Going to Taji

I finally arrived up here in Taji. Our trip was a smoother one that last time as there were no major traffic jams or choke points but still the number of newer grey hairs on what little hair I have left after my latest haircut surely increased two fold. Taji is where I will be working out of for the remainder of the year, though I will be commuting back and forth via helo or road to the IZ for meetings, contract reviews, spec reviews and one on ones with my boss To give you an idea on the road to Taji click on the URL below which was written by a BBC reporter and his trip to Taji.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6665759.stm

Obviously reporters like to stretch things to get your attention and I should note that it is not as bad as what is published above, but on the other hand I would rather piss and moan while sitting in my vehicle going nowhere on US 101 heading toward CA-85 at 1730 hours on a Friday then to have to drive this road everyday.

I have been wanting to get up here and start working with coalition representatives and my Iraqi counterparts, since here is where the rubber meets the road. I will be staying at the transient billets until my permanent quarters are empty.

Regarding our Iraqi counterparts last Monday at one of our meetings they announced that one of the Colonels who attended the weekly meetings had been shot to death outside a gas station in Baghdad while wairing to fill up his car. As many have you read elsewhere senior military and government officials are targeted by Al Qaeda or other militant groups because they are working with the coalition forces. It bothers me to read that the Iraq's aren't moving fast enough or that they don't care about there future, yet everyone who puts on a uniform, or is standing outside the recruiting office to join the Army or police is a hero because they are putting their lives on the line for their country. Many officers see their families every 2-3 months in remote areas of Iraq because they just can't show up in front of their house so everyone can see that they are in the military; They need to take these precautions in order to protect their families. Most senior officers will tell you they have lost brothers, children and other family members who were killed by terrorists because of their affiliation with someone who is working with the coalition forces to make Iraq a better place to live and to eradicate forever these terrorists. WE have the easy jobs here in Iraq the Iraqi Soldiers and police have the toughest jobs day in and day out, we rotate out of here after 12-15 months they live here permanantly. May COL A a true Iraqi hero rest in peace!