It Feels Like A Winter Wonderland!!

I would have posted earlier but been having problems getting onto blogger as of late, so that is the delay. The temperature has taken a turn south these past 2 days. Yesterday it was cloudy and not too hot about 54 when right around the time I got back home the wind picked up and it started to rain. Needless to say it cleared up and this morning it was a crisp 38 degrees and it felt a lot colder than that. Knowing that I am starting to catch the Taji Crud as they call it I did the next best thing this morning and turned off the alarm and slept in until 0645 instead of going out for a run. I worked out tonite in the gym for a change. The walk to and from the restrooms and showers is something I don't look forward to before the sun rises in the morning. Everyday feels like I am camping and have to walk down the road to go to the public showers and restroom. This evening when I got back SSG Gamboa was sitting around the fire ring and he had a nice fire going so that warmed things up.

Earlier today the AMC guys and I joined the Corps of Engineers and the contractor and we went to the DPW building and had them show us the punch list of discrepancies and quality issues that needed to be resolved. A couple of the issues they needed our input as to what solution we wante. Based on what we saw the building should be ready for beneficial occupancy probably the first week of January. I wish I could say the same about the Generator Repair building but that jib crane issue still remains and it more than likely won't be resolved and the crane foundations poured and cranes tested until late January or early February.

With the Eid once again taking place to celebrate the Hadj in Mecca there a but just a few Iraqi's on the Iraqi side of base, the workers all went home so construction has come to a grinding halt for 4-6 days. It makes it easier for us to take care of administrative tasks that need to be handled and allows us to have those planning meetings that we never seem to find the time to conduct because we are all over the place once our morning staff update meeting ends.

The civilian contractor that I hired as the Depot Training Adviser arrived on Monday. Pete is a retired LTC from the Army and has vast experience in the curriculum development, training programs and evaluations, which is why he will be my main point of contact when dealing with the Depot Integrator in the area of training the Iraqi Army. He's been busy just learning about hte project, the various timelines that we are tracking for facility, equipment and Soldier training so that he can work with the DI Head Trainer once that contract gets awarded and the winning vendor arrives boots on the ground.

Earlier in the morning I went with the RSU (Regional Support Unit) Advisor LTC M whose from the Air Force to go check out some warehouses on the coalition side that had Iraqi tank and track parts. I had been over there earlier but the gate to the remaining warehouses was locked and now was open. Some of the parts looked like they were serviceable but they definitely were old parts as the boxes were from the Royal Jordanian Army which had supplied the Iraqi's prior to and during Desert Storm. With no one to catalog them I sure don't want those sitting in the warehouses at the Depot gathering dust just in case one day the IA needs them. I told them that they should send over some of the Iraqi maintenance officers from the Armor Division on post and we were later told that they had been there earlier, grabbed what they needed and what we saw was garbage or in all actuality a prime candidate for scrap metal.

I finally got the green light to go ahead and submit the parts list for purchase of some repair parts for the weapons and generators that we will use for training the Jundi. So I have the AMC guys working on pulling me a list of all the parts that are used to rebuild US weapons and Non-Iraqi generators. Getting the weapons repair parts for Iraqi weapons is going to be the fun part.

Lots of folks are heading out or have already left for their R&R since many want to spend Christmas with their families. In the meantime many of us continue to receive packages from our families, friends and total strangers with items for us and plenty of snacks. I feel like a 7 year old who just came back from trick or treat and have the goodies spread out on the floor so I can pick and chose what I want ot snack on next. I got packages from Uncle John and Tia Carol, Brenda and Stephen, Terri and Dennis (those chocolate chip cookies are awesome). I got a couple of boxes from strangers for "Any Soldier". I have increased my workout time due to the increase in calories from all the goodies. I had been trying to watch what I was eating but I guess I can ease up for a couple of days so I can finish wolfing down the goodies! I am amazed at the generosity of the folks back home who without even knowing us are sending the men and women of the armed forces supplies, food, hygiene items, cards, etc. I know that politically many of us have our differences but the care and outpouring of support for the troops is what really makes me damn proud to be an American and makes this country the best on this planet!!

Well I better get off my soapbox and finish up its just past midnight and I have to hit the sack!

The Colonel