Hitchin’ A Ride March 31, 2007

When traveling by ground… most troops over the past decade or so have done so by two methods… by foot… or motoring along in a military humvee. Obviously… truck drivers… armor units… and the field artillery are exceptions to that. But… for the most part… all soldiers are accustomed to the “comforts” of the humvee.
With [...]

Not Completely A Dust Bowl March 30, 2007

While the terrain across Iraq does vary… with mountains in the far north… and desert sands toward Kuwait… much of the middle is composed of a powdery dirt. This is most obvious west of Baghdad… where vegetation is a bit more sparse. This is one of the big contributors to the dust storms that are [...]

Birds Of A Feather March 27, 2007

Here are a couple pictures showing two other types of birds that are common in central Iraq. Now… I’m not normally a bird watcher… but I’ve just found it kind of interesting seeing the different types of wildlife… and comparing them to back home… and other places that I’ve been. I’m not sure what types [...]

Readers Comments V March 26, 2007

Here’s the latest round of Readers’ Comments to The Lieutenant’s Lounge. As always… if you have any questions… comments… or concerns… please forward them to giweatherman@yahoo.com.
I am a Nam Vet and also retired from the Guard after 23 yrs. service. I understand the sacrifices all are making. We need several million more PATRIOTS [...]

Another Sign Of Spring March 24, 2007

As noted in a previous post… back in early February… it’s easy to lose track of which day of the week it is while serving in Iraq. I used a reference to the Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day to make the point. But it’s not just the days… it can also be the seasons… because [...]

Always Protecting Others March 24, 2007

One of the things that makes serving in the National Guard (or Reserves) a little different from active duty is you tend to stay with the same unit for longer periods of time. That is… on active duty… it’s common to move to new bases… or different locations… every couple of years. Plus… in the [...]

Not Fancy… But Not Bad March 22, 2007

As I mentioned in the previous post… while our living arrangements are very modest by tradional standards in the States… they are actually quite comfortable considering our current location and situation. Also… as alluded to in that blog… the troops who are currently moving into newer posts around Baghdad are forced to endure living conditions [...]

A Place To (Sort Of) Call Home March 21, 2007

On most of the more established (bigger) posts… the living arrangements are fairly decent. In fact… considering that we’re in a combat zone… they’re downright good. While there are times when it’s necessary to sleep on a cot… in a tent… or under the stars… or in a vehicle… or wherever you find a semi-comfortable [...]

More Hail "Reports" March 20, 2007

Here are two more pictures showing our “hailstorm” a few days back. The picture on the left shows some of the pea-sized hail collecting on the sandbags that line one of our maintenance area’s tents. Pictured on the right are the hail pebbles (not really stones… in this case) on the dirt outside [...]

(Non) Severe Weather Alert March 19, 2007

A few days back… I noticed some towering cumulus clouds building just to our east… the picture seen on the left. Obviously… being a meteorologist… it piqued my interest. Before long… we saw some thunderstorms develop in our area.

Now… according to the National Weather Service… a severe thunderstorm must have either wind [...]