Uneventful

It has been an uneventful week, which is why I haven’t written until now. I have been busy getting my areas ready for an Air Force Environmental inspection, which turns out to be a joke. The small company in charge of looking after the military aspect of this base (along with checking up on us) doesn’t have standards that even come close to KBR’s.

My supervisor sent out the military's checklist to the managers of all my areas. Due to the use of different terms and “whisper-down-the-lane dynamics,” all of my areas became scared that they were not up to compliance (The big bad Military Inspector is coming). It gave me an opportunity to get them past compliance, to go above and beyond what they “need” to do. It let me put in my two cents in and implement some things I believe should be done. For example, new product and waste can be stored in the HazWaste storage area, but I am having some of my areas get separate spill pallets and areas set up for each one. Also, there is no requirement for hardened structures for HazWaste storage, but it helps keep the rain out of secondary containments. It isn’t required, but I am sure it would score brownie points with the military inspector. Pre-inspections of my areas are a great time to implement things like that because that is when I have the attention of my point of contacts the most and when they are most likely to listen.

I was told that the military might be shutting down the Burn Pit which I believe to be the most harmful thing to the environment here on this base. It is where they burn all the things that can be put into the incinerators. Unrecyclable plastics, rubber, tires, old port-a-johns, among other things create the thick black smoke that often covers half the base. It isn’t very responsible, but since we don’t have the access to a landfill, it seems to be there only answer. I personally think it is about time they start operating one, or set one up with the Iraqis, but they won’t do it because that would take to much time away from training the Iraqi military…

On a happier note, I got a package in the mail that was sent over a month ago. I figured it got lost in the mail, or went down with that FedEx plane. I am grateful that the only thing in it was a comforter because what finally got to me doesn’t even count as a box anymore. If there was anything breakable inside, I am sure it would be broken. It was more like a big cardboard baggie by the time it got to our post office.

It also rained a little bit, not more then 30 minutes of light rain. Just enough for a bunch of rednecks to get there hummers stuck. It also raised the water table enough to mess with a poop station project that my friend, construction foremen, is over looking. He is a cool guy I meet on my way out on R&R, he is in the picture below. He is 25 years old and headed home soon, his 20 year old brother is here too, but is sticking around for a few more years. Both are really cool guys from the Detroit area.

Good news back home, they got there first snow. That is something I am also going to miss since I am here. Snow is very rare here, and not fun to play in with all this mud. It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less then a week away. I got Christmas cards to send out, I better get on them soon!