MONDAY, MAY 17th.

The 372d day of CPT Patti's deployment.

I received an email from my darling wife overnight. And frankly, she's a bit down in the dumps. She doesn't go into great detail, but I can tell that some of it is related to the casualties the brigade has suffered since being extended. If I'm reading the signs correctly, there is a general sense among the soldiers and family members that 1st Brigade shouldn't "own" these...since 1st Brigade's watch was supposed to be over already.

Now...it is difficult to argue with that position, but I can see from here that such a perspective is one that will simply put a dagger through the heart of one's morale.

I suspect the temperatures topping 100 degrees also do their part to bring down morale. I'm guessing when the temperatures came down last Autumn the troops were counting on no more 100 degree days.

Finally, I'm guessing that being on a potentially hazardous job for over a year, with at most, one two-week break (one week in CPT Patti's case) is just exhausting.