Jack_Crow
Enlightened
Hi all,
This is my current letter home from Iraq.
For the moment this place is quiet.
Nothing rude has happened in about three weeks.
In the below posting, I talk about photos.
Look at the last ten or so my buddy Gordon is hosting. Those apply here.
http://www.obscure-reference.com/hosted/RadioMike/index.html
Hope all is well on your end.
Jack Crow in Iraq.
--------------------------------------- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dedhorse.gif
Hi all,
Part of me says there is nothing to write home about. Another part says 'do it anyway'. The big things in life become history, the little things are what most of us live for.
So what's new and exciting?
The Army's program to breed a better mosquito is making progress here in Iraq.
Lots of puddles and swamps for hatcheries. A fresh crop of new hungry young ones just hatched. (See photo)
Your Army wants your assistance to help feed these kids. All you got to do is sit still and not scratch.
There are several new and exciting ways you can do your part.
First is visiting the PX trailer at dusk. Last night the skeeters were thick there. One of the better genetic attributes of the Iraqi mosquito is their ability to resist swatting. They are hard to hit.
Second is to leave your tent flaps open. An all you can eat buffet of sleeping troopers and contractors. Please pass the hemoglobin.
For those that don't want to take part or are just not interested in the program there are things you can do.
One trick we learned from the Scania vets is to turn up the air conditioner in the tent. Apparently the bugs don't like the cold. A tent at 60 degrees F feels like a meat locker. Yet the same temp at night with a light jacket is totally acceptable. A lot of temperature is mental, and not physical. Don't any of you send that quote back to me when it's +130 here. I won't want to hear it.
Another trick is to use most anything containing DEET. I personally would prefer about 20,000 gallons of DDT and solve the problem, but you make use of what you got.
Here is an idea for someone. Market a complete line of personal care products that have DEET as part of the matrix. Brute with Deet. Shampoo, Head, shoulders, neck, back, sides and the rest. Remember the famous lyric about shaving foam. How did Mr. Zappa put it "Now I thought it was a razor, and a can of foam and goo, but he told me right then when the box was open, there was nothing his box won't do". How about underarm stuff? A baby powder for several kinds of itches. Mr. Popile a market begs your notice.
The PX is selling mosquito netting (aka bed berka). It's a roughly box shaped net that normally would suspend from above on string. That's the rub here. In the tent there is next to nothing to suspend it from.
One trick is to lash the supports to the bed posts. The problem is there are no easy to find supports. No sticks, dowels, or thin wood. The nearest Home Depot like place is perhaps in Kuwait. The MSR is closed today and we are not getting a lift in a chopper. To get what is needed, you got to make deals with the devil you know. That means talking to your friendly neighborhood KBR representative. (The mental image of a peg leg, eye patch, hook and parrot should come to mind. "Eye matie, your after me lumber! No lad, that won't do. Draw Cutlasses if your man enough!") The truth be told most pirates look a lot like union carpenters.
Took a little walk a moment ago and went to the wood shop. Along edge of this base is the KBR compound. It's a small city on the edge of a larger one. Tents for work shops, storage units and some living areas. Part of this is their wood shop. They have two AMCITS carpenters supervising and the rest of the staff are Hajji. (See photos)
As things worked out, I ran into a carpenter I vaguely knew and outlined the problem. I asked for permission (always pays to be nice) to dig in their scraps bin. Found a number of bits that would work. They cut them down to 36 inches. I now have enough wood for about half of the beds. As guys get bug bit and buy more of the nets we will get more wood then. We have plenty of duct tape. I'm going to try and reinforce the duct tape with 18awg solid core electrical wire wrapped tight. Something to do this evening.
One of the things that help life here is a willingness to grease the skids. When all the contractors here make a stack of dollars, another medium of exchange serves. In this case DVD's the PX won't sell, but the Hajji's do. Remember the Dollah vs Allah effect.
Another cute thing KBR has here are little living units called 'containers'. These are little rooms built into small conex shipping containers. There is room for a bed, a metal closet and a small toilet unit. I gather there are smaller hotel rooms in Tokyo but not by much.
(See Photos x and y)
The ITT people are trying to work a deal to get these digs. A little privacy would be a nice thing here. What was that old lyric "You don't know what you've got till it's gone".
One of the nice things here is the KBR laundry service. If you bring them a bag of goods in the morning it's usually done by late afternoon. Here is a photo of the laundry squad. Again some AMCITS and some Hajji's.
Italians love fine food. I know of a great place not to go.
Our DeFAC (dining facility) would not last long in an Italian neighborhood. About the time it takes to visit the Amoco and get five gallons of hi test and a Bic lighter. Since the DeFAC is the only place in town, we make adjustments.
Three meals a day. Breakfast and lunch tend to be the most repetitive. Dinners have some variety.
I had a photo request. This wasn't easy. I had to bring the camera in there, figure out how to turn off the flash, and then take some undercover photos.
The picture with the coffee urn is the service side. Behind that are the serving points. Did not sneak a photo of that, too many troopers in the way. All you would have scene is a bunch of butts in desert camies. Guy's butts don't do it for me. It's not self service, a team of TCN's pass out the goods. They also seem to make up rules of what you can have, and what they are un willing to issue. They even get fussy about passing out extra pork products. You would figure they want to be rid of that stuff.
Since KBR employs the TCN's they (KBR staff) tend to get seconds. The rest of us have to make due with the un regulated food items. Some sandwich meats, salad bar, usually soup, bread and toaster, sometimes a baked potato bar, and once in a while a pasta bar.
One of the best things KBR has done is add a TCN at the end of the self serve tables with ice-cream. They usually have four flavors. Vanilla, chocolate, lemon, and mango. Don't laugh, mango is surprisingly good. The color is an odd shade of orange but nice stuff. The TCN will scoop out the goods and you get to DIY what type and how much topping. The ice-cream is Danish made and good quality. About every other day I make the point of getting this treat.
One of the other photos are of the self service islands down the center. Yawning permitted. What can I say about our DeFAC, it's a lot like most forms of industrial catering with machine guns under the table.
Another nice thing about this place is getting packages. It's a break in the tedium. Iraq should export tedium. Tedium here is available as a solid, liquid, and gas. Tedium as a plasma would be an oxy moron. Here very often you crave something new to look at or do. I've been active on Amazon, Walden Books, Galls and a few other web merchants that ship to APO addresses. As of today a number of items ordered from web dealers have appeared. This is a mental thing. When you're getting you don't think about the visa bill.
It's a strange sensation when you hold a book, and realize it might be the only copy in this whole blighted country. Or how about when you order a music CD from a band you like expecting more of the same from and are pleased to discover it's superb. Caught that break with an album called "Mother Focus" by Focus. Strongly recommended.
This whole 'getting stuff thing' explains the hook late night infomercials have on people. Since for the moment we don't have a sat TV hook up, I won't be buying a pocket fisherman for the desert. How many desert sparrows can you stick in a rotisserie device? Will one fit a camel? Mr. Popile, welcome to the mid east.
Another thing I have been 'turned on' to is a web forum for flashlights. Did you know there are people who collect, modify and dink with these things? It's astonishing. In the desert you learn fast what tools are any good and which ones stay in the bag. Most of the troopers here have the 2xAA Mag Light. Why, because the PX sells them. Batteries and bulbs are in the pipeline, even at the PX. The Mag is a solid bit of work and it has a weakness, drop it when it's on and the bulb's have a 20% chance of failure.
The people at CPF forum have vendors that sell fixes for this issue. One is a drop in LED conversion kit. It's got good brightness and a longer run time. LED's are nearly immune to mechanical shock. I've got a half dozen of these kits on order. Some for my self and other team members. If this catches on, I could run a little service here converting mag lights for troopers. Turning weak tools into premium parts.
Click on this.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com
If you go to look for my (real) name, expect not to find it. I post items under the cover name "Jack Crow". I took Crow's name from a John Stakley novel called Armor. Another highly worthwhile book. Crow is a rouge and a rough one. A Hyde for my Jeckle.
Lots of good information is available on the Candle Power Forum. People from all over the world are in on this. At this time I may be the only one on from Iraq. At least two from KL Malaysia, a few in eastern Europe, and a bunch in CONUS.
Enough for now.
So, all of you.
Keep it warm
Jack in Iraq.
PS
Today 2-14-2004 we celebrate the anniversary of a famous event.
The elimination of the Bugs Moran gang at the hands of the Al Capone gang.
This day in 1929.
This is my current letter home from Iraq.
For the moment this place is quiet.
Nothing rude has happened in about three weeks.
In the below posting, I talk about photos.
Look at the last ten or so my buddy Gordon is hosting. Those apply here.
http://www.obscure-reference.com/hosted/RadioMike/index.html
Hope all is well on your end.
Jack Crow in Iraq.
--------------------------------------- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dedhorse.gif
Hi all,
Part of me says there is nothing to write home about. Another part says 'do it anyway'. The big things in life become history, the little things are what most of us live for.
So what's new and exciting?
The Army's program to breed a better mosquito is making progress here in Iraq.
Lots of puddles and swamps for hatcheries. A fresh crop of new hungry young ones just hatched. (See photo)
Your Army wants your assistance to help feed these kids. All you got to do is sit still and not scratch.
There are several new and exciting ways you can do your part.
First is visiting the PX trailer at dusk. Last night the skeeters were thick there. One of the better genetic attributes of the Iraqi mosquito is their ability to resist swatting. They are hard to hit.
Second is to leave your tent flaps open. An all you can eat buffet of sleeping troopers and contractors. Please pass the hemoglobin.
For those that don't want to take part or are just not interested in the program there are things you can do.
One trick we learned from the Scania vets is to turn up the air conditioner in the tent. Apparently the bugs don't like the cold. A tent at 60 degrees F feels like a meat locker. Yet the same temp at night with a light jacket is totally acceptable. A lot of temperature is mental, and not physical. Don't any of you send that quote back to me when it's +130 here. I won't want to hear it.
Another trick is to use most anything containing DEET. I personally would prefer about 20,000 gallons of DDT and solve the problem, but you make use of what you got.
Here is an idea for someone. Market a complete line of personal care products that have DEET as part of the matrix. Brute with Deet. Shampoo, Head, shoulders, neck, back, sides and the rest. Remember the famous lyric about shaving foam. How did Mr. Zappa put it "Now I thought it was a razor, and a can of foam and goo, but he told me right then when the box was open, there was nothing his box won't do". How about underarm stuff? A baby powder for several kinds of itches. Mr. Popile a market begs your notice.
The PX is selling mosquito netting (aka bed berka). It's a roughly box shaped net that normally would suspend from above on string. That's the rub here. In the tent there is next to nothing to suspend it from.
One trick is to lash the supports to the bed posts. The problem is there are no easy to find supports. No sticks, dowels, or thin wood. The nearest Home Depot like place is perhaps in Kuwait. The MSR is closed today and we are not getting a lift in a chopper. To get what is needed, you got to make deals with the devil you know. That means talking to your friendly neighborhood KBR representative. (The mental image of a peg leg, eye patch, hook and parrot should come to mind. "Eye matie, your after me lumber! No lad, that won't do. Draw Cutlasses if your man enough!") The truth be told most pirates look a lot like union carpenters.
Took a little walk a moment ago and went to the wood shop. Along edge of this base is the KBR compound. It's a small city on the edge of a larger one. Tents for work shops, storage units and some living areas. Part of this is their wood shop. They have two AMCITS carpenters supervising and the rest of the staff are Hajji. (See photos)
As things worked out, I ran into a carpenter I vaguely knew and outlined the problem. I asked for permission (always pays to be nice) to dig in their scraps bin. Found a number of bits that would work. They cut them down to 36 inches. I now have enough wood for about half of the beds. As guys get bug bit and buy more of the nets we will get more wood then. We have plenty of duct tape. I'm going to try and reinforce the duct tape with 18awg solid core electrical wire wrapped tight. Something to do this evening.
One of the things that help life here is a willingness to grease the skids. When all the contractors here make a stack of dollars, another medium of exchange serves. In this case DVD's the PX won't sell, but the Hajji's do. Remember the Dollah vs Allah effect.
Another cute thing KBR has here are little living units called 'containers'. These are little rooms built into small conex shipping containers. There is room for a bed, a metal closet and a small toilet unit. I gather there are smaller hotel rooms in Tokyo but not by much.
(See Photos x and y)
The ITT people are trying to work a deal to get these digs. A little privacy would be a nice thing here. What was that old lyric "You don't know what you've got till it's gone".
One of the nice things here is the KBR laundry service. If you bring them a bag of goods in the morning it's usually done by late afternoon. Here is a photo of the laundry squad. Again some AMCITS and some Hajji's.
Italians love fine food. I know of a great place not to go.
Our DeFAC (dining facility) would not last long in an Italian neighborhood. About the time it takes to visit the Amoco and get five gallons of hi test and a Bic lighter. Since the DeFAC is the only place in town, we make adjustments.
Three meals a day. Breakfast and lunch tend to be the most repetitive. Dinners have some variety.
I had a photo request. This wasn't easy. I had to bring the camera in there, figure out how to turn off the flash, and then take some undercover photos.
The picture with the coffee urn is the service side. Behind that are the serving points. Did not sneak a photo of that, too many troopers in the way. All you would have scene is a bunch of butts in desert camies. Guy's butts don't do it for me. It's not self service, a team of TCN's pass out the goods. They also seem to make up rules of what you can have, and what they are un willing to issue. They even get fussy about passing out extra pork products. You would figure they want to be rid of that stuff.
Since KBR employs the TCN's they (KBR staff) tend to get seconds. The rest of us have to make due with the un regulated food items. Some sandwich meats, salad bar, usually soup, bread and toaster, sometimes a baked potato bar, and once in a while a pasta bar.
One of the best things KBR has done is add a TCN at the end of the self serve tables with ice-cream. They usually have four flavors. Vanilla, chocolate, lemon, and mango. Don't laugh, mango is surprisingly good. The color is an odd shade of orange but nice stuff. The TCN will scoop out the goods and you get to DIY what type and how much topping. The ice-cream is Danish made and good quality. About every other day I make the point of getting this treat.
One of the other photos are of the self service islands down the center. Yawning permitted. What can I say about our DeFAC, it's a lot like most forms of industrial catering with machine guns under the table.
Another nice thing about this place is getting packages. It's a break in the tedium. Iraq should export tedium. Tedium here is available as a solid, liquid, and gas. Tedium as a plasma would be an oxy moron. Here very often you crave something new to look at or do. I've been active on Amazon, Walden Books, Galls and a few other web merchants that ship to APO addresses. As of today a number of items ordered from web dealers have appeared. This is a mental thing. When you're getting you don't think about the visa bill.
It's a strange sensation when you hold a book, and realize it might be the only copy in this whole blighted country. Or how about when you order a music CD from a band you like expecting more of the same from and are pleased to discover it's superb. Caught that break with an album called "Mother Focus" by Focus. Strongly recommended.
This whole 'getting stuff thing' explains the hook late night infomercials have on people. Since for the moment we don't have a sat TV hook up, I won't be buying a pocket fisherman for the desert. How many desert sparrows can you stick in a rotisserie device? Will one fit a camel? Mr. Popile, welcome to the mid east.
Another thing I have been 'turned on' to is a web forum for flashlights. Did you know there are people who collect, modify and dink with these things? It's astonishing. In the desert you learn fast what tools are any good and which ones stay in the bag. Most of the troopers here have the 2xAA Mag Light. Why, because the PX sells them. Batteries and bulbs are in the pipeline, even at the PX. The Mag is a solid bit of work and it has a weakness, drop it when it's on and the bulb's have a 20% chance of failure.
The people at CPF forum have vendors that sell fixes for this issue. One is a drop in LED conversion kit. It's got good brightness and a longer run time. LED's are nearly immune to mechanical shock. I've got a half dozen of these kits on order. Some for my self and other team members. If this catches on, I could run a little service here converting mag lights for troopers. Turning weak tools into premium parts.
Click on this.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com
If you go to look for my (real) name, expect not to find it. I post items under the cover name "Jack Crow". I took Crow's name from a John Stakley novel called Armor. Another highly worthwhile book. Crow is a rouge and a rough one. A Hyde for my Jeckle.
Lots of good information is available on the Candle Power Forum. People from all over the world are in on this. At this time I may be the only one on from Iraq. At least two from KL Malaysia, a few in eastern Europe, and a bunch in CONUS.
Enough for now.
So, all of you.
Keep it warm
Jack in Iraq.
PS
Today 2-14-2004 we celebrate the anniversary of a famous event.
The elimination of the Bugs Moran gang at the hands of the Al Capone gang.
This day in 1929.
