An easy day today. I woke at 0600, shaved, showered then I came in to find SSGT R. asleep on the floor in the office for the second night in a row, waiting for the rockets that didn't come...at least not on schedule anyway. I woke him up then sipped coffee and surfed the net until LtCol V showed up in civvies. He said we had the day off. I still worked until 1100 then walked back to the trailer for a nap.
I spent the rest of the day reading a book about utopian communities in America prior to 1880 and swimming. Not seeing anyone else I planned on walking down to the chinese restaurant for a beer and some dinner but on the way down I noticed there was nobody around. I just about headed down the alley to the place, patted my Buck hunting knife, but decided not to chance it. I mean there was no one around...until this annoying Iraqi kid who held my hand, sometimes cried, sometimes got tough and said, Come on man, three (chewing gum) for a dollar. Unfortunately all I had was fives and higher so I couldn't buy any gum...which made him my constant companion (little thorn) until I made it thru the Marine checkpoint again.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
A pleasant surprise
The fire works were mostly a no show last night...just a few rockets after midnight but nothing too loud. I still woke up exhausted.
Today I sat with KBR and State Dept reps and we shredded and laughed at requests put in by people to have AC's added to their offices and toilets and lights hung in places that were dimly lit. We did maintain the validity of a couple of force protection reqs. This afternoon I played hatchet man, informing the requestors whose requests we'd denied. Most took it well except for one general whose staff says he likely to throw a tantrum. I checked out the office myself and the temperature wasn't over 82 degrees...anybody can live with that.
Nothing more to tell...at least not over the internet.
Today I sat with KBR and State Dept reps and we shredded and laughed at requests put in by people to have AC's added to their offices and toilets and lights hung in places that were dimly lit. We did maintain the validity of a couple of force protection reqs. This afternoon I played hatchet man, informing the requestors whose requests we'd denied. Most took it well except for one general whose staff says he likely to throw a tantrum. I checked out the office myself and the temperature wasn't over 82 degrees...anybody can live with that.
Nothing more to tell...at least not over the internet.
Monday, June 28, 2004
turn over complete...can I go home now?
Monday and things are hopping as usual. I like coming in on Mondays because it is sort of like hump days but mostly because it feels like a work day. I’ve never like working on Sundays and I don’t really think we should do it. I don’t have any religious qualms about it, its just Sunday seems like a day people should kick back and do what they feel like doing. On ships we called it holiday routine and adhered to it as much as possible.
But the army is much different from the Navy. So when in Baghdad do as the soldiers do.
Our weekend in Baghdad is Friday mornings. So people usually hang out at the pool listening or singing karaoke on Thursday night then take it easy on Friday mornings when we come in at noon. The Arabic calendar is printed to show this delineation of the work week. In Kuwait the weekend is Thursday and Friday.
That was really unfortunate that someone was killed on the last flight out yesterday. I brief everyone in the days before they leave and preach to them the need to hold onto their flak vests and helmets for the trip to Kuwait. I hope whoever it was wasn’t someone I gave a waiver to to turn in all their gear. Its really sad and bad luck to have Baghdad literally in the rearview mirror and still not make it out.
* * *
Today I walked over to the KBR compound and verified they had plans to distribute MRE’s if we had to go to lock down. They had already made contingency plans. Walking back over to the palace I passed a local woman wearing her hajib and a little girl who was holding hands with a middle-aged white guy. The little girl looked four or five. She had a patch over her nose and screws coming out of her jaws and a rubber hose ran down in front of her throat. But she looked happy and fairly enegetic. I can only imagine what the story was behind her condition.
The kids I’ve seen here have had a rough rode lately. They should be in school but instead ride around on scotters selling pirate DVD’s and the younger ones sell melted chocolate bars. Its like the little kids selling Chiclets in TJ.
When I got back I found out the transfer had already happened a couple of days ahead of schedule. That’s good. I hope that doesn’t translate to fireworks of the bad kind tonight.
But the army is much different from the Navy. So when in Baghdad do as the soldiers do.
Our weekend in Baghdad is Friday mornings. So people usually hang out at the pool listening or singing karaoke on Thursday night then take it easy on Friday mornings when we come in at noon. The Arabic calendar is printed to show this delineation of the work week. In Kuwait the weekend is Thursday and Friday.
That was really unfortunate that someone was killed on the last flight out yesterday. I brief everyone in the days before they leave and preach to them the need to hold onto their flak vests and helmets for the trip to Kuwait. I hope whoever it was wasn’t someone I gave a waiver to to turn in all their gear. Its really sad and bad luck to have Baghdad literally in the rearview mirror and still not make it out.
* * *
Today I walked over to the KBR compound and verified they had plans to distribute MRE’s if we had to go to lock down. They had already made contingency plans. Walking back over to the palace I passed a local woman wearing her hajib and a little girl who was holding hands with a middle-aged white guy. The little girl looked four or five. She had a patch over her nose and screws coming out of her jaws and a rubber hose ran down in front of her throat. But she looked happy and fairly enegetic. I can only imagine what the story was behind her condition.
The kids I’ve seen here have had a rough rode lately. They should be in school but instead ride around on scotters selling pirate DVD’s and the younger ones sell melted chocolate bars. Its like the little kids selling Chiclets in TJ.
When I got back I found out the transfer had already happened a couple of days ahead of schedule. That’s good. I hope that doesn’t translate to fireworks of the bad kind tonight.
Sunday, June 27, 2004
I got a package today
Chaplain J,
I received the care package today. Thanks for all the goodies. With all the wet wipes I may decide to not take a bath until I get back to Iceland. Everyone in the office has started to barter with me for various items, particularly the cashews. I’ve learned cashews and pistachios create great alliances. We’ve already toe into the oreos too.
Can you let me know if school is still in? I really appreciate the letters and drawings the kids from A.T.M sent. We’re talking about where to put all that stuff up on a board. I’d like to be able to write a letter back and mention their names.
Baghdad is a seemingly tranquil place here at the palace with people shopping at the Haji Mart and hanging out by the pool. Unfortunately the loud booms that get too close remind us that we are really more lucky than safe. So it goes. They’ll boom louder and closer before it stops. I’ve got sea (sand?) stories to tell but I won’t do it over email for OPSEC. Take care and thanks again.
Billy
P.S. – Thanks for the book My First Love and Other Disaters…I’ll put down my copy of Walden and start on this one. But the girl on the cover is a little too pretty…
I received the care package today. Thanks for all the goodies. With all the wet wipes I may decide to not take a bath until I get back to Iceland. Everyone in the office has started to barter with me for various items, particularly the cashews. I’ve learned cashews and pistachios create great alliances. We’ve already toe into the oreos too.
Can you let me know if school is still in? I really appreciate the letters and drawings the kids from A.T.M sent. We’re talking about where to put all that stuff up on a board. I’d like to be able to write a letter back and mention their names.
Baghdad is a seemingly tranquil place here at the palace with people shopping at the Haji Mart and hanging out by the pool. Unfortunately the loud booms that get too close remind us that we are really more lucky than safe. So it goes. They’ll boom louder and closer before it stops. I’ve got sea (sand?) stories to tell but I won’t do it over email for OPSEC. Take care and thanks again.
Billy
P.S. – Thanks for the book My First Love and Other Disaters…I’ll put down my copy of Walden and start on this one. But the girl on the cover is a little too pretty…
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Motivations...service for a smile
I called today another boring day but I did do something because I don’t want to look back on my WAR experience and think I did nothing but wait in front of a computer monitor.
I helped the Special Projects bunch get some furniture delivered - $18K worth of furniture for a general and his staff which I’ve been tracking for the past two weeks. And today it finally showed up.
What a day of frustrated phone calls with bad connections or no connection at all. For as much as KBR makes off the government I’d have thought they could coordinate among themselves but that may be too much to expect when they work with the same Inshalla philosophy I encounter everyday. I will say the people I work with at KBR work hard, just not with each other.
But I banged my head against the brick wall until the furniture showed up and the Local Nationals got signed in to come into the palace and put it together. I like to think I deliver on customer service…but I know if my client hadn’t been the sweet 1LT with the bluest eyes in Baghdad, I’d have likely let that furniture set in the dusty street and bake and tan its overpriced leather under the desert sun.
I helped the Special Projects bunch get some furniture delivered - $18K worth of furniture for a general and his staff which I’ve been tracking for the past two weeks. And today it finally showed up.
What a day of frustrated phone calls with bad connections or no connection at all. For as much as KBR makes off the government I’d have thought they could coordinate among themselves but that may be too much to expect when they work with the same Inshalla philosophy I encounter everyday. I will say the people I work with at KBR work hard, just not with each other.
But I banged my head against the brick wall until the furniture showed up and the Local Nationals got signed in to come into the palace and put it together. I like to think I deliver on customer service…but I know if my client hadn’t been the sweet 1LT with the bluest eyes in Baghdad, I’d have likely let that furniture set in the dusty street and bake and tan its overpriced leather under the desert sun.
corporate warfare and bowie knives
Another day of Baghdad boredom, which is not a bad thing. I’ve been reading the June Harpers Review which a friend sent me. There is a piece in it about America’s new corporate military. I wouldn’t have found it terribly interesting had I not seen it up close and personal over here. The guys who wrote the piece know what they’re talking about but I don’t even know if they understand how far the corporate war machine goes.
Most of the guards around the green zone are Gurkhas from Nepal who are contracted thru Global Security. Of course mundane functions such as messing and berthing and property accountability are handled by contractors as well…Kellog Brown and Root.
Most of the VIP’s are protected by PSD members who are mostly former Spec Ops personnel. VIP’s are not only Ambassadors and directors of various ministires…top ranking military personnel are protected by these civilian PSD’s as well. I imagined they would be protected by the Marines.
I don’t know how cost effective this outsourcing of war-fighting is. I’ve talked with 19-year-old KBR personnel who sort mail. After taxes they clear about $80K per year.
Whats most disturbing about all the outsourcing isn’t the fact that so many no-military people are doing jobs in a combat zone. I don’t doubt their dedication to America. What I find suspect is that most are from Texas and work for a subsidiary of Halliburton. The connections aren’t difficult to make. A large part of being a leader isn’t merely not doing wrong…it is not giving the perception. But that’s politics for another day…
XXX
I walked down to the Haji Flea Market today looking for a new knife to carry. I feel like I ned some kind of weapon here but carrying around a pistol riding down my hip all day gets old. I've been carrying a hunting knife but there was no shank guard so I figure if I ever used it my hand would slip and I'd be hurt as bad as my attacker. Today I found a Buck md 119 hunting knife...good feel...well balanced. Ised to carry the same kind when I played war as a youth. I bought this one today for $25...cheaper than I could have got it at Wal-Mart but still, maybe I paid too much.
Most of the guards around the green zone are Gurkhas from Nepal who are contracted thru Global Security. Of course mundane functions such as messing and berthing and property accountability are handled by contractors as well…Kellog Brown and Root.
Most of the VIP’s are protected by PSD members who are mostly former Spec Ops personnel. VIP’s are not only Ambassadors and directors of various ministires…top ranking military personnel are protected by these civilian PSD’s as well. I imagined they would be protected by the Marines.
I don’t know how cost effective this outsourcing of war-fighting is. I’ve talked with 19-year-old KBR personnel who sort mail. After taxes they clear about $80K per year.
Whats most disturbing about all the outsourcing isn’t the fact that so many no-military people are doing jobs in a combat zone. I don’t doubt their dedication to America. What I find suspect is that most are from Texas and work for a subsidiary of Halliburton. The connections aren’t difficult to make. A large part of being a leader isn’t merely not doing wrong…it is not giving the perception. But that’s politics for another day…
XXX
I walked down to the Haji Flea Market today looking for a new knife to carry. I feel like I ned some kind of weapon here but carrying around a pistol riding down my hip all day gets old. I've been carrying a hunting knife but there was no shank guard so I figure if I ever used it my hand would slip and I'd be hurt as bad as my attacker. Today I found a Buck md 119 hunting knife...good feel...well balanced. Ised to carry the same kind when I played war as a youth. I bought this one today for $25...cheaper than I could have got it at Wal-Mart but still, maybe I paid too much.
Friday, June 25, 2004
Supply Warrior
Friday, the weekend when we get half a day off. The wrong half because we come to work at noon. I've always enjoyed afternoons off much more than mornings.
Baghdad was hot today, how hot I don't know but the needle on the thermometer was buried deep past 120. It feels like a hair dryer blowing in your face when its that hot outside. Oddly, my climate complaint in Baghdad has always been that it is too cold. Walking from 110 degrees outside to a a 70 degree office is a big swing in temperature. Today I wore shorts because we don't have to wear uniforms on Fridays. This comes in handy when I've waited too long to drop a bag off at the laundry and I'm running out of t-shirts.
The highlight of the day was sitting thru a 90 minute meetng on property book management. Turns out there is no accountability for any of the property (computers, copiers, printers, refrigerators, etc) thru-out the AOR. But KBR is working on it. I was far and away the most junior person at the meeting. It ended with a Colonel looking at me saying - draft up a policy. Vagaries is how admin people in the military like me look busy while doing nothing, calling it policy which will be enforced by no one.
I picked up some clorox and a bucket and a swab to clean my trailer today. For the past three days I've swept the layers of Iraq dust off the deck. A necessary step. Last time I was on my knees with a wet sponge to swap the deck. It came out with nice swashed of mud on linoleum.
Baghdad was hot today, how hot I don't know but the needle on the thermometer was buried deep past 120. It feels like a hair dryer blowing in your face when its that hot outside. Oddly, my climate complaint in Baghdad has always been that it is too cold. Walking from 110 degrees outside to a a 70 degree office is a big swing in temperature. Today I wore shorts because we don't have to wear uniforms on Fridays. This comes in handy when I've waited too long to drop a bag off at the laundry and I'm running out of t-shirts.
The highlight of the day was sitting thru a 90 minute meetng on property book management. Turns out there is no accountability for any of the property (computers, copiers, printers, refrigerators, etc) thru-out the AOR. But KBR is working on it. I was far and away the most junior person at the meeting. It ended with a Colonel looking at me saying - draft up a policy. Vagaries is how admin people in the military like me look busy while doing nothing, calling it policy which will be enforced by no one.
I picked up some clorox and a bucket and a swab to clean my trailer today. For the past three days I've swept the layers of Iraq dust off the deck. A necessary step. Last time I was on my knees with a wet sponge to swap the deck. It came out with nice swashed of mud on linoleum.
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