Rob at Work

Here are some pictures of the kind of stuff Rob is doing over there, thought you all might be interested. He has been pretty busy so he hasn't had time to write for the blog yet but I am sure he will soon.

Here is the caption that goes with the photos:

090526-F-7426P-009 – Nagdad – U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Vincent, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion-11, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), and Capt. Rob Meehl, Officer in charge, Delta Company, 478th Civil Affairs, discuss possible alternatives for the communal water source in the village of Nagdad, May 26, 2009. The 478th Civil Affairs Battalion, CJTF-HOA interact with various villages and local key leaders in order to foster a better understanding and communication while building relationships that allow CJTF-HOA forces to partner with the host nation. The service members of CJTF-HOA, headquartered in Djibouti, employ an indirect approach to counter violent extremism. Through a strategy of cooperative conflict prevention the task force helps build the internal capacities of countries at risk to prevail against extremists exploiting instability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sgt. Dawn M. Price/released)

Rob and his team

Picture of Rob and his team I think. The car behind him may be the Toyota Land Cruiser that he keeps saying he is going to buy and ship back. He has always wanted an old Land Cruiser but I am not sure he is going to pull that one off.

what I am listening to

This picture is the current music selection in my truck. There are two radio stations here. One is local and plays only local music. The other is French/American, so half the broadcasts are in French the other half are in English. It is a lot of news and very little music. Until I get an tape adapter for the IPOD, this is the music I am listening to.
Right now Def Lepard, Bobby Brown and LL are getting the most rotation. I had copy of Thiller, but that tape just broke. So bummed about that.

Lakers/Nuggets final score

Rob wanted to make sure I posted this.

website

Hey everyone I found a link to a website somewhat related to the mission that Rob is involved in and thought you might want to check it out. I am not sure how much of this relates to him but it is the correct area and he is involved in the HOA mission. Hope it is informative, I haven't really looked at it.

http://www.hoa.africom.mil/

Niki

So Far....

SO FAR...
So far my new home is great. It is not only as hot as Iraq, but it is also as humid as Florida. How sweet is that?
I have started taking malaria pills. Which made me fart, alot. My body has since adjusted, but I am told that when you stop taking them, your body really has it with you. So I got that going for me.
I made to 4 continents in 36 hours. That is pretty cool, you have to admit, not a whole lot of people can say the same thing.
I have also been thinking a great deal about my friends and my family. I have thought about how blessed I am.
I am just starting to figure this thing out, so I will save my words.
Thanks,
Rob

Rob is in Jersey

I have "re opened" this blog for lack of better words. As you can see it hasn't been updated in years, but since Rob has gotten deployed again I decided it was time for it to make a comback. I don't know how often Rob will be able to post here but I'm sure he will do his best to update it when he can. If you read back through the past posts from when he was in Iraq you will see they can be quite amusing. Rob is in New Jersey right now training at Ft Dix, I am not sure when he is leaving to Africa. I'm sure he will appreciate any messages you send him. I'm not sure how they are posted or sent here but you guys are smart, I know you can figure it out. So here's to the next year and hoping everyone enjoys reading this blog.

In Florida once again

So a lot has happenend since the last time I wrote. Rob finally got out of the Army and is now working at his dream job. He is the skate and shoe buyer for Quiet Flight Surf Shop. I keep telling him it isn't a real job but I suppose he deserves a little break after the last few years. I have gone back to Quiet Flight as well but I am now working at their Orlando store as a visual merchandiser which is just a fancy way of saying I make the store look pretty. Things are going fine here. I am getting used to civilian life after 27 years of being involved with the Army either through Rob or my dad. Rob has adjusted to it perfectly fine I think. Lauryn is going to start 1st grade in a couple of weeks and is very excited. She got to buy her first backpack for school so now she feels like a big kid. Isaiah is going to pre-k this year so he thinks he is pretty big too. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to life at school. I think his teachers will get a kick out of him. The next year is going to be a whole new life for out family. I will try to post more often and maybe Rob will too. ,we'll see.

Fun on the Gator 

Working man 

The new dog Lucy 

Lauryn at field day 

The kids after a fun day of face painting 

The kids with sparklers 

Isaiah with sparklers 

Lauryn on 4th of July 

Isaiah on 4th of July 

Isaiah's future wife, Ellie Dibert

The Kids 

Lauryn and Rob in the woods