1st gear is a little tricky!

That was the start of the journey. Turned out to be an understatement. Add to that, “If you can’t find it grind it” and countless numbers of whiplashing brake checks that would have snapped off the head from a bobble head doll, that’s how the journey to Arifjan went from Buehring. Mind you, it’s a 2-2.5hr trip that took 4hours. How, I still don’t know. But then, the trip from Kalsu to Adder was only supposed to be a 4 hr. trip and it took nearly 10 hrs. That’s the Cav. for ya. Drivers in Kuwait are nuts. More so than Iraq, I think. A car cut off our bus from behind the truck just forward and to the right of us. I mean, if this car was 15’ long, he had 16’ to maneuver! And our driver would see the bus in front of us slowing down, brake lights blazing and he wouldn’t stop or even slow down until he was forced to SLAM on his brakes. Normally that’s jarring in a car with hydraulic brakes, but air brakes are just downright brutal. Add in the fact that I was tired and trying to sleep, I hear the squeal, raise my head just in time for the brakes to grab and bounce my forehead off the seatback in front of me. Ay yi yi! Crazy I tell ya! Now once we got close to Camp Arifjan, at the outskirts of the nearby city, we had a police escort. That was cool. They’d fly past us, stop traffic at intersections so we could roll thru red lights. Felt like a VIP! But they are crazy drivers too!!! All in all, we FINALLY made it and had the evening off. Walking around the camp, that place is HUGE. Way bigger than Camp Buehring. We were in Zone 6 which I guess is transient housing for units drawing vehicles, and had to drop paperwork off at the TMC in Zone 1. Taking a bus (yeah, it’s that big, no walking!) we ended up over there and were floored. They had a REAL track (that rubber stuff) and a turf soccer field. The fake kind with the little rubber pellets. They also have a pool, 2 PXs, the obligatory Starbucks and a Hardee’s. That’s Carl’s Jr. for you West Coast people.

Early the following A.M. we woke up got chow and coffee then went to the draw yard. Who has 2 thumbs and forgot to put on sunscreen thereby getting wind and sun burned? THIS GUY! Yeah. I’m rocking the raccoon eyes for a bit as my cheeks are RED. Kinda like a good day at the Wedge or Big Bear. Just not as fun ha-ha. But my Sr. medic and I got our vehicle checked out, all done and had hours to spare. We got back in time for dinner and then bed. The next morning we got to sleep in a bit, then formed up to go back “home”. Buehring being home. A bad omen was the busses showing up 30-40 minutes late. THEN we go and sit in a staging line for 30 min to an hr. I mean WTF, I’m sure there’s a legit reason, but I coulda used getting on the road in a timely manner! On our way back, we got the police escort, but these weren’t normal cops. Normal cops don’t drive camo pickups with machine guns in the back. Not even in Kuwait (I think lol) But on our way back got to see a lot of Bedouin tents. It was highway, then 100m off was the tents and then a 1000m away was a town/city. Very interesting. As you leave the city the number of tents drops too. Near Ali Al Saleem Air Base was a Bedouin camp w/ a herd of camels. Very cool. Being in Arifjan you had to REALLY remind yourself you were in the Middle East, more than we have to do here at Buehring.  Driving into AJ (short name for Arifjan) you can see past the refineries and oil pipes and such and see the ocean. SO close yet SO far!

A band crossed my radar about a year ago. Alestorm. Scottish pirate metal. What is pirate metal? Well, it’s a heavy/speed metal band that sings about being pirates. Everyone knows pirates are cooler than ninjas. It blends Pirates of the Caribbean with Iron Maiden and Dragonforce. Pretty cool stuff. It makes a long drive go by faster and makes you wanna hit the ocean. One song, “Back through Time” is about getting time warped from the pirate age to the Viking age and destroying Vikings. Entertaining to say the least. This is the perfect music to listen to while playing Battle Pirates on Facebook.

Occupy.....Starbucks

So the Army has this wonderful idea of making these mandatory online courses. Problem is, internet around the living tents SUCKS. But Starbucks has GREAT internet. So, i go and start my courses. 5 days later, i've finished my courses but have found that i pretty much live there. save myself the effort, i should move my locker and bed down here and leave to go to PT formation. The Venti Caramel Latte is on the verge of being renamed. And then i discovered the White Mocha. this sin in a cup is NOT good. it tastes delicious, but is of the devil. You drink it knowing that you are headed down a bad path. and then you order another and another. All this time online has led me to the phenomenon of Battle Pirates. Basically the bastard offspring of Command & Conquer and POTC (Pirates of The Caribbean). So with all this time spent at Starbucks, my family thought it genius to send their son gift cards for Christmas. ANYWHERE else in the world, awesome idea, perfectly executed. However. the ONE starbucks that i have in my AO, doesn't accept them. "The one downtown does" says the barista. WTF?!?! I can't GET "downtown" and he says downtown all nonchalantly as if i was in LA by the Colosseum and a tourist asked me where the Staples Center is. THAT is downtown. like a couple miles away. NOT 4 HRS away!

Its illegal to walk in the road on post. Do it and you're slapped with a $25 ticket. I'd frame that! But its odd. what is the street? The street is very different than the sidewalk, mind you. The sidewalk is DIRT or SAND with some rocks. the street, on the other hand, is vastly different: It's gravel, with some dirt and sand. Easy. no confusion. Roger. Tracking. Horse puckey! you start out on the "sidewalk" and then BAM! you're in the middle of the road. its like Doc Brown altered the Space-Time continuum and you shifted grid squares.

So, this medic is bored. fortunately the CO signed my Tuition Assistance paper so i can go to REAL college and the legitimately need starbucks just to stay awake. On a side note. its interesting, that we make fun of the beret wearing starbucks patrons and in a strange twist, we ARE beret wearing (not as much anymore) patrons. Only difference, we're trained killers, not haiku writing pansies who wouldn't even wear a free-range organic leather cut from the hide of an already dead cow belt.

Tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel, same bat drink, one step closer to bat-shit crazy.

I.N.T.C.

So after completing our mission in Iraq, we've convoyed south to Kuwait. Instead of goin home right away, we get to "stay n play" so to speak. I was struck the other day, in the midst of formations and just overall surroundings, that this feels like being at NTC at Fort Irwin, CA. We arrive at Buerhing in July, spend a couple weeks there (like RUBA at NTC), head north into Iraq (the Sandbox) for our war games and field exercises, then rotate back into Buerhing (RUBA again) to prep our stuff to go home. It feels a little surreal. Like i'm not REALLY in the middle east. In Kuwait, there are no mortar attacks, Improvised Explosive Devices, improvised rockets, or people shooting at you. It's easy to get complacent here. Military bearing is KEY. We're in garrison, but still deployed. You've gotta remember to keep hands outta pockets, salute officers and then there are the bugles. Reveille, retreat, Taps, etc. JUST LIKE HOME.

So, the question gets asked to every soldier, whether its by family, friends, strangers, reporters, or each other: Was it worth it? And to me, the answer is always "Yes." In varying degrees, this conflict, this war, was worth the blood and sweat and tears that American service members gave. The lives laid down, opened up this region to democracy. Some people say "Well, it was better under Saddam." To them i say really? Power/electricity generation and distribution is 2x what it was PRIOR to the invasion. The sacrifices made by our soldiers and marines also have contributed, albeit out of necessity, to the medical community in ways previously unimagined. Tourniquets are being used in the private sector to save lives AND limbs, IV fluids like Hextend are being used on patients prior to arriving at a trauma room. Hextend boosts blood volume and blood volume only. Where normal saline will temporarily refill the blood vessels, by its neutral nature, it quickly is absorbed through osmosis into the intercellular spaces and into the surrounding cells, allowing the blood pressure to drop. Hextend stays in the blood stream, allowing less fluid to be used overall (avoiding dilution) and increasing the chances of the patient. Breakthroughs in artificial limbs, recognition and treatment of head injuries, ALL have occured because of the war. Negatives influencing the positives. Newton's Laws stripped down to humanity's level. For every action there is a reaction. in this case, for every negative (battlefield casualties) comes a positive (better treatments, training and skills that not only benefit future soldiers, but the entire civilian population as well).

So, again, was it worth it? Yes. But thats all i'll say about that. I know of people who aren't returning home alive, and i have close friends who are forever affected by that. But, how dare you try and say we accomplished nothing. That all our blood, sweat, tears, time and lives were all for naught.

To my brothers and sisters, HOOAH, OOHRAH and SEMPER FI!

Of Mice and Men

As we wind down here at COS Kalsu, we start looking forward to the next phase. Kuwait, then home. However, sometimes a light scratching or squeak brings you hurtling back to the present. I’m in a metal box where the sound of birds and mice on the roof is bad enough as it is, and I have a furry companion that decides it likes my rice crispy treats more than I do. Maybe it’s the warmth and free food. MAYBE it’s my charming personality. I’m gonna go with the former. Having spotted this invader a few weeks ago, I thought he was gone. That was until I grabbed a rice crispy treat prior to patrol without looking, only to find a hole nibbled in it and a decent chunk eaten out of it. Blasted creature. Then I found the hole. I plugged it up good n tight and thought “There, now I have beaten you, Jerry.” Until last night, when I felt the little bastard on my arm and leg as I groggily woke from my dreamscape. I saw him multiple times this morning, attempted to catch or corner him just as many times, my futility often making the little bugger laugh. Now I know what you’re thinking. “But Nash, mice can’t laugh at you.” Oh, but they can and will. Taunting you with a flash of light brown as they dart from behind the fridge to the locker. Or as they perch on your waste basket, peering in as if to ask “what goodies have you left me in here?” The sound of little claws scurrying on the linoleum, or as he sits under my bed squeaking away, teasing, and LAUGHING. Anyways, I digress. With the help of my roommate, I cornered, caught and dispatched the little squeaky nuisance so he will never disturb another soldier just trying to make it to the next day and the next and the next until we’re on our way home.

Haji, however, doesn’t give 2 shits about that. They launched 7 mortars at the COS, yet hit nothing. That’s not to say they weren’t close. They were DAMN close. One was so close it rattled my CHU like a Cali Quake. I even thought that at first, but then snapped back and went “wait, I’m in Iraq. Time to head to the bunker!” It’s been cold. REAL cold. Not just crisp. That’s reserved for the day time. At night, it’s been getting down around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s pretty damn cold for this area. Day time highs reach maybe 75-80 now. It’s a big difference than when we first got here.  I’ve found myself comparing the daytime to October or November in Cali. Bright blue skies, super crisp. Like New Year’s Day after it rains, and its 60 degrees, light breeze and you can see snow on Mt Baldy.

So as I’m writing this, NO SHIT, I hear a noise coming from my ACU top hanging up. I see it moving. I’m thinking “WTF?!?!” I open the door, grab the shirt and turn it around. I HAVE A FUCKING MOUSE ON IT! So I hit the inside of my shirt and sent the little shit FLYING out the door. Man. Like Jacob Marley coming back to scare Scrooge. Hopefully that’s the last of him! Aye yi yi!

After being told we’d be home by the end of the year, we were let down when it was revealed that instead, we’d be doing our full year tour, but in Kuwait. I just want to get home. See my girlfriend, my family and my friends. It’s barely been 4.5 months and it feels like forever. Stupid garrison style rules that make no sense in a combat zone, make being in country difficult. Patrols are welcome as they get us away from that. They allow us to sample the local food, which I think is delicious. Having spotty internet and no mail really drags. Fortunately we’re almost outta here. Until next time. Vanilla Gorilla, out!

Another Month Down and the Trip of a Lifetime

Wow, time really flies when you're constantly busy. Everyday is the same thing, just different times. And when you wake up late at night to go out early in the am, to return mid-morning, and then have lunch, gym then back to sleep all afternoon, the days disappear. Its a vicious cycle that can break you off. The monotony will get to you. You forget what day of the week it is. Your only reminder that it's Sunday again is when you go to lunch chow and are greeted by an omelet bar. Oh yeah, its Sunday Brunch....again. Its been 1 full moon cycle, 5 loads of laundry, 3 haircuts and here we are again. Only difference was 2 weeks ago we had the opportunity to escort some people from the State Dept out to the ruins of Babylon. Yup. THAT Babylon. The Babylon that is an hour away, was ruled by Nebuchadnezzar 1 AND 2, conquered by the Persians and Alexander the Great, and saw the likes of Ezekiel, Daniel, Jeremiah, and BFF's Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Listening to the US archaeologist, I felt catapulted into an Indiana Jones movie. Only he wore a "Welcome to Egypt" Gilligan hat instead of a sweet fedora. He had the satchel, the local head garb worn as a scarf/ascot, and was a real archaeologist. However, no whip or 5 o'clock (and then some) shadow, so he lost major cool points. However, walking around the ruins, I felt like all of a sudden Nazi troops would appear, or the roof of some temple would be discovered and opened releasing gas and lightning, or I'd hear "snakes....why'd it have to be SNAKES?!?!" Raiders of the Lost Ark not withstanding, we were among buildings built in 600 BC, and earlier. Some were 3500 years old! Walking a good 4 km, we walked passed guard towers erected in the Invasion of 2003 (since this land had been invaded multiple times throughout history), the footprint of the Tower of Babylon, and a pit that had tons of pottery shards scattered about. From high up on this vantage point we could see the old palace of Nebuchadnezzar that had been rebuilt in the 80's by Saddam Hussein. Brick by brick, he rebuilt the palace ON TOP of the buried, existing walls and foundations. I learned that in 1900, the Germans excavated this place, only to BURY it again to hide it during the wars. Yup, Indiana Jones easily could have been here too. It was funny but the Indiana Jones theme song was echoing in my brain as we walked around.

Now, at the palace, there is a fenced off area surround the ORIGINAL King's Road. The pavement still exists, in its original form, albeit littered with some water bottles here and there. We had an Iraqi guide who worked on the excavation and rebuilding between 87-03. Hearing a Muslim man refer to the Bible and Torah and talk about Daniel and Ezekiel and others was pretty surreal. He took us down hallways and into various rooms, the palace was labyrinth. He showed us original sun baked bricks that had cuneiform inscriptions indicating it was laid during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar I. He showed us the throne room that had held the kings of Babylon as well as saw the reign and death of Alexander the Great. I was able to gaze on the wall (or the recreation) that God Himself scribed with his finger during a royal feast. And the Muslim mentioned this! Incredible! After exiting the palace, we walked amongst the ramparts of the city walls. a maze of tunnels and pathways. Original masonry still intact. The walls were so thick and so tall, it was intimidating as rubble, a soldier could only imagine what it would have a) been like to gaze upon them as an invading army with primitive siege weaponry, and b) the horror of the occupying army watching the invaders breaching your massive and presumed impenetrable defenses. Massive engineering overcome by massive will power. Following that, we saw the Ishtar Gate, with the 3d bricks. These are multiple bricks that have protrusions that when laid together into the wall, create the image of animals. Now the Ishtar gate was reserved for the priest and he was the most powerful man in Babylon. More powerful than even the King. I was disappointed that i couldn't locate the site of the furnace, or the lion's den. However, the CURRENT Ishtar gate is built on top of the original, which due to hydroelectric project on the Euphrates has raised the water table and covers the original walls.

 

After that, we drove up to Saddam's palace. WOW. This place was MASSIVE. from a basketball court sized room over looking the Euphrates with floor to ceiling windows offering a 180 degree view to the roof some 50-70 feet above the ground, the tallest point for MILES. Hidden staircases and rooms and bathrooms EVERYWHERE. And also not a single pane of glass left intact, 99% of the doors gone, and TONS of pigeon crap was everywhere. The walls were tagged with Arabic graffiti and every light switch, outlet, and the covers were gone. Oddly, most of the marble was still intact. One of the bathroom door jambs had a pull up bar installed when the military used it as a base during the invasion.

All and all it was an amazing trip. One that 160+ pictures can't even begin to describe. "You had to be there" is an understatement. Hopefully, once all "this" is over and the region hopefully stabilizes, I'd like to return, retrace my steps, and see it all again. This time, without having to wear body armor and carry and M4 (you know, JUST IN CASE someone decides to make it past all the Iraqi Police securing the area)

3,652 Days

Reposted with permission from Matt Dickerson. Read the original here! 

The following is a personal message to all of those who think we should just pull our troops out of the Middle East theater of operations because "We've been there too long, and nothing is happening."
   
      On a warm Tuesday in September 2001 our worlds were turned upside down by a group of men who would rather kill thousands of innocent people through cowardice, than stand toe to toe with the men and women sworn to defend their home, family, and nation. These are the same types that would rather blow themselves up in the middle of a busy market place, or plant a car bomb in the middle of a residential area. These are not conventional enemies. They have no uniform, no unit, only a distorted message of hate told to them by even bigger cowards in a mosque somewhere.
   
      To those who think we should be nicer to them, to those that think we are still the aggressors, to those who feel that we as a nation are still at fault, imagine this for a second, these people are the enemy. Since G.W. Bush was in office, we have maintained a detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. This is where high profile detainees were brought to be interrogated so that maybe one day we could eradicate the terrorists who want to see America burn alive. Random idiots walking the street do not get sent to Gitmo. These are people who have extensive knowledge of terrorist networks, people who are one with the enemy.
   
      Everyone is up in arms about the "acts of torture" performed on these high profile detainees. Saying it is un-American, saying it's illegal, saying it's inhuman. Know this, keeping them awake for long periods of time, waterboarding them, possible small voltage electroctuion is far easier on them than anything they would do to us. They get three meals a day, a right to practice their religion, and a bed with a roof over their head. That is a vacation for them. If the shoe was on the other foot, they would torture us, behead us, disembowel us, tie us behind a truck, drag our corpse through the streets, and hang us from a bridge to rot for everyone to see. They would video tape the whole thing and give it to al-Jazeera, who would promptly put it on primetime news to feed the rest of the Middle East with a sense of pride.
  
      These people do not deserve to be treated as equals. They should not be treated as we would treat each other, nor should they be treated like we would treat POW's from a legitimate enemy. They deserve to be tied to a chair and be forced to watch someone execute their entire family. They deserve to be tortured. They deserve to be terminated with EXTREME predjudice. These people are not human beings. Unfortunately, our nation has been burdened with the responsibility of babysitting the rest of the planet for some time now. So this equal treatment will never happen.
   
       To those of you who don't have the inner fortitude and patience to help our country see it's way through this difficult time, to those sounding the alarm to bring our boys home, just remember: The enemy is still out there. They will not stop until one of us are gone. Until we become a nation without concern for anyone else but ourselves, they will continue to find ways to attack. We all may not want the responsibility of being the world's police, but it is a responsibility we are stuck with until we decide to no longer take the responsibility. If we pull out now, our troops would have died for nothing. Our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who bled in the sand thousands of miles away will have died in vain. they will have died in vain because as a nation, we would have failed them because we cannot agree, and we cannot pull together.
   
     We are at war with an enemy, whether we as people asked for it or not. It was thrust upon us by ignorant cowards and we cannot back down. We must press on and continue to attempt to rid the planet of this disease known as terrorism. This will not be a quick process, as the last decade has shown us. Show some unity for our nation and the troops still putting boots on the ground for our safety. September 11th should not be the only day we pull together as a nation and set aside differences. Memories of 9/11 should burn inside of us every day, like an eternal flame that will never be extinguished.

10 years later.....a look back

10 years ago, today, I was woken up by my mom, saying "come watch the news!" She had a look I'd never seen before on her face. When i walked in the bedroom and rubbed my eyes, looking at FoxNews, the Fire Technology student in me said "Oh, New York's on fire." So matter-of-factly like i was talking about the Great Chicago Fire, or how San Fran burned after the 1906 quake, or the Great Fire of London. Then the replay. Over and over. First one plane, then the 2nd one, hitting the building and exploding through. It was an explosion that surpassed anything Hollywood special effects could even imagine! The Thick black smoke against a pure blue sky. A blue that the entire US looks at on January 1 as the Rose Parade rolls through Pasadena and North LA. A blue that Southern Californians know ONLY exists after Santa Ana winds roll through blowing out all the smog. A "Catalina Day" or a "Downtown Day", speaking of when you are in the foothills of Orange County and can see IN DETAIL the buildings in downtown LA. A sky so clear, so pure, so innocent. Then the news came from DC, another airliner, this time in the Pentagon. And another, downed in a Pennsylvania field, speculated to be headed to the White House or Capitol. So surreal. A story line movie scriptwriters would have been either scoffed at or paid handsomely for. This was worse than Pearl Harbor. Not one, but 4 coordinated attacks against both military and civilian targets. War had come screeching into the United States at 600 miles an hour, fully loaded with jet fuel.

Responding were the boys in blue. Underpaid, overworked, but dedicated to the death to their job. Cops and firefighters. New York's Finest and Bravest. Men who months prior were criticized for excessive force were being praised for their selfless attitude. Men who people were too busy to pull over so the engine and truck could pass, grasped and reached out as they ascended the stairs, determined to reach the top. They went as far as they could, grabbed whomever and however many they could, and made the long trek down. Some made it out, and went back in for round 2, determined to go the distance or get knocked out trying. These men were warriors, fierce in their attack. They saved who they could and desired to grapple with the beast burning on 6-10 floors. These were bloodthirsty men, craving the taste of Satan's fire and willing to beat him at all costs. Then at 9:59, all hell broke loose. concrete and steel acted like pipe cleaners, bending, twisting, breaking. The fatal ballet was reaching its apex. The tower twisting on itself, spiralling like a giant corkscrew into the basement below. And while that happened, FDNY and NYPD and PAPD STILL ran up the North tower, striving to try and save more lives. 29 minutes later, the WTC basement swallowed up the North tower as well, claiming even more souls. 2,819 lives silenced in the two 12 second collapses. 343 fellow firefighters called home. 23 NYPD officers on final patrol, and 37 PAPD who will never be at roll call.

Support and unity. 2 things never seen since WW2 and the "support the war effort". Stores couldn't keep American flags in stock. Betsy Ross would be proud. The Stars and Stripes, the international symbol of freedom, was back with a vengence. The whole country rallied around their neighborhood firestation. People finally took notice of the emergency vehicles responding to calls. Gone was the image of firemen getting a kitten out of a tree, in was the superhero. Superman couldn't hold a candle to these real life heros. Women loved them, men envied them, kids wanted to be them, still. Many flocked to recruiting stations eager to get some, to get revenge for their country. No draft necessary, the all volunteer military saw unprecedented numbers. And the gloves were off.

Its odd to think that on that day, I was already working to become a firefighter. Seeing those brothers killed in 12 seconds, made me stop. I asked myself "what am i doing? Knowing that death hovered, waiting for me, on every call, is this STILL the life and career i want?" And the answer was a resounding yes. Scratch that. I still remember thinking "FUCK YES!" without a doubt. What happened 10 years ago steeled my reserve and determination. I was not gonna take no for an answer. I would become a firefighter by any means necessary. Its even more surreal to think that 10 years later i'm not a firefighter, but instead have too gone to the recruiter and signed my life on the line, vowing to protect the nation I love and adore, the freedoms most Americans take for granted. I'm fighting alongside some of those same people who joined 10 years ago, and are still pushing back, giving our enemies what for and not going quietly into the night. I may never become a firefighter. My options are open, from working at becoming a flight medic on a MEDEVAC chopper, to taking 2 more years to go off and fight in the 'Stan, to getting out and still becoming a Firefighter. Each day I remember 9-11-01. its interesting, that the number you call when you need help is 9-1-1. You call, I come, I fight, I win.

Hooah, Semper Fi, Fir Na Tine, etc. It all different, but its all the same! Never Forget!