Day 50: Save the Cheerleader, save the world

Helicopter flight to get back home got scrubbed again, but I wasn't too disappointed because the provincial reconstruction team was hosting a barbecue cookout and the Raiderettes were coming on base to perform. On my previous deployment, I was on a smaller post, so we kind of got skipped by most of the USO morale type shows. Comedians, TV stars, athletes, and other celebrities come and do a little show and then a meet and greet. What is pretty cool about this is that they really are pretty happy to come and don't seem to have any prima donna attitudes. Tonight, six cheerleaders from the Oakland Raiders (American football team) came to perform for us.

I was having lunch at the dining facility with some of the team here and I passed two women wearing pink T-shirts. I didn't think anything of it. There aren't very many female contractors on this post, but they're not terribly unusual and these ladies didn't seem super special. When I sat down with the team, someone speculated that they might be the cheerleaders performing tonight. I said I didn't think so and I was convinced once I saw them go to the ice cream case. Cheerleaders don't eat ice cream. A couple minutes later, another three women walked in wearing the same t-shirts and they definitely looked like cheerleaders -- very athletic, wore makeup and looked, well, flashy I guess.

The barbecue was going on when their show started, so I didn't catch the first bit, but when I got there, they did some dance routines and interspersed them with little contests with participants from the crowd (dance-off, pushup contest). They also read some letters from kids and people back home. For their last dance bit, they came out in fairly skimpy outfits. I think that's just cruel and unusual punishment to put attractive, young women prancing around half-dressed in front of an almost entirely male crowd who hasn't had any for half a year or more.

I know, you guys aren't probably pitying me too much right now, but not every night is like this :)

Day 48: Almost a trifecta in the Axis of Evil!

So the most interesting destination out of my recent missions in northeast Iraq has been the border area with Iran. This spot, a desolate patch of arid desert, actually used to have fruit orchards, crops, and supported a community of 150 people.

During the Iran-Iraq War, this was the site of some of the bloodiest fighting and all the farmers in the area were either killed or fled. All that is left is some destroyed farm equipment, dangerous holes that used to be wells, and some twisted vehicle chassis. We were there to assess the site and propose a windmill irrigation system that could restore agriculture to the area.

Very close by were a range of small mountains. When I asked what they were, the sheik said that it was Iran. He went on to say that within the past year, Iranians had claimed that the ground we were on belonged to them and was inside their boundary. Though it really wasn't, it's close enough that I'll consider that I've been to Iran. So, all I have to do is visit North Korea when I get back to China (not difficult), and I will have won Axis of Evil bingo.

In 2002, UN Ambassador John Bolton coined the phrase "Beyond the Axis of Evil," adding Cuba, Libya, and Syria to the extended evil family. Since I've only been to Cuba, looks like my next vacation will have to be Libya or Syria...

Day 47: Long Day

Sorry I haven't written anyone in awhile. Since arriving at this forward operating base in Wasit, I've been out everyday on missions, either with the civil affairs teams, or with the artillery battalion here that has been turned into infantrymen and run joint operations with the Iraqi Army. I just got back tonight and have a day tomorrow to just meet with the Brigade staff here on post.

If I haven't mentioned it yet, one of the most important things we are trying to do is to train up and legitimize the Iraqi security forces to maintain stability on their own. As we frequently do with foreign forces, we are partnering with them to not only not appear to be doing things unilaterally (in this case as an occupying force), but to also train them or to ensure that the mission is being done to a high standard.

For the past 9 months since the Georgians left, this artillery battalion has run three Joint Security Stations (JSS), which combine a platoon of soldiers (~20) with up to 40 Iraqi soldiers. They live, eat, and patrol together. I sort of wish that I was a young platoon leader again who got to do that. They learn more than any of us staff types that only meet the Iraqis occasionally.

As part of the drawdown and transition strategy, we are turning these JSSs over completely to the Iraqis. Today was the first one to be handed over so there was an actual ceremony attended by the battalion and brigade commanders, high ranking Iraqi counterparts, and media.

It was a short ceremony -- both platoons facing each other were in formation, the national anthems played with each side saluting. Man, it felt weird both saluting the Iraqi national anthem and then watching the Iraqi soldiers saluting while ours played. I just still don't know
how we came to be training and funding our former enemies. In any case, this was followed by a reading from the Quran and then short speeches by both senior commanders.

Not more than a half hour after the ceremony, all American soldiers were gone for good from that outpost. That is the real deal -- I hope (along with all of the US forces), that the Iraqis will not go back to their old infighting and really use the lessons learned to build a strong, respected fighting force to protect the nation against terrorism. Oh, and if they also stop the Iranians and are friendly to our administration, and buy $3B in M1 Abrams main battle tanks, well, that's an unexpected and totally unanticipated bonus.

The biggest shortcoming right now is probably their ability to plan for logistics and maintenance. This is partially a cultural tendency. For instance, we use just in time principles as the basis for understanding that less inventory is usually good if you have high parts cycle throughput because it means you are getting parts out where they're needed without having a lot of inventory tied up in a warehouse. The Iraqi mentality, however, is that the more the better. Having a full warehouse means you have power. One commander was plugged into the national power grid (so didn't need generators), but had two, while sister units had no electricity. He would not give them up, claiming that he had to have a backup. Very frustrating.

We followed that by a trip up to another outpost in the north to check on the soldiers there. It was surprisingly well-appointed for such a barren location way out there. The commander gave the battery a safety award for not having had any accidental injuries in the past 3 months. He finished with a short speech on how the unit had to be just as careful in the last 100 days of the deployment as they were during the first 100 days (usually the most dangerous, while you are trying to figure things out).

By the time we got back, we had been on the road for 3.5 hrs, so I was pretty beat, but still had interviews lined up, panel-style with about 10 of the unit's staff. Pretty good sessions -- a lot of typical griping that you would hear anywhere else in any theater, any time. The higher headquarters doesn't help us plan... they hoard information.... Equipment we request takes forever for us to get.... Still, some things they said were helpful and surprising. Always nice to get viewpoints from opposing sides.

It's late, and I missed dinner, so going to grab "midnight" chow.

Oh, just added some pictures. In case you are curious, that last photo is what happens when your butt sweats. I thought this was a phenomenon only capable of people with big heinies.

Day 44: Memorial Day

Last night I hopped a flight to Camp Delta in the city of Kut in Wasit Province. Kut has historical significance because in 1912 during World War I, the Turkish sieged and defeated the British who were holding out in the city. Ironically, the Brits chose not to base themselves in Kut when they took this sector, giving it to the Georgians instead.

The flight was already supposed to take off late -- past midnight, and for some reason, it was delayed by 2 hours, and I didn't even arrive until around 4am. I felt bad because my host, the Brigade civil affairs staff officer was waiting for me and I had no way to let him know the flight was delayed. When we arrived, he was not there because the air operations night staff had told him that the flight was cancelled. Fortunately, we managed to track down their first sergeant and I made it to my crash pad. By then, I had less than an hour to lie down before having to get up for the morning mission.

I had breakfast with MAJ W, the agricultural guy who has a ton of related civilian life experience. He grew up farming, has been a dealer of heavy farm equipment, and now teaches agriculture at a local college. The morning's mission was to go out to a poor rural area to show them a way of irrigation.

We gathered up and the security convoy leader gave a quick briefing. I had rigged my gear up the night before and was ready to go, including swapping out a M4 carbine for my M9 pistol. We loaded into 4 M1151s, which are uparmored HMMWWVs. Other than the gunner, TC, and driver in each vehicle, there was myself, MAJ W, the CA team leader, CPT L, and 2 translators. As we drove out, it was my first time seeing women in abbayas, men in mixed robes or city clothes. I saw quite a lot of Iraqi Army and police presence. A lot of construction was going on, which is always good, and there is a lot of waterways in and around Kut. After going through the city, we started out on the open highway (just 2 lane). We had gotten maybe 15 km outside the gate when we pulled over -- smoke was coming out of our engine. As luck would have it, the truck I was in had broken down for the first time in the entire 1 yr rotation. The decision was made to return back to base, rather than rolling on with just 2 vehicles.

It took a LONG time to put on the tow bar and maneuver the vehicles for towing, during which traffic was blocked up on both sides for about a third of a mile. We finally got turned around and then had no air conditioning and could not open the windows due to safety reasons. It was hot and not a bit comfortable. On the way, I had a chance to speak with "Dia" the bicultural, bilingual advisor (BBA) and asked him questions. Two main ones stuck out in my mind: (1) the Georgian troops we had replaced were corrupt and shook people down. (2) About 60% of the locals would want us to stay, while the other 40% wanted us to go, even knowing that stability would worsen.

After we got back, I went around and introduced myself to some of the provincial reconstruction team members. They are the main experts (supposedly) on infrastructure development and governance, etc. I learned that there are actually at least 3 types of PRT people: the career State department or Foreign Service Officers, USAID workers, and then there new, temporary hires. I had a good talk with the governance/economics guy, where he noted that the State Department often needs green-suiters to seize the lead and lead projects, inserting focus and setting priorities.

After a couple hours to recharge, I met up with the BDE S3 and XO. They are going to help set up missions out in sector for me to meet with the battalion and companies out in Wasit.

Day 43: 116 degrees today (or: the British are weird)

It's hot outside. Real hot. Nights now feel like the daytime when I came, just about a month ago. Kuwait is supposed to be even hotter and it is expected to get hotter in the coming months ahead. Good news, is that the sector I'm going up to next week is a few degrees cooler. I'll take what I can.

I saw the funniest thing yesterday. I was over at one of our tent camps, checking out where I may have to move to when I get back (we have a serious shortage of space). It is a series of large tents in rows. I walked past one, looking for the one that I was supposed to be in, and I saw some movement and a flash of color out of my peripheral vision. Like a vision that came out of some dream, I saw a cheap drugstore beach lounge chair and two pasty white Brits laying out sunning themselves. Now, this was not under shade, but in the direct sunlight at high noon. The photo isn't of him -- I didn't have a camera, but will try to snap some before they leave.

I remember that when I was a cadet, and we did out junior year 8 week training session, we hadd some cadets from Sandhurst join us as a sort of exchange program. They stayed in their own area and apparently had access to the Officer's Club and the pool. They regularly were falling out for sunburn and heat injuries and one female cadet in particular was a regular sight, hooked up to an IV drip. Maybe it's cultural?

I asked one good-natured guy while waiting for a shuttle bus, what the deal was. He said that he himself had just finished getting some sun and that he "didn't want to go back home and have all my mates asking me why I didn't look like I ever went to the desert." Ok, makes sense, I guess.

Have a great weekend everyone -- I'm curious what the weather's like where you are.... if you have a chance, leave a comment describing it in detail. Always nice to live vicariously through your eyes.

Day 39: A new boss in town

Today, the new division officially took over. The leadership from the old command were starting to get in the way. But, that's the way it probably should be. Just there long enough to make sure that everything is passed on....that the next group is armed enough to take over your baby. But, even if you shortened it a week, once people are in the driver's seat, it really is no good for the other bunch to hang around -- it reduces the new command group's authority, and they are really in the way.

I was planning to attend the ceremony, but skipped instead to go to a meeting. The meeting turned out to be pretty good -- it was between the local provincial reconstruction team (PRT) and the military side (civil affairs). Mostly, the discussion was to just introduce each other and have some open discussion about ongoing projects. it was a good, low-key, free flowing meeting in a sector where the two groups have been stepping over each other. when that happens, no one wins.

I got the civil affairs battalion commander to introduce me to one of the sector companies, so will be heading out into sector all next week. I'm really looking forward to it. The bad news is that I think they are really evicting people now, so I may have to move back into a tent before I leave.

Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles

<<765px-Army_mil-2008-06-13-162413.jpg>> This is what keeps soldiers
alive in Iraq and Afghanistan these days. The vehicle pictured is the
MaxxPro variant and carries a ballpark cost of about $400k (compared to
$16M for an M1 Abrams main battle tank). This note was written on an
MRAP door by a Special Forces warrant officer right here in Basrah last
year.

Downsides of these vehicles is that their profile is very top heavy and
they are prone to rollover, causing a different type of risk - death
from getting crushed. The gunners on top are the most likely casualty,
so mandatory training occurs for every soldier entering theater.

The MRAPs are also huge and create an intimidating impression, which is
not always desired in small villages.

But if I'm on the road, I'll take the protection.

Day 36: Technology is a crutch

Most of us sit behind a desk or rather at a computer for much of our day. Even here in Iraq, leaders can be in the most austere combat outposts, but still use a connection to get intelligence, send and receive reports, and basically understand what is going on around them and outside of their area of influence.

I've gained a new appreciation for just how dependent we are on electronic communications over the past 2 days as the non-secure network has gone down.

The internet still works sporadically, but no access to common shared portals and no email. It has made life considerably more of a pain in the ass. For instance, I interviewed the outgoing deputy division commander the day before yesterday. It was a 90 minute interview and he was a talker. It took me a little bit of time to convert 20 pages of notes into an 11 page interview draft. This was a rush because I wanted to get it to him before he left. Once I completed it, I realized that not only could I not send it to him over email, I couldn't even print it out and give him a hardcopy to mark up because the print server is hooked up to the network and also down. And I cannot put the document on a USB stick and give it to him because information security here has disabled all of the USB ports. Next thing you know, Skynet will become self-aware and wipe us off the face of the planet. (Ant, where are my Sarah Connors Chronicles??)

When the network does come up again, there will be 2 days of email ready to go and arrive x however many people on the network and it wouldn't surprise me if the system went into overload again...

On the same theme, the Army signal powers-that-be have blocked hotmail access, which is my primary source of email. I don't know why they'd block it and not yahoo, but now I have to go through this emulator called flurrymail that generically takes any account and pwd and pulls in the emails. Only problem is that it's a horrific interface and displays emails literally on a makeshift cellphone screen that shows 25 characters per line and can't display photos, attachments, or weblinks. Just like checking email on a regular cellphone (not a PDA).

Does anyone know of a different way to access Hotmail or forward it to Outlook?

On the bright side, I finally got access to a little gym that belongs to one of the tenant units! There are cardio machines inside, some weight machines, free weights, and a 2 stretching mats of about 5'x10' each. Not bad for something the size of a classroom.

On the days I work out, I generally will run a few miles (in addition to the 4 miles I walk to work/chow hall/gym) and then do some weights and stretching. I'm trying to get the Brazilian Jiujitsu guys I trained with in Shanghai to suggest some sport-specific exercises to stay in shape.

I also sat down and talked with the coordinator of all the different lethal and non-lethal engagement capabilities (these are things like field artillery, mortars, targeting, psychological operations, government reconstruction teams, civil affairs, local human intelligence, etc). He explained what he was interested in getting some eyes on and I shared with him what I thought I'd like to cover.

That opens the door for me to circulate amongst his teams, get information, and then tag on for some direct observations out in the field.

_____________________________

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Day 34: Direction on Army leadership

This morning, my boss's boss sent in his notes on the remarks of the keynote speaker at a warfighting conference talking about the future direction of the Army's leadership. I hear the same sentiments echoed here as I speak to senior leaders. I thought you might find it interesting, but maybe it is all mumbo jumbo to non-military. I really am curious about whether this makes any sense to you. This is going to be posted on an open source website, so this is not confidential.

-------

- He talked about the fact that our Army is changing and the need for us to continue to change:

- Modernization must happen rapidly without getting bogged down by the procurement process

- Information technology is a reality, how do we take better advantage of it

- We have to be able to leverage virtual technology to get after training - just as we look for a blend of education, training, and experience in our leader development strategy we must also look at the right blend of live, virtual, constructive and gaming training enablers in our training development strategy. CAC-T is currently developing this training development strategy and looking at what the training environment will look like in 2015.

- He recognized the significant challenges we'll still face in the ability of our government, as a whole, to be there with our forces when we are committed abroad.

- We must have "multi-purpose forces"....used this term instead of general purpose forces.

- Although it is important to recognize that we can't train on everything and we can't allow ourselves to get caught in the linear thought process of the "training matrix," we still must not lose sight of the reality that our forces need to be capable of operating across the spectrum of conflict.

- During the Q&A, GEN Chiarelli talked briefly about our struggle with increasing suicide rates. There have already been 66 suicides in 2009.

The numbers, however, have been on a downward trend since January (only

14 in March and 7 in April) and we know that our efforts as a team have already had a positive effect on the lives of those who are struggling

_____________________________

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Day 32: Time's going by...

A good day on the job today. Finished up several reports. We are supposed to submit one every two weeks or so, with a larger one once a month, and 3 commander's interview during a 6 month tour. And we aren't supposed to need to start collecting until a week or so in after we've gotten to meet people and understand the unit and mission.

I've been here just a little more than a week and submitted my first piece day before yesterday, have another one in the wings, have a commander's interview complete, and another one scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Frankly, I thought that the piece I wrote was really light and naive. So much that I really wanted to trash it and not submit it. Finally, I took the coward's way out and just sent it to my analyst to let him make the decision. I got it back today on the cc line, as it was forwarded to the operations chief with the comment: "Here's MAJ C's first lesson of the day. It's excellent work. I've made a few changes, but otherwise, let's get it published asap." Little surprising and pleasant, but I still sent it back to the subject matter expert I interviewed to get his take on it. If he thinks it's too superficial, I think I will scrap it.

I inbriefed with my "local boss" today. Really, I just wanted to get his take on what I should prioritize looking at. I could spend my time on a dozen different things. He did suggest 3 or 4 things. One was the port in Basrah. There are a lot of different Iraqi and US state dept agencies all fighting for a piece of the pie. How the military handles it and the lessons we learn will be interesting.

Also, just in general, how unit leaders work with the provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs), civilian experts from the state department, will help provide a guide for the rest of the nation, once they've stabilized and start being able to move towards reconstruction.

Okay, computer time's up, so gotta run. Take care all.


I miss my Chinese $6 massages....

Good belated mother's day gift - sauna hot pants

Saw these beauties at the local Iraqi on-post vendor stall. Mom, happy mother's day -- keep an eye out in the mail for this....

Day 30: Chewing the fat with the Grand Poobah

Today was a good day.  A large part of my work is talking with people to figure out what they think their organization is doing exceptionally unique or is highly effective.  Or, on the flip side, what they are really challenged with.  I try to get different perspectives.  This is pretty similar to what I did as a consultant -- you are never the expert.  But, a good consultant talks to the experts and is good at pulling lessons learned and conclusions out of them, gets lots of data points, finds patterns, and then tells the story.
 
So, today I started right the day by interviewing the commanding general of the division that was leaving sector.  I learned that during a rotation (heck, almost any time), getting time with a general who is commanding a division or corps is very difficult unless you are commanding a subordinate unit.  The Army is pretty good at taking care of the units' needs, or at least listening to the commanders, in this environment.  But, if you want time with them, the golden moment is after they have turned over the reins of control to their replacements, but have not yet signed over legal authority.  This is known in politics as the lame duck.  Suddenly, generals have time to spend lots of time in the chow hall, go on leisurely runs, shop online, and talk with guys like me.
 
But lame ducks are great in my circumstances where I am asking them to reflect on what they've done and what they might do differently or advice they'd offer.  I had gotten the appt without too much difficulty (again timing, but also because senior officers generally genuinely want to help the Army learn).  Also, maybe because I showed him Volume I of the book of interviews that were published.
 
Anyhow, we did the interview in a huge room, but side by side in easy chairs.  I was a little nervous -- unlike some of my fellow cadets when I was in ROTC, I was never one who paid much attention to the "old dudes" who were active or retired flag officers.  They just simply had no relevance to me.  So, I wasn't quite sure how much they'd be like normal people.  So, I just introduced myself and my mission, asked him if he understood the process and had gotten the read-ahead questions, and if it was okay to record him.
 
The interview itself was 12 standard, relatively open-ended questions, from "how well were your troops prepared when you arrived?" to "what one lesson of generalship would you pass on to your replacement?"  It actually is really quite interesting to read how a lot of different leaders respond to the same questions and see what they say in common.  For instance, a universal response to "what are the largest issues facing combat troops today?" is OPTEMPO.  Optempo stands for "operations tempo" or how fast and how often sh*t happens compared to the down or recovery time units get.  Units tend to go through cycles -- generally, you rotate between getting a mission, training up for it, deploying, redeploying, taking downtime (block leave), recovering/renewing equipment, then it repeats.  With the toll of fighting two wars, declining recruitment, people getting out, and the recent surge into Afghanistan (and in Iraq last in 2007), this cycle has gotten more and more accelerated to the point where soldiers were getting deployed sometimes 3 times within 5 years.  The impact on marriages, family lives, and soldiers is pretty undeniable.
 
The MG had nothing ground-shattering, but in one hour we covered a lot of ground and I had a chance to ask him what advice he had for me on what I could look at that would be high value.  I expected him to point me towards a specific topic area, but instead, he told me, "Go ask the battalion and company commanders how well Division is supporting them."  What he meant is that a 28 year company commander who owns a small town and surrounding area may request unmanned aerial reconnaissance (UAV) support but never get it.  Meanwhile, he hears a report from the Division commander that all their intelligence and surveillance needs are getting met and they don't need anymore assets.  At best, he continues asking for it and accepts the disconnect.  At worst, he writes off division and only relies on what he has at hand.  The general's point was that at his high level, he doesn't always get low level feedback, but that at mine, being quite a few rank notches below him and with time to spend with these units, I may.  So, I'll take that to heart and hope to start spending a week at a time rotating between different companies out in sector to see what they have to say.
 
I came back and was able to write up the interview pretty quickly without referring to the audio.  Send it off to him and am done.  Over my 6-month rotation, I am expected to do two commander interviews.  I've knocked out one and have the second scheduled for the end of the week.  Good times...
 
 
 

Wishlist

Time for a shameless request for stuff. Actually, most of these items are office supplies that make it easier to get my job done. I deployed here assuming that I could get these basics from the unit, but that is not true. These guys came without much and I don't want to spend a lot of bargaining chips to have an NCO scrounge for me. And, there's no local purchase, so no going down to the local Staples to pick up stuff we need.

So I don't get tons of the same thing, if you want to pick something up for me off this list, add a comment that says what you're getting so others will know. Call it my Iraqi registry :) Thanks guys!!

Needed list (kind of by priority):

• Kevlar helmet band (I have the old dark green style – need the new, lighter color)

• Set of bedsheets (size twin) and small pillowcase. Flannel would be super comfy. Otherwise, any old set.

• Office 2007, Windows Vista 64-bit (asked Sarah)

• Clothes hanging organizer (type that is about 3-4’ tall, has 4-6 sections to put sweaters or shirts in)

• Coffee (ground)

• Post-it notes: small, med, large. Regular rectangle shape

• Tape: Scotch tape & 20-30’ of duct tape

• Small, light stapler that uses regular staples, but can staple through a lot (like an Staples easy stapler?)

• Ripped DVDs of movies (Tris)

• Korean seaweed (kind roasted with salt and oil)

• Astronaut ice cream. mmmmm

• Maiya tang (the maltose like stuff in the container with the pink or orange top) $1 in Chinese supermarkets

• Beef jerky

• Pork rinds, spicy or BBQ

• Whoppers

• Highlighters (yellow, green, blue)

• Staedtler Lumocolor BLACK permanent pens x 2, bold (chisel point, so can write bold or fine)

• Sunscreen (Susannah’s offered)

• Sticky flags for marking pages

• A small filing system – wire stand, put hanging folders in – can handle about 10-15 folders.

Iraqi Army commandos graduate from Basra training with US Spec Ops

<<show_image.jpg>>

Few points about blog comments

Oh, I guess I should mention two things for the record on comments:

 

1. Avoid full names, please.  All of these opinions are mine, but I don't want any security guys or anyone I razz stalking me later (or you) 

2. I can see comments but can't approve them to be published until I get to wireless.  (work blocks most non-military sites).  I'll probably do that every several days, so be patient :)

Day 27: Thoughts on the stability question from the Iraqi side

I may have mentioned before that I room with another CALL observer and also an Iraqi army Colonel.  Colonel A is a slightly built guy, ylooks younger than his 47 years, pleasant, speaks impeccable English, and struck me as being quite gentle.  His father was a high ranking general and he was expected to follow in his footsteps.  In 1991, when the first Iraqi war occurred, he was the commander of a ceremonial unit.  They did parades, military functions, cross-country exchanges.  Half of his unit deserted.  He released the remainder to go home and protect their family, and then he went home to do the same.  His father met him at the door and called him a coward.  Colonel A told me this story not long after meeting me, without much bitterness or embarassment.  So much for my stereotypes of macho, face-saving Arabic men. 

 

Anyhow, we've had several more chats and he seems pretty forthright in giving his opinion.  Here's a sample:

 

On Saddam: "Saddam was crazy -- I hated Saddam for what he did to our country and the economy."

On the Iraqi leadership: "[US Ambassador] Bremer was the problem.  He brought back all of these Iraqi exiles who had agendas or wanted revenge or just money and they went and put all their buddies into power.  That's where all the corruption is coming from."

On the British: "The locals in Basrah want to see what the Americans are like.  They don't like the British because the British retreated to their base and didn't come to do anything to protect the people.  They let the militias take over everything."

On Iraqi police: "Iraqis don't trust the Iraqi police because there are so many militia in the police.  Even I would not go to find a policeman.  I would not give my ID to one -- they might take me away.  When the Americans detain someone and take them away, we think, "Ok...he might go to Bucca [detention camp in S. Iraq], but he'll be okay."  When Iraqi policemen take someone, we may never see that person again."

On Iraqi Army: "Iraqis trust the Iraqi Army more because they don't have the history of being with the militias.  They are more independent."

 

Given, he probably does not represent the average view because he was part of the elite, was well-educated, and has much to gain from the Americans.  On the other hand, you could argue that those like him lost the most from our invasion.

 

I also struck up a conversation with an Iraqi interpreter named "Tom" last night at dinner.  He had been a local interpreter and in return for his service, he was given a visa to travel to the US to live.  He ended up in N. Pennsylvania (he lamented that it was "way too cold") and after having a hard time getting work, decided to sign up for a second stint, this time in a different category as a US resident.  He was really thankful for the opportunities he had gotten through working with the Americans.  I was pretty surprised that we had a policy of rewarding local interpreters who did a year service with a visa for them and their immediate family, but it makes sense and I don't think is too much to do for someone who risks their lives by working with us.  He said that he was in danger even though his family was in Baghdad because everyone talks and it is very easy for someone to find out that he is working with the US and tell someone in Baghdad to find his family.  When I asked him if the Iraqis were ready for us to pull out, he said that the average person did not want the US to leave.  They did not trust that the Iraqi security forces and Army would maintain peace and essential services. 

 

I hope to get out in sector before too long to see and ask people for myself, but I don't think people will be that open on the first visit.  That is one thing that I have noticed is that other than kids and young people, Americans are notably different in that they are by and large very open and blunt.  They ask straight questions and expect straight answers.  Doing business like this is refreshing -- you can be quite efficient.  But, if you don't know how to deal with people who are more roundabout, Americans can get burned.

Frustrating

I had looked forward all day to being able to get to the single wireless point where I could call Sarah on Skype and catch up. I got there after dinner -- a simple open shack with stools and tables. Paid for my internet time and then struggled with connecting. Finally connected and called her. Woke her up, and then the connection was so bad (probably because of congested bandwidth), but we only understood about half of what the other person was saying and eventually both got frustrated and angry by having to repeat, "WHAT?".

I hope she just gets a computer at home so that we can chat -- I know she hates chat, but it is better than email.

Also, I'll never get another computer without a trackball. I freaking hate mouse touchpads, because I am someone who has their palms flat on the computer when I type and doing that with a touchpad makes the cursor jump all over the place. I slow way down and get really frustrated.

Sorry to vent. Thanks for listening.

Day 19: Live from Saddam's palace!

Long day today -- last night I took a 2 hour flight from Basra to Baghdad International Airport or BIAP. This time, I took a Sherpa, the C-23 aircraft which looks like a fridge on wheels. Not sexy, but it goes and that's all that matters. Apparently, just about the only people that still fly this are the Alaskan National Guard.

It was a frigid two hour flight. Got in at about 1am and was met by LTC R, another observer stationed in Baghdad. I bumped into a private, who needed an eye exam and was screwed by his unit. Someone in his chain of command told him to get on the flight and figure out how to get to the hospital. In normal life, people are remarkably resourceful. In the Army, though, telling a private to walk from point A to point B without holding his hand is a big no-no. So, we took him to the liaison tent to try to find someone to take care of him. No one from the unit was there, and none of the NCOs there particularly cared. So much for NCOs taking care of soldiers. They just went back to their card game. So we took him to a hospital on post and someone finally took him in who knew what they were talking about.

LTC R took me back to his hooch and I almost wish I didn't see it. It was bigger than the one 3 of us are sharing, quiet, wooden floored, and basically, as pleasant as it can be living in a box. I hit the rack and passed out.

The next day, we drove around and he gave a quick tour while we went to the office. Victory Base Complex is huge -- there is even an Arrow hardware store. Finally we pulled up to a large, grand palace -- his "office." The Al Faw palace used to be Saddam's pad and the lap of luxury. It's weird being inside -- there are workstations just off of marble columns, and when I went searching for a bathroom, I opened what seemed to be a closet only to find a French style inlaid toilet bowl and bidet. I wonder if Saddam and I ever shared a private moment together there...

I experienced another unique surprise from this funhouse. As I was plugging in the two laptops that I just picked up from another LTC, I heard a woman's voice right behind me. I whirled around but no one was there. The voice continued and I started thinking it was coming from my computer. Nope. I even pulled out my phone to see if somehow I had called someone and it went to speakerphone. Nothing. I looked to the opposite cube to see if LTC R was on a conference call. He wasn't. When I asked him, somewhat redfaced whether he heard anything, he pointed at the ceiling. It was a opulent, gilded tile CONCAVE ceiling and I realized that I was listening to someone clear on the opposite side of the large office. If you remember any children's science museums or some historical sites with that, you remember that phenomenon, but I had never seen it really happen. For the next 15 min, I squirmed while this woman described her worries about having her contract renewed, asked her husband about his cooking, and other private matters. Weird.

The second surprise was when I turned a corner and met up with a face from the past. A shock of red hair and the wide staring eyes were the instant giveaway. He had put on some weight, and was a CPT the last time I saw him, nearly 10 years ago, but it was the same guy (MAJ D.S.) I knew during my time with the Bandits in Germany. We both asked, "What are YOU doing here??" at the same time. We caught up a bit and then he mentioned that his boss was also a distant boss of mine when I was in Germany. Later on I went to go see him and now COL J. was running some Iraqi security forces cell in the green zone. He rolled his eyes when I asked him if he enjoyed it. I can see why. He just came off command of an armor Brigade, which is like 85 guys competing for 4 slots, so he must be doing well. We spent a good half hour catching up on people, which was fun, and I found out that every single person I knew then, who was a MAJ or higher stayed in and was still in or had retired. No one left. Surprising...

Bought some needed stuff at the big PX and then headed back, catching the same Sherpa flight back.

One last note: This weekend was a special one for our clan. Mr. TT, who I still remember as the fuzzy-headed sweet kid got to see grow up every year in Vancouver during our annual summer family reunions is no longer the younggun. This weekend he tied the knot -- I'm sorry I wasn't there to share the moment, but if you see this, T, a lifetime of happiness for you two!

Day 18: Settling in and getting a feel

I wasn't of too much use on the first day, having gotten only a few hours of sleep after arriving in the wee hours. I did go to the operations center, met a whirlwind of people, then crashed in the afternoon after I found myself rereading the same paragraph over and over.

Since I don't have my computers here (they're in Baghdad), I'm out of the commo loop and had to go online at night when my counterpart was done for the night. I'm heading to Baghdad tomorrow night to meet the other two forward observers there, get my computers and equipment so I can get online, and buy some stuff. The PX here reminded me of a grocery store in Cuba -- the shelves were mostly empty and yet there were still long lines. Compared to this, Victory Base (the main post in Baghdad) should look like a walmart.

Day 17: Finally in Iraq

Long trip to iraq last night, but finally arrived with 45 military policeman in a heavily loaded chinook chopper. It's the first time i've put all my body armor together and in total, the thing weighs about 35 lbs. at least i'm not carrying a crew served weapon or other heavy machine gun. I'm familiar with a blackhawk helicopter (much smaller and mobile), but not the chinook so I was surprised by how stable the thing was. In fact, when it touched down, I wasn't even aware -- it was just that smooth. The prop blast is pretty wicked though. To simulate it, turn the oven on broil, stick a fan in it, then open the door and stick your head in.

My first memory of Iraq will be the smell. I looked down and saw dots of fires in the darkness, then as we got closer, I smelled burning. it could either be the oil fires (visible even in daylight) or maybe smell of burning trash.

This place is definitely not a mature base camp -- the brits didn't do much to improve it, so the conditions aren't great, no gym, no soldier facilities, no MWR, no playing fields. just motorpools, operations space, an army airfield, dining facility, laundry, and a small shoppette. oh well, could always be worse. at least there is a/c. worst, there is no internet outside of work, and at work, they block blog access. so, i will try to figure something out. On the plus side, one of my two roommates is a iraqi full bird colonel who asked me to call him aladdin, "like in the disney movie". we haven't talked too much yet, but he seems to be a nice guy, is fluent, and i'll be very interested to share thoughts and stories with him. imagine preparing for and then fighting in a nightmarish war against an enemy that kills you before you can even see them, and then working side by side with them just a few years later.

I had forgotten how big a division headquarters is. Lot of people to meet here. I haven't figured out my daily battle rhythm yet so don't know what my hours will be like. Good news is that I finally got a mailing address that should work for the duration of my tour.

There are some good tips on mailing at this USPS site: http://www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/ The main things to note are that although I can mail letters to you guys (in the US) free of charge, you have to pay regular domestic (as if you were sending to a US address). The $11.95 flat rate box for military, however, is 50% larger than a regular box, so that's the only price break. Things I always would love -- korean type seaweed (with sesame oil and salt), beef jerky, letters, photos, magazines, mai4ya2 tang (the maltose in a jar that we used to buy in chinese grocery stores for 99 cents -- with pink or orange top), spicy or bbq pork rinds, hot fries, DVDs from china.

What I don't need -- toiletries, heavy stuff, basic foods, anything requiring refrigeration, crocs (bought a pair already), any civilian or military clothing, eggs of any type (my mom once sent me some salted eggs to germany and they broke and stank up the mailroom for weeks while I was out in the field...)

I'll send out a mass email soon (if I can ever get my computer up on the net) with the address, but in the meanwhile, if you'd like it, shoot me a comment with your email address, and I'll send it but not post the comment, so no one will see it.