27 August 2005

Iraq - Week 3



Last week really flew by relative to the couple of weeks before. I still have a long way to go to really feel comfortable in my new job, but I am slowly getting up to speed. Just like last week, there were ups and downs spread throughout.

Started out the week very similar to last week with Senior Chief Dyer and I heading out again to check on some troops. As you can probably tell, we are spread all around the country and it is really tough to stay up with all the troops. They are all very motivated, but it is nice to see what they are doing with our own eyes and not just in pictures. We spent the first half of the week flying around to different places, but it was a very productive trip. We met with some other units like ours that are in the area to discuss their tasking and how they are working things. We always find it informative to see if there are better ideas out there. We also met up with our higher headquarters to discuss what is on the horizon in the near and long term future. Nothing too exciting, but did get to see some bases where I have had friends stationed in the past so that was nice.

One of the downsides of the week was that someone stole my Seabee Flag that was flying on our flagpole. It just seems silly that they would take this and not only did they take the flag, but they cut the line so we have to re-string everything as well. The camp we are at is very upset and they are on the warpath to find the person. So far everyone on my camp has been extremely professional and this is the first thing that I have heard of like this. It is more general principle that upsets everyone. Now for me personally, this flag has been with me since I joined and has traveled the world with me and was the flag that flew over our camp last time I was here. I am giving it another couple days and then ordering another so I can start a new tradition!!

My boss has headed back to Guam for a while. He bounces in and out of here, but now that he is gone, I can focus on my job and my schedule. He is new to the command as well, but he has about 6 extra weeks on me so he is always asking questions that I don’t know the answer to. Hard to keep up. It still will be with him gone, but at least I can work at my own pace to get things done and to learn more about the job. He will be back to meet us in Kuwait and ride with the troops when we head home.

Nothing else too exciting. Maybe next week I will start telling you about the people that I work for. We should have a busy week with a bunch of good stuff being done by the troops and a long trip later in the week. A special Happy Birthday to Stanley McAlister. I am getting excited about College Football ever since I got a college football guide in a package last week. I am going to try and catch some games even if they are in the middle of the night. Well over 80 days plus with temperatures over 100, but we can feel a little difference in the mornings. I would not go so far to say it is cool, but you don’t start sweating until after 7:00 now. One more thing – lesson learned, a digital clock goes slower over here since it was designed for 60 htz and is operating at 50 htz. It loses about 10 minutes an hour which really threw me for a loop when my clock was an hour off each morning. I thought either I was going crazy or it was missing an hour. Kind of funny.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Maybe I am late to everything because I have one of those slow clocks you are talking about.

Less than a week before "Football Time in Tennessee" starts. Wish you could be here to go to the games with us.