4 - 6 June

Well I've made it - I am back in the Ole US of A. After many hours of hop scotching from place to place, country to country, in helicopters, buses, vans, military and civilian aircraft I have finally arrived on US soil. It was a long few days but I am now safely sitting at a computer with the sounds of birds chirping in the background as I type my last blog entry - at least for a while. For those of you who are wondering what lie ahead, I will be assigned to a squadron shortly after I check-in to the base in California. I will likely deploy overseas again sometime in 2008 but the destination for that future deployment is unknown at this time but yes, Iraq is a possible location for my next overseas trip.

I would like to end this chapter of my life by saying thank you to all the family and friends that have followed me and my adventures over the last 189 days. Your e-mails, letters, and packages brought smiles, chuckles, and a sense of home even though I was 13,000 miles from my family. Sure, I would have made it through without your words, pictures, and goodies from the States but your daily "pick-me-ups" definitely keep me going during the Holidays and missed special occasions. The above pic is just a small sample of the cards and gifts that I received during my stay in Iraq. In addition to this collage I received over 324 e-mails that kept me in-touch with life back in America. It was my pleasure to serve our country in a time of need but your support made it much more bearable. Please give your loved ones an extra hug as you can bet I will do the same with my family and friends. If I do not have the opportunity to visit with you in the next few months have a great summer and THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. For those that enjoyed this blog, keep an eye-out for the next chapter; I expect to begin Chapter Two sometime in April of 2008.

3 Jun

Continued...
Zero dark thirty, I boarded the "Rhino" for the 2nd leg of my trip. Arrived at my destination at 0300; by-passed the sleep option and took the next ride out at 0400 for the 3rd leg of my trip. Manifested for a flight to Kuwait and here I sit safe in Kuwait getting the evil eye from the owner of this computer as I type my blog. I will be here a few days before I head to the US. I will add more details when I get more computer time...got to go.

2 Jun

I do not have much time on the computer so I will make this short and sweet. Woke at 0930 today because it will be a long day. Spent most of the day repacking and getting ready for the mid-night run. Checked-in with the transportation coordinator for my next leg...to be continued tomorrow.

1 June

This morning I went into the office to continue my check-out process only to find that work does not begin until 1 PM on Fridays. I did not have the luxury of Friday mornings off in my work area - must be nice, and I hear it is the same for Sunday mornings as well. Anyway, my check-out is complete and I have the correct paperwork to get me to the next location; in the future I will take the second leg of my six leg trip to the US; wish me luck. Take care

31 May

Even in time of war, we Americans can maintain a sense of humor. When I first arrived into the Palace area back in December I saw this sign and chuckled - now six months later there is still no change in the landscape - kind of funny if you ask me. As far as today I, I started the check out process in the morning and spent the afternoon and evening at a contractors house having food and great conversation. This particular contractor constructed one of the large facilities that I managed this past six months. The food was very good and the company was even better, it was a relaxed day compared to my usual daily routine. Tomorrow I will continue to work on my check-out sheet and prepare for the next leg of my trip. Take care

30 May

Today I began my trip home, and as you can imagine I can not just step on a plane and be home in one hop across the big pond. Because I work in an area outside the "Green Zone" I need to return to my immediate headquarters, located in the Green Zone and start the check-out process. I will spend several days signing paperwork and changing over property before I can move to my next point. In a nutshell I will need to hit four different locations before I can leave the desert enroute to the States. The hardest and most dangerous leg of this trip will be the first leg - making it into the Green Zone. I will have you know that I have safely arrived into the Green Zone and I am sitting in an air conditioned room, the basement of huge palace, writing this blog. And although there is still a level of danger when in a war zone I believe I well on my way to stepping foot on American soil in about a week. As I move to the next location I will keep you updated. Thanks to everyone who has kept me in their prayers - I hope to see many, if not all of you, in the near future. God Bless

29 May

We had a busy day today - but the new Captain and I were able to finish the turnover process; now I shift my time and energy to prepare for my journey home. For evening chow we had a "hail and farewell" feast. The Iraqi Soldiers said good-bye to myself and several other coalition personnel and at the same time said welcome to those who are filling our shoes us. The food was very good - lamb and all the trimmings with our closest 85 Iraqi friends. The above pic is of the three Iraqi Captains that I worked with and helped to trained over the last three months. They are a very good group of officers - not perfect but hard working and willing to do their best in any situation; I will miss them. With that...it is time to finish what I started a few days ago - packing - take care.

28 May

Another day closer to putting Iraq in my rear view mirror. I will not be leaving today as originally planned - I chose to extend a few extra days in order to ensure I dot all the i's and cross all the t's with respect to my turnover; however, this will not affect my return day/time to the US. It turns out this was a good move because the weather was pretty crappy and most of the flights were cancelled for today. I hope you have a good Holiday and a great week. Above is a pic with one of the interpreters - enjoy.

27 May - Sunday

My last Sunday at the desk, my last day playing soccer with the Iraqis, and my last evening meeting. As my time here is coming to a close I felt it best that I start packing - boy do I have a lot of stuff; most of which I have not used - but that is a good thing in a war zone. The turnover is going better then I expected - the new Captain is picking up the ball and running for the goal line - he will do great things for the development of this location. I have but a few days remaining in my location. Speaking of "days," as of today, I have been deployed for 6 months - not in Iraq but away from home none the less. Have a good day.

26 May - Saturday

The turnover process is going well - after our morning meetings we spent the day dealing with small problems that typically popped-up last night or after first light. The base commander, the Iraqi Colonel I have mentioned many times, returned today from an extended trip out of the area. The base has been run by a the senior Major who has done a great job in the Colonels' absence. I have noticed that the light at the end of the tunnel is in fact not a train heading my way but the open door to my plane ride home. Have a good day.

25 May

Well TGIF - my last Friday at my job. I had an omelet for breakfast and introduced my replacement to the morning meetings. The Iraqi staff is disappointed that I am actually leaving but they are thrilled that a Marine Captain is here to replace me. Nothing against the Army but the track record of the Marines has been very good and, "if it ain't broken - don't fix it." Overall it was a good day but the "lack of fuel" problem showed its ugly head again as we, and the rest of the Iraqi Army, struggle to keep the generators running and the lights turned on. By days end we addressed the fuel problem and devised a rationing plan to help conserve even more fuel as we have seen the consumption rates start to climb because of the 3 digit heat which is causing the A/C's to work harder and put a higher strain on the generators. I am not sure how these guys will make it through the summer; since this is the first year in the new schools and facilities there will be many challenges - I guess the Captain will have his hands full. I will wish him good luck and you a good day.

24 May

Today was a great day - not because we had a high high ranking VIP visit but because my replacement arrived, and in addition - this is my last Thursday (knock-knock) here at my location. The visit went well but the turnover went better. The new guy is a fast learner, he has a Masters from the Naval Postgraduate School, and he has worked logistics in the past. We spent the first hour driving around the base as part of the VIPs tour; but once the VIP departed we were able to sit down and start the turnover process. Needless to say I am very happy to meet my new best friend - even if he is a Captain. That's it for today - have a good night.

23 May

In addition to the VIP walk-thru yesterday the second set of visitors about 5 hours earlier then expected - they did not get any food until dinner time but when they did sit down to eat the food was hot. Speaking of food - we had lasagna tonight for dinner, and this was not the MRE type lasagna but freshly cooked; it was pretty good - especially for an Iraqi cook. In addition to the good chow I was informed that my replacement is inbound - another sign my departure is near. That is enough good news for today - have a great Wednesday.

22 May

Surprise...surprise...surprise - that is the effect I wanted to achieve when a VIP made a visit today at our base. The goal was to have the VIP get an accurate assessment of the quality of service our Life Support Contractor is providing the Iraqi Soldiers. As I expected he was very disappointed with the level of service the Contractor is providing. We spent the entire day identifying shortfalls and establishing procedures to fix the problems. The company has one week to make corrections or face monetary penalties - it looks to me like they will be shorted money this month. Oh well - maybe that is what it will take for them to get on track. Above is the VIP and our group at our working lunch, I hope you enjoy the picture.

21 May

Well I expect this to be my second to last "4 meeting Monday." On top of the regular Monday schedule we were expecting another new group of visitors. Over the last 45 hours we were able to finish the repairs to the damages facilities about 5 hours before the scheduled arrival of our new guests. However, despite keeping the food warm in anticipation of their arrival, our visitors arrived 12 hours later then expected. Needless to say they were a little disappointed when the food was not as hot as it could have been - but hey they are lucky to have received any food at all if you ask me. After a good night sleep the entire group was in better spirits, of course a hot breakfast always helps. Even though our guests were not on time we were still very busy fixing the other facilities that we cannibalized in order to get the first set of facilities ready for today's incoming group - we have a second group looking to arrive very soon. That's about all for today - have a great week

20 May - Sunday

My liv-in alarm clock woke me up today at o'dark thirty. Well I did not know he was a liv-in alarm clock until he was crawling on my blanket. At 0535 I felt this strange sensation on my leg - I thought what could that be - but before I could finish my thought I flinched and the rodent made a mad dash toward my head. I lifted the blanket to protect my face but the rodent was able to skip off my head as it dashed to safety. Okay...I am UP; time to start the day. I searched and searched but no luck in finding the critter - let's go find a mouse trap. I had breakfast and started the day; after dealing with numerous crisis and pop-up problems I returned to my room after dark without a mouse trap. I did a quick search but found no roommate. I laid down to sleep but I started to hear things or at least I thought I heard things. Three seconds later I was up making a second sweep of my room to ensure I would be sleeping alone tonight. After making enough noise to wake-up my neighbors I caught a glimpse of my freeloading roommate. I chased him around corners and behind furniture as he headed counter-clockwise around the room toward the door. My goal was to evict the pest not send it to the after world. After moving a few more boxes and a small refrigerator the critter made a dash to the door and slipped under the door jam to freedom. I quickly butted a few boxes up against the door in order to close the portal and resumed my position in bed. As I lay there trying to fall asleep I could hear the mouse trying to push or nibble against the box - not tonight little guy...come back tomorrow and try again. With that I went to sleep and had a good night of rest. Have a good night.

19 May - Saturday

In a mad dash to repair the vandalized facilities from the last group of visitors I spent many hours negotiating with local vendors. About twelve of us sat around drinking chi tea and discussing how to fix over $7000 of damage within 46 hours. After much hemming and hawing we settled on a plan and the race against the clock was on. Only time will tell if we or should I say they can make the repairs in time for the next set of visitors in 45 hours and 56 minutes. Wish me luck.

18 May

Friday the 18th - my days of sleeping in are on hold for the time being. Apparently the new Marine LtCol likes to run in the morning - so...since the Marine Lt is out of the area for the day I have been "voluntold" to run in the morning. Actually that is not true - he asked me if I want to run and since it is too hot to run in the afternoon I figured - why not..this will be a change to my routine and I get someone to talk during the run. And since he is a little older hopefully he will not run me into the ground - and that turned out to be the case. It was a beautiful morning and the pace was perfect - the rising sun and still air reminded me of my morning runs in Phoenix with my previous boss. Speaking of Phoenix - I think it's time to start packing - have a good day

17 May

Not much to write about today - just more meetings and trying to fix all the damage that was caused to the showers and buildings from our previous guests. The two new officers are inundated with turnover issues as they try to get the lay of the land and answer questions from higher about where to build the new buildings. My replacement - or at least the guy that will act as my replacement until my replacement actually get here - has arrived. Wahoo - another good sign that my time in Iraqi is not indefinite. After he gets settled we will begin the "fire hose effect" turnover so I can make sure all the bases are covered when I step foot on the helicopter out of my location. Only 11 more days until I begin my movement to US soil - enjoy your day.

16 May

Rain...rain...where have you been? It finally rained today - after about 35 days of no rain we had about 35 minutes of on and off down pours to cool the area and help get rid of the powder sand that is everywhere. In areas that have no rocks or gravel but lots of vehicle traffic the ground has become like tan talcum powder or powdered snow. If you stomp your foot on a mound of this powdered sand your foot disappears in a puff of tan smoke as your foot searches for solid ground. Periodically when I think no one is watching and I come across a large pile of this fine tan powder I will take a quick glance and stomp my foot in the powder just to see the puff of sand engulf my foot - okay maybe a little childish or maybe it's just the heat getting to me! Anyway, I believe this outdoor shower is probably one of the last that I will see before I leave Iraq. From what I hear Iraqi's would pay lots of Dinar to get some rain come the middle of the summer to help cool off the 130 degree temps - I suspect it does rain in August but at 130 degrees I sure the water is evaporated before it nears the ground. For me I consider this another check in the box "last rain shower" as I get ready to head home. That is about it for today - have a good day.

15 May

Our quiet little base is no longer quiet or little. We have an exploding population that has brought much attention and equipment to the desert landscape. Too bad I am getting ready to leave - there is much opportunity to learn more about the contracting phase and bidding phase of construction unfortunately I will have to save that for my next visit to Iraq. I am slated to leave my location in about 2 weeks then another 10 - 12 days of out processing, bus rides, and plane trip so I can touch foot on American soil. I have a replacement who has started his trek to the desert - he will be my new best friend - at least until I step foot on the helicopter. Well I gots some more work to - have a good day.

14 May

With the first group of soldiers gone the goal was to move the second group out as soon as possible in order to conduct maintenance on the facilities before the next group arrives. As always this in never as easy at it seems. Due to some road construction it took the first group a long time to get from our location to their final destination. I mention this because the first group was escorted by a specific unit who was also slated to escort the second group to the same destination. Because the first group was delayed in arriving at their destination the second group subsequently delayed in leaving our base. Today the troops were packed, in their trucks ready to go, and waiting by the front door but their ride never showed - at least not today. So back they went into their rooms for another night. Needless to say food and water became an issue again but we managed to get through it. I wonder if this experience qualifies me as a Middle East Motel Manager? Just another bullet to add to my Iraq resume. Have a great week.

13 May - Sunday

In order to keep the enemy guessing - or should I say the soldiers themselves - the departure of the soldiers was again changed. However, this was not due to the inability to make a decision but rather the instantaneous disassembling of two bridges. That's correct - two bridge were destroyed within minutes and miles of each other. Needless to say I was scrambling to ensure there was enough food and water for our guest. Luckily the life support contractor had some extra food on hand to feed the soldiers and I supplied the water to the less then excited soldier who were staying an extra night. Everyday its a different challenge - thank goodness I still have some patience left in me - but by the time get home I may be all out. Speaking of all out - I am all out of energy - have a good night.

12 May - Saturday

The left hand is not talking to the right hand - comes to mind as I think about the event of today. There was much confusion as to the departure date and time of our current guests. First the guest were scheduled to leave today - now its tomorrow - no wait...today is good but late in the night - well actually, tomorrow is better for everyone - lets make it tomorrow. Good grief - make a decision and hold to it. Who is leading this train anyway! The poor soldiers did not know if they were coming or going - literally. The biggest problem for me is not if they spend an extra night in the rooms but rather trying to feed a large group when the cook has not been to the market for a few days. I guess its MRE's (meals ready to eat) for everyone. That's it for today; catch ya later.

11 May

With the recent rotation of the old and new blood I was left in charge as the two new senior officers departed the area for a couple days of required training at the head quarters. The day was uneventful as myself and the Iraqi staff began preparing for the departure of some of the visiting soldiers. Ah...it's good to be king - even if it is only for 40 hours. Time for a nap - yea right. The phone was ringing off the hook all day - that will teach me to stay in the office. I hope your day was not as frantic as mine - have a good day.

10 May

Every few days - or at least it seems that way - we have visitors come to our base. Usually we get some high ranking officers who say how wonderful this base is and how we are contributing to the war...etc..etc. However, today we had the individuals who are the link between the visionaries (Generals) and the worker bees (that's us) visit our base. We spent the entire day walking the ground and visiting proposed expansion sites. There were many discussion and "brilliant" ideas that may lead to future growth but only time will tell. All the new ideas sounded great but many different things need to happen before this place will get any bigger. Fortunately I will be long gone before the first mound of dirt is touched by the golden shovel. That's it for today - have a good day.

9 May

I can never pass up a good deal...so when I was able to "acquire" six big white buses at a huge discount I jumped at the opportunity. I always strive to provide the customer what they want, so after reading all the e-mails from my last vehicle offer I decided to give you what you asked for; the best mile to passenger ration I could find. Oh do not get me wrong I had lots of interest in the "Big Red Trucks" (see post 9 Jan) but the safety and traffic disappearance features were not enough to overcome the high step, poor gas mileage and manual transmission associated with these eye-catching vehicles. Maybe if I could have ordered the Big Red Trucks in pink and baby blue like requested I would have consider restocking them but with only a few weeks left in-country I did not want any left over vehicle to delay my return to the States. So...I ordered these new state-of-the-art party rides. Plain white - to blend in with the traffic, fully automatic - and I mean FULLY. The front and side doors open and close with the turn of a switch - air pressure - no pushing required, the brake sets and releases with the push of the button and of course the transmission is automatic. But what really sells this family fun machine apart is the push button gear selector. Yes - that is right - if you can read and reach the petals you can move this party mobile. NO shifting to distract you from missing the big play on the overhead flat screen (optional) - just think of the possibilities as you drive the family around town or car pool with the office mates to and from work. As you can see, only 5 of the 6 are remaining on the lot, one has already been snatched-up right off the back of the truck by an eager customer as the bus - I mean party mobile - was on the way to the lot. If you are interested in obtaining one of these wild white rides please let me know. Have a good day.

8 May

Here it is...the game you have all been waiting for...okay maybe not all-of-you but I have received several e-mails asking about my game and when it will be available. Here are a couple of pics but I blocked my names for security purposes. In a nutshell, the game is a fasted paced dice game that the whole family can play. About 80% of the time everyone is competing against each other compared to Yahtzee and other games where one person is playing/moving or making a decision and the other players are waiting for their turn. There were 4000 games shipped to the Barnes & Noble distribution center from the Texas warehouse on May 4th and I suspect the game should be in stores in the next few weeks. If you get a chance to pick one up and play it I would love to get some feedback. That is about it for the 8th - have a great day.

7 May

Okay...okay...I am a week behind my daily entries - what are you going to do about it; shave my head and send me to Iraq...to late. The pace here has really picked-up, I have been extremely busy - I think they are trying to get every ounce of work out of me before I leave. I guess I would be doing the same thing if I were in charge and nobody was slated to fill my shoes - at least not yet. So let me see, Monday the 7th of May - oh yeah - we had another soccer game on the 7th. As with the last game, I played on the Iraqi team and although I did not contribute as much this time around, the victory still went to the home team by a landslide. Regardless of the score everyone had a good time and this time nobody got hurt - well maybe the Army's ego - but nothing tangible. That was about it for the news - nothing else to report at this time - have a good week.

6 May - Sunday

The crap was really flowing today...well - overflowing would be more accurate. Apparently higher math is not a requirement to be a manager in this part of Iraq. Here is the problem - can you figure it out?
Word problem: If Ali dumped 120 liters of water (3.74 liters = 1 gallon) into a very very large tub and the tub is draining the water at 10 liters per hour, How much water would have drained out of the tub in 24 hours.
Take your time...no pressure...if you guessed anything less then 120 liters you too have qualified to become an Iraqi life support manager. The correct answer is....all of it - 120 liters. That's right I had to explain that if you put a total of 120,000 liters of water into a bladder you can expect to have at least 120,000 liters of "dirty water" in the exit tank. Therefore, stay with me now - this is where it get complicated, if you put 120,000 liters into a bladder everyday you need to extract 120,000 liters from the exit tanks everyday OR...yes you got it...the exit tanks will overflow. Thanks to an excellent math teacher, Mrs. G-T, I was able to quickly solve this real world problem. However, the Iraqi life support contract manager had a little difficulty getting the answer correct. And I thought math was a universal language...maybe its science...maybe I am just in a different universe. Anyway enough teaching for today - have a good week.

5 May - Saturday

Today was an interesting day - "no soup for you" comes to mind. We had some issues with our life support contractor today. Quick synopsis - their was not enough chicken in the rice dish, the bottled water was hot because it went from the back of the truck - which was on the road for 4 hours - to the serving table, the salad was missing and the bread had not yet made it to the serving line. Needless to say the soldiers were less then thrilled and refused the food. One loud mouth soldier was all that was needed to get the rest of the near-by soldiers up in arms. Within minutes all the hired help ran from the building leaving the food and water unprotected. When I arrived 20 minutes after the "there is a problem at the mess hall" call there were no employees in sight and the place was still standing. But outside I could see the chanting and arm pumping of some pretty excited soldiers. The officers from one group got together and began putting together "take-away" meals for their troops while the senior officers from the other unit hid in their rooms - yes they were hiding. After things calmed down a Iraqi Major from the "chanting" group asked what we could do to get his soldiers fed. Oh- NOW you are hungry - well guess what the other group ate all your food - oh sooo sorry. But we have snacks, cold bread and hot water...will that do. Alright...then get in a line. By 3 PM the last of them were scurrying back to their rooms with bread and water in hand. Dinner went-off without any problem - probably because we had Coalition personnel in the area to squash any problem before it escalated into a riot. That was enough excitement for one day. I hope you day was less eventful. Have a good night.

4 May

This job must be getting easy cause I was able to sleep in for an extra 10 minutes this morning. This is the second week in a row I have managed to catch a few extra winks on Friday morning. We are expecting another Marine to join our happy family of 3 tomorrow. Actually our four-some will be short lived as one of the Marines will be departing in a few days...the Iraqi's do not like it when the US masses such a strong force in one location for any length of time. The new guy is an aviator so now I can finally talk pilot stuff with out getting the deer in the headlights look from my audience. Other than little things here and there today was pretty calm. I hope this week was good to you - have a great weekend.

3 May

The above pic is a collection of "smoking lamps" that are for use in our local cafe'. I am pretty sure one can easily be arrested for having this type of "paraphernalia" in their car if they were pulled over and searched. But here in Iraq this pipe is a common household item that allows the Iraqi's to "smoke and joke" with a variety of flavored tobaccos. Whatever...I only have a few more weeks to go in Iraq and I am not about to rock the boat or change Iraqi customs. Well that is about it for today - have a good Friday and a great weekend.

2 May

As the Logistics Advisor to the Iraqi's there are many opportunities for me to provide guidance to the Iraqi staff throughout the course of the day. However, I was at a lost for words when today I learned at 6 PM we had 750 unexpected guests only 2 hours from our front gate. The problem was that we had no "room at the Inn." All of our bed spaces were full and there was no way we could handle 50 let alone 750 more Iraqis who I am sure would be expecting food, water, and a place to sleep upon their arrival. Are plan - whatever we do - do not let them in! After scrounging and pillaging for food and water, and a few frantic phone calls, we decided we would meet the travelers at the front gate, give then a handshake and a hug, a package of food, a liter of water, map to their new destination, and a wave good bye. We had the food and water staged by the front gate and the senior Iraqi Soldiers were standing by to wave hello and good bye as the visitors pulled-up. Fortunate for everyone involved, the convoy was re-routed before they got to our front gate; crisis avoided. I hate to think of what would have happened had the convoy stopped and the soldiers got out and stretch their legs only to learn that they need to turn around and head back to where they came from. Oh well...just another day in Iraq. Have a good day.

1 May

Tuesday was an uneventful day but my night was anything but restfull. It seams my air conditioner has stopped working which has cause me to loose sleep. The lack of cold air has allowed the sand flee population to thrive in my room. The mid-night fliers have been making a meal out of me and the entire population in my location. We have found the best way to fend off the "bed-bugs," because they seem to only attack us at night while in bed, is to douse ourselves with bug spray prior to lights-out and pull the covers up tight around our necks and hope for the best. As I lay there trying to go to sleep I can not help but swat, kick, slap, or rub at the first inclination or perceived feeling of something on my skin. The problem is the sand flies are so small and lite that you do not really feel them when they are on you - their presence is only felt after they have left their mark. This is just another one of those small uncomfortable conditions that Marines and Soldiers must deal with everyday in a far off land. It could be worst - at least I am not sleeping on the ground with the ants. Have a good night and do not let the bed bugs bite.

30 Apr

Well its official - 5 months down and one more to go. I expect this month to go by pretty quick because it seams like it takes about 7 to 10 days for individual who leave my location to arrive back in the States. Therefore, I will probably leave my location around the 25 of the month - give or take a few days; which means I really only have about 25 days of work remaining until I head back home. For those of you who are thinking about sending packages I would recommend you send them in the next day or two to ensure I get them prior to my departure. There is a chance that if you send me a package after "Cinco de Mayo" I may not be here to open it but you will probably "make someones day" cause I am not sure the package will make it back to you if I am not here to receive it. That is about all I have to share for today - have a good day and have a great week.

29 Apr - Sunday

I think the Iraqi Army now understand the phrase - "Don't shoot yourself in the foot." I kid you not - tonight at 8:30 we get a call that one of the Iraqi Soldiers had been shot. Great - I have over 1500 Iraqi's Soldiers here from 5 different group - there is no telling what happen or how bad the injury. I have learned over the last 5 months that for the most part the 1st report of any incident is always wrong - to some degree. Well the call came in that an Iraqi Soldier was shot in the foot. Okay -was it from a fight, was he cleaning his weapon, was he really shot?
Within 12 minutes of the report a truck carrying the injured soldier came zipping around the corner to the check point. After a quick glance he was waved through and within 45 seconds he was on the stretcher in the Aid Station. Holy Holes Batman, sure enough he shot himself in the foot. This Iraqi Soldier - unlike last nights winner - was actually awake at a observation point about seven kilometer away (5 miles) watching for movement in the Eastern desert. He was bored and started playing with his AK-47 and with the weapon aiming for the top of his foot he pulled the trigger and BANG - instant Swiss cheese ala foot. Through the top and out the bottom - no doubt about it - a direct hit. Good thing there was another soldier with him other wise he would have had to make the call himself - a..yea...can ya send a truck and a replacement I shot myself. Not sure when he will return - maybe its best we do not get him back. But then again, at least we know he is a good shot at point blank range. Oh well I think I have had enough fun for one evening - have a good week.

28 Apr - Saturday

Up until now I was able to sleep good at night knowing that 40+ Iraqi Army Soldiers were standing guard duty keeping an eye out for the bad guys. Now I am not so sure I will be able to sleep at all. Above is a picture of the Marine Lt. who caught one of the Iraqi Soldiers "racked-out" on duty. At least he was ready - check out the neatly placed shoes next to the bed - to quickly react to that unexpected wake-up call from mother nature. I am not sure what kind of creative punishment I would assign to an American who I caught sleeping - no better yet pre-meditated sleeping - on duty but I am sure it would have involve digging holes or filling sand bags and 0200. The good news, this guy was not assigned to watch the perimeter or scan the desert for objects moving in the night...oh no, he was assigned to guard the Ammo Depot. But do not worry...had someone "snuck-by" our comatose guard the robber would still need a key to get at the ammo. I am not sure what they are going to do with this guy but I have no doubt he will not be "standing" anymore duty at the Ammo Depot. Have a good night.

27 Apr

Wow - I actually got an extra 30 minutes of sleep today - but the pace of the day quickly changed when, at 9:05, we were informed our new guest were to arrive in the next two to three hours vice later this evening. We were expecting about 750 soldiers to arrive around 8 PM but they showed up at 11 AM with 929 soldiers looking for beds at our "inn." The sky was overcast and the rain drizzled on and off all day while the wind blew from West to East. After about 3 hours of inspections and the collection of prohibited items, the soldiers made their way to the chow hall to get some food before settling into their rooms. My gut tells me these new arrivals will be more trouble then the group that just left less then 12 hours ago. The early arrival prevents us from fixing all the damage from the previous group - didn't they read the hand-out that said, "Check-in after 4 PM - no exceptions." Oh well - I hope then can live with curtains showers and sinks with no running water because we did not have a chance to fix the damaged pipes. As always the Iraqi's are on their own program. Ho hum - I am not going to loose any more sleep over these issues - speaking of sleep - I think it is time to check for holes in my eyelids. See ya tomorrow.

26 Apr

As the saying goes, "if it's not one thing it's another." As the visiting Iraqis were preparing to leave - thus alleviating my headache, a stomach virus caused me to stay close to the facilities. There is some type of virus going around our area; both the Iraqis and the Americans are getting sick - and we have been unable to determine how the bug is being spread. We have even taken steps to drain and refill all our water tanks fearing it might be something from the water despite the fact that we have been very diligent about ensuring the water trucks are checked before transferring any water into the tanks. I was fortunate in that I only experienced a mild case of the stomach cramps compared to the other Americans who were down and out for a day or two. By the days end I was feeling much better and as the clock struck 9 PM the "problem guests" had checked-out but there are some guest that will be remaining for a few more days. When I hit the rack I was well on my way to being mentally and physically recovered from the days events. Enjoy your evening.

25 Apr

Today I was recovering my the 90 minute workout. That 30+ league is looking more and more inviting. I had my usual 3 meetings Wednesday today and after many phone calls it looks like some of our temporary guest will be leaving our area - finally; talk about wearing out a welcome. In all fairness it is not the soldiers fault they had an extended stay, it was caused by failures much farther up their chain or command. If all goes as planned they will depart the area tomorrow - good riddance - and a new set of visitors will arrive in the next few days. That's about it from the Sands of Iraq - have a good night. Above is a picture of all the players from yesterdays game - enjoy.

24 Apr

Well some might call me a traitor - while others would call me loyal to my base; either way I chose correctly. Although far from the quality of play you would see in a World Cup, we did have an International Soccer game today. A few weeks ago we coordinated a soccer game with our new American neighbors that moved in just south of our main road. The game started at about 4:30 and we played two 45 minute halves. In the end the Iraqi team won - by a lot. It was a great event - there were over 35 players and there must have been about 150+ spectators from numerous different units lining the field to watch the game - that last time I played in front of a crowd that big was my last high school soccer game. We believe this game was the first of many to come. The Soldiers enjoyed the game and asked for an immediate re-match - we agreed; time TBD. There are five other units on our base that would like to challenge our team so I think there will probably be a competitive soccer game once every two weeks to generate team spirit and unit cohesion. Thanks goodness I will only be around for another game or two cause these "20 somethings" are not easy to keep pace with after 75 minutes; maybe its time to look for a 30+ league. Have a good night.

23 Apr

Another Monday down - about 5 more to go until I can have a real drink. The minute I step foot on a plane I am ordering a drink - cause I am going to need one after spending 6 months in Iraq. Nothing new today - just the same ole 4 meeting Monday. Have a good week :-)

22 Apr - Sunday

Well today was the big day - we had a 4 Star visit our base today. Needless to say we played the hurry up and wait game as we stood around waiting for his arrival. He arrived late and departed early and did not say too much in between. I guess when you are the man in charge you can do whatever you want. After he departed we all breathed a sigh of relief and went about our daily schedule. Nothing else to report today - have a good night.

21 Apr - Saturday

Today was a full of rehearsals and coordination for the big VIP visit. So as to not bore you with the details I will shed a little light on how I sleep at night. Here is my current situation. Although the temperature here is in the high 80's and low 90's I find I must run my air conditioner all day. Not that I need to keep my room cool but because I need to keep the bugs out of my room. You see, we have these sand flees that attack you relentlessly at night if your room is above a certain temperature. So, the secret to keeping ones room "flee free" is to run the A/C all day and night. Now, even though I have the AC on cold I have the fan on low to avoid the freezer like temperature in my room. Every night before I jump into bed I put on my long sleeve shirt and long flannel pants in order to stay warm - and some times even some socks...that's right I said socks. I only mention this because if you ask my wife I do not think she has ever seen me go to bed with socks on my feet no matter how cold the room. Oh it gets better. Since the A/C is running all night I get dehydrated. So to avoid the morning or mid-night dry mouth I drink lots of water before turning the light out. And as you can imagine this leads to a trip or two to the facilities in the dark - did I mention the bathroom is about 40 yards away. As you can see anyway you look at it one night of uninterrupted sleep is not an option. If it is not shivering, or dehydration, or a trip to the bathroom then I wake up with "battle scars" from the main course of the sand-flee banquet. This mid-night routine is just another one of those little things that affect what little creature comforts we have when in a war zone. Do not get me wrong - I am not complaining I am just explaining - cause I would rather make early morning walks to the toilets out here in the middle of nowhere then drive around Baghdad on a regular basis. Sleep tight and do not let the bed bugs bite.

20 Apr

UGH....this is the second time I had to do this post from scratch. Above is another pic from the school we visited a few days ago. On Friday we spent the day handing out some of our gear to fill the "absence of equipment" of our visiting guests. We will get back filled for all the gear we handed-out form our stock and it looks like we will get even more. A comment was made yesterday, "why don't we just overstock this place so they (meaning we) can fill any gaps that passing units have before they go to their follow-on assignment." Great...more work for an over worked staff. As a matter of fact it looks like they want to build another set of visiting quarter - identical to the units we currently have - in order to house even more troops in this area. This place is staring to become a "city in the sand." Actually this is good news because this means the Iraqi's will have the equipment and facilities to train their soldiers so the Coalition can hand-over the reins to the Iraqi Forces sooner than later. That is about it for now - have great day.

19 Apr

Today we had another high level visitor stop by our area. However, this visitor has made several trip to our location before and the purpose of his visit was to prepare for a "higher level" visitor who is slated to drop by in the near future - essentially this was a dry run. All went well but, as always with a rehearsal, we received some additional guidance for "game day." We spent about 5 hours discussing the upcoming visit and some of the gear issue problems that are associated with our current guests who are slated to leave in a few days. That is about all for today - have a good night.

18 Apr

Today was my final trip to see the local school kids before I depart Iraq. Along with delivering all the toys, crayons, coloring books, pens and pencils, notebooks, and clothing the Air Force tagged along to help fix a few of the broken items in the school. Since our "brothers in blue" are constructing the new neighborhood just south of my locations they wanted to pitch-in and try to make that school a better learning environment. We added two sets of shelves/cubby holes to each classroom and handed out over 160 packages that included some snacks, clothes, school supplies, various sports equipment, and lots of smiles. I hope you enjoy the pic of the Chaplin and some of the kids that received the gifts that you sent. Please know that even if was just for a few hours - you brought smiles to a school in a far off land. Have a great day.

17 Apr

Holy Girl Scout cookies Batman! Yes, a box - a large box - of Girl Scout cookies arrive today. They arrived from Connecticut, The Girls of Housatonic Council to be exact. First, I would like to thank the following girls/councils for their kind words and tasty treats; 5429, 7473, Alissa - 6452, Brittany, Kira, Kyra - 9328, Lizzie, and Victoria. Your thoughts, heat felt support, and cookies are much appreciated - thanks. On a different note - there seems to be some type of bug going around and many of us have been feeling a little under the weather. Unfortunately, we do not have a doctor on site; therefore, we are unable to get that "stay at home" pass to keep us out of the office. We have all been trying to survive hour to hour in the hopes the bug will pass. Some of us have been hit harder than others but overall we are all surviving. And for those of you who are thinking it was too many Girl Scout cookies that has caused our stomachs to become queasy - you are wrong 'cause we were queasy before the cookies were ever opened. I hope all of you in Internet-land are doing much better then we are. I am off to bed to get some much needed rest - see ya soon.

16 Apr

Another Multiple Meetings Monday in the books! I expect to see an e-mail in the next couple of weeks about my travel itinerary back to the States. It looks as if I will be flying back to BWI and then onto the West coast to rendezvous with the wife and kids.
One of the weekly meetings that I attend on Monday afternoon is the Command and Staff meeting in which the logistics staff briefs details of their section to the senior Iraqi Colonel. We have managed to turn a 75 minute question and answer session into a 25 minute all inclusive brief. My job is complete - in this department anyway; we will see how they do next week when I sit in the back of the room and critique the preparation process and the brief. The ability of the staff to be able to complete this "briefing task" may not seem like much of an accomplishment to you, but to a group of Iraqi's who never used Power Point before but are now briefing the Colonel from Power Point is a huge victory. Well that is enough for today - have a happy Monday.

15 Apr - Sunday

Today I had the pleasure of having a late lunch with a local vendor. Abu Rad is the owner and manager of the bakery and local cafe'. He can get me anything I need - should there be anything I need in the middle of the desert. He seems to be an honest and trust worthy man but as always I keep my guard-up cause you never know who will do what in a war zone. Well that is about all for now. Have a great week.

14 Apr - Saturday

Today I spent 4 hours with our Life Support contract managers today - man, what a fiasco. Its like dealing with a bunch of 5 yr old and used car salesman at the same time. First, I ask the manger a pointed question that has a yes or no answer and he responds with another problem. I am not sure if he is ADHD or the question was lost in translation. And when I re-ask the question I get the "slouched downward looking" no. Are you an adult or a kid? I ask them to follow the contract and they respond by saying - its not my fault - the company is not giving me what I need. Next we discuss what items and facilities need some attention and then we "negotiate" on how we are going to get the job done. By the end of the conversation we are all smiling and shaking hands like we are the best of friends. But as I walk away I can not help but think I am not getting what I paid for. Anyway, above is a pic of some of the workers from a local village who are working in the chow hall. Enjoy.

13 Apr

Friday is here; my day of rest - at least one extra hour anyway. Not so fast! The "unluckiness" of Friday the 13th struck early in my day. At 7:10 AM I hear a knock at my door - my first thought was not now...my air conditioner is working just fine. About once a month the local maintenance crew makes the rounds checking everyone’s heating and cooling unit. Most people are up at 0700 so that is when they come by and check other wise it is a crap shoot to catch you with your door open during the day. So I was surprised to see the LtCol. and the Lt. standing there in their full gear - my heart skipped a beat and I looked at my watch. Oh crap what did I forget - a meeting - a VIP visit - 'cause I did not hear any loud bangs or gun fire so I know we are not under attack. Neither, at "0'dark thirty" a shipment of helmets, armor and other equipment arrived at our location and the LtCol. and Lt. have been awake since about 0345 dealing with the trucks and equipment. My first questions were, "Did I miss the call - why didn't you wake me?" They replied that there was no reason to wake the entire group for a few trucks that are here to deliver equipment to our quests. Alrighty then - back to bed...not quite! They were handing the ball off to me and it was now time for me to ensure all the delivery paperwork was signed and sent back to my higher headquarters; so much for that extra 60 minutes of free time. The next time I looked at my watch it was lunch time and half the day was gone; and although the rest of the day was uneventful but I was still very busy dealing with logistics issues. Its time for me to go and recoup that 60 minutes of sleep I lost this morning - have a good night.

12 Apr

Well it seems I have another fan group living in the great State of Pennsylvania. Yesterday afternoon I received 27 letters from a 3rd grade class located in Laureldale, PA. I am always excited to receive letters but I have never received 27 at once - it was a great surprise. As directed by the teacher - I would never ignore a teacher - I handed out the letters to my fellow Marines and Soldiers. Hopefully in the next few days or weeks we will be able to respond to all the letter by answering all the great questions. Thanks again kids! Also, thanks to all those who have sent letters and pictures via e-mail and snail-mail - it really makes me smile when I see an "unread" message in my mail box or a new package or letter sitting on my desk when I return from a frustrating day with the Iraqi's. Have a good day and keep your chin-up - I'll keep my head down - the weekend is almost here.

11 Apr

April 11th - the day the ice cream ran out. As if the war is not sacrifice enough, I chose to give up ice cream for Lent. I figured if I could give up ice cream for forty days while living in the middle of the desert that may make-up for my lack of attendance at Sunday services. On the second of April I asked the restaurant manager if he could set aside one tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream for future use; he said he would and hid the ice cream where no one would find it. On Holy Thursday the chow hall ran out of ice cream except for "my" hidden carton of mint chocolate chip. After the Easter Sunday feast the manager pulled me aside and asked if I was saving the ice cream for a special occasion. I told him he was "free" to bring-out the stashed tub-o-desert. Sure enough, today a nanosecond of silence was observed as the last chocolate chip slid its way out of the 3 gallon Baskin Robbins container - never to be seen again. It was a great run - from Jan 20th to April 11th. If you ever wanted to know how long 240 gallons of ice cream will last 40 guys living in the desert - now you have your answer, about 110 days - give or take a few days. Have a good night.

10 Apr

The Crap is starting to pile-up...seriously the poop is backed-up. At least that is what was relayed to me over the radio on Tuesday morning. The new neighbors that took-up resident south of our location were preventing our "black water trucks," the trucks that suck-out the toilets, from reaching the dump site. In addition to all the new guest that checked-in over the last few days, a new group of Coalition soldiers has also moved-in across the street to occupy the buildings and facilities that were built over the last 30 days.
It is this new group of US Soldiers that is holding up the crap. After a few phone calls and a visit from one of the US Soldiers the situation was on it's way to being resolved. The problem stems from the fact that all three black water trucks are local Iraqi's who are hired by the Life Support Contractor here at my base. So...when three these medium size "tanker" trucks show up at the front gate and ask for entrance to a new US check point it raises a red flag especially when guarded by new gate guards.
There is no other way to get to the dump point as of right now, so the trucks must enter the front gate and exit the back gate in order to deposit their loads at the designated site. We only have three trucks so I expect it will take a couple of days for the gate guards to feel comfortable about letting the crap in; but like they say it will pretty much be, "the same crap but different day." I know...I know but I could not resits. Anyway have a good day.

9 Apr

Another Monday down - that leave about 7 more Mondays if I have anything to say about it - who am I kidding - I have nothing to say about I am at the mercy of Uncle Sam. Anyway, we spend many hours trying to solve the training problem but it looks like our options are limited until some gear arrives at our doorstep. So now the question is - how do we get gear to our front porch? We were expecting some gear to show-up yesterday but that was put on hold until we established exactly what is needed to get all the Iraqi Soldiers fully equipped for duty. It looks like the new gear will not arrive until some time next week. Oh well I guess the Iraqi's will just have to practice with blanks until the helmets and body armor arrive. All the phone calls and office discussions on the gear/training issue and my "four meeting Monday" keep me pretty busy but like I said only seven more Mondays to go. Speaking of which - I must go. Have a great week.

8 Apr - Sunday

Happy Easter to all; I hope the Easter Bunny has was able to drop off a few treats for you and your families. As luck would have it an Easter package arrived today from my parents; it was full of Jelly Beans and other treats for some of the local school kids.
For those of you who are wondering I never did make it to the 6 AM service but there was one scheduled at 1000 at my location, and since I was up at 0800 conducting the daily logistics meeting I figured the 1000 would work just perfect. With all our new guests checked-in it was time to get them into training; but not so fast. So...here is a new one - the unit that has been here a couple of days - it seems they departed their home location, drove 8 hours along a dangerous route and arrived to our base with no helmets or body armor. Thank goodness they did not run into any problems on the way to our location - if they had encountered any skirmishes or IED's many of the soldiers would have been hurt or killed. The gross failure of leadership aside we started looking into "work-arounds" in order to get these soldiers at least some training during their stay at our facility. It looks like we may either lend them some of our equipment or try to get some delivered in the near future. But until then it looks like they will have a few more days off. Better safe than sorry - not ideal considering their next stop but definitely the right call - we do not want any injuries that could have been prevented had the soldiers had the correct equipment. Oh well...have a good night and Happy Easter.

7 Apr - Saturday

Well another week is coming to a close - but that does not mean I am without work. As a matter of fact a second group of visitors will be arriving sometime today, tonight, or early in the morning - it depends on traffic and IED's (Improvised Explosive Devise). Who knows, maybe I will make the 6 AM Easter Mass - not because I am going to get up early but because I will already be wake.
And sure enough our guest arrived at midnight but the size of the party was much smaller then usual so after a few hours of corralling the troops we headed to bed. It was another long day but we are making progress; I say this because each time a new group arrives the Iraq Soldiers here at my location continue to take on more and more of the responsibility of leading, inspecting, and organizing the arrival of the troops as I stand in the background ready to provide guidance if the need should arise. That's all the action for today...

6 Apr

Friday April 6th - our new guests are taking the day off - as is accustom to some units on the designated religious day of the week. Good for them, this might be one of their last chances to relax and pray before they get very busy. That is just fine with me because I have plenty of other issues I can focus my energy addressing. Thus far I have we have not had a large problem with our new guests using their cell phones - part of the success for such a low number of violators is due to the fact that this unit sent an advanced party to receive a pre-arrival brief. This allowed us to ensure the leadership of the arriving soldiers knew the rules and procedures prior to the wave of soldiers entered our camp. With one less headache for today I was able to refocus my attention on more pressing issues with our local food service contractor - but since the food service contractor issues are on going I will save those adventures until tomorrow. Until tomorrow - have a great weekend.

5 Apr

After a long morning of receiving Iraqi Soldiers we took a couple of hours in the afternoon to regenerate our batteries. Today is a recuperation day for our visitors after their long day on the road to our location. Other then a few meetings and some brief orientation of our procedures the new Soldiers spent the day relaxing. All seemed calm and quiet until about 8 PM. Just after 8 o'clock there was a report that some members from one of our schools were injured and on there way to the aid station. To be honest I did not think anything of it and continued my meeting with the Iraqi Logistics Civilian at my location. When we finished our conversation I headed to my desk to check my e-mail. I was side-tracked by the events that were taking place at the aid station - the aid station is co-located with my office. I will not get into the specifics of what happen but, in short - three local Iraqi Soldiers were injured by some bad guys and left on our back door step. We treated them for bruises and sprains, and sent them away via medivac to a hospital that could check for internal injuries and provide around the clock observation and attention for the next 24 hours; they soldier were rough-up but they will be fine. Sometime, amongst all the building projects and logistic issues, I forget I am in a war zone - this was a reality check. If this is the worst that I see in my 6 months in Iraq I will be very thankful. Life is too short to worry about the small stuff - I agree. Stay safe.

4 Apr

Our guest finally arrived but five hours earlier than scheduled. Just as everyone was settled down for the night - in preparation for the EARLY arrival of our visitors we received a call that they were about 1 hour away. So, about 55 minutes later we passed the word that our visitors would be arriving in the next 30 minutes -figured they would be late so I let the troops sleep as much as possible before we woke them. Needless to say we were jumping through hoops to get the reception party in-place prior to the Soldiers entering the front gate and sure enough they arrived about 40 minutes after the troops were given the reveille call. The reception, inspection, and movement of visitors to their rooms only took 3 hours - much better then the 6 hours from the previous group. All in all it was not too bad - we all got to bed around 3 AM so at least we had some rest before the gobble of our local turkeys woke us up. Another long day but much smoother then our previous "check-in" experiences. Have a good day

3 Apr

We continue to make preparations for the arrival of our guests - maybe they are coming today...maybe tomorrow...maybe not at all. While we are awaiting their arrival let me share Iraqi Lesson #11 - at least I think it is #11. With all the constructions that has taken place in the is area we had the opportunity to build a few new toilet facilities. Two 10 person facilities were built back to back and they both run off the same 10,000 liter water tank. The facility has been in place for about a month and today I was told the units are "no good." No good - what do you mean - are they broken? No...they are in perfectly good working order but - and I am not kidding - they are facing the wrong way. WHAT! What do you mean the WRONG WAY? Well it turns out that it is forbidden to use the toilets that are facing the same direction in which one would pray or to use a toilet that places your back to the direction you would pray. Holy Crap - no pun intended - are you kidding me - is this a joke to play on the American Major? My western" mind would never have thought "the man upstairs" would care which way you were facing when you let nature take its course. As far as the toilets - I am not sure what we are going to do about them - it will not be easy or cheap to turn or modify the facilities. Oh well they should have told us this was an issue when the toilets were being built - at least we know for next time. Speaking of next time - until the next time I write have a good day.

2 Apr

This week started off with the normal "four meetings Monday." We are knee deep into the planning and preparing phase for our incoming guests; however, it would be nice to know when they are expected to arrive so we can ensure we have a proper welcome in place when they pull-up to the front gate. The arrival time of our new visitors continues to change but since we are about 80% ready I do not expect any significant problems if they arrive tonight. That's about all from the land of the desert - have a good week.

1 April - Sunday

Above is a picture of me and one of the hard working Iraqi Army Soldiers that works in the Base Logistics Section. Today was a somewhat busy day; I spent about two hours helping coordinate the movement of several tons of cement, and had a total of five meetings scattered throughout the day. Our new guest will be arriving in the future and in addition to their arrival it looks like another new facility will need to be built at our location. And the time line for these new buildings is very compressed - the project needs to be completed within 2 months and the plans have yet to hit the drawing board. Oh well - its just one great idea after another. I am sure I will be heavily involved in this project but at least I will not get bored. Maybe I should go and get some rest while I have the chance - I think I will do that. Have a good day.

31 Mar - Saturday

Four down and two to go. I have been in Iraq for 4 months as of the end of today and that means I only have two months of desert life to endure until I get back to the US.
Today was a very confusing day for me; let me explain. In the US, on 19 March the clocks jumped ahead one hour, in Europe the hour jumps ahead on 25 March - nothing out of the ordinary, right! The same process happens in Iraq, the time shift occurs on the 1st of April at 1 AM. However, somewhere in the US Chain of Command the decision was made to make the "leap ahead" at 1 AM on March 31st. So on Saturday morning the entire US military effort was on a different time line then the rest of Iraq. Not a big deal if you are surrounded by Americans and you work on Power Point all day. But if you are one of 23 Americans surrounded by 600 Iraqis who are on a different clock - your watch will only be right half the time. The confusion came as conference calls with US personnel were on one time line and meal times and Iraq meetings were on another time line. Definitely an interesting day - do not think I will ever see another day like today. Does the hop-scotch of repeating and skipping hours in the day qualify me as a Transient Time Traveler? There is another bullet for my resume - not sure where that will get me but it is defiantly a conversation piece if I make it to an interview. Until my next resume builder - have a great day....have a great day..hum!

30 Mar

TGIF, another Friday down and a few more to go - at least that is what I keep telling myself. Every Friday I try to sneak in an extra hour of sleep - I made the executive decision to have our daily morning meeting at 9 o'clock on Fridays vice at the normal 8 o'clock time. However, since there are now only three Marines at our location I was up at 7 o'clock with the other two Marines as we made our way to inspect a set of recently completed buildings. I let one of the Army Sergeant First Class Soldiers run the meeting and based on his report the event went well. As far as the buildings, they were the best I have scene in Iraq. This is not to say they are up to US standards but they were well constructed - or should I say well refurbished. That's about all from the land of the dust storms - have a good weekend.

29 Mar

Not too much happen today - I spent most of the day catching up on paperwork and preparing the Iraqi staff for our incoming visitors. All in all a busy but uneventful day - thank goodness. Lets hope the next few weeks are the same way - busy but not exciting - yea, how likely is that? Anyway, have a good day - the weekend is almost here.

28 Mar

We have another new captive; another happy camper has joined the growing list of convicts. This time from a member from the Equidae family has graced our presence. Apparently he was grazing on our base and for his own protection and in order to teach his owner a lesson he was relocated to our holding pen. I know the message to avoid our location is getting out because despite the increase in different species that have arrived at our "zoo" we are not seeing any repeat visitors. Thus far we have solved the sheep and goat problem but it seems like the animals are getting bigger. Maybe by the time I leave Iraq I will qualify to be a Zoo keeper - not what I had expected from my trip to Iraq but it could be worst. Have a good day.

27 Mar

Happy Birthday - we have a new addition to the "cow pen." A female calf was born in "captivity" today at our location. Unknown to us at the time of "arrest", one if the confiscated cows was pregnant and today at 1:43, Iraq time, we had a new prisoner. I just happen to be in the area talking with one of the Iraq Officers when one of the soldiers said, "Look the cow is giving birth." I looked over and sure enough the water had broke and nature was trying to take its course. As I observed the mother struggling to give birth I thought to myself - do I try to help? What could I do? Anything I could do would have been better then just standing there watching...right? I never had a pet - let alone helped an animal give birth. But then again nature is nature - right? So I went to the aid-station, grabbed some gloves and headed back to play Dr. Major Veterinarian. All the while I was thinking - there is no way I am going to do what Bill Crystal did in the movie City Slickers. When I returned to the scene an Iraqi Soldier was already helping the mother with so I stayed out of the way. Good thing he beat me to her aid because I was not prepared to render the assistance that he provided.

Oh - sure I could have helped deliver the new born but when the soldier gave the calf mouth-to-mouth I was speechless. If I was delivering the calf I probably would have tried to help him stand up a couple of times to get him to breath, even after he flopped to the ground once or twice - then I may have even tried to hit him on the butt to get him to breath; but mouth-to-mouth...not likely. Well I guess I learned something today - if I ever have a pet cow I will know what to expect if she ever gets pregnant. It took a 10,000 mile trip to Iraq for me to see the birth of a calf - I wonder what else I will see in my remaining two months...any guesses? Have a nice day.

26 Mar

On Monday, as I was walking toward my weekly Command meeting I noticed we had a few extra visitors in our Camp or should I say pen. As mentioned before - our live stock is continuing to grow one species at a time. I could not resist getting a picture of our new pets while they were "pulling weeds" for us. I am not sure when or how they arrived - I assume they were escorted in to our area "on foot" vice "in the back" of a pick-up like the sheep - but either way they are just as loud, annoying and smelly as our previous pets. It seems getting a picture with a camel is not as easy as I thought. Getting a picture of a turkey, a cat, a dogs, some sheep, a couple goats, and now some cows has not been a problem. But the one animal I thought I was sure to see - a camel - I have been unable to successfully locate - but my 6 months are not up so I am keep faith that I will get at least one camel pic before I leave Iraq. The only other bit of excitement is I have been recruited to act as Crash - Fire - Rescue for the wave of incoming aircraft over the next few nights. As the only aviator with access to a fire truck I am uniquely qualified to add one more task to my growing list of duties here in Iraq. So far I there has been no need for me to exercise my new fire fighting skills - and I am just fine if that day never comes. Have a good week.

25 Mar - Sunday

A feast for all; that is the best way to describe our dining experience Sunday night. Our new neighbors invited us down for dinner at "their place" for an "end of the week" cook-out. On the menu was steak - cooked the American way, not over done - shrimp, green beans, baked beans, and french fries. And of course a "Cheese Cake Factory" size piece of cake - your choice of carrot or chocolate cake, or strawberry or chocolate cheese cake. It was a great meal - and it was so good there was "standing room only" at the dining hall.
Okay that's a little misleading - the chow hall is actually designed as "standing room only." The tables were built much higher then the normal family style table - they are "bar-like" height. I believe this design was chose for a few simple reasons. First, if individuals are standing and eating it is likely that they will eat their meal and move on vice hang-around for an extended period of time. Second, it is much easier to move around the tables when there are no chairs to "scoot-behind." And third, no chairs means more tables can be set-up in the confined location; since their is only one chow hall and the everyone must cycle through its doors if they want to get a hot meal table space was more important then comfortable seats. So next time you have a meal that is not exactly what you were expecting - consider how lucky you are to be sitting vice standing with a weapon slung over your back or shoulder. Until tomorrow...

24 Mar - Saturday

I am the last person to tell someone how to cook. My wife will agree, that if it were up to me to cook family meals, my family would be the experts on microwave dinners because I am not much of a cook. With that said, I do know a few things about cooking - for starters the flame that is cooking the meal should NOT be hitting the ceiling. But that is exactly what is happening in this picture. The cook - notice I said cook not chef - was carving or more accurately trimming the hunk of meat as it rotates around the fire; the pic was taken at about 12:10 as he was preparing the main course for the dinner menu - lamb. If I did not point out the fact that he was starting to burn a hole in the roof I am not sure when or if he or the manger would have ever noticed the hole in the roof until the next rain storm. However, on the bright side - if you can call it "bright" - the cook chose to prepare the meat in the section of the kitchen that had a metal ceiling/roof vice the part of the kitchen that has a wood ceiling. Sometimes I wonder if natural selection is actually a good thing. Anyway - have a good day and do not take for granted your next American made meal.

23 Mar

Despite all the work that needs to be done we opted to take Friday as a sloooow day - its about time. However, it is clear that this break is the "calm before the storm." We have multiple guest arriving soon, and if all goes well April will fly-by. Come the beginning of May I will start to plan and pack for my trip back to the States - May can not get here quick enough as far as I am concerned. But for now I will just enjoy the day and take a very much needed break. Have a good weekend.

22 Mar

Thursday was catch-up day. After a day in the desert and a day in meetings its time to get organized for our arrivals. Initially we had plenty of time before the next batch of guest were to arrive; however, as always nothing is written in stone. So in true military fashion - it looks like they will be arriving earlier then initially thought. Therefore, we need to re-adjust our work priorities in order to get some "odds and ends" finished now rather than later. In addition to all these little projects that need attention I guess the Army felt there was not enough work for four Marines. One of the LtCol is leaving in the next few days so that leaves one LtCol, myself and a 1stLt to run the show. It almost does not seem fair...I mean to the Iraqi's - 3 vs 500...maybe another 1000 Iraqi's will balance-out the ratio? That's about all from Iraq - have a good night.

21 Mar

I guess since I was "out of the office" all day yesterday scouring the desert for cement blocks - it only seems right that my butt was planted in a chair for five different meetings today. My first meeting started at 8 AM and my last meeting ended around 11 PM. Nothing exciting about the meetings just the normal Iraqi Army training but with a few extra logistics meeting and issues thrown into the mix. Nevertheless it still makes for a long day. Good thing I do not need to deal with Southern California traffic 'cuz that would make for a long day. Speaking of day - have a good one.

20 Mar

Today was "moving day," we had to move about 150 blocks of cement - essentially numerous sections of broken curb. The previous large group of Iraqi visitors drove their vehicles in areas that were reserved for foot traffic only. So in order to ensure the walking area regains its "foot traffic" status we are placing these sections of broken curb around the perimeter to keep vehicle traffic from further damaging the area. As the senior man on this savaging expedition across our training area, I designated specific locations and suitable blocks of curbs that met our requirements. Once I had identified enough "curb" the working party of 25 Iraqi Soldiers relocated the blocks to pallets which were placed on the road. Later in the afternoon we had a fork-lift load the 13 pallets on trucks and relocate them to the their new home. By 5 PM the hard part was done; however, in the next few days we will need to spread-out the curbs in order to ensure the landscape of the new visiting quarters does not receive anymore "scars" from vehicle traffic. I believe I now meet the minimum requirements to be qualified as a "Property Protection Professional." Until my next resume bullet - have a good night

19 Mar

Another Monday down and about 11 more to go. Eleven does not sound so bad lets hope they go by quickly. Speaking of quickly, last night went by rather quickly. Just when I thought we would not have anymore midnight runs..WHAM...every one was up and helping unload stuff at 12:01 in the morning. We were up until about 2 AM but the good news is I got lots-o-mail; this weeks winners are the cousins from NJ. I got school supplies, lolly-pops, and more school supplies...did I mention lolly-pops? I also received a large supply of coloring books from a dear friend who lives in Japan - thanks to everyone, young and "not-so-young" who sent all the goodies for the Marines, Soldiers, and the local school kids. Although I have only about 70 days left in Iraq there are many Marines and Soldiers who would be more then willing to hand-out any and all supplies that arrive for the local kids. I calculate that I have at least one but maybe two more trips to the local school remaining before I depart Iraq, so any items that are sent my way will make it to the kids sooner or later. Again, thanks for all the goodies and have no doubt, that you have helped make a difference for the children of Iraq. The above picture is just a small sample of all the goodies that you provided - again, Thanks; and have a great day.

18 Mar - Sunday

The above picture is from the trip to the school last month - I have not taken too many pics in the last few days so I thought I would throw this one in to buy me a few more days.

In the last few days I have had the opportunity to get out and play a little soccer with some of the Iraqi Soldiers. The games are always friendly and it never really matters who wins or loses - and why should it if half the team is playing with no shoes and the other half is playing in combat boots. And I suspect that playing with a different ethnic group is just about the same anywhere in the world - everybody knows the new guy or in this case the "white" guy but to me they all look the same. Additionally, I never was very good at remembering peoples names right-off-the-bat but like any new player I politely introduce myself when I walk onto the field. But have no doubt that as soon as I get done shaking their hand - almost before our hands separate I have forgotten how to pronounce their name. It took me three days to correctly pronounce "good morning" in Arabic, how can I be expected to remember Aliwan Asriah Monahana in three seconds especially as I turn to meet the next player. So I politely smile, and with a friendly nod I secretly hope they do not ask me to repeat their name. And since everyday there seems to be a different group of players it makes remembering the names even harder. Well enough about my Iraqi greeting techniques - have a good night.

17 Mar - Saturday

As a result of the Army pilots inability to trust a Marine, I was up until three in the morning, Saturday morning, helping the incoming Army Soldiers to reach their final destination. You would think the Army would want to help-out their "own"... I guess that is what makes the Marine Corps, The Marine Corps. Because the pilots were unable to land at "their" LZ they needed to divert to the LZ about 2 miles away, essentially the LZ where I live. That meant the Army unit on the ground would need to shuttle people and equipment back and forth in order to get everyone over to the new area. The Army unit on the ground, the unit that was receiving the incoming Soldiers, consisted of about 5 people and 40 trucks - all the drivers were arriving on the inbound aircraft. So in order to do the right thing and help out some "brothers" in-arms, I used some of my assets to augment two of their trucks in order to expedite the movement of the troops and their gear from the LZ to the new area. The personnel arrival just before 2 AM and by 3 AM all the troops were moved and I was headed for bed. All this could have been avoided had the Army landed in the LZ I surveyed; oh well. After my "early" 8 AM meeting and making a few phone calls I took a little nap and by the afternoon I was good to go. It has been a while since I took a nap on a Saturday - I will have to try again after I get home. Have a good day.

16 Mar

As a helicopter pilot I know a thing or two about LZ's (landing zones), and as a Aviation Safety Officer I am qualified to evaluate and certify an LZ for helicopter operations. Even though I have operated a helicopter in both extremes, from densely forested areas in Asia to many hours of training in the deserts of Eastern California the Army chose not to listen to my advice and learned the hard way. Here is what happen. With the build of of personnel and supplies in our area, at the request of the senior man in-charge, an Air Force LtCol (the same LtCol we had dinner with last night), I took three hours out of my day to help map-out and certify an LZ adjacent to our new neighbors location. The Army chose a different area but it was also in the vicinity of our new neighbors. I disagreed with their choice because of the proximity to some recently built structures and the amount of dust that is created by vehicle traffic. Despite my recommendation they tried to use "their" LZ and sure enough when I spoke with the air crew after their attempted landing they said the LZ was no good for night operations - it is just too dusty. Well...how about that!!! News flash - dust in the desert at night...who would have thought that was possible. Oh well...maybe next time they will listen. Enough complaining for today - have a good weekend.

15 Mar

Today's activity involved using a 60 ton crane to move four big trailer type refrigerators. The entire event, which took about three hours, went off without a problem...for once. The only other point of interest was the arrival of an Air Force LtCol who joined us for dinner at one of our two weekly dinners with the Iraqi Colonel. It was good to "meet and greet" and share a meal with another American military member. Hopefully we will be able to have a few more American visitors come our way as the build-up of Coalition forces continues in our area. That's all for today - have a good night.

14 Mar

Today we had a two more "fire fights." Well actually it was just one fire to fight but at two different times. In summary, at about 11:30 AM a pile of "potato sack" type sand bags were set on fire; the culprit was caught and dealt with harshly. The fire trucks responded and the only damage was to the pile of bags. Although the fire was extinguished some hot embers continued to smolder deep within the pile and at about 7 PM some flames reappeared from the pile. The fire trucks and a "front loader" vehicle was brought to the scene. The pile was spread out and doused with water and dirt; the fire was finally extinguished. We are learning as we go - hopefully we can get some real firefighting equipment here once our new neighbors are all moved in. The fire was the only real excitement for today; until tomorrows adventure...have a good day.