TGIF
Hi everyone. Not too much new today. Like I said yesterday, I have the day off today. I already did my laundry so I didn’t have to do anything today. I went in to work for a few hours and checked my work email. Thankfully, conditions have improved significantly at the compound so I am able to access the internet from my hooch.
Anyway, I was watching Fox news showing some rocket damage in Israel. That is an altogether common experience here in Iraq but it is not nearly as bad as it used to be.
In Feb 04, I would drive all over in unarmored vehicles. I used to drive by myself on the BIAP road (RTE Irish) all the time or with 1 other person. We were able to eat in Baghdad restaurants until well into May.
Unfortunately, things abruptly changed. IEDs became common and several contractors were killed by drive by shootings in Baghdad. So the fortification started. Bremer said in his book that he was not altogether pleased with the choice of locations for the Green Zone, but the original determination was made for several reasons one of which was the fact that it was in the center of Baghdad. They wanted our main base centrally located so we could interact with the locals so to speak.
Unfortunately, they began to use extremely unconventional tactics which forced a change on our part. For example, in early 04, teams carried 9MM MP5s mainly for close protection inside buildings. That all changed. Teams began using more and more larger caliber weapons including crew served weapons and belt fed fully automatic machine guns. It was mandatory to use the bigger weapons to stop vehicles.
I have posted this link before but I think it so good that it warrants posting again.
http://www.ejectejecteject.com/archives/000125.html
He better explains how the situation became what it is.
Anyway, due to the actions of a few, the lives of many are suffering. There are several projects including hospitals construction that I would love to bid on. I know the right people here and could probably make a fortune in reconstruction efforts. BUT, the security situation is too bad to pursue many of these projects. I am not going to hire a 2000$ a day team to visit remote sites and prepare estimates. It is just too dangerous.
Early 04 saw very little indirect fire but as we approached May and June and even in April, the amount of indirect fire was astonishing. Sometimes we got 15 rockets or mortars a day, everyday. But in Jan 05 it started to decrease. We were lucky (lucky) if we got a few per week and by the end of 05 a few per month. In all of 06 I don’t recall more than 10 rockets or mortars that have landed within a mile of me. Unfortunately 1 landed about 300 meters away which is no big deal and 1 landed about 15 feet away. That 1 might have been bad news for me but thank God it didn’t go off. Gotta love a dud.
Anyway, the doom and gloom main stream media, yes the “Evil Liberal MSM” exists, like it not, only reports when something bleeds. It is a fact. But it is also a fact that many things are changing for the positive here. (And some negative, that is also a fact).
Tonight I am going to watch some TV. Fortunately I get Animal Planet and I am going to watch Monkey Business. I love that show. And I love monkeys. Hopefully I can find a good monkey picture and I will post it.
Ok I found it. This is from Panang in Malaysia.
Hi everyone. Not too much new today. Like I said yesterday, I have the day off today. I already did my laundry so I didn’t have to do anything today. I went in to work for a few hours and checked my work email. Thankfully, conditions have improved significantly at the compound so I am able to access the internet from my hooch.
Anyway, I was watching Fox news showing some rocket damage in Israel. That is an altogether common experience here in Iraq but it is not nearly as bad as it used to be.
In Feb 04, I would drive all over in unarmored vehicles. I used to drive by myself on the BIAP road (RTE Irish) all the time or with 1 other person. We were able to eat in Baghdad restaurants until well into May.
Unfortunately, things abruptly changed. IEDs became common and several contractors were killed by drive by shootings in Baghdad. So the fortification started. Bremer said in his book that he was not altogether pleased with the choice of locations for the Green Zone, but the original determination was made for several reasons one of which was the fact that it was in the center of Baghdad. They wanted our main base centrally located so we could interact with the locals so to speak.
Unfortunately, they began to use extremely unconventional tactics which forced a change on our part. For example, in early 04, teams carried 9MM MP5s mainly for close protection inside buildings. That all changed. Teams began using more and more larger caliber weapons including crew served weapons and belt fed fully automatic machine guns. It was mandatory to use the bigger weapons to stop vehicles.
I have posted this link before but I think it so good that it warrants posting again.
http://www.ejectejecteject.com/archives/000125.html
He better explains how the situation became what it is.
Anyway, due to the actions of a few, the lives of many are suffering. There are several projects including hospitals construction that I would love to bid on. I know the right people here and could probably make a fortune in reconstruction efforts. BUT, the security situation is too bad to pursue many of these projects. I am not going to hire a 2000$ a day team to visit remote sites and prepare estimates. It is just too dangerous.
Early 04 saw very little indirect fire but as we approached May and June and even in April, the amount of indirect fire was astonishing. Sometimes we got 15 rockets or mortars a day, everyday. But in Jan 05 it started to decrease. We were lucky (lucky) if we got a few per week and by the end of 05 a few per month. In all of 06 I don’t recall more than 10 rockets or mortars that have landed within a mile of me. Unfortunately 1 landed about 300 meters away which is no big deal and 1 landed about 15 feet away. That 1 might have been bad news for me but thank God it didn’t go off. Gotta love a dud.
Anyway, the doom and gloom main stream media, yes the “Evil Liberal MSM” exists, like it not, only reports when something bleeds. It is a fact. But it is also a fact that many things are changing for the positive here. (And some negative, that is also a fact).
Tonight I am going to watch some TV. Fortunately I get Animal Planet and I am going to watch Monkey Business. I love that show. And I love monkeys. Hopefully I can find a good monkey picture and I will post it.
Ok I found it. This is from Panang in Malaysia.
And before you start lecturing me about illegal maonkey trade, know this. I did not give them any money and I reported the monkey to the police. I doubt they cared, but there really isn't much I can do about it. I wish there was.
This is a picture of my buddy that we took in Amman at the Dead Sea. Israel is in the background. The next picture shows a zoom of the GPS, it reads -401 meters. Pretty cool. You guys all should go to Amman and experience the Dead Sea.
Since I am talking about Jordan, here is a good shot of me in Petra. Absolutely awesome place to see. Disregard, it wont load.
Cheers,
Walt
posted by Walt at 5:02 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks for the post bro. I feel like it is a waste of time, nobody comments.
Anyway, thanks.
-Walt
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