Getting off the plane, we were told to get on the busses. I asked, What busses? All I see are those ugly boxes on wheels!
The bus driver (a local Iraqi) dropped us off and pointed us toward the "Can City." I guess the trailer-homes that they use as barracks are called "cans." The 15-ft concrete walls are presumably to guard against wind and suicidal bus drivers.
I found the entrance through the wall...
And saw a row of bathrooms/showers. I figured I need to dry off extra-careful after a shower, lest I get sugar-cookied by the sand on my way back to my can.
Ah, a can! This is what I and 19 other dudes will call home for the next several months.
Whoa, a door with my roommate's and my name on it!
Well, it's a bit rustic, but we'll take it! A 12x12x10 plywood box with flourescent lights, a few beds, a desk, and a wall locker. At least we have a fire extinguisher and air conditioner/heater. Upon further inspection, there's a sizable gap in the floor panelling that allows me to see the ground. At least someone attempted to weather-proof the door to keep light and sand out.Let's explore the base...
An office building for one of the other units here. I guess they don't like their windows.
Not sure what this building is, but we're not allowed to go in there, and every time I walk by, I hear a shrill "AAAAHLALALALALAYEYEYEYEYELALALALAAAAH." Must be a terrorist training camp.
Ah, finally found the chow hall. They're known as "DFACs," for "Dining Facility." The barrels on the left are for us to clear our weapons before entering. The dude on the right under the canopy is one of the many Ugandan mercenaries -- er, I mean, contractors -- to guard the checkpoints. Any time he catches someone without proper ID, he's authorized to detain them. If they resist, deadly force is authorized.
he DFAC encourages hygiene, so they have hand-washing stations right inside the entrance.
Inside, it's just a normal cafeteria, except that everybody's packing some heat. I think the workers are all Indian (not the American type). All you can fit on a tray, with as many trays as you want to go back and get. A few main lines, a short-order line, a salad bar - what more could a guy want?
This little sandwich line is pretty legit. They even have panini presses.
It just looks so clean in here. We even get to watch AFN (Armed Forces Network) while we eat!
Ever wonder how someone could get fat while deployed?
Quite the beverage selection. All the soda cans are in English on one side, and Arabic on the other.
For those of you who are not fluent in Arabic, it says "Skim Milk."
In case you didn't believe me, Banana Milk does exist. And it's sooooo tasty.
Ya, we're really roughing it out here. I'm pretty sure that as soon as these trailers were pulled in, the war was won. Score one for freedom and democracy.
Pallets of cases of bottled water. All over the base. We're told not to drink the tap water, since it contains a bunch of chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer in mice. Probably bleach and other stuff to fight microbes that the Hadjis might try to inject in the water supply. Ever try brushing your teeth from a bottle? At least the empty bottles give you good options when you have to take a leak in the middle of the night.
As expected, the gym is by far the nicest facility on the base. My only complaint is that they do not continuously play Schwartzenegger's "Pumping Iron."
Oh, that's why they call it a "cooler," not a "colder."
Any time a couple of girls see a camera, they can't help but pose....
...Neither can I. Good thing that my weapons are my arms, so I don't have to worry about where they are.
The soccer stadium. It might have had grass at some point. The bottom of the bleachers houses a bunch of Hadji shops, which sell American movies, tobacco, and quasi-Iraqi throw rugs. Being surrounded by so many Hadjis and carrying a pistol, I'm feeling a little like Jack Bauer.
I think this used to be an Olympic swimming/diving pool, until the Texans claimed it prior to the American invasion. Not sure if there's still water in there. If there is, I'm still not going in there.
A stop sign. I guess I'd better stop.
Due to security restrictions, I'm not allowed to take photos of the flightline. This image comes from Google Maps, and is several years old. This is known as the "Phrog Pond," and is separated from the rest of the squadrons. It's near the western boundary of the base, just north of the runways. The whole area is dug about 30 ft deep. The mutated E-shaped buildings are concrete bunkers. The white/metal roofs are old hangars that we really don't use much. There are now about 15 wooden shacks (approximated by the blue dots) that we work in. I'll try to take some pictures of the interior some time in the future.
Well, that's about all the pictures I have for now. I'm doing a lot of walking, since the chowhall/store/gym/phone center complex is about a mile NE of my can, and the Phrog Pond is about a mile SW. Fortunately, there's a mini-chow hall and mini-gym down in the Phrog Pond, so we have all we really need right here. We're working 12-on/12-off shifts, so my free time is at a minimum. I'll probably be flying about 3-4 times a week, averaging 6 hours/flight. I've only had one flight so far, and the countryside was quite bleak. We passed near a village, and saw some of the locals waving at us, so I guess they're not all bad. There are a lot of shepherds walking around with their sheep 20 miles from the nearest remnant of civilization, and small villages of 5 homes pop up in the most random locations. It even rained for about 10 minutes. The ground was completely dry within an hour. Oh well. I had such high hopes for growing a nice lawn. I bet the bleach-water makes for nice fertilizer.
Until next time, take care y'all.
An office building for one of the other units here. I guess they don't like their windows.
Not sure what this building is, but we're not allowed to go in there, and every time I walk by, I hear a shrill "AAAAHLALALALALAYEYEYEYEYELALALALAAAAH." Must be a terrorist training camp.
Ah, finally found the chow hall. They're known as "DFACs," for "Dining Facility." The barrels on the left are for us to clear our weapons before entering. The dude on the right under the canopy is one of the many Ugandan mercenaries -- er, I mean, contractors -- to guard the checkpoints. Any time he catches someone without proper ID, he's authorized to detain them. If they resist, deadly force is authorized.
he DFAC encourages hygiene, so they have hand-washing stations right inside the entrance.
Inside, it's just a normal cafeteria, except that everybody's packing some heat. I think the workers are all Indian (not the American type). All you can fit on a tray, with as many trays as you want to go back and get. A few main lines, a short-order line, a salad bar - what more could a guy want?
This little sandwich line is pretty legit. They even have panini presses.
It just looks so clean in here. We even get to watch AFN (Armed Forces Network) while we eat!
Ever wonder how someone could get fat while deployed?
Quite the beverage selection. All the soda cans are in English on one side, and Arabic on the other.
For those of you who are not fluent in Arabic, it says "Skim Milk."
In case you didn't believe me, Banana Milk does exist. And it's sooooo tasty.
Ya, we're really roughing it out here. I'm pretty sure that as soon as these trailers were pulled in, the war was won. Score one for freedom and democracy.
Pallets of cases of bottled water. All over the base. We're told not to drink the tap water, since it contains a bunch of chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer in mice. Probably bleach and other stuff to fight microbes that the Hadjis might try to inject in the water supply. Ever try brushing your teeth from a bottle? At least the empty bottles give you good options when you have to take a leak in the middle of the night.
As expected, the gym is by far the nicest facility on the base. My only complaint is that they do not continuously play Schwartzenegger's "Pumping Iron."
Oh, that's why they call it a "cooler," not a "colder."
Any time a couple of girls see a camera, they can't help but pose....
...Neither can I. Good thing that my weapons are my arms, so I don't have to worry about where they are.
The soccer stadium. It might have had grass at some point. The bottom of the bleachers houses a bunch of Hadji shops, which sell American movies, tobacco, and quasi-Iraqi throw rugs. Being surrounded by so many Hadjis and carrying a pistol, I'm feeling a little like Jack Bauer.
I think this used to be an Olympic swimming/diving pool, until the Texans claimed it prior to the American invasion. Not sure if there's still water in there. If there is, I'm still not going in there.
A stop sign. I guess I'd better stop.
Due to security restrictions, I'm not allowed to take photos of the flightline. This image comes from Google Maps, and is several years old. This is known as the "Phrog Pond," and is separated from the rest of the squadrons. It's near the western boundary of the base, just north of the runways. The whole area is dug about 30 ft deep. The mutated E-shaped buildings are concrete bunkers. The white/metal roofs are old hangars that we really don't use much. There are now about 15 wooden shacks (approximated by the blue dots) that we work in. I'll try to take some pictures of the interior some time in the future.Well, that's about all the pictures I have for now. I'm doing a lot of walking, since the chowhall/store/gym/phone center complex is about a mile NE of my can, and the Phrog Pond is about a mile SW. Fortunately, there's a mini-chow hall and mini-gym down in the Phrog Pond, so we have all we really need right here. We're working 12-on/12-off shifts, so my free time is at a minimum. I'll probably be flying about 3-4 times a week, averaging 6 hours/flight. I've only had one flight so far, and the countryside was quite bleak. We passed near a village, and saw some of the locals waving at us, so I guess they're not all bad. There are a lot of shepherds walking around with their sheep 20 miles from the nearest remnant of civilization, and small villages of 5 homes pop up in the most random locations. It even rained for about 10 minutes. The ground was completely dry within an hour. Oh well. I had such high hopes for growing a nice lawn. I bet the bleach-water makes for nice fertilizer.
Until next time, take care y'all.
2 comments:
Very interesting to hear and see a small part of what you encounter. Only you can make us laugh while knowing you are off to war! We continue to think of you, Steph and Lena and pray for each of you often. Can't wait til your back in the states and you all make it back out to Michigan! The Kingshotts
wow. thanks for the inside look... it's definitely interesting to see. Glad to see you are in good spirits and providing typical Dave commentary. Keeping you in our prayers.
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