25 UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT IRAQ |

25 UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT IRAQ
Name: SGT B
Posting date: 3/9/09
Stationed in: Iraq
Hometown: Rockford, WA
Milblog: The Gun Line
Email: [email protected]

Editor's note: Sgt. B. was recently tagged with The 25 Meme, which led him to write this:

25 UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT IRAQ

1.  We get our water in bottles, which comes in handy at 0200 in the morning.

2.  What takes the Marines an hour, the Army can do all day.

3.  The crows have musical “caws". Considering that we all walk around armed to the teeth, I think it’s because they don’t want to get blown out of the sky.

4.  We’re under General Order Number One:  no booze. And there are still people getting nabbed for drunk and disorderly.

5.  When I get home, I wonder if I’ll have to walk down to the next block to shower or use the bathroom for things to seem normal.

6.  The distance to the bathroom increases exponentially at 0200 in the morning.  (See 1.)

7.  There are chickadees in Iraq.  Do they speak “Iraqi” ?

8.  I can sleep through an F-16’s F110-GE-129 engine being run up to max thrust (29,588 lb/f), which shakes the walls a kilometer away, but I can hear the quiet thump of a rocket being launched at us in the middle of a lively conversation (right Ed?).

9.  Ten years ago, I’d never dream to call an officer by his first name. Now I have three:  Zack, Aron, and Terry.  (Don’t worry, I still salute ‘em.)

10.  There are no new vehicles in Iraq.

11.  Why aren’t vehicles that travel at night painted black?

12.  Classified.  But it sure is cool.

13.  There are no motorcycles on JBB.*

14.  There are damned few infantrymen on JBB.

15.  There are tons of Air Force on JBB.

16.  Most of the people on JBB will never leave the wire.

17.  Our next door neighbors used to be the bad guys, and some of them still are.

18.  Iraqi teenagers hate to work just as much as American teenagers.

19.  Even the fast food tastes like chow hall food.

20.  The advertisements on the side bar of commercial sites here are all in German.

21.  There has been such a massive emphasis on sexual harassment prevention that I’m scared to treat a woman like a woman. That kills me because I’m a gentleman, a romantic, and understand chivalry.

22.  Iraq reminds me of Palm Springs, only with incoming.

23.  I used to know how to say hello in five different languages. Now, double that.

24.  There’s no place on JBB for folks who don’t enjoy cut-throat politics.

25.  You don’t realize that you're in a war zone until somebody points out the bullet scars on the walls.

* JBB: Joint Base Balad, formally called LSA Anaconda

Comments

[andre.fluet]

things unique about iraq"
read ur post just a ordinairy
joe reading how u guys are doing.interessting stuff.
come back in 1 piece and god speed.

[andre.fluet]

interesting stuff
unique things in iraq"
stay in 1 piece and god speed 2 u all"

[Cheese]

"11. Why aren’t vehicles that travel at night painted black?"

ummmm, because darkness reacts the same way to objects of the same color...and black stands out(even at night) nearly as much as orange would.

Good list though, mate. Stay safe.

[Bendem]

Why?

God say, not kill. And how many years of hell pay your for...

[Sgt. B.]

Bendem,

God say not "murder".
I no murder.
God never say "You no protect yourself."
You ever see that the only time we shoot is AFTER somebody shoot at us? You ever see that people shoot at us even while we try to fix the broken utilities and water treatment facilities?

So, Bendem, when are others going to obey God? You tell me that...

[Dave]

Funny! Be safe. Semper Fi!

[spread betting companies]

"Classified. But it sure is cool". I bet...