Hello from Kuwait 03/22/03 (chiefwiggles.blog-city.com)

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Hello from Kuwait 03/22/03

« H » Journal Entry :: email link

March 22, 2003

Hello again from the deserts of Kuwait, the big sand box with all the fun and games we are having over here. I am still at Camp Udairi, which is not far from the Iraqi border, only about 20 miles. Today is Saturday but I wouldn't know unless I stopped to ask someone. Every day is not unlike any other day here, other than the war has started. It has been a few days since I have been able to write, due to the fact that we have been spending a bunch of time jumping in and out of bunkers and our chemical protective suite, called our MOP gear.

The war started Wednesday morning for us right after the president gave a speech to the American people that lasted about 4 minutes. We were all very anxious for this whole thing to be either over or get it on its way. Many of the soldiers that I live with have been here since November. Many of them came right from Afghanistan, interrogating those people during our last conflict over there. These people, along with many of us, are just tired of waiting for something to move either way, in some direction, doing something.

It seemed that even before the president's speech was over we were getting reports of Tomahawk Cruise missiles being launched towards Baghdad. Everyone expected it to kick off that evening, utilizing our night fighting capabilities, so it came as somewhat of a surprise that we started right after the president spoke. Although it made since given the nature of the targets that we were going after. It looked like we were going after some key personnel, certain individuals that we were attempting to take out in the initial stages. I believe some 50 missiles were launched all together. I believe it was an effort to take out some of their government and military personnel.

We were all out doing PT, when the word came that the president had spoken and that the war had begun. Every morning we have been in the practice of waking up at 0600 to do some form of physical exercise, as a group. That morning we were doing a variety of leg exercises, to stretch and build up our upper leg muscles, by doing such things as Iron Mikes, and buddy carries, and deep knee bends, which all together really kicked my butt. Afterwards I went for a run by myself, just to have a little time to myself. I did stop at the first guard tower to let the guard out there on the burm know that the war had begun. I actually like the time spent running along the burm, which for you non-military types that is a huge pile of sand built up all around our area, that encloses everything. It is like having a big wall around the camp.

Lately when I have been running I have been seeing a variety of large lizards, smashed by all the vehicles that are buzzing around here. These lizards are huge too; some of them are over a two feet long, especially when they are smashed. The roads that I have to run on are in some places so full of soft fine sand that it is hard to get through them without sinking down a foot or two. Sometimes when the wind is calm and the sky blue it is really nice to run along the burm, thinking about life and the thing that we are involved with here. Sometimes I run with other friends so we just jog along talking about the things we are experiencing. Usually when I run I am looking for things that I can pick up to make something back in my tent. I also get to see what is going on around the base here when I run. The Black Hawks and the Apaches are lined up ready to go. There are hundreds of them here of all sizes and shapes, loaded down with all types of weaponry. These are amazing birds, unmatched by anything else in the world. I have stopped on many occasions to talk with the pilots and the other guys that work on them, doing the maintenance. I have really been curious about the capabilities of our machines and equipment. One of the pilots was a young man from Taylorsville, who was killed in an accident a few weeks ago, when his bird crashed.

We had our last hot meals today from the mess hall. We have been eating there twice a day, or at least it is available twice a day. Most of the time I don't bother taking the 15 minute walk with all our gear on down there to eat it. Usually it isn't worth it. The food is really not very good. We have had the same breakfast every morning since we got here, that is two hard-boiled eggs overcooked, rice and uncooked bacon and a bowl of cereal with packaged milk. Dinner is usually a better meal, in some ways, at least it changes daily. Sometimes, we do get fruit, apples or oranges, and some salad, if we get there in time. They usually run out of food and stuff by the time I get there.

I have been making my own food lately just so I can eat a little better. I brought a small cooler with me and I take it down to the mess tent to pick up fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. I have also been getting things from the Iraqi's that we work with, which are our interpreters. They are able to go to Kuwait city to buy fresh food, which is like dates and hummus.

I did get the chance the other day to go into Kuwait City to another base here called Camp Doha, which has been here since the last gulf war and has become quite a large base for this area. There is a large amount of people stationed there and they have a large PX/BX and a foot court with Hardees, KFC, Pizza Inn, and Subway. I was actually able to do my laundry in a machine for a change. Usually there is a large line for everything there but due to the status of things most soldiers had left to go to the front. I shopped in the PX; got a few things I wanted, ate at Hardees and Subway, totally pigging out and did my laundry. It was really nice to have a cold drink for a change. I couldn't believe that junk food could taste so good, all that good fat and grease. The first thing I did was get an ice cold coke, totally awesome. It was really a treat to see paved roads and what I know as civilization.

We had to go through a lot of red tape just to get off base from here and go down there. We also had to get all of our gear on, including our flak jacket and Kevlar helmet. There were also a number of check points along the way and we had to be thoroughly inspected prior to entering the base. It was about an hour and a half away, so really not that far from here.

On the way back we were going a long through the desert around midnight and came a long a deep pile of sand in the road, unfortunately our driver slowed down and got stuck in the sand. We got high centered by the sand and all four wheels were spinning around. We were in an SUV and not a Hummer and we just didn't have what it takes to get through it, specially when the driver doesn't go around it or speed up to get through it. We called in back to the base to dispatch someone to come out to get us, but fortunately for us after about an hour a hummer came by and pulled us out. Those hummers are really incredible and can go through almost anything. This is the perfect terrain for those vehicles. Even so it was a good trip and even though I was just there for a few hours, taking the trip was well worth it, even with the getting stuck in the sand experience.

I probably won't be back there again.

It was really nice being in a vehicle that had AC and a radio. There is actually a radio station out here that we were able to pick up the whole way. They were playing a lot of tunes that I enjoy, so I was able to get into the tunes for a while, which has really been a long time so it seems. It really seems like it has been a long time since I have been in my other normal life.

I was able to get to church this last Saturday, they don't have any rooms for us to meet on Sunday, and take the sacrament. We had a couple of good speakers this week also, which really helps keep us spiritually focused out here. Some of the Iraqi linguists even came with us to see what our church is all about. Some of them are actually Christians and have been for years.

I fixed up some food the other night for a few of us that didn't want to eat the chow hall food. One of our cooks that works down there said after seeing the way they handle food he didn't want to eat there anymore. A contract worker that is from India or somewhere prepares most of our food. I guess they don't practice very good rules of cleanliness or personal hygiene. But so far I haven't gotten sick or anything from it, I am sure it is because I pray real hard before I eat. But what can you expect when you are cooking for thousands of people. The other night they said it was the last night that they were going to be cooking anything so they gave us small lobsters, which we quite over cooked and not very fresh, but by our standards out here not too bad. At least they were eatable. With all that we are doing we get pretty hungry, so when dinner time rolls around we are ready to eat just about anything, as long as it is not moving on our plate. I am usually not a very picky eater except when it come to eating MRE's, which aren't bad, it is just that they are so full of chemicals, preservatives and fat. I try to eat as healthy as possible, since we don't eat that much.

As I was saying I fixed up some foods for a few. I took the Spam, fresh tomatoes, the cucumbers and made some pretty good sandwiches with the bread I took form the mess. I also had a mango, a kiwi and some oranges that the Iraqis brought me that I used to make a bit of a fruit salad. So with the fruit and the sandwiches, we had a pretty good dinner. As soon as the scud alerts stop I will be able to start cooking here with all the food I brought, with the rice and the ham and fish. I plan to make some sushi real soon too.

Ever since the war started we have been on the alert for any missiles launched in our direction. So as soon as one goes off we know about it and we know what direction it is headed and we jump into our protective gear, our chemical suites and jump into a bunker, waiting for the all clear sound to go off. So this is happening all through the last few days, in that Iraq has been launching these every so often. The first night we had one about every hour all night long. Not all of them are scuds but for now until I can say other wise. The process is simple, when we hear the alert depending on the type of alert, we get our mask on and move to the bunker. We were thinking of moving our cots into the bunker so we wouldn't have to wake up and move during the night or I guess we could just hide inside our sleeping bag until everyone leaves the tent. I just make sure that everyone is ready and that no one is having any problems. I just check on my buddies.

I am working in the TOC now at the BN level, making sure that all of our people get out on the right assignments and I assist in managing all the flow of intel and information. I also will be working in getting the Joint Interrogation facility gets moved up north when the time comes and that we properly manage the flow of prisoners and also other types of individuals after the war ends. There are going to be a lot of need to continue to get information about the things that have been going on with that regime and to continue to find the smoking guns that everyone is so concerned about.

Right now we are just having a lot of meetings and briefings about the current state of things and planning for the move, when and where.

The other night I went outside during one of the missile attacks just to see what was going on and I was able to hear the sound of artillery pounding away at Iraq and also all night long the sound of helicopters leaving to go out on missions. I was even able to see one of the patriots intercept one of the scud missiles in the distance, which was like a star exploding then vanishing from sight. It is a strange feeling to be out in the desert late at night with a war going on all around me, knowing that people are dieing and putting their lives in harms way. People's lives are changing on both sides and things will never be the same again. While I was standing there I could feel the concussion of each artillery shell being shot out, feeling the air move and the push of the explosion. The dust was stirred up all night long as the helicopters went to and for, going out on missions and returning. I prayed for those young men, who were risking their lives that night, entering into a variety of dangerous situations and returning to do it again on another day.

Today I went as usual and spent most of my day in the TOC, which is like the command center for this MI unit. That is where all the planning is going on and where all the intel comes in, so that we get an update on what is happening with the war. We had captured a couple of Iraqi generals today and we were lining up the interrogators to drive over to where they were being held. We are getting new missions every day as the need arises with some of the POW's that we are getting. The war is moving along and we have taken quite a few of their cities. Many of their soldiers are surrendering and their whole units are capitulating.

We did have the opportunity to go to church this evening for about an hour, which was really great. It was a nice break and gave us all time to get our heads spiritually oriented. So it was nice to have those times to meditate and pray about a number of things that are going on in our lives, as you might imagine. We had a couple of our guys speak in church, sharing some of their thoughts and feelings. Sgt Hodgson retold the story of Saving private Ryan, the last words that Tom Hanks spoke to him before he died was "Earn It", which is what we all need to be thinking about. Earn it. Be worth of the blessings that we are asking for. Earn the respect of others around us. Earn the trust of our fellow soldiers and earn the love of our families and fellow countrymen.

As we walked away from our meeting, walking back to our tents, we had much to reflect on and we had a different feeling about what we are doing. We all had a feeling like we were part of a bigger plan; one that was divinely developed that had something to do with the Iraqi people.

I went over to the other tent where the guys from my original team sleep so that I could say goodbye to the ones that were leaving in the morning on a Mobile Interrogation Team. I gave them some last minute advice and we took a moment to have a team prayer. Five of them will be leaving in the morning to go to where some high-ranking officers are being held by the marines, so that they might be interrogated. They are going to be traveling into the war zone, into an area that has just been taken by our forces.

It is about 10pm and I am in my tent, getting ready to bed down for the night. Most everyone is already asleep now, expecting another night of scud alarms, which might keep us up all night. There are a few guys playing cards on a make shift table, with their gas masks close by. The night air is kind of cool tonight, not sure why. The night sky has an unusual haze, which is creating a strange ring around the moon, which is just coming up above the horizon. It is extremely dark out tonight, which should be good for the night raids that have been planned.

The one thing that is unusual and unique about the US military capabilities is that we all have the capability to fight at night. All of our soldiers, tanks and planes have the ability to see in the dark and fight in the dark. Not to brag, just stating a fact.

One thing that has really helped me gain a better understanding of what has and is going on with the US and Iraqi is by reading the book, 'The Threatening Storm by Kenneth Pollack. This is an excellent book, written truly by someone who has been in the know for a long time.

I was going to try to cook tonight but due to a briefing we had and our late church meeting, I just decided to give up on that idea for now. Maybe with tomorrow being Sunday I might have some time to stir up something good. Of course war take no days off, but maybe it will be slow tomorrow. So far tonight we haven't had any alarms go off for a while.

Some of our Iraqi interpreters were leaving in the morning also, so I went by to say goodbye to them also. We sat for a while talking and having some candy and cookies that I bought for them. They have really been nice to all of us and helped me learn a lot of Arabic. They are so anxious to help out and to be with us all the way to Baghdad. Most of them are more my age and so we usually have a lot in common. We joke around a lot and try to keep things not so serious. The whole experience is serious enough anyway.

Some things about being here are just so funny to us. We for the most part try to keep things light and laugh as much as possible. Most everyone here is so uptight and tense that someone needs to add a little levity. People tend to get a little on edge in these situations anyway, so we try to ease people up a little. I usually watch people to see who is getting a little uptight and I try to take the time to hear what is going on in their head that day.

Steve L was concerned that he was going to be stuck not being able to do anything of value here. So when a request came up for a mobile interrogation team, I made the recommendation that he be sent with a number of other people that I thought would good. I also had to speak with one guy because he was concerned about others being sent on missions and he not being able to. Others don't want to go on these missions, so I have to watch who I put on these lists.

Our patriot missiles went down today for a while when they were fixing the radar. So that was quite a good feeling when I got an email saying that we were not protected by our patriots for a while. It was a good thing that no one else knew about that, like the enemy.
That would ruin by day for sure. That would really be a bad hair day, if you know what I mean.

It is amazing how good the moral is for all of the people that I work around. For the most part people really do make a good effort to stay up beat and positive, which always isn't so easy. Everyone seems to be willing to share anything with each other and we try to help each other out as much as possible. We are really with a great bunch of people, even the new people that are from other groups, from other parts of the country. They all take their jobs seriously but still try to not get too uptight about things.

Corby had a chance to go down to another base to interview some of the Third Country Nationals that we hire to provide certain services here on base, like cleaning the bathroom and bringing us water to shower and wash our clothes in. He was interviewing this one guy, whom he noted had a real language barrier trying to speak in English, so he marked it on his record and sent him out. The next guy came in with the previous guy with him, attempting to use the guy as his interpreter, whom it had just sent out saying he had a language barrier. That was just too funny.

Now days as I mentioned we are having a lot of alarms. So when ever someone yells gas three times or lightening three times, or honks a horn three times, everyone puts on their protective mask. So we were thinking that we would yell anything, like red rover, red rover, red rover, three times and we could probably get people to put on their mask. That would be a funny experience.

Well it is totally dark in my tent now and I am the only person up doing anything. It is totally pitch black inside my tent, but I don't mind, as long as I am not keeping others up, with my loud pounding on my keyboard. We had another big dust storm today, which always is fun. It seems that I am always getting sand out of my ears and nose. My hair always feels like I haven't washed it for a while, even though I just washed it this morning. I feel like I could grow a garden with the dirt in my body.

I drank some tea that the Iraqi's were having the other night, just to be polite, but it kept me up all night, so I don't think I will do that again. They say that it is really impolite not to drink tea with them. But, I hope they will understand in the future.

Right now due to the nature of the situation we have to wear all of our equipment, which is really a lot of stuff. We have our uniform with boots and all that, then we have our flack jacket, then we have our MOP suite, then we have our web belt, with 2 canteens, and 180 rounds of ammunition, first aid pouch, two back packs with more MOP gear, then our weapon and I usually carry another army bag that I keep my books in and any reading material. ON my belt I also have two knifes and a leather man and a flashlight. Then I have my Kevlar Helmet on my head and I believe that is it, but it weighs a ton.

Well that is it for now. I think I will head over to the porta potty and take care of my personal needs. I am hoping that we will have a quiet night for a change. Tomorrow is another day for this group of sand dwellers.

posted Saturday, 22 March 2003comments

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