Active Duty: Letters to Home from Iraq is a compilation of letters that tells an American soldier's side of this war: The good times, the bad times; hardships endured and hardships overcome, humorous times and reflections on how this war has impacted my life and how I view the world in which I find myself. But, it is also the story of a small number of people from Central Illinois. The men of Foxtrot Battery have a story to be told. This book is my humble attempt to tell that story. The stories are written from a first hand point of view. I believe that they are open, brutally honest and at times, even funny. I have tried to paint a picture with words of what we see here. I have tried to remain pragmatic, but I freely admit that, at times, I digress. I would be remiss if I did not forewarn you. I must admit as well, that I am pretty proud of my fellow soldiers here. So, forgive me if I seem a little biased. At some points in the text, the dates may get a little cloudy. Sometimes, during this deployment, if it hadn't been for my watch, I would not have known what week it was, let alone the day. Any misquotes, inaccuracies insofar as dates, times or places; any errors of any kind are mine and mine alone. As you read, please do keep these things in mind.