FastGame, he is doing as well as can be expected. The heat usually 95 and up during the day, and the dust are awful. He is there about three weeks now, and is ready to come home. His attitude is "ok, been there done that", lets go home. I guess you need a sense of humor to survive. His division is "supposed" to be relieved in February, which is only six months, but that six months means he will be away for our major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. He does get access to a phone and computer for e-mails occasionally, so we manage to hear from him at least once a week. Thanks for asking !!