Forgive the belated nature of this post, but I’m still riding a wave of elation from my two-week R&R trip to Japan even though I’ve already been back to Iraq for almost a week now. I realize I didn’t post any updates during the trip, either, but I was having way too much fun.

The combined 13-plus hours of travel time were long but uneventful. Flying from Qatar to Hong Kong, I chatted with a studious British gentleman whose accent had kind of slowed to a crawl. Nice chap. I arrived in Hong Kong and quickly hopped onto my connecting flight to Narita Airport in Tokyo, more anxious than ever for my long-awaited reunion with Noriko and Rachel. Sure enough, I exited the terminal and saw them both waiting there for me, the two most beautiful sights I had seen in 10 months.

Continue reading "Dustin Perry: To Japan and Back - Just the Break I Needed" »

Posted by · May 30, 2007 7:31 PM · Comments (0)

A relay runner in the third annual 26.2-mile Boston Marathon in Iraq crosses the finish line April 14 at Camp Adder, Iraq.

This blog is a bit late, I know, but I was a bit busy this week and still wanted to fill you in on how my weekend went.

As I said before, the third annual Boston Marathon in Iraq was held here at our base early Saturday morning. It kicked off at 5 a.m., so I set my alarm for an hour and a half earlier, giving me enough time to wake up, shower, shave and get dressed.

Continue reading "Dustin Perry: Raise the Stakes (Race the Steaks?)" »

Posted by · April 20, 2007 8:00 PM · Comments (0)

I’ll be going to bed early tonight so I can get enough sleep to be ready for a 4 a.m. wake-up Saturday to take photos of the third annual Boston Marathon in Iraq. There are an expected 300-plus participants registered to race the 26.2-mile route, which will pass by the iconic Ziggurat of Ur temple near our base. It promises to be a great event, and I’m more than happy to be photographing it rather than running it. After it’s finished, I’ll be sure to provide a quick rundown (pun fully intended) of the event and post some photos.

Continue reading "Dustin Perry: Running and Reunions" »

Posted by · April 13, 2007 4:00 PM · Comments (0)

Springtime in Iraq is on its way out the door, and the most obvious indicator that summer is right around the corner – aside from that world-famous sweltering heat, which thankfully hasn’t reached its peak yet – is the constant onslaught of bugs.

Texas is home to its fair share of six- and eight-legged critters, winged nuisances and a plethora of various other pests that seemingly hang around all year to ruin our outdoor barbecues, birthday parties and trips to the park. The pint-sized insects of Iraq can’t even compare to some of the Lone Star State’s gargantuan, under-the-refrigerator residents, but in terms of pure swarm concentration, this place is unmatched.

Continue reading "Dustin Perry: The Flies – They’re Terrible!" »

Posted by · April 5, 2007 10:08 PM · Comments (0)

“What’s there to do for fun over there?”

This is one of the most-asked questions I get from friends and family members when I talk to them via e-mail or over the phone. I assume they have visions – as I did, before arriving here – of shoddy, makeshift tents crammed with dozens of soldiers sitting in a circle and using a cot for a table as they play Texas Hold ‘Em by flashlight. Contrary to their initial beliefs, I tell them there are actually much more activities available to us than there is time to participate in them all.

Continue reading "Dustin Perry: Free time, and how we spend it" »

Posted by · March 29, 2007 4:01 PM · Comments (0)

Within five days of arriving to my unit in Nasiriyah last October, my first story assignment was one that involved venturing outside the safety of our base’s perimeter – “the wire,” as we call it – and riding in a convoy to the nearby town of Al Batha.

In my five years as an active-duty servicemember I was never deployed, despite being there at the cusp of both Sept. 11 and the Iraq War. Therefore, my only viewpoint of the conflict was what I saw on the news. And what I saw wasn’t good.

Continue reading "Dustin Perry: A first for everything" »

Posted by · March 25, 2007 9:57 PM · Comments (0)

So I suppose introductions are in order.

My name is Dustin Perry, I am 25 years old, and I am currently serving in Iraq as a photojournalist for the U.S. Army. I got my start in this line of work almost 12 years ago when I took Journalism as a freshman at Cooper High School. Need more of my ties to Abilene? I worked at H-E-B for two years and logged more than 900 hours as a junior volunteer at then-named Hendrick Medical Center.

I joined the Army after graduation (Class of ‘99!) and following a grueling nine weeks of basic training in Oklahoma, I was sent to the Defense Information School in Fort Meade, Md., to hone my craft as a news writer and photographer.

Continue reading "Dustin Perry: How I ended up in Iraq" »

Posted by · March 21, 2007 2:36 PM · Comments (0)