123010 More pics from Afghanistan...Continued

More pics.

R/Chris

123010 More pics from Afghanistan

123010 More pics from Afghanistan

Here are some more pics from Afghanistan from Mike.  See the posting on 122910 to find out more information about Mike in Afghanistan.

R/Chris

More (Pics of Brits)

More pics. And yes, those are opium poppies. 

R/Chris

122910 Meanwhile in Afghanistan....(Pics of Brits)

122910 Meanwhile in Afghanistan....(Pics of Brits)
I'm an Army contractor in Iraq and I've been doing this for about 5 years now.  When I originally applied for work in the mideast I wanted to go to Afghanistan since it (really) was safer then.  But I was need in Iraq so off I went.  In my five years in Iraq I've been on every major base and many of the smaller FOBs.  I've done the corkscrew takeoffs and landings out of BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) while the plane fires off flares to confuse incoming RPGs.  I've been on both fixed wing and rotary aircraft and there where certainly a few times on the helo where I felt I went one way and my stomach went the other way.   Fortunately Iraq is much safer now but that is not the case with Afghanistan.  Afghanistan now is like Iraq was 3-4 years ago.  A few days ago I received the message below from my friend Mike who is a PAO in Afghanistan.
"Hello gentlemen, night three of rocket attacks ... one dead on Christmas, one dead last night, no report from tonight ..."
So maybe I was better off going to Iraq first afterall?
Also, as a PAO Mike (in Afghanistan) gets to take some awsome pics and he also travels to the other NATO sites.  Here are some pics taken at the British camp.
R/Chris

122510 Christmas pics continued

Here are more pics.

122510 Christmas in Iraq

122510 Christmas in Iraq

Everyday is a work day in Iraq and holidays are no exception.  The Army does put out a great meal and Christmas this year was no exception.  I've attached a bunch of pics of the meal and included the menu too.  You'll notice that crab legs were on the menu but were not served so 'Christmas Lobster' (a favorite of mine) was substituted (fine by me!)  Something new this year was ice sculptures.  They were...'interesting'.  Also there were many displays of breads and fruit sculptures too!  I think fruit sculptures are big in India/Nepal which is where most of the DFAC staff comes from.  Unfortunately all this fruit and bread is for display only and goes into the garbage that day.  It seems a waste and there is not a particularly warm reception when that fact is pointed out.  Two years ago on this day it was snowing and that hadn't happened for some 50 years.  But Christmas 2010 in Iraq is warm and sunny (see pic of me outside).   

R/Chris

121910 Camel Spider

121910 Camel Spider

The other day some guys caught a camel spider in the sprung (a big tent) behind the building where I work.

The critter is only about 2 inches big but as you can see from the pics (and the mp4 file) they can be very aggressive at times.  I guess they kept him for a few days and fed him a grasshopper and gecko.  I know camel spider can get much bigger and I've seen a few 4-5 inches big but understand that they can get even bigger  They're not really a spider nor are they poisonous but they make up for it by being aggressive.  I heard that when they were done with the guy someone encased him in resin for a desktop conversation piece.

R/Chris

121810 It's cold and wet in Iraq but still running weax

121810  It's cold and wet in Iraq but still running weax

It's cold and wet in Iraq right now but compared to much of the US, it's not that bad at all.  I try to get out running at least a few times a week but like in the US, motivation can be a problem.  I don't have too much time during lunch to run and grab a quick but I try to make a good effort.  For the military and DAC (Department of the Army Civilians), they will get time 'on the clock' to go to the gym and keep in shape.  Depending on your job and your supervisor you might get an hour a day to go to the gym, run, play volleyball/baseball, or just about anything as long as it involved rigorous physical activity.  And for some military units you might even get more time given mission requirements, etc.  In short, physical activity is encouraged for military and DAC. 

For contractors, at least in my experience, that is not the case.  If I want to go running I either have to do it before work (7 AM), at lunch (12-1 PM) or after work (7 PM).  If I do it after work, I'll want to be done and showered before 8 as that is when the DFAC closes and I cannot get dinner after that.  Now I'm certainly not complaining.  I chose this and things certainly could be much worse but it's just another part of being a contractor in Iraq. 

Any way, here are few pics from the other day.

R/Chris

120610 Hi, is this your first time to this rodeo???

120610 Hi, is this your first time to this rodeo???

Today we got attacked. Two mortar rounds, big boom, probably a couple hundred yards from the building that I'm in (judging from the 'medium' amount of shaking the building did.)  About half the people in the building are contractors (who come and go one at a time).  And the other half is a mix of military and DAC (Department of the Army Civilians).   The Military/DAC get switched out as one big group (once a year, 1 year tour, Oct to Oct) except for the Commander.  He will finish his one year tour this coming June.  So, all the DAC and military are new and we've not had any significant attack until today.    

So the 'Big Voice' alarm goes off ("INCOMING, INCOMING") and I hit the deck (floor) but I can hear people running in the hall.  One BOOM….silence… Two BOOM…  We're on the floor for 2-3 minutes before we figure we can now make a run for the bunker.  Once in the bunker the new DCO (Deputy Commander, a civilian) has us 'sound' off, 1, 2, 3….and she asks "are we all here?" Huh?  There are three bunkers around the building and you are supposed to go the closest bunker in a time of attack.  So 'are we all here' just doesn't make any sense.   Later, after being in the bunker for only 20 minutes or so we hear the recorded announcement by the 'Lady'.  Now up to this point the announcements were male voices.  But the 'all clear' announcement is always the 'lady voice' so as soon as we (those who have been coming to this rodeo for a while) hear her voice, we start to depart the bunker.  As we depart, we're passing by those listening intently to her words and waiting to hear "all clear, all clear".   I see this is your first time to the rodeo….

R/Chris