Even in Iraq

My nephew, Ryan, has been stationed in Iraq for almost a year. We can’t wait for him to come home.

A few days ago he sent me an email about his quest to look good naked and I asked him if I could share it with all of you.

Even in Iraq

When I got to Kuwait I weighed about 240lbs. Probably extra weight gained from the amount of stress and depression I was going through.

As shitty as Iraq can be, it taught me a lot about myself. IED's and car bombs, blowing up throwing me off the top of my truck, bullets ricocheting against the t-wall next to my room, battling fear every time we left the wire which was almost every day. Constantly thinking this could be my last ride. But the biggest battle for me was myself.

When you are in this environment you can't control what might happen on the roads or what might fall from the sky. You can only control yourself. That's it.

On top of sweating it out with 75lbs of gear on all the time, I made an effort to eat better and work out when I had the energy. If I did not have the energy I did not always push it, only because it was 135 degrees out and I was walking around police stations in Baghdad all day.

At the "JSS" (Joint Security Station) where I lived there were only about 80 other soldiers there. It was located in the middle of Baghdad, where we could hear and see a lot of the "action."

At a JSS there isn't a lot to do but act like jack asses, play video games and work out. So I tried to use that time wisely. I ran when it was not to hot out, 7.5 laps around the base was 2 miles. First time I have ever run anywhere where there is a chance I might have to get to cover!

I struggle with asthma, more severely than I allude to the Army, only because I wanted to deploy.

My squad mates, a lot of whom are phenomenal runners, would run with me and motivate me and cheer me on. They wouldn't leave until I was finished. They take the warrior ethos with them even to a run, where they “leave no man behind”. I learned to fight through a lot of it, and suck up the pain.

I went with the others in my squad to the gym. It was always an entertaining trip for us. We made lot of jabs at each other, but especially at my squad leader who is the most vein person I have ever met!! He literally stares at himself in the mirror all the damn time.

I did not understand it at first. I thought it was annoying and that he needed to get over himself. But then I took a step back and watched all the hard work he put in. He had the most difficult job out of all of us. Not only was he in charge of our entire squad, he had to plan all the missions and deal with the BS that comes with working for a Colonel.

With all of the BS and hard work he put in, he always made it to the gym no matter what. You could hear him yelling "WOOOOOOOOO!" from the gym all the time. He did it before missions too. I think he did it to get himself amped up.

He is also a father of two boys and is married. So I figured, “Man if he can balance all of that, I can better myself.”

I continued my work in the gym. We moved from the JSS last month. We went from doing stuff everyday to doing absolutely nothing. So he and I have been on a work out plan together along with another soldier, and it has been a great stress reliever.

For example, I never used to work out my legs. I absolutely hate working legs. I yell things like "Legs are for communists and hippies!", because I hate it so much. But he has a way to motivate me and the other guys.

Having people there for you when you are at your worst and best is the key to getting through something difficult. I am now proudly 215 lbs., which was my goal when I got here.

Not only did I meet my goals but I grew close to my squad while doing it. I am thankful every day that I have been safe here and for all the great friends I have made. And now I can look good naked when I return home!