Q and A
“This ain’t no ancient civilization, Mister.”
“Sometimes it is.”
-Ghost Dog
An “alert reader,” as Dave Barry would say, sent me in a few questions about my deployment. I will attempt to answer them now.
Q: Are you living and sleeping in a bunker or tent?
A: I live and work out of a bunker. My work area is right outside. About eight or nine of us live in here and the rest live down in another bunker, maybe 200 meters away. Most living and work areas here are old bunkers, many of which are broken up on the outside from bombings and mortars. The unit here before us was very creative and industrious about fixing up the insides of these bunkers—Jen has some pictures of the inside of mine. We have our own rooms, a second floor and a TV room in ours.
Q: Do you eat in a DFAC or do you eat MREs, or something else?
A: We get what’s called mermite chow, which is kind of in-between. Not as nice as a full DFAC, and not as disgusting and chock-full of fat and calories like MREs. Our platoon has a good system worked out where we go and get our chow from the DFAC and bring it back to a mess tent we have set up behind the bunker. That way, we’re out of everyone’s hair. We’ve found it’s best to stay away from command unless absolutely necessary. Out of sight, out of mind.
Q: Do you have have access to AFEES or PX support or other outlets? What about the Haji store you mentioned?
A: Here on our FOB, we have a tiny PX with the bare necessities; and a little Haji store, run by Iraqis, which carries movies and games mostly. The big base up the road has a large PX, Burger King, Taco Bell, Haji bazaar, barber, and many other luxuries. I hear the PX up there even has ribs and steaks and stuff for barbecue, and I plan to check this out as soon as Jen sends me my barbecue utensils, sauce and mesquite chips. We’ve got the welder building an enormous grill, and I hope to have a barbecue every Saturday afternoon, mission permitting.
Q: What does “Haji” mean?
A: Some people think this is a derisive term, like “gook” was in Vietnam. This is not so. I have heard that Haji is Arabic for “old man,” and can be used as a term of endearment. While I’m not sure if this is accurate, I do know for sure that Haji means someone who has made the Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca. So to address somebody as Haji is actually honoring their piety. I’m sure some soldiers think it is a derisive term and use it as such, but then, some people think jelly should go on a peanut-butter sandwich.
Q: Any dust storms? Is it windy? Is the weather starting to turn a little cooler there?
A: No storms yet, but it is getting windier. We are getting into winter and the rainy season. It is indeed a little cooler. I went to shave a few minutes ago and the best word to describe the air when I stepped outside would be “brisk.”
Q: Is it all desert, all sand or is there rolling hills and rocks. Are there any plants or trees? What rivers are nearby? Any evidence of the Garden of Eden, any artifacts?
A: It is all sand, but also many rocks. There are not many hills. There is not much grass as we think of it, with fields of ankle-length green you can play football in. Rather, the grass here is about waist-high and gray-brown. There are lots of trees, and the area around here is very green. This area is apparently unusual, however, for how watery it is. We actually have swamp, in the classical sense, in much of our AO. The Tigris river is not that far away, I believe, but I’d have to look at a map to see how far. No evidence of archaeological or religious artifacts that I’ve seen, but then, I can’t imagine many people have had time to look for them, what with being shot at and stuff. I will say that this area doesn’t feel any holier to me than any other place I’ve been.
Q: The meetings you have to go to, are they briefings or some other kind of meeting?
A: A little of both. Some are just meet-and-greets, some are to hammer out details of plans or policies, and some are to brief a commander on the status of this or that aspect of his command. And then, of course, some are to make the guy who called the meeting feel important, and to waste everybody else’s time. If I am ever in a position where I have lots of people under me, I won’t call meetings. What is the point, when you have phone and email? If I have to, I’ll do them while we do something else: a PT meeting or a lunch meeting.
Q: Do you get to go outside the compound on missions or to visit larger bases?
A: Yes, we get to visit larger bases. There is one very close. We also have the opportunity to go on patrols or raids, yes.
Q: Do you have to go out and retrieve disabled vehicles or does someone else do that?
A: Well, if the operators are worth a damn, they know how to recover their own vehicle. If something is so damaged it can’t be towed by a similar vehicle, a recovery team will go out to get them. I think who recovers what unit depends on where that unit is; but I think we always try to go get our own unit.
Hope that was informative. Take care.
“Sometimes it is.”
-Ghost Dog
An “alert reader,” as Dave Barry would say, sent me in a few questions about my deployment. I will attempt to answer them now.
Q: Are you living and sleeping in a bunker or tent?
A: I live and work out of a bunker. My work area is right outside. About eight or nine of us live in here and the rest live down in another bunker, maybe 200 meters away. Most living and work areas here are old bunkers, many of which are broken up on the outside from bombings and mortars. The unit here before us was very creative and industrious about fixing up the insides of these bunkers—Jen has some pictures of the inside of mine. We have our own rooms, a second floor and a TV room in ours.
Q: Do you eat in a DFAC or do you eat MREs, or something else?
A: We get what’s called mermite chow, which is kind of in-between. Not as nice as a full DFAC, and not as disgusting and chock-full of fat and calories like MREs. Our platoon has a good system worked out where we go and get our chow from the DFAC and bring it back to a mess tent we have set up behind the bunker. That way, we’re out of everyone’s hair. We’ve found it’s best to stay away from command unless absolutely necessary. Out of sight, out of mind.
Q: Do you have have access to AFEES or PX support or other outlets? What about the Haji store you mentioned?
A: Here on our FOB, we have a tiny PX with the bare necessities; and a little Haji store, run by Iraqis, which carries movies and games mostly. The big base up the road has a large PX, Burger King, Taco Bell, Haji bazaar, barber, and many other luxuries. I hear the PX up there even has ribs and steaks and stuff for barbecue, and I plan to check this out as soon as Jen sends me my barbecue utensils, sauce and mesquite chips. We’ve got the welder building an enormous grill, and I hope to have a barbecue every Saturday afternoon, mission permitting.
Q: What does “Haji” mean?
A: Some people think this is a derisive term, like “gook” was in Vietnam. This is not so. I have heard that Haji is Arabic for “old man,” and can be used as a term of endearment. While I’m not sure if this is accurate, I do know for sure that Haji means someone who has made the Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca. So to address somebody as Haji is actually honoring their piety. I’m sure some soldiers think it is a derisive term and use it as such, but then, some people think jelly should go on a peanut-butter sandwich.
Q: Any dust storms? Is it windy? Is the weather starting to turn a little cooler there?
A: No storms yet, but it is getting windier. We are getting into winter and the rainy season. It is indeed a little cooler. I went to shave a few minutes ago and the best word to describe the air when I stepped outside would be “brisk.”
Q: Is it all desert, all sand or is there rolling hills and rocks. Are there any plants or trees? What rivers are nearby? Any evidence of the Garden of Eden, any artifacts?
A: It is all sand, but also many rocks. There are not many hills. There is not much grass as we think of it, with fields of ankle-length green you can play football in. Rather, the grass here is about waist-high and gray-brown. There are lots of trees, and the area around here is very green. This area is apparently unusual, however, for how watery it is. We actually have swamp, in the classical sense, in much of our AO. The Tigris river is not that far away, I believe, but I’d have to look at a map to see how far. No evidence of archaeological or religious artifacts that I’ve seen, but then, I can’t imagine many people have had time to look for them, what with being shot at and stuff. I will say that this area doesn’t feel any holier to me than any other place I’ve been.
Q: The meetings you have to go to, are they briefings or some other kind of meeting?
A: A little of both. Some are just meet-and-greets, some are to hammer out details of plans or policies, and some are to brief a commander on the status of this or that aspect of his command. And then, of course, some are to make the guy who called the meeting feel important, and to waste everybody else’s time. If I am ever in a position where I have lots of people under me, I won’t call meetings. What is the point, when you have phone and email? If I have to, I’ll do them while we do something else: a PT meeting or a lunch meeting.
Q: Do you get to go outside the compound on missions or to visit larger bases?
A: Yes, we get to visit larger bases. There is one very close. We also have the opportunity to go on patrols or raids, yes.
Q: Do you have to go out and retrieve disabled vehicles or does someone else do that?
A: Well, if the operators are worth a damn, they know how to recover their own vehicle. If something is so damaged it can’t be towed by a similar vehicle, a recovery team will go out to get them. I think who recovers what unit depends on where that unit is; but I think we always try to go get our own unit.
Hope that was informative. Take care.
posted by Battler03 at 6:13 PM
1 Comments:
I have seen a CD from a boy who goes with one of my seniors-he is there at the war. After seeing the pictures and then reading the "Q&A," I understand a lot more about what you are seeing.
I also read a lot about how you GI-Joes think you are bullet proof - I can promise you: you are NOT bullet proof. Be careful with yourself.
I love you, old man.
mom
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