We had just finished pressure washing our vehicles. Yet, there was still some work to be done, though we had accomplished the larger part of our mission by the smallest of margins. So I sent my Soldiers out to eat and rest. Unfortunately, I still had a little more work to do. Now that the stock had been pressure washed, I had to put shipping labels on all the stock. But by this time it was getting dark and I didn’t have a flashlight on me. Still, it had to be done and I’d already sent everyone else away. It took time, but I fumbled through the papers and squinted at the serial numbers until I had everything properly labelled… except for a couple Bobcats I’d switched. One of the Customs guys had come by about 3/4 of the way through to check on me. He was kind enough to loan me the flashlight he had. Wasn’t soon enough to get me some dinner though.
So that’s the other part of being an officer. You have to take responsibility and be accountable. Thankfully, we had everything in place, secure, and ready to go to the port. It was time to finish up any last minute errands for the night, like laundry. I knew enough to do the final load on my own time. My guys used the KBR point and could only pick up their laundry during business hours. Of course, that delayed our departure the next morning. Read the rest of this entry »
When we last left our intrepid heroes from the All-American Division, they had just arrived at Kuwait Naval Base (KNB) expecting to see their equipment (vehicles and trailers) only to find nothing waiting for their attentions. Not to be discouraged, the brazen paratroopers immediately set about familiarizing themselves with the surrounding area. They were greatly surprised to find amenities abound the base. Real mattresses for their weary souls! A beach to erase the dreaded ACU Tan! Indoor swimming pool and gym to condition their bodies! A DFAC to nourish their rumbling stomachs! A library to edify their minds! And free internet to get back in touch with far away family! And this was no mirage in the desert.
Really, KNB was a good base to live for a short time. The worse thing was that the showers were all the way across the compound and we had to go through an access point and show our ID to pass. Having a clean, fully functional bathroom right next to your bedroom is a luxury we take for granted in the States. But that was the only downside to living there for that short time.
However, when we didn’t get the majority of our stock in the first week, we grew a little concerned. We helped at another wash rack because we didn’t have anything to do at KNB. We also knew we could use the extra help when our stock did arrive. Unfortunately, that wasn’t until two days before we were supposed to leave KNB. So we got into gear and started cleaning as much as we could. Now, we started off very nice. The trucks were beyond dirty. I don’t know what they (drivers up at Taji) did to them, but I think they were just out to give us as much work as possible. Read the rest of this entry »
So it’s been busy the past few weeks since our brigade has redeployed from Iraq back to home. However, the bigger news is that my sister now has a new name. My sister was married on the Ides of March (the 15th)! I would have most liked to see my sister being given away by my father. All the accumulated family would have been nice to see and hear how they are doing. Plus it wouldn’t have hurt to have had a chance to show off some spiffy new Dress Blues. It’s the modern version of a knight in shining armor.
But it has been busy. Our unit is redeploying back home and I’ve got a few more stories to share now. I actually left Taji back around 04 March. I was going down to Kuwait Naval Base to be the Officer In Charge at the Wash rack. All of our equipment has to be thoroughly washed to ensure no foreign particulates or animals are introduced back home. The trip down got delayed a couple times though. First we couldn’t leave Taji because of low visibility and spent the night in the bay they had arranged for such an event. So we lived out of our bags for a day, which isn’t bad.
We got out the next day, but one Soldier was just placed in the worst way. The rotary wing’s prop wash took out his bags and blew them into the ditch surrounding the helicopter pad. So all his gear got wet… I didn’t envy him. I actually was lucky the same didn’t happen to me since I’d packed my duffle bag light. It just got braced by the right gear at the right angle. So we arrived at BIAP and had to bunk down at nearby Stryker. It just took a little while for the bus to get there to transport us. Read the rest of this entry »
In case you DON’T get your news from PerezHilton.com and didn’t see this already, here’s a great story. Two high-class individuals in Jacksonville were arrested for breaking into a church to have sex inside. Hott!
Ok, so this one might be stretching it a bit when it comes to it’s “Greatness”, but what the hell. Being a dumb-ass american, I could easily put anything from the hispanic hip-hop genre up here, but this tune is truly challenged when it comes to the spoken word. It may not be great, but it is catchy, in a mumbling sort of way. And if that wasn’t enough, it did of course inspire this. (and yeah, I did link to the same video twice in a row. I’m going for a record.)
This video might be a little boring at first, like a large bee with dog legs, but watch the whole thing. It’s cute and scary all at the same time. (note how life-like it is at 0:36 and 1:24)
Yeah…now your words of cuteness have been replaced by an awe of fear. If this video of eminent destruction has scared you, watch this to remind you of the other benefits of modern technology.
Well, I’ve done it again. I’ve successfully predicted a future news story. I posted about how the showers have affected my skin here at Taji, and now there is an article here about it.
Okay… so the affected areas are actually bases other than mine. But it’s still funny that I post about this issue and then a news article pops up the next day or two describing the problem. Basically, the news looks to me to decide what to write about.
I’ve done this other times in the past as well. I’ll think about an issue and the next day or so an article pops up in the news covering the same points about that specific issue. I’m pretty sure my mother remembers one time that happened to me back home, when I was probably ten years old (or around there).
Yeah, this kind of stuff does make me think a lot about precognition. Have you ever had deja vu? It’s the same thing. And I get that a lot.
Hmmmm… could be a useful trait for a Soldier to have, no? See an ambush before it happens.
So it’s begun to warm up over here. Normally I’ll take long, quick strides when I’m walking between places. But now I’ve noticed that I’ll actually walk a good bit slower now to try and keep cool. I am glad that I’ll be coming home in the next month or so. I definitely came to Iraq at a good time. It can get pretty cold out there, but I’ve always preferred the cold. Still got that Michigan blood in me.
This heat really is no joke though. I can only imagine the grunts having to do foot patrols with IBAs on (they add ten degrees to your core temperature). The Army is looking at some high-tech clothing to combat heat stress. More breathable and yet fire-resistant gear to wear underneath the IBA has been very well received by Soldiers I’ve talked to who have used it.
Something else that may have helped Soldiers is the upgraded vehicles. HMMWVs usually are viewed with no doors, which would make A/C impractical. Now that they are all up-armored, they also have air and heat. The heat, I know, has been good for those cold night patrols when wind chill would freeze us. The air, I’m sure, has probably kept some Soldiers from passing out and becoming a heat casualty. Read the rest of this entry »
