my good day

I just had the coolest night! Ok, I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but I have started training to work in the JOC(Joint Operations Command) since I have a security clearance, which it turns out is uncommon. Anyway, I was in there tonight going over some stuff and playing on the internet when stuff went down. J It was awesome.
Our job in there is to be a RTO, or radio operator for convoys heading north and south in Kuwait and southern Iraq. Well a convoy about an hour and a half north of us had an accident at about 2200. One bobtail was hauling another and went off the road and both flipped on their sides. Well, there were two civilian casualties with relatively minor injuries (must have been wearing their seat belts…) and the convoy left two gun trucks there to secure the scene while the others two came south with the rest of the convoy to drop them and the casualties at K Crossing and head back north to join the rest of their group.
Well I happened to be on the radio when it came in so I ended up managing the whole thing, and it was awesome. I had to monitor their grid coordinates and casualty status while finding out the accident info and finding it on the map to figure out which recovery unit’s AO (area of Operation) it was in to know who to call. My partner called in the info to get a recovery unit.) The convoy wanted to just pick up recovery equipment here but the KBR contract won’t allow those vehicles to go north, so the convoy is gonna have to sit on the road exposed for like 6 hours until the other unit can get there even though we’re closer.
Well, then we had to figure out what to do with the casualties since they are TCNs(third country nationals) it gets more complicated. Then the was this other unit who wanted to head north to help them out with security and all that. So we called in the MEDIVAC request and as I write this it is en route. All this was still happening as I had to leave because of shift change. The convoy was gonna drop off the TCNs with us at K Crossing and head back north.
It was my first real experience dealing with that kind of stuff and it was so exhilarating! The thing that really pissed me off though was finding out that since the casualties are TCNs the medics (like ½ of our unit) that we have couldn’t touch them unless it was a danger to life, limb, or eye sight. That pissed me off. So the convoy, which didn’t have any medics on it (I reiterate my frustration at an entire medical company pulling force protection detail when you have convoys rolling without even one medic…) basically had to drop these hurt guys off and we weren’t allowed to do anything to help them while we waited for the ambulance unless their leg was about to fall off or die. One has a back injury, but can we stabilize and assess him? Nope. We sit there and look at him argh! As a medic that makes my head want to explode, and if I was actually confronted with a situation I doubt I would be very good at not helping.
Anyway, I’m on the bus back to camp buehring at the moment and I’ll have to wait to post this until tomorrow for security reasons, but I had a good night. I actually had a good day all around. I was in the tower from about 1130 to 7pm and it was nice again getting the solitude. It was actually a pretty nice day (I’m grading on a curve here…) and I seem to have acclimated to the heat now, so I had all the windows open and just perched on a windowsill with my feet on the balcony railing and chilled. I finished my new Nicolas sparks book that I started yesterday (The Choice…great book!), and listened to music and just enjoyed the breeze…well, steady pounding hot wind. J Today I did something that really made a difference. I love it!

QRF

Hey Everybody. Time for an update. I’m sitting in our QRF break room and bored, so this is a good time. First of all my mission is K Crossing, which is short for Kubari Crossing. It’s the border crossing that most US forces use when crossing into Iraq as well as various other traffic. The K Crossing sector is about a mile and a half long from south gate to north gate. We work closely with the Kuwati Police. They run the show, we’re just the security force, or SECFOR. There are three main missions that we do here. We pull tower guard, QRF, and work at the gates. Today I’m on QRF, so you can hear about that.
First, QRF stands for Quick Reaction Force. Basically, if something happens, we come running. Until that happens though, we chill. We search vehicles when necessary and do whatever else needs done really. Today we’ve had to run out to the gates to search a couple vehicles. We also take turns sitting outside guarding the trucks as well. While we wait for stuff to happen we kill time. Right now we’re watching.
My first day was Saturday and I had a great day. First we had to search 56 fuel trucks when we first got here. Usually that happens on the night shift, but it depends on when the trucks show up. It was crazy hot. It was about 115 degrees out. We knocked it out though in about 2 ½ hours though. The otherworldly heat can be very motivating. Even that which royally sucked, don’t get me wrong, was kinda cool because I actually felt like I was accomplishing something, ya know? After that we came back to the break room and cooled off and ate lunch. At around three the SOG ( Sergeant of the Guard) took me and a couple others to go down to the south gate and hang out there with the Kuwaiti police for a while. Let me tell ya, those guys are cool as heck. They are hysterical! They joke and play constantly. There were two females and three males (American) that were there and the Kuwaitis were equal opportunity jokesters. We drank tea and had snacks with them for a couple hours. They dressed one of our guys up in local garb and tried to jokingly marry me off to one of the guards. He also had me and the other female talk to his wife on his cell phone. She is a teacher and speaks great English. The police speak some English, but not a lot. The guy in charge is the sergeant major and he speaks the best and is hysterical.
We were down there for a while then came back up to the break room to hang out and for shift change. We generally switch posts half way through the shift, but so far I’ve been on QRF the whole day I’ve worked both days. So we ate dinner and watched Superbad. I did my best to ignore it. Not exactly cinema at it’s finest. Anyway, at about eight the SOG grabbed me again to go down and have dinner with the Kuwaitis and a few other Americans. There were a couple MP’s and our leuitenant down there as well. We had tea and coffee and relaxed and talked until dinner. We had an interpreter there this time. Arabic coffee is different that the American variety. They don’t roast their beans, but grind them green and add something called cadmium to it. It is a clear liquid with a slight green tint to it. I wouldn’t say it’s good, but it’s not too bad and tastes nothing like what you would call coffee, which I hate! Arabic coffee I can drink. Now chai, the Arabic word for tea, I like. There are a few varieties that I’ve been served so far and I’ve liked them all. They serve tea and coffee in little cups the size of a shot glass or shooter. The Kuwaitis have a manservant who works for them down there who serves everything. The crazies even caught a sidewinder in a juice bottle on Saturday night. The food at dinner was good. The have the dishes in the canter family style and you eat with pita bread by just grabbing what you want with the bread or you can scoop it onto a plate if you like. The food was pretty good. A lot of chicken and veggies. There was also hummus and a variety of soft cheeses. It was a good time all around.
Anyway, this is getting long for today, but suffice it to say, it was a good day. Right now we’re at our mid shift switch and dinner time. We’ve got wings, onion rings, steak, rice, mojo potatoes, and salad to choose from. They bring out chow from the base. It’s really not bad, but I’m also not really choosy. It’s not an MRE, so I’m pretty cool. Anyway, I’m gonna sign off for now!

My First Day

Well, I just rolled in from my first day at work. I am bone tired, smelly as heck, and my eyes burn like i've been swimming in a pool all day, but I had a fantastic day! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. I have the day off. (just the way it fell in the rotation) For now it's 1am and I have a hot date in half an hour and just enough time to shower. much love! and thanks Darrin for the yahoo weather. it was 115 today.

hugs!

Various Info

Hi there...well, I'm starting to settle in a bit more, but my sleep is all stll wacky. I had heard when i go here that I was going to be on the night shift, so i was trying to get myself adjusted to that. Well, turns out i'm going to be on days. That has it's ups and downs, but at least i'll be on the same sleep cycle as my roomies. It is hot here! Yeah, i know...duh. But really. ONe thing i need is a thermometer. The closest i could find for temp was kuwait airport, but that is down on the gulf. it's 111 there today, but it has to be closer to 120 here. if anyone can find a closer city with reported temps that would be great. i do know that i stuck a couple of tea bags in a 1.5 liter water bottle to make sun tea and it was done in about an hour. :-)

I start work tomorrow at 0945. the day shift runs from 0945 to 0100 the next "morning." long days.

My address is:

SPC Last name, Brianna
A Co. 237 BSB
Camp Buering, Kuwait
APO AE 09330

Postage is just normal dowestic postage, not international rates.
I'll post pics soon, but it's like a moonscape here. just flat sand in every direction and a lot of blowing dust! Anyway, I'm doing ok, and no sun burns yet!

First Full Day

Well, I honestly can't say much about my first full day since i've slept through most of it so far. :-) For those of you who were wondering, I did track down that friend of mine who is here training before heading up to iraq. We hung out last night and my jet lag had me up until after 4am. When I did crash though I slept til almost 1pm. By the way, I am seven hours ahead of ohio, eight hours ahead of nebraska, tennessee and kingsford, and ten hours ahead of California. Anyway, so I woke up having to go potty so I tossed my pt's on and stumbled out the door to be hit by a blinding flash of light and flying dust! yikes! It's really hot, but the heat it's really that bad because there is NO humidity. it's like someone has turned a giant hair drier on you on high all the time. Last night walking around it was actually quite pleasant. it was probably in the nineties, but with no humidity and no sun it wasn't bad at all. it was 109 here yesterday. anyway...our barracks are nice. it's three girls to a room and so far i really like my roomies. And catch this...when I'm not on duty, I get to wear civilian clothes. Wow. That one surprised me. You can bet your sweet bippy I was in jeans last night though. :-) I uniform will just be easier most of the time, but it's still nice to have the option. Anyway, I don't have wireless on my laptop yet, so i'm gonna scoot as this costs money. I'll let you know more when I know it. I have a couple days to rest and i'm told that when i'm needed I will be found. love y'all and have a great day! Bri

Camp Buering

I'm here! I finally made it! I just got here a few hours ago and i'm so jet lagged it's crazy, but i'll be able to sleep for the next couple of days before I start working. I'm in a room with two other girls, and i've heard they're pretty cool. The ride here was wierd. At first we were on blacktop, then we just veered off driving through these big stakes in the ground for like 20min boefore hitting more blacktop and getting here. there is literally flat sand in every direction. I'll post pics when i can, but I'm at a computer lab at the moment, I'll have wireless in my room soon. Anyway, I'm here safe and sound. I got my kuwaiti cell phone turned on today and Aunt Linda was my first call as I was driving here. Well, love and Good Night! :-)

In Kuwait

i made it to kuwait. i'll stay overnight for processing at ali al salem air base and go on to buering in the am.

germany

Hey, our flight ended up being scheduled to leave at about 8pm, and actually leaving at about 9:30. I am currently in leipzig, Germany. We will be here about two hours, then it's on to kuwait. :-)

Pass pic

Here is me and mom at Live Bait

En Route

Hi! It's Sunday morning at about 1100 and I'm sitting in a Wendy's about 60 miles west of the airport. And guess what? Wendy's has free WIFi. Yeah! So here's an update from me on the road. We got up at three am and left base at five for a long ride on a bus to the airport. here's the best part...we should get there at about 1 pm and our flight leaves around midnight. It's a good thing i have lots of things to keep me busy. :-) I should be there around tuesday after an 18 hour flight and an eight hour time zone jump. Anyway, I'm good and finally on my way. love ya!

packing

So now that I'm back here at Camp Shelby i have the rather daunting proposition of packing. Now this might not seem like too big a deal, but there are specific packing lists for each of our bags. I have an A Bag, a B Bag, a giant rucksack, a rubbermaid box, and a carry on bag. Each bag has it's own list, in addition I have to fit all my non government issued stuff. Anyway, that's my current occupation. That and watching movies. :-)

Back at Shelby

Hey! I'm sad to report that I made it back to Camp Shelby. Pass was awesome! Mom flew down and actually got all of us not flying released early. We got released at about 1700 on Friday, which allowed us to get to gulf shores that night. We had a great time! We played atthe beach, at a klot of sea food and mom got hit on at a dance club. :-) it was a blast all around. She flew out tuesday morning and the reast of my friends and i got in at about eleven last night. It was a great relaxing time.

We will indeed be flying out on Sunday. I have more details i can give you if you email me, but i can't put it out on this page. Anyway, all is well and today is about packing. :-)

update

Hey Y'all. Sorry it's been so long. Life has been crazy! So here'e the update. I finished the last of my training and processing (at least in theory) today. We do end up getting a pass from Saturday through Wednesday. Mom is flying down from friday through monday and we are going with some of my friends to Gulf Shores, AL. My friend's family has a beach house there. it should be a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with mom and our spa day on monday when we are getting pedicures and massages. Yeah!

After that we are tenitively scheduled to fly out on the 18th to kuwait. I'm not banking on that date, but that's the latest info that i have. I was also given a kuwaiti cell phone by one of the girls in my bay, so i'll have that when i get there. i will forward the number along when I figure it out.

Anyway, I'm gonna run, but that's the deal. 8~D