You can neverget too much learnin'

I'm now at Taji, attending the Phoenix Academy. (Sorry for the typos, as this is an old beatup computer. Pretty much everything on this side of Taji is old and/or beat up.) The Phoenix Academy is about counterinsurgency (COIN) and learning more about how to be an advisor. Here they train Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, as well as Iraqis, on COIN. A lot of the training is redundant, but it some of it is good to see again, as it takes a bit to sink in.

We are getting more on Iraqi culture. More and moreI realize how little I know about the world, and how ignorant I am of other ways of living life. Iraqi culture is very tribal and family oriented. Without a group, youwill not survive here. As a by-product or consequence, lack of individuality reduces the need or requirement for a lack of responsibility-- a cornerstone of western-style democracies. We ugly Americans think this is wrong, but it's just the way it is here, and it's been that way for thousands of years. It will take a generation (or two or three) to overcome this mindset if a truly democratic style of government is to take place.

We live in some old Iraqi Army barracks-- not too bad, compared to the tents of the past three weeks. Yesterday I had the pleasure of using an 'eastern style' toilet. I can mark that off my bucket list... We are comfortable, but we are also ready to get out of here and get to work on our own patrol base. We are also getting out of the "receive" mode and now are having to start thinking about how to advise these guys so they can be more efficient. It will be an interesting problem to tackle.

Weather is pleasant. Highs in the mid-70s and low80s, lows in the 60s. The mornings are very pleasant. Too bad it can't be like this all the time.

I had somenotes on Veterans Day, but the USB on this computer is inoperable, so they will remain stuck on my thumb drive and on mylaptop. Oh well. My thanks to those who went before me, for those who made this easier, and for those who gave us the privilege of our freedoms.

Hope this finds you well. Take care.
Ron