Then and Now

We flew into Baghdad Saturday evening after a typical day of flight delay and rescheduling. To my relief, we did a little evasive maneuvering on the descent instead of the "death spiral" corkscrew combat landing.



We were greeted by the command staff of JCCS-1 (Joint CREW Consolidated Squadron-1), our parent unit at Baghdad International Airport. After finding our pallet and gear, we were bussed to our temporary lodging on Camp Liberty.


This Camp used to be referred to us as the North 40 - an undeveloped area of Camp Victory without much infrastructure. Camp Liberty now has a Post Exchange (military WAL-MART) as big as any Wal-Mart in the US, Taco Bell, Cinnabon, Burger King, and a Green Bean Coffee shop. The PX has so much to offer in electronics, magazines, books, apparel, military gear, knives, flashlights, etc. Enormously wonderful.




Generally, we refer to the place we eat as the chow hall. In this case we would be doing an extreme unjustice to the dining facility...aka 4 star restaurant. There is a main line, short order line for burgers et all, a station for stir fry, indian cuisine, dessert bar, ice cream bar, salad bar. When i was last here, we had a triple-wide trailer to eat in serving normal cafeteria food. One of the Command Sergeant Major's has heard to complain that his soldiers are becoming soft and fat with such ammenities available to them. Hitting the gym is definitely of the utmost importance or else I come home big enough to be 2 of me!



We should be learning some time today what our assignments will be out of here. The current rumor is that I will remain on the JCCS-1 staff as the Senior Intelligence Officer. Since they've never had one before, I get to make up my job description as I go. I hope this is the case and I can be given the professional latitude to develop this position. Since there is 24 hours in a day, the staff isn't in much of a hurry to tell folks of their jobs despite our restless curiosity.



So much has changed for the positive at Camp Victory. A little switch has flicked in my cranium and it's almost like Homecoming being back here. I have slid into the deployed lifestyle as if i never left it and absolutely appreciate all of the improvements in living conditions the government has put into this camp.



One last thought. Almost every vehicle passing in and out of this base is up-armored and carrying equipmet to help defeat/delay the IED threat. There are many, although not quite enough, of the new Couger and Buffalo IED resistant vehicles. I saythis only to make the point that the new technology and equipment is flowing to theater to help protect the brave men and women who do convoys as a daily business. There are still a lot of young kids out here and they look 10 years advanced of the chronological age. This is a tough environment.



Thanks again for everyones prayers for Andra, the kids and for me.