Defiantone.com

The current situation in Iraq has been under intense scrutiny and debate for some time. We find it ever more in the spotlight as the democrats and republicans use it against each other for political gain. General Petraeus recently gave testimony to the Armed Services Committee and provided them with this slide. I haven’t had a chance to read through the transcript and frankly I don’t care - what concerns me is the information in the slide.

The slide does paint a rosy picture - but - as we all know - its not that rosy. The Iraqis really need to man up and take this country over. The longer they squabble over power the more detrimental it will be to their long term prosperity. The charts do not give the entire picture as they only provide a limited time line. We’ve been here for 5 years - I want to see the charts for the entire time on the ground.

Unfortunately, the US military presence will continue until the politicians can come to an agreement. Even after the government begins to function and corruption decreases (which I hope it will) the Iraqis will continue to rely on the US military to do things they cannot - Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Combat Search and Rescue, Logistical Support, and Air power.

As bad as I want to see our guys out of the fight - things could fall apart quickly without our help. I just don’t think they are ready despite continued progress - I wonder how longs its going to be before we are done. Waiting sucks - it really does. Its a shame we can’t get the Iraqi government to subcontract our role in their country. How cool would that be? Don’t let them pay us - have them pay Black water, KBR, or whomever they wish. They could regulate and control the situation to their desire until their own military and police forces can handle the country as a whole.

Its rare that we see a new vehicle in my career field because we drive the heck out of them. While the mileage is never high, the vehicles have seen many hours of use.

When I was in Korea we had an ‘85 Chevy truck with 140k miles. Black smoke poured from the exhaust, the battery wouldn’t hold enough charge to run the 4 ways for more than three minutes, the heaters didn’t work, and it was beaten to living hell. We drove that truck everywhere because it was the only one we had. After we had sent it to motor pool for the 20th time to get fixed, they finally decided to replace it. They gave us a brand new truck - I never thought we would ever have a new truck - and I was right. By the end of the day the commander caught wind of it and took our truck and gave us his old model. We ended up ahead in the end but I thought it was a bit messed up that he did that…. Trizinsky was his name. Anyhow… two weeks later we saw the truck that we thought had gone to the scrap yard - and it was being driven by Civil Engineering. I guess they upgraded too - I don’t want to know what they had.

Our current shop truck is a ‘98 Chevy with 99k miles on it. The drive to work is only 4 miles so we aren’t going far in it but we are making quite a few trips ~13000 or so. I’m guessing that most of us don’t take any of our vehicles on that many trips regardless of how many miles we put on it because we tend to go longer distances. This truck has been beaten to living hell. In fact, we drove it till the doors fell off - literally. Since I’ve been here we’ve had problems with the doors. At first, we the latch broke off the inside of one of the doors. Soon after, the mechanism in two of the other doors broke leaving us with one working door. Sure, we could get out of the drivers door and open the rest from the exterior but in an emergency would we really want to do that? We turned it in for repair and two weeks later it came back with 3/4 working doors. Oh well, at least it was an improvement. Most of the doors shut poorly - probably due to wear and tear. Yesterday the door did finally did tear - off its hinges.

Would anyone in the civilian sector think of driving a vehicle as beaten as this? Probably not - it still serves its purpose when the doors are attached and we’ll probably drive it until the engine seizes - I give it another year or two. I’m glad we have a truck - it could be worse - we could be stuck with nothing to drive but buses and forklifts.

The military has a zero tolerance policy to discrimination based on sex, religion, race, or creed. The civilian world has no such policy.

We live in a world where we see should no longer be looking at the race of an individual - we should view each person on their merits. Lines dividing us based upon sex, religion, race, and creed should blur more with each passing day. Unfortunately, there are some out there that try to separate and segregate us based upon these categories.

The United States has an African American man and a Caucasian female running for office. There are some out there that use racist and derogatory terms to identify these people. I have to wonder why they do it. I know that these two individuals, as all others, are equal to me in every way. They share the same blood as I do and they live and die as I do. They are no more superior to me than I to them. We all stand on the same playing field as humans - some of us rise higher than the rest but it has nothing to do with our backgrounds. Everything should be based upon our merits.

I have a few family members that make racist comments - they think that its an acceptable practice. I think they are ignorant fools. I have a few friends that think that an African American should never run for office of president because he is a “insert racial epithet here.” I think they are ignorant fools.

What kind of individual judges people based upon their skin? Should I treat the ignorant as my equals? Should any of us? I would rather hold an individual of a different race that hates me based upon my merits higher than a friend that likes me but hates others based upon their race.

Some people need to grow up - we are living in a world where lines of race are blending with each passing day. Areas that used to be dominated by one race are seeing many cultures prosper. Should we shun these newcomers? - absolutely not. We should embrace them and all they have to offer. We should meld their culture into ours and learn about their history. These people are our long lost cousins. They are family to us - we’ve just been apart for generations.

Racism should stop - unfortunately, as long as the ignorant live we may never see the end of it.

We’ve won a small battle - we now have the ability to take showers on even numbered days. This is far better than the 4-5 day stretch we went through last week. The laundry service is open, at reduced capacity, but at least it is open again. I no longer have to walk around for days trying to ignore how much I stink.

I tried to win another battle but to no avail. I need an extra pair of boots so I went to supply with a letter signed by my commander. They told me that the wrong person signed the letter before my commander. Who gives a crap who signed it first, his signature trumps all! Imagine if the general went to go something and some lowly airman didn’t make an initial on the page - would they turn the general down? Hell no! The military can do things that baffle the mind.

So, in case you weren’t in the loop I am writing this post from the other side of the planet. I got to Iraq the other day and it all seems fairly normal. Sure, we have more security measures than you can shake a stick at but its all for a good cause - nobody wants to get blown up. I’ll be working night shift while I’m here so if I happen to call its going to be during your evening (for those that I call in the states).

I took a quick video but its going to be a while before I can upload it. The connection in the internet cafe is slow as heck but I might be able to get to this website at work. I’m not exactly sure if that will work but I’m going to give it a shot when I get a chance. I’ll try and take a few pictures here and there but rest assured that I’m fine and I’ll be back home in a few months.

Everything must go - its got to get into a box of some sort - nothing can be left behind. I’ve taken my life with me but I always leave something behind. This time around I’m leaving boxes and furniture but there is something more that I am leaving behind. This time, I’m leaving behind people that I care about.

Today we’re moving almost everything out of my apartment into a storage unit. Its going to be a long day (one that will probably be fraught with frustration). I’ve got to go to work this morning to get the last of my paperwork and to pick up a few extra items. While out, we’ve also got to get our hands on a hand cart, a tarp, some bungees, and Jessica’s paycheck (she has a few last minute gifts to purchase). On top of all of that, we’re moving everything using the worlds smallest and slowest elevators. Luckily, they can lock the elevator down and I know that since I got it all in the apartment that I can probably get it out without much trouble.

I’ve only got 10 days left before I fly out - hardly enough time to get this done and spend some time with the people that matter.

I will be back - its only a 4 months (or so… it is the military) - and I can spend time with the people that matter the most to me.

Well, as I’ve mentioned, I’m scheduled to depart for my four months in Iraq and I finally have a date when I’m leaving - Jan 1. I still have quite a bit to do so I can take care of all of my personal affairs but I think I’ve got almost everything else wrapped up at work. I’ve got some training records to take care of this evening or tomorrow but I’m not sure when I’ll have a chance to do it. Odds are, I’ll have to give up doing something that I might enjoy so that I can finish my work.

I’m planning on snowboarding tomorrow - pending a check on the snow reports. Jessica is off to attend a wedding so I’m taking advantage of my free time to go while I have a chance.

Leaving here is going to suck but I need a break from my regular job. I tend to last for about a year in a particular location before I need to deploy for a while, take a vacation, or just change work sections. I definitely want to come back to maintenance but some people have been scheming to put me in Munitions Control when I return. I’d rather shoot myself in the face.

Why is it that people that do a good job always tend to get screwed while the worthless ones get nothing. Today, for example, one of our resident idiots wasted an entire day away. We tend to give him menial tasks because he is completely incompetent. Keep in mind that he has the same rank that I do and that he has been in for about five more years. We gave him the task at about 10AM and he told me that I had more work to do at about 1430 when I came back from what I was doing. I started on the rest of the work for the day (knowing full well he would skate out at the earliest opportunity because he was too worthless to even help) at about 1500. I enlisted the help of everyone else in the shop and we all left at about 1645. Who knows what time he left but I don’t think he finished the menial task we gave him. What a worthless piece of shit.

It doesn’t help he tends to fuck up on anything we might give him - I’ve got troops with less than a year on station that I would trust more than I might trust him.

Ok… back from the bunny trail

I’m not sure if I am going to get the uniforms I need on time by the time I am scheduled to deploy. I told my deployment manager that I would show up in my BDU’s (greens) in the desert if all else failed. I’m sure they would see the error in their ways and get me what I needed immediately. Its a shame that we can’t get the stuff on hand before I actually leave. Can you imagine how funny I would look when everyone else is wearing some brand of desert pattern and I am rocking the woodland?

I’m not looking forward to the bag drag - I think I’ll be carrying 4 bags - and after I get the required gear I’ll have to carry two additional bags - for the remainder of the necessities (clothing, towels, boots, etc.) Its a shame I can’t check a hand cart in my luggage and use it on the other end. If I had a few bungee straps it would work like a champ.

Ok… this has been a bit of rant - haven’t had one of those in a while - I guess you can tell how my Friday has been

What a week it has been. Earlier this week I gave my apartment manager notice that I intended to move out before the beginning of the month because I was slated to deploy. I found out a few days later that I was actually not going to deploy. On top of the fact that I wasn’t deploying I had already spent the money that I normally would have spent on rent so my only option was to apply the last months rent and find another place. I was going to have three paychecks in between the day I found out and move in day so I was sure that I could pay for rent and deposit but the whole thing was going to be a giant pain in the ass. On Thursday I was told that another guy that was slated to go to Iraq had received orders to Korea and they needed someone else to go. I volunteered… as I pretty much always will. I knew that Jessica was excited about me being around and that I knew she would be down because of my decision but I knew it was a tough choice I needed to make. I will miss her greatly but I will be back - and our lives should have slightly fewer stressers as I should be able to pay off one of my creditors.

So, I’m packing up all of my stuff to move into a storage unit before the end of the month but I don’t know when I’m leaving yet. The estimated in place date is from the day after Christmas to New Years - its all TBD. I’ve got a large chunk of the apartment packed up and I can probably get the rest packed up (that I won’t use in the next few weeks) in a night or two.

This should be an interesting trip but I’ll be fairly safe out there, well, as safe as one can be. I’ll continue to post here as frequently as I can. If you remember what happened last time you’ll find that I have enough time to rant and rave - almost daily. I’m not sure how the filters/internet access are going to work so I’ll have to see how it goes.

Ok, so a few weeks ago nukes were transported from Minot AFB to Barksdale AFB - nuclear surety was trampled as “nobody knew it happened.” Some believe it was a plot to steal a weapon so that we can bomb ourselves so that we can blame it on Iran and bomb them back… Several air force members (who happened to be assigned to Minot/Barksdale) have recently died from a series of accidents. Normally I don’t buy into conspiracy theories but I know how much security we give to stuff that I get to move around. I’ve heard stories of how much security special weapons get. I don’t know how this could have happened. The theories are extremely interesting and well thought out - they might be better thought out than the theory that there was no plane that crashed into the pentagon but it was done deliberately by the US govt.

All of the links are interesting reads - I’m guessing its really nothing but if the information keeps on piling up I might join the conspiracy boat.

Its so hard to stay conveniently occupied and entertained and keep money in the bank account. As it stands now I’m on the edge of broke; but, I’m not completely broke so I still have a little bit of breathing room. The new job is going to help out a bunch and I may catch an extra couple of shifts much to the chagrin of Jessica. I need this money and I need to get ahead of things. If I work as little as 20 hours a week I’ll net a few hundred extra a month and it gets me out of hot water immediately. I’m not late on anything right now but if I went another month this way I’d be forced to start doing something drastic like selling plasma or becoming a male prostitute. I really don’t want to become a male prostitute for a few reasons (who else has time to think this out? ) - the clientèle I would draw would be much like the women that Rob Schneider attracted in Deuce Biggalo, the STD’s would be a huge drawback, the military would probably imprison me for trying (thus exacerbating the lack of income), and it would drive Jessica away (again, another bad thing). I could start selling my plasma to make a few bucks here and there but it freakin hurts. I had a friend in HS whose sole source of income was from the plasma he harvested from his body. I’m waiting to go to the desert because I can stop paying for a two giant money killers: rent and food. Both are paid for in the desert and I can take that cash and throw it on a bill. Hopefully, I’ll be down one credit card by the time I get back. If I’m good I’ll be able to get one partially gone before I leave.

It sucks being broke but its nobody’s fault but my own. I’m stupid for doing it and I hope to hell I’ll figure out how dumb I’ve been and never repeat my mistake.

Boredom is synonymous with a lack of creativity and lack of cash flow. There are very few things I can do that take absolutely no money. Think about it - if you want to go somewhere you’ve got to drive and use gas - even if you spend nothing while there you’re out the gas. Unfortunately if you’re gone for long enough you’ll need to bring some food. Sure, you’ve got some stuff in your house that you can bring with you but thats the stuff you bought for lunches during the week. The other option is to eat on the road and spend cash that you didn’t want to spend in the first place.

So, if you’ve got some extremely low cost ideas on how to spend your off duty time let me know - you can only watch TV and goof around on the internet so much - both of which cost money - before you’ve run the gamut and need to find something else to do.

Gee - this was quite a long rambling post - it saved me from boredom for a few minutes but its a solo activity and left out somebody thats sitting on the couch begging for my attention