Over a year since my last post? Wow...that's bad. REALLY bad.
Here's the express version: I returned from Iraq safe and relatively sound in late June 2008, took about a month off and then went back to work. Since then, the main excitements in my life have been a couple of Penn State home games, watching the Pittsburgh Steelers win the Super Bowl (sorry, neighbors!) and enjoying a wonderful holiday season with my family. Oh...I'm finally getting a garage door opener after living in this house for about six and half years.
I am once again fully immersed in my daily grind at work. The alarm bleats at 4:30 AM every weekday, and I trudge downtown to catch an early train and be in the office in Washington, DC by 7:00 AM. I'm not exactly a morning person--but a 7:00 AM arrival means that I can generally leave by about 3:30 PM and be home by 5:30. Heck, I'd have to get up pretty early even to be there by 8:00 or 8:30 so I might as well get home at a decent hour and have time to relax and/or do chores.
Despite all this, I am glad to be home and I try to find something to treasure in every day.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Groundhog Day
It's Groundhog Day here at FOB Enormo, which seemed like an appropriate reason to re-energize this neglected blog.
The saying in Iraq is that "every day is Groundhog Day," an idea we lifted from the movie of the same name--where Bill Murray wakes up each day and re-lives the same series of events. The movie is also a favorite around here since many folks in the unit are from western Pennsylvania and more than a few have enjoyed Punxsutawney, PA's Groundhog Day celebrations.
We have passed the halfway mark for our deployment and gotten through the holidays and have now settled in to a relatively mind-numbing routine. As a headquarters-type unit that is confined to FOB Enormo, our days pass with the same series of meetings and briefings. Occasional crises help break up the monotony, but those are (blessedly) rare. Most of us are now beginning to count the weeks until we redeploy; I am counting the days until I return back to the US for two weeks of leave. I'm not sure I've ever been this physically tired or mentally weary in my life!
The saying in Iraq is that "every day is Groundhog Day," an idea we lifted from the movie of the same name--where Bill Murray wakes up each day and re-lives the same series of events. The movie is also a favorite around here since many folks in the unit are from western Pennsylvania and more than a few have enjoyed Punxsutawney, PA's Groundhog Day celebrations.
We have passed the halfway mark for our deployment and gotten through the holidays and have now settled in to a relatively mind-numbing routine. As a headquarters-type unit that is confined to FOB Enormo, our days pass with the same series of meetings and briefings. Occasional crises help break up the monotony, but those are (blessedly) rare. Most of us are now beginning to count the weeks until we redeploy; I am counting the days until I return back to the US for two weeks of leave. I'm not sure I've ever been this physically tired or mentally weary in my life!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Culture Shock
The first days back in the US were a bit more of a shock than I had expected, which I suppose is good training for when I'm home for leave and then home for good.
The first, most noticeable and most irritating aspect of returning to the States was the presence of cell phones. The constant use of cell phones in public places annoyed me even before I deployed, and 4 months away from cell phones, Blackberries, pagers, etc has only strengthened my distaste for hearing someone else's phone conversations in public places.
After checking in to our hotel, the next order of business was to obtain additional civilian clothing. None of us on the trip had more than one set of street clothing, and we wore that on the trip home. I started my shopping at the PX of the base where I was training. After nearly 7 months of wearing nothing but Army uniforms, I was a bit overwhelmed by the opportunity to choose what I wanted to wear. I came to my senses and quickly decided that whatever I purchased would look as little like "issue" clothing as possible and would NOT include the colors green or brown.
My first sit down meal (at a local Applebees...not exactly haute cuisine) was also a real pleasure. It was a huge relief not to have to carry a tray and have a relatively wide selection of food. I enjoyed real beer, too, though my first "real beer" was about 20 minutes after take-off from Kuwait.
I also found myself "jumping" at loud noises a bit, which was not a reaction I expected. We live in relative safety a FOB Enormo and I was surprised by my startled reaction to a muffled but very noticeable "thud" during my workout at the base gym. Apparently I am staying much more alert at FOB Enormo than I had realized.
Driving was far less eventful than I had expected, probably because we do have "non tactical vehicles" (pick-up trucks, SUVs, etc) to get around FOB Enormo and I do get to drive occasionally over there at greatly reduced speeds. We have traffic on Enormo too, though not the kind of traffic I'm used to at home.
At this point, my trip is over and I am sitting in an airport in the mid/southeastern US enjoying a last cup of Starbucks and decent Internet bandwith. In a couple of hours, we will start the long journey back to the desert and I will be back to my usual 16 hour days soon.
The first, most noticeable and most irritating aspect of returning to the States was the presence of cell phones. The constant use of cell phones in public places annoyed me even before I deployed, and 4 months away from cell phones, Blackberries, pagers, etc has only strengthened my distaste for hearing someone else's phone conversations in public places.
After checking in to our hotel, the next order of business was to obtain additional civilian clothing. None of us on the trip had more than one set of street clothing, and we wore that on the trip home. I started my shopping at the PX of the base where I was training. After nearly 7 months of wearing nothing but Army uniforms, I was a bit overwhelmed by the opportunity to choose what I wanted to wear. I came to my senses and quickly decided that whatever I purchased would look as little like "issue" clothing as possible and would NOT include the colors green or brown.
My first sit down meal (at a local Applebees...not exactly haute cuisine) was also a real pleasure. It was a huge relief not to have to carry a tray and have a relatively wide selection of food. I enjoyed real beer, too, though my first "real beer" was about 20 minutes after take-off from Kuwait.
I also found myself "jumping" at loud noises a bit, which was not a reaction I expected. We live in relative safety a FOB Enormo and I was surprised by my startled reaction to a muffled but very noticeable "thud" during my workout at the base gym. Apparently I am staying much more alert at FOB Enormo than I had realized.
Driving was far less eventful than I had expected, probably because we do have "non tactical vehicles" (pick-up trucks, SUVs, etc) to get around FOB Enormo and I do get to drive occasionally over there at greatly reduced speeds. We have traffic on Enormo too, though not the kind of traffic I'm used to at home.
At this point, my trip is over and I am sitting in an airport in the mid/southeastern US enjoying a last cup of Starbucks and decent Internet bandwith. In a couple of hours, we will start the long journey back to the desert and I will be back to my usual 16 hour days soon.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Freedom from FOB Enormo comes with a price: the trip home.
The first leg of the journey begins with a "space available" flight on a military cargo plane from Enormo down to Kuwait (normally about 90-120 minutes). Military flights require that we arrive at the pick-up point at least 3 hours in advance--even though we don't have to pass through security or obtain boarding passes. We do check our bags in military fashion; bags (you are only allowed one "checked" bag) are placed on an Air Force cargo pallet which is then weighed and prepared for flight. As the plane arrives, we tug on our body armor and helmets and squeeze into the back of the cargo plane onto "seating" made of nylon webbing. The seats are somewhat comfortable for about the first 20 minutes and the rest of the flight revolves around feeble attempts to alleviate an ever more pained backside.
We then arrived in Kuwait, and found ourselves spending nearly two days at an American base in Kuwait before our commercial flight to the US. We then boarded a commercial flight from Kuwait to Germany (6 hours), changed planes in Germany (2 hours), flew from Germany to a major hub in the US (9 hours), changed planes at the hub (2 hours), flew from the hub to an airport near our final destination (1.5 hours) then drove from the airport to our destination (1 hour). The trip back to Iraq will be largely the same, though our stay in Kuwait should be much shorter.
Despite the challenges and fatigue, my travelling companions and I made the best of the situation. I wasted no time and ordered my first "real" beer within an hour of lifting off from Kuwait, followed by another in the airport in Germany (both of which helped me sleep during various segments of the trip). One of the advantages of travelling back to the US on temporary duty is that we wear civilian clothes while travelling to/from Kuwait to the US. When I return home in the spring for "R&R," I will be on a charter plane and wearing a uniform for the whole trip.
In spite of the travel pains, I am glad to be back in the US--and experience a little bit of fall--if only for a short while.
The first leg of the journey begins with a "space available" flight on a military cargo plane from Enormo down to Kuwait (normally about 90-120 minutes). Military flights require that we arrive at the pick-up point at least 3 hours in advance--even though we don't have to pass through security or obtain boarding passes. We do check our bags in military fashion; bags (you are only allowed one "checked" bag) are placed on an Air Force cargo pallet which is then weighed and prepared for flight. As the plane arrives, we tug on our body armor and helmets and squeeze into the back of the cargo plane onto "seating" made of nylon webbing. The seats are somewhat comfortable for about the first 20 minutes and the rest of the flight revolves around feeble attempts to alleviate an ever more pained backside.
We then arrived in Kuwait, and found ourselves spending nearly two days at an American base in Kuwait before our commercial flight to the US. We then boarded a commercial flight from Kuwait to Germany (6 hours), changed planes in Germany (2 hours), flew from Germany to a major hub in the US (9 hours), changed planes at the hub (2 hours), flew from the hub to an airport near our final destination (1.5 hours) then drove from the airport to our destination (1 hour). The trip back to Iraq will be largely the same, though our stay in Kuwait should be much shorter.
Despite the challenges and fatigue, my travelling companions and I made the best of the situation. I wasted no time and ordered my first "real" beer within an hour of lifting off from Kuwait, followed by another in the airport in Germany (both of which helped me sleep during various segments of the trip). One of the advantages of travelling back to the US on temporary duty is that we wear civilian clothes while travelling to/from Kuwait to the US. When I return home in the spring for "R&R," I will be on a charter plane and wearing a uniform for the whole trip.
In spite of the travel pains, I am glad to be back in the US--and experience a little bit of fall--if only for a short while.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sprung from the FOB
Wow...it seems hard to believe it has been a month since I've had time (or material!) to write.
I have been granted "time off for good behavior" from FOB Enormo and I'm currently in the good ol' United States on a business trip to train the folks who will be replacing us in Iraq next summer. Unfortunately, I am not close to home but will be spending about a week at an Army base in the southeastern US. I've already been here for a few days and it feels almost like a vacation. We are working "normal" workdays (8-9 hours), can enjoy sit down meals and even a enjoy a real beer...or two...or three.
Look for a flurry of posts in the next few days.
I have been granted "time off for good behavior" from FOB Enormo and I'm currently in the good ol' United States on a business trip to train the folks who will be replacing us in Iraq next summer. Unfortunately, I am not close to home but will be spending about a week at an Army base in the southeastern US. I've already been here for a few days and it feels almost like a vacation. We are working "normal" workdays (8-9 hours), can enjoy sit down meals and even a enjoy a real beer...or two...or three.
Look for a flurry of posts in the next few days.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Mail Call Redux
The fun of mail call continues here at FOB Enormo, though modified from our adventures back in the U.S.
Deployment in Iraq does had certain advantages, one of which is daily mail delivery. Our unit mail room clerk uses the miracle of modern technology to post a daily list of everyone who has received letters, boxes or insured mail. The level of suspense isn't the same, but it is amusing nonetheless. The list is normally posted around lunchtime which helps provide a little mid-day excitement (in the event we haven't had a recent mortar attack).
Rather than having everyone hike down the street to pick up their mail, most of the individual work sections have appointed one or two soldiers to pick up everyone's mail. I spend my days in an operations center staffed by about 50 officers and NCOs and am treated to the daily sight of piles of packages being delivered. In addition to familiar US Postal Service red, white and blue boxes, I see plenty of Amazon.com boxes and other internet retailers.
Deployment in Iraq does had certain advantages, one of which is daily mail delivery. Our unit mail room clerk uses the miracle of modern technology to post a daily list of everyone who has received letters, boxes or insured mail. The level of suspense isn't the same, but it is amusing nonetheless. The list is normally posted around lunchtime which helps provide a little mid-day excitement (in the event we haven't had a recent mortar attack).
Rather than having everyone hike down the street to pick up their mail, most of the individual work sections have appointed one or two soldiers to pick up everyone's mail. I spend my days in an operations center staffed by about 50 officers and NCOs and am treated to the daily sight of piles of packages being delivered. In addition to familiar US Postal Service red, white and blue boxes, I see plenty of Amazon.com boxes and other internet retailers.
One of my favorite books as a youngster told the story of life in the Colditz POW camp during the Second World War. The author (a former prisoner) described how the prisoners would "pool" their Red Cross packages in order to gather supplies for an appropriate Christmas celebration. We treat "care packages" from home in much the same way. NOTHING goes to waste; if there are any items left over, we sit them out in our coffee/break room. Snacks, cookies and other edibles are usually devoured within hours--if not minutes. Magazines and books are read and passed on to others. We even have a sort of informal library whose shelves are well stocked with the many books that are sent to us. Disclosure: I'm a voracious reader and booklover (with a basement full of books back home) so most of the books I get my hands on are shipped back home to my precious Elf, who keeps them in her basement for my return.
The generosity of all of you back home amazes us daily. The Louisville Slugger company sent us a couple of bats, a nice glove and a couple dozen t-shirts after reading an e-mail from one of our soldiers. The Drew Estates cigar company sent nearly 500 cigars and about 100 baseball caps to another of our soldiers who is a part-time cigar sales representative back home.
Friends, family and church groups send food, music and books. Your support keeps us strong and helps us pass the time more comfortably.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Amazing People
I've have the good fortune to meet and serve with some amazing soldiers and civilians during my short time here.
This article (originally published in the Catholic Review-official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Baltimore) is about one of those amazing soldiers. who has graced FOB Enormo with his presence during the last few weeks. Unfortunately, his visit was only temporary and he will soon be back out tending to those who need him most: our brave soldiers in the field.
Military chaplains provide much more than just religious services. Especially in these difficult times, they often counsel soldiers as they mourn the loss of their comrades or wrestle with other personal problems. Every chaplain I've known in my career has been there to help soldiers regardless of our faith--or lack of faith, in some cases. Chaplains' important work has been often overlooked, especially in light of recent controversies regarding proselytizing in the military.
Strangely enough, I've run into a heck of a lot of Lutheran chaplains during these past few years in the Army. Our current unit chaplain is Lutheran, a classmate from my Command and Staff College "small group" (Pastor/MAJ Kenneth Homer) is a Lutheran chaplain and Father Woods (subject of the article) is a convert from the Lutheran church. I don't think there's a pattern, just an interesting coincidence.
This article (originally published in the Catholic Review-official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Baltimore) is about one of those amazing soldiers. who has graced FOB Enormo with his presence during the last few weeks. Unfortunately, his visit was only temporary and he will soon be back out tending to those who need him most: our brave soldiers in the field.
Military chaplains provide much more than just religious services. Especially in these difficult times, they often counsel soldiers as they mourn the loss of their comrades or wrestle with other personal problems. Every chaplain I've known in my career has been there to help soldiers regardless of our faith--or lack of faith, in some cases. Chaplains' important work has been often overlooked, especially in light of recent controversies regarding proselytizing in the military.
Strangely enough, I've run into a heck of a lot of Lutheran chaplains during these past few years in the Army. Our current unit chaplain is Lutheran, a classmate from my Command and Staff College "small group" (Pastor/MAJ Kenneth Homer) is a Lutheran chaplain and Father Woods (subject of the article) is a convert from the Lutheran church. I don't think there's a pattern, just an interesting coincidence.
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