28 APR 05: Watch out Dorthory!

Well as a result to all the freaky weather that we had her in Iraq from sunday to tue. This includes lighting and thunder. I am told both things are rare for this reagion. But on Wed morning I got some intresting news.

A Tornado hit Al Sad I am guessing it was F-2/3 type scale. While that means nothing to most people. To a guy like me from Oklahoma where we sooners take the weather as seriously as a heart attack. F2/3 has some real meaning for me. I was in Ok back in may 4 1999 when the F4/5 rolled through North TX and diagonally across Ok (hitting every major city in the state) and then finally fizzled in missouri. Usually we do tornados by how many minutes, emphasis on minutes,they are on the ground not hours like in may 1999. Wow where does the time go 3 years until the 10 year anniversary on that.

So someone asked the question of how often does that happen. No one had answer cause no one knows when the last tornado touched down in this country. That is power. I beat that freaked some of the locals out.

Now I am not saying it is because of us boys from okalahoma that are out here but there are some 45th IN BDE guys here and me. I have heard some weather about us Ok guys bringing bad weather with them. Oh well. I guess the war wasn't exciting enough as it is so we need to liven it up with some random Tornado action.

Now normally I don't get worked up about a tornado that touches down on the other side of the country. But when you are in a country the size of Texas you go that is not that far away. Then when you realize you live in a trailer park.... Ask anyone in Ok and they will tell you being in a trailer park is like living in a tornado magnet. you are beggin for trouble.

Don't stop praying for rain. Once a week would be nice. A light gentle rain hold down the grass, cool things off, and help plants grow. That would be good.

I know what yo are thinking "Vick man it gets terribly muddy there when it rains." That is alright the rain prevents the insurgents from being so active.

In case you are wondering while you may not be hearing that much about Iraq in the news it is because the insurgents are failing mesirably. They are continuing to attack the locals. Not a smart way to recruit fighters.


next up Basrah Part III

"Come home with your sheild or on it!" What Roman mothers used to tell there son's and husbands when they left for war.
Good words to fight by.

Life in america is worth at least that much.

26 APR 05: Rain

Well for those of you who have been praying for rain. We got a mean dust storm on sunday night. Which despite the wind and the dust is not that bad because the wind is cool as opposed to the rest of the time that the wind is hot. Nothing like coming out on a 106 degree day which we had two off them back to back followed by a 104 degree day and feel hot wind. Oh yeah.

So Monday we had a good cloud cover for most of the day and so it was realatively cool. Not to bad actually. not to mention we got some sprinkles yesterday. nothing to really call rain. But any precipitation here is good.

But it started steady light rain last night and it has been going lightly off and on all day. So don't stop praying for rain. God knows we need it. I would like to have a light rain once a week for as long as I am in this country. People here say it never rains in the summer here. But I bet God could make it rain at least once during the summer. So pray for rain in Iraq.

hope all is well.

Ben you ready. Time is getting close.

20 APR 05: Basrah part 2

Basra. Well due to time constraints we had to go right from the airport to the chow hall on the British base. So we go drive like the ¾ of a mi from the airport to the Brit base. So we walk up to the base guard flash our badges go and get something to eat.

So keep in mind that all the coalition forces have contracted help to help them get the little things done. Like we pay people to make our meals so that we don’t have to have soldiers cooking and the soldiers can concentrate on fighting bad guys everywhere that we can find them. So we go in the chow hall and I got introduced to british food. It was not bad. Some of it was very similar but just a little different. But hey I can always find something to eat. Not to mention I can always stand to skip a meal. Missing meals keeps your mean. Nothing wrong with that.

So while we all at dinner I pulled out my little pocket camera and made a movie over dinner. SPC Berlin made sure I got some screen time. Usually I don’t get much screen time cause I am usually directing the action. But Berlin took care of me. So then we go to the transient billeting office. There we get our rooms and we head over to the room they gave us; which is a compartmentalized square box that sleeps like 12. So it was not that bad. It even had mattresses. So the next morning we got up and showered.

Now here is where things get different. Not good or bad just different. For instance, like the shower thing. They take navy sea showers as us army guys call it. You get one minute of water split in two. So 30 seconds to get wet. Then you turn off the water and then soap up. Then you get 30 seconds to rinse. Now having boxed and kick boxed for years you learn real quick that a minute is along time. So I had no problems then I shave and get dressed. A little later Berlin comes in and says. Sir, I want to get some pictures of the Brits. I say okay. Boy did I have no idea what was I getting myself into.

So we start our day. We know full well that the rest of the day will be Death by PowerPoint. That is army from you are going to go to a bunch of meetings where you will sit and view Power point slide after power point slide until you want to use your weapon on yourself.

So we go to breakfast. They have eggs no bacon, deep fried toast. And something looks like French toast. Hey just thinking we can’t we rename that food to like freedom toast or something. Sorry I am still holding a grudge. I am sure I will get over it some day. So I go through the line and then the condiment line and then I go grab a seat. Then it hits me crap I forgot syrup. Argghh!!!!!! No biggie I will go back. After searching everywhere. I realized there was a reason that I did not get any syrup there was none. I guess the Brits don’t do syrup. Okay no biggie I will live at least I got some food.

So then we go out and get on the bus to go over to the operation center. Another heavily guarded compound. So we leave the compound and get on a tour bus. Which I say was very nice touch. Very civilized. But we only rode in the think like half a mile. I walk farther than that to go eat. So I got kind of a chuckle. So we get to the British compound and Berlin starts talking to any Brit he can find. Well not any Brit any attractive British

19 APR 05: 10 years

Well For those of you who thought I might have forgotten. I have not I will never forget. 10 years has pasted since the 19 APR 95. When I woke up and watched the smoke rising from the rubble of the Heartland of the US and OKC.

That bombing should have been several wake up calls for america. That to Quote the Romans "Hannibal et Portus" Hannibal is at the gates, roughly translated the mean is the enemy is at the gates.

We missed this we missed the first world trade center bombing. we did not wake up with the emabassies in Africa. We did not wake up for the wake up call from the attack on the Cole.

But I will remember the OKC bombing for ever. And this line from a poem that someone wrote in rememberance just days after the bombing.

"We will bury our dead, then pause for a moment and then Move ahead."

Well the time has come to move ahead. We have to fight this enemy. Don't think for a second that these terrorists aren't out there doing their best to plan another attack like 911. Look at the pictures of 911 and let it make you angry. It is okay to love your country and want to protect it from mad men who are to cowardly to face soldiers on the open feilds of battle.

19 APR 05: News from the front.

So I read the one comment that My buddy Ben has left me and it got me thinking. Maybe I can put some info out there about the positive stuff that is going on in iraq. Stuff that is declassfied as I would not want to lose my job so to speak.

Well okay so I have sent some emails out telling a few of you this story below but I don't think it will reach enough people unless you are forwarding this story. Us in the DCUs are starting to hear/see some results from the birth of freedom in Iraq. It think the Iraqis are starting to figure out that they have their own government. If they want to keep their new found freedoms that the Iraqi people are gonna have fight for them.

Yesterday some police man came under attack at their police station in one of our problem cities. Now normally when terrorist attack an Iraqi police station the police run. Oh baby, not this time! They held their ground under withering fire from the enemy.... The Iraqi police held! Then the Iraqi police went once step farther and decided they would HOLD their position no matter what! But the Iraqi police knew they would not last long so they got on the phone and called for the Quick Reaction Force (QRF). A QRF is a bunch of guys in the army that mount up real quick and run to help the police or other units in trouble. I know what your think here comes the U.S. to bail the Iraqis out. Again. Well before you shake your head in despair. Two things are important here. First, that is the job of the U.S. right now to come to the aid of the Iraqis. Second, the Iraqi police in the firefight with the terrorists did not call the U.S. Army QRF. They called the Iraqi army. And together the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi police laid the smack down on some terrorist ass. Yeah Baby Yeah! Its freedom baby yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Forgive me for being an Austin Powers fan)
Yesterday was a bad day to be a terrorist. But you know what let Allah grant them mercy because the Terrorists won’t get it from the U.S. and it is becoming apparent that the Terrorists won't get mercy from the Iraqis either. So pray for more of that. We need the Iraqi people to man up to this fight and get these troublemakers on the run. Giving the terrorists no peace. No refuge. Hunted down like dogs and either brought to justice or wiped from the face of God’s Green earth.

Okay so I believe in freedom. I love my country. Some may say that makes me biased. So maybe it does. But I can't imagine living in a world or country that was not willing to fight, die, and kill for freedom.

11 APR 05: Update

Okay I got mail today so you know what that makes today. It makes it a red letter day. That is such a goofy saying has anyone ever wondered why it was called a red letter day. Well along time ago they used to have these calendars where you could rip off the whole day. Some of you older guys may know what I am talking about. Workdays were written in black ink but holidays and weekends were written in red letters. Hence good days are called red letter days.

Okay so I traveled down to Basrah to visit the Americans living with the British Division down near the border of kuwait. I know many of you are asking yourselves Vick why haven't you posted more pictures to your blog. Well the answer is very simple our firewall has some how blocked my ability to post pictures to my blog.

So you will have to rely on my powers of story telling for you to get the gist of my trip down to basrah. on the evening of the 8th we arrive two hours early for a british Royal airforce that got delayed twice. so basicly our little group arrived 4 hours early. But that was not to bad we killed sometime by driving around to the other FOB (Forward Operating Bases). We compared things like there PXs to our PXs.
The one on our base was better. As we drove around I saw something that I got a real smile out of as I drove by. On one of the 12 foot high concrete baracades some one had spray painted OU and then Sooners right below the OU symbol. Okay not the best art work I have ever seen but It was proof that a Sooner fan had been that way.

So we finally get on our flight and fly down to basrah. Okay I have had several C130 rides but most of them end abruptly when a jumpmaster opens the paratroop door and says "green light! Go!" That's army for get out of the plane and pray your parachute opens. So of course right away I knew this flight was going to be really different because I was not wearing a parachute and there were none on the plane from what I could tell. To be honest I knew we were gonna land in Basrah. However because of the threat of rockets planes here take off a little differently then they do back home. They do alot of fancy manuevers right after they take off. Ever pulled G force manuevers in a C130 j hercules. That is a cargo plane by the way. it was pretty cool. I had a blast. But as usual some cherry lost his lunch/ dinner and puked into his little baggie. This would be a trend on RAF flights. Those flyboys sure know how to keep a paratrooper entertained.

So we landed in Basrah. It was at an old international airport. Once we got off the plane I learned that the brits do things a little bit more civilized then us americans. Not better or worse just different. So they walk us in the terminal and we are standing in the baggage area like wonder when we have to go pull are stuff off the pallet. pallets are how they transport luggage on c130s. Actually pallets are pretty much the way everything is transported in a c130. I have always believed if the armyand the airforce could figure out a way to palletize soldiers we would go out of the plane like that instead of individual chutes. i think I like the individual chutes better.

So were standing there and then the luggage conveyor comes on and our luggage comes out of the wall just like we were at a real airport. So then my buddy CPT lively shows up at the airport to take us to the Basrah base. The only problem is he has a two passenger pick up. So CPT lively drives the COL rides in the cab with Lively and me and the specialist ride in the bed to the base. I felt like I was back in Ok. crusing in the bed of a pick up around town.

alright enough for tonight.

4 APR 05: A Powerful Question!

So my buddy asked me the other day do I feel like I am wasting my time here in Iraq?

Wow! What a powerful question. On the surface of that question you could look at your little cubicle job that resembles the movie office space and ground hog day in almost every aspect and answer it with a resounding; yes! But when you really think about the lives you are affecting at just the levels below you. You have to come up with a different answer all together.

For examples I do administrative, logistics and battle tracking of all the Liaison officers that are attached to the Multi National Corps Iraq’s coalition partners. For those of you who do not know the military jargon it means that we have soldiers attached to the Divisions that are lead by other countries like the British, the Polish, and stuff like that. So yeah when you think about what I do all day long you think yeah this sucks. What a waste of an infantry man. Here I am a trained killer and proud of it, capable of leading Americas best into any situation and leave the enemies of our country crying because we hurt them and broke their toys. So yeah you are a lot disgruntled working in a hostile work environment. It sucks does not even begin to explain what it is you do every day. But when you get a call from the some of your guys up north telling you that their team has not had access to their supplies, mail or money for the camp they live in; your little team springs into action.

So sure I do all the grunt work. Stuff like setting up meeting after meeting with other staff sections, so we can basically all get together and argue about what needs to be done. When you already know full well what needs to be done. After we argue we sleep on it for a week because the only people that attended the meeting are at the worker bee level. We all report back to our staff sections to get approval for decisions we have had made for us from our respective bosses. Then we do another round of meetings to argue about what the bosses want to do. The second meeting is like negotiating with car salesman. Every one has a certain thing in their head but no one comes out and says it. So we negotiate it until all staff sections are happy or as happy as can be then we make courses of action (COA). It is at about this point that I want to beat my head on the table and pull all the hair on my head out. So now you know why I really shave my head it is for my own safety. Then we present the COAs to the bosses that make the decisions that will have to be supported by one of the divisions. Then the boss decides which COA will work best. By this time if you are the guy working on the problem you are usually ready to choke something or someone or anything because your stress level is so high. Then the guys down on the Fragmentation order (FRAGO) writers cut an order to a unit to execute the mission. Even though all this happens in less than three weeks you are still frustrated with the whole process.

But then you get a phone call from one of your guys up there in the north and they are like “hey dude the convoy just got here with our food and water and other supplies.” Then while talking he says “oh yeah and the mail and finance chopper has been on the ground for about and hour.” The job you are doing that you think usually sucks is suddenly worth doing. My dad calls that “little victories”. I swear to God every year old I get the smarter that man becomes. Funny how that works.

Another cool thing you get to see is the effect of the election. See most Iraqis are so used to empty promises from countries that they really thought that the USA was here to occupy them. To the Iraqis the USA was just another form of Saddam. Then one day their little fledgling provisional government guys come around and start putting up ballot boxes. Of course those Iraqi G men are being guarded by US troops. Then in the next week you see the Iraqi G men putting up more ballot boxes and talking to people about the elections and now they are being guarded by the new Iraqi police and Iraqi army.
Then Election Day comes and people turn out in droves to vote. They put up with being searched and guarded all by Iraqis. The terrorists here try and stop them but the Iraqis still vote. Even better the Iraqi police and army guys stop the terrorists sure they give the
“last full measure of devotion” to ensure that their Iraqi people get the chance to vote and then it suddenly starts to work.

Now the Iraqis see their own people forming a government and the Iraqis are now beginning to turn on the terrorists. For example a group of terrorists got turned into the Iraqi police a few weeks ago. The terrorists were hog tied as we say out in Oklahoma and badly beaten. There have been incidents of Iraqi neighborhood watch programs that have just eliminated the terrorist cell while the terrorist cell was moving into the neighborhood.

So yeah to see that and be a part of that on any level is history. This war is every bit as important as WWII. This war will shape the world for decades to come.

“War is chaos.” German saying

“The Americans are so good at war because they train in absolute chaos no matter what they do.” Soviet army on the U.S.


This is dedicated to my buddy BEN

WEIGHT IN

FOR THOSE OF YOU KEEPING UP WITH THE INCREDIBLY SHRINKING VICK. I STEPPED ON THE SCALE AND WEIGHED 198. SO DOWN 12 LBS SINCE I GOT HERE ON 15 JAN 05.