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Some people might think I am crazy, but Mosul is really the jewel of Iraq.  This FOB is probably one of the best places in Iraq to be deployed.  I call it "a swimming pool short of a country club."   We do get a lot of mortars, but this location is great. We are fairly far north, so it is a bit cooler here than other locations. Average highs during the hottest parts of the summer were around 110, where other places were clearly 120 or higher. Currently, the high's are probably in the 70's with low's in the 40's.  There is an awesome gym (most important to me) with weights, treadmills, bikes, and a basketball court. Most people say the DFAC is really good, I agree. This is my 5th OCONUS deployment and this is the best food I have ever had. There is also a food court as well.  I don't go there much, but I believe they have pizza, burgers, etc. - standard military food court.  There is an outstanding PX, so don't bog yourself down with tons of toiletries, you can get plenty here. There is a barber shop.  There is actually a nice movie theater that plays a lot of newer dvd releases. Entrance is free and they have free popcorn and sodas!  The hospital that we moved into two months ago is amazing. It is a fixed facility and it is HUGE.  You would never believe that this is a deployed CSH. The living trailers are also really good. Reliable air conditioning, plenty of hot water, nice size.  Oh yeah, we also have a laundry service. They take the laundry twice a week! You can submit up to twenty pieces (a pair of socks counts as one) and it is FREE.

As for what you need... The supplies here are quite good. As I said there is a good PX.  The two most important things are a good digital camera and a good thumb drive.  Laptops and MP3 players are very nice items to have.  A lot of people have either bought tv's here or shipped them from the states.  There are satellite dishes everywhere and you can get satellite TV if you are interested.  A portable DVD player is a plus if you do not have a laptop.  Make sure you have good wet weather gear. There is a big rainy season. Bring a lot of reading material and movies.  There is an AT&T phone tent close to the hospital so you may want to bring some calling cards.  You can also buy them at the PX.  Also, many online retailers ship to APO addresses (amazon, walmart, tigerdirect, J & R, etc.).  Also, bring a lot of reading material.  This is a great time to read books you have been thinking about or doing other projects.

We are looking at your packing list to give you some feedback.  Don't bring berets, BDU's, or black boots.  Bring lots of extra brown shirts (the Body Armor shirts are awesome, you will appreciate them in the summer), PT uniforms, and dark and white socks.  Bring two laundry bags as well.  Also, one or two sets of linens for the beds.  If you wear glasses, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TWO PAIRS - you cannot get glasses in theater.  A good headlamp is also a must.

If you can figure out how to get a swimming pool here that would be a great morale booster!

Best of luck.  See you soon.