DAY 33 / DEC 31 - HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE!

DAY 33 / DEC 31 – HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE!

Deployment 9% complete

 

            We were supposed to be mortared today.  And, so far, we have had nothing.   Don't get me wrong, I like NOT getting attached.  But, you'd think if they go to all the trouble of telling us they're going to attack, they might as well do it.   Get us all riled up for nothing.  Maybe that was the plan?

            So, it started off as just another day – and stayed that way pretty much all day.   Even up until now.  Sure, I had some work to do, and still do – but its nothing major.  The work I still have to do is more like pre-work for some real work that I might have to do in the near future.   Just trying to head things off at the pass.

            I coordinated to get my trucks over to Anaconda without having to send a full patrol, but in the future I will probably have to patrol out to Gabe and Caldwell to either pick things up or drop them off.   I'm going to try and make it happen in the same trip in order to avoid any unnecessary movement.

            I got my first package from my wife today!  I was ecstatic to see it and even happier to get what was inside.   She sent the best gift of all, an "Easy" button.  That way, when things get tough or seem impossible, I just hit the "Easy" Button and everything falls into place.   It sucks a lot of juice so I have to use it sparingly.

            Another thing that is different from home is mail.  Yes, mail is important, it is a connection home that is essential to good morale.   But there are precautions that go along with mail.  We have to be careful that when we throw away the packages and boxes that all our goodies come in, we completely destroy the "return" and "to" addresses so that no one can did through the garbage and get that information.

            And magnets.  I never thought about it until today, but our steel CHUs are the ideal place to hand stuff and decorate with magnets.   So, I'm going to ask for magnets, all shapes and sizes, so I can decorate the inside of my CHU with magnets and also use the magnets to hold the stuff from my kids on the wall.

DAY 32 / DEC 30

DAY 32 / DEC 30

Today was not a usual day. I spent most of last night preparing the
paperwork for our trip to LSA Anaconda. After numerous changes,
additions, deletions, swaps, and other stuff to throw a wrench in the
works, I finally had a relatively firm plan and was able to tell
people who was going and where they would be riding at 2200 last
night. No problem.
At 0500 I woke up and remained in bed, trying to get back to sleep,
knowing that I had a convoy to go on, and knowing that, at the present
time, convoys are the single most dangerous thing I could do here.
So, I didn't get back to sleep, but managed an uncomfortable snooze
until 0600 when the alarm went off and I dragged myself out of bed and
got dressed – skipped the shower so I could fit in with the locals
(just kidding).
At 0630 almost everyone was out, ready to get started on their trucks
– or maybe just milling around waiting to be told what to do.
Eventually we had everyone where they were supposed to go and had most
of the pre-convoy stuff settled.
At 0700 I gave the OPORD to the troops and went to the TOC to get the
trip ticket and clearance to go. It went remarkably smoothly and we
were out the gate right around when we thought we would be.
Keep in mind, this was my first time really in an Up-armored HUMVEE,
so I might go on and on. These humvees, unlike our other, soft
skinned humvees, have an internal communication system whereby I wear
a set of headphones and can hear the radio (not like music, but
communications between other trucks and other units) and what the
others in my truck are saying. To talk on the radio, all I have to do
is flick a little switch and viola, there I am. The intercom system
is 100x better than the old hand-mic and speaker system. I never had
to yell over the roar of the engine, or even raise my voice to be
heard by either the gunner or driver. It was peaceful and definitely
stress reducing. I would say that it let me concentrate more on the
road and what was going on there than my communications with everyone
else.
But, enough about the truck, which, I can't say too much about
because its considered SECRET and by telling you everything about it,
I would be helping the insurgents. So, moving on.
I quickly realized that my assumptions about the people here were
highly inaccurate and that my assumptions about the conditions were
just about right. First, the conditions. The roads are crappy and
have had little maintenance recently, if ever. There are pot holes
1-2 feet deep in the middle of the paved roads and there are no
sidewalks to speak of, even in the villages. There does seem to be
plenty of fertile land in which to grow stuff. And they seem to
actually be trying to grow stuff in some places, I can't tell what,
but it IS green. The buildings are in general in poor shape, either
from the numerous wars, or from neglect, or lack of fund – I don't
know which – but some building still look remarkably nice. Some are
multiple story houses with windows and ornate decoration and
construction. Some houses have walls build around them as well. The
majority of the buildings are run down and neglected. A lot of the
houses, even the run down, neglected ones, have a satellite dish on
them (I would assume for TV). It's actually somewhat surreal – they
have no indoor plumbing, no central electricity (they run off of
generators), no running water, but they have satellite TV. Strange.
Some of the land is being used as a burn pit for garbage – right in
the middle of a village area. There are quite a few cars here, even
in the suburban and rural areas. None of the cars would qualify as
"nice" in the US, but quite a few would qualify as "decent" or "good."
There are checkpoints every so often, manned mostly by Georgian Army
(the country not the state) Soldiers. There are also some Iraqi
military bases, which I would call pitiful in comparison to what we
have, but at least its something. There are animals everywhere, dogs,
donkeys, sheep, cows, birds (but, oddly, not a lot of cats). They are
around every corner, along every road, in every field. If you drive
around here, you are most likely going to hit something. All in all I
would classify the conditions around here as "not quite as bad as
third world countries."
Now, the people:
Let's start with the adults. They seem very serious, very
non-nonchalant. From what I saw, they are not lazy, sit by the road
and do nothing. I saw many working hard to rebuild houses and
buildings, I saw them herding sheep down the road, and manning
sidewalk awnings (ramshackle at best) selling cola and other stuff
like that. It is strictly against our policy to stop to talk to these
people or shop their stores or really have any interaction with them
at all (its someone else's job to do the interpersonal part), so I
can't say what kind of response we would get from doing any of that.
They did not seem angry or nervous with us there. They have grown
accustomed to us being here. In Iraq, the military (US and Iraqi and
Police) have the ultimate right of way on any road. When we come,
they move to the side – period. It doesn't matter if we have three
vehicles or thirty, they will move and wait for us to pass. We will
not stop for them, but we do give ample warning to get the hell out of
the way (not to say that we run people or their property over for
being slow, we DO make every effort – short of endangering ourselves –
to not hit them or their property). The roads are narrow and it is
clear why VBIEDs (vehicle borne IEDs) are the most popular attack
against us. At many points, we have no choice but to be virtually
door-to-door with the Iraqi cars. The women still wear the burkhas
that is not much more than a black robe that covers the head and face.
The men wear normal looking, if somewhat dated, clothes – its like
being back in the eighties, leather jackets are prominent.
Now the children: They actually bring a sense of hope to the
country. They clearly are not being taught to fear us or hate us.
They seem to like us. When they see a convoy coming down the road
they will run to the edge of the road and give the thumbs up sign, or
wave. Most of them do – probably about 75% do something when we go
by, wave or give the thumbs-up. Even from cars that we made get out
of the way as we pass by. I gave instructions for my troops to wave
back if they can – hey, I have to do my part to "win the hearts and
minds" of the people too. But, it's hard to act friendly when your
job requires you to race down the road at high speeds in a massive
armored truck carrying five trained Soldiers that each carry over 150
rounds of ammunition and are somewhat on edge. The waves I give feel
half-hearted, like I'm torn between my compassion for the children and
my sense of peril just being here. I would like to shake their hands,
to give them high fives, to pat their heads and tell them to grow up
well, maybe to give them some candy, or a toy, or something – but I
know I can't and won't, its not safe and I can't risk my life (any
more than I already do) for the sake of being compassionate. That
reminds me; I don't remember seeing any toys in the hands of these
children, none at all. I've just reviewed the 253 pictures I took on
our hour and a half convoy and NONE of the children are playing with
toys. Some have sticks, but those are for herding the goats and
sheep. Hmm, no toys. Interesting. Anyway, back to what I was
saying. The kids: they smile a lot, the love to see us coming, they
wave and give the thumbs-up. They chase each other like our children,
and run hand in hand together. I have one picture showing a boy (about
nine) skipping down the road, one hand in the air, the other firmly in
(what I assume to be) his little brother's hand (about four). The
children here are, thankfully, just children.
The one thing that seems to unite the people here is soccer. On our
way back to the FOB, I counted no less than five soccer games going
on, each with about 25-50 adults and children playing. They have no
nets on their goals (which look like rusted pipe from somewhere), no
grass (they play in the dirt), but they still play, and seem to love
it. Maybe what we need isn't an Army here, but a soccer team, or
teams (just kidding).
But the enemy is still out there, and the people know it. Some of
the Iraqi Police and Soldiers wear ski masks to conceal their identity
at the checkpoints so that the insurgents can't identify them and hurt
their families. I have to give credit to those people that are
working as Soldiers and Police in Iraq, their jobs are much more
dangerous than ours. We sit in relative safety behind these walls.
We do our jobs and then sleep safely, no one will come to my CHU in
the night to kidnap and kill me. They can't touch my family when I'm
away at work. The enemy isn't my neighbor across the street, who
calls me "neighbor" one day and then shoots me in the back the next.
For me, the enemy is "out there," on the other side of the wall –
sure, sometimes he lobs a few mortars at me, but he's a lousy shot.
For their Army and Police, the enemy is unknown, but it is definitely
not "out there," because for them, "out there," is their backyard.
So, I respect the Iraqi Soldiers and Police for their sacrifice and
I'm glad they're trying to take their country back from the insurgents
and dictators.
So, I must hereby rescind my earlier comment that the people don't
care. They do care, they just need more to work with and a safe place
to work with it. If the insurgency could be wiped out and the people
were free to run their own country, they could do a good job and I
suspect they would.
Every moment outside the gate I felt the danger I was in. I felt it
inside me, the senses on edge, my heart beat a little faster, and
every time we passed something that might have been an IED or VBIED I
imagined what it would look like blowing up, or what it would sound
like. We need to stay on edge out there, because it IS dangerous. No
matter how many times we go here or there without incident, it only
takes one time of not paying attention to really fuck up your day.

DAY 31 / DEC 29

Day 31 / Dec 29

Still no enemy contact. Now, it's been five days. Wow, that seems
like a lot. We just had another barrage out outgoing that was real
enough to sounding like incoming that I was on the floor, in my
Kevlar, waiting for the siren. It never came. I'm not sure I'll ever
to used to that feeling. When the guns go off, you feel the pressure
change hit you, the windows shake, and you wait for the next one.
But, I'm glad for the outgoing, I hope it means that there will be
less incoming.
Today was just another day of this and that. Meetings again. I have
still managed to hold on to my morning routine of calling home and
emailing my wife after a shower and getting dressed. But, that will
change on Jan 6 when we take over. After that I will have meetings at
BN at 0830; which means I need to start walking there at about 0815;
which means getting dressed by 0800; which means waking up at 0730 at
the latest to get a shower in. Just when I thought I was going to
sleep in.
Then there are the convoy meetings everyday at 1900. Damn, there go
my nights too. Hopefully, I won't have too many convoys going out and
then I won't have to go to that meeting – more reason to not have
convoys.
We started putting in our pieces and I can tell that the company we
are replacing is getting frustrated with our lack of progress. But
its not us that's the problem, and they know that too. Its our higher
command that is having difficulty making a decision and sticking with
it. They keep changing the plan – which is the Army standard, but for
a RIP we should just be using our equipment in the same way the other
company is and then, after they are gone we can change whatever we
want.
Ah well, its no biggie at this point, the stuff will get in and the
other company will leave and then we can play around in our own mess
as much as we like.
So, I wasn't able to use the internet tonight to get this out or to
email my wife, but I did get to talk to her, on a crappy connection,
but it was better than nothing – and better than waiting for an hour
or more in line somewhere.
Once our stuff gets put in right, we should have a good connection everywhere.
Tomorrow we have to go on a convoy to LSA Anaconda. The trip is
about 45 minutes and really shouldn't be a big deal. But, like any
trip off the FOB, it could be dangerous. There is always the chance
that an IED will go off, that you'll receive small arms fire, or any
of that good stuff. The only real danger is from IEDs at this point.
Small arms fire doesn't penetrate the armor on the M1114s, but the
bigger IEDs will. Our route is heavily traveled, and that makes it a
little safer – its harder to plant a complicated bomb when people are
driving by all the time. I'll take a lot of pics and put them up on
the FRG site tomorrow.
I also won't have a lot of down time tomorrow. All of my meetings
are in the afternoon, so I'll still have to go to those AND miss my
morning time of calling home and all that good stuff. Just another
reason NOT to convoy anywhere unless I have to – which I usually
don't.
I ran into my FA buddy here. He runs the radars that track incoming
mortars and direct fire on the point of origin. I'm glad he's here
because I know he knows his job.

DAY 30 / DEC 28

Day 30 / Dec 28
The real work started today. We began to put our gear into motion
and actually get stuff done – not too much though, wouldn't want to
overdo it.
The big news is – its getting cold here. I wouldn't have thought
that it would really get cold, but it has, and I'm having to actually
wear warmer clothes, even during the day. The sun comes out, but
doesn't heat things up the way it should, I think it needs to have its
thermostat adjusted a little to the right.
Now that the leadership has really arrived, the meetings of hell are
beginning. Today I had a 1500 convoy meeting, a 1600 update meetings
(that now lasts an hour instead of the 10 minutes it used to take),
and starting tomorrow I have ANOTHER convoy meeting at 1700. With all
these meetings it's a wonder anything actually gets done. Or maybe,
that's why they have these meetings, so that the leadership is out of
the way, and the Soldiers CAN get the work done. Either way, they
suck.
I found out yesterday that some of my troops have been going to play
basketball without me. I can't say that I'm really any good at it,
but I like to try. Anything competitive, I'll give it a shot.
They want us to start getting into the office and "shadowing" our
counterparts, but really, there isn't that much to do and the offices
are too small for twice the number of people to do nothing. We all
just take up space and fog the windows. So, I've been more or less
wandering around, looking for things to do, checking on Soldiers, etc.
Thankfully, I actually have work to do tomorrow. I have to plan the
convoy up to our supply FOB that we are going to go on in the near
future. That should actually take about 15 minutes of work – so I'm
saving all the fun for tomorrow.

Day 29 / Dec 27

DAY 29 / DEC 27

            Woke up this morning with a plan to do some things, and had it subsequently shot completely to hell by the arrival of the last 15 of my personnel on the convoy.  It was good to see them again.  The Commander finally arrived, so my time in charge has come to an end � ah, well, it was fun while it lasted.  I�m happy to hand over the reigns to someone else.

            So, the convoy arrived this morning right about the time I was in the shower, and as I was getting dressed, I heard a knock on the door.  It was one of the troops from the convoy, and although I knew that, it didn�t register what his presence knocking on my door went.  My first instinct was to ask him what he wanted.  As he told me that they had just arrived and were told to find me, it occurred to me who it was, and what it meant.

            We got the troops settled in and then were told they had another mission.  They had to go back out and take the empty trucks they had escorted back to another place around here (about three hours away).  I tried to get another set of patrol people to take over, but they decided it was best if they take the trucks back because they had already worked together, knew the system, and could handle it.

            Our gun-trucks picked up a lead truck (because we had never driven the route before) and began the convoy brief.  During the brief, everyone heard a loud pop and looked around.  Apparently a crew-member from the other unit had forgotten about the white phosphorous round in his weapon and fired it into the ground and into a ditch where it went off.  Whoops.  The convoy mission was cancelled until an investigation was completed.

            I moved from my CHU to another.  It was planned well in advance of deploying and so wasn�t a big surprise, and I hadn�t really got comfortable where I was.

            We began setting up our equipment and by the end of the week, should be ready to begin the take over of the mission on this FOB.

            Our convoy to take the trucks back should leave in the morning.

            Friday we will have to drive to another FOB to set up supply contacts and possibly bring back some much needed equipment.

DAY 29 / DEC 27

DAY 29 / DEC 27

            Woke up this morning with a plan to do some things, and had it subsequently shot completely to hell by the arrival of the last 15 of my personnel on the convoy.  It was good to see them again.  The Commander finally arrived, so my time in charge has come to an end � ah, well, it was fun while it lasted.  I�m happy to hand over the reigns to someone else.

            So, the convoy arrived this morning right about the time I was in the shower, and as I was getting dressed, I heard a knock on the door.  It was one of the troops from the convoy, and although I knew that, it didn�t register what his presence knocking on my door went.  My first instinct was to ask him what he wanted.  As he told me that they had just arrived and were told to find me, it occurred to me who it was, and what it meant.

            We got the troops settled in and then were told they had another mission.  They had to go back out and take the empty trucks they had escorted back to another place around here (about three hours away).  I tried to get another set of patrol people to take over, but they decided it was best if they take the trucks back because they had already worked together, knew the system, and could handle it.

            Our gun-trucks picked up a lead truck (because we had never driven the route before) and began the convoy brief.  During the brief, everyone heard a loud pop and looked around.  Apparently a crew-member from the other unit had forgotten about the white phosphorous round in his weapon and fired it into the ground and into a ditch where it went off.  Whoops.  The convoy mission was cancelled until an investigation was completed.

            I moved from my CHU to another.  It was planned well in advance of deploying and so wasn�t a big surprise, and I hadn�t really got comfortable where I was.

            We began setting up our equipment and by the end of the week, should be ready to begin the take over of the mission on this FOB.

            Our convoy to take the trucks back should leave in the morning.

            Friday we will have to drive to another FOB to set up supply contacts and possibly bring back some much needed equipment.

DAY 28 / DEC 26

DAY 28 / DEC 26

            The day after Christmas and all is quiet.  Except maybe the feeling you get, walking around outside, waiting for the whistle or just explosion of the mortar that may or may not be already on its way to somewhere near you.   During the day, it's really no big deal and if you're walking around with someone, someone to talk to, you don't think about it.  But after its dark, and you're alone, the boogey man isn't some crazy psycho or hideous monster, it's the unknown explosion, the unheard impact.   And, it isn't even a logical fear – thus far we have only ever been mortared a dawn and dusk.  Nothing after dark, they can't see what they're aiming at, much less what they've hit.   So, walking around after dark seems logically safer than walking around during the day.  But, logic doesn't play too much of a role in an imagination, I guess.

            Don't get me wrong, you can't let fear guide your actions, you have to deal with them and accept the possibilities.   And you have to carry on with the mission.

            Tonight, after eating in the DFAC, I had laundry to pick up, so I did.   And its really dark.  As I walked back the three blocks or so from the laundry to my CHU, the only thing going through my mind was, "what am I going to do if something blows up there? Or there? Or there?" and, "what if I'm injured, how am I going to help myself?   Where is all my medical supplies?  Can I get them out quick enough?  What is someone else is injured?   Do I know where the aid station is?"  And, thankfully, I come up with a good answer for each one, I know where to go, I know where everything is, I know basic first aid and life-saving skills.   So, I walk on, watching for any sign of an attack, a flash, a pop, anything, maybe a whistle, a hiss, anything that says TROUBLE. 

            Maybe I'm the only one who thinks these things, but maybe I'm not, and I suppose I'll never know.   I will change one thing about how I have everything set up – I am going to move my tourniquet from inside my first aid pouch to the outside, somewhere accessible on my IBAS.   That way, if I need it for someone else, or for me, it'll be right there, no digging, unbuckling, or any of that.

            So, enough with all the nay-saying and dismal stuff.

            Today was just another Groundhog Day, wake-up, check in, use the phone and internet, grab some boxes for mail, lunch, get some work done, prepare for the incoming personnel, move vehicles from where they were to a spot we can work with, etc.

            I did notice today that I need to refocus on what I need to do.   I've been wandering aimlessly for so long around here (nothing going on), that I actually forgot I needed to do something and would have completely been on my ass if I hadn't just been told the answer to the question I was forgetting before I was required to produce it.   And it was strictly by chance that it even came up.

            I am now more or less comfortable with how I'm set up the remaining personnel in CHUs.   It's a little tight, but they can deal with it until the RETRANS and ENM personnel move out in a week or so.

            One month is nearly down.  Only 11 or so to go, and the prospect of coming home early is there – not really a reality, but at least something to maybe keep a glimmer of hope alive for.   Just in case, I've already started a redeployment timeline with all the necessary bits and pieces planned.  No one will ever say we weren't ready to go.

            We should begin putting our systems in tomorrow and hopefully be fully in control of the signal side of the house by the end of the week.   If all goes according to plan and without a glitch, that is – which never happens.

            This morning was actually a very pleasant morning.  The air had an unusual nip to it that reminded me a late fall day.   The sun shone bright across the sand and I realized that however dismal it is right here, on the FOB, there is actual beauty in nature outside.  Maybe the people of this land, Iraq, don't care about it, they trash it, they don't do anything to help themselves, they leave garbage in the streets and piss in the canals, but aside from the people, it isn't so bad.   There are acres and acres of trees.  They look like very bushy palm trees with sharp points and massive leaves reaching for the sky.  There are field of grass or some kind of plant and it grows without trouble.

            The only real sore spots here are the cities, or villages, that have been neglected and mistreated and have been the battlegrounds many times over.   The people seem dejected, devoid of hope, devoid of anything except sustaining life.  The exception, as far as I can tell, is the children, under six or maybe seven.   They still have the hope, the child innocence that is inherent in all children, it seems.  They want to play, they want to laugh, they want to be your friend.   Most everything I've heard or seen indicated this.  I, myself, have not seen any children.  They don't come around the FOB and I haven't yet left it.

            I did hear something disturbing today about the workers on the FOB, the day labor, the Iraqis who come for temporary employment.   It seems that they get here very early, well before they are allowed to come in and stand, waiting at the gate.  Sometimes, the bad guys come by also and shoot into the crowds waiting to work.   I heard that at one time, they killed 30 workers, just for wanting to work on the FOB.  The bad guys really are the bad guys - they aren't a "revolutionary" group who want freedom for Iraq.  They are thugs who probably have no motive except to kill for the sake of killing.  Some may say they kill for Allah, or for God, or for Mohammed, but I suspect that they don't kill for those reasons.   The leadership may believe it is working for its Deity, but the average drive-by shooter doesn't.  Now that they have trouble killing us, they kill their own people, some waiting for work, some in Mosques where suicide bombers kill themselves and their peers in the house of their God.   They detonate car bombs around their own people, with no other target in sight.  They are killing their own.

DAY 27 / DEC 25

DAY 27 / DEC 25

So this is Chirstmas. Thus far, I can’t complain, no mortars have hit us – it’s like an Iraqi Christmas present. Its evening time and we just heard three big booms. We laid on the floor and waited. I thought, “what a bitch it would be to have someone get injured now, they would do a blackout and no one could call home on Chirstmas.” But, not long after that, the PA system came on and informed us that the explosions were OUTGOING rounds. After that, I’m glad I’m on our side and not on the receiving end of those rounds. They felt as big going out as the ones did coming in yesterday. We shoot a lot bigger guns.
The day was a usual day, woke up, showered, skipped breakfast, and called home. I wanted to email something, but had no luck getting to a computer. I plan on going out tonight to call home during the daylight hours there. I figure if I call around 2230 my time, it’ll be 1230 at home and 1130 at my mom’s house where my other kids will be.
We went to lunch, but the line was around the block so to speak, and I didn’t want to wait that long outside with a huge bunch of people in a wide open space. Too big of a target for me. I went back to the CHU and had an ice cream sandwich that I had saved later. It was later.
Eventually, I had an actual meal. The DFAC served Christmas dinner. We had ham and turkey, and mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes and green beans and corn and good stuff. It was decent, but nothing like whats at home.
Apparently, the big guns that made all of the racket a bit ago was from Paladins that rolled in today. The 3ID Paladins were at another FOB, firing counter-battery from their, ours are here now, and make big BOOMS when they go off. It’s nice that we have them handy, maybe make the enemy think twice about shooting as us again.
The other exciting event of the day was seeing some of our equipment finally arrive. I don’t know what we have yet, but I’ll go find out for sure tomorrow. The Commander should be in tomorrow as well.

Day 26 / Dec 24

DAY 26 / DEC 24

            As I write this, I�m sitting in my CHU with FBR (Full Battle Rattle) on waiting for another 100% report from my 1SG.  Let me explain how the day has gone.

            It started out well, I briefed the ADCS (A General) on the Signal Company we have versus the Signal Company that is presently here.  No problem.

            Had lunch at the DFAC after calling my wife and sent an email or two from the NETOPS.  No problem.

            Went Haji window shopping and have devised a plan to maybe make a little cash on ebay while I�m here.  No problem.

            Had the usual XO meeting at 1600.  Briefed him on the Signal Taskings we were supposed to get done.  No problem.

            Went to dinner at the DFAC.  This is where the problem starts.

            Main line was fish or something so I went with the short order.  I got chicken wings and French fries and a grilled cheese sandwich.  After I had eaten about three wings, I mortar round went off.  It sounded like it wasn�t all that far away, in fact, it was the closest I had ever heard.  I looked at the guy across from me and we, along with everyone else in the DFAC, put on our helmets and hit the floor.  Another round hit, closer than the last, and then another, still closer.  That was three, I figured we were done, but just to be safe, I stayed on the ground.  Another round hit and this time it sprayed dirt on the DFAC.  That was way too close for me.  From now on, I get take out.

            As the 3ID Soldiers started filing out of the building, there was no sense of panic, just another feeling of, �not again.�  As one charming 3ID Soldier put it on her way out the door, �Welcome to FOB Warhorse, 4^th ID.�  Welcome, indeed.

            So, we filed out behind the Soldiers and headed to the bunker where we heard the last of our outgoing rounds being fired from Paladins to rain steel and fire on the fuckers who tried to kill us.  Outgoing is a great sound.  And so is the sound of the helicopters in the air, looking for the dead bodies of those killed by our counter-attack.

            So, once in the bunker, I started listening to one of the civilian security guys who mentioned that the rounds we took the other day were most likely just targeting rounds and that�s why they didn�t go off.  Today�s were not targeting rounds by any definition I can come up with.  Those little fuckers were trying to kill someone � I hope the Apaches and Paladins take care of business tonight.

            After a few minutes of quiet, we moved from the bunker back to our CHUs to get accountability.  A few minutes after I arrived, we achieved 100% accountability of people and I went to the XO�s CHU and because he wasn�t there I wrote down the info for him and stuck it on his door.

            I headed back to the CHU to begin this little account of the attack.  Actually, first, I took a picture of myself for my wife because she asked for it.  No sooner had I snapped the picture than another BOOM! cut the darkness (at which point I promptly laid on the ground) followed by another.  �Shit,� I thought, �now we have to get ANOTHER 100% accountability.�  Because everyone was still in the general vicinity, it didn�t take very long and I walked back to the XO�s CHU and updated the time on the paper I left on his door.

            At this time, I have no real idea of how close the explosions were to anything specific on the FOB.  The one blew dirt onto the DFAC, so I know that it wasn�t extremely far away.  In fact, even after I find out, I probably will not disclose where exactly they hit for the sake of OPSEC.  Maybe at a later date I will, but not now.

Now, I�m back in my CHU, huddled over the computer, with all my FBR on.  I don�t think I�ll be able to call home tonight, but maybe, and I don�t think I�ll email this tonight either, but maybe.

            The reason for the increase in attacks is because the bad guys are �testing� us.  They want to see if we will response, and if we do, HOW we will respond.  It is common practice for the new guys to be tested in this way.  The stupid thing for the bad guys is that they are not currently testing US.  They are still receiving the reaction of the 3ID and so, they aren�t really gaining anything by it.  Once we take over for good, THEN they would be receiving our reaction, and by God, I hope its one hell of a firestorm we lay out the first time they pull this bullshit.

 

DAY 25 / DEC 23

DAY 25 / DEC 23

 

            Getting into a rut, not a whole lot to do until the company equipment gets here and even what there IS to do, I just don�t feel motivated to do it.  I feel a slight case of depression setting in, but I�m sure its only temporary and will go away once I get doing stuff again. 

            I found a CD and book with a bunch of Iraqi Language phrases and good stuff like that, so I plan on going to the Haji mart and seeing how I do.  Although, after thinking about, I might be wrong in thinking that the Hajis in the Haji mart are actually Hajis.  It could be that they are Indians (from India) and not Iraqis, in which case all my hard work learning some Iraqi might be for naught.  But, I�ll give it a try.

            Well, finally back to the CHU.  The afternoon was a long one.  First I wrote letters to my kids (by hand) which took longer than I thought it would, but it will be well worth it.  They will each get their very own to open and read.  I even made an attempt to draw my youngest daughter a picture she could color.  After that I had to go to a 1600 meeting, then a 1700 O-call, then an 1800 BUB prep for a meeting tomorrow morning with the ADC-somethingerother.  A General, anyway.

            I figured that I might need to get a haircut for the meeting and went over to the haircut place, which of course closed 2 minutes before I arrived and they would make no exceptions for the likes of me.

            I then went and called my lovely wife and fired an email or two off.  It�s the highlight of my day to talk to my family.  Even if only to know she�s right there on the other end and that for a few minutes we are connected � it may be only by electricity, but at least we are connected.  She is all I need.

            While I was there, I made contact with one of my troops who knew someone who did some haircutting.  After I left the phone and computer place (they kicked me out because I was there way over my time limit), I went to the CHU or the haircutter, who, after a little finagling, agreed to cut my hair tomorrow at 0700.  I hear he does a great job, I guess we�ll see in the morning.

            I�m still sore from the workout I did yesterday.  My muscles are aching and it hurts to move.  I think that�s a good thing.  I should go again soon, but I can�t tomorrow � maybe the day after that � Christmas.  Merry Christmas to me.

DAY 24 / DEC 22

DAY 24 / DEC 22

            I had an unusual wake up call this morning.  At around 645, the 1SG of the outgoing unit knocked on my door.  Still half asleep, I rolled out of bed and plodded to the door, digging out my key from my ACUs and finding the slot where it goes.  When I opened the door, he told me that we needed to get 100% accountability of our Soldiers and then report it back to the Company.  I, of course, said, �Ok, no problem,� and began getting the rest of my PT outfit on.  No sooner had I done that then an alarm goes off over the post loud speaker system and I hear the PA announce something to the effect that, �FOB Warhorse is receiving indirect fire, incoming, incoming.� 

            �Well, shit,� I thought as I grabbed my Kevlar helmet and laid on the ground in my CHU.  My heart beat a little faster as I laid in the dust on my floor for the inevitable impact and concussion of mortar fire.

            *** A side note ***

            As I mentioned previously, a CHU has HESCO barriers around it that are filled with dirt and sand and rocks, etc � anything to slow down or stop bullets or fragments from a mortar or bomb.  These HESCO barriers are about chest high, and are certainly higher than me when I�m laying in my bed, so I probably would have been just as safe lying there, sleeping as I was laying on the floor.  But, I was on the floor � out of instinct, I guess.

            ***End of Side Note ***

            The inevitable impact and explosive concussion I waited for never came.  I waited, and waited, and still nothing.  Then I ventured a peak outside and noticed that there were people walking around like nothing was going on, heading to the shower, the bathroom and wandering around.

            I went out a little further and, convinced it was safe, went to my 1SGs CHU and told him that we needed 100% accountability of our personnel.  I had debated whether or not to put my IBAs on, but decided that if the 1SG that had been here for a year didn�t have his on, than I was probably alright without it, too.  Once I got to my 1SGs CHU he was up and getting dressed when I got there, and he of course, went to take care of the issue.

            Back at my CHU, I had a minute to stop and think about what had happened.

1.  Knock on door � asking to get 100% accountability BEFORE the alarm.  Why?

            The mortars had already landed somewhere on the FOB and it is standard procedure to get accountability of personnel after an indirect fire attack.

2.  1SG of outgoing unit NOT wearing IBAS.  Why?

            He KNEW that the attack was over and clear.

            So, in all reality, by the time I knew that there was danger, it had already passed.

            After finding everyone (one in particular took longer to find because he was out at the coffee shop and didn�t think he needed to report back in), we reported the info back to the outgoing company and to our BN.

            Personally, I think this was just a scheme to get everyone out of bed early and get them to do some PT.  Not really, but the timing works out just right.  I can go and get some PT in and then get a shower and be up and around by 0900.  I can�t say that my schedule is packed with things to do, but I�m sure I can find something.

            A morning like this brings everyone back to reality that we really ARE in a war zone and that bad things can happen.  There ARE people out there trying to lob mortars in on us from time to time and clearly their intent is not benign.

            I�ve hear that Iraqis get paid decent money to land mortars inside a FOB and I�ve also heard that there is a hefty monetary reward for killing American Soldiers.  I can�t say that I like having a price on my head.  So, I guess I better keep it down and be ready to kill anyone that thinks of collecting.

            So, now I�ve been gotten up earlier than I expected and should probably get some PT in.

           

            Yup, I went for a short run and then hit the gym for a light work out.  After lifting some weights and realizing that I don�t do that very often, I started walking back to the CHU.  I felt like crap (having not done anything for so long) and thought I might throw up.  Thankfully, I didn�t.  I took a nice shower and got ready for the day.

            Not an exciting day.  Once again, the plans for how everyone else is getting here changed again � back to the original plan.  Go figure.

            I sent four people out on the Convoy to the JCC and Government Center and they returned safely, with nothing interesting to report.  Baquba is a dirty place, with little done to help it by the locals.  They live in filth and debris and don�t do much to improve their situation.

            The clouds rolled in again today, so we could have more rain tomorrow and it made the night darker than usual.  No stars, no moon, just blackness.

            All in all, a regular, do nothing, or at least not much day.  Until our equipment gets here, the only thing we can do is wait and improve our CHUs.

            Although, I did manage to go the whole day without going to the Haji mart.  I resisted the urge to search through their bootleg DVDs again looking for something new, or something I need.  I just saved myself a walk down there, I guess.           

 

DAY 23 / DEC 21

DAY 23 / DEC 21

            I woke up and checked to see if the blackout had yet passed, but it was still on-going.  I grabbed a quick shower and got dressed.  I met up with my counterpart at the office and we went over some inventory schedules and general RIP tasks.  With all of my work for the day out of the way, I set about to kill time until lunch � which I did successfully.

            After lunch I checked again on the blackout � still going on.  I was beginning to feel bad for not being able to call my wife and let her know why I couldn�t call, but what could I do?  I killed time until about 1530 when decided to check again on the blackout � which was over!  I walked quickly to the computer where I knew I could fire off an email and then to the ATT center because I knew that the MWR phones would be packed.  The ATT center was ALSO packed, but after a minute or two, I was able to use a phone and let my wife know everything was ok.

            I had felt bad because I knew that she would be worrying about me when I didn�t call.  But, I had nothing to worry about, she is a very capable woman and knew that I was ok even though I hadn�t called and she suspected that it was a blackout situation.  I never should have worried about her, she can take care of herself.  It�s really nice and makes my time here a lot easier knowing that my wife and family and fully capable of taking care of themselves without for periods of time.  I never doubted her ability and have always been proud of how she takes care of things.  And once again, I was not disappointed.  I gave her the quick run-down of what happened and then had to rush off to a meeting (that ended up being postponed, but isn�t that how it always goes?).

            *** A note on blackouts ***

            Blackouts are by their very nature bad things, and bad news.  It means someone has been hurt or killed.  But, if you are expecting a call from someone and don�t get it, you really don�t have to worry because in the case of a blackout, no news is good news.  If you don�t get your usual call, AND no one in green uniforms comes walking up to your door, you�re ok, you�re Soldier is ok and is just unable to call for the time being.  Nothing to worry about, they will call when they can.

Day 22 Dec 20

DAY 22 / DEC 20
Five days until Christmas and nothing is different here. They have tried to instill some Christmas atmosphere around here – some CHUs have Christmas lights up, there is a small decorated tree in the hanger, and the occasional Christmas stocking can be seen hung in various places. Christmas, even on a Sunday, will be just another work day. In fact, we have scheduled classes for the company on that day. I don’t think Santa will make it this far during his nightly run. Is it because we’ve all been naughty little boys and girls? Or is it that the area, this land, just isn’t worth his time? I suspect that it’s just been so long since he’s really had much business here that he just forgets about it. I hope he doesn’t forget us back home, I hope he delivers all of our goodies just the same. I think that for us, Christmas 2005 will take place right around the same time as Christmas 2006.
Enough of the boo hoo about Christmas, lets get on with the day. Woke up with just enough time to finish the work I didn’t do last night and get a shower in before making the trek to my meeting with the BN XO. I almost felt bad, bringing a half-assed, virtual draft copy of what I needed to get done, but as it turns out, others did less – so I came out as the shiny dollar of the moment. Go me.
The highlight of my day, as it usually is, was talking to my wife and daughter this morning. Whenever I go into the tent and dial up the Schriever or Peterson Operator, I always get a little fluttering in the stomache because it feels like I’m reaching out across the ocean and continents and have put a little of me back home – where I belong. Maybe its just the comfort equivalent to having a finger back home, but I’ll take something over nothing.
After all that, I managed to wander back to my CHU and get some more menial work done that needed to be done. Just in time for lunch, I finished up and moseyed on over to the DFAC. I had a sandwhich today from the sandwhich bar. It was decent, but nothing to write home about.
After lunch, I wandered by the laundry building and grabbed the laundry I turned in yesterday – which reminds me that I still need to put it away. During lunch I heard a rumor that we might be able to get a few more CHUs to make room for some more Soldiers by not having 3 per room like we do now. So, eager to get more space, I walked to the Mayors Cell and inquired about the rumor. The rumor was both right and wrong. There are about 30 CHUs still open around the FOB, here and there and everywhere. But, our Brigade has dictated that we must maintain some semblance of unit integrity in where we live and so, we are now forced to triple up just so that someone up higher can keep track of us easier. All well, nobody’s complaining too much.
We managed to finally get the mail handlers to where they needed to go and I’ll be damned if we didn’t have some mail here already. A bunch of people got letters and packages, so I’m sure that made for a brightening of the day. It doesn’t really matter WHO sends you a letter, just to be recognized and have SOMEONE, ANYONE put your name on an envelope and pay the postage to send it here is a great thing. The more the merrier! Any mail always brightens a Soldiers day. It is another piece of home (or at least the US) that we can hold onto and remember that we are here for a reason, and that we’ll be coming home soon.
Even I managed to score some mail, nothing big, but enough to be something. I still haven’t opened it because I’m waiting until I have time to respond properly before I do. It sits on my bed, waiting, calling to me to open it, to breath the free air trapped inside its padded bubbles. But, I’ll wait until I’m ready.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to make my usual call today. We are having a post Blackout. During a Blackout, no internet or phone access back to the US is possible – all of the lines are dropped so that a Soldier can’t run to the phone and leak the news to anyone back home who might wind up telling the family of the Soldier before the Army does. There was an incident (IED) near one of the FOBs that the outgoing unit is responsible for (not Warhorse), and some Soldiers were injured and some were killed. Until the families are notified, we will be under a blackout. When its over, I’ll make my calls and send my emails.
Having someone die and having it actually affect you is something that you never get used to. Even though I never knew the Soldiers who were killed, I know that I will have Soldiers on the road, maybe even on THAT road, numerous times throughout this deployment. I also know that we’ve trained and trained to deal with IEDs and to ID them and to avoid them, etc etc, but sometimes, most times, you can’t see them, and someone hits the button at just the right time, all the connections are made, and boom, that’s it. You’re either crippled or killed. Everyday back home we hear on the news about someone dying in a car accident, bus roll over, murdered, or any number of things, but it never affects us, we never lose sleep over the thousands that die every day. But here, its closer to home, there IS someone out there, gunning for us, and we need to stay vigilant to the signs and alert to the danger and not get complacent just because we live in the relative safety of the FOB wa
lls. The enemy is out there, he isn’t big, he isn’t bad, but he is very crafty, inventive and resourceful. He doesn’t play the rules, but we still do. He needs killing and we’re here to make sure he gets what’s coming to him. On the bright side, I’m glad he’s here, killing his own folk, instead of back home, trying to kill mine.
Sometimes its funny how things work out for the best, regardless of our attempts to thwart them. In college, when I had to put down my top choices for my branch, I put MP first, and the Engineers. The branch I got was 5th on the list. I was very slightly disappointed, but not really too upset by it. Now, I’m grateful that my judgement in that matter was disregarded and someone chose me to be what I am. My job is safer than most, has many perks that others don’t, and had good potential in the civilian world. I like what I do and who I work with. Many of the others that I talk to aren’t happy with what they do or who they work with, and I can tell that they are envious of what I get to do. I guess sometimes you do win.
After the nightly XO meeting, I visited Haji to see about my adapter. He didn’t have what I was looking for, and doesn’t understand what I need. I’ll try to print him out a picture tonight from the internet and show him what I’m looking for.
Everything was more or less status quo for the day, and should be the same again tomorrow. I’m going to try and hit the gym in the morning, maybe play some hoops, but we’ll see if I can muster up that amount of energy that early in the morning. Maybe I’ll just sleep in and get fat. =)
Oh, back to an old note: apparently something DID happen down it Kuwait, but it had nothing to do with insurgents or anything like that. Some of the leadership in the battalion were in the back of a Humvee driving to or from a range and as they were rounding a corner they came into contact with a cement truck – or rather IT came into contact with them and WHAMO! Truck destroyed. Everyone inside was ok, slightly injured, but nothing major. And no Purple Hearts to show for it. They were thrown from the truck because the didn’t combat lock the doors and wear their seatbelts. They would have been much less injured if they had done those things. What I don’t get is how, in the middle of the desert, when you can see the horizon for miles around, how do you get broadsided by a cement truck? You should be able to see the thing 10 miles away. But, I wasn’t there and so, can’t really judge that portion of the event.

DAY 21 / DAY 19

DAY 21 / DEC 19

            This morning at 0415-ish the remainder of the company except the convoy personnel came into the FOB by Chinook.  They were only eight hours late, which isn�t bad by Army time.  After getting them to their CHUs and finding their bags, it wasn�t long before I crashed on my bed.

            I didn�t plan on getting up early, and I guess I really didn�t � I woke up at 1030, only about four hours after getting to sleep.  Took a quick shower, and used the phone. By then it was time for lunch and then a 1300 link-up meeting with the outgoing CDR and leadership so that our guys could shadow them.

            After that, I actually had a few moments to myself until the 1600 brief by the BN XO where he put out a bunch of info and needed a lot of information back.  So, at 1000 tomorrow, I�m linking up with him to give him an updated CHU roster, a timeline for our RIP, and a breakdown by section of our vehicles and personnel.  I also need to have a Mail Handler roster for the mail personnel for when they go to the class tomorrow.

            The majority of the company spent the day cleaning up their CHUs, arranging their furniture, building their furniture and all that good stuff.

            We had been having an issue with one of the CHUs in that the Georgians (Russia Georgians, not state Georgians), didn�t want to leave.  I guess the Georgians won the battle with the Mayor�s Cell because today I saw that they had their unit guidon posted outside the CHU and had replaced our name cards with a printed out Georgian Flag.  We were compensated by the Mayor�s Cell by getting three additional CHUs.  I need one to replace the one the Georgians are in, and the other two I�m going to hang on to until someone asks for them, or we need them to thin out the troops in the other CHUs a little.

            Everyone here seems to be doing all right.  They are getting settled in, setting up house, playing volleyball, eating, going to the gym, putting money in the local economy and doing all kinds of other good stuff.  Everyone is staying busy and seem to be satisfied with what they have and are in good spirits.

            When I moved into this CHU, I noticed right away that I was going to need something to use as a catch-all for the little crap that always pops up and has nowhere to be.  I finally managed to remember at the DFAC to grab a little plastic bowl to take with me and so now all my little crap will stop falling off my Haji table.  It�s the little things that make all the difference.  Right now, I�m missing (not really MISSING per se, because I never had one), a mousepad, that�s the current little thing making the difference.

            Tonight at 2000, a bunch of people are coming over for a little SOCOM get together, so that should be entertaining.

            When I got the three CHUs, I decided to look around and see what they had and what they might need.  Well, inside one was a small stack of books and after scanning the titles, I found a Koran (the Koran is the Muslim equivalent of the Christian Bible).  I don�t plan on reading it straight through, but at least I have it so I can look up a reference if I see it around.  I almost said I was curious as to how the extreme Muslims could twist the words of the Koran to condone killing women and children just for not believing in their faith, but as I began to type it, I realized that it isn�t only Muslims that have done that, the Christians did it as well.  We�re not so different.

            When I left the DFAC again tonight, the moon was not yet up and it was pitch black again.  I never fail to be amazed at how dark it gets at night, and on the same note, I am always awe-struck by the brightness of the stars and the Milky Way that glows like a figment of my imagination through the night sky.  It�s one of those things that you don�t see unless you know its there and then, you almost have to imagine it before it comes into focus.  It reminds me of a spaceship in Hitchhiker�s Guide to the Galaxy that you couldn�t see looking right at, but only out of the corner of your eye could you see it, because it wasn�t your business.

            There are always so many things I WANT to write about, but don�t have the time or inclination to actually sit down and tap them out.  Some of the upcoming topics might be:

            Memorials

            Family Strength

           

            I thought I had more, but I guess that�s all I can think of for now.   Funny how when you have so much to say, when the opportunity is there, it all leaves your mind.  But when you have no chance of writing anything down, it all comes back to you.  It�s like the little beings that live all around us but we never see, except out of the corner of your eye, running across the doorway, but aren�t really there � and once again I�ve ventured off into the land of crazy.

            As Soldiers deployed away from home, we can send mail (letters only, really) for free to anywhere in the US.  I haven�t tried it yet, but I�m going to soon.  What I really want to be able to do it take a regular piece of paper, write a letter on one side, fold it into thirds and staple it so that the blank side is out.  Then I�d just write the name and address of where I wanted it to go on the outside and drop it in the box, quick and easy and cheap, no mess, no envelopes to screw with, just paper, staples and ink.  I need to go to the Post Office to see if that would be ok.  And now that I�m thinking about it, I just might have to get return address labels from somewhere so that I don�t have to write that damned thing out every time.

 

DAY 20 / DEC 18

DAY 20 / DEC 18

 

            A much busier day than has been in awhile.  After a late night last night, bringing in about 30 troops for our company, we went for a quick tour of the FOB at around 1100 (which my PLs missed).   I took them to all the important places and introduced the leadership to all the important people.

            After that it was back to CHU fixing up, and the Soldiers went crazy, making decks, walkways, desks, shelves, and anything else that could be made of wood.

            I went and check with Haji for a Coax / AV converter but he didn't have any, he told me "three days."   Go figure. 

            I'm sure other people did much more than I did, but I felt busy all day, and always had someone around, either introducing them to someone or showing them something or somewhere.   I met up with CPT C from the outgoing unit and tomorrow we will discuss the RIP plan and when we can get started. 

            I also found out today that some people that I thought were driving here are actually flying and will be here on Wednesday or Thursday – that should take a lot of stuff off of my plate and allow me to focus on my main jobs here.

            I finally went to the MWR area.  It consists of a computer lab with a 30 minute internet time limit, a TV room, a Playstation Room, and a library with a bunch of free books.   I looked around and found "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown (author of "Da Vinci Code") and carry that around to read during those periods of waiting or when otherwise indisposed.

            Had some dinner and that's about all she wrote for today.  The sky was blacker than usual because the moon had not yet risen and all the lights were off.  When I came out of the DFAC, I got a little bit disoriented and it took a second to figure out where the hell I was, but I managed.   Once I got on the road, I was able to fully enjoy the lakc of light pollution and take in all of the stars and the Milky Way and all of the constellations.   The nights are nice here, and it'll be interesting to see what a new moon looks like here.  It'll be dark as hell – I'm sure.  The next couple of weeks, especially when our equipment gets here will be more busy, but it is starting to get busier by the day.   Tonight I should have the rest of my 60ish people here and we can really get started on the RIP training. 

DAY 19 / DEC 17

DAY 19 / DEC 17

 

Another long day of waiting with nothing to show for it.  We were ready for the incoming birds by 0900 and stayed ready even as lift after lift came and went, dropping only two or three people at time, and none of them ours.

            Around 1400, after waiting all day, we were informed that we wouldn't have any more flights until 2000.   We had a little meeting at 1600 to discuss what was going on, what needed to happen and all that good stuff, and then it was back to the CHUs for some more CHU maintenance and settling in.

            With all this time, I went back to my CHU and began arranging and rearranging what I had, and finally got it how I wanted it, and I still have plenty of space to move around.   Then, I went to the Haji shop to inquire about some coax cable.  Most of the Haji shops were closed today because of the big outdoor BBQ going on, but the side one, the one with the bad DVDs (bad as in "don't work" not bad as in "porn"), was open and so, I asked about coax cable.   The guy had a roll of about 100 feet and when he threw in the end connectors (because it was just bare coax, no connectors), I took it off his hands.   I had no idea how to connect the ends, but I knew that at least one of my NCOs did, so I wasn't worried. 

            With all the appropriate parts on hand, I found one of my buddies and asked how to attach the ends.   He told me how to do it, and off I went, cutting black insulation, stripping it off, folding down the metal shielding, cutting the white plastic and finally, screwing on the end.   Wow, I didn't know it was that easy.  After screwing up one end (I cut the metal shielding off with the black insulator), I caught on and didn't cut as deep the next time and they came out pretty darned good.   So, within a few minutes I had a 100' coax cable – perfect for what I needed. 

            I went to my CHU and checked the back of the TV for what kind of connector it had and felt my stomach drop when I discovered that it wasn't a coax cable "in," but a regular old, UHF antenna "in."   I was disappointed for a moment, but not discouraged.  I knew there was always an adapter for this or that.  I took the TV back to my buddy's CHU and showed him the problem and he mentioned that our other buddy had a coax connector on his TV and that he needed the RCA connectors on mine for his PS2 and so, I traded with my buddy and we both got what we wanted.   He got the RCA and I got the coax.  So, now we were set.

            We plugged the coax into the "out" on the decoder, and into the "in" on the TV and viola!   It didn't work.  After a little bit of playing around, changing the channel, smacking it a little, we discovered that the "out" on the decoder was a direct satellite signal "out" and I had to have another decoder in order to make it work.   Arg!  Another stumbling block in my quest for TV!  We then noticed that the decoder had RCA A/V "out" connectors and that all it would take was a small $3 converter (in the US) to make it work.  I went back to Haji shop and he didn't have what we were looking for.  Undaunted, I began to plan my next move.   I would check the other Haji-shops the next day for a converter and if that should fail, I would see if Haji could get one, and if THAT failed, I would be forced to order one from the States and wait for 6 weeks for it to get here.

            We happened to run into Haji on the street and asked about the converter.   He didn't think he had one, but could get one in "three days."  I think they don't have a good concept of English time, because "three days" seems to be Haji for "maybe sometime in the future, maybe."   Every time we ask for something, its always in "three days." We'll see how tomorrow goes.

            At 1900 we were told we had no flights coming in until 2100 and then only 12 people (probably not ours), but that we would have another flight at 2400 with 60 people (maybe possibly ours).

            We actually had TWO people on the 2100 flight that came in at 2130.   A platoon leader and platoon sergeant (not from the same platoon) came in.  We issued them their keys and then led them to their CHUs.  They began the moving in process, moving this and that around.  I led the LT on a tour of the FOB (at night) and he ended up stopping for a minute at the AT&T call center.