From: Michael.Allen2@forces.gc.ca [Michael.Allen2@forces.gc.

ca]
Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2016 12:02 AM
To: External - New Brighton
Subject: FW: Thank you from Op Impact

Students of New Brighton School

Thank you for remembering us here in Kuwait. My name
is Michael Allen and I am a Major with the Army but
working with the Royal Canadian Air Force in Kuwait. I
am a Chaplain and the troops call me Padre. I am in
Kuwait in support of our mission in Iraq. I have handed
your cards to the troops and they want me to send to
you their thanks.
As you remember us in uniform also remembering that it
belongs to the family of uniforms that are deployed all
over the world and those who went before us going back
to 1812. All of these men and women gave some and
some gave all.
Now about here, Kuwait is a very small country on the
Persian Gulf. It is bordered to the north with Iraq which
is about 50 Km from where we are. It also boarders
Saudi Arabia and is very close to Iran. We are the Head
Quarters for our mission in Iraq. That is all I can say
about that. This is not the first time I have been here as
I was here for a bit when I left Afghanistan my second
time I was there. I have also done a tour to Israel/Syria
and two times in Afghanistan.
Kuwait is 17,820 square kilometers in size. At its most
distant points, it is only 200 kilometers north to south,
and 170 kilometers east to west. That is less than half
the size of New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. Only a small
part of the four million people are citizens, about 30%.
The rest are workers from many nation mostly India.

Right now it is winter. Nothing like Canada for there is

seldom snow and it might only get down to 0C at night
but the days are usually in the 20sC. We are also in the
rainy season where they get the very little rain all year
however we are in the middle of a dust storm as I write
this. Everything is being covered with dust including I
think my lungs. This is nothing as the summers are
brutal. They are long beginning in March/April and
lasting into October. This summer was the hottest on
record with 54C a record. In that temperature you feel
like a turkey roasting in an oven.
Many people died so you and I can live in freedom and
the best way to honour them is to treat others with love
and respect.
God bless and thank you for your cards.
Michael

Maj The Rev Michael Allen

Padre, Joint Task Force Iraq
Canadian Armed Forces

The highway of Kuwait interesting

everywhere

Camels are

One of our jobs gassing up a fighter jets

There a lot of these guys here

Plenty of camels
and
foxes
camel
spiders

Two
the
many

of

cats on
camp

Camels are everywhere in the

desert

Two scorpions found in the tents

one outside

and

One of the camp foxes

and a camp cat