Saving Private O'Brien

Welcome to our latest editorial/blog dedicated to our teammate Jeffrey O'Brien who has been deployed to Iraq earlier in March.

We are trying to put together a little package to make his time over there a little easier and show him the Grunion family is behind him. Bring letters, pictures, DVDs, magazines, snacks, homemade cookies, razors, etc, basically anything that you think you would want if you were far from home in a difficult area. No porn, booze, or cameras.

Here are his contact details, including his myspace address and few extracts from his emails:

Jeffrey S. O'Brien
obrien.jeffrey@gmail.com
AIM: Jeffair728
www.myspace.com/jeffair728

August 18th 2007

well good luck at the tournament. I hope you guys do well. If you get this before the tourney someone buy well feed ED a beer for me. Wish i could be there. This is my year mark of being apart of this amazing team and club. I can't wait to get back. Sounds like i will be back for SB rugby day. Just a warning I will get drunk fast since my tolerance sucks ass right now, but hey i'm willing to give it a run for its money. I like the article in the paper. well thats all for now. Only one more full month. good luck guys and i miss you guys.

Jeff

May 29th 2007

Grunion,

I got a phone call from Jeff this morning. It was delayed with lots of static
but it was still good to hear from him. He received the package the team sent
today and wanted to say thank you. He thought the t'shirts, especially the
play off one was really cool. He is working as his unit supply clerk so he's
pretty safe, no convoy duty or such. He wishes he could be here for Sparky's
bachelor party next weekend and wants everyone to drink a beer for him. Even
though it's only 8 in the morning I've already downed mine, so bottoms up.

Mer,

May 22nd 2007

Hey guys everything is going good here. I have been able to do a lot of thing i never thought i would ever be able to do being in the military. Otherwise i saw the grunion site. Thank you guys so much for that. It mean a lot to me. Time is going by fast, which is nice. I have been sober for two months now and man do i miss booze. I didn't think i would have been able to last this long, but hey i did it. It sounds like an AA case, but its not by my choice its just something that keeps my mind off the time. It also keeps me counting the days if i count the days until my next drink. Well thats all for now hope you guys have a great turnout this summer for sevens.

i miss you guys,
Jeff

May 3rd 2007

Jeff is doing pretty good in Iraq. He says the air is completely foul and hurts
his lungs. I do have the following specific request from him "If you could find
me some rugby videos i would love them. Otherwise if you wanna send a package
make it interesting send me some crazy shit."

April 12th 2007

Well guys i'm in country and dealing with the heat. The most amazing thing happened this week and it was i met a bunch of aussie's here and we are talking about playing some rugby aorund the camp to keep us in shape and just to have some fun. I have been trying to get my friends to play but they don't have the balls to get out there. Well other wise all is good and its not really all that bad, but it still the beginning and most shit over here gets worse as time goes on. Congrats on making the playoffs and goodluck. I can't wait to hear from some of you guys to to keep me posted on the progress of the playoffs and sevens.

Later, Jeff O'Brien

March 12th 2007

Here is my Iraq address.
Jeffrey Scott O'Brien
NMCB 4 Seabees
APO AE 09391

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/balad-ab.htm

check out this website it gives some info about where i am going to be. While I am on deployment i cannot answer some questions due to being in a secret status. I am so sorry if this will being concern to you guys but I will keep you all in my thoughts the entire time. Please be nice and send me some packages. I would love to recieve letters, pictures, music, DVD (no porn), tastycakes, and anything else u would think I would absolutely enjoy. Do not send cameras, porn, booze. I can't think of everything that i want right now, but hey guys be very creative.
Love you guys,
Jeff