"Personnel Alignment and Reduction (PAR) Implementation"

Finally a minute to write a blog; life here has suddenly become a game of “beat the clock.” Everyday we have some new deadline to meet, some new requirement to write and another idiot to contend with. This may be my last month, but I will probably do more work in it then I did my first 6 months on base (I was kinda hoping to sit back and take it easy). I can’t believe how far the military has gone to turn on us. The inspectors were told, “Go to town.” In other words, try and nail them for everything you can. Part of it is that the contract is going to end; another is that the Air Force has its own contract system that they rather use and finally, they seem to like it.

The Captain I have been dealing with seems to be the worst of them all. Instead of knowing and looking up regulations she just walks though areas and makes things up as she goes and hopes she gets us for something. This causes me to spend a few hours a day proving her wrong and providing my area’s with proof so they will stop freaking out.

The reason they are freaking out is that today they started a round of firing. The big bosses are literally going office to office, pulling certain people out, and telling them to pack there things. The memo today said 200 people by tomorrow will be told “see ya!” They even arranged for extra planes for the occasion and are setting up a Post Office in KBR camp so people can send there things home. So, understandably, people are now dying to know how to stay in compliance (or just saying F*@k it).

Many of the people left here are being demoted down a position but are still doing the same job. It goes without saying that things here are a major Cluster-F*@$.

On the bright side of things, the first of June finally came. That date meant 30 days left for me and a day off to relax. It was a nice time at the outdoor pool. We were there all day long, 11am to 8pm. We relaxed, swam, ate, I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Especially with the way things are right now. Below are some pictures of the fun. I would like to point out that that high dive was probably the scariest thing I have done in a long time. It is like jumping off the peak of a two story house, I got tunnel vision every time I climbed that ladder. The worst part is you can actually hurt yourself if you don’t jump right! (I did fine mom).

Even better, I got to hang out with my friend’s buddy from Colorado at the pool. He makes the biggest splashes.

Which way to the pool?

I think it's over "HERE"
Relaxing

Game of Shoes, yes my team won.

Grilling- Motha Trucker

Big Boy Jump

AHHHHHHHH

(...O Sh*t...)

GRRRRRR

120F

It didn’t take long for the temperature to start jumping up and up, and we are now in 120F days. I am getting used to how the sun sucks the life out of a person. After about 20mins of work in the heat and sun, you can probably lay down in your bed and sleep the rest of the day.

I’m still staying very busy which makes my days go by quickly. I seems like yesterday when May was just starting and now it is almost over. The end of May has an extra bonus. On the first of June myself and a few buddies are going to have a pool BBQ at the outdoor pool. If all goes well, it will be an awesome time.

Today I was invited to a BBQ with the military. I am good friends with my dad’s best’s friends neighbor. I go hang out with him every once and a while, very cool dude. I think the food starts at 1430, I am looking forward to it. I will be sure to take pictures if I can.

Other then that, all is well here. I am looking forward to today’s BBQ, June first, and then July First. Will write again soon.

Reading Dasha's letter from Moscow

Giving the Military a lesson

Speak-easy Barber shop

Working his magic

Me and my Barber

Baby Bird

100F

Today it finally hit the 100F mark, and to be honest it wasn’t too bad. However the sun is kicking my butt. When out in that heat the sun sucks the life out you. It’s almost like you are slowly getting beat up for every minute you are out in the sun and heat.

Yesterday I got to see the Star Trek movie. It was pretty good. They did a good job at making the story interesting and exciting while at the same time appeasing the Trekkies. The actors did a great job playing the style of the originals, especially the guy who played “Bones.” I took a few Country Boys from Texas with me to see it and even they loved it. I enjoy the “in your face” approach that movies seem to be taking now (Batman as another example). They are using the stories and characters of the past and making them more realistic. Needless to say, I hope they come out with a sequel, I’d be more then happy to go.

Other then the movie this week it has just been work, work and more work. The busier I keep myself the faster time moves on. Hope everyone is enjoy the green back home. I would like to thank everyone for the pictures they have been sending me of the green. A special thank you to Dasha.

I happened to get my hands on a box of Girl Scout cookies. I won’t say what I had to do to get them but I’m pretty sure it’s breaking some part of the Geneva Convention and makes water boarding look like a tickle fight.

Booya

One bad Mamma Jamma

VIP

The other day they had a Health, Safety and Environmental Managers meeting here which game my cousin an opportunity to come to my base. He had to do a 30 minute presentation and the rest of the 2 days we got to hang out. We drove around to different areas so that he could see the progress we are making with our “historical” compliance issues. So essentially we were doing work, but it was fun non-the-less.

He is a funny guy with a good outlook. He has lots of stories to tell and interesting insight in how I should to my traveling. I am really jealous of the work he did in the Bosnia war, after the 2nd year they were allowed to leave base and enjoy life a little more then we get to do here.

We also got to hang out after work, we watched episodes of Seinfeld. It might have been the last chance to see him for the next year or two depending on when he decides to come home for good.

Other interesting news is that I got to see the new Wolverine movie with my buddy at the theater here. It was pretty interesting and I am really looking forward to the Star Trek movie this Friday night. They had the long preview for it before Wolverine and I am excited.

Its 85 degrees and getting warmer every day. The dust is also giving me a hard time, last week I went three days without seeing the sun, let alone sky. I hope the dust storms are light until I leave; they make my nose all funky to the point where food doesn’t taste real good.

The 12th markes the halfway point between the last R&R and this next one. 50 days left baby!

JB doing his thing

Dustage

Testing out a Fire Extinguisher

Going away party for Indian friend

Battle Royal

Things on base have been very busy. My supervisor is gone on R&R which leaves the environmental bulk of this 30,000 person base on me. To make things even more hectic there is a DCMA woman here on base who is giving my areas of operation at hard time. DCMA is the organization that keeps an eye on the contractors here. I wouldn’t mind if they were fair with there evaluations but they often make things up as they go, and state personal preferences as if they were written regulations. Not to mention their rank seems to be very connected to how many CARs (Corrective Action Reviews) they have given out.

This lady’s pet peeve seems to be chemical storage and environmental issues. She is also a self proclaimed “Environmentalist.” She has gone to all my sites and my coworkers and has been trying to turn things upside down. She is scaring the dickens out people by saying things like, “You can’t store Windex and Alkaline batteries in the same building, and they are not compatible. One is a flammable and one is a corrosive.”

I have been pouring over Army, Air Force, OSHA, and KBR regulations gathering information to help “battle” this lady. She is just making things up as she goes, but I have to have the hard “black and white” to show her that she is wrong. It has been four, twelve hour days trying to prepare for her next oddball comments. And it turns out she has been making things up as she goes and using regulations that do not apply to get her personal opinion across.

What makes it a little harder is that I have to do this all myself because my coworkers here don’t know how to read the army regulations. I’m pretty sure they have never even opened them.

It hasn’t been that bad though, there are a lot of good things about this “battle royal.” For one, it forces me to become better acclimated to the nitpicky info in the regulations which will help me in the future. It also makes the day go by fast. I don’t seem to have enough time in a day anymore. I am also proving myself to the bosses. They get to see who really knows what they are doing, and who is just riding the clock. Finally, it is kind of fun. It is like a game to see who can top the other in nerdy regulation battle.

“…O YEAH?!? Well how bout you look in OSHA 1910.106 of Subpart H, and tell me that isn’t the correct way to store flammables.”

“Well well, that isn’t what TM38-410 Chapter 4 part 4.20 says, where are you getting that information from?”

“How about you go look at DLAI 4145.11 figure 6-3 and then tell me that I am wrong? Then take that clipboard, turn it sideways and shove it up.……”

Well in any case, stuff like this keeps me busy, even if it turns my head to mush. It can also be kind of fun and funny sometimes.

Haven’t had a lot of time to take photos, so I added a funny poster I found online.

Hello PA

Not a whole lot new on base, I have just been busy. I have started my Peru reports and they are turning out to be a bit harder then I thought due to the fact Articles are hard to get here. For some reason the KBR server blocks a lot of scholarly websites and things like ebcohost (A.K.A. God’s gift to the student).

I have gotten into a good grove with work and the Gym. My buddy PJ meets me at 7pm right when I get off work and we go the Gym for two hours. We have a four days on, and one day off cycle that seems to be working well. I hit 155lbs the other night, which I am very excited about. That means I have gained 15lbs of good weight since I have gotten here. I can’t wait to get home and start hitting the gym with my brother. I hope we can convince our dad to join in as well. Now that I know what I am doing we could all get into good shape together.

Other then that everything here as been about the same, like usual nothing here really changes. I haven’t had a lot of time to take pictures but here are a few.

Dust Storms have been bad the last few days

Sucking the fuel from a big generator

BBQ with a few Good Ol' Texas Boys

That's PJ, the dude I go to the gym with. Probably the chillest guy here on base.

Texas Feast!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone, hope you all got your fill of yummy candy. I know I did thanks to my family back home, thanks again Mom and Nana.

I have a few interesting stories and events that have occurred the last few days. The first that jumps to mind is that I went to Church on Easter Sunday. It was interesting seeing passages being read by people wearing side arms and whose job is killing people for a living (an oxymoron that I don’t wish to get into). The service was nice, the Priest was funny and intelligent, and the message generic. And it also gave me an hour to sit down and relax with my radio off (Heck, I might no next week).

Easter Sunday on base is like any other holiday here. Everyone goes to work, but no one actually does any work, it is sort of an accepted thing. I just realize that it was the last holiday that I will experience on base; the end is near my friends.

On a somber note my buddy demobilized (went home). The management here is getting funny due to the reality our contract is winding down. They have started to make up ridiculous rules and many people are just tossing in the towel and heading home. JG is one of those people. Three and a half years here is enough and he decided to head on home to be with friends and family. He stayed long enough to pay off a house, car and to live it up for a few years (got his “bling” on, for lack of better terms).

I am already missing him. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner together, and he taught me things that I couldn’t have learned from anyone else. He grew up in a NYC ghetto during the 70ies and got out. He couldn’t read or write well due to the fact his schooling was probably subpar at best, but his people skills were amazing. The way he received respect from these racist, bigot, Southerners still astounds me. He can walk into a group of people who make it obvious that they already hate him because he is black (and from the North) and still get his ideas and needs across. In no time at all he earned these guys respect and had them doing the work he needed them too. To add to the amazement, New York Ebonics is his first language I think.

I learned a lot of life lessons from him; everything from how to read people’s interactions to bullshitting like a professional. I could write pages of funny stories he told me about growing up in NYC, and leaving to join the military. I have already written down a few for my own records so that I don’t forget, ask me sometime and I’ll tell you one.

Other then that, I am just trying to keep my head above water. like I said before the management for my company is getting ridiculous. They are pulling every trick in the book to get people fired (it seems). One of the rules being enforced now is how to properly back you vehicle up. Everyone working for KBR has to “combat park.” Which simply means you back into parking spots, not pull in. But now you have to have your passenger jump out and guide you into the spot using hand signals which isn’t so annoying to do. However, if you are alone in the vehicle you have to:
Swing out and line up with the spot
Put on your hazard flashers
Get out of the truck
Lock the truck
Walk completely around the truck checking for hazards
Unlock the truck, and get in
Then put your seatbelt on
Honk Back the truck up slowly into the spot

Yeah, I know, a bit ridiculous. I think I have heard every curse word in every language on this base while blocking traffic to do this “back up from hell.” Anyone caught not doing that exactly as stated gets seven days off work with no pay and if you are caught a second time you are fired. Not to mention, no hat=fired, no lanyard=fired, caught taking lunch to long=fired. Also, if you truck is in a hit & run you get five days off work with no pay, how the heck are you suppose to control that? If you don’t like someone, you could kick in a headlight on there truck when no one is around and they would get penalized.

But I just have to last 70 something days, a walk in the park *knock on wood*

No elaborate decorations for Easter

They won't eat Peeps for some reasonCandy from Nana

Letter from Polish PenPal (Three months Travel time)

Me and my homeboy JG

Emergency Tank Empty Job

Krishna

Hey mom, ignore those danger signs. It's cool, It's cool.

Grrrrrrrr