02 Jan 09 DUDE!....Where's my HUMMVEE???!

I frankly think the crime rate on a military base is lower than that in general society but every now and then there is a doozy (like getting your HUMMVEE stolen!)  Maybe the HUMMVEE was stolen or maybe it's just some AF guys pulling another prake (those AF guys are such jokesters!)  Signs like this are posted on base all the time.  I still feel pretty safe here on base. 

Security in general has dramatically improved just over the last year,  A year ago we were getting 'hit' (mortars/rockets) once or twice a week and may be a carbomb at a gate entrace once a month or so.  Now we get hit maybe once or twice a month and Lord knows I can't recall the last carbomb went off! 

Now if the dinar exchange rate would just improve...
R/Chris

01 Jan 09 It'll be fiiine, it's not just a phrase it's a philosophy and New Years Flamingos

Today is 01 Jan and I'm starting my 4th year in Iraq (I arrived early '05).  I think one of keys to living in Iraq as a contractor is patience.  Far too often people get far too worked up over things that we truly have no control over. 

Also since it's a holiday, I put out the 'flamingos' (courtesy of Michelle (http://lawn-greetings.org/)).  I never would have thought there was so much history on plastic pink flamingos!  I've lost (actually they've been stolen) a few of the original flock but I put out what birds remain when I can.  Also I suspect the previous sergeant major didn't really appreciate pink flamingos 'disgracing' his beautiful green lawn. But like many things in Iraq, wait 6 months and things will change (and they did and he's gone.)

http://lawn-greetings.org/

And it's cold tonight.  The expected low tonight in Baghdad is 24F. Brrrrr.

 

R/Chris

31 Dec 08 Newspapers and Locals Iraqis help celebrate the New Year

When I was in the Navy and deployed it was not easy to get up-to-date news and email was in its infancy.  At Balad (hereafter referred to as JBB for Joint Base Balad) and most other bases in Iraq soldiers, DAX and contractors have two newspapers that they can generally pick up daily.  One is the Stars And Strips the other is the Expeditionary Times.  And even better yet, both are online and have some great high-res color pics. The Stars And Stripes is a sort of a 'military' USA Today paper covering topics from stateside while the Expeditionary Times covers stuff in Iraq.  Again the Military has done a great job in this respect and links for each are below.   And for those that are interested, there are job postings as well in each paper. 

http://www.dvidshub.net/
(To see the pdf file type 'expeditionary times' in the search box and look at the Publications tab on the results.

http://www.stripes.com/
(click this link to see the web site)

http://epaper.stripes.com/#fragment-2
(click this link to download the Mideast version of the daily Stars and Strips (which is what I see))

On another note, the local Iraqis here have been helping those of us on base welcome in the new year with rockets and other things that go boom.  In return the CRAM will fire off a volley of red-laser (tracer rounds).  Since the CRAM is on automatic you never know when it'll go off.  But when it does go off, you hear it as it is LOUD! 

R/Chris