Here’s What’s Showing… September 29, 2007

One of the nicest amenities on our base is the movie theater. I… personally… have never been inside… but another lieutenant who goes regularly tells me that it’s top notch. Plus… there’s a Subway (a little reminder of home) and apparently some good popcorn to munch on. Another bonus… they usually show [...]

Ground Control To… Major Tom ?? September 29, 2007

A few weeks back I showed you one of the computer “labs” where folks can check out their e-mail… or surf the web. There are some over here who do have internet service in their housing units… and this is done through a private service.
As you can tell from the picture… some of the [...]

No Easy Walking September 27, 2007

In addition to seeing much more armor and steel than I’m accustomed back in the states… there’s also an amazing abundance of gravel to trudge through on the bases in Iraq. I’m guessing that the intent is to (a) cut down on the amount of dust in the air… which is alot… and (b) limit [...]

Another Mad Max Movie ?? September 26, 2007

Quite awhile back… I made an analogy about the movie “Groundhog Day” to make a point. In fact… I’m pretty certain that was almost 8 months ago. But another cinema flick that comes to mind… at least initially when we arrived here… is “The Road Warrior“.
Alot of non-military people come… literally from all over the [...]

Leading By Example September 26, 2007

Among the many important jobs in Iraq… is that of Convoy Commander. Our unit is very fortunate to have several excellent ones… and right up there with the best of them is Schieff (rhymes with leaf).
Like many of his fellow soldiers… Schieff is a typical Nebraskan. He’s a hard worker… with a strong set of [...]

An End To Summer September 23, 2007

A few weeks back… I caught a glimpse of a couple of clouds in the sky. That might not sound all that interesting… but those were pretty much the only clouds we’ve had since late April or early May. That’s right… not only have we had no rain since then… we haven’t even [...]

Where’s Shrek ?? September 22, 2007

Now here’s something you don’t see everyday in America. You’re driving down the road… checking out the scenery… your sunglasses are keeping the glaring sun from damaging your eyes. What’s that off to your right? Oh… it’s just a young boy… waving to you… while he’s taking his pet Donkey for a walk.
That’s right… donkeys [...]

Headin’ Through Town September 21, 2007

When passing through the towns and villages in Iraq… one can’t help but recognize various patterns. Certainly differences exist between locations… but there tends to be one prominent road… or Main Street. And along those strips… it’s common to find shops or markets lined up in a row. But… to be fair… [...]

"Almost" Tropical September 20, 2007

While there are large parts of Iraq that are a bit devoid of vegetation… particularly in the south and west… other areas are somewhat more “green”. This picture was taken along a road in the central part of the country… where palm groves are fairly common. It’s still pretty dry and dusty here [...]

Ready For Some Cruisin’ September 19, 2007

Having previously shown the variety of motorized transportation options available on the larger bases in Iraq… I failed to mention our platoon’s prize possession… our “hooptie”. Now I know what you’re thinking… ‘it sure doesn’t look like much!’. And you would be correct. You may even be saying to yourself… ‘man… does [...]