The warrant officer who's our POC here at FOB Warrior had mentioned to me that IP (Iraqi Police) are the main target of any insurgency activity in Kirkuk. Otherwise this place is very quiet. Since the FOB is adjacent to the city we can hear sirens when there's some type of emergency response. That sets the stage for today's "pseudo-drama."
I was out with two other members of my team inspecting shipping containers for serviceability. They were located in a lot that was adjacent to the perimeter wall. As we conducted the inspections we heard emergency response sirens nearby in the city. Sensing something afoot, I climbed up to an observation point so I could look beyond the wall. Mainly I saw a couple of goat herders and their flocks. However, in the distance I could see traffic moving on a major thoroughfare. Beyond that I could see the blue lights of IP flashing. I watched for a short time and was about to move out when.... BOOM!!! In the far distance there was a flash followed by the report of an explosion. It was too far away to make out what happened. As a matter of fact, I never did find out the source. For all I know it could have been a controlled detonation of a suspicious package, an accident, or an IED. It did make for a short moment of high drama. At that point I thought of the reality show COPS. I know it's cliche but I thought of Cops in Kirkuk. What a show - jaywalking goat herders, Kurdish independence rallies, occassional speeders, and IEDs. My team and I resumed our work as though nothing had happened.
In the evening we watched "The Departed" over at MWR. It's a great movie. I'd seen it before. It was definitely worth a reprise. Since it's based in Boston (with many mentions of Providence) the movie succeeded in making me homesick. That's the state I was in when I went to bed. I got over it though.
I was out with two other members of my team inspecting shipping containers for serviceability. They were located in a lot that was adjacent to the perimeter wall. As we conducted the inspections we heard emergency response sirens nearby in the city. Sensing something afoot, I climbed up to an observation point so I could look beyond the wall. Mainly I saw a couple of goat herders and their flocks. However, in the distance I could see traffic moving on a major thoroughfare. Beyond that I could see the blue lights of IP flashing. I watched for a short time and was about to move out when.... BOOM!!! In the far distance there was a flash followed by the report of an explosion. It was too far away to make out what happened. As a matter of fact, I never did find out the source. For all I know it could have been a controlled detonation of a suspicious package, an accident, or an IED. It did make for a short moment of high drama. At that point I thought of the reality show COPS. I know it's cliche but I thought of Cops in Kirkuk. What a show - jaywalking goat herders, Kurdish independence rallies, occassional speeders, and IEDs. My team and I resumed our work as though nothing had happened.
In the evening we watched "The Departed" over at MWR. It's a great movie. I'd seen it before. It was definitely worth a reprise. Since it's based in Boston (with many mentions of Providence) the movie succeeded in making me homesick. That's the state I was in when I went to bed. I got over it though.
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