Fort Bliss Monitor

Courtesy Photo

Chief Warrant Officer Michael Wangler, B Company, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, uses a hose he rigged to a container atop the building where he works to water his garden. Wangler’s wife, Kristin, sent him the seeds in May.

Deployed Cav. Soldier
harvests fruit of his labors

1st Lt. Kendra Evers and
Staff Sgt. Paula Taylor
27th Brigade Support Battalion
4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq – While some back in the U.S. are spending time this summer tending to flower gardens, mowing grass or installing irrigation, one Soldier assigned to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, is in Iraq planting a little bit of home.

As you look around the forward operating base, there is a barren desert floor that stretches on for what seems like forever. But when you walk past the B Company, 27th Brigade Support Battalion communications and electron-ics shop, you can’t help but notice a patch of greenery that is completely out of place. Growing despite the 120 degree heat, rocky soil and arid conditions, is a garden most would agree is doing quite well.

Stationed on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq, is Chief Warrant Officer Michael Wangler, the technical expert for the CE shop and an avid gardener.

“I just wanted to see if I could grow a garden in Iraq,” he said. “Everyone just thought I was nuts for trying to grow one in the desert. I grew up with a big garden every year and I love to have fresh vegetables.”

Wangler, a Rochester, N.Y., native, came up with the idea of having his own garden here in the desert and asked his wife, Kristin, to send him some seeds from home.
“She thought it was a great idea – something to help me relax and keep my mind on other fun things,” he said. “She was more than happy to send me the seeds. She sent me cherry, beefsteak and rainbow tomatoes; cucumbers; a melon mixture of honeydew and cantaloupe; and wild flowers. She kept asking me if I wanted more. Later, she sent me some pumpkins and watermelons.”

“It was a great idea. This way, he has something to fill his spare time with,” Kristin said. “He likes fresh vegetables. He tries to grow a lot of stuff at home; sometimes he is successful.”

As soon as the seeds arrived the first week in May, he started planting. Now, just two months later, his tomato plants are more than a foot high and his other plants seem to be doing well, too.

“The cucumbers and melon plants have grown a lot. They are really big and have good-sized leaves. I have about eight melons growing so far and one should be ready to pick any day. So far, we’ve picked about twenty cucumbers. I have eaten five of them. I share the rest with other Soldiers in the company.”

Wangler is proud of his garden and hopes to continue planting and harvesting until his unit returns to Fort Bliss in January 2008.

“My 3 year-old daughter, Emelia, told my wife, ‘Daddy won’t be home for Halloween, so we need to send him pumpkin seeds so he can grow pumpkins to carve,’ so I’ll be planting pumpkins soon too,” Wangler said.

In the recent triple-digit temperatures Mosul has been having, Wangler has to water the garden three times a day.

“I water it first thing in the morning, right after lunch, and at the end of the day,” he said. “I have a water container on top of my building and I ran a hose to the pipe, so I have running water to water the garden. The water container gets filled every couple of days.”

Wangler said he doesn’t have to worry about insects destroying his efforts, mainly due to the heat here, but birds are a concern he’ll soon be managing.

“The birds keep eating the small buds on the melon plants, so I am not getting as many melons as I had hoped. They have been eating the fruit as soon as they are large enough to notice.”

Even with his efforts to scare the birds with a plastic sack that blows in the wind and with jugs of water, they keep returning. Wangler said he will soon erect a scarecrow, which he hopes will deter the birds.

When Wangler is not available to tend to his flourishing garden, Staff Sgt. Alan Rains, senior quartermaster chemical equipment repairer, B Company, 27th BSB, is happy to step in and help out.

“I water the garden three times daily and spread our used coffee grounds throughout to act as fertilizer. Everyone has their own way of relaxing; this is just one of ours.”



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	July 26, 2007

	Courtesy Photo Chief Warrant Officer Michael Wangler, B Company, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, uses a hose he rigged to a container atop the building where he works to water his garden. Wangler’s wife, Kristin, sent him the seeds in May. Deployed Cav. Soldier harvests fruit of his labors 1st Lt. Kendra Evers and Staff Sgt. Paula Taylor 27th Brigade Support Battalion 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq – While some back in the U.S. are spending time this summer tending to flower gardens, mowing grass or installing irrigation, one Soldier assigned to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, is in Iraq planting a little bit of home. As you look around the forward operating base, there is a barren desert floor that stretches on for what seems like forever. But when you walk past the B Company, 27th Brigade Support Battalion communications and electron-ics shop, you can’t help but notice a patch of greenery that is completely out of place. Growing despite the 120 degree heat, rocky soil and arid conditions, is a garden most would agree is doing quite well. Stationed on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq, is Chief Warrant Officer Michael Wangler, the technical expert for the CE shop and an avid gardener. “I just wanted to see if I could grow a garden in Iraq,” he said. “Everyone just thought I was nuts for trying to grow one in the desert. I grew up with a big garden every year and I love to have fresh vegetables.” Wangler, a Rochester, N.Y., native, came up with the idea of having his own garden here in the desert and asked his wife, Kristin, to send him some seeds from home. “She thought it was a great idea – something to help me relax and keep my mind on other fun things,” he said. “She was more than happy to send me the seeds. She sent me cherry, beefsteak and rainbow tomatoes; cucumbers; a melon mixture of honeydew and cantaloupe; and wild flowers. She kept asking me if I wanted more. Later, she sent me some pumpkins and watermelons.” “It was a great idea. This way, he has something to fill his spare time with,” Kristin said. “He likes fresh vegetables. He tries to grow a lot of stuff at home; sometimes he is successful.” As soon as the seeds arrived the first week in May, he started planting. Now, just two months later, his tomato plants are more than a foot high and his other plants seem to be doing well, too. “The cucumbers and melon plants have grown a lot. They are really big and have good-sized leaves. I have about eight melons growing so far and one should be ready to pick any day. So far, we’ve picked about twenty cucumbers. I have eaten five of them. I share the rest with other Soldiers in the company.” Wangler is proud of his garden and hopes to continue planting and harvesting until his unit returns to Fort Bliss in January 2008. “My 3 year-old daughter, Emelia, told my wife, ‘Daddy won’t be home for Halloween, so we need to send him pumpkin seeds so he can grow pumpkins to carve,’ so I’ll be planting pumpkins soon too,” Wangler said. In the recent triple-digit temperatures Mosul has been having, Wangler has to water the garden three times a day. “I water it first thing in the morning, right after lunch, and at the end of the day,” he said. “I have a water container on top of my building and I ran a hose to the pipe, so I have running water to water the garden. The water container gets filled every couple of days.” Wangler said he doesn’t have to worry about insects destroying his efforts, mainly due to the heat here, but birds are a concern he’ll soon be managing. “The birds keep eating the small buds on the melon plants, so I am not getting as many melons as I had hoped. They have been eating the fruit as soon as they are large enough to notice.” Even with his efforts to scare the birds with a plastic sack that blows in the wind and with jugs of water, they keep returning. Wangler said he will soon erect a scarecrow, which he hopes will deter the birds. When Wangler is not available to tend to his flourishing garden, Staff Sgt. Alan Rains, senior quartermaster chemical equipment repairer, B Company, 27th BSB, is happy to step in and help out. “I water the garden three times daily and spread our used coffee grounds throughout to act as fertilizer. Everyone has their own way of relaxing; this is just one of ours.”