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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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!
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...
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.
13 Mar
There is more good news with the arrival of our new neighbors. No more mid-night deliveries for me and my crew. Our neighbors will now be acting as the receiving agent for all the deliveries to our area. Therefore, they will receive and park all the delivery trucks and we will off-load our items the morning after they arrive. Other than a slew of meetings today was pretty dull. I think I am getting burned out with all the meetings and constant baby-sitting of the Life Support Contract workers. I am very frustrated with the manager of the service workers; when an individual tells me they are going to do something I expect them to do it. And since there is nothing I can do about it, I become very frustrated. Although I have raised my voice in a few conversation I ensure that I keep my cool and finish the conversation on a positive note. However, there was an incident the other day that I did not get the chance to observe because I was in a different location.
The senior Iraqi Officer became extremely frustrated with the manager of the service workers and hit him twice; first with an open front hand and than with an immediately back hand. The manager fell to the ground and the entire room became empty instantaneously. This conduct is atypical behavior for the Iraqi Colonel but I am starting to understand his level of frustration. Had I witness this event, I could confidently state, "I have seen all types of leadership techniques." We joke in the military that, "the beatings will continue until moral improves" I think the Iraqi's are taking this too literally. Although I would never strike an individual out of frustration I can now see that physical harm is one type of "motivation technique" - one I will not employ but it is a technique. Had I seen this event first hand, it may have made my trip to Iraq worth it. That's all for today.
The senior Iraqi Officer became extremely frustrated with the manager of the service workers and hit him twice; first with an open front hand and than with an immediately back hand. The manager fell to the ground and the entire room became empty instantaneously. This conduct is atypical behavior for the Iraqi Colonel but I am starting to understand his level of frustration. Had I witness this event, I could confidently state, "I have seen all types of leadership techniques." We joke in the military that, "the beatings will continue until moral improves" I think the Iraqi's are taking this too literally. Although I would never strike an individual out of frustration I can now see that physical harm is one type of "motivation technique" - one I will not employ but it is a technique. Had I seen this event first hand, it may have made my trip to Iraq worth it. That's all for today.
12 Mar
At some point in the future the Shepards will learn that we are serious about keeping them and their sheep off the base. Above is a pic of our recent "detainees" when they were let-out to have breakfast. I was informed that each sheep cost about $150 each. I do not know how long these "pets" will be with us but there is plenty of grass to keep them corralled for a few weeks if needed. We finally tracked down a reputable repairman to fix all the damage caused by our recent 1500 guests. We expect the repairs to only take a few days, the parts were the expensive part the labor with the labor only being two days with a crew of two. Anyone looking for some extra tax free work please let me know. Have a good week.
11 Mar - Sunday
Today I received some good news. With our new neighbors setting up shop, it looks like I will be able to attend church services at least twice a month. And with other denominations conducting services on the other Sundays of the month I may find myself "covering all my bases" just to be on the safe side. Today I had my usual four meetings and for dinner I ate with the manager of the Iraqi Chow hall in order to keep-up good relations with him and his staff. Not a lot else to report, but the Iraqi Officers that I work with seem to be absorbing and implementing what I am "advising" them to do. Have a great day.
10 Mar - Saturday
Its a STAMPEDE...of sheep - if there is such a thing. I finally got the chance to meet and speak to a Shepard who had "wandered" into our area. This particular heard belong to a female Shepard who was not young or thin but she was doing a fair job of keeping up with the heard until they started to run. Through an interpreter we explained to her that this was land belonged to the Iraqi Army and she needs to keep her heard on the other side of the fence line. She politely agreed, and then she asked us where were the two Shepards that were detained yesterday. I told her I do not know the status of the two Shepards but the truth is they are still in our jail undergoing questioning. We realize the weather is very nice and the sheep need to get out and stretch their legs but unfortunately the Shepards will need to find a new location because with the build-up of Coalition troops also comes a build-up of security and force protection measures. Have a good night.
9 Mar
Because of our large area, a new group of Coalition units has begun construction on a new facility; and as a result of this build-up it seems that others are taking notice. We have seen, what appears to be, several different Shepards and flocks of sheep walking through our area. Is the increase of these four legged trespassers a result of the increase of activity in our location? Or, have these flocks always walked the area but now that we have regular patrols scouting our surroundings are we finally seeing their daily presence? I think a combination of both. Although our new neighbors have several security units we must ensure we all keep a sharp eye on the horizon as more and more attention is drawn to our area with the influx of troops and equipment.
8 Mar
Above is a pic of me with a few of the children from our trip to the school a few weeks ago. I do not have any exciting pic so I thought I would throw this one up for everyone to see.
Today I spend a large part of my time coordinating some of the repairs for the recent damage to our facility; and I thought owning a home was a lot of work! My role here is not to do the work but help teach the Iraqi Officers how to motivate and manage the workers that do the work. Every day we get closer and closer to being organized to handle all the logistic issues at my location, but this was not always the case. In the past few weeks we have been more reactive then proactive and I hate playing catch-up. In addition to being busy there were 135 new Iraqi Soldiers that arrive and required training. These lucky soldiers are straight from the streets. They enlisted and were sent to our location to get their initial training - yup...no boot camp for them. I am sure the US did the same thing back in the late 1700's so really this "street to soldier" concept is not new. I have met a few of the new soldiers and them seem to be eager to work and support their country...we will see how they feel when they are moving boxes in the middle of the night when it is raining. That's all for now....
7 Mar
A day late but I was finally able to get through to the family for a few minutes of video conferencing; mind you I said video not voice. I thought I would surprise my daughter with a few minutes of video conferencing as a special Birthday present but she only got half of the present. Although I was unable to speak to or hear her we did spend a few minutes making faces at each other. It was actually quiet comical - at least she seemed to think so; and I laughed a little as well. After a few minutes she was out of view of the camera - and my wife's sudden disappearance and reappearance from my view lead me to believe that these next 82 days can not go quick enough. With the kids "out of the picture" I was able to spend a few moments typing with my wife until it was time to get them ready for school. It is amazing that from half way around the world a family can communicate in picture and sound - well at least when its all working correctly. And considering I was sending the signal via a satellite I would say it worked out pretty good. See ya later...
6 Mar
Well a big Happy Birthday goes out to the littlest woman in my life - today she is 3. I think I am getting just as many or even more gray hairs from my job overseas then if I were to have stayed at home to help with the kids. However, today was not too bad. The second half of our guests departed with no major incidents but they left behind about $500 in miscellaneous damage. Nothing much to speak of but when 750 Iraqi soldier depart from 90+ buildings you can expect at least some damage. We had several broken "flexible tubed" shower heads - but that is not a surprise the shower heads were cheap anyway. Despite the damage this set of visitors was 100 times better than the previous occupants; I can only hope all our temporary residence are this good. Well I must go - have a good day and see ya tomorrow.
5 Mar
Business as usual today - our new occupants are getting ready to leave. One group will be leaving today and the second group is leaving tomorrow. We walked through all the rooms and calculated the damage to be about $350 for the group leaving today. It is a good thing we do not supply towels because I believe they would have all "disappeared" by now. Nothing exciting to report, our guests - or at least half of them - departed with out incident. Only tomorrow will tell if the second group can exit as quickly and quietly as the first group. Speaking of tomorrow - until then...
4 Mar - Sunday
The excitement made for a long night last night and even after I went to bed my mind was still racing through the events of the evening. People could have been injured and we could have lost over 80,000 liters of fuel, our entire fuel pit, and even four fuel trucks - there were three US fuel trucks parked next to the fuel tanks plus the one that was on fire. Even if we lost all those assets it would have been okay as long as no one was injured. By noon today the burnt fuel truck driver came back to get his truck and by 4 PM new fuel tanks had replaced the ones destroyed by the fire. We learned a lot last night - about how to fight a fire and how to react or not react next time there is an emergency. So I am sorry to disappoint you but there was not much excitement today just some finishing touches on last nights investigation of the fire and repair work to the fuel pit in order to allow to get back business as usual. Have a good day.
3 Mar - Saturday
Today was a beautiful day but it got really "hot" at night. I was involved in my first fire fight today. Here is what happen; it was about 6:45 PM, the sun had already set and I was on my way to the chow hall. When I walked around the corner I saw the senior enlisted soldier of our camp running toward me - the look in his eyes was focused yet his mind seemed to be moving a mile a minute. The fact that the Master Sergeant was sprinting was my first indication that something was wrong. He is definitely in good shape but I would say he is more of a power lifter then a sprinter so for him to be sprinting down the sidewalk was a bad sign. Immediately I turned up my radio to hear the issue at hand. While trying to understand all the noise on the radio, and with my weapon at my side I headed to the front gate of our inner compound. As I came around the corner of the building my fast walk turned into a dead sprint as the it became very clear we were on fire.
A fuel truck caught fire as it was transferring fuel from one of the eight storage tank into the fuel truck. The driver moved the truck away from the burning fuel tanks but not until after the truck itself was on fire. As I was approaching the front gate I was able to trace the black smoke down to the source - and sure enough the fuel pit and the rear of the truck were both on fire. As with any "exciting" event, several Iraqi Soldiers felt it necessary to gather and observe the hub of activity. The threat of flying shrapnel did not seem to concern the Iraqi Soldiers as they stood only meters way watching the fuel truck burn. However, there were some soldiers who were attempting to move near-by vehicles away from the burning truck - good idea but not worth the risk in my opinion, and I voiced that opinion immediately.
A fuel truck caught fire as it was transferring fuel from one of the eight storage tank into the fuel truck. The driver moved the truck away from the burning fuel tanks but not until after the truck itself was on fire. As I was approaching the front gate I was able to trace the black smoke down to the source - and sure enough the fuel pit and the rear of the truck were both on fire. As with any "exciting" event, several Iraqi Soldiers felt it necessary to gather and observe the hub of activity. The threat of flying shrapnel did not seem to concern the Iraqi Soldiers as they stood only meters way watching the fuel truck burn. However, there were some soldiers who were attempting to move near-by vehicles away from the burning truck - good idea but not worth the risk in my opinion, and I voiced that opinion immediately.
After yelling at the Iraqi Major to move all the soldiers to a safe distance I was able to relocate to a safe observation point and it became clear that only one of the eight diesel fuel tanks was on fire. There was about three feet of lateral separation and two feet of vertical separation between tank that was on fire, tank number eight was on the ground, and the seven other tanks that were sitting side-by-side on the adjacent cement pad. Mother Nature was on our side this evening because the wind was pushing the flames and smoke away from the other seven tanks. Because of the above factors the call was made to use the pressure from the hose to combine the water and dirt/mud to push, what remained of the burning tank and fuel, away from tank number seven which was connected to the other six fuel tanks. Within six minutes of the call both fire trucks were on the scene and the fuel tank fire was being worked. Forty seconds after the arrival of the fire truck, the fuel tank fire was out but the back of the fuel truck was still burning.
There was a problem with the pump on the second water truck so the 1st truck backed up and fought the fire on the burning truck. The spare tire, back left tires, and external pump were burning on the truck but the tank itself was holding its integrity. With the fuel truck empty the call was made to extinguish the fire using the remaining water from the first truck - mission accomplished.
Most important point, no one was hurt. The damage was minimal, the fuel pit only lost two tanks, the one that burned/melted to the ground - tank number eight, and tank number seven which was melted/deformed beyond the point of repair. Additionally, we lost about 20,000 liters of fuel, 10,000 liters from each tank, but as stated earlier nobody was injured. So how did these fires start?
The investigation determined the driver/pump operator failed to correctly operate the transfer pump; his actions caused his own pump to ignite and a chain reaction which led to the white tank and his own tires catching on fire. 
The amazing part of this whole evolution was that the fire truck was driven by and the fire was fought by a bunch of rookies. We do not have a fire house, fire fighting gear or formally trained fire fighters but through the use of commons sense, knowledge of diesel fuel, and some leadership, a bunch of Marines and Soldiers were able to successfully fight a fire. As a result of tonight's light show I think I can add Freelance Fire Fighter to my resume. Until the next great adventure...
2 Mar
TGIF. Today we had our first base-wide physical training session and awards ceremony. We had a small turn-out, only about 150 of the 500 soldiers here at the base but it was a giant step in the right direction. In order to avoid embarrassing any of the soldiers or officers we spent only fifteen minutes doing stretching and exercises before we presented the awards. We awarded three "soldiers" of the month for the month of February, one from each of the major departments, Force Protection, Operations, and Logistics. The base commander presented each recipient with an award and some cash, and spent about an hour with them having chi and sweets. Overall the new awards program was a great first step in motivating the troops; the Iraqi's love public praise and what better way to motivate soldiers than to give them recognition in front of their friends and give them some extra dough to boot. Have a great weekend.
1 March
Today is "hump" day, as of today I am over the "hump" and I am on the down side of my tour in Iraq. I have been in country for 90 days with only 90 days to go. I have learned a lot about Iraq, the Iraqi people and myself. However, I am sure there are more adventures waiting for me as I start my count-down to my plane ride home. Hopefully the next 90 days will pass even quicker than the last three months. Have a great day.
28 Feb
I guess my brother had it right when he said I was collecting animals for Noah's Ark. First the cats, then the turkeys, recently the dogs, and now sheep. So where did the sheep come from - from a couple of local Shepards of course. Over the last few weeks we have had a problem of Shepards and their flock walking right onto our facility; after numerous warnings it was time to take action. The decision was made to confiscate some of the next intruders and confiscate we did. We put the Shepard in our jail - if you can call a wood shack a jail - and we put the sheep inside the fence that surrounds a couple of our generators. So now we have a petting zoo to add to our growing farm. What's next - a heard of camel? Have a good night.
27 Feb
After a couple of long days I finally had a chance to catch my breath today. In addition to having 1500 Iraqi Soldiers living in our area we have been receiving several hundred US troops from five or six different units all at different time and by way of different modes of transportation. Some arrive in the middle of the night by vehicle convoy and other arrive at 7 AM by helicopter; and most of the new arrivals show-up a day early and thus creates another problem to solve. The issue stems from the "reservation" of rooms. We only have so many rooms and so many beds per room; and when thirteen US soldiers arrive early I end up turning a classroom in to a makeshift squad bay with thirteen cots squeezed-in around tables and chairs. If we know they were arriving a day early I could make adequate accommodations - but at 11 PM at night it is tough to disturb those guest already sleeping in order to make room for the early arrivals. My resume keeps growing - Multinational Motel Manager with an emphasis in "Desert-like Accommodations." Does anyone want to make a reservation - I can get you a great deal on a room closest to the International Restaurant (Iraqi chow hall) with a great view of the natural desert landscape. If you are interested - the best rates are in the summer. See ya...
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