Baghdad Live: Diary of a War Gamer
My brethren at GWJ...hope this post finds you well. Always hoped Reap might do it, but as another means to break the long workday here into discrete chunks, I thought I might post a little bit of what the life of a gamer with a job...that being a job in a war zone; was like...I'll post whenever able to get online, and hope you enjoy a little bit of a my commentary on my new life.
[Please note - no political commentary intended 
this is just the life I'm living and working in]
Day 1 – Diary of a War Gamer
Lovely Iraq – we'd been over it for an hour plus when I woke back up. I was fortunate, in that I was on a contracted small turboprop plane"…about 20 seats or so. Relative comfort to enter the AOR for sure, compared to the traditional cattle cars loaded with troops, sweat and weapons. Landing at the airport, I can't say the first wave of Iraq air was fresh"…but it was hot.
My first impression, one that stays with me for the next few days, is that Saddam had put a lot of money into infrastructure, a vast and extensive infrastructure – grand palaces and monuments, and many roads and other large buildings"…and we seem to have not improved it much in our time here, or even gotten back to the start. The airport is huge, with all the trappings you'd expect of a major third world country airport. The noted item missing; there are very few people around. A dog checks our bags, and we walk through customs after a quick check of our visas. Maybe 50-100 people in all total in the airport, so seems to be a shell of the staff.
I won't delve into the tactics and procedures used too much, for obvious security reasons, so you'll see my writing become vague many times. But, we had a PSD (Private Security Detail) to escort our team in a convoy from the airport to the IZ (Int natl Zone). I'd done convoys before, many in my months in Afghanistan, but there is a different feel here in Baghdad. The major difference is the streets along the way are for the most part deserted, and the presence of several bridges along the way brings the "˜pucker' factor up a notch or two. There's a still-ness in the air that is more disquieting than the streets of Kabul. Lots of reeds, and high palm trees along the way that I didn't expect – presenting a picture a far cry from the squalor and crowded streets of that same Kabul. You see abandoned tires that are common IED plants, and the same opportunity in mounds of dirt and railings on the roadways. There weren't a lot of signs of the routine IED's that had exploded, and thankfully, none greeted our journey, but the signs were there nonetheless. A hole in the side of a bridge in one place, a lot of dirt spread out in an arc across the roadway in another – all spoke of the place I had entered, and the times this road had seen.
Many of you know my job has been to work the infrastructure rebuilding programs in both Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 18+ months. This was still, my first time into Baghdad"…scheduled to go many times, but the first in country. I was driven to my room, and to my delight, it was not what had been promised. I was looking forward to a trailer called a 1+1, where there are two small private rooms, with a shared bathroom in the middle. Most of these have a phone in them, cable, a TV and to some degree, internet connectivity - almost standard fare here in the Green Zone. Well, change was afoot, and mine was a new trailer, with the bathroom and shower about 150 yds away, a non-working AC (and yes, it gets a helluva lot hotter in a closed trailer than outside, where its routinely 110 to 125 degrees). Oh, the comfort kept on, no pillow, and no amenities"…yes, gasp"…no internet.
So, with a smile on my face, still in civilian clothes, sweating my ass off, I went over to work to see my new work place. Was just walking in when the VBIED (Vehicle Born IED) went off, somewhere near, but out of the IZ. Shook the windows and buildings, and the plume of smoke lasted for an hour or two wafting lazily into the sky. Everyone scrambled into their gear, except, well, mine still was packed. I just chatted with my new co-workers. Sad that I've already become accustomed to this from Afghanistan, so I need to keep my edge sharp here in Iraq.
Not sure what time I made it back to my room, but it had cooled slightly from the outside temp, and after I took the AC apart, I got it back to functioning at a 75% rate, so I called it a day. The final question was whether to find the shower, or to just sleep with gobs of a day plus of sweat all over me. When I realized I was still sweating in the room, I decided the shower could wait, and laid down to an exhausted sleep"…
...which never visited me that night. It seems the chopper activity ramps up at night"…and yes, their approach path more often than not was right over our trailers. Now, its no secret they fly low and fast"…makes it a tougher target for the insurgents to get a good lined up shot on. So, all night, copters flying over my hooch. Every time someone stepped on the wooden planks of the steps by my trailer, it gave a slight jolt to the trailer, not much, but having already had a mortar attack that I left out, that slight jolt was enough to wake me every time. It seemed even the AC, as it tried to cool my world, conspired on my sleep, and every time the compressor kicked on, again, it brought me awake. I can't say it was a fitful sleep – I doubt more than 1 hr ever passed before I woke back up – but even the passing moments of sleep is better than none"…
Day 2 – The Tour
Now, it occurred to me that I should caveat my story – you see, I'm only here for a few months, and sweating my balls off with no AC, and just as bad, no internet; and without internet is a terrible fate – but, I fully recognize that my brothers in arms in the Army have it far worse. So please, dear reader, understand that I know this to be true – they have tours of from 12-18 months, in FOB's where AC is never a guarantee. They spend their days scouring for IED's, and when they find them, they sit around waiting for a response to come defuse the bomb, sitting in uparmored vehicles, with no AC, and windows or a necessity rolled up. They do this day in and out, so I appreciate what they do, and realize my minor complaints are but a boil on their arse in the grand scheme. But, nonetheless, its my story (Reap would have had a good story to tell"…and you would have seen a vast difference in hardship there).
So the next morning, I accepted the walk of shame to the showers, noting with disinterest the usual "˜non-potable' water label. For those not sure, it means you can shower, shave with it, but keep it out of your mouth unless you want to visit the Iraqi/Afghan version of Montezuma's revenge. Even better, the water pressure was something akin to sprinkling water out of a salt shaker"…seeming to take 5 minutes to even get wet, much less to get a lather up for soap. I still have some hair, but the plan will take it all off with this type of water pressure!
So the morning routine for soldiers is, shave, often with cold water. Rinse and get wet, turn the water off, lather up, then water back on. Hot water is not an option, so I just hope its not cold each morning. Once done, you grab a bottle of water from the rack, and brush your teeth with the bottled water. Remember, the one truism is keep that water out of your mouth, so in the shower, you button up that mouth. For the long walk, toss on the dirty clothes your wore the day/night before, and trudge back to the hooch for a fresh change. After all, you'll be sweating shortly as soon as you put on the flak vest and helmet and gear, so the dirty clothes leave a slight sandy feel that is soon replaced by rivers of sweat.
I'm shown the sites this morning, the pool set up for laps, Olympic size plus some. The Embassy, which is a huge sprawling palace – must have been gorgeous before the invasion. We have a Green Bean café, and I buy an Iraqi Scout badge for my son. We eat in the DFAC (Dining Facility) near the Embassy, and I can't say the food is anything but plentiful and good. Then, I'm off to the mini BX for a "˜shelf check' – what is an important almost daily ritual for me. A pillow is the main target of this days scouring.
Work is uneventful as I learn what role I'm to take. A mortar attack or two spice up the day, and the electricity drops out about every 2 hours – but with backup UPS for the pc's, and the quick return of power, I now don't even break conversation when it happens. The workdays generally run from around 7 in the morning, till about 9 at night"…7 days a week, with a few hours off in the morning on Fridays before you report – so yes, sleeping in is luxury that day.
The chow hall is a distinct piece of each day"…breaking the monotony of working up into discreet chunks. It's where I'm off to as I write these very words now, for a light dinner or a snack. Tough to work up an appetite in the scalding heat, about 125 today, until I get into an exercise regime if my ankle will hold up to it.
Today did have a pleasant end to the day. The AC did stay on, so its about 80 when I get to my hooch, which is pleasant. I got some scoop on my layout of my small living camp, and take my laundry over to get caught up. (you guessed it"…no cold water, so wash in either warm or hot/hot – and it trickles in, at least in the washer I picked.) The real treat was that I found our MWR hut – and it has wireless in it. Managed to connect, chatted with CEJ for a few while the laundry ran, then hopped in WoW (Warcraft) to chat with Reap and find that I have a workable 1255 ping. Assuming the times match up, an instance run is in my future"…lol. Not too bad and end to the day -- after all, dear reader, I am a gamer with a job!
Sleep never came"…more helicopters, and just didn't seem tired. My daughter did call around 3 AM with a report on her dance routine in Vegas. It's the littlest things that can turn a day around"…so at least I lay there in the dark with a smile on my face.
Unless you're running out of mana overhealing is the most worthless stat in the game. Underhealing is effectively known as "wiping".
so sayeth the Bear...
Day 3 – Groundhog Day
Its like the movie Groundhog Day here. You'll see a recurring theme come in now as I find the routine. Up early for the shower walk, then take the bus to work. Got the water bottle on the way to the shower this time, for brushing my teeth, so getting better at the routine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are more social events than food. But the food is massive – I'll spend a day talking about that some time. Let it suffice to say that from fruit to tons of desserts to Baskin Robbins to burgers to gyros to"…you get the idea – there is food to be found. Without a workout routine, I can see 200 lbs around the corner!
And I know your thoughts folks – don't go and eat. You see, the day is meetings and computer emails and etc"…14 hrs or so a day. Without the break and social interaction of meals, sanity would quickly escape our minds. Even if you have no appetite for it"…you go. Its just that simple as part of your lifestyle.
I did get a car today – drove it some around the IZ. Studied with fascination the two gates that lead out of the IZ, and took great note as my comrade told me "˜They will not stop you if you drive out the gate"…' - And in summary, my guess is driving out that gate unescorted, as an American, is a most certain way to end up on the news in a way that is most distressing, and most dead. There is a certainty there I'm not interested in finding out.
Two mortars today"…one close as heck. Didn't hit me, or anyone that I know of"…so we move on. So I sit here typing this now as the day winds down. Hoping to hop on tonight and post this as my first 3 days in Iraq. Starting to get my battle rhythm going, but missing my family and friends every second of the day. That part never gets easier. So far, goal accomplished"…as in stay alive - and quite frankly, while I know I have a mission to accomplish in rebuilding the country, I'm under no illusion that my personal goal is to do what it takes to make it home safe and sound and alive. Every time I walk in here to work, I see the 20 or so names on the plaques out front, every one who gave all, one that I sat across a table working with the week before he died. It's a sobering reality, and it's why I hope my family never reads this blog!
Day 4 – Church and the 3 H's
You know the day will be exciting when the day's hot topic is that you have to be fully geared up after 5PM no matter what – that means flak vest, helmet, and any other protective gear you have"…and STAY INSIDE. I know you're asking why – mortars, IED's, what is it? Well, it celebratory fire; today, the Iraqi's play in the soccer final – and if they win"…everyone and their brother will be shooting into the air; if they lose, everyone will be shooting into the air; if they tie"…you get the picture. And its been proven that what goes up"…must come down. So yes, we'll have bullets landing all over the place. Would be a sucky way to die, stray round killing you as you sit somewhere. So we'll be layered up hard.
So, we hit Sunday here – and it's a treat to change the pace – we get to head in an hour later so we can go to church if we choose, which I do. Held in the DFAC (there are many, so no more details), and it's a nice service. Cross-denominational, trying to hit all the needs of many religions, with a couple of guitars played very low key, with "˜Come Now is the Time to Worship' and "˜Holy is the Lord' being the contemporary Christian fare, and the hymn "˜Lead On O King Eternal' the traditional fare. Nice sermon on "˜failure' – God's way of giving you a nudge he said, and overall, a nice start to a morning.
And on to the 3 H's – not what you think"…here they are:
Heat – as in damn hot, hotter than hell, or at least, as hot as hell. Mornings are a refreshing, maybe 90+ or so. Well before noon, its oppressive heat. You realize why in all the photos, all the troops have sleeves down in the summer. Ever stuck your hand in a hot oven"…not on it, but in it; or you remember that nice flash of warm air that hits you when you open the oven to check the turkey – well, that's the wind. Doesn't cool you at all, because a 115 degree wind is still hot. The more covered up you remain from the sun and the wind, the cooler you are. Trailers and cars can quickly become unbearably hot. Our bathroom has broken AC – yes, the community one – and have you ever, not to be gross, but tried to use the restroom in a sauna. No fun there.
Heat permeates every activity, every pore, every activity!
Hydrate – which follows closely on the heat line. Drink water before you leave the room, Gatorade till it seeps out your pores, and then drink some more till you can't drink another sip. Then, you know the drill, drink more. You put on that body armor, and you lose 5 pounds of water is seems in an hour. Yes Virginia, if your pee isn't clear as water, you aren't drinking enough (Surgeon General's warning – you can overhydrate"…not sure how, but I know the symptoms"…lol)
Hygiene – Man, it's nasty around here. Things we take for granted are not seen here. Wear your shower clogs, or you get to enjoy the "˜flesh eating bacteria' of the week. Put a lot of tired war weary folks together, and things get rundown, and the army adds an even tougher dimension to wear and tear of trailers. I mentioned the showers have no water pressure, you can't drink the water from the tap, and even getting up to hit the restroom before bed entails putting on clothes, socks, shoes, your M-9, a flashlight, ID, locking the room, and sometimes flak vest and helmet. But I'm here to tell you"…lack of hygiene will bring you down quick, with the crud, the feet, general health"…you name it.
Haji-Mart – Ok, another H to add here. Enjoyed a good movie last night courtesy of the Haji-mart (spelling questionable, but its hahj-ee). Now, there's no P&C in this blog, so not going to debate the merits of third world copyright infringement issues; what I will say, is if you are going to be over here for months on end, or years for some; in a sh*tty war-zone; with no movies at the local theatre, or you have to gear up to walk through the streets to get to a place showing a movie on a projector screen, or, no local theatre for that matter – well, I'm here to tell you the moral justification for spending a buck fifty for any movie entertainment comes real easy"…as in REAL easy.
That said, Transformers was excellent! REALLY pleased at the movie, just wish I'd gotten to take my kids to it (amazing the things you really miss, and this, not being able to take my son to this movie, was a big one). Finally, after what seems like forever, the Air Force comes off looking good in a movie"…real good. All I can say"…passed two hours here with pure entertainment, and that's a great relief.
)
(for the record"…I tend to leave these movies behind"…federal laws don't approve of mailing them back to the US
Other notes from the muse"…finally slept last night"…through two mortar attacks and countless helicopters. Couple of times I stirred, thought maybe the AC switching, maybe the mortars"…but I slept!
Unless you're running out of mana overhealing is the most worthless stat in the game. Underhealing is effectively known as "wiping".
so sayeth the Bear...
Wow. Very well done, Piggy. Stay safe out there, I'd hate to have you back missing a few toes
Certis beat me to it. - Elysium
Great read, man. Stay safe.
Xbox Live: CrankyBaby
baggachipz: Who cares about Japan, let them have their silly pointless dog games and countless re-hashes of anime-based dragon princess super lucky crapitty crap.
Keep your head down Pigpen, and keep writing. This is great stuff!
Enjoyed reading this. Keep writing and stay safe.
"Thanks, KrazyTaco, thanks. I'd put it in your pooper too." -Mex
"Krazy, I love the fact that you exist." -Vector
"Oh, KrazyTaco, you fulfill all my wishes." -pneuman
xboxlive= KrazyTacoFO
Awesome read dude. Keep yourself well over there and come back safe!
"We're taught from a young age how to dodge rock hard objects moving at incredible rates of speed while simultaneously beating folks half to death with sticks. We do this for fun." -kung fu grip
http://blog.digital-lifeline.ca
Can you buy a Haji at the Haji-Mart? (BF2 folks know what I'm talking about)
"Men like sex, thus boobies! Oogaba!" - dejanzie
"If ads put your sanity to the test
come on down to Rat Boy's nest!
light up a stogie, and soon you'll see
how rock can be commercial-free!
'I'd hit it!'" - HP Lovesauce
Take care of yourself bud. Btw, do you have a mailing address you can give out, and what sort of items are acceptable to send to you? What items do you need? Anything we can send that you can share?
Wannabe priest with a sword....
Good to hear you're doing alright, Pigpen. Thanks for the story, and stay safe.
LiquidMantis wrote:
Blessed Be. Stay safe and thank you for giving us a very real and personal view of the war.
Prederick wrote:
"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis.
This is fantastic stuff.
Are you archiving it somewhere else? I can see your daughter really wanting to read this later on in life.
My ongoing D&D campaign, Gaald, Certis and Trachalio playing
Be safe and very watchful.
XBL: DonanGWJ
PSN: Toxdon
Makes my silly problems seem all the more sillirier..
MaxShrek .. Do it first, do it yourself, and keep on doing it.
Horror Vacui
Thanks for the comments folks...think its archived by being on this site...for all time...hahaha.
Will shoot you a PM Stormy...and may even make it into WoW tonight if the internet holds!
Love to all...and without further ado...
Unless you're running out of mana overhealing is the most worthless stat in the game. Underhealing is effectively known as "wiping".
so sayeth the Bear...
Day 5 - For love of country...GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!
I sit here breaching the short time from Day 5 to Day 6, a full moon lofting lazily over the haze and dirt that are ever present in the
stifling air. Near my hooch, there is a large tower, I'm guessing a prayer tower, next to another mini-palace. There is a sense of tranquility as I pass by it each night, the moon casting its bright light across the dark speckles from the war that mark what the tower has endured. Guessing the full moon has set aside its glow where most of you readers are, but it illuminates everything this night.
The day has been another groundhog day, but the surprises actually add a spice of life. As mentioned last night, the soccer game was on. I watched the first part of the game at the gym, and the staff were constantly walking out to check the game. The Iraqi's, who have never won an Asia's Cup, were pressing hard on the Saudis the whole game. I left, and went to watch the end in the DFAC. You would have thought you were in Baghdad when the goal went in around the 75th minute, a wonderful header by the team captain I believe. The large crowd, mostly of Americans, broke into one large cheer. Again, when another shot went off a crossbar, cheers; and finally, applause when the Iraqi's took their first cup with a 1-0 victory.
With naught but sad news along the wire, it was a great experience to see the smiles, the hugs, the unity for what seemed like a first time in eons, as the soccer team did what the government could not, at least for a few hours. The crowd full of Americans cheered as if their own team has won a victory. Not euphoric, but genuine happiness. While cars and celebratory gunfire had been banned for
this day in all of Baghdad, you could hear the honking of horns, and the distinctive sound of many AK's being fired into the sky. I'd
experienced the joy of such an event not long ago when the Spurs won the NBA, but this was just as fulfilling. There I was walking down the street in Baghdad's Green Zone, full gear on, with a small procession of cars passing by with youths waving the Iraqi flag, honking and singing songs.
That night, you could hear all night long the joyous celebrations, the ak-ak-ak of gunfire, and the occasional ting of round landing on a
rooftop nearby. I shoulda smoked a cigar, nice Cuban one I have by my bed...but for some reason, sitting out in the open air this night just wasn't the thing I chose to do
Today, I got to the shower a few minutes late, and it had the 'Females' sign turned over...no good there, so went with the choice to get dressed, and shower after my workout later. So yes, clean clothes on a dirty body - but since you sweat every time you step outside, it's not as offensive a jump as you think.
My office, by and large, has a good group of folks. Lot of heavy humor, and God forbid you leave the office for a sec with your PC not locked down - they'll have an email out in seconds to the whole staff, generally dealing with 'man-love'. I can tell you that a) most of the humor in there is unprintable, and b) it makes life here, and the day, go a bit faster. The boss ways it all down needlessly, but the
humor keeps it bearable. I think the more dangerous a situation, there is no doubt, the more humor becomes a necessary part of your sanity in those times...at least for me.
Got slightly lost for the first time in the Green Zone, driving around. My buddy grabbed another ride, so I had to find my way to a villa solo in a car...I remember where NOT to turn to leave the IZ, but damned if I couldn't find the villa. No panic, but an amount of discomfort was riding alongside me. Took about 30 minutes, and an assist from an Iraqi, but I found it. Made my buddy take me on a good 20 minute drive afterwards to better learn the IZ area, including going by the new embassy - what a massive place that is going to be! And yeah, he almost got us lost again...thinking I'm looking for a new navigator! Again, the area is defined, but there are checkpoints and gates, and making sure you don't pass the wrong gates is of paramount importance. I drove up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a MASSIVE monument, right next to the famous giant crossed swords that you've all seen. Done that - been
there - time to go home...hahaha.
We had a office dinner function here tonight - where a 'goat' is assigned each time. Won't bore you with too many details other
than...it's over and I'm not the goat for this week. Gym is right next to my work area, so that is one blessing I intend to take advantage of and shed some of this extra love I have. Couple of weightlifters here working with me, so maybe a supplement or two for good measure...lol.
And yes, dear reader, the government is getting their money's worth. You tend to find some spare time to joke around in 14 hour days...you tend to search for that time...lol.
Night ending as I expect my nights often will, watch a movie or surf the net, think about my kids and my wife, and how much I miss them. Realize I'm no different from 100,000 other folks out here in the 'suck', missing their families. I'll hit the sack around midnight, sleeping with the massive trailer-sized generator humming me to sleep; the distant sound of gunfire fades as I fall asleep.
Unless you're running out of mana overhealing is the most worthless stat in the game. Underhealing is effectively known as "wiping".
so sayeth the Bear...
This is a great read Pigpen, thank you. For someone who is joining the military soon (and possibly going to Afghanistan after a little while) this is fantastic.
So hell did freeze over after all; Welcome to Skjold!
Xbox live tag: Bugge88
Thanks for sharing this with us Pigpen. Perhaps its one of the things you can't or don't want to talk about but if you feel inclined to discuss it, I'm curious what your individual job is over there (i.e. what is it exactly that you are working on during those 14-hour days?). Also, some simple background info for those of us that don't know you well enough ... What branch and rank, etc.?
Looking forward to reading this regularly. Thanks for serving!
Yeah, I was thinking that, too. Get a free blogger account, set it to private and archive these things.
Stay safe and send that mailing address.
Xfire|XBL
gr.umpic.us|grumpicus.com
Commissioner, GWJFFL|GWJFFL2
I'm thinking he probably won't tell us, and for OPSEC purposes it's a good idea.
"Thanks, KrazyTaco, thanks. I'd put it in your pooper too." -Mex
"Krazy, I love the fact that you exist." -Vector
"Oh, KrazyTaco, you fulfill all my wishes." -pneuman
xboxlive= KrazyTacoFO
Great read, keep it up. Try to keep out of harms way over there.
I don't watch, I interact!
Thanks for sharing, Pig. Stay safe.
Elysium: The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid.
XBL: E Munnie
elementsofmeaning.blogspot.com
I really enjoyed reading these as well. Thanks, and stay safe.
Also, why not just get a hard drive with a bunch of movies on it? Or is it preferable to buy/rent whatever's current?
MrDeVil909: I feel it necessary to point out that there are drug resistant strains of most STDs. Especially in developing nations.
Funkenpants: Great. Yet another area in which we're losing our lead to foreigners.
More than likely, there's a share drive with a bunch of older movies. The draw of the haji-mart(they had one in Afghanistan where I was at last summer) is that you get to see new movies that are just coming out. Say this friday a movie you really want to see is coming out in the states. You can usually buy it that same Friday from the hajimart. Sure, the quality is sometimes lacking, but if that's the best you can get, you take it and love it.
Coldstream wrote:
great stuff. Makes my job complaints kind of fade into the nothing compared to what you have to do.
as for chatting with CEJ, bleh, he never gets back to me anymore...
If you ever want wow horde leveled on shadowsong let me know, i have a few extra computers i can use.
Stay safe !!
and thanks
Always vigilient, and dies in the end
Day 6 – Just another day in Paradise
Well, today was filled to the brim with boredom"…just sitting in front of a PC reading emails, and contract reports. I think I need a bigger coffee cup!
I did manage to get on the gamerswithjobs.com site and read some forums for a few, so that was nice, that it became unblocked somehow (maybe I typed the full names with www in front"…no idea.) This led to today's highlight, which was after heading home, after dark, hopped over to the MWR facility and jumped online – did some quests with Valleja and Sunseeker as Tibbsy, and just thought about nothing for a while as I was in the game. Very nice to hang with old friends online again.
Only get on for maybe 2 hours a day, but have skype and my mic and my earphones all hooked up and working"…just no one on around noon your time to chat with"…lol. Guess I need to find a headset, but BX doesn't have one over here sadly.
Got some emails from my friends that joined me for my lovely 5 week Combat Skills Training (CST) that I did at Ft Dix before heading over here. Most of them are starting to roll into theatre in the next few weeks as well, so should see a few more friendly faces.
Speaking of that – had a real treat night before last – was getting on the bus around 9ish, and saw a familiar walk. Turned out it was one of the gents on my team that went into Afghanistan for a couple months late last year to develop the Afghan Air Corps plan. Have to say, it's always good to see a friendly face, even more so here in Iraq. Some reminiscing about old times in Afghanistan was a nice treat. Guy I met was one of the better officers I've ever known"…just a great guy and leader.
Happy that I hit the gym for the 3rd day in a row – gotta keep that up and lose my "˜shed', so to speak. I'll use one day soon to describe the food we are offered daily, and you'll understand how difficult it can be to lose weight here.
Guess I should address the question on OPSEC and my job"…will make a long day-blog, but oh well. OPSEC is a prime consideration over here. No use giving the enemy any type of tactical or strategic intel they can use. That being said, you also want to balance it with the need to get the story out, to get the good news when you see it, out. We all know that EVERYTHING you do here in Iraq is being watched and reported by the enemy. We have Iraqi employees all over the IZ, in the chow hall, in the coffee shop, in the Haji-mart, in our offices, especially as translators. So there is no illusion for me that anything I do does not get reported to the bad guys. But again, I'm not going to help them!
So, to me, the major no-no's are any established routine – which I try to always avoid (leave for work/from work at different times, etc.). Another taboo is movement. Anytime me, or my folks, move, if I can describe the trip after, I'll do that. You'll never hear me toss out a "˜gotta run folks, heading to FOB XYZ late tonight"…' because that's what the enemy will key on and use – info before any movements is just plain treacherous and, quite frankly, dumb.
I can go into my peacetime job – and the extrapolation isn't far off for my war job. I'm a Civil Engineer in the AF, by trade"…so building s*** is my key. My job in Texas is as the Deputy for a program that has done about $4B in construction in Iraq over the past 3 years, and about $300M in Afghanistan. This is all reconstruction work, mainly security oriented in Iraq, and Air Corp oriented in Afghanistan. It's hectic, and at the macro level, a massive program to manage and try to keep running. I have to give props to our contracting folks, project managers and the contractors themselves for working in a hellacious environment under war conditions to make these things happen. So"…as I said, I get stuff built. Some of the things in the past were building the only port in Iraq, installing water pumps, and building lots of division HQ's and the such. I'm very proud of the work we've done, and want to note, that while the auditors daily rip the construction effort and waste of money associated with reconstruction in Iraq (and rightly so), that my AF org has not had one black eye yet – and Insha'allah, there will be none in the future. I hope that gives a flavor to what I do, and why I've gone to Afghanistan so much over the past year.
Another question, btw, was on the movies at the Haji-mart. Yes, I have that hard drive of movies from home with me (about 20G of movies and up to some 70G of music – lots of dvd's and cd's I dropped on it from home), some more on the PSP. But as stated, since I'm not back home, being able to not wait 6 months to see Transformers, or Die Hard, or the Simpsons, is just a nice thing. It is hit and miss, and this is the only place you'll see me looking for Chinese writing on dvd's, but you'll take what you can get entertainment-wise.
One of my guys had to head out for the day, today, riding in a Blackhawk. To describe how hot it was"…he came back, and said, weary as hell, that at one point, while in full battle gear, he "˜stopped' sweating. Folks, how hot does it have to be for you to actually stop sweating; and oh, at that point, you get the feeling he said, that he was screwed"…lol. He made it ok, thanks to some water, and you can still see him pounding water down today.
Not much else to put in for the day. Think it hit in the 120's today"…lovely, eh? Have a great day to all!
Till the morrow...
Piggy
Unless you're running out of mana overhealing is the most worthless stat in the game. Underhealing is effectively known as "wiping".
so sayeth the Bear...
If he stopped sweating, he probably wasn't drinking enough. I know there were a couple days like that when I did my spin in Afghaniland (130@Bagram, yuck ><), but a quart or two of water and gatorade later and I was soaking my DCU blouse again.
I'll echo the well wishes of everyone else, mate. Keep your chin up and head down.
Coldstream wrote:
That's very very bad; it indicates he's getting heat stroke due to dehydration. Not good for your kidneys, either. Takes a minimum of 40 minutes or so for water you drink to get throughout the body, so stay ahead of the curve.
Stay safe and HYDRATE, Pigpen. Thanks for posting these, very interesting.
"Sometimes I go around saying, 'Kommisar Paulson has seized the commanding heights of the economy!'" - Paul Krugman, asked if recent changes to banking are socialistic.
Thanks folks...doing my best to keep on truckin'!
Early post tonight...so enjoy.
Day 7 – Morning PT"…is that my highlight of the day?
Today's new word for the day – power! So, did I mention the power drops out about 10-20 times a day. Most days, it only last seconds. For instance, in the church on Sunday, power went out 3 times that hour"…you just keep on singin'/preaching. Don't miss a beat. Same in the office, the hall, the bathroom"…lol. Just carry a penlight in case it lasts longer.
Concern of the day - Infection. It's today's concern for me. We had PT this morning, a lovely soccer game. Field was a hard mixture of packed dirt, loose gravel, with a few soft patches of dark sand scattered here and there. When ever two players would go for the ball, you'd lose sight of the ball and legs if you were 5 feet away"…like the old Pigpen from the Peanuts comics"…lol. Well, took a good fall on chest pass – yeah, I thought it was a friendly game"…but I've been known to be a bit competitive, I'm told. Hands and knees tore up pretty well, and it was a light fall. Didn't hurt much, but the big thing now, is putting disinfectant on it"…and let me tell you, this is the world's premier grounds for breeding infection! (oh, and the disinfectant burns). Not real interested, in, of all things, going down to a simple infection; but when the water is non-potable, and the environment is pure dust and dirt, it's a simple thing I've seen take down quite a few troops.
And wow, is it dusty today. Visibility was down to about ¼ mile at best today"…imagine a "˜really' bad smog day. Must be wind somewhere whipping it up, but I sure don't feel it. The palm trees that are everywhere, are more of a dullish brown-green than what you would recognize. They look healthy, but just dirty, like all green plants around here. The overriding sense you carry with you, everywhere, is brown – on the ground, in the air, in your breath, in your pores – everywhere you move, the dirt and grime precede you.
Had a good workout tonight right before dinner"…sadly"…dinner was "˜Steak and Lobster' night"…ie, fried shrimp and lobster tail, etc"…so, maybe, just maybe, I broke even at dinner.
Soon, I'll walk you all through the buffet, and you'll see why its so hard to stay away here. Cutting it short today. Work and email, want to get home; been putting off cleaning my M9, so want to get that done, and maybe hit the rack early.
Night dear reader!
Interesting Factoid that may only interest me: In the morning, when you first get up and want a hot shower, all you can get is at best, a cool/lukewarm shower --- later, in the afternoon, with temps around 120 degrees, after a good workout at the gym, THERE, you get a nice HOT shower"…whether you want it or not.
Unless you're running out of mana overhealing is the most worthless stat in the game. Underhealing is effectively known as "wiping".
so sayeth the Bear...
Heh, if you ain't drinking, you're dying. However, if it gets to be a certain temperature (plus a certain humidity) you will feel like you've stopped sweating.
We shall grapple with the ineffable, and see if we may not eff it after all.
So was there a 'head haunch o' visiting that night, that you had steak and lobster? Because I remember the only time the DFAC ever had that someone important was visiting the area. Then again when I was in Iraq I was around for the initial push to Baghdad and beyond and there were no established FOBs (Forward Operating Base) there were only FAs (Forward Area). I was lucky in that regard that I didn't have to deal with all this IED crap nor an enemy that I couldn't see. We had the Iraqi Army to fight and fight we did...well more like they saw us and threw down their weapons.
Dude stay safe, and come back to your family. Plus if you can take pictures, just make sure to get them checked before you post them, for OPSEC reasons of course.
Fathgar - Feathermoon
wordsmythe - "Jesus would drive a Hummer and burn as much oil as possible, since the dinosaurs it's made out of seem to be confusing people.