Sorry it has been so long since I last had the chance to write. It seems as though the more comfortable I get in my role, the less time I have. So consider it a good sign I have not had much free time to update everyone. There is no end to the amount of work that must be done out here.
This is a recap of my travels this week. As the draw down continues and everyone moves toward a sovereign and independent Iraq, each day seems to be filled with moments of hope and points of concern. These are some examples of concerns I experienced this week.
19 AUG 09: The large Baghdad VBIED (Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device) attack occurred about a mile away from our office at the NEC. We could hear the explosion and feel the shock wave inside the concrete, blast resistant building. For a moment I thought it was an earthquake as I felt the movement under my feet before I realized that the noise coming from outside was connected to the sensation. That explosion ultimately took 95 lives and injured an additional 300. It was simply a catastrophic event.
I was scheduled to leave for al-Asad base in Anbar out of BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) that evening which requires travel from the IZ to VBC (Victory Base Compound). The VBIED attack caused the mid-day MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle) transportation to be canceled, thus pushing my departure time to the evening run. I made my way to the bus stop and eventually made it to BIAP's Helo Ops terminal 10 minutes prior to take off. This is what I flew out on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:268Phrogapr102003.JPG
This is a recap of my travels this week. As the draw down continues and everyone moves toward a sovereign and independent Iraq, each day seems to be filled with moments of hope and points of concern. These are some examples of concerns I experienced this week.
19 AUG 09: The large Baghdad VBIED (Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device) attack occurred about a mile away from our office at the NEC. We could hear the explosion and feel the shock wave inside the concrete, blast resistant building. For a moment I thought it was an earthquake as I felt the movement under my feet before I realized that the noise coming from outside was connected to the sensation. That explosion ultimately took 95 lives and injured an additional 300. It was simply a catastrophic event.
I was scheduled to leave for al-Asad base in Anbar out of BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) that evening which requires travel from the IZ to VBC (Victory Base Compound). The VBIED attack caused the mid-day MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle) transportation to be canceled, thus pushing my departure time to the evening run. I made my way to the bus stop and eventually made it to BIAP's Helo Ops terminal 10 minutes prior to take off. This is what I flew out on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
20 AUG 09: The flight out stopped several times for fuel and passenger drop offs and pick ups on the way out and took about 3 hours. I arrived in the early hours of the morning, made my way through processing, found my associate at the LZ (Landing Zone) waiting for me and we made our way back to the compound I was visiting. I dropped my gear, made my way to my "can" (what the Marines call their CHUs (Containerized Housing Units), the trailers we all live in) and slept for about 3 1/2 hours, then got up and met the associates I was visiting for breakfast.
It turned out to be a great, highly productive trip. We jammed as much as possible into 12 hours, met with over a dozen people and briefed on a variety of products we provide in theatre nearly all day. It always feels great to have a day like that and it felt like everything came together just in time throughout the entire trip. Hardly a moment was wasted throughout the day.
Upon my return, I experienced a great deal of the hurry-up-and-wait mentality which often embodies our armed forces. I arrived at the al-Asad LZ at in the early evening. We were told the flight would leave earlier than scheduled and we were moved out to the tarmac. We were told the flight would leave in about 30-40 minutes. I need to stop entertaining the notion that leaving early is possible when traveling this way. I thought I might even be able to make the late night MRAP run back from VBC to the IZ. Those hopes were effectively dashed when we eventually took off after waiting on the dark tarmac for 3 more hours. This is the aircraft we flew back on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
21 AUG 09: I arrived back at BIAP again in the early hours of the morning before daylight broke. I considered sleeping at VBC in transient housing, but decided instead to call the transportation contractor and arrange a ride back to where the MRAP picks up (late night bus service is far superior to regular bus routes; it's more like taking a cab than waiting for the bus that never comes when you need it). I made it to the pick up location and laid down in the sand, waiting for the trucks to come. They eventually arrived and I made it back to the IZ around 0600. I had to get new keys to my CHU (they changed the locks while I was gone), took a shower and went to bed. That meant I had been up for nearly 24 hours and only had 3 1/2 hours of sleep over the last 48. I was definitely ready to rest.
It turns out I was fortunate to have decided push ahead and not to sleep at VBC. When I got to my office later in the afternoon, I found out the mid-day MRAP was hit by an IED. Fortunately, nobody was killed and only 4 people were injured. This was the run I would have been on had I decided to sleep and not take that early morning transport back. All too often it's a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time out here; it is not always about skill or awareness. Sometimes it's just dumb luck.
Some of this is likely the pre-Ramadan violence which typically builds and then curtails as Ramadan officially begins (which should have been either yesterday or today...I haven't heard if they decided to declare it as officially startied or not).
