112610 Balad is 'a changing'

112610 Balad is 'a changing'

Yesterday we traveled to the west side to go to the DFAC there for Thanksgiving day.  I've not been over to the west side for several months now and there were significant changes.  One of the pics above shows what seems to be an empty yard.  The last time I saw this yard was several months ago and it was packed with portable buildings and military vehicles.  Now all of that is gone.  Maybe there'll be something in this yard soon as smaller bases close and then that equipment/infrastructure needs to go some place before it gets shipped out of Iraq and back to the US (or Afghanistan?)

The pic above of the building is the DFAC at Balad. 
Another pic shows the flags that hang from the ceiling in the DFAC.  All of flags are either state flags or sport teams flags EXCEPT this one that I saw from Cooley Law School.  In another life I would have gone to law school but I still very much appreciate my copy of Black's Law Dictionary.  Contractors (civilians) here in Iraq run the gambit.  Most (90%) are male and between 30-50 years old. There are some younger and a few older.  Dave (pic above) aka 'pops' is about 63 and certainly is one of the older contractors here in Balad (or Iraq).  About a year back he had a heart attack (or something close) and was flown out of Iraq on an emergency flight to Landstuhl Germany.  I'd say he was gone for almost a month and then one day showed up again at work! He's been going strong ever since but he's going home for good in March of next year.  I guess he finally knows when to say enough is enough.  I wonder how long will it take me to learn that lesson???
R/Chris