The FOB of moon dust and port-o-potties

14 October 2008

I apologize for the lag in entries. It's not that there isn't anything to write about, but the Internet connection is too weak where I live to get it now so I have to resort to using the 15 computers here that allow me to access the blog and there are upwards of a LOT of people here, far more than 15 so getting on a computer or even a phone to call is difficult. It won't be like this too much longer, once the unit we're replacing has redeployed everything will be much less congested.

So far Iraq isn't all that exciting. I live on a FOB and work on the FOB. I will become a FOB-ette. I live in essentially a shipping container about a half mile from where I work, about 200 yards from where I eat, and about 50 feet from where I turn in my laundry. All in all my necessities are nice and close. The FOB we're on is near the rive that runs through Baqubah Iraq, which one that is I'll have to look up. But it does mean that our FOB is on the water table which means there are actually plants here. There are trees and plants that look like corn or something to me, not sure what they are. Everything here is covered in a fine dust however because the dust here is what we call moon dust. It's like powdered sugar and poofs every time you take a step. It's basically impossible to keep anything clean because the slightest breeze, or helicopter flying over, kicks up the dust and blows it over your clean clothes or freshly swept floor.

The living areas are really not that bad. For what they were in California and what they are for some people still here, they're very tolerable. They are shipping containers, I'll have pictures soon, but they're no worse than a college dorm room. I have a roommate, but we have wall lockers as closets that essentially divide the room so there's plenty of privacy. We even have a nice little porch which we plan to build a bench on since it's eternally summer here and we don't have to worry about the snow:(

The dinning facility is by far the most exciting place on the FOB. It's huge (relatively speaking) and there are several choices of food to choose from every meal. There's also all the ice cream you want and football playing in the sports room. Local nationals work around the FOB, to include the dining facility, so it's fun to have a little chat with them, and I couldn't tell you where they're from, all I know is they're from several countries around the Middle East.

Work so far is no different that it usually is. The business comes and goes. Due to dust storms and other uncontrollable factors it's taken a long time for all the people and equipment in our unit to get here, but eventually everything will be settled out. Our office area is nice. It was an existing building from before the war, so improvements were made to it. Something that isn't in any building on the FOB so far are bathrooms. There are port-o-potties outside all the buildings and along the roads. Near the sleeping areas there are trailers that have toilets (ones that flush!) and showers.

I have two great port-o-potty stories so far. First one was my first encounter with a small fire fight outside the gate close to where I work. I was walking to the port-o-potty and heard gun fire, I casually did my business then realized how close it was (which wasn't really that close) and then ducked around the corner. So I don't go to that port-o-potty anymore because it's dangerous. Second was the USO has famous people come as a moral booster for the troops, they did it in Korea too and just like Camp Casey, this FOB is not exactly a high profile type FOB so we get low profile people. Some American Gladiators came last week to sign autographs and what not, and one of the manish women came out of the conference room in our office building and asked me if there was a restroom. I told her the port-o-potties were outside and she just kind of looked at me. I was far enough away where the gladiator-ness in her wouldn't get me before I knew what was happening. She said, as though I hadn't understood what she'd said, there's no porcelain in here? And I said no, she said none at all?! and I said no just the port-o-potties. I think she held it until she could get to one of the 'flushing' toilets. It was great. Don't be fooled by T.V. even tough gladiator women use porcelain bathrooms.

Other than that I will post some pictures as soon as I get them downloaded and on a computer with access again. As far as sending things here, I don't really need anything, but anything to remind me of home would be nice since when I get back to my room all I see is dust. I'll think of more things and e-mail them.