Disneyworld

I left Kuwait bright and early (3am) on a C-130 and arrived at the Victory Base Complex (VBC), which is a series of US bases around Baghdad International Air Port (BIAP) early yesterday morning. I came as an advanced party to set the conditions for our unit which will come later. During my last tour we would come to VBC for refitting-- they had seemingly endless hot water, good chow halls and every amenity you could ever want. I called it Disneyworld, as the place was a circus of FOBBITs (people who never leave the Forward Operating Base), contractors, rogue contracted security companies in Mad Max-style vehicles andof course, the giant logistics contractor Kellog, Brown and Root (KBR). We met the unit we will likely work for and set about the tasks for getting our unit here and lodged.

They have a FOB Mayor here. This cell's purpose is to house Soldiers and ensure facilities are up to standard. We actually bring people over here from the States who never actually see or talk to an Iraqi. The environment created is garrison-like, as if we transported Fort Hood to west Baghdad. Chow halls, gyms, rec centers, small stores of locals selling wares, and fast food joints through AAFES are in a couple of places. (NOTE: I am certain this is not the case in Afghanistan, nor is it normal for most line units.) You can go to the "non-tactical vehicle" yard and get a car/light truck to cruise around and get your business done. We would have gotten our own yesterday, but the TMP yard was closed on Sunday.

Closed on Sunday?? I thought we were deployed.

So we borrowed one from another unit until we can get one later. We went to the FOB Mayor's cell to get a place to live and some places to work, and we were issued keys to some work buildings and we signed for some CHUs (Containerized Housing Units) for myself and the guy I came with. It's really like a mobile home, except we got a "wet CHU" which means it has a real live bathroom. Apparently rank has some priviliges.

I am just in awe of a porcelin toilet I don't have to walk a hundred yards to.

It is evident why the war costs so much when you drive around this place. You can argue that nothing is too good for the Soldier, but in the past year it is evident that not all Soldiers got the same experience. Oh well.... I guess we all pick our occupations and reap the appropriate consequences.

Super Bowl: It was on at 3am, and I could have got up and gone to the DFAC (dining facility) to watch it but I didn't. Too tired, and it's just not the same as home. Maybe I'll catch the replay.

Off to go do more prep work. Hope you enjoyed the game.

Ron