Car Wars

This war has many battlefields.

When we first got here, everyone scrambled to get one of the few NTVs (Non Tactical Vehicles) available for soldiers to use. Without an NTV, the only way to get around is on foot (LPCs – leather personnel carriers), bicycle, or bus. Two of those involve physical exertion in the hot sun, so aren’t favored. The bus is OK, but time consuming. If I wanted to go to an hour meeting, I had to leave more than an hour early, then wait for a bus back, and it was usually a three hour endeavor to go to a one hour meeting. When I got my NTV it was a good day, and it has been nice to use in the since then.

My NTV has a checkered past. A starter went out, and we couldn’t get a replacement because the NTV was not covered by the lease contract. It is a rogue, probably confiscated from someone. We haven’t been paying for it.

The other day, four Iraqis showed up at my door, with a soldier escort, and in very broken English demanded the NTV. They wanted to drive it away, and I knew if they did I’d never see it again. I scrambled around and talked to our logistics folks, who said that we need to require some proof of ownership, Iraqi title documents. We will then send the documents to Baghdad to verify ownership and status. Some confiscated vehicles must be returned to the owner, others can stay on our use, depending on from whom they were confiscated.

Hopefully this process will go slowly and I can use the vehicle for the rest of the time I’m here. Otherwise, it’s back on the bus for me.