This blog will probably not receive any new updates. We'll leave it up for a while, but the war zone travels are over for now.
Thanks!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
New pics
M here...
Apparently there have been three earthquakes over the past few days, although, being in a war zone, they were actually relieved to find out that they were, in fact, only earthquakes.
Strange the perspective that comes from being in a warzone. Every one is fine. Here are a few recent pics:
Also, there is about to be a very happy M, as she will be home this Thursday afternoon!
Apparently there have been three earthquakes over the past few days, although, being in a war zone, they were actually relieved to find out that they were, in fact, only earthquakes.
Strange the perspective that comes from being in a warzone. Every one is fine. Here are a few recent pics:
Also, there is about to be a very happy M, as she will be home this Thursday afternoon!
Monday, January 28, 2008
27 JAN 08, Sunday
On Sunday I spent most of the morning in the PAX (passenger) terminal trying to get a couple of team members out the door back to their respective origins. There weren't any exciting tours so I don't really have much to post. Well, actually, here's a pic of some PAX loading into a fixed wing cargo plane. I think it's cool.
26 JAN 08: one of the best places to learn Salsa
It’s been a couple of days since I’ve written. I haven’t found a computer that will give me access to the page to post something so the entries will probably be a day behind.
26 Jan 08, Saturday: We had interviews and site tours most of the day. I got to ride around and drive an up-armored SUV that our client borrowed. It looks like a regular SUV from the States, you know, the ones that are everywhere in the suburbs and that bully all the other cars on the road. Anyway, this one probably weighs twice as much as those and the doors take a lot of muscle power to open and close. The plate glass windows seem like they are almost an inch thick, but I can’t really tell. We were thinking that it probably doesn’t get any more than 8 miles per gallon because of its weight. You press on the gas pedal and it’s like getting a locomotive to start. I could be exaggerating, though, because I have never owned an SUV or a truck so I have no idea how heavy those things are. All I know is that it was like driving a locomotive on the roads compared to the station wagon and sedan we own. I actually felt pretty cool driving it.
We got to tour a big hangar and also some of the areas on the airfield. We met with the Romanians who were very happy to speak with us and show us around their area. We also got to meet with some Polish soldiers. One of the best parts of traveling to these parts is that you get to meet lots of different kinds of people and because everyone is in Iraq, a lot of the personal barriers dissolve. People like to speak with new faces they haven’t seen before and they are typically more open about themselves than you would expect outside a war zone.
I hope that one of the many things that comes out of this situation in Iraq is that new relationships are started between countries, that existing relationships are made stronger, and that the relationship with the host country (Iraq) evolves into one of long-term commitment toward reconstruction, economic growth, and identifying those who cause harm because they are threatened by these goals. I want so much for this country to return to the time when they were able to freely celebrate arts, culture, education and economic prosperity. That’s my personal humble hope, but I also realize that there are many of my Western ideals which may or may not be translated into the Iraqi culture the same way that I experience them. I roomed with an Iraqi translator last week. She had lived here when she was younger and now she had traveled to the U.S. and Australia and New Zealand. She had the same hopes I did, but she did say that the Iraqi culture is very hard to understand because it has always been complicated and unique. That coupled with conflicts and dictatorship has generated a culture that is even more complex. I was very impressed with this young lady. She has come over here to try to do what she can to restore the country which she understands she comes from, but to which she cannot relate to her day-to-day life. I hope she stays safe.
On Saturday night we also had a short Salsa lesson. It turns out that one of the Senior Airmen in the office we’re working in is Cuban from Miami and used to be a dance instructor. He teaches class here as a way to help pass the time to whomever is interested. Our two clients, Chris and I lined up as he explained the robotics of each of 4 steps. I’m sure we were a sight…camo clothing, muddied boots, in a small office. Last year I fly-fished for the first time in Baghdad and this year I had my first Salsa lesson here! I think there is going to be another class on Tuesday which I hope to get to. I have been wanting to take dance lessons for a looooong time and since there’s nothing to do here other than work, it will be a good opportunity to squeeze a couple of introductory lessons in.
26 Jan 08, Saturday: We had interviews and site tours most of the day. I got to ride around and drive an up-armored SUV that our client borrowed. It looks like a regular SUV from the States, you know, the ones that are everywhere in the suburbs and that bully all the other cars on the road. Anyway, this one probably weighs twice as much as those and the doors take a lot of muscle power to open and close. The plate glass windows seem like they are almost an inch thick, but I can’t really tell. We were thinking that it probably doesn’t get any more than 8 miles per gallon because of its weight. You press on the gas pedal and it’s like getting a locomotive to start. I could be exaggerating, though, because I have never owned an SUV or a truck so I have no idea how heavy those things are. All I know is that it was like driving a locomotive on the roads compared to the station wagon and sedan we own. I actually felt pretty cool driving it.
We got to tour a big hangar and also some of the areas on the airfield. We met with the Romanians who were very happy to speak with us and show us around their area. We also got to meet with some Polish soldiers. One of the best parts of traveling to these parts is that you get to meet lots of different kinds of people and because everyone is in Iraq, a lot of the personal barriers dissolve. People like to speak with new faces they haven’t seen before and they are typically more open about themselves than you would expect outside a war zone.
I hope that one of the many things that comes out of this situation in Iraq is that new relationships are started between countries, that existing relationships are made stronger, and that the relationship with the host country (Iraq) evolves into one of long-term commitment toward reconstruction, economic growth, and identifying those who cause harm because they are threatened by these goals. I want so much for this country to return to the time when they were able to freely celebrate arts, culture, education and economic prosperity. That’s my personal humble hope, but I also realize that there are many of my Western ideals which may or may not be translated into the Iraqi culture the same way that I experience them. I roomed with an Iraqi translator last week. She had lived here when she was younger and now she had traveled to the U.S. and Australia and New Zealand. She had the same hopes I did, but she did say that the Iraqi culture is very hard to understand because it has always been complicated and unique. That coupled with conflicts and dictatorship has generated a culture that is even more complex. I was very impressed with this young lady. She has come over here to try to do what she can to restore the country which she understands she comes from, but to which she cannot relate to her day-to-day life. I hope she stays safe.
On Saturday night we also had a short Salsa lesson. It turns out that one of the Senior Airmen in the office we’re working in is Cuban from Miami and used to be a dance instructor. He teaches class here as a way to help pass the time to whomever is interested. Our two clients, Chris and I lined up as he explained the robotics of each of 4 steps. I’m sure we were a sight…camo clothing, muddied boots, in a small office. Last year I fly-fished for the first time in Baghdad and this year I had my first Salsa lesson here! I think there is going to be another class on Tuesday which I hope to get to. I have been wanting to take dance lessons for a looooong time and since there’s nothing to do here other than work, it will be a good opportunity to squeeze a couple of introductory lessons in.
25 JAN 08
HERE IS A BLOG I WROTE ON 25 JAN, FRIDAY THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO POST. IT CORRESPONDS TO SOME OF THE PICS BELOW THAT M POSTED.
It rained on Tuesday night and it was soooo muddy on Wednesday. Imagine that there is no dry land to step on AT ALL so there's not even any relief from it. I'm not even kidding. Here is a picture of the tent I stayed in. You can kind of see the puddled water right outside the door. The gravel kind of makes it okay in some spots, but it typically sinks into the mud after enough people walk on it and cars drive on it. It feels like you’re walking on about 4-6” of cake icing. Your feet sometimes get suctioned to it and it’s slick! Awful. I’d walk out of my tent and about 30 feet outside the bottom of my pants would be splattered with thick mud and my boots would be covered with the stuff. At the end of the day the bottoms of my pants were all mud splatter up to a third or the middle of my calf. Ugh. Everyone is like that, though, so there’s no reason to be self conscious about being muddy.
I’ve moved to a new and much smaller base. Below is a pic of me on the Blackhawk helo ride over. I look pretty cool with the sunglasses on. It actually wasn’t sunny, but you have to wear those so the dust doesn’t fly in your eyes when you’re walking to and getting into the helicopter while the blades are spinning. I think I would look even better than pretty cool except that my kevlar helmet is crooked, which makes me look like Private Benjamin. That and they squeezed 10 grown adults into the helo and piled all of our bags in between and on top of our l
egs. Here are a couple of pics looking out the window. One shows some agricultural farm land and the other shows some buildings in a small village. The helo ride was an hour and I didn’t take my eyes off of the scenery the whole time (except to pose for the picture). It’s sooo crazy that I was flying over the countryside. I mean, I have before, but it’s only been at night so this was the first real glimpse into what the Iraqi countryside looks like. I was surprised at how green it is and how much farms make up the land below. For some reason I thought it was all desert and desolate. I know they have pretty well-developed irrigation from the river and they have fairly wet and rainy winters, but for some reason I just didn’t believe how many farms there are. It was actually really pretty from the air. You could see the nice even rows of crops and the white greenhouses.
Anyway, back to where I am now. I think this is one of the most austere bases to which I have been. (See PX pic below that M posted. The PX is not the building...it's the container on the right of the building. Yep, it's in a shipping container.) My billeting is not bad, though. I am in a hardstand all concrete building with high ceilings and an environmental control unit (heater and AC). Here is a pic of my room. There are three lockers and three beds with real linens. It’s not bad. The only jarring thing was the 3 sets of zip-tie handcuffs randomly hanging on the coat hook on the wall. Yikes! I’m just not used to seeing stuff like that. I guess they use those in the States, but I just wasn’t expecting that as the room décor. I’m going to assume someone was using those as a creative solution for something else in the room and not their intended purpose. As far as the other amenities, well, there aren’t really any other than the necessities. The DFAC is typical buffet style, all you can eat with a dessert bar. It’s not bad. I had pretty good chicken fingers today and a nice bread pudding. The PX is open only part time and it only carries essentials, if they are in stock. It is very bare-boned. I haven’t been in it yet since it’s open very little and run by troop labor. I’ll let you know what kind of wares they sell once I get there.
I have a few more days here to get to know the place better and see what there is. I think this will be a good project.
I’ve moved to a new and much smaller base. Below is a pic of me on the Blackhawk helo ride over. I look pretty cool with the sunglasses on. It actually wasn’t sunny, but you have to wear those so the dust doesn’t fly in your eyes when you’re walking to and getting into the helicopter while the blades are spinning. I think I would look even better than pretty cool except that my kevlar helmet is crooked, which makes me look like Private Benjamin. That and they squeezed 10 grown adults into the helo and piled all of our bags in between and on top of our l
egs. Here are a couple of pics looking out the window. One shows some agricultural farm land and the other shows some buildings in a small village. The helo ride was an hour and I didn’t take my eyes off of the scenery the whole time (except to pose for the picture). It’s sooo crazy that I was flying over the countryside. I mean, I have before, but it’s only been at night so this was the first real glimpse into what the Iraqi countryside looks like. I was surprised at how green it is and how much farms make up the land below. For some reason I thought it was all desert and desolate. I know they have pretty well-developed irrigation from the river and they have fairly wet and rainy winters, but for some reason I just didn’t believe how many farms there are. It was actually really pretty from the air. You could see the nice even rows of crops and the white greenhouses.
Anyway, back to where I am now. I think this is one of the most austere bases to which I have been. (See PX pic below that M posted. The PX is not the building...it's the container on the right of the building. Yep, it's in a shipping container.) My billeting is not bad, though. I am in a hardstand all concrete building with high ceilings and an environmental control unit (heater and AC). Here is a pic of my room. There are three lockers and three beds with real linens. It’s not bad. The only jarring thing was the 3 sets of zip-tie handcuffs randomly hanging on the coat hook on the wall. Yikes! I’m just not used to seeing stuff like that. I guess they use those in the States, but I just wasn’t expecting that as the room décor. I’m going to assume someone was using those as a creative solution for something else in the room and not their intended purpose. As far as the other amenities, well, there aren’t really any other than the necessities. The DFAC is typical buffet style, all you can eat with a dessert bar. It’s not bad. I had pretty good chicken fingers today and a nice bread pudding. The PX is open only part time and it only carries essentials, if they are in stock. It is very bare-boned. I haven’t been in it yet since it’s open very little and run by troop labor. I’ll let you know what kind of wares they sell once I get there.I have a few more days here to get to know the place better and see what there is. I think this will be a good project.
A few more pictures
M here again. So apparently it's not the connectivity, it's that the blogger.com site is restricted where she is...so here are a few more pics that she sent over the weekend. The first one is her and CH with one of the logistics teams and the second picture is of them with the Romainians. Apparently there are a lot of Georgians at this location as well (the country of Georgia) but there are also a few Georgia National Guard (our state) folks as well. Small world. Anyway, I'll try to keep posting things as I get them until she gets back to where she can get on here.
Friday, January 25, 2008
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