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Author Topic: Iraq  (Read 30579 times)

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Offline racerjohnson

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Iraq
« on: July 31, 2009 6:19 PM »
Thought I'd start a post about my trip. I'll take pics to add to the descriptions.

I left 11 June, went to Fort Benning, Georgia where they lost the 15 of us for a couple days, sent us to another part of post for mobilization training. After 2 weeks, we flew to Kuwait where we spent a week doing 8 hours of training. A highlight is when I sat in a big motorized Humvee rotisserie  to train us how to react when the overloaded beasts finally tip over. Now, these humvees look roomy when you look at them in the U.S., but stuff all the radio equipment in there and add a bulky vest, a rifle, and a helmet and I can't even move around while upright. They hung us upside down in the simulator and said, "Ok, get out." Everbody else dropped to the ceiling and climbed out. My dumb ass must have looked like I was caught in a spider web, because I was. So that was Kuwait. Fuck Kuwait.

So now I'm in Al Basrah, Iraq, or 20 minutes outside of it, anyway. We're about 20 miles from Iran, which is comforting. We took this base over from the British, who left officially as of yesterday. I think yesterday's mortar/rocket attack had something to do with that, but thats just me.

Now the British had different standards of "base protection." The British also had 6 pubs on base. The Dutch were allowed to have hashish on their person, so you can see why not much got done. We're in the process of converting their chain-link and concertina wire fences to concrete walls, which is where I come in. I escort/direct one team of many made up of iraqi construction contractors who run cranes/forklifts and move concrete wall sections into place for "force protection," as they call it. This gives me plenty of time to sit and learn their language, their culture, etc.
They smell funny. I think its from a combination of no deodorant anywhere and the food they eat because I ate lunch with them a couple times and I had to take 2 showers those nights. I quiver from the flashbacks.

I live in a big tent with 40 other people. I have the top bunk. I did share a locker with someone, yes, share a locker with someone, but I scrounged up another locker that was 10 minutes away from being crushed and now I am the envy of the tent. I have my own locker, bitches. I shower in a trailer full of showers and shit in another trailer full of shitters. The showers and shitters aren't in the same trailer, and sometimes a hot shower just makes ya have to go, so sometimes I just pee in the shower. Good stuff. I kinda made that last part up. Kinda.

Life is good though. Simple. Not that physically difficult. The food is good. Can't complain. There are other ways to pay for school though, thats for sure. Until next time, Masallama.
The problem with having an artistic eye is that you always end up making more work for yourself. -Cleatus on the HAMB

Offline Tom

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RE: Iraq
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2009 6:57 PM »
Fuck!!!!!!!! I feel guilty. Thanks Pete for the update and what your doing to keep the rest of us safe.
"A rat rod is a hot rod with poor workmanship". Roger S.

Offline JakesBackyard

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Iraq
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2009 7:08 PM »
Pete.  Take care over there.  Our prayers are with you and thank you for what you are doing.
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Offline Eyeball

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Iraq
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2009 7:16 PM »
WOW.
soaken wet shoes and winkled fingers...
hours and hours
inch at a time...

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Offline flatheaded

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Iraq
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2009 7:39 PM »
Quote from: "Eyeball"
WOW.


  Yeah, what he said. I don't even know you but "thanks" from me too for everything you are doing for all of us back here. Stay safe and quit pissing in the shower.
...And if you call in the next 20 minutes, cause we can't do this all day...

Offline 31Rodder

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Iraq
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2009 9:25 PM »
this might be a dumb question, but do you have air conditioning anywhere?

Offline racerjohnson

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Iraq
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2009 5:03 PM »
Oh yeah, there's air conditioning. Unfortunately, the top bunk is a full 10 degrees warmer than the bottom bunk. I don't spend any time in my tent from 0700 to 8pm anyway, so my biggest problem is flippin' freezing my nuts off when it goes down to 80 at night. I have a winter sleeping bag I sleep in. Weird, eh? Like I said before, I hang out with Iraqis most of the day, in the semi cab if possible, and most of their trucks have A/C. Shade is important if one is outside. Everywhere else has A/C too. So thats a blessing for sure. I will tell you what, when its 120, a beer would be out of this world. However, even getting caught with an empty alcohol container in my locker would cost me 4 pay grades and a months pay, making it about a $4,000 beer. Uff da.

I never have to worry about a cold shower, they truck all our water in and it sits in big tanks outside. Getting a tan takes about 10 minutes. I always look cool, cuz I always have shades on. Like I said the food is good. We had Lobster and scallops last night and they do that at least 2 times a month. There's an ice cream bar, a desert bar, a main line with your normal meal, a short order with corn dogs, ravioli, onion rings, fries, burgers, etc. There's a "healthy line" which consistenly has chicken breasts, noodles, rice, fish, veggies. There's a salad bar, all the soda, juice, and gatorade you can drink for free, and things of that nature. So food is good. Oh, and there's a stir fry bar that is like a downsized Hu Hot. The Army doesn't mess with bullets, food, or pay if they can help it. Everything else is up in the air.

GM has a hell of a fleet salesman because there's hundereds of Trail Blazers and 3/4ton Suburbans around here. Lots of explorers, Mitsubishi trucks, and a bunch of different types of middle eastern mini trucks. And they're all falling apart at a very fast rate. Think rental cars with lots of dings from rifle barrels hitting the doors as you get in them. I can't hold my hand above the engine with the hood up because I'll burn it. The underhood temps are astronomical. Nothing runs right after awhile for various reasons and there isn't a local GM dealership around here. The fuel sucks. Its called MOGAS. Don't know what that acronym stands for. Maybe "motor overhaul gas?" The speed limit around here is a blinding 20 kph, so less than 15 mph. Poor engines are so full of carbon I bet.  

We have weapons to counter incoming rockets and mortars. We have radar that detects the rounds when they leave the ground. It tracks its flight path 15-25 times in the air. Right after the round is recognized as a bad deal (takes about a second), it sounds an alarm and gives us about 3-5 seconds to jump somewhere relatively safe. Its amazing. Oh, and thats a Loonnngg 3-5 seconds!!! Some bases have gatling guns (tens of thousands of rounds per minute) that literally chew up the rounds in midair and are guided by the same radar. They're about 80% accurate, so thats cool.

I'll chat later, we're having a bbq tonight and playing volleyball. Good times! And don't you dare feel guilty on my account. If you're going to feel guilty about something, feel guilty if you realize you're not using your American priviliges and opportunities to their fullest. I'm not here to save the world or anything, this is just a means to another end. Have a good day!
The problem with having an artistic eye is that you always end up making more work for yourself. -Cleatus on the HAMB

Offline pinstriper40

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Iraq
« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2009 3:50 PM »
Volleyball sounds fun!  Also sounds like the dutch had it easy...

It's good to know you can see the bright side of life even in darker times.  Just shows the rest of us that if we think our situation is shitty- there's always a shittier situation.  Stay safe Pete.
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Iraq
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2009 3:08 AM »
peeing in the shower eh? thought i was the only one.... wait... oops.  :silent: ;)

take care over there! :)

Offline sko_ford

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Iraq
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2009 4:46 AM »
so can you go dirnk at the army ownd some one;es ran hotel in bagdag on leave?
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Offline pinstriper40

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Iraq
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2009 4:19 PM »
Quote from: "sko_ford"
so can you go dirnk at the army ownd some one;es ran hotel in bagdag on leave?


This took me a few times to try and figure out, but I think what Sko meant was " So can you go drink at the Army owned- hotel ran by someone else in baghdad while you're on leave...???"  

What do I win?
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Offline sko_ford

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Iraq
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2009 4:26 PM »
a kick in the pants
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Offline racerjohnson

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Iraq
« Reply #12 on: August 04, 2009 7:23 PM »
haha.
We can drink in Qatar. Thats a country, for some of you. I get a 4 day pass there sometime in the next few months. I don't get my 2 weeks of leave because I won't be here long enough. Good and bad.
 
Funny thing, so you can't drink in these middle-eastern countries, right? But they all have resorts, casinos, and hotels where only foreigners can drink and gamble, so all the countries elite, rich, and leadership just go to other countries and drink and gamble, they just don't do it in their own country. Hypocrites? Or, they just have huge palaces and drink there so no one sees them. Nice, eh? Tidbit.

Oh and another good tidbit. These Iraqis always come out of bathroom stalls and porta-johns with a bottle of water. Why, do you ask? We keep them stocked with toilet paper, but they don't use it. Left hand is dirty hand, right hand is clean hand. Nice.

There tends to be a mindset in the local population that "women are for work (housework, children, etc.), men are for pleasure." Yeah. Thats what I thought too. Dudes' personal space is different here. Holding hands is a perfectly acceptable, a way to show you're friends. Sitting on laps, etc. Just an fyi for when you visit. They all have wives, but many have "friends" too. Call them progressive? Anyways, I'll leave you all with that for today.
The problem with having an artistic eye is that you always end up making more work for yourself. -Cleatus on the HAMB

Offline AntiBling

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Iraq
« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2009 11:35 PM »
Quote from: "racerjohnson"
Just an fyi for when you visit.



Thanks to guys like you, it's an experience I'll be able to live vicariously.

Offline racerjohnson

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Iraq
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2009 4:14 AM »
So I was putting some Twalls up around a contractors little trailer house today, and I come to find out he runs the Apache Helicopter simulator on base here, so I ask him what a guy has to do to get some simulator time. . .

I'll let you guys know how it went.  :D
The problem with having an artistic eye is that you always end up making more work for yourself. -Cleatus on the HAMB