Homestretch

I realized that we're entering the homestretch here. The shift is subtle as we start making contact with our replacements, we start getting their arrival dates, and our discussions are more about transition planning than our own current work.

I know my replacement. It'll be an pretty easy hand-off since he's been here before.

I always talk about how small this community is but every now and then I still get surprised. The titles seem to change but the names really don't.

Right now on one of my projects I am coordinating with two people back home. One of them I worked with pretty often in his last job and even went to a training course with him. The other guy I've also worked with before pretty extensively in his last job and am now doing some planning work for him again.

It's a mixed blessing, but I think I've got a good working relationship with both of them. If not, it's real easy to ruin your reputation because everyone knows everyone. One stupid mistake and it will unfortunately follow you forever.

Deadly serious adult games governed by middle school playground politics.

Lest you think I'm joking, last night in the JOC one of the Air Force ground warfare guys hid an Air Force pilot's stash of Diet Pepsis. The pilot, a fighter guy who has mostly worked air to air combat in the past, does not have a lot of experience working with us ground guys. He dared the Air Force NCO to throw out the hidden Pepsis.

He actually double dog dared him.

Really. Those exact words.

So the NCO threw out the Pepsis. I'd have done the same thing.

The only reason I found out about it was that the pilot was impressed and wanted to buy the NCO a beer. But we are in Iraq and while we are trusted to limitless ammunition we are not trusted with even limited amounts of alcohol.

So the pilot, showing the resourcefulness and outside-the-box thinking we demand of our leaders, burried the NCO's desk in cans of near-beer.

Most of us on the day shift had no idea why there were so many Coors Cutters on this particular NCO's desk. The cryptic note left by the pilot was our only assurance that the NCO wasn't planning on drinking 30 near beers in the hope that he'd get buzzed by the cumulative effect of the .03% alcohol content.

I have no doubt some Private has almost blown out his bladder trying that.

Also, on the way back from dinner an experienced Army Special Forces Senior NCO and a Navy SEAL officer essentially reenacted the scene from Forty Year Old Virgin where two of the characters went on riff explaining how the knew the other, um, preferred the company of men.

Sleep well knowing that we are safeguarding your freedom.