Test in MOB

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Hello from Iraq! I will write to you and the family at the same time, I am challenged by technology so time is a priceless quantity with me.

For the record the book that I someday will write has now started a new chapter. I have actually taken some notes in the past few days, don't know if I can remember everything that is happening. Chapter One would be entitled company command, and the only thing the same in chapter two would be..I still look like shit, don't feel particularly good and am still a maverick.

Chapter two would read something like this...
Wednesday: Was an attendee at the Powerplant Project for the restoration of power in this damn place. It came time to get assigned a powerplant and believe it or not they didn't feel I had any qualifications to even step foot in one (no suprise to me), but they told me I had skills in logistics that may be helpful. So I was assigned "The Expeditor" of all parts and supplies needed to bring the powerplants back up and running. Yippee, this has nothing to do with being an Engineer!

Thursday: Moved into the “White House” of Iraq and assigned to the COE (Coalition of Electricity). I have a bed on the marble floor underneath the gold chandelers and I walk down the red carpet to get to it. The hallways are forever and have all the offices of the government. The food is pretty good and they clean the porta-potties 4 times a day. There is no sand and security is pretty tight. There are a lot of civilians from many different countries and the military is in the mix also, but not necessarily the predominant players. Life has changed. Still don’t understand what my role will be.

Thursday afternoon: Me and my partner Joe (SGM from Mississippi) head downtown and are 2 building from the United Nations when the sucker blows up. Way too close for me, it was really loud and then things were absolutely crazy.

Friday: Have to go back down town today. Not many
Military do, but it seems to be in my job description. Driving down the road all innocent and bang bang bang, the back of the car gets hits with small arms fire. OK, now this is 2 days in a row. Enough excitement you’d think. We to the Oil Ministry and there is a protest and there are a shitload of people surrounding the vehicle and yelling haji-baba nonsense at us. Finally made it to the office. Three hours later after being trapped in a room with 10 powerplant Iraqi’s, my boss and us 2 military we have solved nothing. It was super hot (have no air conditioning), they served hot tea in the middle of the day and when they argued it was in Arabic and more like a Jerry Springer show gone bad. Still don’t have a real clear picture of my job is but “The Expeditor” title is gaining popularity with Iraqi’s and “White House” staffers. Don’t quite know why yet?

Saturday: The US Ambassador to Iraq is a pretty nice guy. Explained what his concept was of my position. There must be some mistake. Here I am with all these super smart people and I just happen to be the only girl on the project. I can’t imagine doing what he wants. I might as well be “The Terminator”. Lots of money involved, very political and I still can’t believe I’m actually living and working at the white house yet. Spent most of the day lost in the hallways and talking to everyone I walked by. So many different countries here, I am just fascinated.

Sunday: Started working with civilian contractors and how they were going to get me my supplies. Lots of loop holes and stuff I don’t understand. I can’t believe how much money is gonna be pushed through this one project. Afternoon meeting approaching quickly. Don’t know what to expect, its with the United Nations big guys. I got an Australian, British, Czech, Bosnian, Chinese, India, an electricity American rep and me and my partner Joe from Mississippi! Everybody spoke English but everyone was so hard to understand, and it’s a good thing Joe didn’t speak cuz he just mumbles that southern stuff and I don’t understand him either! Bottom line is I got to tell them to give me my supplies. I was brave and thought I had made my point clear. They smiled and told me it (just over a billion of supplies) was stuck in free trade zones in different countries. My responsibilities just became clearer. “The Expeditor” is not just a title, these people are really believing that I can actually get them supplies. Ha, my advice is to invest in candles!

Sunday night: Working late, thinking about chapter one of my book. I would give up all this in a heartbeat just to see my soldiers again. I am lonely and I worry about them out there all alone.

Greg: I have figured out a couple of things to speak about when I get home. I have traveled well over 25,000 miles in this country and also in Kuwait. Been to probably 90% of all Army camps and there are themes that are very obvious if you listen to soldiers. I would talk about the importance of “Meaning, Purpose and Dignity”. You can feed them well, give them nice places to live and everything they could possibly want. But what the military has not provided is anything that makes them feel like people are making a difference in this shit hole. Most units aren’t doing what they trained for. They have no feeling of when they will go home or why they are still here. We are not a system that cares about single soldiers and that is just not right. There are more leaders who are here to check a block and have done so at the expense of young impressionable minds. The standards are set for us and them. What a better place to combine survival of both the body and spirit. Soldiers are dying and the system can’t see it at the top, not even a mention of the incidents in the mornings. Example: Were we had one of our ambushes, there has been 6 in the same place in the last 18 days, do ya think we’d clean up that area? The nice part is that I do see it from my perspective and I don’t mind taking a beating sometimes. But it is not about getting an administrative bronze star and never going outside the wire. It has got to be about giving each individual a purpose to continue on with the mission. Retention is gonna suck.

Sharon: I’m really gonna try to get home before the shopping season is over. I haven’t and probably won’t shop over here so I will be in the mood to shop! Thanks for the letter and tell the boys hello. Sorry I’m gonna miss the football season. Even if I do make it back probably would just sit in the car to keep warm. It has cooled back down to just under 120 again. I thought that week it was hovering in the 150 arena that my brain was melting. I’m not coming back again!

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