Inflated

I am surrounded by idiots. Not literally. The people who physically surround me at work are smart, dedicated, and impress me daily. Some of the people I have to coordinate with, however, have left me with an inflated sense of my own intelligence.
To give an example of the sillyness, I have had to explain to a forecaster that although in theory strong winds can blow dust across the vast territories and reduce visibility, when those winds are over a body of water, there is no dust to be picked up.
We have the ability to push a button and blow something up. That's great and all, but I need something small. I want to be able to push a button and whack these morons upside the head.
It would be funny if it didn't waste my time and have the ability to mess with my missions. Actually, it is still kind of funny, but sad too. Oh well.
Otherwise, work is still very interesting and very busy.
Weather is still far from a calling, but if I hadn't wound up in weather, I wouldn't be sitting where I am supporting these missions.

I finished Beschloss's book on Presidential Courage. Every President decries partisanship, every President thinks the press is out to get him, and every President thinks his own party's members of congress are short sighted. It was really a very interesting book and I highly recommend it. It reveals most of these people as humans.
Except Teddy Roosevelt. Speaking apolitically, that guy was Megaforce. Little kids may wear Superman pajamas, and Superman may wear Chuck Norris pajamas, but Chuck Norris wears Teddy Roosevelt pajamas.

Always Passover

There is apparently only one Jewish holiday. Passover. I have seen the Passover seder leader's kit. I have seen the normal seder kit. Now I have seen the passover survival kit, courtesy of the Jewish War Veterans of American branch in NY.
The kit is actually very nice. There is matzah, of course. Two cans of gefilte fish, horseradish sauce, those jelly candy things that are the Jewish answer to fruitcake on Christmas, a can of mandarin oranges, a can of tuna, soup mixes, and a wide assortment of morale items.
The morale items are especially thoughtful. There is a toiletry kit, two toothbrushes, a deck of cards, a letter from a student, a letter from the JCC, and a letter from the Jewish War Veterans branch.
It is very nice, but unfortunately, there aren't actually any meals included. Now I have six of them, but am not opening the other five now that I know what's there. Save them for when they are actually needed by someone else.
I'm mixed on the presence of so many extra passover kits of various kinds. It is amazing that so many organizations took the time and spent the money to get them here. It is a little sad that so many went unclaimed. Not sure if there were too many made or not enough interest. Probably a little of both.
In any case, the food issue has been quite a hassle, but both the logistics folks and the Chaplain have worked very hard on it and have been very supportive. I am apparently the only one in the region pushing this right now.

I received my Press-bot french press for my Nalgene bottle. I brewed my own coffee. I don't need the coffee to get through the shift, but it is really fun to brew coffee in a Nalgene bottle. Other people have their own presses, or even some coffee pots. There is even a big coffee urn for the less picky. But no one else has a french press in their Nalgene.

I found my alarm clock. It did not go through the laundry. Not as funny, but probably better this way.

I would like to wish a Happy Anniversary to my aunt and uncle today. They know who they are. Those of you who know them know who they are and should probably call. Unless you forgot, in which case, shame on you.

I read an incredible article by Joe Galloway in the Miami Herald. Look it up if you can. I also saw excellent coverage of the President's Memorial Day speech from the NY Times.
Incidentally, I also understand why CNN has such a bad reputation over here. I'm not mad at them, just disappointed. It comes back to the context issue again. Though I've also noticed anchors filling in gaps in their knowledge with supposition at best, fiction at worst. Wolf should know better, he's been around a while.

If my dad wants to respond to the mini-rant with a comment, that's fine. That is fun. I expect something along the lines of a joke about Bush administration intel analysis.
Though on the note of the media, I would like to point out that on AFN, Olberman follows Hannity and Colmes. I don't really pay attention to either, but Olberman can at least be funny and the scheduling always makes me smile.

My Kind of Chicken

My Kind of Chicken. One of twelve great titles in the My Own Meal selection of entrees. I have one of each, and more on the way. Some have been lost in the supply system, but once that is resolved I'll easily be set for the rest of my time out here. It has been a bit of a hassle, but the supply folks and the Chaplain have both been working hard to make it happen.

Memorial Day out here was a day like any other. I missed the ceremony they were holding because of work. Oh well. I'm sure it was nice and tasteful. They weren't remembering anonymous names or faces, this was dedicated specifically to friends.

I was asked what prompted my little comparison of SOF troops to non-SOF troops. Well, without getting in to details, we coordinate our forecasts with others. What we use the forecasts for may be classified, but it's not like you can keep the weather secret from anyone. It's been a pain dealing with people who strive to achieve the minimum. That's all.

On a lighter note, I may have put my alarm clock through the laundry. I can't find it and am concerned it got wrapped up in my sheets when they were thrown in the laundry bag. Oops.

I try to avoid politics, but I have to say that John Edwards is a modern profile in courage. When in office, he voted for the war. Now that he is unaccountable for his words, he is very much against and advocating strong political action--coincidentally, those positions are now more popular.

I almost have to say that my mother has done a great job picking books to send to me. They have been books that I probably never would have picked up, but have been great reading. The current one is by Michael Beschloss on presidential leadership. It is similar to JFK's Profiles in Courage with the obvious exception that it pertains to the executive rather than legislative branch. The author is also facing fewer accusations of having ghostwriters do the work. I joke. I like JFK. He is the sugar daddy of modern SOF.

SOF vs non-SOF

I'm learning very quickly just how culturally different Special Operations Forces are from conventional forces. Specifically, in my specialty, but some of it holds true across the board.
The conventional guys are not as dialed in to the big picture, and just do not seem as intent on understanding the missions they work and where they fit in to them. They may not have the clearance or need to know on all of what is going on, but there is a lack of initiative in general that is frustrating.
It is almost embarrassing that we are in the same career field given the low quality of some of their output. I'm not going to claim to be the best weather guy, but I like to think that I work hard and support the missions to the best of my abilities. I'm not sure what their doing.
Otherwise, work continues as usual. Keeps me busy and out of trouble. I've been enjoying the care packages greatly. If all goes well, my overall food situation should be resolved Monday. I'm optimistic because I've actually been given a date and some details. We'll see.
We are having a Memorial Day ceremony here to remember those from our force that have been lost in the past year. It will be short and voluntary since everyone still has work to do and the fight goes on, but I'll stop by since it is just after my shift.

Wowed, again.

I got TWO packages. One from my parents and one from that same kind law student who sent cookies to my wife. I too have lots of cookies, I have Ramen noodles, I have instant oatmeal (which, I hate to admit now that it has been shipped to me at great expense, they have started stocking in the chow hall on occassion), bread, Economists, Sports Illustrated, a book on Presidential Leadership, a thing of quality coffee, assorted goodies, and a camping pillow. It is incredibly kind and supportive. I feel guilty with the amount of money spent on all this.
I think I ate an entire batch of peanut butter cookies during my last shift.
I may have the other food issues resolved by Monday. Stashes have been located, and very nice people are working very hard to make it happen.

As far as work goes, I'm still busy. Our commander got a little pissed the other day about how reactive our information operations campaign has been. He was pretty peeved at the way we get our butts kicked in the public eye. Occassionally press releases of operations get coverage, but we have failed to press any themes in our presentation that tell people back home what it is we are accomplishing and where it fits in.
It is a huge issue. Bad guys don't really need to target us or Iraqis for tactical effect, just for planned press coverage. They'll blow up a humvee not to kill the guys inside, but to have a new video to post online.
I'm trying to avoid this turning in to a rant, this blog wasn't meant to be my little soapbox, so I will cut it off now.
I'll give it more thought though. I'll try and think of an unclassified way to explain what's going on. That's part of what I came to see.

Thanks

A good friend of mine, about to graduate from Harvard Law School, sent my wife cookies. Thank you. That was a very nice thing to do, and she needed cookies.
Also thank you to my aunt and uncle who were able to stop by and visit her. It is greatly appreciated.
Which reminds me, maybe it is wrong and I shouldn't admit this, but every now wand then while reading one of my law school books, something sounds familiar and I realize that I heard it in Legally Blonde. I am not ashamed.
Incidentally, by reading this one book on criminal law I now understand every lawyer joke ever told. But I'll go to law school anyway. I already paid the deposit. And it should be interesting just the same. From engineering to meteorology to law, lots of different perspectives on the world.
I still have a hard time imagining that I'll get through three years of law school without slugging someone though.
Not much new to report here. Working on some side projects. One being that study where most of my analysis is completely unrelated to much of the data I have available, but it'll have to work. The point still stands even if the data I would prefer would illustrate it more clearly. Maybe law school isn't such a bad idea after all.
Other projects are very educational. I'm trying to soak up everything I can while I'm here.
When I left home, we had two cats. When I come home, there is a good chance we'll have three. Late in the winter my wife spotted a cat outside that appeared to be part of the same litter as the two cats she fostered while I was TDY the last time. Our first mistake was naming it.
We named it Sparta, since she made it through the cold winter barefoot in the snow growing up. Guess who came up with that one. Well, despite my initial protests, we began feeding Sparta on the deck, then in the kitchen. Now Sparta prefers being in the house to outside, apparently, and is, possibly as I type this, sitting with our cats in the kitchen--looking out at strays as is she too is an indoor cat.
Sparta is being taken to a Spay/Neuter clinic later this week.
I was pretty sure I'd come home to a new pet, just wasn't sure what kind.

Pinky and the Brain

So, I overheard an amusing exchange as two troops were walking in this morning.
Troop 1: Ready to catch some bad guys today?
Troop 2: (looks at Troop 1 with a puzzled expression) Huh?
Troop 1: I said, are you ready to catch some bad guys today?
Troop 2: (bored) We do that everyday.

Though the word "morning" is really funny to me now. When I come on shift, people say "good morning" because it is the morning of our sleep cycle. When I get off shift, people say "good morning" because, well, it is morning. Apparently it is always morning.

If you know anyone who works at the National Guard Bureau, slap them. Tell them to answer the phone and do their job. There is a war going on and the forces that they are supposed to support are fighting it. Oxygen thieves.

Work continues. So does life. I'm trying to plan a weekend in the LA area with my wife leading up to a friend's wedding. We're looking in to camp sites in LA or Orange counties. Beachfront was the goal, but those may be crowded with annoying drunks that weekend. Now that I can rent a car, we have options. Apparently Malibu Creek State Park is nice, was the home of an Indian tribe, and was where MASH was filmed.

Commercials

I can't get over the AFN commercials. There is a recruiting commercial for Special Operations Weather Teams. Maybe it cracks me up because I know the guys involved. Maybe it is because if you look carefully you can see the truck in the background that they used to drive out for the filming the "patrol." It could be the pure cheesiness. I guess that is how you recruit.
The other commercial that I found unintentionally amusing was one of the many "Thank You" spots run by the USO or by the America Supports You program. In this case, it was as a bunch of country singers saying that they appreciate our sacrifices, the hardships that they can't even imagine, and all the work that we do. That in itself could be funny given how true to stereotype it is, but they mean it. However over the top some country singers are at times with their profuse expressions of support, a lot of them back it up with USO appearances.
One of them didn't quite fit in the whole theme of thanking us for what we do. Keni Thomas, a former Ranger and veteran of the battles in Mogadishu made famous by the book and movie Blackhawk Down, is now a country singer. Not big time yet, but I like his work. In any case, he knows all too well about the hardships and sacrifices involved. Somehow his appearance changed the atmosphere of the commercial, even if most viewers wouldn't recognize him or know his history.
My wife figured out how to get Gmail chat working. Nice.
No other news really. I've been here a little over a month. Feels like I've been working less but gone longer.
Frustrated by some of the busted forecasts we made early in my tour, I decided to pull the model data that we used, compare it with the observations and satellite imagery, and see if I could identify either a deficiency in the models or in our process. Upon review today, I realized I have the wrong day's model data for this little study. Of course, that data has been purged from all systems, so I'll make do.
The war won't be over when I leave, but maybe I can do a little piece to make us a little more effective as my little legacy.

Just our luck...

Well, last shift will be funny in retrospect. In a few weeks. I can tell the story later when it will be meaningless. Sorry.
Right now I'm eagerly awaiting news on my food situation and on my training situation. Not sure which will be resolved first or which will have the better ending. Training issues will probably be resolved first. My boss is working on it and may have an answer by the end of the week--I just suspect that it isn't the answer we want. The food, however is on its way. We'll see.
I'm kind of amazed that the week is almost over. They go by fast, even if the calendar doesn't seem to be moving forward at the same pace. Oh well.

Anyhow, a funny story that I can share is that I saw some guy walking around with an iPod shuffle on an armband. It was neon blue and so very tiny. So there he is in his brown t-shirt and black running shorts (our PT uniform), with a bright blue tiny iPod. I thought it was funny.
I also like the comment where "my aunt" is going to see "my wife." Spy games are fun. We're all so spooky.

Make it stop!

I understand I confused some people with my reference to the nineteen month campaign. No, I haven't been extended. I know when I'm scheduled to leave the country and when my repacement is due. There is no need to surge my position. There aren't enough chairs.
I was referring to the presidential campaign. Apparently Ronald Reagan is running against George McGovern.
I caught a few moments of the Republican Debate while waiting for the phone . It did seem that they were being asked tougher questions than in prior debates and differences betweent he candidates seemed more sharp in the GOP pool.
Anyway, of the few minutes I watched, one exchange stayed with me. Duncan Hunter mentioned that he served in Vietnam, and although there was nothing special or distinguishing about his service, he served. Mitt Romney spoke about his regret at not having served in Vietnam.
Duncan Hunter earned my respect and Mitt Romney lost my vote. Not that he really had it, but that was weak. Not as weak as a certain Vice President's "other priorities," but weak just the same.

Any way, I like my decision to run between getting off shift and going to bed. Going try to stick to that from now on and do my kettlebells/lifting before work.
On my way to the gym to run yesterday I ran in to a friend of mine and one of his troops. We were discussing Special Operations Weather issues. The Guard may have it's issues, but the active duty side of things is just as messy. All in all, I still think I'm as close to having my cake and eating it too as I could be.
Though finally getting the tactical training would be nice. That's one thing they have over me. I'll get there.
Off to run.

I'm impressed

When I was participating in a Special Operations Weather Team orientation program, one of the young officers said that he'd heard the term "Quiet Professionals" applied to certain parts of the military and was curious as to the meaning. The answer that he got was that in a community with such high standards, the focus is on performance. There is little room for chest thumping because every day is a new day with new challenges.
What to most people would be an exceptional act of courage, skill, endurance, etc. is the norm. Daily. Sometimes multiple time a day. It is awe inspiring.
I was reminded of it because the guy who answered the question came up in conversation here. I met his boss, who had nothing but great things to say about him.

My day involved two new experiences. I got a cup of Starbucks coffee that someone here brewed. It tasted like home. I've actually been avoiding having it up to now just because it was fun to have a reminder of something simple like that to look forward to. But I was a bit tired after dinner and it made for a good pick me up. I guess there is a trend of people started to develop a coffee habit once they've been here about as long as I have. I guess it's one of the stages of deployment. I don't think I'll have a coffee habit or caffeine thing. It's just one cup, the first one was free, and I can quit anytime.
Besides, it was a bit of a weak brew anyway.
I also got to edit a memo written by the JAG. It was only a proof reading, but it was interesting to read what a JAG does. I got some visibility on something I otherwise wouldn't have, but I still have no intention of being a JAG officer. If there were JAG positions that require HALO qualifications like my job will, then I may reconsider.
Probably not. Environmental Recon is a small enough niche specialty.

Do we really have to endure nineteen more months of this campaign?

My Official Response

The Islamic State of Iraq, the attempted shadow government of Al Qaeda in Iraq, released a statement tell us to stop looking for our kidnapped troops.
I believe our official response should either direct them to do something anatomically impossible or involve mailing bacon to all of their donors. I would specify, but this is a family publication.

When I left work this morning I noticed that our flag was flying at half-staff. Our flag here generally only flies at half staff when we lose someone from our group. I have to track every mission running when I'm on shift as part of my job and seeing the flag lowered was shocking. I hadn't heard anything. I turned around to ask and was immediately directed to a note saying that our flag was flying at half staff for Peace Officer's Memorial Day. Needless to say I was relieved and the guy who wrote the sign was probably tired of answering the same question over and over again.
I am glad that we are paying tribute to our brothers and sisters in blue. They are just as much on the front lines as we are.

If you are curious, I finished The Weathermakers, that book on climate change. I know it is a book meant for the general public and not scientists, but I do wish he'd gone a little more in the science of how they isolated Carbon Dioxide as the driver of current climate change.
I also want to know how the percentage of households owning firearms was at all relevant to the damage done by Katrina. Corruption, piss-poor leadership at all levels, Ray Nagin, Ray Nagin, and, you know, THE HURRICANE, are all probably higher on the list than the existance of firearms. Just me.
Whether I'm sold or not on the CO2 issue, I agree with most of his recommended changes. More efficient use of resources, wind power, solar power, renewable energy, and trying to harness market forces to drive change are all good things. A lot of the technology is out there already and we may be reaching a tipping point in market demand for such things.
My motives may be different, but so what. If I bike because it is cheaper, guaranteed exercise, and more environmentally conscious, it probably doesn't matter which is the priority as long as I follow through and bike.
I'd be more than happy to cover my roof in solar panels and go off-grid, maybe even sell some surplus back to the power company. I'd love to see a Fidel-less Cuba processing sugar into fuel and selling it to Venezuala.
There are some major kinks to work out with the Carbon trading schemes, but there seems to be a future there. BP has the foresight as a company to get into energy production outside of hydrocarbons. Hopefully others will follow. There is money to be made there too. And unlike the author, I don't think the profit motive is evil (even if I see myself working more in the public sector than private). I learned in the last book that the Pilgrims started getting their best crop yields when they abandoned communal farming and alloted each family a plot to work for itself.
Corn ethanol sucks. Sorry Iowa. Don't vote for me. It is a scam. If you buy a flex-fuel car, you are a moron. First, there is unlikely to be any ethanol available at the pump where you are anyway. Second, flex fuel vehicles are not optimized for either gasoline or ethanol, which decreases their potential efficiency. Finally, using current processes, corn ethanol saves neither energy nor carbon when you consider the whole cycle involved.
I'll admit that the biodiesel we run in our car is also imperfect, but far better than ethanol as a partial solution.

It's funny how the diatribes fill the space here. I can talk about what I read but not what I do at work. My war blog is just more of my usual ranting and raving. Oh well.

Quickie

Well, work continues to be busy and rewarding.
I've come down with a slight cold but there are plentiful supplies of generic sudafed and Flinstones vitamins. Yes, those Flinstones vitamins. I didn't check, but I bet the hardcore types only eat the Bam Bam ones.
I managed to call both my mother and mother-in-law for Mother's Day. There was quite the line for phones. It is kind of sweet really.
One of my troops found out I am going to law school soon. It caused him to question my morals because in the shift from meteorology to law, I will be moving on to a second profession in which I'll be paid to lie. This from another weather guy.

Please keep those three kidnapped troops in your thoughts and prayers. We will catch those responsible. I just hope we do so in time to save those guys.

Gotta run.

Wow

So, I am truly amazed at what goes in to the Passover Rabbi/Seder Leader's kit. Happened to get my hands on one. In addition to the expected box of matzah, there is a whole host of goodies. There are two beef ghoulash entrees. Greasy, but, well, greasy. Eight grape juice boxes. One can of kippered herring from sometime in the early nineteenth century. Two pieces of bazooka gum.
I was impressed to find not only a kittel, but an Artscroll Passover Machzor. Not cheap.
However, the most amazing things I found were two little packs of charoset that were marked as gifts of the Telshe Yeshiva in Wickliffe, OH, outside of Cleveland. What a nice gesture.

In one office a senior officer was about to visit. The ranking guy in the room was given advance notice. His warning to the troops: "Shut up about Paris Hilton going to jail, XXXX is coming." True story.

Another incident occurred recently that was related to my story about laughing about some dead bad guys. One thing that contributes to it is the absurd nature of the reporting. The dry and surreal nature of it is darkly funny. There are definitley times that I think Catch 22 was based on a true story.
Anyway, during a report on an operation, a less than professional--though hardly crude--term was used for killing people. At the end of the brief, one of the senior folks stood up and reminded us that we are in a serious business. You must be passionate about what we do, but able to be professional about it to work at our level. He didn't jump on the guy, just made a general statement about the type of discourse he wants.
Still, dark or otherwise, some things are funny. I'm sorry. If we call it a coping mechanism, maybe it is more socially acceptable.

In response to my weak India analogy, my mother pointed out that India's infrastructure wasn't destroyed. I'd argue that it wasn't really built either.

Also, I was sharing my initial reaction to the first half of The Weathermakers with my wife, but may as well mention them here.
First, the climate IS changing. I see that first hand in the variations in weather patterns that we've experienced. To be fair, the climate is always changing. Climate change is a constant, but we don't notice it on the small scale of time that we are here. We are small and life is short on a geologic scale.
Second, I'm not convinced that Carbon Dioxide levels are the primary cause and by extension, I'm not sold on human activity as being the sole and driving factor in the phenomenon of global warming as part of the climatic shift.
This is the primary flaw in the argument of the paleontologist (note, not meteorologist or climatologist, though I don't doubt his mastery of much of the material). He takes the conclusion that human activity and our CO2 emissions are the primary factor as a given. He does raise other factors but doesn't sell me on their irrelevance. I can be sold, my mind is not made up or closed by any means. But he didn't do it for me. I understand how CO2 can warm the atmosphere, and it does, but with variations in our orbit, variations in insolation (essentially energy from the sun reaching the Earth), volcanos, etc. there are a lot of influences. And the variations in the data and the means of collection involve many assumptions as well. And finally, maybe just from my brief experience forecasting weather, I am suspicious of the forecasts made from assumed starting conditions. We have trouble working from mostly known starting conditions using precision measurements.
The other thing that is a little odd in the reasoning is that it assumes that the present is the way it should be. There have been many mass extinctions in the past, many related to changes in climate. These mass extinctions have opened the doors for new species to evolve. Nothing against polar bears, but if they can't compete in the current climate, historically they would have died off. Historically, the mass extinctions didn't result in an end to biodiversity, but a change to it.
Yet, this paleontologist, who makes a point of going in to this history in the book, rails against any extinction or change. It just seems confusing to me how now-centric the mindset is. I find it a little arrogant to assume we are the sole drivers of everything on this planet and that what we experience is the perfect snapshot in history of how the Earth should be, as historically anomalous as it may be.
All that said, I hardly advocate hunting animals to extinction or being irresponsible with the environment. I bike. I use biofuel. I'll probably agree with many of the policy changes he recommends at the end of the book, even if I don't think they'll stop climate change. Reduction in polluation can't be bad. Being good stewards of the environment is a good thing. Not recklessly destroying ecosystems is a good thing. We are a part of it afterall.
If nothing else, the book does an incredible job detailing the interconnectedness of varrying ecosystems and the effects of alterations at the microscopic level on the largest animals.
I'm just sold on quixotic missions.
I realize I write that while potentially charging at wind mills myself.

Little Things

I'm noticing that little things seems to have a greater effect than major things. I know it sounds vague, cliche, and pseudo-profound. So what?
I don't care when the A/C is out. It is uncomfortable, but so it goes. Work has to get done anyway. Same with any power outage. The only time food issues have bothered me is when I thought they were fixed and then found out that they weren't. Then I realized that I was no worse off than when I started so I pressed forward.
I don't bother counting days until I go home. I'm conscious of them, but don't want to drive myself nuts or get in to the mentality that my job is just to survive (not that I'm in any particular danger) the rotation.
Instead, I have little countdowns. My computer is counting down days until I have to reset my password. I could reset it anytime, but it'll seem like some kind of achievement when I hit the deadline and am forced to change it. I have charts that need to be updated periodically. I could just update them daily on the computer, but it is less of a hassle to make one for a certain period of time, print it, and make a new one when the time comes.
I'm amused by it anyway. I'm also amused about how the blog lets me step back to an outside looking in role on some of this. I'm noticing things I wouldn't otherwise notice.
I laughed when I heard we'd killed some bad guys. I don't think I used to do that. That is not to say I was bothered by the deaths of enemies, particularly ones who are genuinely bad guys. I just don't think I laughed about it. I should check with my wife.
Granted, I also didn't use to have access to intel reports on some of these people.

So it goes.

Last thing... I never really realized how big MySpace was until I saw it in the histories of ALL the morale computers.

I lied. Last thing. Today's clue that I am in an almost exclusively military environment: there was a commercial on AFN Sports for credit card addiction. Ah Joe, you never learn. At the very least my cousin outside of Bragg will understand why that commercial is both ammusing and so very necessary.

Team

I like the team dynamic we have. Took a little while to settle in but it's nice now. As you can imagine, I'm one of the younger guys here. I was discussing something with some folks and it reminded them of an older operation. At first I talked about how my ROTC instructors told us about it, and then went all out and said my grandfather told me tales of his time there (not true, my grandfather's service was over many many years before this particular mission). One guy acted particularly offended. Then another guy said that it's OK, their so cute and eager when their that age, and look, unlike you (the annoyed guy), this kid shaves his head for looks rather than to hide the lack of it. I was saved. Until next time anyway. Good times.

Me being me, I feel compelled to add some apolitical (I'll try anyway) political commentary. These issues with passing a funding bill do cause havoc. Pasing a two month funding bill would be little better--anybody who has had to do major budget planning should understand that. I'm actually surprised to see the unintended effects this has. Due to the confusion regarding when moneys will be available scheduled trainings, personnel moves, maintenance, and other vital things are being put on hold to ensure that money is available to continue combat operations. This isn't posturing. Really. They need to figure it out and stop using us has pawns, screwing with us in the name of trying to show who supports us more.
That goes out to both parties.
We are at war. Like it or not, it is a fact. I don't care about the pretenses, true or false, that got us here. We are where we are. Elected leaders, and I unfortunately use that term way too loosely, deal with the situation we have.
If you want to end it, then man up and try to end it. Tell me how you intend to do it and how you intend to deal with the consequences. Show me that your posturing is about more than throwing red vegan meat to your blowhard moveon.org friends and trying to make up for having supported this at the beginning when it seemed politically expedient. Read Profiles in Courage. Dig deep.
If you support the war, explain way. The American people need to understand. They are smarter than you think and are tired of jingoism and fear mongering. Explain the costs, explain the sacrifices, and explain why they are necessary. Say the hard things. If ads featuring two retired (note retired, not resigned in public protest at the risk of retiring at lower rank) scare you, then quit now.
Everyone is looking to Gen Petraus to give them political cover. Sad.
I know most people reading this will assume I'm speaking solely about Iraq and may even guess that I'm in Iraq. Regardless of how they started, I see Iraq, Afghanistan, and countless other efforts as closely tied campaigns in a networked global insurgency. I came to that conclusion before I got to the mysterious "here," but it has since been confirmed.
There is a difference between operational success and strategic level success. Unfortunately, institutionally we are slowly learning that. But we are learning.

I saw an article today that said no one from Commerce wanted to go overseas to support reconstruction and development work. To me that says our civil service is more broken than our military. Maybe a little harsh, but the vaunted political elements need an influx of technocratic advisors.
My mom asks me often about success. I think it will look a little like the British leaving India. Hardly ideal, but a functional central government with lots of local authorities, and a mostly functioning infrastructure. I hope we'll leave these various places on better terms than the Brits left India and without the India/Pakistan-type splits, but I do think our leaving will be a rather unceremonius request for us to skedaddle by a local government confident enough to assert it's identity by telling us to go. It's an imperfect analogy and we have no intent to colonize these places. There is better real estate elsewhere. I reread it and it is an incredibly bad comparison with some terrible implications, but want to go to sleep now so it will stay.

Another Day

Working nights, days kind of fly by. I sleep through the day and by the time I get up and go to work it is almost the next day. For some reason it makes the time go by faster. It is also strangely disorienting at times. So it goes.
I volunteered for an extra project. Should be fun and enlightening.
I also started thinking in Celsius. I feel cultured. It probably happens after working in weather for a while.
In other news, I learned that some local tribes called the Pilgrims "cutthroats" because of a devestating preemptive strike they made against a few native leaders that were plotting to attack them. And Squanto was a machiavellian strategist that was likely poisoned for trying to sow discontent between the Pilgrims and the tribal leader with whom they were allied. Teach that in school.

Everytime I read about a bombing in a market or some such thing I'm reminded why I'm here to do my little part. It does feel better to be deployed and here about it, knowing that we are doing something about rather than impotent feeling I get at home when I hear about these things.
I don't think you can ever stop every act of mass murder, but you can't stop trying either.

Interactive

As promised, today's post will be interactive.
We begin with a letter from my neighbor:
"Dear XXXX,
Hi! How are you. I am fine. I wrote a haiku that I am sending to you. This weekend we had spring fling at school. I dunked my principal when he was in the dunk tank. O [sister] and me both won cakes but we forgot them at the spring fling."

And the Haiku:
THE WORLD
The world is so big
From Brazil to Botswana
To Barcelona

I am doing well, thanks for asking. Thank you for the letter. I know that your mother is checking this periodically, so I hope she tells you that I really enjoyed and appreciated your letter. I'm sorry you forgot your cakes. I heard you got to test the batch of cookies that were sent to me so I hope that helped take their place.

From JK:
"Dear xxx
There's a stomic virus at my school at first 35 kids went home 5 kids went to the hostpitle S got sik too.
I'm playing baseball I have a game on Sunday me and JY are on the cardinals are game on Sunday is at 2:30.
From JK

P.S hows the food there."

Well my friend, the food got much better with the package. Jerky is good. Cookies are good. And the rest of my food issues are slowly but surely being resolved. I hope everyone is feeling better and that the game went well.

From JY (JK's twin brother):
"Hi XXX
I hope you are making friends with the other solders.
From JY"

That was a very nice thing to say. I am meeting lots of interesting people and the community being what it is, I'm sure to run in to some of them in the future. I'm looking forward to meeting someone on the street and when my wife asks where we met, we'll look sheepish for a moment before saying that we worked together, and the awkward moment will make it clear that it was over here, where ever here may be.

From S (JK and JY's older brother)
"Hi XXX
How are you? Are you in Iraq now? I hope you do a good job wherever you are. When are you coming back? Are you in a combat unit? Right now I have the stomach flu. We all aren't going to school today.
From S"

We'll stick with "wherever" for my location. I can't even tell my wife or my parents. Sorry. My parents know when I'm coming back but I'm not really supposed to talk about that kind of information. My work is at a desk. Not exciting but needs to be done. There won't be any movies about what I do, but it has its impacts on mission success.
Think of it like your mom's baking. If the baker were the combat unit and the Babka the mission, someone had to make all the ingredients so that your mom could get them and do her magic. Someone had to make the oven. Other people had to make all the pieces and utensils that your mom used to make the Babka. The comparison isn't perfect, but if the combat mission is like baking, I make one of the ingredients.
I hope your stomack is feeling better. I heard about it from your brother. Sick days are never fun. You're home, but can't enjoy it, a waste of a day off. It's like when it snows on the weekend.

I hope you guys don't mind that I posted your letters. They were great and I wanted to share them and answer them.
I also highly recommend Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick. I just got it in the package and it is an interesting read.

Package!

I got a package today. It had meat, and meat, and meat, and meat, and balance bars, and fruit bars, and some books, and an Economist. I have wonderful parents.
I plowed through the Economist right away. Only a European magazine would call a .22 a high powered handgun. But I digress.
The fruit bars are interesting. Made of "all real foods", the look like fruit and nuts were put in a compost heap and then formed into blocks. But they taste fine.
I want to post the letters that I received from friends and neighbors (editted to protect the innocent), but I'm about to get booted so the room can be cleaned. Next time.
The lesson from my last shift is that Jim Croce can't pull off singing "Old Man River." He sounds fine, but it just doesn't work.
We were warned that bad guys don't have air conditioning and so we should be able to fight without it too. I agree, but at the same time I was thinking that the bad guys don't have guys sitting at computers forecasting weather either.

Music

My war now has a soundtrack. I found a shared network drive with a whole boatload (the proper military term for boatload would be inappropriate for my younger readers) of MP3s. I went through the massive list picking anything that sounded appealing from Allison Krauss to AC/DC (I did the alliteration and genre thing rather than alphabetical... it worked for me). It is really funny how it can set the mood or completely confict with it.
Listening to a live cut of St. Stephen during anything I do is amusing, like being in an art movie aiming for contrasts. AC/DC fits perfectly for almost anything here. Karmically, something probably blows up evertime Thunderstruck plays. It has to be.
Other times, the random player is uncanny with its ability to pick the right song. Dire Straits Brothers in Arms came on at just the right moment to give chills. It all worked out, but still.
I like Jim Croce.
I also noticed that there is a definite quality issue with these MP3s. Bob Dylan almost sounds like a singer and Allison Krauss's voice sounds scratchy.
War. It's hell.
Someone commented to me about how the word fun couldn't possible be used to describe this. I'm not sure I'd say fun, but there is an instant gratification aspect and it is very satisfying when things work out. I can see where it can be addictive. It would be easy to forget from behind our desks that we are supporting guys who knowingly go into harms way to get the job done except most of the people sitting with me have done it themselves.
I can't comment on operations, but I'll say we are doing incredible work but there is a lot to be done. We'll be working on elements of this worldwide when Jenna (maybe Barbara? Which one wrote the kid's book?) Bush is running against Chelsea Clinton.
Incidentally, that troop that needed Kosher meals found the Jewish lay leader. It is a JAG. Of course. Oddly, the Chaplain was there at the same time. The Jewish officer responsible for helping the Chaplain with the needs of Jewish troops had never heard of Kosher MREs. The non-Jewish Chaplain had heard of them and was willing to help. We'll see where it goes.
In the mean time, this JAG officer had held on to an MRE thing from Passover and gave it to the troop. There was a beef stew and a can of kippered herring. I do not know what the process of kippering involves, but it should never be done to food. Apparently it was stringy and greasy and tasted so very good.

I also see that Oscar Delahoya is fighting the Mexican Apollo Creed. This guy came in looking like Carl Weathers in Rocky IV, except it was a HUGE sombrero and robe colored like the Mexican flag. All he needed was a mariachi version of James Brown and it would have been complete.

I hope my hooch has power but I'm not in there enough for it to really matter.

The saga continues...

First, I am paranoid about the potential for releasing any mission critical information. There is a valuable comment in response to my last post on the issue. Operational Security saves lives.

On to the fun. I know this person who requested Kosher MREs (MRE, or Meal, Ready to Eat is a military field ration). It is a rare situation, but not unique. There are Kosher MREs stockpiled for just this occasion so it shoul not be a big deal. It just so happens that there were some Halal (the Islamic dietery code) MREs more readily available and so this person said that those would be fine.
Although Kosher is Halal, Halal is not necessarily Kosher. This becomes important. You see, originally the Kosher MREs, because they were also Halal, were the only ones in the system. At some point, unbeknownst to the individual in question, the demand for Halal MREs grew to the point that a whole separate facilty under separate supervision was created to make Halal MREs. That is my understanding.
Enter this poor troop who needs Kosher food. He finally receives cases of MREs that he expects to be able to eat. He opens a case, notices that the packaging has changed from what he remembers, even though the names of most of the meals are the same an the only thing different really seems to be the branding. Choosing to err on the side of caution, contact with the manufacturer was made. It was confirmed that the Halal MREs are no longer certified Kosher. Meals of the same name between the Halal and Kosher lines may have different ingredients and are held to different standards.
Now, I haven't checked the facts on this, but on anecdotal evidence alone I am fairly sure that the Muslim population in the service demanding Halal food has not grown geometrically over the past few years. Still, the number of Muslims under military control must have grown in order to spur the growth in production of Halal MREs...
...so, it is fairly safe to assume that terrorist detainees all over the world are eating better than the young troop who needs Kosher MREs. Ponder that.

Since I have been here, we have lost two great Americans whose work was very important to me. Kurt Vonnegut and Wally Schirra. Two very different people with two very different careers that both made this country and this world better.

Can some one explain to me why we have had two Presidential Debates before the end of the first week of May, 2007? And nobody has said anything? Give Joe Biden some credit, at least he published a plan for Iraq. I think it is flawed, but it is more than most others have done. He and McCain are the only people it seems with consistent positions on the campaign in Iraq.

Insert Witty Title Here

Just a quick update. Work is going well. Getting to know my way around, learning local patterns, etc.
I didn't plan it but I lucked out in terms of which Guard unit I joined. We really have an excellent repuation with our active duty peers and it pays off. It is hard work to maintain, but well worth it. Every little trip I've had had me a little nervous about living up to the standard but otherwise I'd be bored.

Watching the news is incredibly surreal. I've made jokes about going back to the real world when I'm done here, but I'm pretty sure going home is in some ways the departure from reality.
I need to reread Hocus Pocus when I get home. There is a story in that book about a child that is in an elevator that gets stuck. The child imagines that the whole city is stopped waiting on their fate. The mayor is calling the governor, the governor the president, and so on. After some time passes the elevetor shudders, moves a little, stops, and the doors open at the next floor. The people get off and get on as if nothing happened. I am working under the assumption that my return will be a lot like that except without the high expectations.
I'm not trying to be cynical or critical of the situation. It is what it is. But like I've said before, I'm in a sheltered bubble where we go off to war when the nation is at war. The news, one of the links to home, is ironically the reminder of that.

What is it about CNN and grumpy old blow hards? Jack Cafferty? Lou Dobbs? They had Novak for a while. Fox has the sleezebags and Geraldo. I guess I like MSNBC because none of their anchors make me annoyed just seeing them. Though they could subsitute Darrell Hammond for Chris Matthews and no one would notice.

I finished Thucydides. No one told me it ends 2/3 of the way through the Peloponnesian War (or the Athenian War from the Peloponnesian point of view). Fine, I know the Spartans win in the end and have general understanding of how they did it. But I wanted this narrative to take me through it in detail.

Thucydides claimed to be an Athenian. His humor was more British. I liked it.

And the Greeks for all their manly posturing were surprisingly like eighth grade girls.

Out.

Go tell the Spartans...

So I finally managed to see The 300. It was everthing I hoped for. If you are mildly sadistic or a teenage boy, I'm sure you enjoyed it greatly. If you are a scholar of the classics, you were probably more than mildy dissapointed at the historical inaccuracies--even though the movie was an adaptation of a comic book that was itself not meant as an exact history of the Battle of Thermopylae.
As my brother so brilliantly put it, it is not a war movie but a warrior movie.
If you are or admire/respect the Warrior, then the word Thermopylae itself gives you chills. Although there is much to faut in the Spartan's society, the movie highlighted all that was good and honorable within it.
I've worked with the modern day equivalents of the warrior elite and it is truly an honor. Their example inspires me to take on greater challenges and responsibilities. I would hate to look back and wish I could have been like them. If nothing else, this trip is a step in that direction.
I don't like the feeling I get when I see people back from doing things while I was sitting at my desk the whole time. But I do my little part to make it happen, and that part will grow with time, training, and experience.
I also saw Team America again. It seemed fitting.

Those of you who know me know that there is a military/police oriented bulletin board web site that I frequent. It has been and continues to be a great networking tool. Last night I got the chance to meet someone else in person. Always fun.

And I may have found a new scheme to improve the training opportunities available to my troops back home. It is a minor obsession of mine. I promise that the obstacles we face have nothing to do with war planning and everything to do with bureaucracy. I guess you could blame it on war planning from World War II when this whole system became entrenched.

Also, for those who are curious, I'm thinking the Security Assistance office at the State Department would be an interesting place to work. I think it would be fun to be the bull in the china shop that resides in Foggy Bottom. But it in a constructive and productive manner. Security Assistance programs, USAID, and Public Diplomacy are the keys to winning the War on Terrorism.

Stay tuned for the next installment of what I want to do when I grow up.