I officially have a new favorite FOB. This place does it right. It’s a small base, which means everything is close, convenient, and personable. Fluor has its own separate complex. Most of the tents house eight people, which is roomier than normal because they also double as offices. Right next to the bed – yes, an actual bed with mattress and frame – is your desk, complete with power and internet connections. I literally rolled out of bed and was at work! Some people I told about this arrangement weren’t too fond of the idea. I really enjoyed the setup during my two day visit. It was convenient and reduced the number of people in the office. There might be upwards of 30 people crammed into the same space at BAF. And unless there’s been a radical staffing change, I’m quite sure nobody wants any part of that!
Getting out of the base wasn’t too bad either; only a two hour wait at the flight line. What’s even more impressive is how fast I got out of KAF. Being a large base, similar to BAF, I figured I was in for another endless wait at the terminal. Thursday, 24-Dec-09, I got to the terminal at 0645. My luggage and body armor was checked in, weighed, and x-rayed. I even had to empty my pockets and go thru a metal detector. NATO bases sure operate differently. I felt bad for the soldiers. They typically have every available pocket stuffed full; must have taken five minutes just to empty them. Don’t really understand the point of that. They let me keep my leatherman, knife, and water bottle. How ‘bout them apples, FAA! I’ll just have to remember to leave all that here when I board the plane for R&R. Last thing I need is a security crisis at the Dubai International Airport.
At 0900 we were told to gather our bags and head out to the runway. No way. Could it be? Already!?!? I figured this was just to palletize luggage. Miraculously enough, this was our boarding call. We didn’t even have to wear body armor. Everything was stowed in the aft cargo hold as we made our way to the stairs. By the way, this was a Dash 8; a thirty passenger STOL (short take off and landing) plane that seemed like a Gulfstream at this point. I had my own window seat and nobody next to me. In contrast to the C-130, where you sit in the open fuselage, on a narrow canvas bench, facing the side of the plane, and have to constantly maintain balance. The Dash 8 flight was an excellent way to conclude my two weeks of travel. Even reminded me of being back in society on a commercial flight! That is, until I looked out the window. An hour and twenty minutes later I arrived at BAF. It felt good to be “home” and, even though it’s a cot, sleep in my own bed.
I’ve now been to eight FOBs and will soon be making monthly rounds to many more. Once my boss returns in January, we’ll put together a schedule and hire several new Finance employees to assist in this massive undertaking. But, before I head out again, I’ll be enjoying a different variety of travel – R&R!! I’m a week away from the official one month countdown. Italy has no idea what’s about to happen.
Here in BAF, it’s very sparse as many people are out on R&R. Christmas seems to be the most sought after time to get back home. Those of us stuck here enjoyed similar events as Thanksgiving. The DFAC put in extra hours preparing another fantastic meal. I was able to limit myself to only eating lunch.
My afternoon and evening was extremely busy. Many of the tier three and four employees (other country nationals) aren’t issued laptops. Consequently, they do paper timesheets and have to turn them in to HR/Finance. There was a revolving door of people dropping off their timesheets and asking millions of questions. The biggest issue we faced was dealing with the language barriers. Even though everyone on the project is required to speak English, there’s a vast range in fluidity. Bosnians seem to be the Mexicans of the US. Meaning, they are by far the most populous group we have over here aside from Americans. I’m attempting to learn the language. Figure I’ll save a whole bunch of time and confusion this way. And, I must admit, there are some beautiful Bosnians coming in. Very nice!
After all the chaos settled down and my shift was over, I opened a few presents I received from someone I’ve never even met. John’s grandmother heard that he had a friend over here and asked if she could send me a care package. Of course! Everything was perfect and will be used daily. I got waterproof gloves, neck/face fleece “thingy” (for lack of a better word), hand warmers, and a beverage heater. Thanks, John’s grandmother! Never met you, but you’re a wonderful person in my book.
I’m hoping to resume my normal routine this week. It took a few days to settle back in and get caught up on everything here at BAF. As fun as the FOB-hopping was, I really enjoy getting a workout in before bed; helps me sleep much better. I found myself relying on Rip-Its (energy drinks) to compensate for all the odd travel hours. That probably explains why I was an insomniac a couple nights throughout my travels. One benefit was having time for extra movies, phone calls, and emails during those wee hours.
I hope everyone enjoys another short work week. Make sure to have a drink for me at your New Years party. I might even splurge and have a Beck’s near-beer – then again, probably not. I hear they’re just a tease and don’t even taste good. I’ll survive until R&R, which might be 37 days and a wake up away; if anyone’s keeping track!!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Southbound
Took my first HOT shower! Not sure if the happiness outweighs the stupidity responsible for cold to warmish showers thus far. There were a couple new plumbers in the office who overheard complaints about our facilities never having hot water. They decided to go take a look. Come to find out, only two of the four hot water heaters were turned on. How does that happen; especially after all the complaints? Things like that frustrate me to no end. But I’m über excited about having hot showers on a regular basis!!
I’m back to feeling 100% and have a couple weeks to catch up on as I began my travels last Sunday and didn’t have an opportunity to add anything until now. The trip was supposed to last one week; however, it has evolved into at least a two week ordeal. Not surprising once you discover all the uncertainty that surrounds intra-country travel here.
I needed to visit four FOBs, all located in the South. Kandahar Air Field (KAF) is a large NATO base that serves as the main hub for that region; equivalent to BAF in the North. I scheduled my flight from BAF to KAF for Sunday, 13-Dec-09. My business dealings would only require a day at each FOB. In theory, I shouldn’t have any problem making it to each of the four FOBs and back to BAF in a week tops. Now, remove all logic and reasoning, leaving only a chaotic mess and you have the reality of the situation.
My show time for the flight to KAF was 0330. I packed Saturday night and got to bed early in hopes of getting rested for the upcoming trip. That didn’t exactly go as planned due to all the noise and commotion in the tent. I woke up at 0300, stuffed my sleeping bag, gathered all my gear, and headed outside to the pick up location. Ops showed up and told me there was already a delay. Show time was now pushed back to 0500. They said I could go over to the terminal early or stay at my tent and get picked up later. I decided to go ahead as scheduled since I was already up and packed. They got me checked in and manifested on the flight. 0700 was the estimated boarding time.
Surprisingly enough I was wide awake and initially didn’t mind waiting around. I did some reading and had a couple cups of sub-par coffee just for good measure. At 0600 they called for all passengers on my flight to palletize our luggage. Anything we didn’t want to carry on was placed onto a large pallet to be stowed in the cargo hold of the plane. Afterwards, I took a break from reading and watched some TV. ESPN was hyping the Heisman ceremony. An hour later they finally announced the winner then switched to college basketball. This was the most TV I’ve been able to watch since my arrival in Afghanistan.
Even that got boring after a while. People watching was great; civilians and military personnel from all over the globe packed into one place. If you’re here long enough you develop the ability to distinguish between soldiers. The way they carry their weapons indicates whether they are in active combat or just stationed on base. Beautiful women and Special Forces operators stand out the most amongst the sea of people.
It was now 0900 and quite obvious that the flight was delayed, if not cancelled. Ops showed up just as the announcement of our plane’s maintenance issues was given. We were then manifested to a new 1200 flight. I’ve learned to keep a stash of food in my backpack for times like these when you can’t make it to the DFAC. Power bars, trail mix, and poptarts served as breakfast and lunch.
Finally, at 1230, they instructed all passengers on our flight to come to the service desk and collect our IDs…wait for it…because the flight was cancelled. Shocking! The only thing that made me feel a little better was hearing a couple other guys say that they had actually flown all the way to their destination, circled, and returned the previous day. What a joke. We then waited outside the terminal for Ops to pick us up and return to our tents.
An hour later I was dropped off and told the new show time was 1600. I grabbed something to eat at the DFAC and then took a nap. Just as I was getting up and about to go to the pick up point, one of the other guys said our show time was pushed back to 2300. I headed to the office to check my email, charge my phone and iPod, and then back to the tent to get some sleep. Once again, that turned out to be a wasted effort. I got up at 2230, stuffed my sleeping bag, gathered my gear and once again headed to the pick up location.
Back at the terminal, I watched some NFL games, read, and listen to some music. Hours later our flight was changed for the fifth time. Operating on maybe six hours of sleep makes that kind of announcement even more frustrating. Wheels were up at 0700 on the C-130 Hercules military plane. The flight was an hour long and most people fell asleep. I listened to music and shifted positions the whole flight. The vest and helmet we have to wear are far from comfortable. However, when it comes to toting them around, it’s much easier to wear than carry as 50lbs of dead weight.
There you have it – a little insight to the joys of traveling here in Afghanistan. Whether it is a charter or military flight, there are always changes. I’ve since made it to two other FOBs (via marine CH-53 and charter MI-17 helicopters) and am back at KAF awaiting my trip to the forth. The problem is that the last FOB has limited accessibility and it will probably take a week to make it there and back to KAF. I will be lucky to get to BAF by next Sunday.
My time at the various FOBs has gone as expected. The setups are far better than BAF. The most obvious difference here in the South is the terrain. It’s in the middle of the desert and mostly flat, wide open plains in all directions. The temperature is noticeably warmer as well. Just before my trip, snow had actually fallen on the base in BAF. Here in KAF, it’s in the 50s during the day, which is very comfortable.
That’s about all I can think of to catch everyone up on the last couple weeks. I’m posting some more random pictures…
I’m back to feeling 100% and have a couple weeks to catch up on as I began my travels last Sunday and didn’t have an opportunity to add anything until now. The trip was supposed to last one week; however, it has evolved into at least a two week ordeal. Not surprising once you discover all the uncertainty that surrounds intra-country travel here.
I needed to visit four FOBs, all located in the South. Kandahar Air Field (KAF) is a large NATO base that serves as the main hub for that region; equivalent to BAF in the North. I scheduled my flight from BAF to KAF for Sunday, 13-Dec-09. My business dealings would only require a day at each FOB. In theory, I shouldn’t have any problem making it to each of the four FOBs and back to BAF in a week tops. Now, remove all logic and reasoning, leaving only a chaotic mess and you have the reality of the situation.
My show time for the flight to KAF was 0330. I packed Saturday night and got to bed early in hopes of getting rested for the upcoming trip. That didn’t exactly go as planned due to all the noise and commotion in the tent. I woke up at 0300, stuffed my sleeping bag, gathered all my gear, and headed outside to the pick up location. Ops showed up and told me there was already a delay. Show time was now pushed back to 0500. They said I could go over to the terminal early or stay at my tent and get picked up later. I decided to go ahead as scheduled since I was already up and packed. They got me checked in and manifested on the flight. 0700 was the estimated boarding time.
Surprisingly enough I was wide awake and initially didn’t mind waiting around. I did some reading and had a couple cups of sub-par coffee just for good measure. At 0600 they called for all passengers on my flight to palletize our luggage. Anything we didn’t want to carry on was placed onto a large pallet to be stowed in the cargo hold of the plane. Afterwards, I took a break from reading and watched some TV. ESPN was hyping the Heisman ceremony. An hour later they finally announced the winner then switched to college basketball. This was the most TV I’ve been able to watch since my arrival in Afghanistan.
Even that got boring after a while. People watching was great; civilians and military personnel from all over the globe packed into one place. If you’re here long enough you develop the ability to distinguish between soldiers. The way they carry their weapons indicates whether they are in active combat or just stationed on base. Beautiful women and Special Forces operators stand out the most amongst the sea of people.
It was now 0900 and quite obvious that the flight was delayed, if not cancelled. Ops showed up just as the announcement of our plane’s maintenance issues was given. We were then manifested to a new 1200 flight. I’ve learned to keep a stash of food in my backpack for times like these when you can’t make it to the DFAC. Power bars, trail mix, and poptarts served as breakfast and lunch.
Finally, at 1230, they instructed all passengers on our flight to come to the service desk and collect our IDs…wait for it…because the flight was cancelled. Shocking! The only thing that made me feel a little better was hearing a couple other guys say that they had actually flown all the way to their destination, circled, and returned the previous day. What a joke. We then waited outside the terminal for Ops to pick us up and return to our tents.
An hour later I was dropped off and told the new show time was 1600. I grabbed something to eat at the DFAC and then took a nap. Just as I was getting up and about to go to the pick up point, one of the other guys said our show time was pushed back to 2300. I headed to the office to check my email, charge my phone and iPod, and then back to the tent to get some sleep. Once again, that turned out to be a wasted effort. I got up at 2230, stuffed my sleeping bag, gathered my gear and once again headed to the pick up location.
Back at the terminal, I watched some NFL games, read, and listen to some music. Hours later our flight was changed for the fifth time. Operating on maybe six hours of sleep makes that kind of announcement even more frustrating. Wheels were up at 0700 on the C-130 Hercules military plane. The flight was an hour long and most people fell asleep. I listened to music and shifted positions the whole flight. The vest and helmet we have to wear are far from comfortable. However, when it comes to toting them around, it’s much easier to wear than carry as 50lbs of dead weight.
There you have it – a little insight to the joys of traveling here in Afghanistan. Whether it is a charter or military flight, there are always changes. I’ve since made it to two other FOBs (via marine CH-53 and charter MI-17 helicopters) and am back at KAF awaiting my trip to the forth. The problem is that the last FOB has limited accessibility and it will probably take a week to make it there and back to KAF. I will be lucky to get to BAF by next Sunday.
My time at the various FOBs has gone as expected. The setups are far better than BAF. The most obvious difference here in the South is the terrain. It’s in the middle of the desert and mostly flat, wide open plains in all directions. The temperature is noticeably warmer as well. Just before my trip, snow had actually fallen on the base in BAF. Here in KAF, it’s in the 50s during the day, which is very comfortable.
That’s about all I can think of to catch everyone up on the last couple weeks. I’m posting some more random pictures…
Monday, December 7, 2009
People Pictures
What a LONG week! It’s always hard to follow a holiday weekend (granted, we don’t have weekends here – every day is a Wednesday), but I’d dare say this has been the longest week I’ve had in quite some time. For one, I expected to be out FOB-hopping by now but there’s a hold up until we hear back from the home office with further direction. Second, I’m sick again. Caught some sort of head cold right after finally getting over my nagging cough. Third, and this is just a guess, I’m in the middle of Afghanistan! However, 84 work hours later, my week comes to a close and all is well. Mostly. I still have the cold, but I’m certainly better off than many others I’ve seen around here.
Friday is payday and that immediately improves even the worst of days. I just had an epiphany related to my taxes; seriously, this is a bit alarming. Quick segway…one perk to working overseas for a year is that you can exclude from income up to $91,400 (don’t even ask how the IRS arrived at that number) of your foreign earnings. That’s fantastic. No Federal Taxes owed on this portion. I can definitely live with that! Here’s the kicker. A glance at my check stub indicated that over the course of the next year I’ll end up paying nearly last year’s salary in Federal Taxes. I was dumbfounded. Then I realized what was happening. Our payroll system isn’t set up to account for the tax exemption. Consequently, I’ll end up drastically overpaying and get a nice refund and/or forced savings account. Perfect, hello Ducati!!
I imagine you can tell it’s been an uneventful week when the only real highlights include getting a cold and tax talk.
Inside Delta Force is a great read and only gets better page-by-page. Having never been in the service, I have absolutely zero ability to relate on a personal basis. Yet, in some uncanny way, it seems to make perfect sense. My theory remains that seeing and hearing all the military activities on a daily basis provides this mysterious connection.
Never would’ve imagined the day when running and reading would become events I eagerly awaited on a daily basis. Aside from a few days off from the gym to cope with this cold, I’ve maintained a steady routine. I’m just past the halfway mark of my book. Anyone have good suggestions out there? Figure I might as well get my fill while I’m here and in the practice. Besides, I’ve confirmed a suspicion of mine – we cannot access any sort of streaming media. No Hulu, YouTube, or anything. Since I can’t keep up with my TV shows, why not read?
Finally, here are pictures of some coworkers and me. Everyone appreciated the first album I posted but wanted people pictures. Ron is the guy I mentioned last week. He reminds me so much of my late Uncle Dan. It’s nice having a reminder of him around, especially since Dan had such a thoughtful, clever, entertaining personality that was ever so contagious!
Friday is payday and that immediately improves even the worst of days. I just had an epiphany related to my taxes; seriously, this is a bit alarming. Quick segway…one perk to working overseas for a year is that you can exclude from income up to $91,400 (don’t even ask how the IRS arrived at that number) of your foreign earnings. That’s fantastic. No Federal Taxes owed on this portion. I can definitely live with that! Here’s the kicker. A glance at my check stub indicated that over the course of the next year I’ll end up paying nearly last year’s salary in Federal Taxes. I was dumbfounded. Then I realized what was happening. Our payroll system isn’t set up to account for the tax exemption. Consequently, I’ll end up drastically overpaying and get a nice refund and/or forced savings account. Perfect, hello Ducati!!
I imagine you can tell it’s been an uneventful week when the only real highlights include getting a cold and tax talk.
Inside Delta Force is a great read and only gets better page-by-page. Having never been in the service, I have absolutely zero ability to relate on a personal basis. Yet, in some uncanny way, it seems to make perfect sense. My theory remains that seeing and hearing all the military activities on a daily basis provides this mysterious connection.
Never would’ve imagined the day when running and reading would become events I eagerly awaited on a daily basis. Aside from a few days off from the gym to cope with this cold, I’ve maintained a steady routine. I’m just past the halfway mark of my book. Anyone have good suggestions out there? Figure I might as well get my fill while I’m here and in the practice. Besides, I’ve confirmed a suspicion of mine – we cannot access any sort of streaming media. No Hulu, YouTube, or anything. Since I can’t keep up with my TV shows, why not read?
Finally, here are pictures of some coworkers and me. Everyone appreciated the first album I posted but wanted people pictures. Ron is the guy I mentioned last week. He reminds me so much of my late Uncle Dan. It’s nice having a reminder of him around, especially since Dan had such a thoughtful, clever, entertaining personality that was ever so contagious!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thanksgiving Redefined
Thanksgiving has long been one of my favorite times of the year. Time off from work, spent with friends and family, enjoying the best meal of the year and watching lots of football! But living on a military base only magnifies little events, like holidays, where extra measures are taken to bring a sense of home to everyone over here.
Monday thru Wednesday I hit the gym hard and gave special attention to eating healthy. Thursday, finally, sweet Thanksgiving meal Thursday, you’re here! I was thoroughly impressed with the spread: turkey, ham, roast beef (there was literally a small cow on a cutting board, sliced to order), dressing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, collard greens, jalapeño cornbread, and cranberry sauce. A big thanks to all the DFAC workers who did such an outstanding job!!
After all that deliciousness, pumpkin pie with cool whip and vanilla ice cream was the only possible improvement. Yes, we have Baskin-Robbins ice cream available every lunch and dinner, for free!
After a semi-productive afternoon at the office, much of which involved digesting my 3,500 calorie lunch, it was dinner time. I typically forego dinner and go to the gym instead. Thanksgiving only comes around once a year, so I figured I’d take full advantage. Besides, many coworkers were making the trip over and it made for a good opportunity to socialize with my newfound family. I told myself I’d just have something light – haha, right, that never happens – and ended up instead with another massive plate of everything the DFAC had to offer. I opted for the homemade cheesecake this time for dessert and was not disappointed.
Let me jump back, in a Quentin Tarantino fashion, to breakfast. When I got into the office around six, Ron had just gotten off the phone with his dad and wanted to share a request he had; “Please shake the hands of some soldiers, wish them a Happy Thanksgiving, and tell them thank you for all they do from an 83 year old veteran back in the US.” It was the least we could do. We headed to the DFAC shortly thereafter and carried out his request as we left. It’s amazing what a brief conversation can do in terms of changing someone’s demeanor and, quite possibly, even making their day. It’s one of those things that can only be understood firsthand and I am most thankful for such an opportunity.
In keeping with the chill holiday atmosphere, everyone in my office decided it would be the perfect time for a movie night. We hooked up a projector and watched The Hangover – couldn’t have made a more ironic choice. A good time was had by all, after many laughs, and we still quote Alan’s wolfpack speech and Stu’s song about Doug…hilarious!
I received my first shipment of books in the mail and have started reading Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit. It’s what inspired the TV series, The Unit, which I got hooked on just before deployment and watched in its entirety in less than two weeks. Cory, thanks for introducing me...I would highly recommend it to all!
Finally, to top off Thanksgiving, I walked into my tent and immediately discovered a certain void of people. Namely, all the subcontractors that were the very source of my frustration the previous week. What a relief! Inexplicable, but I’ll gladly take it and be thankful. Living conditions are so much better now.
There you have it; Thanksgiving redefined, by one Kevin Taylor, in the middle of Afghanistan! I’m thankful to be here, healthy, surrounded by great coworkers and brave soldiers, enjoying this wonderful opportunity. I’m very blessed. Only thing I’m missing is all my friends and family. I love you and am very thankful to have you in my life!!
Monday thru Wednesday I hit the gym hard and gave special attention to eating healthy. Thursday, finally, sweet Thanksgiving meal Thursday, you’re here! I was thoroughly impressed with the spread: turkey, ham, roast beef (there was literally a small cow on a cutting board, sliced to order), dressing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, collard greens, jalapeño cornbread, and cranberry sauce. A big thanks to all the DFAC workers who did such an outstanding job!!
After all that deliciousness, pumpkin pie with cool whip and vanilla ice cream was the only possible improvement. Yes, we have Baskin-Robbins ice cream available every lunch and dinner, for free!
After a semi-productive afternoon at the office, much of which involved digesting my 3,500 calorie lunch, it was dinner time. I typically forego dinner and go to the gym instead. Thanksgiving only comes around once a year, so I figured I’d take full advantage. Besides, many coworkers were making the trip over and it made for a good opportunity to socialize with my newfound family. I told myself I’d just have something light – haha, right, that never happens – and ended up instead with another massive plate of everything the DFAC had to offer. I opted for the homemade cheesecake this time for dessert and was not disappointed.
Let me jump back, in a Quentin Tarantino fashion, to breakfast. When I got into the office around six, Ron had just gotten off the phone with his dad and wanted to share a request he had; “Please shake the hands of some soldiers, wish them a Happy Thanksgiving, and tell them thank you for all they do from an 83 year old veteran back in the US.” It was the least we could do. We headed to the DFAC shortly thereafter and carried out his request as we left. It’s amazing what a brief conversation can do in terms of changing someone’s demeanor and, quite possibly, even making their day. It’s one of those things that can only be understood firsthand and I am most thankful for such an opportunity.
In keeping with the chill holiday atmosphere, everyone in my office decided it would be the perfect time for a movie night. We hooked up a projector and watched The Hangover – couldn’t have made a more ironic choice. A good time was had by all, after many laughs, and we still quote Alan’s wolfpack speech and Stu’s song about Doug…hilarious!
I received my first shipment of books in the mail and have started reading Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit. It’s what inspired the TV series, The Unit, which I got hooked on just before deployment and watched in its entirety in less than two weeks. Cory, thanks for introducing me...I would highly recommend it to all!
Finally, to top off Thanksgiving, I walked into my tent and immediately discovered a certain void of people. Namely, all the subcontractors that were the very source of my frustration the previous week. What a relief! Inexplicable, but I’ll gladly take it and be thankful. Living conditions are so much better now.
There you have it; Thanksgiving redefined, by one Kevin Taylor, in the middle of Afghanistan! I’m thankful to be here, healthy, surrounded by great coworkers and brave soldiers, enjoying this wonderful opportunity. I’m very blessed. Only thing I’m missing is all my friends and family. I love you and am very thankful to have you in my life!!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
A day in the life…
Many of you have asked about the project (LOGCAP IV); specifically, what is it that Fluor does over here. This is from Fluor’s website, which sums everything up rather well.
“A challenging world calls for adventurous people. If you are looking for a job that requires courage, determination, and quick, clear thinking, Fluor has a place for you. The U.S. Army’s Logistics Civilian Augmentation Program IV (LOGCAP) provides contractor support and logistics work for U.S. military troops stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait. As a LOGCAP prime contractor, Fluor is proud to support U.S. military personnel in various contingency environments around the globe. Fluor’s list of LOGCAP work opportunities includes many support roles such as construction jobs, construction engineers and superintendents, project controls, project managers, quality, site managers, HSE managers, logistics support, supply assignments, security jobs, firefighting opportunities, laundry service, food services support, water works, vector control sanitation jobs, billeting positions, maintenance jobs, and power generation support. We provide the Army with the logistical support it needs, so that soldiers can focus on the mission at hand. It’s a tough job, under conditions as demanding as any you will ever find. A LOGCAP assignment may place you in a hostile environment, even a war zone. But there are also rewards: Excellent pay, benefits, periodic vacations, and more. There is also the satisfaction of working at your utmost while helping others perform a critical service mission.”
Tent life has changed drastically this week. There were only 50-70 Americans and Bosnians in my tent at any given time – always some people out on R&R or at other FOBs. However, due to some military housing need, 150 subcontractors had to move into a couple of Fluor’s tents. They’re all from Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Laos. Let me give a brief disclaimer: I’ve never been to any of those countries; so, the following comments are extremely biased and only pertain to the individuals I’ve crossed paths with here. Imagine two times the amount of people and four new languages all being interjected into the mix. I had just recently settled in and really had no complaints. Even the thermostat wars were nearing an end! But no, now I have to deal with the most inconsiderate, annoying, and outright frustrating people ever. Is it asking too much to close the door after you; not blare movies and music at all hours; or take some interest in personal hygiene, as to not stink up the entire tent??? I cannot begin to imagine how they operate amidst such chaos. Billeting is working on a solution to move all subcontractors into the same tents…please hurry!!
On a positive note, you know the saying, “you learn something new every day?” Tis true and I’ll explain in a minute, but let me first digress. What if I told you that it took me being all the way over here in Afghanistan to learn the meaning of a CD title that I’ve owned and listened to for years? Achtung Baby, by U2. I was walking by the heater outside the tent and saw “Achtung!” on the label. I thought to myself what is that doing on a heater? Come to think of it, all I know is that it’s a German word that’s hard to pronounce. Keeping true to my habit, albeit not nearly as readily, I Googled it once I got into the office and Wikipedia tells me that achtung means “watch out, attention, warning, or caution.” Makes sense for the heater, but now I’m gonna have to sample some songs off the CD to find the connection there.
Fridays here are special because the Bizarre is open. This is like a Haji shop on crack! Here at BAF there are probably 50 booths set up, selling antique firearms, chess sets, jewelry, electronics, rugs, jackets, and even camel rides. Every single one of the tenants is a hustler. Everything starts at a ridiculously marked up price – until you start to walk away, then it magically becomes cheaper. It’s starting to get cold here, so I bought a jacket this week. It’s a leather bomber style with sheep wool lining and very warm. Not a bad deal at forty dollars.
I’m officially on my way to a steady workout routine. I went Monday through Friday after work. Ran thirty minutes, biked fifteen, and lifted some weights. Thanks to this lingering cough, I’m getting a kickstart on my abs. At this altitude and just getting over the cold I figured it was going to be a struggle, but I feel great and am enjoying it.
It’s official, booked my first R&R this week for 04-Feb-10 thru 21-Feb-10. I’m going to Italy – Rome, Florence, Venice and surrounding areas. I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am. Regardless of being here, in less than desirable circumstances, traveling the world has long been a dream of mine. Plus, I love wine and Italian cuisine, so I imagine this will be perfect. The photographer in me is going to try to hit all the major sites possible along the way as well. Number one priority is rest and relaxation though.
Today we received an unexpected care package from the Greenville Finance team. I’m talking about all the good stuff that we don’t have here and probably shouldn’t be eating. Oreos, crackers, drink mixes, fudge, cookies, brownies, peanuts, trail mix, chapstick, gum, and beyond! Most everything was homemade too. All the people in the HR tent with us said, “wow, you finance guys sure are loved!” Thanks so much everyone, you’re the best!
I tried AIM video chat with my sister this weekend and it worked surprisingly well. I’ll try to stick with email and phone calls mostly, but it’s nice having that option available. My screen name is kevintaylor41084 if you want to give it a shot. Only Saturday and Sunday mornings your time would work because of the time difference and schedule here.
Movie time…talk to you later!!
“A challenging world calls for adventurous people. If you are looking for a job that requires courage, determination, and quick, clear thinking, Fluor has a place for you. The U.S. Army’s Logistics Civilian Augmentation Program IV (LOGCAP) provides contractor support and logistics work for U.S. military troops stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait. As a LOGCAP prime contractor, Fluor is proud to support U.S. military personnel in various contingency environments around the globe. Fluor’s list of LOGCAP work opportunities includes many support roles such as construction jobs, construction engineers and superintendents, project controls, project managers, quality, site managers, HSE managers, logistics support, supply assignments, security jobs, firefighting opportunities, laundry service, food services support, water works, vector control sanitation jobs, billeting positions, maintenance jobs, and power generation support. We provide the Army with the logistical support it needs, so that soldiers can focus on the mission at hand. It’s a tough job, under conditions as demanding as any you will ever find. A LOGCAP assignment may place you in a hostile environment, even a war zone. But there are also rewards: Excellent pay, benefits, periodic vacations, and more. There is also the satisfaction of working at your utmost while helping others perform a critical service mission.”
Tent life has changed drastically this week. There were only 50-70 Americans and Bosnians in my tent at any given time – always some people out on R&R or at other FOBs. However, due to some military housing need, 150 subcontractors had to move into a couple of Fluor’s tents. They’re all from Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Laos. Let me give a brief disclaimer: I’ve never been to any of those countries; so, the following comments are extremely biased and only pertain to the individuals I’ve crossed paths with here. Imagine two times the amount of people and four new languages all being interjected into the mix. I had just recently settled in and really had no complaints. Even the thermostat wars were nearing an end! But no, now I have to deal with the most inconsiderate, annoying, and outright frustrating people ever. Is it asking too much to close the door after you; not blare movies and music at all hours; or take some interest in personal hygiene, as to not stink up the entire tent??? I cannot begin to imagine how they operate amidst such chaos. Billeting is working on a solution to move all subcontractors into the same tents…please hurry!!
On a positive note, you know the saying, “you learn something new every day?” Tis true and I’ll explain in a minute, but let me first digress. What if I told you that it took me being all the way over here in Afghanistan to learn the meaning of a CD title that I’ve owned and listened to for years? Achtung Baby, by U2. I was walking by the heater outside the tent and saw “Achtung!” on the label. I thought to myself what is that doing on a heater? Come to think of it, all I know is that it’s a German word that’s hard to pronounce. Keeping true to my habit, albeit not nearly as readily, I Googled it once I got into the office and Wikipedia tells me that achtung means “watch out, attention, warning, or caution.” Makes sense for the heater, but now I’m gonna have to sample some songs off the CD to find the connection there.
Fridays here are special because the Bizarre is open. This is like a Haji shop on crack! Here at BAF there are probably 50 booths set up, selling antique firearms, chess sets, jewelry, electronics, rugs, jackets, and even camel rides. Every single one of the tenants is a hustler. Everything starts at a ridiculously marked up price – until you start to walk away, then it magically becomes cheaper. It’s starting to get cold here, so I bought a jacket this week. It’s a leather bomber style with sheep wool lining and very warm. Not a bad deal at forty dollars.
I’m officially on my way to a steady workout routine. I went Monday through Friday after work. Ran thirty minutes, biked fifteen, and lifted some weights. Thanks to this lingering cough, I’m getting a kickstart on my abs. At this altitude and just getting over the cold I figured it was going to be a struggle, but I feel great and am enjoying it.
It’s official, booked my first R&R this week for 04-Feb-10 thru 21-Feb-10. I’m going to Italy – Rome, Florence, Venice and surrounding areas. I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am. Regardless of being here, in less than desirable circumstances, traveling the world has long been a dream of mine. Plus, I love wine and Italian cuisine, so I imagine this will be perfect. The photographer in me is going to try to hit all the major sites possible along the way as well. Number one priority is rest and relaxation though.
Today we received an unexpected care package from the Greenville Finance team. I’m talking about all the good stuff that we don’t have here and probably shouldn’t be eating. Oreos, crackers, drink mixes, fudge, cookies, brownies, peanuts, trail mix, chapstick, gum, and beyond! Most everything was homemade too. All the people in the HR tent with us said, “wow, you finance guys sure are loved!” Thanks so much everyone, you’re the best!
I tried AIM video chat with my sister this weekend and it worked surprisingly well. I’ll try to stick with email and phone calls mostly, but it’s nice having that option available. My screen name is kevintaylor41084 if you want to give it a shot. Only Saturday and Sunday mornings your time would work because of the time difference and schedule here.
Movie time…talk to you later!!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sick, High, and Tired
Cannot believe it’s already Sunday! The rumors are true – traveling really passes the time. The shuttle picked me up (duffle bag, backpack, PPE, and all) at 0600 hours on Tuesday morning. We headed to the rotary wing terminal, where I had the privilege of waiting two hours for my flight before the three FOB trip was finally underway.
The helicopter was packed and the seating arrangement didn’t allow for any photos. Thirty minutes, and zero bullets, later we arrived at the first base. The altitude there is 6,500ft, compared to 4,500ft at BAF, which didn’t seem to be much of a change at the time. However, after ten hours of work, five miles of walking, negative six bottles of water, and the onset of a cold, I felt awful. The fact that I skipped dinner and welcomed a blazing hot room to sleep in confirmed that I was sick!
What’s worse is finding out that I had to be up at 0300 hours the next morning to get packed and ready to go. It’d be one thing if the flight was leaving then, but this was just to stand in line and find out if there was even space available for me. What’s more…the guy who was supposed to pick me up wasn’t there at 0330 hours, so I called him. He said he was on the way, then quickly called back and said, no, I said 0430 hours…see you in an hour. So there I am fully clothed and packed when I could’ve slept for another hour. Angry!
Just for the record, I didn’t get a flight out until 1000 hours. The only saving grace was that our “bird” was a Chinook (huge, tandem rotor helicopter) with three gunners. They lowered the back gate during the flight, which offered quite an amazing view. Plus, even though they weren’t needed, having three gunners on board is just plain fantastic. What an improvement on playing with G.I. Joes as kids.
The next two bases were much alike; smaller and at even higher altitudes, over 7,400ft. I could certainly get used to being at one of those. The whole outlook was different than BAF. Everyone knew each other, the atmosphere was very laid back, and it had a distinct personable feeling. The housing, office space, gym, and DFAC were significantly better than what I was used to as well.
The real highlight of my trip, as simple as it may sound was as follows. First, I got to drive! Second, shopping, but not in the girly, let’s go to the mall and just buy stuff because it’s what we do kinda way. The locals have Haji shops set up, much like a flea market. I got two of my favorite items there – a watch and phone. Granted, they aren’t the same as my Omega and Blackberry, but nice additions nonetheless. The watch is a knockoff Breitling, but I must admit it’s a nice timepiece. The phone is touchscreen and has all kinds of media options. It’s nice to have a slight resemblance of home here in the desert!
This afternoon I went with John and some of the guys to a BBQ DFAC. I had some pretty good ribs and amazing potato salad. It was a much welcomed change and might even become a Sunday tradition. If I can’t have pizza, beers, and football, this could be a good fix.
We should be moving into new office buildings, yes, actual buildings, this week. They’re on the other side of the base, which means a daily shuttle ride over. But that’s where the better food, PX (post exchange a.k.a. store that sells all sorts of random supplies), and more people I know are.
I’m still a little behind on my sleep from all the traveling so I’m gonna call it a night. Hope everyone is doing well and hope to talk to you soon!
The helicopter was packed and the seating arrangement didn’t allow for any photos. Thirty minutes, and zero bullets, later we arrived at the first base. The altitude there is 6,500ft, compared to 4,500ft at BAF, which didn’t seem to be much of a change at the time. However, after ten hours of work, five miles of walking, negative six bottles of water, and the onset of a cold, I felt awful. The fact that I skipped dinner and welcomed a blazing hot room to sleep in confirmed that I was sick!
What’s worse is finding out that I had to be up at 0300 hours the next morning to get packed and ready to go. It’d be one thing if the flight was leaving then, but this was just to stand in line and find out if there was even space available for me. What’s more…the guy who was supposed to pick me up wasn’t there at 0330 hours, so I called him. He said he was on the way, then quickly called back and said, no, I said 0430 hours…see you in an hour. So there I am fully clothed and packed when I could’ve slept for another hour. Angry!
Just for the record, I didn’t get a flight out until 1000 hours. The only saving grace was that our “bird” was a Chinook (huge, tandem rotor helicopter) with three gunners. They lowered the back gate during the flight, which offered quite an amazing view. Plus, even though they weren’t needed, having three gunners on board is just plain fantastic. What an improvement on playing with G.I. Joes as kids.
The next two bases were much alike; smaller and at even higher altitudes, over 7,400ft. I could certainly get used to being at one of those. The whole outlook was different than BAF. Everyone knew each other, the atmosphere was very laid back, and it had a distinct personable feeling. The housing, office space, gym, and DFAC were significantly better than what I was used to as well.
The real highlight of my trip, as simple as it may sound was as follows. First, I got to drive! Second, shopping, but not in the girly, let’s go to the mall and just buy stuff because it’s what we do kinda way. The locals have Haji shops set up, much like a flea market. I got two of my favorite items there – a watch and phone. Granted, they aren’t the same as my Omega and Blackberry, but nice additions nonetheless. The watch is a knockoff Breitling, but I must admit it’s a nice timepiece. The phone is touchscreen and has all kinds of media options. It’s nice to have a slight resemblance of home here in the desert!
This afternoon I went with John and some of the guys to a BBQ DFAC. I had some pretty good ribs and amazing potato salad. It was a much welcomed change and might even become a Sunday tradition. If I can’t have pizza, beers, and football, this could be a good fix.
We should be moving into new office buildings, yes, actual buildings, this week. They’re on the other side of the base, which means a daily shuttle ride over. But that’s where the better food, PX (post exchange a.k.a. store that sells all sorts of random supplies), and more people I know are.
I’m still a little behind on my sleep from all the traveling so I’m gonna call it a night. Hope everyone is doing well and hope to talk to you soon!
Monday, November 9, 2009
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