As our days here in Iraq start to dwindle I’ve been spending some time reflecting on our work schedule during our time running the Media Operations Center. It’s been a vicious cycle of steady work interspersed with bouts of sheer madness and sessions of inescapable boredom. This is definitely a theater of operations on its way out the door…but that’s a good thing.
My job here has been relatively steady…as the commander EVERYTHING this unit does is my responsibility, which is why I was careful a year ago to ensure that I had officers and senior NCOs who could do their job.
So, what’s a typical week like for me? Here goes…
Monday: This is the day where I tackle all of the things that I, uh, postponed over the weekend. Time to read through the emails sent over the weekend, tasking us to do this or that, catch up on other emails, and generally get caught up on paperwork. I have one meeting at 1700 (5 p.m. for you non-military types) at the DSTB. This is the first meeting of the week and all of the battalion’s commanders and first sergeants get together and discuss their last “24 hours” and their “next 24-48 hours”. We keep it simple and quick because that’s just too close to dinner time to be yapping about stuff that you can talk about “off line” or at a different time. I also make sure out that three reports that are due every day go out: the personnel status report, the “green” report, and the SITREP (situation report), which lists all of the products my journalists are either working on, have submitted, or have been released.
Tuesday: A day full of catch-up and the time we try to schedule appointments, etc. No meetings on this day, but it is the day the DFAC (dining facility) has quiche for breakfast. They do good quiche here. I do spend this and every other day reading the over 100 emails that I tend to get. Most of them are summaries of media articles regarding Iraq. I breeze through them, skimming the titles to see if it’s something that catches my eye. I also spend free time daily reading various on-line news sites (CNN, Fox, Drudge Report, Slate, BBC, and many others).
Wednesday: My first meeting is at 0900 but thankfully it’s a briefing FOR commanders, not by commanders. So, we sit and listen to information regarding incidents around MND-B, personnel updates, redeployment status, anything that the battalion commander deems necessary for us to know. I usually get back to the MOC in time to head out for lunch. Wednesday is fried rice day at the DFAC for lunch. My XO has a meeting at the DSTB at 1330 and then at 1700 we head over to the 1st Cav Public Affairs office for our PAO “Huddle” (which we now combine into just plain “puddle”) to discuss any issues we might have. Then it’s off to dinner.
Thursday: Thursday is another quiche day in the DFAC for breakfast. If Tuesday’s quiche is mushroom, then Thursday’s is broccoli. But never the same on both days! It’s an open day, like Tuesday, meaning no meetings. Lunchtime is the infamous “Taco Thursday” (see previous post regarding the calendar). Only lately we’ve given up on tacos and head to Burger King instead. Perhaps we should call it “Burger King Thursday”. But then I’d have to print a new calendar. The Division CUA slide is due today…won’t bore you with the details, but it lists all of the main events we’ve done the previous 7 days and the ones planned for the next 7 days.
Friday: Ahhh, Friday. The weekend is fast approaching! Just think…two more working days until Monday! J Training schedules are due, as is the Breeze Slide (explanation on Saturday).
Saturday: All of the PAOs in MND-B get “together” once a week via computer link-up to discuss issues, events, etc. in the weekly Breeze. No video, just audio and some PowerPoint slides that we can all look at. Usually this lasts a half hour and then after that…it’s more paperwork and finishing up the day. Oh, and Saturday night is the night I put my earrings in before I go to bed, so the holes in my earlobes don’t close up.
In between all of this fun, I answer personal emails, go to the gym or the track at least 4 times a week, turn in laundry, go to the PX to see if there is anything new or just sit quietly and read a book. But my favorite day is, of course:
Sunday: This, for the most part, is almost like a real Sunday back in the States. (Well, I tell myself that, anyway). It’s the one morning where I don’t set my alarm clock although I’m usually up by 0800. I start getting hungry after that! Breakfast is usually a big one…things I don’t normally eat: bacon, biscuits and Gravy, Pepsi. The morning at work drags on. It’s the day that I move up our large wall calendar one week. That has been my Sunday morning ritual since we began. On this calendar we mark our meetings, milestones, suspenses, products (green for print, red for broadcast). Anything that we need to remember and act upon. I head to lunch usually around 1300 and for me…that’s the end of the day. We try to take ½ day off around here and Sunday is my day. I get lunch to go and head to my CHU. I get to put on my physical training uniform (although I sometimes put on a pink shirt, but have to change into the Army Tshirt if I go outside) and enjoy not wearing combat boots. I usually clean my room…sweep and Swiffer the floor, and then relax with some DVDs. I can watch multiple episodes of a TV show to pass the day. Occasionally I go get some dinner (fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potatoes) but most of the time I have a pop-tart and Diet Coke and be done with going outside until Monday morning. It’s a great day to relax and recharge and pretend like I’m back in civilization, even if it’s only for a few hours. And, it helps to know I really only have about 4 more Sundays to do this, before we move into the transient tents and then it’s time to GO HOME. Yay.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Happy Anniversary,, 211th MPAD
Well, five days ago, anyways.
It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since the 211th gathered in Bryan, Texas on October 10, 2008, to begin this odyssey that has been our deployment to Baghdad.
For some of us, the work began over the summer, with conferences to attend, training to plan, equipment to be ordered, and contracts to be moved through the system. It took a lot of hard work on the part of a handful of people to ensure that when our Soldiers arrived on “hit day” everything was in place so that Soldiers could focus solely on the looming pre-mobilization training.
Slowly we worked through the summer and early fall, working towards the date of 10 October. When it arrived, we were ready. Our battle roster was full and we were ready to head to Ft. Dix a week later for 21 days of RTC. Since I supervised or did most of the paperwork prior to “hit day”, I knew a lot about our inbound Soldiers…and I hadn’t even met them yet! I had talked to all of them on the phone at least once and had passed multiple e-mails back and forth, giving them tips, ideas, and packing lists.
Then the day arrived. There were multiple trips out to the small airport that serves Bryan/College Station. We picked up inbound Soldiers and took them to their home for the next 2 ½ months…the EZ Rest Hotel (or the EZ SleazY as it was nicknamed). Many of them partook of their first Army-supplied meal at Golden Corral Steakhouse. For some, that was also their last!
We’ve been through a lot in the last year, the mighty fightin’ 211th MPAD. We’ve had Soldiers drop off of our battle roster for various reasons, but we managed to pick up a few as well. We survived Ft. Dix, New Jersey not once, but twice, battling cold, snow, and frozen toes. We arrived in Baghdad after a lengthy trip with many duffel bag drags already a little worse for the wear.
In the past year we have:
-Celebrated everyone’s birthday with cake (or at least Twinkies with candles stuck in them), silly string, and a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday”.
-Welcomed a new baby! Congratulations again to the Martinez family.
-Gone on R & R all over the world and then faced the grim reality of “I’m back here?” upon return.
-Squabbled, made up, fought some more, made up, scratched and kicked, made up. In the Army, no matter how hard you fight with someone you always make up because the guy you’re arguing with tonight could save your life tomorrow.
-Saw four of our own receive Combat Action Badges and one of those Soldiers receive a purple heart.
-Learned a lot of hard lessons about the world of A/C Public Affairs and learned to just “let it go”.
-Ate a lot of pizza and watched a lot of movies.
-Admired that beauty that is Army Dining Facility Food, especially chicken and Mexican food.
-Learned to find the humor in EVERYTHING. Even where none lurks.
-Grown up, matured, and realized that life outside of the US isn’t always nice.
But, alas, although we have marked off one year, it’s not over yet. We have just under 60 days before we depart Iraq and once again brave the wilds of Ft. Dix. We have mountains of paperwork to complete, not including the documents I’m not even aware of yet! And we can’t let our guard down. Complacency is what gets Soldiers hurt…we have to stay focused on the endgame but not so focused that we have tunnel vision and don’t see the dangers lurking all around us.
Hang in there, guys.
It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since the 211th gathered in Bryan, Texas on October 10, 2008, to begin this odyssey that has been our deployment to Baghdad.
For some of us, the work began over the summer, with conferences to attend, training to plan, equipment to be ordered, and contracts to be moved through the system. It took a lot of hard work on the part of a handful of people to ensure that when our Soldiers arrived on “hit day” everything was in place so that Soldiers could focus solely on the looming pre-mobilization training.
Slowly we worked through the summer and early fall, working towards the date of 10 October. When it arrived, we were ready. Our battle roster was full and we were ready to head to Ft. Dix a week later for 21 days of RTC. Since I supervised or did most of the paperwork prior to “hit day”, I knew a lot about our inbound Soldiers…and I hadn’t even met them yet! I had talked to all of them on the phone at least once and had passed multiple e-mails back and forth, giving them tips, ideas, and packing lists.
Then the day arrived. There were multiple trips out to the small airport that serves Bryan/College Station. We picked up inbound Soldiers and took them to their home for the next 2 ½ months…the EZ Rest Hotel (or the EZ SleazY as it was nicknamed). Many of them partook of their first Army-supplied meal at Golden Corral Steakhouse. For some, that was also their last!
We’ve been through a lot in the last year, the mighty fightin’ 211th MPAD. We’ve had Soldiers drop off of our battle roster for various reasons, but we managed to pick up a few as well. We survived Ft. Dix, New Jersey not once, but twice, battling cold, snow, and frozen toes. We arrived in Baghdad after a lengthy trip with many duffel bag drags already a little worse for the wear.
In the past year we have:
-Celebrated everyone’s birthday with cake (or at least Twinkies with candles stuck in them), silly string, and a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday”.
-Welcomed a new baby! Congratulations again to the Martinez family.
-Gone on R & R all over the world and then faced the grim reality of “I’m back here?” upon return.
-Squabbled, made up, fought some more, made up, scratched and kicked, made up. In the Army, no matter how hard you fight with someone you always make up because the guy you’re arguing with tonight could save your life tomorrow.
-Saw four of our own receive Combat Action Badges and one of those Soldiers receive a purple heart.
-Learned a lot of hard lessons about the world of A/C Public Affairs and learned to just “let it go”.
-Ate a lot of pizza and watched a lot of movies.
-Admired that beauty that is Army Dining Facility Food, especially chicken and Mexican food.
-Learned to find the humor in EVERYTHING. Even where none lurks.
-Grown up, matured, and realized that life outside of the US isn’t always nice.
But, alas, although we have marked off one year, it’s not over yet. We have just under 60 days before we depart Iraq and once again brave the wilds of Ft. Dix. We have mountains of paperwork to complete, not including the documents I’m not even aware of yet! And we can’t let our guard down. Complacency is what gets Soldiers hurt…we have to stay focused on the endgame but not so focused that we have tunnel vision and don’t see the dangers lurking all around us.
Hang in there, guys.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Surrey With the Fringe on the Top
No, I haven't gone out and bought a surrey with fringe on the top and we're not reviving "Oklahoma!" on any stage in Baghdad. Going with the theme of most of my posts that fall under the name of a song, I wanted to write about what's happening here in Iraq that has something to do with...well...a surrey with the fringe on the top.
That surrey, from the play, also has "isinglass curtains you can roll right down, in case there's a change in the weather..."
That's it...we've had a change in the weather. It's only mid-August (is that the "midsummer" from a "midsummer's night dream?") and we've had...a change in the weather. Almost imperceptable, but a change nonetheless. The mornings and evenings are cooler than they have been. I walked into to the work last week at 5:30 a.m. and it was only 88 degrees! A few days later I walked to work at 8 a.m. and it was only 99 degrees! And today, the high was only 113! Now, you might be thinking...are you nuts? It was only 113? Yes...and that's a break in the weather when we have been dealing with highs of 122 - 125. It's nice to walk to work in the morning now and not be blinded by the sweat dripping into my eyes. And the evenings...I can walk back from the shower at 8 p.m. and not be covered with sweat by the time I reach my front porch.
It's all perspective, I guess. When I lived in Minnesota I would be bundled up to the eyeballs in November when it was 30 degrees. By February I was going to the mailbox in -10 degree blizzards in jeans and a sweatshirt!
A lot has been going on since I last posted. The biggest event was a visit from LTG Jack Stultz, the Chief of the Army Reserve, and his Command Sergeant Major, CSM Caffie. They were here in Iraq for 5 days, starting out here at Victory Base Complex, doing two town halls for the Reserve Soldiers here. It was a lot of fun and nice to get "a little love" from "one of our own". The sneaky person that I am, I put myself on the itinerary to go with the group over the next few days. What fun! I finally got to ride in a blackhawk helicopter in Iraq. First we flew to Camp Speicher to visit the troops there. The flight was long and hot and we flew over a whole lot of nothing. You don't realize how much NOTHING there is outside of Baghdad proper until you fly over it. After a nice lunch and questions-and-answers, we flew on to Al-Asad to repeat the meal and Qs and As. This is where the fun began, as our travel plans began to unravel. We had two helicopters arrive around 9 pm but apparently one couldn't handle passengers. After an hour or so of planning, it was decided that everyone but 5 of us (me, the print journalist, the broadcast journalist, COL P, and one of the security detail) would fly to Taji and then the helicopters would turn around, come back, and fly the rest of us to Taji. Our flight wasn't supposed to return until 2 a.m. so we camped out in the VIP lounge and ate pop-tarts and watched a surfer movie. (The one with Kate Bosworth, forget the name.) Thankfully our flight arrived at 12:30 so we actually got into bed at a decent hour: 2 a.m.
Back up at 6 a.m. the next morning for breakfast and another town hall. Then we flew to Balad. I heard later on it was a close call...a dust storm was on it's way in and they almost cancelled the flight. We had the last town hall in Balad and that's where we split off from the group of VIPS. The four of us (the same group, minus the security) were supposed to fly back to Baghdad that night but by then the sandstorm was in full swing and nothing was flying. Thankfully we got rooms at the BOQ but had to be back at the terminal at 4 a.m. We got on the plane at 9 a.m. but took off at noon (after being removed from the plane and sat in the bus until we could reboard...engine problems). We were going to flight 30 minutes to Kirkuk, then 30 minutes to Baghdad. We landed and took off from Kirkuk, and 45 minutes into our 30-minute flight the pilot informed his passengers that, because of yet another dust storm, we were being diverted to Kuwait.
Okay, so not only am I getting back to the office 24 hours late, but I left the country! :)
We spent the afternoon and night at Ali al-Salem airbase, on standby, waiting for a flight to Baghdad. Flights were getting diverted all over the place...one plane made it halfway to Camp Speicher before turning around and returning to Ali al-Salem. I tell you, when the dust kicks up, it chokes everything. Our time in Kuwait was spent swallowing large amounts of dust! I am grateful that I was given the chance to wash my uniform...it was on sweaty, dusty, Day 3 and needed to be washed.
I arrived back in Baghdad a day late, but safe and sound!
That surrey, from the play, also has "isinglass curtains you can roll right down, in case there's a change in the weather..."
That's it...we've had a change in the weather. It's only mid-August (is that the "midsummer" from a "midsummer's night dream?") and we've had...a change in the weather. Almost imperceptable, but a change nonetheless. The mornings and evenings are cooler than they have been. I walked into to the work last week at 5:30 a.m. and it was only 88 degrees! A few days later I walked to work at 8 a.m. and it was only 99 degrees! And today, the high was only 113! Now, you might be thinking...are you nuts? It was only 113? Yes...and that's a break in the weather when we have been dealing with highs of 122 - 125. It's nice to walk to work in the morning now and not be blinded by the sweat dripping into my eyes. And the evenings...I can walk back from the shower at 8 p.m. and not be covered with sweat by the time I reach my front porch.
It's all perspective, I guess. When I lived in Minnesota I would be bundled up to the eyeballs in November when it was 30 degrees. By February I was going to the mailbox in -10 degree blizzards in jeans and a sweatshirt!
A lot has been going on since I last posted. The biggest event was a visit from LTG Jack Stultz, the Chief of the Army Reserve, and his Command Sergeant Major, CSM Caffie. They were here in Iraq for 5 days, starting out here at Victory Base Complex, doing two town halls for the Reserve Soldiers here. It was a lot of fun and nice to get "a little love" from "one of our own". The sneaky person that I am, I put myself on the itinerary to go with the group over the next few days. What fun! I finally got to ride in a blackhawk helicopter in Iraq. First we flew to Camp Speicher to visit the troops there. The flight was long and hot and we flew over a whole lot of nothing. You don't realize how much NOTHING there is outside of Baghdad proper until you fly over it. After a nice lunch and questions-and-answers, we flew on to Al-Asad to repeat the meal and Qs and As. This is where the fun began, as our travel plans began to unravel. We had two helicopters arrive around 9 pm but apparently one couldn't handle passengers. After an hour or so of planning, it was decided that everyone but 5 of us (me, the print journalist, the broadcast journalist, COL P, and one of the security detail) would fly to Taji and then the helicopters would turn around, come back, and fly the rest of us to Taji. Our flight wasn't supposed to return until 2 a.m. so we camped out in the VIP lounge and ate pop-tarts and watched a surfer movie. (The one with Kate Bosworth, forget the name.) Thankfully our flight arrived at 12:30 so we actually got into bed at a decent hour: 2 a.m.
Back up at 6 a.m. the next morning for breakfast and another town hall. Then we flew to Balad. I heard later on it was a close call...a dust storm was on it's way in and they almost cancelled the flight. We had the last town hall in Balad and that's where we split off from the group of VIPS. The four of us (the same group, minus the security) were supposed to fly back to Baghdad that night but by then the sandstorm was in full swing and nothing was flying. Thankfully we got rooms at the BOQ but had to be back at the terminal at 4 a.m. We got on the plane at 9 a.m. but took off at noon (after being removed from the plane and sat in the bus until we could reboard...engine problems). We were going to flight 30 minutes to Kirkuk, then 30 minutes to Baghdad. We landed and took off from Kirkuk, and 45 minutes into our 30-minute flight the pilot informed his passengers that, because of yet another dust storm, we were being diverted to Kuwait.
Okay, so not only am I getting back to the office 24 hours late, but I left the country! :)
We spent the afternoon and night at Ali al-Salem airbase, on standby, waiting for a flight to Baghdad. Flights were getting diverted all over the place...one plane made it halfway to Camp Speicher before turning around and returning to Ali al-Salem. I tell you, when the dust kicks up, it chokes everything. Our time in Kuwait was spent swallowing large amounts of dust! I am grateful that I was given the chance to wash my uniform...it was on sweaty, dusty, Day 3 and needed to be washed.
I arrived back in Baghdad a day late, but safe and sound!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Random Photographs
One half of my CHU. Duck rug courtesy of B.
The other side of my CHU. Penguin courtesy of Michelle and her son. Fish rug courtesy of Judy. Thanks!
My desk. My own little corner of my own little world. Note my IBA hanging in the left corner...it's the new, improved floral version.
The view of Camp Liberty from the roof of our building. The long, white building in the background is the PX.
The friendly 1SG monster who shares my office. He's a little shy, but can be coaxed out with some lemon cookies.
My "Taco Thursday" calendar that 1SG talked about in his post. I've since marked off two more tacos.
The other side of my CHU. Penguin courtesy of Michelle and her son. Fish rug courtesy of Judy. Thanks!
My desk. My own little corner of my own little world. Note my IBA hanging in the left corner...it's the new, improved floral version.
Our studio. Note the expensive soundproofing. Yes, those are authentic wool rugs hanging on the walls.
The other side of our studio with the green screen.
The view of Camp Liberty from the roof of our building. The long, white building in the background is the PX.
The friendly 1SG monster who shares my office. He's a little shy, but can be coaxed out with some lemon cookies.
My "Taco Thursday" calendar that 1SG talked about in his post. I've since marked off two more tacos.
My Top 10 List
Who doesn’t love a top 10 list? We’ve come up with a few here in Baghdad, but I decided to sit down and write one all my very own. Here are the Top 10 Things I Miss While I’m in Iraq. I am going to leave off the obvious…family and friends. Everyone misses them. Well, not MY family and friends, but…you know what I mean! :)
1. Museum hopping on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Or a sunny Saturday afternoon. Heck, just going to a museum any old time of day.
2. Picking my own food. Now, I’m not much of a cook…but at least even in restaurants I knew what my dinner was going to be before it was placed in front of me. Now, some nice guy in a shower cap plunks food down on my plate a mere 3 seconds after I’ve first seen what they are serving. Of course, it’s usually some form of chicken, so there’s not much guesswork involved.
3. Being in the same time zone as friends and family. It sucks to be 8 to 10 hours ahead of people. By the time I get in the office in the morning it’s the middle of the night for those in the US. I miss conversations on Facebook because I’m not in sync with people!
4. Going to restaurants, perusing a menu, having someone bring me my food. I also miss having a cold beer or glass of wine with dinner. I’m especially going to hate football season…not being able to go to the bar, ordering beer and nachos, and watching my favorite teams on the big screen.
5. I miss my TV. My large, HD, DLP television and my HD channels. I miss my red furniture…my big red chair and my red couch and my 4-poster bed and my knotty pine dresser. Well, at least it’s nice that I can remember my furniture, since it’s been 18 months since I’ve seen it. I miss all of my “stuff”…my DVDs, my books, my wine and champagne glasses, my dishes, my pictures, my shoes, my jeans, my scarves, mittens, and heavy coats, my computer. Everything I own, I miss. I can’t wait to get my stuff out of storage, open my boxes, and just roll around in my “stuff”.
6. I miss doing my own laundry. And my own chores. That might sound insane…who likes to do laundry? But when you can’t do your own, you miss it. I miss sorting my laundry and knowing it’s going to get clean. I hate the fact that they just dump my bag of clothes into a washer and then a dryer. That’s why my towels, sheets, etc. are all one color…so nothing fades. I do get to clean my own CHU…sweep the floor and then Swiffer the dust away.
7. Flowers. Greenery. I miss the colors that nature has given the rest of the world and seems to have left Iraq off the list. Everything is brown, mostly because it’s covered with dust. Even the birds are brown. I miss the cardinals and the freesia and the pansies. But mostly the cardinals.
8. Driving my car. I have a truck here, but I don’t drive it that much. I don’t really have anywhere important to go! I miss my car and my XM Satellite radio system, my sunroof, and my heated seats. Kitty and I are going on a lllllooooooonnnnnnggggggggg road trip when I get back.
9. My first name. That’s the weirdest, probably, but I’d be willing to bet that most of my Soldiers don’t even know my first name! They just call me “ma’am” or “Major”. Only a few officers call me by my first name…anyone else is inappropriate. Even the Ugandans and other workers call me “Major”. It’s like Annmarie doesn’t even exist anymore.
10. Wearing jewelry. I can wear a watch…I bought a nice one a few weeks after we arrived. I can wear two rings at the time although most of the time I don’t because I sweat too much and it irritates my skin. A few nights a week I’ll put my earrings in so the holes don’t close up. I just have to remember to remove them before I leave my CHU the next morning! I did forget one time…got some funny looks from the guy in the laundry. I miss picking out earrings, necklace, bracelets, etc. to go with my outfits. I am so buying jewelry when I get back!
1. Museum hopping on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Or a sunny Saturday afternoon. Heck, just going to a museum any old time of day.
2. Picking my own food. Now, I’m not much of a cook…but at least even in restaurants I knew what my dinner was going to be before it was placed in front of me. Now, some nice guy in a shower cap plunks food down on my plate a mere 3 seconds after I’ve first seen what they are serving. Of course, it’s usually some form of chicken, so there’s not much guesswork involved.
3. Being in the same time zone as friends and family. It sucks to be 8 to 10 hours ahead of people. By the time I get in the office in the morning it’s the middle of the night for those in the US. I miss conversations on Facebook because I’m not in sync with people!
4. Going to restaurants, perusing a menu, having someone bring me my food. I also miss having a cold beer or glass of wine with dinner. I’m especially going to hate football season…not being able to go to the bar, ordering beer and nachos, and watching my favorite teams on the big screen.
5. I miss my TV. My large, HD, DLP television and my HD channels. I miss my red furniture…my big red chair and my red couch and my 4-poster bed and my knotty pine dresser. Well, at least it’s nice that I can remember my furniture, since it’s been 18 months since I’ve seen it. I miss all of my “stuff”…my DVDs, my books, my wine and champagne glasses, my dishes, my pictures, my shoes, my jeans, my scarves, mittens, and heavy coats, my computer. Everything I own, I miss. I can’t wait to get my stuff out of storage, open my boxes, and just roll around in my “stuff”.
6. I miss doing my own laundry. And my own chores. That might sound insane…who likes to do laundry? But when you can’t do your own, you miss it. I miss sorting my laundry and knowing it’s going to get clean. I hate the fact that they just dump my bag of clothes into a washer and then a dryer. That’s why my towels, sheets, etc. are all one color…so nothing fades. I do get to clean my own CHU…sweep the floor and then Swiffer the dust away.
7. Flowers. Greenery. I miss the colors that nature has given the rest of the world and seems to have left Iraq off the list. Everything is brown, mostly because it’s covered with dust. Even the birds are brown. I miss the cardinals and the freesia and the pansies. But mostly the cardinals.
8. Driving my car. I have a truck here, but I don’t drive it that much. I don’t really have anywhere important to go! I miss my car and my XM Satellite radio system, my sunroof, and my heated seats. Kitty and I are going on a lllllooooooonnnnnnggggggggg road trip when I get back.
9. My first name. That’s the weirdest, probably, but I’d be willing to bet that most of my Soldiers don’t even know my first name! They just call me “ma’am” or “Major”. Only a few officers call me by my first name…anyone else is inappropriate. Even the Ugandans and other workers call me “Major”. It’s like Annmarie doesn’t even exist anymore.
10. Wearing jewelry. I can wear a watch…I bought a nice one a few weeks after we arrived. I can wear two rings at the time although most of the time I don’t because I sweat too much and it irritates my skin. A few nights a week I’ll put my earrings in so the holes don’t close up. I just have to remember to remove them before I leave my CHU the next morning! I did forget one time…got some funny looks from the guy in the laundry. I miss picking out earrings, necklace, bracelets, etc. to go with my outfits. I am so buying jewelry when I get back!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
A Happy 4th of July!
Since we arrived here in Baghdad in February, our camp has been visited multiple times by entertainers that the (male) Soldiers consider to be the best group ever...NFL Cheerleaders. While the guys get to go ga-ga over the scantily clad beauties in their respective team jerseys (cut up like they're from the movie "Flashdance") the gals just stand in the back and wonder "when will the females get some eye candy?"
Me and Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.
Okay, NFL coaches might not be eye candy, but they're men and they're more fun to talk to than cheerleaders. The 2009 NFL Coaches Tour was supposed to stop by here on Thursday but weather (read: dust) cancelled that trip. Thankfully it was rescheduled on the 4th of July and I used my PAO powers to get up close and personal with 5 of the NFL's finest: Tom Coughlin, head coach of the NY Giants; Bill Cowher, former head coach Pittsburgh Steelers; Jeff Fisher, head coach Tennessee Titans; Jon Gruden, former head coach Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and John Harbaugh, head coach Baltimore Ravens (who IS serious eye candy).
A good time was had by all! Bring on NFL Football! And leave the cheerleaders at home!
On another note, our interview with the Cincinnati Reds went well. Our Soldier-in-the-spotlight had a 15-minute interview with one of the game's announcers. In the press booth with the interviewer were the Soldier's parents, sister, and grandfather. While the Soldier only had audio, his family members had audio and video. The Soldier said it was the first time his parents had seen him since he left 5 months ago and it was very emotional for all. So, while Public Affairs Officers get the brunt of things gone bad, sometimes we get to use our powers for good. :)
Oh yeah, another dust storm today.
Me and former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Bill Cowher.
Me and Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.
Me and NY Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. Probably the closest I'll ever get to Eli Manning.
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