Been at a bit of a loss for words lately. Things have been interesting, weather’s cooling down, and it’s seeming more like October in NY. There’s been some activity in the city, helicopters crashing and people getting killed, but for the most part it was nothing more than muffled noises in the distance for me. Out of concern for operational ( Read more... )

This was a letter I was considering sending to an RPI publication, but I think it's been too sanitized and all that was left was a pitch for fresh help.

For recent graduates seeking work experience with international affairs, contract management, and civil infrastructure, the top three locations considered would probably be Washington DC, Boston, ( Read more... )

Have you every walked through Wal-Mart of the Dollar Store to take in the quality merchandise and asked yourself “What becomes of the injection molded trinkets that don’t meet this store’s high quality standards?” Well, wonder no more. They ship it here. The bike was a good example of this.

I had been thinking I might go crazy with the souvenirs ( Read more... )

As if I needed more hazards, I bought a bike. The HMMWV’s been down (and will be down) for an alternator for a while. There’s something about my personality that makes it uncomfortable to not have my own mode of transportation. I think it’s a cross between independence and impatience. I find walking too tedious, and I hate to impose on coworkers ( Read more... )

It’s been a busy week, and a lot of shit happened. However, I’d like to thank the Army for its wonderful drugs and their success at making this no longer the case.

I had been doing so well until the rains came. Three months, and my only ailments had been some tummy rumbles, a cavity, the occasional heat-induced headache, and a bug in my ear. The ( Read more... )

My tentmates are an interesting bunch, but you wouldn’t guess that by looking at the demographics of the tent. Average age approximately 52, average weight 220lbf, average number of trips to the bathroom in a single night is two. They’re government civilians (like me) and most are also army vets; the oldest first enlisted in 1958. Aside from the ( Read more... )

Earlier today, I had completed 89.5 days deployed, making it my official halfway mark.

Still having fun, but I'm going to appreciate coming home.

Can anyone explain to me why the birthplace of civilization still hasn’t wrapped their minds around the concept of a sewer trap? Actually, there’s a bit more than plumbing when it comes to construction, but that’s the first one you notice. It doesn’t matter where you are, whether the facility is rich or poor, old or new, they put a straight pipe ( Read more... )

There’s something nice about rainy days in Iraq, namely, the damn sun isn’t blazing. The rain started out this past week, and for the most part it didn’t make much of a difference. We had the one storm that dropped more mud than water, but before Tuesday, it was still summer. I’d see some spots appearing on the HMMWV’s hood, but they’d be gone ( Read more... )

The plan was to do an entry Wednesday evening comparing and contrasting Chinook rides to Blackhawk rides. I can’t make a fair comparison between the two aircraft now, since any helicopter ride sucks when you’re dizzy with a headache. I knew the headache/dizziness wasn’t the fault of the Chinook; it was just another reminder that the most ( Read more... )