I always appreciated that poem (given to so many people on the occasion of a graduation from High School, College, etc.), but I never thought it would involve me going to Taji, Iraq. Once again, Kenny and I had another bright and early morning (1:00 AM this time) to catch a helicopter to Taji. The flight only lasts a few minutes, but it’s amazing the transformation along the way. Baghdad is a large metropolitan city, that shines kind of like a beacon in the desert (even though power is spotty at best, there’s usually a ton of ambient light). Taji on the other hand, not so much. When you leave Baghdad, you pass into an area devoid of any light (or life as far as I could tell). Taji is a city, just nowhere as large and well lit as Baghdad. The base we use was previously a Republican Guard secret base (the only p
eople who thought it was a secret was the Republican guard – people around the world just don’t seem to understand that we have these things called satellites, and they see everything). The Iraqi army uses part of the base, and the rest is used by the Coalition forces. Brandon (the guy who works for me in Taji), picked us up in an up-armored Humvee (the doors on these things literally weigh 500lbs.), and drove us to the Iraqi side, where he works. As has become the ritual, Kenny and I laid down for a quick three hour nap before breakfast, and got to work. Brandon works at a type of school that’s training the guys who work as advisors to the Iraqi army. It was a bit disconcerting to be away from the friendly confines of a U.S. secured base. I couldn’t tell if these Iraqi soldiers wanted us there, or if they were just looking at us as invaders who needed to go. I don’t envy Brandon’s job, it’s a bit closer to the ‘front’ than I would care to live. He’s an interesting character, his job in the real world is that of a English professor at the U.S. Naval Academy. That being said, his blog has more of a literary flavor to it than mine. He did introduce me to quite the amazing mouse. Apparently, they h
ave a terrarium where they kept several live scorpions they found in the desert. They placed the mouse in the terrarium (I’m guessing as a food source for the scorpions) and observed that, after several days of looking scared of the scorpions, the mouse actually killed and ate one … then another … then another. The mouse gets my vote for tough guy of the week. The mouse is supposed to lose, but animals do amazing things when cornered. I guess the same could be said about humans placed in high stress situations … some cave, some overcome. Let’s hope I’m the latter and not the former. I’m on the road again tomorrow for heaven knows where (someday this turnover will end … I hope) Until tomorrow (or later depending on my trip).
-Grease out.
eople who thought it was a secret was the Republican guard – people around the world just don’t seem to understand that we have these things called satellites, and they see everything). The Iraqi army uses part of the base, and the rest is used by the Coalition forces. Brandon (the guy who works for me in Taji), picked us up in an up-armored Humvee (the doors on these things literally weigh 500lbs.), and drove us to the Iraqi side, where he works. As has become the ritual, Kenny and I laid down for a quick three hour nap before breakfast, and got to work. Brandon works at a type of school that’s training the guys who work as advisors to the Iraqi army. It was a bit disconcerting to be away from the friendly confines of a U.S. secured base. I couldn’t tell if these Iraqi soldiers wanted us there, or if they were just looking at us as invaders who needed to go. I don’t envy Brandon’s job, it’s a bit closer to the ‘front’ than I would care to live. He’s an interesting character, his job in the real world is that of a English professor at the U.S. Naval Academy. That being said, his blog has more of a literary flavor to it than mine. He did introduce me to quite the amazing mouse. Apparently, they h
ave a terrarium where they kept several live scorpions they found in the desert. They placed the mouse in the terrarium (I’m guessing as a food source for the scorpions) and observed that, after several days of looking scared of the scorpions, the mouse actually killed and ate one … then another … then another. The mouse gets my vote for tough guy of the week. The mouse is supposed to lose, but animals do amazing things when cornered. I guess the same could be said about humans placed in high stress situations … some cave, some overcome. Let’s hope I’m the latter and not the former. I’m on the road again tomorrow for heaven knows where (someday this turnover will end … I hope) Until tomorrow (or later depending on my trip).-Grease out.
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