I've moved!

I started this blog back when I was deployed to Iraq, but I've since moved on to a better website and blog.

You can check out my website here: Wedding, Family and Portrait Photographer Jacob Vorpahl

Pillow time! (with a .50 cal in a cameo role)

Hey everyone.

Well, today is good. Our CO decided to give us the day off. Very good indeed. I've read some of Ephesians, played some Madden '07 football on XBox 360 against one of my boat mates (actually, trounced would be the proper description) and that's about it. I think I'll go back and get some sleep here shortly. Which reminds me of a couple of pictures I wanted to put up a while ago.

This picture is of me holding a pillow my very good friend Angela Waller sent me for my birthday. It's a memory foam pillow. The thing is awesome. I'll probably end up using it today. Actually, it kind makes you wonder, might I be using it right now? Hm.... interesting thoughts we ponder. However.... I can't quite get rid of the feeling that I'm not using it right....

I dunno, maybe you all could point me in the right direction.

I love every last one of you. The light at the end of the tunnel just keeps getting brighter until we're out of the tunnel and out of this country, and the light is definitely getting closer!

Look forward to creating new memories with you all! Take care and don't stop praying! We're not out of the fire yet.

Back from Habbiniyah

Hey everyone. I've got a couple of minutes (actually I don't but I'll make them) to throw up a few pictures for everyone's viewing pleasure. These are some pictures we were able to snap during our op when we got into all those firefights. Unfortunately we don't have any during the fighting because we were all preoccupied combating the insurgents. These will just have to do.



This is the medevac helo leaving after it picked up our two WIAs. They were taking contact as they loaded them on and flew away.

This is the mess that became our boat. Strewn about everywhere were spent ammo casings, ammo cans, water bottles, an MRE here or there, all sorts of gear that had to be tossed back on the boat at the last second. It was a mess. the guy on the left is a Staff Sergeant from another boat that we thought had to be medevaced. He had a round impact nearby and fragment (break apart) and a peice of it hit him underneath his jaw and nearly knocked him cold. Thankfully he was good to go and he manned my extra machine gun. The guy on the right is the other bow gunner. Unfortunately his main gun went down so he was manning his extra machine gun. That left me alone standing in the bow (I got a picture of that somewhere), which is a very lonely feeling in that sort of situation, that I can assure you.
And this is me after we made it back into the base once we extracted. Pretty worn out, happy to back in friendly lines, and trying to relax but not really able to do it. What a day.

Good news. I've finally been able to get some good quality Bible reading in. I've been reading in Ephesians. I just reread the chapter over and over (usually one a day) and let God show the intricate points each verse contains. It's very fulfilling after all this time without anything.

I'd like to thank everyone back home for praying. As my experience that day, actually our whole units experience, can attest to the fact that God is protecting us. No one suffered any permanent damage and everyone came back alive. Many of us probably shouldn't have. If not for God, we wouldn't. If you could thank him in your next prayer, I would greatly appreciate. He deserves the glory.

I love and miss you all. The time soon approaches when I can tell you that face to face. What a wonderful day that will be. Keep praying everyone!

Prepping to go out

Hey everyone. We've been busy, as the normal news goes. We've had some ups and downs back in the base, but, everything outside the wire has been smooth as silk. Here's a couple of pictures to give you more insight onto our routine. Here I am checking some of my equipment before we go out. Also note the horrible looking farmer's tan where my shirt usually ends.

Nuts is so dangerous that he really doesn't need any gear, but, he absolutely has to be involved (he needs a lot of attention, don't tell him I said that). So, I let him check my stuff after I do. He seems to be pretty content with that.

Well, there's a quick update for today. Love you all and hope you're doing well!

A few pics from me email

A few of the pictures I sent on my recent email didn't come up for some people, AOL problems unfortunately. So, just for good measure I'll throw em up here so any who wants to can see them.

Nothing for miles in the distance. Nothing at all.

We call this the cartoon hammer. This was from when we were doing some maintenance work at one of our bases. It's a very gratifying feeling to whack the heck out of something with the cartoon hammer.

After you've been on a convoy for over two hours... this is very depressing sight.

Here I am with an AK we confiscated off a couple detainees.

Just a quick update, just been told I have to get off the computer. Later and keep praying!

Fur of Fury

Hello everyone.

Long time no post. Unfortunately I don't think many people have been coming to see the spectacular nature of Nuts, the Secret Squirrel. Shame, seeing as how he takes it out on me.

So, I decided to give Nuts a class on my weapon in case he ever got a chance to use it.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity this presented though...

As you can imagine he wasn't too pleased with me. I tried to explain, while he was giving me a verbal thrashing, that it was all in jest and just in good fun, but, he wouldn't have it.

Then his catlike, stealth-ninja-but-kinda-like-Rambo skills kicked in and he reversed the situation on me.

Never underestimate a secret squirrel, they'll get you everytime.

Hope every is doing well back home. We're working out here, the temperature has been upwards of 130 degree on a number of occasions, but, it usually hovers right below it. You can see the sweat on my shirt, and that isn't from doing much. That was BEFORE we started working. I know you guys are boiling back there with near 100 degree weather but count your blessings, for sure.

Love you all and keep praying!

Ths Squirrel Connection

Hello again everyone from the big Sandbox thousands of miles away from home. Today we have more pictures of Nuts, the Secret Squirrel, and the op he went out on. If you haven't been introduced to Nuts yet, skip down one post then read this one.

This picture shows how overconfident Nuts is when going into battle. He actually thought he was going to use MY gun station on this op. He was corrected.

This is Nuts as seen through my NVGs. This was once the op was concluded. Sorry, no live pictures of our work can get out, otherwise you would see Nuts in all his stealth-ninja-but-part-Rambo glory.

I didn't want to throw too much at the little guy too fast too soon, so when we went out the following night, I made him stay back on firewatch. He was a little peeved, but, he got over it. We went and had breakfast the very next morning.

As you can see, Nuts enjoys peanut butter toast just as much as I do.

Well, my eye is getting better. I'm going to brave it and go out on an op. Hopefully all goes well. It still looks horrendous and my vision in my eye is kinda cloudy, but, I'm no slacker. Besides, our boat crew is a team, if they go out, I go out.

Thanks for the emails wishing me a happy birthday, I do appreciate it. I'm 24 now.... with two years left on my degree. I'll have to get crackin' when I get back. The world waits for no one.

Love you all. Keep spirits high and don't stop praying!

Enter the Squirrel

Hello everyone from back home. This is my first real update in a while, and it just so happens it corresponds with a new.. friend of mine. I would like to introduce all of you to.... Nuts, the secret squirrel.








Don't be fooled by his cuteness... this ones dangerous! Just look at his eyes!

He was sent to me through Operation Gratitude, where people back home donate goods and they send them off to deployed forces. He was sent to me. I know this wasn't by mistake. He almost took me out when I opened the box until he recognized my uniform. Lucky me. But now we're a team, fighting the insurgency... Lance Corporal Jacob Vorpahl and his partner, Nuts, the secret squirrel.



We were just informed we were going out. We knew it'd be dangerous, so we put on our game faces.

We started getting all our gear ready to go, wasting no time at all. Here is Nuts preparing to go into the fray. A brave one he is.

Knowing full well they'd never let him come, I had to smuggle him on board the boat inside some of my gear. It was a tight fit, but, we got him on board.

And.... I would show more, but, alas, I must save more of Nuts and my adventures for another day. (Actually, the system isn't letting me put anymore pictures up)

I'm doing pretty good right now, all things considered. I've bought Hadji copies of TV series back home and have been watching them a bit on our rest periods (right now its mainly Smallville, the show about Superman growing up in a small town). Reading when I can actually concentrate, and excersizing when time permits.

Our schedule has been crazy right for reasons that should be obvious but that I can't talk about. Hopefully it will level out over the next month or so.

In other news, tomorrow is my birthday, I'll be 24, one year away from getting my insurance discount for being 25, and that's mostly it. I miss everyone back home dearly. A friend of mine here and I were discussing today how our lives have basically stopped while everyone else's back home keeps going forward. Relationships change, people change, etc. It worries us sometimes, some more than others, but, know that none of you are "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" as the saying goes. I know with some back home I am, some I'm not, no biggie. If you could just leave me a little room when I get back to reinsert myself back into your lives and I'll be happy as a clam.

I love you all, and Happy 4th, though a little late.