Lights Out

Just got back from the Air Field as I had to submit an AMR (Aviation Movement Request) for an upcoming flight from Taji to the IZ and back again. Found out late this afternoon that COL M the J-4 can't make a briefing where they want to discuss the Maintenance Depot so as the PMO I get the nod to tap dance my way through another briefing! Right now I don't have clue who the audience will be, but the fact that they want me to brief means there will be some stars sitting in the front row for this brief. I decided to get down there the morning before the brief so at least I can link up with COL M and review the slides. Plus it gives me a chance to discuss the project with the bean counters and the other staff members who I need to rely on for support at the IZ. Plus that gives me a chance to meet up with some of the other Colonels and fellow 104th Soldiers and get the latest news as to what's going on with our comrades who are spread out all over Iraq.

Tonite leaving work around 2030 hrs the lights here at Taji went out, don't know what the cause was but it was the perfect excuse to start a bonfire in the fire pit and smoke some cigars and shoot the breeze with the gang, since we had no electricity and what fun is it to sit in your room with a flashlight on? Now that it gets dark quickly (sunset is at 1654 hrs) and it is cold most everyone when they get back from work go directly into their rooms and shut the door. Got to hear some good R&R stories from the folks who just came back, looks like you get home quickly but once you get to Kuwait and are making your way back to Taji, you sit around and wait for choppers and that wait can be anywhere from 1-3 days, depending on the weather, available aircraft and missions at hand. While we were standing around the fire, Lt Barker our resident contractor who manages construction projects back home was putting the finishing touches to the jacuzzi, yes jacuzzi here outside our hootches. Since all of us have different civilian backgrounds a fair amount are construction workers or weekend builders, so they put their minds together and utilizing connections here on base were able to procure enough odds and ends to build a jacuzzi. Old pumps, water heater coils, stave tanks, wood to build the deck, no California Redwood but who cares. Piping from contractors who have pieces left over from project, you name it all of us were able to scrounge and come up with the necessary items to make it happen. Everyday for lunch and after work the LT and his sidekick SSG C could be seen hammering away and tinkering around. From what we've been told it should be ready to go this weekend. Tonite a pickup with a water storage tank pulled up and downloaded water into the jacuzzi.

Meanwhile at the depot we got our second load of equipment for the small arms, generator repair and DPW facilities. The contractor who is to setup and install the equipment signed for the keys to the small arms and starting tomorrow will begin the minor infrastructure changes necessary to install some of the larger pieces of equipment. They say nothing ever comes easy in this country and the other day was a perfect example. As they were removing the bridge crane from the Transmission Building at the Wheel Depot, the contractor did not secure the crane correctly so when it was being lowered it swung and hit the wall and pushed out about 4 inches the wall to the building. Now they have to do some obvious structural work to fix the problem they caused. USACE so far has not approved of their repair plans because the plans they recommended were not up to US standards, so they are still trying to figure out how they will fix the damaged wall.

Finally we are letting our counterparts know that they have to begin to solve their own issues since the three of us at the PMO office are swamped with the actual depot project itself and all the behind the scenes work that needs to take place. Last week we had given them a headsup that previous life support and logistics issues that we were handling and resolving was now up to them to resolve via the Iraqi Army military channels. So today in the meeting they asked me if we were going to provide them with fuel for their vehicles, and I just had to smile and say no, but last time I looked you did have 15 jerry cans (5 gal each) in one of your storage areas with fuel and that should keep you going for a week or so. After that I guess you'll either get fuel from one of the other Iraqi units here on base or will have to walk. At least the chow hall for the IA is adjacent to the depot and is within 100 meters. We have briefed them about the Jundi infeed that MOD has said they are working towards fielding, with the object being that with new Soldiers comes billeting requirements, beds, mattresses, pillows, blankets, sheets, wall lockers etc that they will have to order through MOD channels so the new Soldiers upon arrival will have a place sleep and put their belongings into. As the US Army is no longer into providing the Iraqi's life support funds, the IA has pulled their contractors once the contract has expired and is shifting towards an IA self reliance, which is somewhat interesting to watch as an American. As previously mentioned when it comes to long range planning our military is years ahead of most countries in the world, whereas the IA is not used to making long range plans, and the long range for them is only a couple of weeks to a couple of months out. So when you no longer have a contractor running your DFAC, maintaining your generators, providing water, pumping out the shitters, etc and the expectation is that the Army will now do that but you haven't equipped them with the proper equipment and manning structure to do that, the shit literally hits the fan in minutes!

Although they are going through growing pains much like when we give our kids some freedom or more responsibility and they make mistakes and learn from them so are the Iraqi's. The good part for us taxpayers is that Iraq is now forced to use their oil revenue monies to purchase equipment and other entities that previously were supplied by us and other coalition countries. They still have a long ways to go, but as the saying goes in order to run you first have to learn how to crawl and walk! I am sure that in the next few weeks there will be many days of frustration for my counterparts but that is the price one has to pay in order to become self suffient and rely on internal assets to get the job done instead of having someone resolve the problem or issue for you. I guess that only time will tell.

That's about all for tonite, just wanted to give my son Javi a big shoutout for yesterday since it was his Saints Day--Saint Francisco de Javier.

The Colonel