First I must point out that this won't be my last day ever in FOB Speicher. I'll definitely be back. It's a very big FOB, lots of soldiers, and plenty of equipment that will have to redeploy someday (at least 3 months later than it was originally scheduled now that rotations are 15 months). Yes my team and I will return. Our last day for now was marked by gale-force winds most of the day that whipped sand around everywhere. We didn't have any work to do as we finished our training the day before. I just told everyone to stay out of trouble, take care of personal affairs, and meet back at our billets by a certain time. Our flight wasn't until late in the evening. What did I do? Absolutely nothing and it was a beautiful time. At about 1800 we headed over to the rotary wing pax terminal, checked in and waited. There was a TV playing non-stop movies. This was great because shortly after we arrived some Joe popped in "Stripes". I've seen the movie a million times but it was even funnier this time. I think it was the first time I've watched it surrounded by Joes. The movie is classic military humor that remains timeless.
Are you bored yet? Look folks, if anything you should get the picture that most days around here are pretty boring. I'm reaching for things to make light of. Anyway I'll get on with it. We boarded UH-60 Blackhawks around 2200 for the trip to FOB Warrior (further north sitting adjacent to Kirkuk). There were the four of us plus three other soldiers and a civilian. The pax manifest NCO was very obnoxious and had one of the most grating voices of all time. Rather than using a bullhorn or PA system she would just scream out instructions. So every ten minutes or so everyone in the pax terminal would hear her screach something like "any one AMR to Mosul, Balad, Warhorse, BIAP who has not signed in needs to do so right now!!" Well this same soldier walked us out to the flight line to wait for our two helicopters. Wouldn't you know it had started to rain? So we stood there waiting in the dark night (when I say dark I mean it. I went to the port-o-let to take a piss and for all I know I pissed down the wall and on the floor because I couldn't see a damn thing). Anyway, while we waited we could see tracers and rockets flying on the opposite side of the airfield. Apparently it was just a gunnery range but the shear sight and sound was a little nerve-racking. A Major that was with us told an awful joke thinking it would break the ice of our wait. He said, "A pirate goes into a bar. He has an eyepatch, a parrot on his shoulder, and a steering wheel on his crotch. Stepping up to the bar he says, "Argh.. I'll have a beer. Argh." The bartender gets his beer and says "I get the parrot and the eyepatch. What's with the steering wheel?" The pirate responds, "Argh, it's for driving me nuts! Argh.'" I guess I've told you his joke to illustrate how bad it was. Nobody laughed except the pax NCO. I just rolled my eyes in a "what the fuck, over" way.
We boarded the UH-60s and headed north. It was a cold ride but visibility was good. Once in the air I strained to make out ground features but really could only see the twinkling of lights all around. We made one stop at FOB McHenry to drop off one soldier. Then we flew on to Kirkuk. It's a big city and the lights stretched out below for a long ways. There are several oil refineries as well and the waste gas fires lit up the surrounding area like torches. As we started to descend I saw a flash on the horizon that marked an explosion of some kind. I don't have any idea what it was and haven't found out. It didn't affect us. We landed and met our POC at the pax arrival terminal. He got us situated in our billets (I'm in another container unit billet like at Striker. The rest of the team is tent city). I crashed. Hell it was almost 0200. I won't really see what this place is all about until tomorrow. Goodbye Speicher, Hello Warrior.
Happy Birthday to my brother Tom. You would have been 48 today. Were you still on this earth I'm certain you'd be here in Iraq leading soldiers. You were one of the best officers I've ever known. Leading soldiers was your life's calling. The Army could sure use more like you.
Are you bored yet? Look folks, if anything you should get the picture that most days around here are pretty boring. I'm reaching for things to make light of. Anyway I'll get on with it. We boarded UH-60 Blackhawks around 2200 for the trip to FOB Warrior (further north sitting adjacent to Kirkuk). There were the four of us plus three other soldiers and a civilian. The pax manifest NCO was very obnoxious and had one of the most grating voices of all time. Rather than using a bullhorn or PA system she would just scream out instructions. So every ten minutes or so everyone in the pax terminal would hear her screach something like "any one AMR to Mosul, Balad, Warhorse, BIAP who has not signed in needs to do so right now!!" Well this same soldier walked us out to the flight line to wait for our two helicopters. Wouldn't you know it had started to rain? So we stood there waiting in the dark night (when I say dark I mean it. I went to the port-o-let to take a piss and for all I know I pissed down the wall and on the floor because I couldn't see a damn thing). Anyway, while we waited we could see tracers and rockets flying on the opposite side of the airfield. Apparently it was just a gunnery range but the shear sight and sound was a little nerve-racking. A Major that was with us told an awful joke thinking it would break the ice of our wait. He said, "A pirate goes into a bar. He has an eyepatch, a parrot on his shoulder, and a steering wheel on his crotch. Stepping up to the bar he says, "Argh.. I'll have a beer. Argh." The bartender gets his beer and says "I get the parrot and the eyepatch. What's with the steering wheel?" The pirate responds, "Argh, it's for driving me nuts! Argh.'" I guess I've told you his joke to illustrate how bad it was. Nobody laughed except the pax NCO. I just rolled my eyes in a "what the fuck, over" way.
We boarded the UH-60s and headed north. It was a cold ride but visibility was good. Once in the air I strained to make out ground features but really could only see the twinkling of lights all around. We made one stop at FOB McHenry to drop off one soldier. Then we flew on to Kirkuk. It's a big city and the lights stretched out below for a long ways. There are several oil refineries as well and the waste gas fires lit up the surrounding area like torches. As we started to descend I saw a flash on the horizon that marked an explosion of some kind. I don't have any idea what it was and haven't found out. It didn't affect us. We landed and met our POC at the pax arrival terminal. He got us situated in our billets (I'm in another container unit billet like at Striker. The rest of the team is tent city). I crashed. Hell it was almost 0200. I won't really see what this place is all about until tomorrow. Goodbye Speicher, Hello Warrior.
Happy Birthday to my brother Tom. You would have been 48 today. Were you still on this earth I'm certain you'd be here in Iraq leading soldiers. You were one of the best officers I've ever known. Leading soldiers was your life's calling. The Army could sure use more like you.
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