My Normal Blog

Just thought I'd let you know that my normal blog about life (post mobilization) in Silicon Valley can be located at http://pichi6.blogspot.com/

The Colonel

Back to Work and Time to Close It Down

Apologies for not having updated my blog like I said I would after I got back home but the few times I started to write I kept saying "screw it and I'll get to that later". We'll that later kept being pushed out and I guess that today is the day to post and close her down.

I enjoyed my 3+ months of leave and vacation thanks to the US Army and Sun. It was a great feeling to do what I wanted to do, get up when I wanted to get up and basically enjoy some serious down time, and also gave me a chance to get fat and happy!! On top of that there was plenty of work to do around the house. May was rather hectic, the same night I got home Javier had his Confirmation. The next week Ascension received her Nursing pin and the week after that she graduated from University of San Francisco with her BS in Nursing.

We got a chance to do some traveling while I was still on vacation. Carmen and I went down to Paso Robles for a couple of days. Besides getting out of the house and having some time alone, it had been years since we were there and the wine is just awesome. Getting a chance to visit the various vineyards for two days and tasting the great Zinfandel and Rhone style wines made the trip a blast. I went home (Wisconsin) for about 10 days to spend time with my parents and sister and her family. Plus on the 4th of July my parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary so all of us congregated in Milwaukee to enjoy the celebration and get a chance to meet lots of old friends and family. We also got a chance to spend a week down in the Florida Panhandle along the Emerald Coast in Panama City Beach. After 13 months in the desert it was nice to just be able to chill out on the beach, swim in the ocean and enjoy all that great seafood! I have been able to spend time with my family and that is what I have enjoyed the most of my vacation!!

I have been back at work since 11 August, and just as I had thought I had been voted off the island, meaning that my old job no longer existed, which wasn't surprising. Prior to leaving I had handed off that job to another Program Manager, so I was offered another position in the same group but now a Manager of the Customer Backlog Management group which handles the key Sun accounts. So bottom line is that I am learning a new job and getting back into the heart of operations which is what I wanted to do.

I found a new unit the 1st Brigade 75th Division at Camp Parks which was my first reserve unit that I joined in 1995 but back then it was 1st Brigade 91st Division. It was reflagged last year and I know a fair number of the officers in that unit. I begin drilling later this month. As for the rest of the PMO team, Major Young is working down at USARC HQ in Georgia and she sounded very happy last time I got an email from her. She's going in front of the O-5 board soon and I am sure that she will be selected for LTC. SSG Gamboa finally finished his BNCOC, I was there at his graduation. He should make E-7 at this coming board, and it looks like he too is making a career change and is applying for the AGR program. Filly the interpreter who was like a brother to me was dismissed from his job in Taji due to performance issues and I'll leave it at that. Bob is putting in his paperwork for a Visa to come to the US as part of the special program that allows interpreters to apply for Visas based on their performance as interpreters for the US forces and as gratitude for their sacrifices they have made putting their lives on the line in support of coalition forces.

I look back at these past 16+ months of mobilization and deployment and I am proud to have once again been able to answer the call and deploy into harms way. Yes this deployment was different that Desert Shield/Storm, the circumstances, living conditions, coalition, enemy were all different. But the underlying theme was that we were helping people in need to become free and get a chance to enjoy the freedoms that we as Americans have enjoyed and worked so hard to maintain since 1775. Was it worth it? A resounding yes it was, as I could see the difference that we made in Taji and in other places inside Iraq. Someone asked me when I got back what would happen if called upon again by my country to deploy. I told them that I would once again answer the call wherever need be. As Thomas Jefferson said: "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

Thanks to all of you who read the blog, sent me emails during my deployment, sent me care packages, prayed for my safety and sent me many words of encouragement. Also thanks to those who stayed in contact with Carmen and the kids to see how things were going on the home front. Although I am home there are still over 160,000 members of the Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan serving in harms way, please keep them in your prayers!

"God Bless America"

The Colonel

Mission Accomplished-I'm Finally Home!!

The bus pulled into Camp Funston (FOB Army Strong) a little before 0500 hrs. We got off the bus and were piled into the sterile area's gym and given the first of many briefs welcoming us and what laid ahead. After the brief it was time to temporarily turn in our M4 and M9 for the day. We then were given our schedules for the upcoming three days and it was back onto the bus and we headed to our barracks where we would check in, pickup our bags and for us lucky ones meet our families.

We pulled in just about the time that light was coming up and I anxiously scanned the parking lot to see where Carmen was. Just seeing her face and smile while I waived to her from bus was worth the wait as I hadn't seen her since we said our "see you laters" in Frankfurt Germany in mid-January during my R&R.

I got off the bus and gave her a huge hug and it felt like I had never left her. After our hugs we headed over to the barracks. From the corner of my eye I saw someone drop a camera lens cap and when I looked over to tell that person they dropped the lens cap I realized it was my daughter Ascension, then my son Javier jumped from behind a car. I was shocked since I knew that Carmen was going to be at Ft. Riley, but never expected my two kids. What I found out later was that all along the kids were going to be at Ft. Riley but Carmen fed me the hook and line I bit off on it thinking that Javier was at home since he supposedly had gone to prom that weekend and his sister was home minding the house. By the time I gave them their hugs I looked up to see my parents also had showed up and this was indeed a real homecoming!!

My family and I at Ft. Riley (Mom, Javi, I, Dad, Carmen and Censi)

Another photo op with Carmen and Censi

After grabbing my bags we headed back to Manhattan for a breakfast and then to the hotel. The next couple of days went by quickly and yet slowly. That afternoon we had some more briefings, turned in our weapons for good, then it was the 1st ID welcome home ceremony at the gym. The next day starting at 0530 hrs we had our personnel and medical briefings and outprocessing. That meant more shots, tests and updating personnel records. The next day it was time to turn in our TA-50 at CIF, and as most had already said it was for me the easiest CIF turn I had ever had in my almost 30 years of being in the military. We signed our DD214's that afternoon and since I had told the Army that I needed to be home in time to attend my sons confirmation on they got me special travel so I could get out of Ft. Riley early the next day. That night in the barracks it was for most of us a last chance to say our goodbyes before we headed out the next morning. I had to catch the van at 0400 hrs which would take me to the Manhattan Airport. From there it was to Kansas City International, then through snowy Denver and finally arriving in San Jose International Airport.

At the airport Carmen, my daughter Ascension and Kathie Sylvia one of my co-workers at Sun were there for my arrival. As luck would have it only one of my bags arrived which meant someone out there in netherland was my duffle bag.

Kathie and I at the San Jose Airport

Carmen and I at the San Jose Airport

I finally arrived home around 1500 hrs and there on the garage door was a banner that my daughter had made which said "Welcome Home Dad".

Finally Home

That night after Javiers confirmation I finally got a chance to sit in my favorite recliner and that is when it really hit me that I was really home! I am still getting used to things here back home as it has been over 15 months since I left home on 25 January knowing that I would not be back until I had demobilized from this tour. I imagine that in a couple of days I will finally be able to let this sink in believe that I am home for good!

I will wrap up my blog in a couple of days with one last blog since I am still trying to grasp all that has went on in the past 15 months and what I learned from it.

The Colonel

Back in the USA

As the title says I am finally back on American soil and it is a great feeling! It took over 30 hours from the time we cleared the barracks in Kuwait until we arrived here at Ft. Riley. On the 26th we were told that our clear the tent time was 2200 hrs and that we would be wheels up at approximately 1030 hrs in the morning. So most of the Soldiers chilled out and slept on their cots knowing that we were not going to get much shuteye that night. We had our final brief that morning then I went to work out then lounged around the tent. At 2200 hrs we were told that the truck would be there at 2300 hrs and after loading the truck with our bags, we boarded the buses for Ali Al Salem which is where we would clear customs and clear theater. We arrived a little after midnight and checked in for our flight. As in any military plan there was plenty of waiting around for the mandatory customs briefing on what you could and couldn't bring to the US. Finally around 0500 hrs we made our way out of the briefing tent, picked up our duffle bags and made our way over to customs.

These guys make TSA look like amateurs. The US Navy customs guys were very thorough. We first had to empty out our pockets, backpacks and all the stuff that was strapped to our uniforms and run those thru the x-ray machine, then we got wanded. After that it was grab your bags and when we were called by a Customs Agent we then moved forward to the location which we were assigned. Once there you had to empty out the entire duffle bags and rucks that you had. The customs guys went item by item checking to make sure we had no body parts, weapons, hand grenades and any of the 100+ contraband items that you couldn't bring into the country. Here I was thinking that we just spent one year in a combat and now here we are expected to go through customs on our way home. Incredible to say the least!! The real reason they do this isn't so much for customs but the stuff that guys want to bring home that the Army won't let them. Any of you who have been in the military know that when you pack a duffle bag it takes some planning to get 200 pounds of crap in a 100 pound bag. Yet when the customs guy finished searching each bag everything was placed in a huge bin. After 3 duffle bags and my ruck sack I then had the honor and pleasure to repack my belongings in the same bag and manner as before.
Unfortunately when one is sweating like a pig and is under the gun to get the stuff packed ASAP, things don't turn out like they are supposed to. I was one of the last ones through customs and out the door into freedom. Once we got through the customs portion we were in a lock down area where we couldn't get out and had to remain there until it was time to get onto the bus which would take us to the military side of Kuwait International Airport.

From Ali Al Salem we got onto the bus which was supposed to stop before arriving there but as usual there was a change in plans and those of us who had been drinking water non stop because it had been a sweat box in the customs area were dying to take a piss but to no avail. We then sat in the buses for about 30 minutes waiting to load up the plane and could not get off the bus until we were authorized to get onto the plane. The order was finally given and we headed to the plane, and as an O-6 I got to sit in front of the plane in normal seats but we basically had our own row to ourselves which was nice. The plane was supposed to take off at 1020 local time but there were issues with the fire alarm in one of the rest rooms, then they couldn't start the plane and there we sat on the tarmac for almost 40 minutes with the temp over 100 degrees. I fell asleep since I hadn't slept at all for the past 24 hours. We finally got off the ground at around 1145 hrs and we were finally on our way to the US of A.

We had a 6+ hour flight to Shannon Ireland and were told that we could not consume nor purchase any alcohol while we were in Shannon. It was a cold, rainy and dreary day in Ireland but that didn't ruin our day as we headed into the airport for a 90 minute stopover. I got out and after seeing there was nothing worth buying headed back into the aircraft and finally caught wind of the main issue at hand. We had topped off with enough fuel to get us to Topeka Kansas, but with the rain and the weight of the plane due to the MITT teams bringing on board 4 duffle bags plus their rucks, the plane could not abort a takeoff with the weight it had. So the plan was to download a certain amount of fuel, the only problem was that the fuel truck designated for that mission only had a 5K liter capacity and after picking up the fuel had to go over to another part of the airport to drop it off. Talk about a time waster, what was supposed to have been a 90-120 minute stop ended up being almost a 4 hour logistical nightmare. I had a good time shooting the breeze with Adelle the Irish girl who was handling the refuel and stop at Shannon and the pilots who were from the west coast. I was kept in the loop on what was going on so I could relay that info to the DOC at Ft. Riley so they knew what was going on and to let the families know about what time they could expect us.

We finally got out of Shannon and because of removing the fuel no longer had enough to make it safely to Topeka, so instead we headed to Bangor Maine which was an 8+ hour flight. When we got there, they had about 20-25 VFW and American Legion reps at the airport to welcome us home and shake our hands as we came down the walkway. We spent about 90 minutes in Bangor so I was able to call Carmen and let her know where I was. We then headed to Forbes Field in Topeka KS for our last aviation leg of the journey. We arrived there approximately 22 hours and 40 minutes after wheels up in Kuwait City. It was 0308 hrs in the morning in Topeka.
We then got in the buses and were escorted by an honor guard on motorcycle all the way to Ft. Riley. The third step had been completed and all I needed to know was when was I going to see Carmen again here at Ft. Riley.

The Colonel

Working my Way Back to the US of A

My last day in Iraq was really uneventful which is a good way to end my tour over here. I was able to sleep in until 0700 hrs, and a little after 0800 First Sergeant Anderson came by and said that we had a 1000 hrs show time at the Air Pax terminal. We hit the PX and the EOC to check email and at check in were told that our flight would be leaving at 1400 hrs and that baggage was to be turned in at 1100 hrs.

After turning in our baggage we hit the DFAC and it was rather ironic that on my last day in Iraq I happened to eat at what was for me the best DFAC so far. It was run by the Air Force (no surprises there) and the selection of food and other entrees was really impressive and it wasn’t too congested like DFAC 1 in Taji.

At 1300 hrs we were told to be at the gate and they bussed us to the aircraft and we climbed on board the C-130 and it wasn’t too full so we had empty seats between each of us. At 1355 we were wheels up and phase II had been accomplished, getting out of Iraq!! The flight was uneventful and I got a chance to peek outside the window right about when we crosses into Kuwait airspace and all I could see was sand. It was weird knowing that 17 years earlier I was on the ground directly below with the Soldiers of A Company 701^st MSB working our asses off supporting the Division in prior to, during and after combat operations. We arrived in Ali As Salem at 1515 hours and SGM Laos was waiting for us and we transferred to the bus which had the rest of the 104^th folks on this serial who had flown in earlier from the IZ (BIAP).

We then boarded the bus which would take us to Camp Virginia which is basically the same type of camp as Camp Buerhing was when we arrived, both are out in the middle of the sandy desert surrounded by camels. The big difference is those of us at Camp Virginia are going home versus those Soldiers in Buerhing who are just arriving. At Camp Virginia we were bedded down in the same white style tents that we had in Buerhing, where you can sleep at least 80 guys in there but we had about 30 which wasn’t too bad. We sort of have an idea of when we will be leaving this camp for Ali Al Salem and our flight home but they have not released the final date or time. While we are here except for a couple of mandatory briefs the rest of the time is our free time so I hit the gym and did my 6 mile gig on the elliptical trainer. I then hit the internet café to look at some of my email. Other than that the wait out mode continues and only time will tell when we get the green light for onward movement. Until then it’s chill out mode and the chance to relish the fact that we are no longer in Iraq and that life is good!

The Colonel

Get Ready, Get Set, Go

I have officially relinquished my role as the Taji National Maintenance Depot Program Manager to DJ as of the 22nd, since I was busy trying to get my things in order, cleaning up the room, packing, sending boxes home etc. I noticed that once I did relinquish that role, the bags under my eyes starting going away and the weight on my shoulders was lifted big time.

As much as I burned old uniforms, documents, books etc that I no longer needed nor wanted I realized that I still had accumulated lots of things that needed to go back to the US with me. Since I do not want to have to make two trips dragging my items I needed to hit the post office one last time to mail home a couple of more boxes plus my coveted humidor that is fully loaded with some great smokes. I also sold my electronic items that I had bought over the one year period such as TV, DVD player, microwave, fridge, satellite dish and receiver, computer table etc. Plus I gave away the storage units with the personal hygiene items I had not used.

So yesterday as I got up and ran one last time before heading out, it occurred to me that I may not get all the items I still had left on the bed into my duffle bags and sure enough it was one last run to the post office where everyone said "didn't you say you were done yesterday mailing things home"? I took care of that ran down to the dark side and said good bye to some of the guys from the MITT's and BSU's and finally headed back to my room and gathered my gear and went back to the office to finish up on some last minute paperwork.

The time finally arrived for me to head out the door to the helipad so it was saying goodbye to the AMC guys and the other guys in the office. Then it was saying goodbye to my favorite interpreter Filly who I consider as a brother, that was hard to do. This guy has lived a year of hell, surviving two bomb explosions, his wife getting shot, his soon was almost abducted by gun point, yet he cheerfully continued to work for us an interpreter. Since he is only a few years older then I we got along great and would take alot about our families, life in general, politics etc. They say the world is a small place and one can only hope that he is selected for one of the visas that the US government issues to interpreters so he and his family can immigrate to the US.

The temperature gauge in the shade at the helipad read 102 when we arrived to wait for our flight to Balad which is north of Taji. From there we would fly onto Kuwait and link up with the remainder of the fourth serial of our reserve unit. The choppers arrived and it was the longest 250 yards I have ever walked in my entire life. Full battle rattle on, my ruck which weighs a ton, and the two duffle bags which one of the guys jokingly said weighed as if I had stuck some Iraqi women in them. Step by step, you could feel the sweat rolling down your back, then your legs, throat parched as I tried to find that damn nozzle on my camelback but to no avail! Finally I got to the chopper and got the stuff loaded and away we went. Although it was hot the air that circulated through the aircraft felt like heaven. I had never flown north of Taji so the view was spectacular with lots of farms and orchards sprinkled throughout the Tigris basin.

We finally got to Balad and then it was a shorter walk but still it felt like death valley out there. I had previously coordinated with the AMC guys for rooms and we were able to also get a Suburban to move around post in. After grabbing some chow and getting settled into our rooms, taking a nice cold shower I was able to watch some US TV and then took a rare 2 hour nap. What a relief, although I was still in Iraq it was finally starting to settle in my brain that I on that journey home. We the four of us who were the last 104th Division guys out of Taji had completed the first and most important leg of our journey, getting out of Taji. I didn't have to worry about the depot, nor status reports, nor updates nor meetings with the Depot Integrator. All of that I left behind when I got on that beautiful UH-60 in Taji!!

The Colonel

One Year Anniversay

The other day 18 April was special for two reasons, one it was my birthday and this is the third birthday I have celebrated in this part of the world and if all goes well should be the last birthday I celebrate over here. Two it was one year ago that we arrived in theater and it’s hard to believe that one year has already gone by! I am officially short and by short I mean not by stature, but that I do not have much more time here before I head back home to demobilize and sleep in my own bed once again with my better half HQ-6. My replacement DJ has things under control which enables me to finish up on the last few deliverables that I have and pack my things. I am finishing up on the MTOE (Modified Table of Organization and Equipment) comparison so that we can line up the job skills that need to be trained with the Iraqi Soldiers who will be assigned to the Depot. This Tuesday will be my last meeting with the Iraqi’s and after the meeting I am officially done here at Taji.

I have started packing up my things and have already shipped some items home and another box to Ft. Riley so I don’t have to do the duffle bag shuffle on my way out of Iraq. My goal which looks attainable is to have two duffle bags and my trusty camel back backpack and that is it. We are still coordinating our flights out of here to Kuwait, where we will link up with the remaining members of the Task Force and we will then travel together back to the USA. I still have to sell my remaining items which some of the interpreters and others want to buy from me, then it will be sweep mop and get the room inspected on the last day and then it’s hasta la vista baby!!

Work has been both long and satisfying these past several weeks, we have put in some long hours as part of our left seat right seat. Also we have signed for some additional buildings, such as the South Receiving, the upstairs offices to the South Paint Bldg which will be the HQ for the South Depot. Additionally DJ signed for the security upgrades work that has been completed. Today we had another meeting with AECOM to go over their equipment purchase, receipt, install and commissioning dates and what that means as to start dates for the OJT phase in the various buildings. DJ and his crew will have their hands full with the training that starts on the 13^th and getting the Iraqi Army to ensure they have new Soldiers who will be assigned to the Depot so we can ensure there are enough cheeks in the seats in the training and OJT training phases.

It’s weird knowing that some of the things that I am doing these past few days are the last time I will be doing those things here , but then again one year is a long time and I am itching to get back home. So it's time to get those medical tests and shots, fill out the various surveys, turn in items that I no longer need.

Major Young and her group hit Ft. Riley yesterday after being stranded at BIAP for 3+ days, due to two huge dust storms that reduced visibility to less than 50 feet and left a nice fine powdery layer of dust on everything. The dust storms were surreal as you could barely see the sun and everything was dark brown and the wind was doing a great job blowing the stuff all over the place. Just walking to the DFAC was a bear even with glasses on the powdery sand got in my eyes. They said this was one of the worst ones they have had in a long time, yeah I'm sure Al Gore would be blaming this on global warming!

BG Swan my senior rater having a good laugh pointing at my Tour Guide tab which I threw on at the last minute to get my picture taken with him during my last VIP visit that I was in charge of.

Well that's it for now I gotta run and grab some chow and hit the post office.

The Colonel

Back from the IZ

Just got back in tonite from a quick two day visit to the IZ with my replacement DJ. We should have left Taji early on Monday but someone screwed up on our Aviation Movement Request (AMR) so when we called up and asked what's going on, and they realized that there were two Colonels who were stuck in Taji because of someones mistake we were able to get another lift out of Taji on our CG's birds and headed over to BIAP where there was a crew change. It gave us a chance to grab a nice cold frapuccino from the coffee sh0op, shoot the breeze with the pilots and crew and then head to the IZ where we arrived in the early afternoon. After getting our rooms squared away off we went to Phoenix Base so that DJ could meet the folks who he will be dealing with going forward.

For me it was a bittersweet visit as many of the faces that I knew were no longer there as they had been replaced by the new crew and more importantly they were already home with their families. So yesterday we hit I believe most of the key offices and groups so DJ could get points of contact and associate names with faces which is very important since we are out in the boonies and it's tough to get the folks in the IZ out to Taji to visit and discuss issues. We spent a good hour with the contract folks to go over our Depot Integrator project and the project from hell which is the new generator and fuel tank project for the generator farm. Most of you know about Seinfelds "Soup Nazi" episode, well we have a contractor Nazi who never heard about the customer is always right and instead just shoots us off some of the most bizarre emails I have ever seen in my life, blaming us for all his troubles etc. This guys can't get from A to B and that is why we want to end the contract before he screws up anymore and as my dad would say "he's a worthless as a tit on a boar pig"!!

We got to brief our boss about the project and he was happy with where we are at, although we have to make a few minor tweaks regarding equipment receipt and installation on the plan. At least we got final buy in to the class schedule and facility readiness date. With that DJ now has the road map that he needs to get from here to there during his tenure as PMO.

As you all have read lately the IZ has been getting rocked by rockets and it had been a long time since I had to get into my IBA and seek cover, and we got a chance to do that at various times during our two day visit. Awareness and the seriousness of these attacks and drills was obviously heightened since our MNSTC-I crew lost two officers several weeks ago (one from our Division back home) when the building they were in was hit by a rocket. It's as if they know there is a new crew coming in because the same thing happened last year when our Division Soldiers arrived in the IZ in late April and early May. We were getting hit all the time and it puts a whole new perspective of being stationed in Iraq.

The bus ride back to the temporary hootch before we headed to the helipad was full of 104th Soldiers who were heading to BIAP that night on their way home. The flight home was uneventful and it was nice seeing Baghdad at night and the cooler air felt good. that will more than likely be one of my last helo flights here in Iraq as I am what is called "getting short" and my time to leave here is approaching quickly. When DJ and I got back I told him that we would probably see our folks at the heavy lift pad waiting for their flight to BIAP and sure enough there were a lot of Soldiers either milling around or laying on their rucks playing the waiting game. I got a chance to see Major Young and some of the IASSI folks and we shoot the breeze while they were waiting. We finally said our final "see you laters" and headed back to our hootchs, since their flight was pushed out a few more hours.

Our left seat right seat is now reversed as DJ is now leading the meetings and making the decisions and I am advising and answering questions if he has any. Prior to the IZ visit we were burning some serious midnight oil and I reminded him that the sooner he found his battle rhythm the sooner things would see more natural and that the 0745-2400 hrs stuff will end up kicking his ass as this job is like a marathon with one step at a time and the need to pace oneself is key if you want to survive, stay fresh and get results. Two more buildings the Radiator Repair Facility on the North Depot and the Component Cleaning and Prime paint facility were signed over by us from the Corps of Engineers.

That's about it for now.

Back to the Grind!!

The morning of our flight I was wide awake at 0500 hrs so I got up, finished packing and headed down to the restaurant for a quick bite to eat before heading to the airport. George and I had agreed to meet at 0700 hrs so when it was 0705 I called his room and no one answered, I called again later with the same result. I finally knocked on his door and woke him up, I guess he had received a wakeup call and fell to sleep again. We were out the door at 0735 for what was to be a 60-75 minute ride to the civil airport, where we had a 0900 show time. What a rip off here in Jordan for us tourists, they get 10 Jordanian Dinars (JD) for transit visas and then when we left we had to pay a 20 JD departure tax.

The C-17 arrived late and once on board we were told that we’d be there for at least one hour until take off. I fell asleep and woke up when we were in the air. We got to BIAP and it was just strange thinking that only 75 minutes away I was swimming in the dead sea and the pool enjoying some downtime and here I am back to the real world of Iraq.

View from the 5th Floor at the Marriott

SSG G the AMC rep picked me up, I went to get my weapon and we arrived back at the AMC compound on FOB Liberty. I got the rest of my gear, changed ate chow and then I got shuttled to the Liberty Helipad. Fortunately for me my folks up in Taji got me booked on a evening flight so I wouldn’t have to spend a day in BIAP.

I think they and I both thought that this was going to be one stop flight but I guess they figured I needed to check out some FOB’s that I never have been too before I leave Iraq at the end of my tour. I was going to be getting off at the 6^th stop. So I had the chance to see the following FOB’s from the darkened sky; BIAP, Falcon, IZ-Washington, Rustimaya (which still stinks as bad as the last time I was there), Prosperity and finally Taji. We got a chance to fly over everyone’s favorite Baghdad neighborhood Sadr City, it seemed calm even though just days earlier all hell was breaking loose with the militias and the IA and Coalition Forces.

My replacement COL DJ Dunn who I had met when he was over here in October as part of their recon and Major Young were at the Helipad to pick me up. After shooting the breeze and getting a quick update on what had occurred while I was out, I was finally dropped off at my hootch. Inside although warm the hootch was covered with a light layer of dust everywhere. I had left the AC on but set high and while I was out it reached 97 outside so with the AC on and the constant dust storms they had caused all the dust.

It was nice to be back at my home away from my real home, though the same familiar faces were gone since the TND crew deployed back home last month and are already back with their loved ones. Since the new crew that replaced them didn’t want to pay for internet service the guys dismantled the router and switch so the few of us who are still here from the original group no longer have internet access in our hootches which sucks big time. SSG Gamboa our NCOIC left with that group and he’s at Fort Riley going to some NCOES classes. Major Young’s replacement is also here and she’ll be out of here soon and I know that she’s looking forward to seeing her three children and husband back in Arizona. I too am getting short but am too busy at work to even think about getting out of here yet!

I have already started the left seat right seat with DJ and all is going well. I signed for the Generator Repair Facility at the Track Depot and the remaining 3 warehouses on the Wheel Depot. The Receiving Facility will be signed for on Tuesday, so things are finishing up on most of our buildings. Now we are in the training phase here at the Depot. The first 20 students completed initial Level I Depot training class and start the level II class tomorrow. On top of that the 60 day OJT at AECOM for the M1114 project kicks off on Tuesday. We originally were supposed to receive most of the students graduating from the OJT but as usual plans change and now were will receive a paltry 16 Junood.

It’s starting to get hotter out here and my goal is to finish up my tour without it reaching triple digits, somehow I got a feeling that I will not meet that goal. Well that’s it for now, I will update the blog in a few days.

Before I forget here are some pics from when I was in Jordan that one of the guys took.

This is about as close to Hell as I plan to get!!

Petra

Up on the side of the mountain with Petra in the valley

The Colonel

Thank You State Department

I am finally back in beautiful sunny and dusty Taji after completing the last leg of the TDY trip to the US. It is bittersweet, I was really enjoying my down time in Jordan (more later) but it is nice to finally sleep in my bed again.

Sunday morning the alarm went off at 0’dark hundred and by 0700 hrs we were on the road to the Birmingham International Airport. I was not looking forward to travel back to the middle east. We got to the airport and said goodbye to the Security Team and the Depot folks who accompanied us since our arrival in Dallas the previous Sunday. WE made our way to the check in counter and we got there so early that we were the first ones in line. I waited for the Iraqi’s to check in and that’s when the fun started. I should mention that WalMart stock took a sharp rise in prices last week thanks to the Iraqi’s who loved the place and did there fair share of stimulating the economy. I think the Demos stimulation plan is all wrong, we should have chartered several hundred airliners and brought Iraqi’s over to the US on a 48-72 hour shopping spree. The amount of money that they would have spent would have jumpstarted the economy in a heartbeat. Besides hitting the Walmarts, they also enjoyed the smaller mall in Anniston and the Best Buy store.

As you can imagine when you buy a lot of stuff you need more suitcases or bags because if not either your suitcase will run out of space or will weigh a ton, Sure enough most were over the weight limit on the one bag so here are 4 out of the 7 officers opening their suitcases and shifting around their clothes, purchases, etc. They would then get the suitcase reweighed only to be told your only 7 pounds over and once again the shuffle started over again. After 30 minutes of this they finally got checked in and several were now carrying plastic Walmart bags as carry ons. I would have taken pictures of this but my digital camera went on the fritz at Talladega Superspeedway, the gears on the lens are not working correctly so the lens is not shutting all the way.

We got to Charlotte and literally walked what seemed like a mile going from the commuter plane terminal to the other end of the airport. We had a few minutes to grab a sandwich knowing all too well peanuts for lunch wasn’t going to cut it for us. Onto to New York (JFK) and after the train ride to the international terminal we found out that the check in counter wasn’t going to open for another 3 hours. Yes the State Department was responsible for the airline connections and we now had a 7 ½ hour layover at JFK. So we grabbed a couple of tables put them together and went to the Iraqi’s favorite fast food restaurant that would have made Colonel Sanders proud KFC. After we got them settled in and fed a couple of us did what any normal GI would do when faced with a long layover and the NCAA on TV. We hit the Sam Adams bar and got a few cold ones, some killer nachos and wings and enjoyed some basketball. We checked in did some last minute shopping and then got to our gate, hit the bar for one last cold one and it was on our way to Amman Jordan.

Eleven hours later we arrived in Amman at 1700 hrs, and having left at 2300 hrs EST, most of us got some decent sleep on the flight. It took forever to get the Iraqi’s though Jordanian immigration and then the missing luggage monster popped it’s ugly head. After almost one hour they finally located the last of the missing luggage and we got the Iraqi’s on their bus to the hotel no thanks to the State Department who failed to show up. The last thing we needed was an international incident, but thanks to the US Army we took care of business that the State Department dropped the ball on. One of the guys called our hotel and were kindly told that our reservations were cancelled because there was the SOFEX convention and they needed the rooms. We called our POC at the US Embassy in Jordan and no one picks up, no surprise here since they never showed at the airport they sure as hell weren’t in their office. We started calling the major hotels but only got the no vacancy response. At that point with a couple of us being Marriott members we called the Amman Marriott were told sorry but there are rooms available at the Marriott in the Jordan Valley (Dead Sea). Let’s see 45-60 minutes away from the center of Amman wasn’t what we wanted but then again, swimming pools, sun, the dead sea, plenty of pool action, great food and drinks you get the picture, they didn’t have to twist our arms any more.

The Marriott was awesome, from my window and balcony I had a view of the dead sea, the swimming pools, unfortunately the only thing that was missing was my better half! Major Sanders and I grabbed some dinner at the sports bar in the hotel and watched some Champions League Soccer. We called it a night around 2300 hrs since we were going to Petra the next day. It was nice to sleep with the balcony doors open listening to the water of the fountains by the pool and smelling the fresh air of the Dead Sea.

The next day we played tourist and headed down to Petra, which was about 3 ½ to 4 hours from the hotel according to everyone we asked. Doug drove, I was navigator and shotgun and George slept in the back seat most of the way. We went through about 4-5 towns and small cities and saw it all, goats hanging outside the butcher shops, street venders all over the place, people walking down the middle of streets as if they were on a Sunday stroll oblivious to the fact that they were impeding vehicular traffic, old men sitting drinking coffee staring at us and probably saying to the others, “what in the hell are those 3 Americans doing in this one horse town’? The scenery was awesome on the drive and it really gave us a better view and take on Jordan, the people, the land and what it has to offer. It also reminded us that on the way back we were going to take the 4 lane highway and save ourselves some driving time. Needless to say the directions and signs here in Jordan leave a lot to be desired and they never had the business district only posted so we ended up taking the main road through the entire village or town since we had no clue of the bypass road. We finally get to Petra and no where is there a sign which tells you where the ruins are. We stopped and George asked this guys sitting outside a camper how to get there, the guy he finds out is Italian and speaks no English so once again my Spanish comes in handy and the with a mix the Italian I know and Spanish we start talking and he gives me directions on how to get there.

Petra is awesome and you can spend an entire week to visit the entire site, obviously we took the short two hour guided tour and got a chance to see several of the key buildings plus learn about how Petra was settled, why they built the various tombs, buildings, the meaning of certain symbols, etc. The rock formations coupled with the construction that took place from 0100-0700 AD was mind boggling.

Petra Architecture

More Petra Buildings

There were tourists from everywhere and from what the guide said last year over 1M persons visited Petra and this year they are expecting it to increase to 1.2M I left convinced that this is definitely a place that I want to come back and see with Carmen. We headed back to the hotel and got back in time to see the sun set on the Dead Sea and it was beautiful.

Sunset at the Dead Sea

After dinner as we headed back to our rooms we heard some Arab music coming from one of the many lounges at the hotel and when we stuck our heads in we could see a belly dancer doing here thing and busting a move! So we grabbed a seat had a drink and watched the last 25 minutes of the show. I was laughing because since I have been here in Iraq I always ask my Iraqi counterparts when they planned on taking me to a belly dance joint and here I was in Jordan watching one! She danced pretty good I guess but I prefer watching Shakira doing her moves on some of her videos any day of the week!

I was beat that night having only slept 3+ hours the night before since I was wide awake at 0430 hours and went to the gym that morning. This time I slept almost 11 hours. Got up did breakfast at their buffet and hit the Dead Sea and swimming pool and just chilled under the sun and got caught up on some of my reading. I then headed to Amman and linked up with George, Saad and his better half Tala. We went out for some drinks had dinner and then I took a taxi back to the hotel since we were heading back to Iraq the next day. But that’s a different story!

Talladega Nights-The Legend of Colonel Pichi

Colonel Pichi at Talladega

Yes that's me at Talladega Superspeedway and yes I am now a NASCAR convert after having driven 6 laps at the Superspeedway this morning. I remember growing up watching NASCAR racing on ABC Sports and Cale Yarborough number 21 was my favorite racer. But after high school I really didn't follow NASCAR that much and while in Germany I became a fan of Formula One racing which I still watch on TV when I get the chance. But today was something special. We finally took the long drive from Red River Army Depot in Texarkana to Anniston Army Depot here in Anniston Alabama on Wednesday. I was lucky enough to get to ride and drive in a Ford Explorer versus the bus. We drove through Louisiana, and when we got to Mississippi we stopped for lunch at a riverboat casino to eat at the buffet in order to give the Iraqi's a chance to taste some American cuisine. After lunch we visited and got a 90 minute tour of the Battle of Vicksburg site. I reminded Major Sanders from Alabama that us Yankees did prevail in this battle, and below is the monument dedicated to the Soldiers from Wisconsin who fought in this crucial battle. Old Abe the bald eagle is on top of the monument.

Wisconsin Monument with Old Abe

We then arrived in Anniston late on Wednesday and toured the depot on Thursday and Friday. I was most interested in the small arms facility since that is the first one that will be functionable at the TNMD. We spent about 45 minutes at that facility but I could have stayed there for a couple of hours since there was so much to absorb. We were also able to see their disassembly and reassembly site, their machine shop, turret shop, component shop and various other sites. The Iraqi's got a chance to ride in an M-1 tank as it did it's test drive, I passed on the chance having already driven a M-1 while I was stationed with the 1st Armored Division.

Last night we had a dinner at the Berman Museum here in Anniston and before dinner we got a chance to see all the art and military collections that were collected by COL and Mrs Berman. I was impressed at their WWII exhibits specially the weapons collection and uniform collection of all the main players in WWII. Dinner was excellent and I enjoyed the company of several of the key local community representatives, and once again the Southern hospitality was top notch.

Today being our last day the Chamber of Commerce and local community provided us with a chance of a lifetime, to actually drive a stock car at the Talladega Superspeedway for 6 laps. We got out there at 0730 and after some instruction changing into the driver gear and getting fitted with the helmet we received our final tips and it was gentleman start your engines. I was selected to drive number 11 and the local driver who was in the passenger seat was Jeff who had driven in NASCAR events but now is happy driving smaller venues on weekends plus working at the depot and being a mayor. Climbing into the vehicle was a chore and after getting my neck harness hooked up and being strapped in there was not much room at all to move around in. We got the green flag and after getting pushed out of the pits and shifting into gear away we went. I didn't get into fourth gear until I was half way around the 2.66 mile tri-oval and then when Jeff told me to get into fourth away I went. The first real lap on the track on turn one which is banked at 33 degrees was a little queasy on the stomach but after that it was pedal to the metal as I maintained my death grip on the steering wheel thinking "damn I'm going 165+ miles an hour and if I screw up I could really do some serious damage out here". My fourth lap was the fastest lap as I hit 167 mph and passed a couple of cars along the way. I guess that you're supposed to climb as high as possible in the curves but human instinct tells you otherwise. On the last lap I had Jeff pull the steering wheel to the right so that I was about 3 feet away from the wall and all I could think about was how much closer did he think I could get before I hit the damn wall!!
Before I knew it the checker flag was waved, I never saw the damn thing and the ride of a lifetime was over. I knew that I probably could have gone a little faster but for my first time I was a happy camper. I definitely have much more respect for these guys who do this for 500 miles at a pop going 180+ mph with 30+ guys on the track just inches behind each other. As I told the guys doing 80 mph at Taji along the supply depot road won't be the same anymore!!


After we got back it was more shopping at a mall and then I headed up to the room to do some Army work, then worked out and finally after more than a year got to eat some sushi at a restaurant nearby. Granted the ambiance and sushi wasn't as good as Kazoo's back home but it was a great way to wrap up the trip. We then had some wine and smoked some nice cigars outside the hotel while watching it lightening and thunder. Tomorrow we are on our way back to Jordan, so I will write some more when I get back to Iraq. Unfortunately for me my digital camera in NMC and there will be no more photos until I get back home and get the camera fixed.

The Colonel

It's Great to Be Back in the USA

As the title says, it's great to be back in the USA even though it is only for one week and then it's back to Iraq to finish up my tour! Last Saturday we headed to the airport in Amman and what a CF!! Just to get into the ticket counter area you have to pass a control point and there were a ton of people trying to get through and even though we had almost 3 hours the prospect of waiting in that line just to even get to check in was already starting to irritate me. Luckily for us they have a service for about $30 that will expedite you through the first checkpoint, through security checkpoint and finally to the counter so that you can check in almost immediately. I am usually tight with my money but even if the price was $50 I would have paid it in a heartbeat. We got through the first checkpoint quickly but the second one took a while longer, and what didn't make sense was after we went through it was obvious that would could avoid that checkpoint and they wouldn't have even noticed. The feeling that one had when we went straight to the front of the counter for the express line was heaven, the normal line must have had 150+ folks and it was moving as fast as Hillary moved when she was getting shot at by the so called sniper in Kosovo in 96!!

3 out of the 4 of us got checked in and Major Sanders the guy who set this all up was told that his ticket had been cancelled and instead he was booked on the Amman to NYC flight that took off over an hour earlier. Calls to SATO travel in the US and Bahrain finally were to no avail and finally they said stand in line and there may be some tickets left over! Our flight leaves at 1130 and at 1100 there must have been at least 50 people still in line checking in. I realized that the plane wasn't going to leave until everyone was on the plane. So I quick went through Customs and grabbed a sandwich and went through security checkpoint 3, and then 4 who stop me because I have a flashlight with batteries in. They confiscate the batteries but when searching my ruck which has everything in there but Carmen, they never find the 12 AA batteries that I always carry just in case, go figure!

Onto the aircraft and when I get to my seat in row 31 I realize that the seat cushion had been used by Royal Jordanian Airlines since they achieved their independence from the Brits!! If there was one inch of padding it was a lot, I looked around to snatch someone elses seat cushion and was shocked to see that all were the same. I snagged an extra blanket folded it and that gave me about 1/4 inch more to sit on whoopeee!! The flight was uneventful and we finally landed in Chicago. They told us what the time was there and I changed my watch accordingly, which was the incorrect time by an hour but hey after all they did say it was 1642 hrs when it was really 1742 hrs which would have an impact later. I called Carmen while we were still in the air over circling around O'Hare and told her that I was arriving an hour early.

We got through customs although 2 of the Iraqi's got stopped for the random checks at immigration. We finally got our luggage and I headed out the door and what a great site to see, my parents and sister Christina had made the drive down from Milwaukee to see me. I hadn't seen them since April 07 when they visited me a couple of days before we flew out of Riley for the box. Here all this time I thought I had an extra hour until my 2030 flight so we are chilling having some coffee and catching up on everything, when Christina says don't you have to get going, I tell her no that it's only 1900 hrs and I still have another 90 minutes until my flight leaves, she says no, it's 2000 hrs and you better hope security is not that long or you're in trouble!

Christina, The Colonel, Mom and Dad at O'Hare

I'm through security in a heartbeat grab a sandwich and before you know it, we're landing in Dallas and then it's a 3+ hour bus ride to Texarkana TX, and by the time I empty out my luggage and hit the sack its 0345 hrs on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday we did lunch, took the Iraqi's around town, to a auto dealership where they got a chance to see up close Dodge, Cadillacs, GMC's, Saturns, Dodge and Jeeps. We later took them through several neighborhoods so they could see houses, we stopped at one of the guys from Red River house and it was gorgeous and huge. I didn't realize it that it was the first house I had been inside since I left home in January 07. We then went to Walmart so they could do some shopping. As good tourists they spent a bunch of money there to stimulate the economy since Congresses stimulation package is a joke! The still have few billion to spend until they catch up to what we're spending in Iraq!!

The next two days we spent at Red River Army Depot touring the various facilities. Red River is a wheel depot where they rebuild all of the wheeled vehicles in the US Army to include engines and transmissions that are sent separate for rebuild. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the depot so I don't have any.


I will keep you up to date as we travel to Anniston Army Depot in Anniston AL.

The Colonel

Good Friday in the Holy Land-Who would have ever thought!!

I had hit the sack late on Thursday night knowing that more than likely we wouldn’t be doing anything in the morning. It was nice to sleep in and then go to the gym for a quick workout on the elliptical machine. Speaking of which my left hip is a lot better as of late with the exercises I am doing plus not running on the roads, but instead on the elliptical trainer.

At 1315 Major Sanders, Col Alberto and I linked up with Saad, Tala, Zoorah, and we headed off to the Dead Sea which is located about one hour south of Amman. The drive was beautiful as you could really appreciate the geography of Jordan, lots of hills, valleys, terraced farms, olive trees, sheep, etc. We arrived at the Dead Sea and opted to go to the right and see the where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan.

Baptism Site Map

We had to get on a lorry with seats and they drove us to the site of the baptism. After a good 500 meter walk toward the River Jordan we finally came upon the site, according to the tour guide, it was discovered in the 90’s and like many sites located by rivers, nature took its course and the River Jordan no longer flows at the exact site. Here I was a Roman Catholic on Good Friday the day that Jesus was crucified standing at the exact site where 2000+ years ago Jesus was baptized. It was definitely something I will never forget.

Actual Baptism Site

We were able to continue to walk towards the River Jordan and there several of the folks in the tour had their baptism gowns on and jumped into the river. Most of us were content touching the river as if to say we were here. The River Jordan is only 7 meters wide at that location and on the other side is the Holy Land Israel and the “West Bank”. Up the hill on the West Bank you could see the Jew’s had several buildings and temples and the Israeli flag seemed to wave slowly in the wind.

The West Bank

What was somewhat out of place were the Jordanian Army guard posts along the River Jordan protecting Jordan from Israel. I could not see any Israeli guard posts from where we were at, but am sure not too far away from that location they exist. We hiked back to the lorry stop and then took the bus lorry to the start. From what I gathered they are starting to build up the tourism at this site. The Greek Orthodox Church completed building a Church at the drop off site, the Roman Catholic Church is currently under construction. There were several tour buses while we were there and with this being Holy Week what better time to visit the Holy Land, still Jordan could definitely improve their tourist infrastructure at this location which is one of the most coveted locations for Christians through out the world.

We then headed toward the Dead Sea resorts about 15 kms south of the baptism site, and stopped off at a Moveinpick Resort to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening. The resort reminded me of the resorts in Marbella or Santi Petri in Southern Spain. The swimming pool was huge and the ladies stayed there enjoying the view of the Dead Sea and the shade while us guys decided to swim or float in the Dead Sea. We changed into our swim suits and made our way down to the shore and it is very rocky and the footing is all stones, but after getting knee deep one only has to turn around and lay on your back and presto you’re floating big time. It felt weird being able to float without any effort, as ones feet stick out of the water while laying on your back.

Major Sanders and I Floating in the Dead Sea

The water is so salty I wet my mouth and it was awful. I still remember rinsing with salt water when I was a kid and had an infection in my mouth, that tasted nice compared to this. Lots of people put on some mud before getting into the Dead Sea, I preferred not to. We must have spent about 30 minutes enjoying the scenery and floating along. Before changing we headed into the pool just above the shore and were able to witness a beautiful sunset on the West Bank.

Later we got a chance to walk around the resort and check out the various sites and activities, they have 3 or 4 swimming pools, spas, cafes, etc. We then enjoyed an excellent buffet dinner of Middle Eastern cuisine and some Amstel Light on tap. Our table was on the terrace and it was so nice none of us wanted to leave as the conversation and company was perfect and time seemed to stop. But all good things must come to an end and we had to head back to the hotel knowing that the following morning we’re heading to the US on our tour.

The Colonel

TDY Day 2

Major Sanders and I on the C-17 enroute to Amman Jordan

We arrived at BIAP at 0645 and got into line to show our docs at the counter and met Seinfelds Soup Nazi counterpart here in Iraq, at the check in counter. Everything he looked at was not up to his standards, we had our entire packet prepared by one of our LNO's and thanks to him it was a quick 2 minutes while he was going over our paperwork. But some of the folks in front of us were getting beaten down by the Checkin Nazi and for a while I marveled as a contractor could literally bring a GS 12 or Colonel to their knees while scrutinizing their paperwork, country clearance, passports, orders etc.

After that mess I was glad to get the hell out of there and ran into one of the O-5's from our J-4 shop LTC Sower who was at BIAP awaiting transportation to Kuwait on his way home for good. He was part of the first cycle of our folks who had already completed their left seat/right seat and RIPTOA with the crew that replaced them. He was out there smoking a nice cigar and I was able to get caught up on the latest stories of what was going on in the IZ, since we are usually left in the dark up at Taji when it comes to our counterparts in the IZ. We grabbed chow at the DFAC then it was briefing time, turn in your gear that needs to be palletized and wait around for the aircraft to arrive. Once that happened it was grab your gear, go inside the waiting area and finally board the aircraft. We were lucky in that we were flying on a C-17 which means not getting squished by other folks and having plenty of leg room. Off we went and arrived in Amman Jordan about 90 minutes later. Then it was customs, buy a visa and off to the hotel where we checked in and linked up with some of the folks we were traveling with families. In our group it was three officers Maj. Sanders from the J-4 shop, Col Alberto and I. We had a cultural affairs rep with us and one secretary who was heading to Amman for a conference.

Our cultural affairs reps wife works and lives in Amman and his cousin works here also so they picked us up at the hotel and took us to eat and get some sight seeing. We ate at this Iraqi restaurant and I swear I gained at least a kilo. It was 5-6 courses with salads, beef, lamb, chicken, hummus, eggplant, pickles, dessert, chai, coffee and God knows what else to include beer which was great!! All throughout the meal they were doing the hookha.

We then headed downtown where we stopped and hit some of the local shops, then headed to the Roman Theater/Citadel which was constructed in 100 AD, then they took us up to the top of one of the hills here in Amman where there were more Roman ruins plus a great view of the city itself.
Standing outside the Roman Theater in Amman

Major Sanders and I pumping some iron in Amman

We got dropped off at the hotel around 1800 hrs so I hit the gym and then the indoor pool for a nice relaxing swim and later that evening we hit an Indian restaurant at the hotel and after I got back did some emails, chatted with Carmen on line and hit the sack getting ready for day three and our planned visit to the Dead Sea. We are expecting our Iraqi Military counterparts to arrive sometime today and will link up with them tomorrow at the airport when we fly to the US.
Sunset in Amman from my hotel

TDY Bound Day 1

Me in the front row of the UH-60

Iraqi landscape from the air vicinity north of Baghdad

Close to Baghdad

As the title says I am TDY (Temporary Duty) bound to the US of A, where I haven't been since 17 April 2007 when we left Ft. Riley Kansas. As I mentioned in another email, we are escorting 8 key Iraqi officers to several Army Materiel Command Depots in the US so that they can gain the necessary insight as to how our depots are run, the complexities of the depots and many other aspects of depots. As usual I will post info after the fact for OPSEC reasons. The adventure or as others call it "Boondoggle" started on the 19th when COL Alberto and I departed Taji bound for the Camp Liberty adjacent to the IZ and BIAP. At first it didn't look to promising when the day before our NCO went to the Taji International Helopad to confirm our flight and was told that we were scheduled for the 23rd. She told the rep at the airfield to recheck the original request and all that was heard was "ah shit I screwed up", and worst part was that it involved two Colonels who had to be at BIAP on the 20th to fly out. The Ops cell then created a mission and sure enough at 2400 hrs I was informed that I had a showtime and flight. So the morning of the 19th off we went down to Liberty. As usual I always run into someone at the Helopad and this time it was 1SG Gonzalez who was there shipping off one of his new replacements back to the US because the Soldier had arrived into country pregnant which is strange since when we deployed last year the female Soldiers had to take a pregnancy test at the Mob site and until the results were confirmed right there were not allowed to manifest on the flight to theater. Looks like he'll be on my lift also when we rotate out of theater. The flight was uneventful but at least it was daylight so I was able to get off a few shots. Which you are able to see above.

At Liberty we got checked in at the AMC office there and it was a normal workday and with the various computers they had there I was able to knock out those last emails and updates that were required before we were to head out the next morning. It is a small world and sure enough we ran into one of the O-6's and his CSM at the AMC offices and got to talk some shop regarding TNMD and the M1114 IROAN project that is taking place in Taji. While I was there CSM showed us an EFP Electronic Formed Projectile that has been so lethal to our vehicles and the US has confirmed that Iran is shipping these to Iraq for Al Qaida and the insurgents to use. Here is a picture of one that was recovered from a vehicle that got hit by the EFP and the good news is that no Soldiers were killed or injured in this blast.

EFP

Later that evening I had to go and turn in my weapon and IBA since I wasn't going to need these in Jordan the US for my trip. I was dead tired that night and hit the sack early knowing that our showtime for the flight to Jordan was going to be an early one. Luckily for me as always I packed my trusty poncho liner because the trailer was cold and it got a lot colder that night and I was nice and warm!!

Windy and Wild Taji

What a wild night two nights ago! It was a slightly overcast in the afternoon and around 1700 hrs the cold front came through and the wind shifted the temperature dropped and then it got windy and wild. The winds were about 30-35 MPH but then the gusts started getting up in the 50-60 MPH range and anything that wasn't sandbagged down started to fly. At around 2400 hours the wiind died down and it wasn't until morning that you could see the damage that was caused by the winds. The DFAC that the Iraqi Soldiers use to train on had two thirds of it's roof peeled back like a can of sardines, I don't know if it was the wind that caused it or a combination of wind and the less construction quality of the roof. Around or living areas, the metal poles that support our comms and TV cables were snapped in half so there were wires all over the place and blocking the roads. Satellite dishes were laying on the ground having been blown off the roofs, mine was good to go since I had recently put about 6 additional sandbags on the support base and that saved the day for me. As I drove to the depot all the trash that had been laying around or in piles was spread all over the Iraqi side of post and was piled up along side the fences. When I got to the depot there must have been at least 10 tree limbs strewn along the road. Late yesterday the dust started picking up and it has been less than 400 yards visibility all day and with that visibility nothing flies except medevac choppers.

We are busy moving our remaining items to PMO Bldg. on the dark side (we call it dark side because since they don't have much fuel the lights are usually out on their side of post). As of this Monday all of our operations will be handled from there which will make coordination with our Iraqi counterparts that much easier, especially since they don't have nor will have for a long time internet. I personally am looking forward to it since I will be to get status updates on the spot from the Iraqi's and they will have no place to hide except their Quarters when I come looking for them.

That's about for now, but before I hit the post button just wanted to give a big shout out to Censi for having passed her HESI nursing exam last week. USF won't let the nursing majors graduate or take the state boards unless they pass this test and she scored very high so now they want her to tutor her peers who did not achieve the required and get them ready for the next HESI.
Now all she has left are her final exams in early May and interviews for the job hunt! Censi great job and enjoy your last spring break as a college student, next year at this time you'll be working for a living and paying taxes so the buffoons in DC and Sacramento can spend it on pork barrel projects!

The Colonel

Starting to Feel Like Sun Here at the Depot

It's been a long while since I sat in or dialed in to one of the many Sun meetings that we must attend on a weekly basis. The lack of meetings has been one of the highlights of my tour over here. People that know me know that I hate meetings and my mantra when it comes to meetings is less is better! The only meeting that the key folks have to attend here at the Depot is my morning 0830 meeting where in 20 minutes we get status updates on what's on everyones plate, where I get to ask for updates or areas that need focus, a quick round table, and the "let's go to work" closing. Since all of us are all over the place during the day the comms is constant and if I need an update on one of the buildings all I have to do is walk over to the Corps of Engineer building or I more than likely will run into one of their engineers at one of the job sites. However with the Depot Integrator on board and as we approach critical mass on some of the construction it has become evident that there has to be some meetings so that critical info can be exchanged.

Although the meetings are kept under one hour which is the max my brain will function before it shuts off, I think that we are up to 5 set meetings a week and God knows how many impromptu ones if we are in crisis mode. Between the bridge crane and stand alone crane issue and the indicative list finalization and reconciliation there have been a flurry of those as of late! On top of that I have now split the Iraqi Army meeting into the north and south depots to reflect the MTOE and usually after those I am either ready to hit the gym and take out my frustrations on the elliptical trainer or I just go out for a power walk while looking at the construction sites to clear up my mind and refocus on what's out there!

SSG Gamboas replacements finally arrived this week so he is busy doing his left seat right seat with the two NCO's that will be part of the PMO team. I was able to get an additional head for our group based on all the work that SSG G has been doing and the fact that one NCO is not enough when our group is doing 2-3 tasks at the same time. Major Young's replacement won't arrrive until later this month and we have been able to get her extended for an additional two weeks so that she can cover down in my spot while I am on my TDY trip which I will elaborate on after it's over and I am back in Taji home of the real wild west! It's sometimes funny to see the expressions on SSG G's replacements as he explains some of his duties or they see first hand some of the stuff we have to put up with out here in Taji especially on the dark side (Iraqi Side). From what I have seen so far they will do just fine and am confident that they will have a better idea of what their job role is and duties are in the next few days. The joke around here is that my replacements name is COL Nobody since at this point there is no one slotted as my replacement. Although my boss said that the first O-6 who has the MOS qualification will be diverted to the Depot to replace me, I honestly don't imagine I will see him or her until early April.

Construction work at the Depot continues to move forward, as yesterday I signed for 2 more completed buildings; the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) facility and the Automotive facility. I also looked at the second floor of the Paint Building in the south depot and there were just a few minor issues that I had them touch up before I sign for that area of the building tomorrow. In addition I should be signing for another of the warehouses at the South Depot in the next 2 days.
I am still on the mend with my ITB so I have been hitting the elliptical trainer 4-5 times a week trying to get ready for this weekends marathon. Due to the injury I will not run it but instead will do two 13.1 segments this weekend on the elliptical trainer and as we would say here in Army get "constructive credit' for the marathon which mean a t-shirt and finishers medal. The guys in the IZ will be running the marathon at an undisclosed location (more to follow on that).

That's about it for now just wanted to give my wife Carmen a happy birthday shout out since yesterday the 11th was her birthday and rumor has it she really didn't celebrate it because she's waiting for this old Colonel to get his butt back home so that both of us can celebrate our birthdays together! Happy Birthday Carmen!!

The Colonel

Really Earning my Tour Guide Tab

What a week it has been! It seems like it was only last Sunday night I was tossing and turning in bed thinking about the upcoming VIP visit that was lined up for Monday. I usually don't get involved in the detailed planning regarding security, seating chart for the vans, route selection etc., for these visits but the BSU commander LTC Meyer is out on his 15 day R&R Leave so with two Majors who are more than capable to pull it off, the folks down in the IZ wanted me to earn my pay and take charge of the impending visit. So I had to go over to the BSU and dial in on concall (just like back at Sun) to discuss every damn detail of the visit, knowing too well that by the next morning the protocol folks would make several changes to what was discussed.

Our visitor was none other than the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) Admiral Mullen who had requested during his visit to Iraq and Afghanistan to come out to Taji to check up on the National Maintenance Depot, the M1114 HMMWV repair project and the trainup of the Iraqi Soldiers who would be assigned the HMWWV's once they were repaired. To top that off about 20 Soldiers from several active duty battalions were going to be re-enlisting and the CJCS was going to do give the re-enlistment oath to the Soldiers.

So it was a toss and turn night, and seemed like every hour on the hour I would awake to think about what could go wrong that we hadn't discussed or planned for. Monday morning at 0'dark hundred the fun began and we linked up at the LZ with our vans and escorts, The MNSTC-I folks arrived first and soon after the CJCS and his huge entourage arrived. After the usual meet and greet that is done at the airfield with the dust and dirt flying all over the place we moved over to the overhang adjacent to the LZ and the CJCS greeted the Soldiers who were re-enlisting, conducted the ceremony, signed the docs and each of the Soldiers got their photo taken with him. Then it was off to the races and the Track Depot was the first stop on the tour. I gave the usual windshield tour of the tour to explain the vehicle flow, give some detailed info on what will be refurbished at the site and where we are at with construction, equipment install and training of the Iraqi Army. We then got a chance to get out and walk thru the Small Arms Repair Facility and discuss in greater detail some of the training and repairs that will be done at this site.

We then visited the M1114 repair site facilities then I got a chance to give another windshield tour, this time of the South or Wheel Depot. He then asked that we show him the building which was still under refurbishment so we stopped off at the Paint Facility, and took him inside to show him what was going on. Sure enough they were knocking down a wall to make room for the paint booths and there was the CJCS climbing on a pile of rubble to take a look for himself. After that I handed off the tour to one of the other guys whose site the CJCS was going to visit and got to sit back and enjoy the banter inside the van as certain pressing topics were discussed amongst the CJCS and some of the MNSTC-I Generals and Colonels. I was very impressed of his grasp of what was going on and how much detail he already knew about the projects here at Taji. You'd figure that he is so busy with other things that for him to know about what we are doing and the questions he asked was remarkable. He is really a down to earth kinda guy and the 20 minutes that I got to brief him and answer his questions was a great experience that I don't think I will be forgetting for a long time!

The following day Dr. Mowaffak al-Rubaie a who is a trained neurosurgeon and also happens to be the Iraqi National Security Adviser visited the installation and unlike the previous visit, we had one hour briefing to go over the state of the military, the transition role and what we are doing here at Taji in the maintenance arena. It gave us a chance to discuss the Depot, Mechanics Training, drivers training, the M1114 project, unit fielding of the HMMWV's etc. Our Iraqi counterparts were involved in this tour and as the saying goes nothing goes to plan when the Iraqi's are involved. As much as we wanted to keep on schedule to ensure that the visit would be over on time for the helos. I had told the General that I advise that we had 10 minutes per depot and that included a 5 minute drive through each or the depots and then 5 minutes in the small arms facility and 5 minutes in the main wheel facility. I told the General to be waiting outside the headquarters building at the given time and sure as shit he's no where to be seen as we pull up. I go running inside and he casually walks outside to greet the NSA and instead of getting into the vehicle proceeds to drag the NSA into the building and starts briefing him on the depot. Luckily for me our Deputy Commanding General said TS don't worry about it let them do what they want. After 10+ minutes it was off to do the drive through then we went to the small arms facility and finally to the south depot.

I tagged along for the rest of the tour after jettisoning the General at the South Depot since I and Colonel Alberto had seats on that bird so we could go back to the IZ for some meetings at MOD. The sky started to turn darker and then came the dust and wind and next thing we knew all birds except for medivacs were grounded. They called up the Rough Riders who are our convoy escorts to come up to pick up the NSA and take him back to the IZ. The package had to be delivered that same day and with the choppers grounded as the saying goes: "when it positively absolutely has to be there at a given time call the Rough Riders. The NSA I believe has already survived 3 attempts on his life. I had not been down MST Tampa since July and it was intersting to actually see the Iraqi countryside at ground level versus a birds eye view from the chopper. We arrived safe and sound with no incident and spent about 30 hours in the IZ until we flew back Wednesday evening from IZ-Washington with a couple of stops in between.

It was back to work on Thursday trying to get caught up again knowing that on Friday we had another visitor. I forgot the name but he was the under-secretary to something in DOD and was a retired Rear Admiral. His trip along with a GS-15 was to see what we were doing here at Taji that was tied to the strategic defense level for Iraq. That was a more laid back visit and went really well as he was shown some additional sites here at Taji.

Saturday it was meetings with our Iraqi counterparts, sign for the top floor of Bldg 3051 which is the final drive facility on the north depot so that the Depot Integrator can use that space for thier headquarters and to train the Iraqi Depot Production staff later on. I also signed for the first warehouse that was built in the south depot and we really need it as some of the ASL for the HMMWV's started arriving recently.

The last few nights we have been sitting around the fire enjoying a good smoke and some fine company as the weather has been really great, high in the 80's and at night in the mid 60's. For some of the folks on the ground there are not too many more opportunities to enjoy the fire and company as the left seat/right seat training will begin soon. For some of us the chance to light up a good cigar is a necessity as our humidors are maxed out and we are trying to ensure that all our cigars will fit inside when it's time to ship our belongings back home!

Yesterday besides having to go in for couple of hours I was able to start sorting through all the items I have gathered up in the past 13+ months and trying to figure out what I plan to toss in the garbage for burn in the pit or send him. It was nice to be able to wear shorts again and enjoy the sun, from the looks of it they are saying it may rain on Wednesday and Thursday.

I am having problems trying to upload pictures from the CJCS visit, when I resolve the upload issue I will post them.

The Colonel