The End

I have spent over 365 days living away from everything I know, in the Middle East, and in an active war zone to boot. The day I landed I had a Hiking backpack, a school bag and a few essentials like a bottle of Shampoo and conditioner.

During the days here I have bought new bags and most of those clothes have also been replaced, but I do have a few things from that bag; believe it or not, that one bottle of shampoo and conditioner.

Well this is it I guess, “momma your boy is coming home.” My time is up, the gig is over, the curtain for me here has been drawn shut. The saying “the end is near” I believe fits the situation best. However, this “end,” will be the equivalent of pushing the play button on my life’s remote. I will be going back to the same room, same school, same department, and same classrooms that I left and pick up where I left off. I couldn’t be happier. The only difference now is that I have a little more stride in my step, a little more experience under my belt, and a little more lean when I sit on my wallet.

But enough with the bad clichés, lets get to the matter at hand, I’m heading home, and I am taking a lot from here besides the dirt in my shoes(ok that’s the last one I promise).

I left home with the goal to better my situation and start a better life for myself. I wanted to make my father proud and do what he would have done if he were in my situation. I wanted to see the world (without having too shoot people) and make a difference. I also wanted to make sure I had a solid future ahead of me.

I have come to the straightforward conclusion that I have not only obtained these, but far more then I could have ever guessed. I have to admit though, it wasn’t all too easy.

Above all things the separation was the hardest part. I was separated from my family, friends, like minded people, my cars, and the hobbies that make me, me. I was plucked from a comfort zone that I was so accustom too I didn’t even realize I had it.

I also missed a lot of important events, like friends graduations, the PA domination of sports, and of course the holidays. It was a first to be away from home for any and all of these things, but I handled it better then I thought I would.

I have met a lot of great people here, but the majority I wouldn’t want to talk to unless I had too. I give the benefit of the doubt to people when I meet them, but some of the most horrible people I have ever met in my life work here. Many people fall into a “group think” and are quick to “yeeee-haaaa” and “Yeah!” when someone brings up a topic they have no idea about (racisms, president, religion, ect.). I’m glad I never fell into this mentality even slightly. I’m glad I was able to remain myself after being surrounded by unwise people.

On the flip side (its really hard not to use these Clichés) many good things have happened to me over this year besides the paychecks. This year I found myself the solitude I experienced helped me learn more about myself and what I can do to be a better person. I also had a chance to see what I am capable of. The trials and tribulations have made me a stronger person. I really didn’t think I’d be able to do this for a whole year, but now I know I could do anything as long as I have my full self into it.

Sure many of the people here are bad, but I did meet some interesting people from all over the world. I have gotten to know, Turkish, Indian, Sri Lankan, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Bosnian, Croatians, Serbian, Romanian, Macedonians, Kenyan, Ugandan, South African, and Southerners. I have made a note to learn a little about everyone’s culture, language and customs. I can introduce myself self in 7 Languages (8 if you include “How Ya’ll doin?”).

I have also found a career I think I would enjoy doing for the rest of my life. I learned so much about Environmental work that it’s a shame I will not get a chance to use it for a while (well to make money that is). Most Environmentalist in the “real world” do environmental work in one aspect, I got to do it in all fields: Logistics, transportation, fuel farms, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, hazardous communications, OSHA, NFPA, DOT, DOD, solid waste stream, maintaince bays, ammo supply, O2 plants, first responding, and many more. And the work was all done while intertwined in complicated draw out contracts that take a team of lawyers to decipher. I have done more and learned more about Environmental work here in one year then many Environmentalists do in a life time (and I mean the real environmentalist, not celebrities or Al Gore).

So what have I taken away from all this, and what have I learned? Well on top of what I already said I have taken things from here I didn’t expect. If you had told me a year ago I could learn to appreciate country music, I’d probably laugh at you. The same goes for being excited to getting home so I can rock out my new cowboy boots.

I find myself worried I won’t be able to find good Indian Chi, or Bosnian Coffee. I also will have to learn to make Nepalese stir fry, along with southern collar greens. I wonder if I’ll ever stop thinking “soon-DA lar-Key” when I see a pretty girl. I hope people back home don’t make fun of me to much when I tell them “I’m fixing to..” or get on my case when a “Ya’ll” slips out.

I have also learned to appreciate the little things. For instance, the package from home is awesome, but finding a crumpled up page from the “Daily Local” being used as padding is an extra treat. I hate that news paper with much of my heart, but I couldn’t help reading every work on that crinkly mess.

Also, the few times when the DFAC got a good shipment of fresh fruit. I ate so many oranges I made myself sick on more then one occasion. Or when I find a small loophole in a contract that makes everyone’s life a little easier. Catching a few minutes of Sports Center on the TV in the DFAC was always a treat, especially if a PA team was in the highlights. I’ll also have to learn to stop calling women “Mam.” That doesn’t fly as well in the North as it does below the Mason Dixon Line.


I gave up a lot to come over here but have gained a lot in return and I’ll be getting everything I gave up, and more, when I get back. So now my friend, I leave here with a new outlook on life, some new skills, new experiences, new friends, a great looking future, a new hiking backpack, a new school bag, and believe it or not, that same bottle of shampoo and conditioner.

I love you guys, thanks for being there when I needed you and I can’t wait to see you all in a few. Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me take a leap of faith.

$urprise $urprise

The other day I was got a call from home telling me that West Chester University was trying to get a hold of me. I figured that I missed a loan payment or something along those lines.

When I get on the phone with the lady I was trying to reach I was pleasantly surprised. It so happens that I was awarded a 2,000 (2Gs) for the fall 2009 semester at West Chester University. BOO-YA. The scholarship comes at even more of a surprise because I never applied for any such honor. The nice lady on the phone told me that each department was asked to nominate one student and it was the student my department picked. The Education Department then went though the names and pick me for this years ‘John Gontar Scholarship.’

How awesome is that? Looks like I don’t have a choice but to come home for this upcoming semester (not that I way toying with the idea of staying or anything like that, ha).

A special thanks to the Prof who nominated me (who I will be buying a dinner when I am home), and to Becca for scanning in the Certificate so I could post it here.


A few days ago I went to the Medic for a small rash that seems to have taken upon the top of my buttock’s crevasse. It is no secret that most of the medics wouldn’t make it past a Boy Scout’s First aid training, let alone anything formal. They are pretty much only good for sick slips and taking your blood pressure.

The Medic looks at my backside and says, “O, its ringworm,” in hopes that I would have no idea what it could be. I informed him that even I knew it looked nothing like ringworm, and then he told me, “Well….It’s like the same thing, Right?”

“Dude, you’re the freaking medic!”

He then rummages though the cabinets looking for what kind of off-brand junk he could give me. He hands me a tube of Vagisil over his shoulder while he is rummaging and says “Try this.”

“Um dude, you trying to call me a wuss or something?”

His reply was “No, but it’s like the same thing. Rashes grow in dark moist areas.”

“Dude, I’m pretty sure you just compared my ass to a woman’s vagina?”

So, I still have a little rash but the stuff I bought myself at the PX is making it go away. I also told all my Sub Contract Workers that if I ever get hurt to drive me to the army hospital instead of the KBR clinic like they are suppose to.

10 Days....

WHoo-Raa

Worst Dust Storm Yet
It's a Texas thing?

Big White

Day After

Trash Sorting buddies

Big Mama Jamma

One Year.

Today Marks 365 days, or 8760 hours, or 525,600 minutes, or 31,536,000 seconds since my plane took off from Huston on its way here to Iraq. I made it, one year living out here in the Middle East away from friends, family and home. I’d like to take a moment to pat myself on the back *pat….pat*

I really didn’t think I’d make it this far, I figured a few months into it I would have turned home, but I did it. Now all I have to do is ride out my time for 19 days and I’ll be on my way home (in a round about way). I will spend 21 days touring 6 countries in this part of the world and Europe, then fly back to Baghdad for a “debriefing” (turn in my military ID, licenses, keys, secure documents, ect) and then be on my way back home on around the 31st of July. So, for all you back home it will be 47 days until you see me.
In the last year I have learned and experienced more then most people will in a life time. May the next 19 days, 456 hours, 27,360 minutes, or 1,641,600 seconds be as fun, safe, and enlighten as they have been.

BOO-YA

"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!