This one is for the secret police
The heat here is like a water. It has density. Here being Tallil, Air Base. Today is the 30th of August. I stopped writing this around the 19th of August. During that time I was at Fort Bliss in Texas. We had a series of briefs, some of them by Military Intelligence. They brought up a few things that slowed me down on this Blog. The main thing being that transmitting even unclassified information can aid “the enemy.” Also, another brief indicated that terrorists monitor cellphone, phone and email into and out of Iraq and may target our families. Oh, and we are at war and freedom that I am used to is out the door.
On the 20th, I had a few more briefs on Arab Culture and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). Then at 2 pm. I flew to Ohare from El Paso. I was there for three hours and hoped my father and Andrea, my former girlfriend would have visited. They had other things to do, so I enjoyed the bar cart to my fullest, alone. I flew to London. Spent a few hours there at the bar and sent out a few emails. Then I flew to Kuwait. I think I had about 15 bottles of wine on the plane. Might as well. No alcohol here in the Middle East, except near beer.
I arrived about 1 a.m. In Kuwait. I was picked up by company contact, Marian. I was checked into a pretty nice hotel and spend two days there, waiting for another worker to arrive. While I was in Kuwait, I went to a Mc Donald's to meet my Boss, Jake. Jake is in charge of all the business in Iraq. I work under him. Jake and Marian told me at our meeting at Mc Donald's that I was not qualified and not what they wanted for the job. Well, I am here. So I guess anything is better than nothing. I did not deceive them about my abilities. Rather HR just cut corners in hiring me. They wanted a mechanic and air conditioning repair man. That I am not. The Mc Donald's had a door man and the bathrooms and bidet.
So Monday, the 23rd of August, I was processed and dropped off in Camp Doha. That is our main camp in Kuwait. I spent 3 days waiting for a plane there. I was flying standby, military. The process is a little different than other flights. I had to check for my flight times between 2 and 5 am at 30 minute intervals. I had a bunk bed in an air craft hanger. Kind of reminded me of BLACK HAWK DOWN. There were 3 of us traveling and if we did not get a flight by Thursday, we were going to drive. But we did get a very late flight and I got my first ride on a C-130. I flew into Tallil Air Base Early Friday morning. I think it was sometime after midnight. I flew with the troops. No metal detectors. Everybody, including me wearing a helmet and flack vest, the one I used when I ran for mayor of Seattle in 2001. The seats were cots. We rode the opposite direction you would in a normal plane, with our backs to the walls of the plane. Then strapped ourselves to some webbing. The plane was super hot until we got in the air. Over a hundred degrees. The flight itself was under an hour. The wait was 4 days to get in the air. Landing was bumpy. I felt nauseous. We were greeted at the military airport terminal by a Major in the Air Force working in the DPW here. We drove to our tent, but the generator was out of order, so we spent about 90 minutes finding some where else to stay. The place we are supposed to stay is still not ready. I am staying in a large tent with some fire men. The inside has 7 X 7 rooms with wooden walls and floors.
I was so tired that I forgot my guitar when I was loading up. I spent most of Saturday morning looking for it. The Major gave me a ride back to the airport and I found it there. They also have an Italian pizzeria and espresso shop there. And Burger King and Pizza Hut down the street.
Sunday, we went to Ur and I climbed the Ziggerat and got some stuff from the souvenir stand. At 2 p.m. We had security training for TCMs and LNs (Third Country Nationals and Local Nationals-Iraqis). Other bases allow more freedom. This one is one of the tightest for security. All my crew is from other countries, so they have to be escorted and may not have phones, cameras, weapons or maps.
What day is now? Monday the 30th.
I am in Iraq, for the year. So far, it has been hurry up and wait. Hurry up and wait. Danger. Danger. Terrorists. Yep.
Most of the military services are contracted out to private companies which employ TCMs and LNs. So there are a lot of foreigners here, but they have no rights and must be escorted around the base. They cannot make calls, take pictures or anything like that, including using the PX to buy stuff. Also, the other countries troops are here. I see them and their colorful uniforms. Italy, Romania, Korea, Japan and I have yet to see what Polish desert camo looks like, but they are here, too. They have rights and carry guns and get to do whatever there military leaders allow.
I should start working in a day or so. I get 4 hours off a week. The rest of time I will be working. I like my boss, but my other coworker is a mega-Christian that talks all the time and likes to talk a lot of shit, like he is working counter intelligence and might be going to Iran to hunt terrorists, when in fact he was a cook in the air force during Vietnam, got lost going to the PX here and cant take the heat. Oh, and his job is exactly the same as mine. I am the manager of a crew. We are building structures for the His biggest interest is trying to pick up Christian TCM women. . . I could say more but he seems to be on his way to getting shipped back to the United States.
This job is what I expected it to be so I can't complain, really.
I watched that movie 25th Hour while I was waiting for a plane in Doha. Ed Norton plays a guy going to prison for 7 years after a drug bust. He spends the last day saying good bye and partying with his two best friends. Before I left, I spent my time with my girlfriend and family. But strangely absent were my friends. With the money I make here I will have to buy some new ones.
I have to get my second Anthrax shot today. My small pox vaccination got infected in Doha and I had purple marks spreading about 3 or 4 inches around the scab. But I cleaned it up and put some anti-biotic on it and I am all better now.
On the 20th, I had a few more briefs on Arab Culture and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). Then at 2 pm. I flew to Ohare from El Paso. I was there for three hours and hoped my father and Andrea, my former girlfriend would have visited. They had other things to do, so I enjoyed the bar cart to my fullest, alone. I flew to London. Spent a few hours there at the bar and sent out a few emails. Then I flew to Kuwait. I think I had about 15 bottles of wine on the plane. Might as well. No alcohol here in the Middle East, except near beer.
I arrived about 1 a.m. In Kuwait. I was picked up by company contact, Marian. I was checked into a pretty nice hotel and spend two days there, waiting for another worker to arrive. While I was in Kuwait, I went to a Mc Donald's to meet my Boss, Jake. Jake is in charge of all the business in Iraq. I work under him. Jake and Marian told me at our meeting at Mc Donald's that I was not qualified and not what they wanted for the job. Well, I am here. So I guess anything is better than nothing. I did not deceive them about my abilities. Rather HR just cut corners in hiring me. They wanted a mechanic and air conditioning repair man. That I am not. The Mc Donald's had a door man and the bathrooms and bidet.
So Monday, the 23rd of August, I was processed and dropped off in Camp Doha. That is our main camp in Kuwait. I spent 3 days waiting for a plane there. I was flying standby, military. The process is a little different than other flights. I had to check for my flight times between 2 and 5 am at 30 minute intervals. I had a bunk bed in an air craft hanger. Kind of reminded me of BLACK HAWK DOWN. There were 3 of us traveling and if we did not get a flight by Thursday, we were going to drive. But we did get a very late flight and I got my first ride on a C-130. I flew into Tallil Air Base Early Friday morning. I think it was sometime after midnight. I flew with the troops. No metal detectors. Everybody, including me wearing a helmet and flack vest, the one I used when I ran for mayor of Seattle in 2001. The seats were cots. We rode the opposite direction you would in a normal plane, with our backs to the walls of the plane. Then strapped ourselves to some webbing. The plane was super hot until we got in the air. Over a hundred degrees. The flight itself was under an hour. The wait was 4 days to get in the air. Landing was bumpy. I felt nauseous. We were greeted at the military airport terminal by a Major in the Air Force working in the DPW here. We drove to our tent, but the generator was out of order, so we spent about 90 minutes finding some where else to stay. The place we are supposed to stay is still not ready. I am staying in a large tent with some fire men. The inside has 7 X 7 rooms with wooden walls and floors.
I was so tired that I forgot my guitar when I was loading up. I spent most of Saturday morning looking for it. The Major gave me a ride back to the airport and I found it there. They also have an Italian pizzeria and espresso shop there. And Burger King and Pizza Hut down the street.
Sunday, we went to Ur and I climbed the Ziggerat and got some stuff from the souvenir stand. At 2 p.m. We had security training for TCMs and LNs (Third Country Nationals and Local Nationals-Iraqis). Other bases allow more freedom. This one is one of the tightest for security. All my crew is from other countries, so they have to be escorted and may not have phones, cameras, weapons or maps.
What day is now? Monday the 30th.
I am in Iraq, for the year. So far, it has been hurry up and wait. Hurry up and wait. Danger. Danger. Terrorists. Yep.
Most of the military services are contracted out to private companies which employ TCMs and LNs. So there are a lot of foreigners here, but they have no rights and must be escorted around the base. They cannot make calls, take pictures or anything like that, including using the PX to buy stuff. Also, the other countries troops are here. I see them and their colorful uniforms. Italy, Romania, Korea, Japan and I have yet to see what Polish desert camo looks like, but they are here, too. They have rights and carry guns and get to do whatever there military leaders allow.
I should start working in a day or so. I get 4 hours off a week. The rest of time I will be working. I like my boss, but my other coworker is a mega-Christian that talks all the time and likes to talk a lot of shit, like he is working counter intelligence and might be going to Iran to hunt terrorists, when in fact he was a cook in the air force during Vietnam, got lost going to the PX here and cant take the heat. Oh, and his job is exactly the same as mine. I am the manager of a crew. We are building structures for the His biggest interest is trying to pick up Christian TCM women. . . I could say more but he seems to be on his way to getting shipped back to the United States.
This job is what I expected it to be so I can't complain, really.
I watched that movie 25th Hour while I was waiting for a plane in Doha. Ed Norton plays a guy going to prison for 7 years after a drug bust. He spends the last day saying good bye and partying with his two best friends. Before I left, I spent my time with my girlfriend and family. But strangely absent were my friends. With the money I make here I will have to buy some new ones.
I have to get my second Anthrax shot today. My small pox vaccination got infected in Doha and I had purple marks spreading about 3 or 4 inches around the scab. But I cleaned it up and put some anti-biotic on it and I am all better now.
posted by Schaber at 5:22 PM
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