Live from Baghdad

We're okay

2006-04-24T15:16:00.000-04:00

We returned from a short R&R in Dahab, Egypt last week. Now it is the site of the most recent tragic terrorist attack. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our many friends in Dahab and to all the people of Egypt. Dahab is truly magical and we cherished the hospitality of the Bedouin locals. They do not deserve this.

Reconstruction Failure

2006-04-08T02:20:00.000-04:00

The NY Times reports today that former USAID officials believe that reconstruction of major infrastructure in Iraq was destined to fail:

In Iraq, "We set it up to fail," said Andrew S. Natsios, who was director of the United States Agency for International Development until January. He and some White House and State Department officials say they argued early on that a large-scale reconstruction program could never succeed in a hostile environment.
NY Times, Joel Brinkley, April 8, 2006

Too busy to get in trouble

2006-04-04T14:55:00.000-04:00

My boss and my fellow technical expert are both on short R&Rs so I am currently running the Infrastructure office single-handedly. And for those of you who know my troubles with home electrical projects, yes I'm in charge of our power sector again.

Turn out the lights, the party's over!

PS to Sarge: I'll post a comment when I have time to breathe again.

Rugby

2006-03-27T08:37:00.000-05:00

Looks like my two former rugby teams, the Santa Monica Dolphins and the New Haven All-Blacks, are making a run for the USA Rugby National Playoffs. Santa Monica is the defending Division I national champion, while New Haven is a former Div II champion and an up-and-coming Div I contender.

Perhaps one of the hardest things about being over here is being painfully aware of the march of time. While this has been a once in a lifetime experience (okay, I guess twice in a lifetime), I realize that I have missed so much. From a national championship, to watching my nephews grow up, to helping my wife through graduate school - these experiences and others are the real sacrifices of being over here.

As usual, my apologies for the lack of posts but you can always check out http://khuluma.blogspot.com for Susan's regular reports and great pictures.

The Circus

2006-02-26T01:07:00.000-05:00

Apologies to my small but loyal readership for the lack of posts. As I'm sure some of you were wondering, I got my wrist slapped (yes Tommy, just my wrist) for posting on the reconstruction efforts. It was probably justified given my current role over here.

So, for now at least, I'll give in to the Man and focus my posts on the mundane absurdities of life in Iraq. For instance, in the midst of a unprecedented civil unrest and violence due to the bombing of the Shi'a holy site last week, we had not one but two parties this weekend. The first one was an "Arabian Nights" theme held outside under tents with Iraqi food, shisha (water pipe), belly-dancing and libations (okay, not everything was in theme!). The following night, we hosted the "Bag-Daddies" - the International Zone's very own cover band. They put on a great 2-hour set in the courtyard in front of Susan & my house. We even had a bonfire, built inside an old Humvee tire rim.

Susan and I watched the movie "Jarhead" last night about a Marine in the first Gulf War. At the end of the movie, the main character narrates "we turn the inside of our hootch into a circus, and inside of this circus we cannot be injured, inside of our circus we cannot be touched."

"But we are insane to believe this."

Disclaimer

2006-02-15T02:51:00.000-05:00

The contents of this blog represent the opinions and views of the author and do not in any way reflect the policies of the US Government or USAID.

Scooped!

2006-02-11T06:11:00.000-05:00

Post deleted.

Scope of the Problem

2006-02-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

Post deleted.

We Made It

2006-02-04T23:37:00.000-05:00

As you've probably read on Susan's blog (http://khuluma.blogspot.com), we made it safely into Baghdad on Wednesday, January 31. It took us about 72 hours to shake off the travel-induced cobwebs, but we are now slowly getting up to speed.

A lot has changed in Iraq in the past 8 months, yet much has stayed the same. A new Army division, the 4th Infantry Division, has occupied the IZ and the Baghdad area and brought with them their own quirks. When I first arrived in Baghdad in November 2004, the 1st Cavalry Division was in charge and then it was the 3rd Infantry Division. The 4th ID will transfer out sometime during our 1-year tenure which will mean I've been here for four different commands.

Despite the change-over in the military, I've run into or expect to see several familiar faces. Apparently, a special unit of Civil Affairs troops is spinning up led by General Chiarelli who was in charge of the 1st Cav. I worked with several of his staff members on my first tour. Likewise, I've also run into some old friends from the Corps of Engineers, who like me, couldn't stay away. And, of course, coming back to USAID was like a homecoming. I was surprised by how happy I was to see some of our Iraqi staff who are still braving the IZ gates to help our mission.

Other changes are more tangible. My office is no longer in a trailer, but is now a cubicle in an ultra-secure office building. I remember watching the new office building (or "NOB" in three-letter acronymese) be constructed. There is enough steel rebar in this building to reinforce Fort Knox. If they had used any more rebar, they wouldn't have needed to add bricks to keep the wind out.

They also finished the Liberty Pool complex next door, which is owned by the Army and operated by KBR as a Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) facility. The huge pool was actually constructed by Saddam but needed patching and work on the chlorination system prior to opening. There's also a good gym next door, a common room/library, and a multi-purpose room where Susan and I went to a spinning class last night. When the weather warms up, we'll be using the lap pool as well.

In terms of what stayed the same, Baghdad is still brown, the air still smells like smoke, most people still carry a gun, and there's still armored vehicles racing around. And, in case you're thinking it's all fun around here, we spent all day Friday listening to a running gun battle just across the Tigris.

On our way

2006-01-29T06:53:00.000-05:00

We're enroute and I'll start posting here regularly after we arrive in Iraq later this week. In the meantime, you can check out Susan's blog at http://khuluma.blogspot.com.

DC Update

2006-01-17T17:27:00.000-05:00

Susan & I are currently in DC for our pre-deployment training. I got my Diplomatic Passport and my State Department badge today, which for some reason, makes me feel really cool. I realize it's not a big deal to my Foreign Service pals, but they are sort of symbols of my current direction in life. Too bad the passport is only good for one year!

We're scheduled to depart for Iraq around the end of the month so keep checking back for updates.

Delayed

2006-01-08T18:32:00.000-05:00

We were delayed for a month by bureaucracy, but we'll be on our way to DC soon. We should be in Iraq sometime in February.

By the way, Susan has started her own blog at Khuluma. Go check it out!

Going Back

2005-12-03T16:09:00.000-05:00

USAID/Iraq has asked me to return to Baghdad to head the Water & Sanitation sector. This time, my lovely wife Susan will also be coming along as the new Information Officer for USAID/Iraq. She's a much better photographer and a much more prolific writer than me, so you can expect good things from this blog. If all goes right, we should be in country by the end of December 2005.

More to follow.

Home Sweet Home

2005-06-06T17:11:00.000-04:00

I've been home for almost 3 weeks now and Baghdad is slowly fading into a hazy memory. Sucking down margaritas for a week on a beach in Mexico probably speeded that process along, but now it's back to my old office in downtown Los Angeles. Not much has changed, this is the federal government after all. Most of my projects are exactly where I left them almost 7 months ago.

My wife and I have been cautiously getting to know each other again. Our six-month separation challenged our relationship like nothing else in the last 6 years of marriage. We both grew personally and professionally, and now we have to figure out where we fit in each other's new life. We're taking each day as it comes, but we're two smart kids, we'll figure it out.

Now we're looking forward to our next challenge. I'm going back to school in the Fall. I could have picked from half a dozen great schools in southern California, but no, we're picking up and heading to the northeast. Of course, before that happens, we have to finish flooring the living room, recarpet the upstairs, rent out our townhouse and pack up all of our belongings. Oh, and in the middle of all that, we're travelling to Egypt for 3 weeks of "vacation" with family. My loving father-in-law decided that I had not spent enough time in the Middle East this year so he organized a tour of Cairo, Luxor, and Sharm el Sheik for our extended families. Should be fun, but it means I have a month to set everything up for the move. Oh well, it beats getting shot at.

Speaking of, I received an email from a friend of mine at USAID. They had a rocket hit about 50 meters from the housing units that I was living in. Thankfully, it was on the other side of two sets of blast walls and no one was hurt, but it sure makes me happy to be home.

Stateside

2005-05-17T18:28:00.000-04:00

That's right, six months in Iraq I'm finally back in the good ol' USA. Two days of redeployment processing at Fort Bliss, TX and I'll be home sweet home.

Going Home

2005-05-14T01:02:00.000-04:00

After almost 6 months in country, I fly out for Kuwait late this afternoon. My head is swirling with mixed emotions - the anticipation of seeing my wife again after half a year apart, the longing for a return to normalcy, and the relief of peaceful safety are tempered with regret at leaving work unfinished, fear of the unknown as I leave the regimented regularity of my days in Iraq, and heartache at leaving some great friends behind.

That said, I can't wait to be home.

I'm currently at our District Headquarters at Camp Victory, near Baghdad International Airport. Unlike the surreal civility of the Green Zone, Victory reminds you that there is still a war going on. It's hot and dusty, helicopters flit constantly overhead, and occassionally you'll hear a Bradley or Abrams rumble by. You see the convoys of Humvees filled with heavily armed soldiers returning from security patrols. And we're close enough to the action to have our own artillery batteries. In fact, I was awakened this morning by the staccato bursts of outgoing 155mm rounds, probably lobbing extended range rounds towards the remaining pockets of insurgents near Fallujah.

It's ironic that artillery would be my alarm clock on my last day in country. Six months ago, I had crashed out in my cot shortly after arriving from a punishing 3-days of traveling. At about 2am, there was a series of percussive booms. With the briefings I had endured at Fort Bliss still fresh in my head, and the adrenaline still coursing through my body from just putting my feet on Iraqi soil, I dove from my bunk pressing myself as low to the floor as possible while pulling my flak jacket over me. I cowered on the floor as another series of rounds boomed. I did not know yet that this had to be outgoing as the insurgents would only fire off one set of rounds before running from the inevitable helicopters. After this second round, I lay on the floor for several more minutes. Eventually, I crawled back into my bunk and drifted into an uneasy slumber while thoughts of "what the hell am I doing here?" ran through my head.

This morning, as a grizzled veteran of a dozen mortar and rocket attacks, I quickly recognized the disciplined rhythm of outgoing artillery. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

It's time to go home.

Short-Timer

2005-05-05T12:23:00.000-04:00

I'm a "single-digit midget!" That's the name they use over here for someone with less than 10 days to go. 165 days down, 9 to go. I'll be in Kuwait a week from this Saturday, in Germany early Monday morning, and back in the good ol' You, Ess, of Aye by Monday evening, May 16.

You know you've been in Baghdad too long if:

2005-04-25T05:48:00.000-04:00

(This dates back to August 2004, but a lot of it is still relevant.)

GENERAL

You start to think "it's not so bad here"
You say "this place sort of grows on you"
You say "it's not the humidity, it's the heat" (for Houston residents only)
You say, "it feels cooler today" and find out that the temperature is 105
The term "trailer trash" is a term of endearment
You think "DVD Mista" is a friendly greeting
You call your tent (trailer if you're lucky) 'home'
A "weekend" lasts from 0730 to 1200 on Friday
You get excited at the idea of ICE

ARMAMENTS

You don't jump when a door slams or someone drops something
You aren't alarmed when every second person you see has a gun...or two...or three
You kick the M-16 on the floor aside without a second thought when you sit down to eat in the Dining Facility.
A Gloc or 9 mm on a lady's hip is considered sexy
Mortars and rockets sounds are "okay" compared to Vehicle bombs (IED's)
You can measure distances based on explosion sounds
"Scoring" means you acquired a new weapon

TRAVEL

You go to Fallujah and Mosul for R&R
You are soothed by the sounds of helicopters flying six feet over your trailer
You automatically get down on your hands and knees in the dirt to inspect the underside of your car, even when you are wearing a suit or skirt
Bullet holes in cars are no longer alarming
Car selections consist of "hard" or "soft", not Cadillac or Mercedes
Road trips consist of 6 vehicles and large caliber weapons
Driving on the sidewalk is normal
Driving on the wrong side of a divided four lane street is normal
Driving 60 mph through a bustling street market is considered prudent
Hit-and-run fender benders are treated as mere warnings
Riding in a hot Humvee is preferred to an air-conditioned soft car
You get upset that you don't get C-130 Frequent Flyer Miles
Your carry-on luggage includes a flack jacket and helmet

HYGIENE

You enjoy waiting 45 minutes for the toilets to refill
You start believing that Deodorant should be a personal choice
KBR buzz cuts begin to look stylish

SURROUNDINGS

"Texas Barriers" are something other than a device to keep Texans out
"Jersey Barriers" are something other than fences to keep Holsteins away from Jerseys
You begin to believe that project construction being blown up only twice a week is progress
You get excited with the presence of clouds
You know ten times as many South Africans as you've ever known before
The security guards are Ghurka or South African and you know them
Afrikaans at the pool is normal

DINING

You look forward to Mohammad's Mango ice cream as the treat for the day
Powdered eggs taste ok
You consider plastic ware the Palace China
You can distinguish inherent qualities of various plastic utensils
The quality of the plastics utensils becomes a hot dinner topic
Having to separate plastic plates causes you undue stress
Lettuce for your salad becomes a luxury
Scamming a 3rd can of soda makes you feel like you got even with someone
You are putting on weight because the Saddam's Revenge Diet no longer works
Going to another mess hall is an adventure

FASHION

You think desert combat boots look great with a dark blue suit or shorts
Sand between your thong sandals actually feels good
The color white is no longer an option
Speedos for security guards seem right
You can recognize 12 different camouflage patterns
You've given up on shoe polish

LIVING CONDITIONS

You think the bullet holes in the roof of your trailer is just another form of ventilation
You get upset because the post office won't ship your looted artifacts
You haven't had water from anything other than a bottle for months on end
You consider broken sandbags just a new beach expansion
The idea of a double wide is only for the fortunate
Forgetting your badge makes you feel naked...but pants are optional
A bootleg of the new stateside release is not available at the PX 2 days later
"Only one rocket has hit the Palace" is excellent news
Cardboard boxes have become substantial pieces of furniture

COMMUNICATION

Stars & Stripes seems to be a liberal newspaper
Acronyms become the acceptable language
It feels normal to have to run outside to make a cell phone call
You call your coworkers on a cell phone as soon as new T-shirt patterns arrive at the PX
"Can you hear me" takes up 50% of your cellular telephone conversations
You realize it is Saturday or Sunday because no one from DC phones

2005-04-19T16:13:00.000-04:00

SUPRISE! Happy Birthday to me! At my surpise 30th birthday party, March 22.

2005-04-19T15:59:00.000-04:00

At my conference in Ebril with Iraqi ministry officers.

2005-04-19T15:58:00.000-04:00

Go Bokke!

A Piano in Iraq Bridges Gaps

2005-04-18T02:42:00.000-04:00

I'm apparently turning into a media hound: NPR: All Things Considered.

Edit: The "I was bored" comment at the end of the piece was in reference to my job. Apologies to my beautiful, and always exciting, wife.

Is it a Waste?

2005-04-11T02:44:00.000-04:00

Great article in yesterday's LA Times: Millions Going to Waste.

Of the individuals quoted in the article, Mark Oviatt is my counterpart at USAID and Jack Hume is my counterpart at Bechtel. Obviously, the article is very critical of the mistakes made in the reconstruction effort. However, I think it tells a good story about where we are today. USAID recognized these mistakes almost 6 months ago and started to analyze the lessons learned. They will soon be kicking off a $25 million program to address the lack of operational capacity within the Iraqi government. I had the opportunity to play a small part in developing that program and this will be my biggest accomplishment from my time in Iraq.

Eight in a Row

2005-04-08T23:57:00.000-04:00

Wow, I just realized how long it had been since my last post. I think I might still be recovering from my surprise birthday party. That’s right, my wife managed to throw me a surprise party from the other side of the world. What makes this an even better story is that I think this is the eighth year in a row that she’s pulled off a surprise party. That’s right, 8 straight birthdays. You would think that sometime before March 22nd every year, I’d start to get suspicious. However, this year I would have been excused for not expecting it. Not only was I in Iraq, but she was in South Africa doing research for her thesis.

The night of my birthday started off innocently enough. A group of friends took me to dinner at one of the few restaurants in the Green Zone. We had a good time but I was surprised and a little annoyed when my friends wanted to leave right after dinner instead of hanging out like we usually did. (Hint No. 1)

Someone suggested we go back and watch a DVD. It didn’t seem like much of a birthday celebration, but I shrugged it off as another sacrifice I made when I decided to deploy. After we arrived at our compound, I told my friends that I had to return my mom’s phone call from earlier that day. I walked home, called my mom and we talked for a long time. I must have been feeling a little homesick as I kept stretching out the conversation. Looking back on it, I realize she was trying to end the call but was too nice to be blunt about it. (Hint No. 2)

Suddenly, my radio crackles to life and I hear my call sign over the net, “Rugby…Rugby, this is Viking, over.” It’s my friends and I assume they want me to hurry up so they can start the movie. (Hint No. 3 – we rarely use the radios for something like that.) I finally say goodbye to my mom and start walking over.

As I walk up to my friend’s house, someone cracks the door. I notice more people, loud music, and decorations. My brain struggles to reconcile this input with the plan to watch a movie. “Huh…what are they doing here?...is this the right house?....what’s all that food and drink on the counter?...wait a sec...no, can’t be...hold on, maybe…” SURPRISE!

And instantly, I knew. Susan had done it again.

Belated thanks to Aaron, Kirk, Tim, Tamara, Pam and all of my USAID and Corps friends. Thanks to Mom and Dad for embarrassing me by sending over old school pictures which were posted at the party. And, as always, thanks to my lovely, but sneaky, wife.

False Modesty

2005-03-23T12:08:00.000-05:00

My wife called me out for not sharing the news of my award. The Commanding General of the US Army Corps of Engineers, Lt. General Carl Strock (that’s 3-stars), was in Iraq this week and held a “Town Hall” meeting at our Gulf Region Central District headquarters at Camp Victory.

The Army has a tradition where the Commander of any organization has coins made up with the name and insignia of the organization, which can then be handed out for recognition of merit. For instance, the colonel that commands the Los Angeles District office (my normal job) has a coin. My new coin has three stars on it.

120 days (and counting)

2005-03-21T05:45:00.000-05:00

Last night I ran into two guys that I processed through Fort Bliss with a lifetime ago. Okay, so it's only been four months, but that means that today is my original deployment end date. The guys I saw last night were flying out today and I could have been on that plane.

I was depressed for a moment as I want to see my wife three days from now, not two months. But then I realized that I'm not done in Iraq. Not quite. It took me three months to figure things out and only in the last four weeks have I begun to make my mark. We have a dozen infrastructure project about to come online and I want to be here to watch clean water flowing. We're kicking off a program to provide Iraqi engineers with operations and maintenance training to leave a legacy of working facilities.

I'm on the last lap now, it's not time to quit.

40 days and 40 nights

2005-03-11T07:39:00.000-05:00

It's been raining for two straight days. If this keeps up, I'm building an ark.

War Blog

2005-03-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

The two things I remember most about Gulf War I are Wolf Blitzer on CNN and "smart bombs." It's probably too early to tell what will stick with me the longest from this war, but I'm guessing that three things will be near the top: embedded reporters, digital cameras, and war blogs.

Embedded reporters have provided a frontline view of the invasion, for better or worse. Digital cameras have captured more images of Iraq than any battlefield in history. And war blogs have recorded the thoughts of soldiers and civilians alike.

I just stumbled across another great blog, called Birding Babylon. A Civil Affairs soldier spent a year in Iraq, but kept up with his hobby.

Telling the Truth

2005-03-03T08:15:00.000-05:00

Those of you who read my previous post titled "Nothing Happening" about our PSD convoys before I deleted it will remember the following excerpt:

[Our PSD's] favorite weapon seems to be half-liter water bottles. He tosses these like a Nolan Ryan fastball at the windshield of cars that don't pull to the side of the road quickly enough in his estimation. He actually has a little rack of water bottles mounted inside the turret [of his Humvee].

This particular comment seemed to get the most attention of the entire post. Thus, I found it ironic when it was reported recently that a rumour was making the rounds among Iraqis in Baghdad that, "US soldiers have been witnessed throwing glass bottles at civilian Iraqi vehicles."

Pretty easy to see where the rumor started.

The "Good" News

2005-02-21T00:10:00.000-05:00

You hear a lot over hear about how the media is distorting the situation in Iraq by not telling the “good news stories.” However, I believe the media has every right to be critical of the overall mission in Iraq. The original objective was not nation-building or bringing democracy to Iraq. It was not even to dethrone Saddam Hussein. The basis of the invasion was to protect the American people from WMD. As we all know now, and many people suspected back then, this was, at best, based on faulty intelligence.

Saddam and his cronies were evil men and they deserve to be tried in court. The Iraqi people have suffered through 3 wars caused by Saddam and, like people everywhere, deserve peace. There is great poverty in a country that is blessed with abundant wealth. The US would be well served by a moderate ally in the Middle East. Access to Iraqi oil would undoubtedly help the US economy. I will not deny any of this. However, none of these were cited as a reason to invade Iraq. I doubt the American people would have agreed to spend 155 BILLION dollars and sacrifice over a thousand US soldiers lives in pursuit of these goals.

Please don't get me wrong, the soldiers who have served in Iraq are brave and the greatest majority have served honorably, including my brother-in-law and my best friend. Likewise, my fellow government civilians, contractors, and even PSDs all deserve praise for risking their lives to fulfill their various missions. Every day, these people work to promote freedom, restore the economy, and provide basic services for the Iraqi people. I'm here because I have an opportunity to help. I have a mission to restore infrastructure and provide clean drinking water to Iraq. There's a need for this and, at the moment , there's funding for it. But clean drinking water is not enough to justify the invasion or our continued occupation.

I don't have all the answers, heck, I don't even know most the questions. But the reason the good news stories are not going home is because there are some hard questions that still need to be asked about our reasons for being here. That's the media's job. Let's leave the good news stories for the bloggers.

The Solution

2005-02-18T01:30:00.000-05:00

I emailed my dad that I would be in Al Hillah for a couple days last week. I cracked up when I read his response:

OUT OF THE GREEN ZONE, AYA?!! 1 1/2 HOURS??? BY AIR OR ROAD? HOPE YOU'RE TRAVELING SAFE. THESE ARE THE LITTLE TRIPS PEOPLE "DISAPPEAR" ON AND TURN UP ON CNN...DOESN'T HELP THE ANXIETY HERE.

SEND THEM A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET OF PVC PIPE AND A WATER SPIGOT, A HUNDRED CHLORINE TABLETS, A BUCKET AND THEY HAVE A WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM. OF COURSE THEY'LL USE IT TO MAKE A PIPE BOMB, BUT AT LEAST YOU TRIED.

IF IT'S ELECTRICITY THEY WANT....DURACELL STOCK WILL GO UP IF WE SUPPLY ENOUGH BATTERIES AND SOME MAGLITES. OF COURSE WITH ENOUGH INGENUITY THEY CAN TAKE THE BATTERY STUFF AND MAKE MORE EXPLOSIVES....HMMM....CHUCK THAT IDEA.

HOPE YOU'RE SAFE. LOVE YOU. DAD

Dad should be running this place.

Valentine's Day

2005-02-14T11:21:00.000-05:00

It might be a Hallmark marketing ploy, but I really can't complain too much about a holiday that reminds me to tell my wife how much I love her.

Nothing Happening

2005-02-12T11:42:00.000-05:00

Note: Our security office has recommended that I delete this post.

UPDATE: First of all, I would like to apologize to any PSD or security officer concerned with the content of my original post. No offense or critiscm was intended, only an observation on different approaches/philosophies. Admittedly, I am not a security expert and thus, I did not discuss the relative effectiveness of the different operations.

Furthermore, I fully support and understand the OPSEC issues associated with discussing tactics. For anyone who has not read the original post, I assure you that the level of detail discussed was general in nature and well within what has been printed in major news sources and shown on network news.

However, considering the personal content of this blog and the extent to which the post was disseminated around the blogosphere, I felt it was prudent to follow the recommendation of our security office. And as I've said before, when the guys with the guns talk, I listen.

As always, I appreciate the support of my family and friends. May you continue to enjoy my rants and raves.

Election Day

2005-01-30T07:48:00.000-05:00

Well, yesterday was interesting. That was definitely the most "incoming" we've had since my arrival. Although I've been told it was nothing compared to September 12th last year when they "celebrated" 9/11. By now you've probably heard two Americans were killed and 5 wounded when a mortar hit the Embassy compound. Of course, the press always screws that one up and terrifies my wife. See, technically I live adjacent to the US Embassy. That is, I live next to the "official" embassy - a small building, probably the former home of a powerful member of Saddam's government. When the press talk about the Embassy compound, however, they are referring to the Embassy Annex also known as the "Palace". This is the sprawling former Republican Palace, seat of Saddam's government. It's about 2 miles from my compound so I'm relatively safe.

Just thought you'd like to know.

Blog Changes

2005-01-28T07:32:00.000-05:00

A new friend is helping me spruce up this blog. You'll notice that I've archived old posts to improve download speeds. I've also added a "blog roller" on the right margin listing some of my favorite blogs. And a feature I'm sure everyone will appreciate is the new commenting system run by Haloscan - no more obnoxious "Anonymous" comments.

Iraqi Elections

2005-01-28T05:15:00.000-05:00

My apologies for the long delay between posts. To be honest, I've been waiting for something exciting to happen but it's been quiet around here. Reported insurgent activity has been well below normal.

Of course that's all relative. According to yesterday's NY Times, in the week ending Sunday, Baghdad was hit by 7 suicide car bombings, 37 roadside bombs and 52 insurgent attacks involving automatic rifles or rocket-propelled grenades. The suicide bombs alone killed at least 60 people and injured 150 others. Now before my mom freaks out, those attacks were, by and large, targeted towards Iraqis.

Most of the Green Zone has been locked down with movements outside restricted to "Mission Critical" only and inside our protective walls we've been restricted to "Official Government Business" movement. That means no trips over to the PX. We've also been upgraded to "Uniform 3" status, meaning we're wearing our body armor and helmets anytime we're outside a building. Pulling on my bullet proof vest has become almost second-nature, like grabbing your coat on the way out of the house on a cold day. Except this coat weighs 25 pounds and is accessorized with a Kevlar helmet.

----------------------------------

We have teams of people deployed here just for the elections. We have public affairs officers to handle all the press that have come back to Iraq now that the tsunami news cycle has worn down. We have "democracy specialists" who are in charge of everything from getting the ballots printed to voter education. I've had a few conversations recently with these specialists who have experienced elections from El Salvador to the Balkans. They are firm believers in the democratic process and believe we will have some level of success here. But like the Bush Administration, they won't define any minimum standards against which to declare a successful vote.

The one thing I will agree with them on is that this will be historic. We just have to wait and see if it will be a triumph of democracy over tyranny or a failure of imperial ideaology.

Too cool

2005-01-21T05:41:00.000-05:00

All right, so this has nothing to do with Iraq but I had to share. And yes, I am working over here but Friday is our slow day and I was surfing the internet - so shoot me! (Oops, wrong choice of words....)

Slackline Wizard

Setbacks

2005-01-20T07:13:00.000-05:00

In an earlier post, I talked at length about the projects we are working on over here. Through infrastructure reconstruction, we hope to improve Iraqi lives to an extent that democracy can take root. That's part of the theory at least.

However, in this environment, it often seems for that every small success we have myriad well-publicized failures. A recent "Atlantic Monthly" article states, "...the war has degenerated to the extent that the construction sites have become nothing more than symbols of the despised American presence." Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. (The article is online but only available for paid subscribers at Atlantic Monthly.)

A more balance article recently appeared in the NY Times looking at USAID infrastructure projects in the southern Iraq city of Basra. Read it here. I actually visited with Tom Rhodes, the USAID representative quoted in the article, while I was in Basra last week. Tom is quoted as saying, "I think we've given the Iraqis the capacity to pump clean water, the capacity to offload grain in the port, the capacity to transmit power. Now the Iraqis themselves have to face the development war." Tom later apologized for that last metaphor, but his point was accurate. We are in the process of handing over responsibility for Iraqi infrastructure to the Iraqi government. This may be celebrated as a success back in Washington but it remains to be seen whether it will reflect a long-term improvement for the Iraqi people.

We're seeing more and more of these new and refurbished plants poorly maintained or abandoned. We have a handful of water and sewer treatment plants south of Baghdad that are completed rehabilitated but they can not be commissioned because they lack electrical power to run the pumps. In these cases, USAID and Bechtel have completed their goal without achieving their objective. The plants are in good working condition but no clean water is being pumped and sewage still flows on the streets. Yet I don't believe it's their fault, no one could have anticipated we would have less electicity on the grid than we did last summer.

Infrastructure also provides the insurgents with an attractive target. Around Basra, they regularly blow the oil pipelines that run to the port of Umm Qasr. If you stand out at the army base for awhile in the evening, you can usually spot a billowing cloud of smoke in the distance marking the most recent hit. I'm told the oil engineers are very efficient at stopping the leaks and repairing the pipes. A couple days ago, insurgents blew a hole in the pipe carrying treated drinking water to the western half of Baghdad. Most of our Iraqi colleagues have been without running water since the attack. More tragically, the infrastructure project also provide a target rich environment in terms of Iraqis willing to work for the Americans and thus considered infidels.

In the end, I believe we'll have some successes. We have a project underway that is bringing potable water to a region of Baghdad whose only source of water came directly from the putrid waters of the Tigris. We're drilling wells and installing treatment plants in rural areas of the country where until now people had to pay exorbitant rates to have bottled water delivered. And we're getting raw sewage flows off the streets. Will this be enough to effect real long-term change in the everyday lives of the Iraqi people? Time will tell, but I have my doubts.

2005-01-14T12:47:00.000-05:00

At the Tigris

2005-01-14T12:46:00.001-05:00

The Tigris River

2005-01-14T12:45:00.001-05:00

Palace Gardens

2005-01-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

Palace Gardens

Bird's Eye View of the USAID Compound

2005-01-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

[Photo removed for OPSEC (that's "Operational Security" for you civilians!) Figured it wasn't such a great idea to post targeting information for my office trailer on the internet.]

2005-01-14T12:35:00.000-05:00

Entrance to the US Embassy

2005-01-14T12:31:00.000-05:00

My USAid co-workers Butch, Eddie and Vince in Butch's kitchen.

Basrah

2005-01-12T07:58:00.000-05:00

I'm heading down to our offices in Basrah in southern Iraq for a couple days. Don't worry Mom, Basrah is the relatively safe part of the country. And I get to go drink Guiness with the Brits (if any US military personnel are reading this, I will be in full compliance with General Rule 1A - it will be non-alcoholic Guiness, promise!)

Thus, I may be out of touch until next week. I know you will all miss reading my rants and raves, but here's something far more entertaining:

ARMOR GEDDON

The writer is a young Army lieutenant tank commander who saw action in Baquabah and recently in Falluja. War sucks and most of you know what I think of this war in general, but the thought of running over almost everything and blowing the rest of the stuff up just gives me goosebumps. My rugby teammates will understand, or at least the forwards will.

I suggest starting at the beginning by clicking on the "Archives" on the right side of the frame and read from the bottom up.

Another View

2005-01-09T05:49:00.000-05:00

A fellow USACE employee has a great blog about his year in the Green Zone: Citizen Frank. Captain Frank Myers is an Army Reservist who was called up last summer wresting him away from his law practice, his wife and two kids. He is part of our 9-member Operations team at GRD Headquarters and he also serves as the night-duty officer, working every night shift.

I got a late-evening email from CPT Myers earlier this week with an urgent message to call him. I've never been in the military, but when an officer-in-charge asks me to do something, I jump on it. Ends up, CPT Myers is also the Information Officer for the Ops Center and is tasked with looking for news on USACE's mission in Iraq. He Googled my blog and the first entry he sees was your favorite idiot civilian reporting on US military operations! (see earlier post on USAF) He was very nice about pointing out my mistake and encouraged me to keep posting, just to use a little more common sense in the future.

I guess this is one case where it's good to know Big Brother is watching.

Tsunami

2005-01-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

I had a question from one of my loyal readers as to how much we're hearing about the tsunami and the after-effects. You have to remember that I'm living and working with USAID. These people are the Third World disaster specialists. I can already see some of them salivating at the opportunity.

Please don't get me wrong. My USAID colleagues are idealists, they followed this career path because they believe they can effect change in the world, relieve suffering, and help people escape war, famine, drought, and poverty. Very few people understand tragedy like USAID and they've all seen it a lot closer than a 30-second blurb on CNN.

However, they also know that money follows tragedies and there's a backlog of work to be done in Southeast Asia. Besides, the wiped-out beaches of Thailand sound like paradise compared to beautiful downtown Baghdad.

Rock & Roll

2005-01-03T05:31:00.000-05:00

I don't know what's going on yet, but the US Air Force has been rocking and rolling all day long. They had F-18s (I think) flying overhead all morning and in the last 2 hours we've heard and felt at least a dozen booms. Our security says we're safe and I think it's our guys hitting something west of Baghdad.

Didn't I read something about "Mission Accomplished" about 18 months ago?

................................

Okay, we just got an update. Apparently, there were some VBIED attacks on high-profile Iraqi VIPs (outside the IZ). I'm sure you'll hear it on CNN.

Still don't know what the jets were up to this morning. And thanks to my anonymous poster who points out that they were probably F-15s as F-18s are Navy birds.

Happy New Year

2005-01-02T05:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Things were very quiet over the holidays, which makes a great Christmas present but lousy subject material for my blog.

One of our major responsibilities at the USAID Project Office is to coordinate with the 1st Cavalry Division who is currently in charge of the Baghdad area. The Commanding General (CG) of the 1st Cav is Major General Chiarelli who is considered one of the brightest guys over here. He believes that the only way to achieve force protection in Baghdad is to employ as many people as possible and provide basic services (i.e., clean water and electricity). Thus, he takes a personal interest in all of the infrastructure project USAID and others are doing and receives a briefing every week. This briefing is attended by over 100 people, including Ambassador Taylor (the #2 civilian in Iraq behind Negroponte), half a dozen full colonels on Chiarelli's staff, 20 or so lieutenant colonels, dozens of majors, contractors, USAID, Corps of Engineers, and, of course, yours truly!

Two days before that briefing, Chiarelli's staff holds a pre-meeting with representatives of the Corps of Enginners, USAID, and the contractors to review the information they'll present to the general. We're supposed to make any changes or updates at this meeting so the briefing goes smoothly. However, last week I had a meeting with the Deputy Mayor of Baghdad on the day in between the pre-meeting and the briefing. We discussed some changes to one of the major projects in Sadr City.

Thus, when my project came up at the General's briefing the following day, a small voice echoed from the back of the hall, "Sir, excuse me, I've got an update on this project...." I wish I could describe the feeling of abject terror as 100 pairs of eyes swung towards me. The General swiveled his chair around to face me. I stammered, "Sir, Chris Serjak from UPO, I had a meeting with Deputy Mayor Humadi yesterday and I believe we've agreed on an engineering solution to the sludge discharge problem." Silence filled the air. The General nodded, turned back to the major presenting the briefing and said, "I believe this is resolved?" The major nodded and the General said, "Carry on."

Phew.

Merry Christmas

2004-12-25T07:03:00.000-05:00

It's not a White Christmas, it's a wet Christmas. The first real rain of the year started this morning and has not let up. We've got the day off, but there's not much to do. I opened my presents this morning (thanks Mom & Dad, Skoonpa & Skoonma, the whole Wynn family, and Susan). No attacks yet so that's the best present. Everyone reports that last Christmas was like the 4th of July. We're having a big party tonight with turkey and roast beef and all the trimmings. They're taking good care of us.

Merry Christmas to all and may there by Peace on Earth.

In the Spirit of Giving

2004-12-23T23:58:00.000-05:00

If you've resolved to be more giving next year or you're just looking for a tax deduction, here are two worthy causes:

1) The United Service Organizations (USO) has launched "Operation Phone Home" to provide phone cards to every soldier who wants one in time for the holidays. To send a phone card, just go to:

www.uso.org

2) The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is one of the very few international organizations still daring to bring vital services directly to Iraqi civilians. You can make your donation to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and earmark it for Iraq, at:

www.ifrc.org

The IFRC is racing to help hundreds of thousands of refugees survive the winter by providing blankets, heaters, and basic medical supplies. In the face of increased insurgent violence targeted at government schools, the Red Crescent has mounted an effort to equip every school with first aid training and basic medical supplies. They've also been charged with maintaining the rapidly growing number of orphanages in the most war-torn parts of the country.

Christmas Eve's Eve

2004-12-23T10:39:00.000-05:00

This place can be much more peaceful than I expected. Pleasant evenings. Birds chirping. Palm trees. Beautiful sunsets.

Outside the walls, however, all is brown. Dirt and noise. Chaos.

Occassionally, that chaos intrudes upon our idyll. Always in the form of violence. The concussion of a car bomb, even one in the distance, compresses your chest. A nearby mortar round creates pressure waves that thump through your body. Small arms fire across the river is only a pop...pop...pop. Perhaps an instinctive jerk of the head, but nothing more.

After every large explosion you breathe a sigh of relief and think, "phew, I'm all right." But the next thought is that the explosion signifies that someone's life has justed ended, or more likely, several lives. It doesn't matter if they're American lives or Iraqis, everyone one of them has a family.

Peace on Earth and goodwill to all.

A Real Hero

2004-12-23T00:23:00.000-05:00

A blog from a chaplain that was in Mosul during Tuesday's attack.

I am humbled.

Prayers

2004-12-22T01:02:00.000-05:00

Please say a prayer today asking Him to bless the families of those killed and to comfort the wounded from the rocket attack in Mosul yesterday, the deadliest single attack of the war.

Snowball's chance....

2004-12-19T06:11:00.000-05:00

It's hailing in Baghdad today.

Does that mean it's a cold day in hell?

New New Job

2004-12-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

Remember when I mentioned that things happen quickly around here? Well, I won't be the Power Sector Manager for very long. The current Water Sector Manager is heading to Falluja (say a prayer for him), so they're promoting me to a permanent Sector Manager. At least I can't blow things up at a water treatment plant! I'll be responsible for all the USAID water, sewer, and landfill projects in the country. I've already been to a couple of meetings with the Deputy Mayor of Baghdad and his engineering staff and will probably be meeting with the Minister of Water (similar to a Cabinet Secretary) sometime soon.

In other news, I've also been talked into extending my deployment by two months. Don't worry, I cleared it with Susan and my parents first and while they're not thrilled, they understand that I'll need that long to make a real contribution over here. My apologies to my rugby team, but I'll still be home in time for Nationals.

Ka Boom

2004-12-15T03:32:00.000-05:00

I've had a few questions about the recent attacks on the Green Zone and, specifically, my personal safety. First, you need to put these reports in perspective. We have approximately 75 reported insurgent attacks per day in Baghdad. This figure includes everything from VBIED attacks on American convoys, to mortar attacks on outlying military camps, to small arms fire attacks on Iraqi police forces. Ninety-nine percent of these attacks occur out in the "Red Zone" (which is everything not inside the Green Zone).

The other 1% of attacks (usually one every other day) are targeted on the four-square-mile Green Zone. Occasionally, these attacks consist of mortars or rockets, usually launched from somewhere across the Tigris River. They refer to mortar attacks as IDFs or indirect fire attacks, because the insurgents literally lob shots into the air with the hope they'll come down on somebody. The mortars always come in twos as the attackers know the helicopters will come looking for them. They have just enough time to launch two mortars before they throw the launch tube in the back of a pickup and hightail it out of there. When a mortar hits, it explodes upward and outward like a fountain, so as soon as one hits you drop to the floor to avoid shrapnel. We also have concrete blast walls around all of our trailers.

Rocket attacks are a little scarier as they pack a lot more punch. However, the insurgents will typically target high-rises like the Al-Rasheed Hotel that they can aim at from a long way off. The only time a rocket attack has affected our little compound is when a rocket motor fell off as it passed over head and came crashing down in our courtyard (before I arrived here).

Lately, or at least for the last week, it seems the insurgents have switched tactics. We haven't had any mortar or rocket attacks within the Green Zone but there have been a lot more suicide car bombs or VBIEDs, including the two that hit the gates on consecutive days. There are probably thousands of Iraqis that work in the Green Zone everyday. These include day laborers, cooks, drivers, maids, and our engineers. All of these Iraqis have been cleared by security and have ID cards allowing them into the IZ. They line up at the 8 entrances to the IZ every morning. Many of them park their cars outside the gates and walk in to avoid the long lines as every vehicle is searched for explosives. It's these soft targets that the insurgents have hit recently with 20 dead Iraqis in two days.

Ironically, or perhaps tragically, these are not considered particularly successful attacks. In both cases, the bombers failed to get near American soldiers and even failed to cause a significant loss of life. According to the recent security assessments, these attacks are seen as "throw-away" attacks by the insurgents with no more purpose than to show that they haven't forgotten about the Green Zone. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that 90% of the foreign press lives in the Al Rasheed Hotel, less than a kilometer from the gate. Most of the reporters have stopped going out of the Green Zone so all they have to report on are attacks within walking distance. Thus, these relatively small incidents are your headlines.

Anyways, you can be sure that when we hear something go BOOM!, we hit the floor, slap our helmet on, and throw our flak jackets over top. And we all breathe a big sigh of relief when the "All Clear" comes over the intercom.

In the news...

2004-12-10T05:18:00.000-05:00

Well, not me, but one of my projects was on CBS News last night. Here's the clip:

CBS News (may take a few minutes to load)

I work with the two guys from USAID interviewed in the clip and this is one of our high-profile power projects.

The Commute

2004-12-10T00:21:00.000-05:00

My time in Iraq really started with the first convoy from Camp Victory at the Baghdad Airport to the Green Zone in downtown Baghdad. It's less than 5 miles as the crow (or mortar) flies and only marginally further by car. However, the road, designated "Route Irish" by the military, has been the site of a majority of the attacks by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), vehicle bourne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), and the ever-popular suicide vehicle bourne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs). (Actually, my lieutenant colonel describes them as "homicide bombers" because "suicide bomber" puts the sympathy on the attacker.)

Anyways, for the last several months, the only way to make this run is either by military convoy or by armored vehicles driven by our Private Security Detail (PSD). Most of the PSDs I've come across are Brits, Scots, Aussies, and a lot of South Africans (but I still haven't found a rugby game in the Green Zone!) I went through Fort Bliss with several American PSDs but I don't know where they're all hiding. The armored cars are typically Ford Excursions, Chevy Suburbans or Toyota Land Cruisers custom built with 3-inch thick bullet-proof windows and steel plates surrounding the passenger compartments. Every car has at least two heavily armed PSDs and every convoy has at least three vehicles. I've actually seen a couple of SUVs that look like something out of Mad Max, with steel plates welded to the outside of the doors and a guy sitting in the back with a mounted 50 cal machine gun poking out the rear window. Must be a low-rent PSD company.

Back to the airport. There were six of us scheduled to head to the Green Zone so we took 4 vehicles. Two cars with 3 passengers each and two "shooter" vehicles. You wouldn't think you could be cramped in an Excursion but with the bullet-proofing and our flak jackets and helmets, the 3 of us were a little squished. Our co-pilot gave us the pre-flight briefing and, unlike my last Southwest flight, I didn't sleep through this one. In case our PSDs were incapacitated (kind of like decapitated?), he showed us how to work the radio, the satellite phone, and the speed dial on his cell phone. He also showed us where the safety was on his AK-47. If it ever comes to that, you get one guess where I'm pointing that first shot.

With the safety briefing over, our driver shuts his door and you can watch our PSDs transform into eagle-eyed, ass-kicking commandos. Suddenly all the cool bravado and careless humor they were showing seconds ago is switched off as they turn on. As we pull out of our small compound in the middle of Camp Victory, the PSDs are already using the communication that will get us through the Red Zone: "traffic to your left" "intersection clear" "slowing for bump". The four vehicles are spaced only meters apart to reduce our profile and prevent other cars from coming between us. Thus, the lead vehicle shouts a warning when it brakes for a speed bump or a stop sign.

In just a few minutes, we clear the gate and our driver floors the accelerator. The convoy blows onto Route Irish at 70mph, bumper to bumper, with local Iraqi traffic parting like the Red Sea before us. You can see that the locals are used to these mini-tanks and dive to the side of the road. We seem to be making good progress when, to my shock and horror, I see cars driving the wrong way on a 4-lane expressway and coming straight towards us. The PSDs don't seem to panic and, as I learn later, flow of traffic and lane right-of-ways do not really translate in this country. Apparently, it's quite common to drive "kamikaze" against oncoming traffic if you're side of the highway is blocked.

As we come around a bend, we discover the reason behind all the kamikazes. A traffic accident (suprise!) has blocked the road and traffic is stalled. An idling vehicle is a target around here so we execute a tight 3-point turn and join the kamikazes. Now we're heading back the way we came against traffic at 70mph. Once again, the locals are easily swerving out of our way. We come up on a highway off-ramp or, actually, an on-ramp from the normal perspective. Doesn't seem to bother our guys as we fly up it. The lead vehicle charges into the intersection at the top and blocks traffic as we make a hard left onto an overpass. On the other side of the overpass, the lead vehicle again sprints into the intersection and barricades the traffic. We swerve into another hard left as the road dips down below the freeway.

The cars brake hard as traffic is backed up at the next intersection. We sit for what feels like an eternity but was only a heartbeat or two before the convoy dives off onto the shoulder and forces its way towards the intersection. With the traffic stacked up around us and the convoy stuck in traffic, the PSDs are noticeably agitated. They motion for Iraqi pedestrians to move away from the vehicles and point their rifles at a man that doesn't move quick enough for their tastes. I may have imagined the small sigh of relief from the PSDs as a gap in traffic let them plow through another intersection. Traffic lets up a little and we pick up speed. We make it through a few more intersections and swerve left at an on-ramp back onto Route Irish. We've made it past the traffic jam and the way ahead is clear. We pass a small bus on the side of the road, twisted and charred, the victim of an earlier IED.

A few minutes later we clear a military checkpoint and we're safely within the Green Zone. The vehicles slow to a relative crawl and the PSDs are back to their jocular selves. The guys drop us at the Corps headquarters and we thank them profusely. They get out for a smoke break as they wait for the passengers who are headed out to the airport in a few minutes. Yeah, that's what they do every day.

Four days later, the embassies decided that Route Irish was too dangerous for civilians and everyone goes by helicopter now.

2004-12-10T00:07:00.000-05:00

From Kat,

"Sometimes I think war is God's way of teaching us geography."
--Paul Rodriguez

Thanks!

2004-12-09T23:55:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to David for sending me a link for a "how-to" on power. I actually studied this stuff at college, but I only had one class in energy production! The rest of it was all on sustainable energy and all the bad stuff that came from power plants. (And some of you know about my great attendance record!) Oh well, looks like I get an accelerated class.

New Job

2004-12-06T12:35:00.000-05:00

The US Army Corps of Engineers is opening a Resident Office in Falluja. Wonder if I should apply?

Nah, just kidding. Actually, I just got a promotion. Thank you, thank you. I am the new Power Sector manager for the Corps of Engineers USAID Project Office (same place I am now). But now instead of just worrying about Baghdad, I'm responsible for power projects across the whole damn country. Actually, it's just an interim assignment - the resident manager leaves in a couple weeks and his long-term replacement won't be here until after the new year. But in the meantime, I get to see how much I can screw things up. Do I know anything about power generation or distribution? Let me think....nope! Oh well, the first thing you learn in Iraq is that whatever you're doing today won't be what you're doing tomorrow.

Interesting website

2004-12-06T12:31:00.000-05:00

For a daily update on Iraq Reconstruction projects, check out the homepage for the US Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District:

http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/index.html

Iraq Geography Lesson

2004-12-05T21:03:00.000-05:00

I thought it might be useful to get my loyal readers geographically oriented so they can follow some of my future stories. This will be quick and painless, I promise.

Baghdad is roughly in the center of Iraq and right in the middle of a floodplain formed by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. This area is also known as the Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia, and the birthplace of civilization. (It's rumored that the neighborhood has recently gone downhill, but we're working on it!) Mosul is situated in the more mountainous north and Basra sits near the Persian Gulf in the south. In the Baghdad region, Falluja is located about 20 miles to the west and Hillah, Karbala, and Najaf (the "Triangle of Death" according to the media) is located about 60 miles south.

The city of Baghdad is set up much like Los Angeles or other large cities with several cities or distinct neighborhoods within the metropolitan area. The International Zone (IZ) or "Green Zone" is a 4 square mile area located in the middle of the city on the west bank of the Tigris River. Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) lies about 15 miles west of the IZ and is accessed by the BIAP Road, also known by its military designation as Route Irish (more on this later). Just north of the airport is Abu Ghraib, site of the infamous prison. The Sadr City slum is located in the northeast part of the city on the other side of the Tigris. Sadr City was built for 450,000 people but is now pushing 2 million, mostly due to in-migration by Shiite Muslims displaced when Saddam drained the southern marshes, as discussed in my last blog. The district is one of the poorest in Baghdad. It is also a haven for criminals released from Iraqi prisons by Saddam shortly before the invasion.

You can find a great description of the IZ at www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/baghdad-green-zone.htm. Sorry, I haven't figured out how to publish links on this blog. Anyways, it's the “Ultimate Gated Community” with armed checkpoints, coils of razor wire, chain link fences, and the fact it is surrounded by “T-Walls” (12-foot high reinforced and blast-proof concrete slabs). Within the Zone, there are dozens of "compounds", each occupied by either a military unit, an embassy, another government agency, contractors, or security firms. Each of these compounds is secured by more T-walls and private guards.

I'm living and working on the USAID compound, which consists of about 85 1-bedroom "hard houses" (brick and mortar construction), 30 "trailers", and a mess hall. I live in a trailer ("You might be a redneck..."), which is actually a ConEx (or shipping container) converted into living quarters. The trailer is divided into 2 rooms or "hooches", each with their own bathroom. They're actually pretty nice, laminated wood floors, queen size bed, dresser, TV with satellite, and as stereo. I'm supposed to get a DVD player as soon as some more come in. The trailers are all surrounded by blast walls to protect against shrapnel from a mortar or rocket attack. Of course, it doesn't do much against a direct hit from above but nothing short of several inches of concrete helps in that case.

I'm also working in a trailer, which is set up like any office with cubicles and office furniture. I'm sharing my office with my boss and our Iraqi Admin Assistant. More on that later.

So that's a quick primer on my geography. As always, feel free to ask questions (of course, I'll mock you if they're stupid.) Next up, Iraqi Security (yeah, that's an oxymoron.)

2004-12-04T23:51:00.000-05:00

The Baghdad coat check (you should see the valet!)

2004-12-04T23:50:00.001-05:00

General Bostick, the head of US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Gulf Region District (aka the "big boss")

2004-12-04T23:50:00.000-05:00

Lt. Colonel Caraway (my boss) overseeing my "Hail and Farewell"

2004-12-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

And you complain about your job?? The current sewage system in Baghdad.

2004-12-02T14:09:00.000-05:00

And this is where it all happens - my office! Note the cement "blast walls" surrounding it.

2004-12-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

You've all heard a lot about the Green Zone Café. Here is a picture of the reconstruction thereof. The sign reads: "Green Zone Café reopening November 6, 2004 - Carry out only"

2004-12-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

This view of the five-star dining facility was taken from my office.

Clarification

2004-12-02T00:15:00.000-05:00

I'd like to clarify a few things regarding my last post. First of all, I'm NOT the Second-in-Command of the US reconstruction effort. I know this disappoints my parents and lets the rest of you breathe a huge sigh of relief. However, there's an Ambassador, a couple of generals, and several dozen colonels who would probably take offense at that implication.

I've also received some questions from many of you (okay, just one of you, but I like her so here's the answers).

* Does Iraqi electricity all come from oil or does any of it come from solar energy (or other renewable sources)?

Most, if not all, Iraqi electricity comes from oil. Generally, diesel powered thermal plants (i.e., steam driven generators). The newer plants, including the ones we're building, will be more efficient turbine-powered generators (like a jet engine). We are also studying the possibility of developing the natural gas fields east of Baghdad for use in power generation. Natural gas is much cleaner than diesel or turbine driven plants, so hopefully this is the future. Personally, I'd love to see some of these millions of dollars go towards providing every Iraqi household with a solar panel. Afterall, in addition to oil, sunshine is one thing Iraq has plenty of. The most vulnerable part of the electrical grid isn't the production (we'll get that fixed eventually) but the transmission. Two guys with acetylene torches can knock down a transmission tower in a manner of minutes. If every house was topped with a solar panel, that problem would go away. Unfortunately, Iraq also "blessed" with another thing in abundance, dust. Even a thin layer cuts the efficiency of a solar panel.

* While the rebuilding is a high priority and it sounds like it will progress very rapidly, what kinds of programs are being implemented to protect the existing natural resources?

As I'm sure everyone can guess, US environmental policies don't really apply over here. That being said, we have to conduct environmental assessments of all of our projects. Some cynics have suggested that the reason for this is to protect the US from future environmental liability by showing how messed up things are already. However, we are trying to instill an institutional awareness of environmental stewardship by showing the Iraqis how to contain spills at construction sites, report contamination, and consider the environmental effects of projects. It's working so well that we're running into problems siting a new landfill because the Ministry of the Environment won't let us put it anywhere near Sadr City (which raises it's own problems because if you put it way out in the desert, it becomes too expensive to haul the wastes.)

In addition, many of our projects are intended to protect or restore natural resources. The objective of our wastewater treatment program is to provide safe drinking water for the Iraqi people, however, it will have the ancillary benefit of cleaning up the Tigris and hopefully restoring some of the natural ecological functions of the river. In southern Iraq, there is a big project to restore the Tigris and Euphrates delta, a huge wetland that may be site of the Garden of Eden. This area supports a large fishing industry and a way of life for an Iraqi subgroup. These people rose up against Saddam after Gulf War I but because UN truce did not restrict helicopter flights, he was able to suppress the uprising. To punish these people, Saddam drained the marshes by diverting the river flow, effectivley destroying their way of life. Many of these people have since become refugees and fled to the cities where they join the Mahdi Army who are now anti-US. The hope is that if we can restore the marsh, the people will return, and stop shooting at us.

* Aside from "handing shovels" to Iraqi people, are there any efforts being undertaken to educate people about such things as running a power plant efficiently, keeping water clean, etc.?

Training is a major part of everyone of the reconstruction contracts. We are sending Iraqi engineers throughout the Middle East for training and to Europe and the US to meet with equipment manufacturers and universities. We are even constructing a Technical University in southern Iraq that will be staffed by Iraqis but supported by specialists from around the world.

Hope that answers your questions. I realize there's lots of rah-rah stuff in there, but for those of you that know me well, you know I'm an optimist (no that's not a guy that sells you eyeglasses). There's a lot of well-meaning people over here and we're trying to move things in the right direction. The US made a lot of mistakes after the invasion, but we are learning and applying those lessons everyday.

More pictures coming!

Work Details

2004-11-30T02:21:00.000-05:00

So, besides sporting my studly uniform and posing for pictures, I'm actually working over here.

WARNING! The following discussion is very boring but some of you might be interested. The rest of you can piss off. Okay, not really.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for the largest chunk of the Iraq reconstruction effort. To serve this role, USACE has established a Gulf Region District (GRD) in Iraq. In addition to USACE's own infrastruce program, US Agency for International Development (USAID) has contracted USACE to provide construction management support for USAID projects. USAID is part of the US State Department and is responsible for most "international aid" projects around the world. USACE established the USAID Program Office (UPO) to fulfill this contract. UPO, in turn, has established four "Resident Offices" around the country, responsible for all construction projects in their geographic area. I am working out of the Baghdad Resident Office (BRO) responsible for all projects (water, sewer, energy and general construction) in the Baghdad region (yep, including Sadr City). We are co-located with USAID and UPO headquarters in the USAID compoundin the International Zone (formerly known as the Green Zone).

I am serving as the BRO Project Engineer, which is the #2 position. My office is a small cubicle in a trailer that I share with our Resident Engineer (my boss) and our Iraqi admin assistant. I'm overseeing a team of 4 USACE QA engineers (Americans) and 6 Iraqi FSNs (Foreign Service Nationals) that we're training to do construction QA. Since we're working closely with USAID and they want to disassociate from the military, we wear civilian clothes everyday (albeit with flak jackets and helmets when we're out of our compound).

USAID awarded all of their construction projects to one conctractor, Bechtel. Bechtel is one of the largest engineering firms in the world (if not the largest). They actually got their start by building Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. Most of our job is to monitor Bechtel's progress and advise our client (USAID) on project status. We also provide technical assistance and try to help move projects along quicker.

We are focused on three kinds of projects right now: Water Treatment Plants, Wastewater Treatment Plants, and Power Generation. Basically, the first two projects have the same goal - providing clean drinking water to the people of Iraq. Most of the water in Baghdad comes out of the Tigris River which flows through the middle of town. As you can imagine, the river is a filthy cesspool. During the post Gulf War I years, Iraqi engineers kept the water treatment plants and wastewater plants running with Band-Aids and spit, often under threat from Saddam. After the invasion, everything that wasn't welded into place was looted (even the bolted stuff). In the meantime, the wastewater plants filled up with (pardon my language) shit and sewer was flowing directly into the Tigris. Add the fact that the water treatment plants weren't working either and you can see the problem. Likewise, Saddam used to use electricity as a "carrot" for rewarding his followers. If he liked you today, you got to use your refrigerator and your air conditioning. Very handy when it's 120 degrees outside. The way an Iraqi could tell if he'd have power today, at least in Baghdad, was to see how many of the 4 smokestacks at the Doura power plant were smoking. Right now, we've only got one of those stacks spewing (i.e., one turbine running) and people aren't happy. We're trying to get the rest of them working soon.

So, we're not necessarily trying to rebuild the country over here but we are trying to complete some projects that will make day-to-day life a little easier on the average Iraqi. We're also employing thousands of Iraqis and we're trying to make most of our projects labor-intensive since a guy getting paid to hold a shovel today is a lot less likely to pick up an RPG tonight. Or so we hope.

Anyways, that's what I'm doing over here. If you're interested, I'll be happy to share more. If you're just waiting for more cool pictures, I apologize for the boring stuff and I promise to post some more tomorrow.

Iraq First Aid

2004-11-28T23:54:00.000-05:00

One of our training courses at Fort Bliss was 'Emergency First Aid.' The course was intended to teach us what to do as first responders to an attack. Of course, they don't expect you to become a trauma surgeon in one day but they teach you how to tie a tourniquet and treat shock.

At the beginning of the course, the instructor told us, "We don't teach CPR. This is war, if he ain't breathing, help someone who is."

Fun stuff.

2004-11-27T21:27:00.000-05:00

The crew in the back of the C130, descending into Baghdad. November 24, 2004

2004-11-27T14:51:00.000-05:00

Camp Doha, Kuwait City. November 22, 2004

2004-11-27T14:50:00.000-05:00

In uniform (including body armour) at the "Hands of Victory" monument in Baghdad. November 23, 2004

For your reading pleasure: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/hands-of-victory.htm

Beaming from Baghdad

2004-11-27T14:43:00.000-05:00

I'm safe in Baghdad....errr, well....I guess I'm just "in Baghdad." The flight into Baghdad International Airport is one I will always remember, no matter how hard I drink to forget it. There's 40 of us packed into a C-130, which was never intended as a passenger plane. There's no "passenger area" in these planes, just the cargo hold with jump seats running down the sides and a row down the middle. Only two small port-style windows on either side. We've got a military dog on the plane with us, not real happy in his crate and letting the whole world know about it. It's so noisy you have to wear earplugs and shout at each other to be heard. About 10 minutes outside of Bagdad, we begin our descent from 30,000 feet. That's right, 30,000 feet in 10 minutes. Not to mention that the pilots fly a corkscrew pattern to avoid potential rockets (they haven't had one yet, but nobody wants to be the first). Let's just say, the dog wasn't the only one howling on the way down.

After a hard landing, they popped the hatches and we put our feet on Iraqi soil.

More to come (I promise)....

In the meantime, here are a few photos....

Last Day in Texas

2004-11-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

Phew, my week at Fort Bliss flew by. Which is really strange as most days just seemed to crawl. We had five busy days of briefings, medical screenings, equipment checkouts and the like. You've probably heard that the motto of the Army is "Hurry up and wait." In other words, you need to wake up at 4:30am to be at formation by 5:00am to be done with breakfast by 7:00am to go stand in line for a medical screening for 3 hours. That's been a typical morning.

They gave me 4 sets of DCUs (Desert Camoflauge Uniform), 4 pairs of boots, a helmet, Gortex field jacket and pants, a sleeping bag, mosquito net, a gas mask, and a bunch of other stuff (two Army duffel bags worth). The cool thing is, we get to keep everything that "touches our skin" except our actual uniforms. I've got 3 sets of mid-weight PolyPro long underwear ($35-40/pair at REI!). Won't have to buy long underwear for camping/snowboarding for a couple years.

Sat through some pretty intense briefings on Thursday, including how to deal with IEDs or improvised explosive devices (i.e., roadside bombs) and VBIEDs (vehicle bourne IEDs aka suicide bombers). Shit, that was fun. Got to see some Al-Jazeera (sp?) videos that I could have gone my whole life not seeing. Oh well, they got their point across that we shouldn't be naive - this is a war zone. The good news is they've learned a lot of lessons (albeit the hard way) and we're only allowed to go out in "up-armored vehicles" with designated "shooters" (Blackwater security, etc)

Speaking of shooters, they all have to go through this Fort Bliss as well. They're good guys for the most part, all ex-Special Forces. I believe they're all very competent soldiers, but I have to question their motives. They truly are mercenaries, chasing a big paycheck with dreams of paying off the house and buying the baddest Harley on the road. It's not mine to criticize, they're highly trained in what they do and they're being paid more than they could ever dream. War has changed this time around. There is historical precedence for this, giving the responsibility, along with the risk and reward, to professionals. It's nice a clean and there's no news footage of the grieving parents of poor 19-year-old Pvt. Johnny Hayseed on CNN. On the flip side, it removes us even further from the costs of war and we lose some of our righteousness. Oh well, like I said, they seem to be damn good at what they do and I'm glad they'll be in the Humvee with me.

Okay, we've only got 3 computers for 150 personnel so my time is up. I'll have my own computer as soon as I get "downrange" (military speak for being in Iraq). I'll be able to update more often soon. And it will probably be more coherent when I didn't just knock back a pitcher of Beck's Ocktoberfest with dinner. It's going to be a very dry 120 days for me.

We fly out soon and will be in Kuwait by Monday. We'll spend a day or two there and I should be in Baghdad by midweek.

Day 1: El Paso

2004-11-15T00:59:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone, this is actually Susan reporting on behalf of Chris since he does not have access to a computer tonight.

Let's see - first of all, to everyone and all who came out to the slew of going-away parties, both of us cannot thank you enough for your friendship and support, we appreciate all of you and your good wishes and prayers.

So, today: Sunday November 14, 2004. Chris departed for El Paso at 8:55am after having coffee and croissants at a favorite neighborhood bakery this morning. Thank goodness he forgot his sunglasses at home, and decided to grab his sport coat when we swung by home, since it was 37degrees and raining in El Paso when he arrived, and he was originally wearing a golf shirt and jeans.

According to him, most the day was spent being briefed on what they will be briefed on this week. He had an MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) for lunch, and is living in a dormitory style building on the 3d floor. He is there with all the other Corps of Engineers, Reserves, National Guard and even Blackwater and other private firm guys. He said it was kind of like being in "camp", they also have their first formation at 5:10am tomorrow. Tomorrow they receive some sort of first aid training, and as of now he'll be in El Paso until Saturday, then Kuwait for a few (2-3) days, and then to the big B.

That is all the news worth reporting, for anyone interested you can still reach him on his cellphone this week, also feel free to email him to his phone at: 3106215591@mobile.mycingular.com.

For those new to Blogging: click on the "comments" link below to leave your own comments for Chris. He will be viewing this daily.

Much love
Susan

See Ya!

2004-11-13T14:15:00.000-05:00

I begin my deployment in less than 24 hours. At 8:55am tomorrow, I fly to Fort Bliss, Texas for a week of pre-deployment training and processing. Next Friday, I'll board a flight for Kuwait where I will be for two to three days before taking a C-130 flight into Baghdad. Thus, by next Monday, I'll be smack dab in the middle of my first war zone.