Upside down

Well, we’ve had a couple of vehicle accidents lately. A brand new up-armored HUMMV got rolled. 5 soldiers in it, one poked out of the top hatch. Luckily, all were wearing helmets as they are supposed to, and the top guy ducked inside, so no injuries. Later the same day, had a rear end collision. Still waiting to hear an injury report, but not likely anyone was injured or would have heard about it.

Boy, it would really suck to come this far and get hurt in a stupid vehicle accident. Probably somewhat a result of having been on leave and stagnating at the ISB. Soldiers aren’t “keeping their head in the game”, as I hear stated ad nauseum.

BTW, it's tough to update this blog from here. I'm not whining or looking for sympathy, but just letting you know why sometimes I go days between updates. I plan to keep this up for the entire rotation. Hopefully daily.

And on another note, I drink decaf coffee and generally avoid caffeine. I'm not a fanatic or anyway thing, I just figure I don't need it. Also, when I do need a lift or to stay awake, I can drink a cup of joe and really feel it. However, not gonna happen here. No decaf in sight, at least until I get to FOB Warrior and unpack my coffee pot. Another sacrifice I'm making for the Global War on Terrorism, and to protect American democratic values.

Line, line, everywhere a line

We have thousands of soldiers in this camp, and a few amenities. Thus, lines. You wait in line to eat, often with hundreds of soldiers. Once in, you wait in line to wash up, wait in line to get served, small line to get a drink, small line at the salad bar, sometimes a small line to dump the plate and leave. A line to get into the PX, and a line to pay. A line to get coffee at “Green Beans Coffee”, and a line a Subway and at the internet café. A line to use the phones; a line at the showers. A line to drop off laundry, and a line to pick it up.

Got up at 4 AM today, and, no lines. The coffee shop, internet café, phones, and the Subway were all open at that hour. I have talked to many Desert Storm veterans who assert theat they'd promised themselves they would never wait in another line. I didn't get it; what is the big deal. I'm starting to understand.

Base Camp

Arrived in Kuwait after a very long day. Got up on Thanksgiving morning, and shortly after midnight formed up to begin the move to Kuwait. We weighed and loaded our gear, then bussed to the plane. After shoehorning us into the plane, we took off about 0500 Friday morning. No real sleep since the previous night. We flew to Bangor, Maine for refueling, arriving about 0930 local time, then flew to Frankfort Germany. By then it was about, I dunno, midnight local time, or about 1630 Louisiana (my body clock) time. From there we flew 5 hours to Kuwait, arriving about 0830 local. We hung around, caught a buss, and drive a couple of hours to our base Camp, arriving about noon local, or about 0200 LA time. Can't name the camp due to security concerns, but it is not to far from Kuwait City. Didn’t get to sleep until about 2200 local that night (Saturday) (Noon in LA). So we went without real rest from Thursday AM until Sat at noon, I guess about 50 hours. Got up at 0330 the next day (Sunday local) to watch the Boise State Broncos play the Reno Wolfpack.

Kuwait was windy with much sand in the air. Couldn’t see more than a couple of football field’s distance. Pretty cold as well.

Our camp is large, and has some amenities, but is still pretty primitive. We have a post office, Subway, Burger King, coffee shop, PX, laundry facility, internet café, phone center, and various MWR facilities (gym, pool tables, TV for movies, stage where the Washington Redskins cheerleaders recently entertained, etc.) The soldiers stay in tents, about 60-80 per. No plumbing, only porta-potties. The showers are prone to running out of either hot water, or just water. The nearest porta-potty to my bed is about a football field away. The shower is about 2 football fields away. Sucks to have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. The camp is very noisy with the sound of generators. Oddly, even though Americans built (in the sense of bought) the facilities in the camp, it is built with Kuwaiti electrical standards. Everything is 220 volt, and with Kuwaiti style outlets. We have to buy plug and voltage converters to run our stuff.

Today we got up at 0400 to form up at 0500 to go to the rifle range. Some soldiers got to ride in busses, others in the back of trucks. The latter had a very cold ride. We just launched a few rounds downrange, and satisfied ourselves that our weapons still work, and the they are pretty well sighted in. Heard rumors that a herd of camels frequent the range, but didn’t see any. One of the range officers said be sure not to shoot a camel because a white one is worth $30,000.

This is a very desolate place. I used to think I had been in the middle of nowhere, but I was wrong, because I am there now. Nothing but flat, featureless desert as far as the eye can see. No hills, no grass, no vegetation, nothing but sand and rocks. A moonscape. The rocks are all rounded, like you might found along a riverbank. Here, of course, it’s not water but wind and sand that smoothes the rocks.

Kuwait upate

Well, I've arrived in Kuwait. I have written a long post about things here, but I'm having a tough time posting it. We have internet access in our TOC, but it is kind of slow, and I'm not real comfortable blogging from there. I wrote up the post on my laptop. and trnasferred it to my memory stick, thinking I could just upload it. Well, the TOC internet seems to get hung up trying to post a message, so no luck. I then singed up for a pay internet cafe' ($5.00 per hour) but it doesn't have a usb port, so I have to figure out something else. I'm going to try again a little later.

We get Stars and Stripes for free here, and it is about the only source of news. I can read CCN.com, at $5.00/hour. We get english radio stations, but just music, no news that I've heard. I'll break out my radio later and try to see what's availalbe. Rumor has it that there is an NPR feed available. We have Armed Froces Network TV, which carries ESPN and news, but it's in a noisy room, minimal seating, and cold, so not real accessable. Interestingly, the TV has not commercials, at least, no commercial commercials. We get armed forces commercials; you know, OPSEC, hotlines, propoganda, etc.

Whatta guy

Idaho's Governor Kirk Kempthorne is here seeing the BCT off as we leave. In addition to arranging the concert, and pledging to shake every soldier's hand, he has spent the day serving mashed potatos to the soldiers. He started at 1300, and is still there, at 1700. He plans to stick it out until about 1830 or so when everyonen has been served. Paul Revere has been right there next to him, serving turkey, the entire time. Five and a half hours.

I don't much agree with the Governor's politics, but I am tremendously impressed with his support of the soldiers. Serving meals is kind of fun, as least for a while, but you're standing and it's hard on your back, and after a while it's not as fun as it was. I lasted only 1 1/2 hours. For him to stand there and, literally, serve soldiers is a real gesture of support. It is not a hollow photo op, like holding a fake turkey to get a few pictures taken. It may not seem like such a big deal, serving mashed potatos, but I know I really apreciate it. So, my kudos to both Governor Kempthorne and Paul Revere for such a selfless act.

Turkey day

It is Thanksgiving day today. Last night the entire BCT went to a free concert by Paul Revere and the Raiders. Some pretty good songs, oldies, and lost of laughs. It is a funny show, and we all enjoyed it, although the guys from Pennsylvania booed our governor when he got up to speak. Gov. Kempthorne personlly arranged for the free concert, so it was pretty classless for them to boo him. I was disappointed in the leadership for not stopping it. I think I'll say something to them about it.

We are having a feast today. 1,000 pounds turkey breast, 1,000 lbs of sirloin, and all the usual trimmings. 1/2 lb of meat for each soldier. Lots of donations from Alexandria of pies and pastries. Paul Revere, Gov Kempthorne, and others are serving the dinner. First group through; Pennsylvania. So, the guy they booed last night is serving them today.

I had to say a final goodbye to my loved ones to day. I will not be able to call them, except infrequently, once I leave. It has been my most emotional day yet. I am not worried about what I am getting into, just am going to miss my loved ones I have to leave behind. Sad, not excited.

Outta here

It is Thanksgiving day, and we are preparing to leave. We will stage after midnight to weigh bags, final briefings, etc, then board a plane early tomorrow for the 20 hour flight to Kuwait. It took me an hour or so of concerted work to pack by 2 duffle bags, but it is now done and I am pretty much ready to go. Just a matter of hanging around.

I'm taking several books for the flight, and have my computer and iPod fully charged, as well as the electric shaver and the Sonic toothbrush. An all day process getting everything charged up. Hopefully will be able to sleep on the plane.

Next stop, Ireland, to refuel, than directly into Kuwait. Here we go.

Boise, ID vs Alexandria, LA

Some thoughts on the differences between the two places.

Dry vs. humid; desert vs. swamp/tropical rainforest.

In LA, inmates are allowed to do private labor. I left Tunk’s Cypress Inn the other night, and saw 3 young men sitting on the entrance steps. A van from the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Dept pulled up and picked them up. The work there as dishwashers and assistants.

I walked into the Rite Aid, and the first product near the door, taking up two long aisles, was liquor. Idaho has a state monopoly. When you buy a bottle of beer in Alexandria, the store clerk will let you use a bottle opener. I saw a place that sells Margaritas, via a drive through window.

Boise has very visible dry cleaners. You see them all over as you drive the main streets. It took me a week to find a dry cleaner in Alexandria, by driving around.

God Bless America

Life here in the Intermediate Staging Area has been pretty good, considering. The conditions are a bit primitive, but we are allowed to leave pretty much at will and have been able to go to movies, go out to dinner, etc.

A local matriarch has sort of adopted us, and she has been very generous. Yesterday she hosted a buffet for 147 soldiers at the Bistro on the Bayou, a very nice, white3 tablecloth restaurant. A typical dinner there runs about $30, so the buffet could not have been cheap. I didn’t get to go.

I did get to go to St. Rita’s Catholic school for a gumbo lunch yesterday. Gumbo, head cheese (tasted pretty good until I found out what it was), salad, sweet tea; a nice lunch. Afterward, a group of 1st and 2nd graders sang patriotic songs, like God Bless America. Many soldiers, including me, were moved to tears. It was memorable lunch. Alexandria, LA has shown us outstanding hospitality. Great people live here.

What is he thinking?

I can’t believe President Bush is appointing Condi Rice as Sec of State. She is widely considered to have been a poor National Security Adviser. 9/11 happened on her watch, after she had ignored warnings. The intelligence agencies were not providing good intel, and the bad intel was used to go to war. State Dept and Defense were working at cross purposes. We now involved in a war that is draining our treasury but providing almost no benefit to the country, other than funneling money to corporations and activated reservists. Al Qaeda is still very much functioning, and we haven’t caught Osama. And Bush wants to promote her. Good grief.

Granted, most of that litany isn’t directly her fault, but, she’s the National Security Adviser, and our national security right now is not in good shape. After all, Americans are dying daily. I don’t feel all that secure. Before being the NSA, she was provost at Stanford Univ. A fine university, but not a credential that inspires confidence in the NSA. Of course, no military experience.

Foreign policy will be even more subordinate to the Defense Dept. Rice just doesn’t have the gravitas to offset Rumsfeld and Cheney.

Leaving on a jet plane

We have over 100 soldiers leaving for Kuwait today, as an advance party. They are drawing weapons and weighing in. We are supposed to be limited to a max of 400 pounds, including self and all gear. We'll see if that limit is enforced. The soldiers received shots yesterday; flu and Hep B. I dunno, are soldiers an at-risk group that needs flu shots.

They are flying out this afternoon some time from Alexandria, LA International Airport, and commercial planes. I'll be following in about a week. Into the abyss.

Back in the saddle, barely

I have just returned from 20 days of leave. Very nice, except for the disappointing election results. My computer conked out, so I am using a loaner. Connectivity should be ok for the next few days, until we depart for Kuwait.

Life here in Alexandria, LA at the ISB is interesting. Jack the Shitter is still with us, dispelling the rumor that it was an Iraqi interpreter.

Of more note are all the activities available to the soldies to pass time. Two trips to New Orleans to see Saints games have been set up. We get many invites to community events. I am going to a fund raiser at the Kent House in Alexandria. A couple of tables were bought for soldiers, so 12 of us go for free to a pig roast dinner. On Tuesday 35 of us are going to a gumbo lunch, free.

While I was gone, the local schools got together and made lunch for us. The school kids (moms) made sandwiches and cookies and etc., and brought them out to the ISB. The kids served the soldiers. I understand that the soldiers really felt good about that.

I am still getting settled back in, so will know more later I I figure out what is going on.