Finally, on the 18th I strapped on my new IOTV (Improved Outer Tactical Vest), grabbed my gear, and got on a bus headed for the airfield. It took a couple bus rides to actually get to the airfield. Since I'm a Broadcaster I'm dragging around a camera kit bag, a tripod bag (which is stuffed with cables and extra batteries), and my assault pack. I've been lugging this stuff around since the time we left Fort Riley, Kansas and it's a pain in the ass but it's a job hazard.
When we finally clamber aboard the C-17 Globemaster airplane I stuff myself into a chair in the middle of the plane. These seats are even smaller than the stuffiest coach seat you've ever sat in on a commercial airplane and combined with the fact that we are wearing our body armor it's pretty near impossible to move or even assume a comfortable position for the hour long flight.
I popped a couple Tylenol earlier to help ease my back pain a bit. I'm 28 years old and I've got what the docs call Degenerative Disc Disease while not as terminal and cancerous as it sounds it's still a pain in the butt for a young man like myself.
As we take off I pop in my headphones and listen to Soldier's Poem by Muse. I wake up about an hour later as we're dropping in for the landing. We get on to buses once again, unload our duffel bags and ruck sacks off the pallets and search for our stuff. It's about 2am when I finally get dropped off in the living area at COB Speicher, Iraq.
One of the Privates I flew in with has the honor of finding out his new room-mate (at least for the night) is a Sergeant Major trying to get some sleep before an early wake up.
The army's standard issue cots which we slept on in Kuwait were unholy terror on my back. With a triumphant grin I pull my Spongebob bedsheets from out of my rucksack and make the bed.
In the middle of the night I wake up. I'm itching all over like crazy. I jump out of bed and flip on the light. I'm covered in welts on my arms, legs, and back. I inspect my sheets and sure enough, it looks like some little mites snuck into my rucksack during my stay in Kuwait.
I must have rolled over every single one of them though which explains the bites. I stuff the blankets in my laundry bag and disinfect the mattress and the room, then pull out the ole' sleeping bag.
A couple days later and I'm still itching from the plethora of bites but, tomorrow I can pick up my clean sheets. We unloaded some of our office equipment and personal boxes from our container and I'm now re-united with this awesomely warm and soft dolphin blanket I got on my last deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom and thankfully, it's mite-free.
I get a room-mate the second day in Iraq and the next night he gets switched out for another guy. He lets me down easy and says it's not me, it's him...really. My room-mate now (for the time being) is PFC John Bruno, an 11B (Infantryman) in the brigade's Personal Security Detachment. He seems like a fairly smart guy and we have similar taste in music. My previous room-mate was a country fan and I'm not (although I tolerate Garth Brooks) so win/win. I say I hate country music but whenever I hear it my foot starts tapping all by itself much to my chagrin.
The trailer we live is roomy enough for two people. It has air conditioning, lights, and electricity. We have wall-lockers and a little night-stand. Aside from that they're bereft of furniture. A lot of Soldiers flew out to COB Speicher before we did and have already snatched up a significant portion of the furniture, fridges, microwaves and other miscellaneous stuff from 3IBCT, 25th ID Soldiers who were selling or giving them away. I humorously (and jealously) refer to them as "Raiders of the Lost COB"
We've also got internet in our rooms but the catch-22 is it's outrageous expensiveness is only paralleled by it's outrageous slowness. I've got the cheapest plan right now 64k (8kbps download speed max which never seems to top 7) and it costs 50 bucks a month. If you want to get a blazing fast (cough) 128k connection it costs 95 bucks a month. (flashbacks to old AOL billing statements)
Ironically, I've found I can surf the internet faster using a remote client program I have on my computer that allows me to remotely connect to my computer at home that has a 3mb lan connection.
Connecting to the internet requires a unique logon/password so you can't split a connection on a router and you can't share it on wi-fi either. So unless you're sharing the computer you're basically stuck with the bill.
Supposedly, they have to bounce satellites around the world and that's why it costs so much. Theoretically, you could probably purchase your own satellite internet service and come out ahead if you split the bill.
There's a bathroom and shower trailer about 25 feet away with running water (most of the time). All in all, not bad.
The dining facility has a great smorgasbord selection of food but since I've been here all I eat is an energy bar for breakfast and turkey sandwiches and orange juice for lunch and dinner. The sandwich bar at the DFAC is pretty near Subway quality though and they'll grill them for you too, so I don't mind.
There's a tiny shoppette about a 10 minute walk from our living area. The main PX is a good 15-20 minute drive though so walking is pretty much out of the question.
The area also has a Barber Shop, Phone Center, Subway, Green Beans coffee shop, Laundry service, Chapel, Gym, MWR, and a Bazaar/DVD store.
On my second day I pick up a couple pillows and a box set of Scrubs Seasons 1-8 for a paltry 35 bucks. Sure it's cheap but like they say - you get what you pay for. The woman at the Bazaar exchanges a little friendly banter with me and tells me if I need a suit she can make any style for me. I ask if she can make stuff from pictures and she says she'll do her best. I've got this insane coat from a Todd McFarlane action figure in mind, that would be awesome to have for real.
I went for a jog around the living area this morning and picked up an office chair missing a backrest. So it's just like a little swivel stool but it works.
Our Transfer of Partnership (TOP) with the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division is slow goings right now but as soon as they all fly out of here it's our show baby!
~RC
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