five-year-old little girl.  That's a Patriot.  Their location of her deployment is far less comfortable than ours.  I told you the package you sent was really unbelievable.  The boys really appreciated that, however, when we saw their setup, everyone agreed to pass on the goodies to them.  Your package has seen some travel which leads to the story of the package transfer.

On the day we flew to the location where Laurie was, we were scheduled to move some high ranking government and military officials.  This type of extraction is always accomplished in a very quick manner but on this particular day the Iraqis saw to it that they would complicate the process.  Can't pass details through email.  In the middle of this orchestrated madness, my biggest concern was the transfer of "The Package".  Here are these Generals wanting a quick exit from this place and here I am telling them that I understand their desire to leave but I must deliver Kristin's package to my Army friends.  I found an Army representative and gave him the box with Laurie's name written all over it really wondering if she would ever see it.  I returned to my own base ten hours later to an email of many thanks.  She did receive the package and couldn't thank you enough.  Her troops really appreciated your efforts.  My few words don't really do the story justice but you'll have to trust me, the whole scene was very funny.  The fact that the package made it to its destination was very satisfying.       

I will be returning to Rhode Island in three weeks for a couple of months and then return here in late summer.

I'll write again shortly.

Thank you and your family and friends for the very generous treats.

Respectfully,

Art