Ive been indoors for a few hours now. My eyes are still burning. And my throat is still scratched, red-raw. Im picking and blowing chunks out of my nostrils that are brown and sticky, like the resin of hashish. But at least Im starting to be able to breathe halfway-normal again.
For the last day-and-a-half, the air over Baghdad has grown more and more clogged with sand. Yesterday, it pushed my helicopter flight down to Ad Mahmudiya back in three hour blocks, until the trip was cancelled altogether. This morning, there wasnt even a discussion about going airborne. Visibility has shrunk to 30 feet, maybe. The highway signs to Abu Ghraib are unreadable, until youre right underneath. The blimps watching over the base have become invisible if theyre even flying at all. The sun has vanished. And the wind has grown razor tips.
The guards here contractors from Nepal, Im guessing wear surgical masks at their posts. Outside the gates, the locals wrap scarves around their heads, and go right on selling their tires and their watermelons and their marbled meat from ramshackle wooden stands.
Iraqi insurgents are almost certain at work, too. Its a perfect time for a bomb planting, the captain of the unit Im embedded with grumbles. Perfect fucking cover.
On Route Michigan, the American militarys name for a trash-heavy road near the Baghdad Airport, plastic chairs sway in the sandstorm. Humvees gather. Soldiers peer into the dust, looking for snipers. But if there are any shooters out there, they cant be seen through the desert fog.
There is a small silver lining to the dust clouds, though. The temperature is a relatively temperate 113 degrees. Not bad, considering the previous afternoon peaked at 128. Yesterday, I had sweated through my t-shirt and camouflage in a few minutes, wetting the inside of my body armor. It took a good hour to achieve the same effect today. Thank heaven for small favors.
THERES MORE: So much for vegetarian, wi-fi paradise. Hours after I posted my note the other day about the comforts of Camp Victory, (be sure to read the comments) my situation turned upside-down. My unit is stationed on the far side of the sprawling enclave, near Camp Liberty. It is miles from Victorys palace headquarters. And some of the joys of top brass life have yet to reach to the grunts stationed here wireless Internet access, for one.
I do have a bed in a trailer now, which is mighty nice. But I lost the memo granting me access to the local mess hall. Its not that big of a deal. My unit on the secretive side, and continually on the go, even during meal times gets food brought back to its station house. But its taken a few days for the supply sergeant, a soft-spoken Haitian, to get his head wrapped around the idea of a herbivore. Vegetables arent food, another sergeant here joked. Theyre what food eats.
Things are getting themselves sorted out, however. The Captain pulled rank loud and hard on a poor sergeant who offered up a lame excuse for why I didnt have a new chow pass. Within a few minutes, his boss was literally running to hand us one. And tonight, when I got back from Route Michigan, there was a plate of boiled broccoli and fried rice waiting for me. Freedom is on the march.
AND MORE: Chris has an incredible account of the day from the Green Zone.
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Dust in the Wind
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No matter how miserable it might be, it’s always possible to imagine it even more miserable, and thus you have grounds for being thankful it’s not worse
And there’s nothing more miserable than sitting in the gunner’s seat at 3am, with a 7 second drip hitting your knee (once I wedged into the seat, there was no moving about so avoidance was not an option). Well, I guess more miserable would’ve had the rest of the crew passing wind, which, btw, protective masks do not protect from, in my experience…
I love your report so far you’re hitting everything right on the head, but your CPT is not supposed to tell you that the road to BIAP is called Route Michigan, so please remind him of OPSEC. For a real view of what Iraq looks like visit the Abu Ghraib Market at around 1000am, white gold village any time to see the water buffalos, any of the 38 schools we helped repair, and any of the new water purification stations we helped build in Ashra Mannaser, Al Jedy, etc.
be careful up there.
You wrote:
“There is a small silver lining to the dust clouds, though. The temperature is a relatively temperate 113 degrees. Not bad, considering the previous afternoon peaked at 128.“
Bullshit! The high in Baghdad so far this year was 117 and the all-time high is *only* 122.
Don’t forget to hitch a ride or two with some convoys. I am a driver for KBR and would love a journalist to give a few props to our gunners, usually reservist from units who were not initially supposed to be doing what they do now.
Very good guys and gals providing security for the convoys and I thank any of them who read this. We have lots of creature comforts at Anaconda that Grunts can make fun of too. I love grunts.
If you get up to Anaconda take ride on a convoy.
I just love your insights. Please be carefull and stay save.
Keep on the excellent work.
bye,
Chris from germany
Welcome to the sandbox.
As a reporter in iraq, I’m enjoying the comments but am occasionally confused by military jargon I haven’t yet heard.
Simple solution: if you have OIF / OEF slang, I want to know.
The list starts here:
http://televisionreporter.typepad.com/iraq_hack/2005/07/lost_in_transla.html
Noah, dude! I don’t live in the Green Zone! Red Zone Baby here. Hey Tom. Email me. I owe you a beer.
Yo cuz,
i am so loving the rich narrative of a veg in a strange land.
Looking forward to hanging out on this side of the pond.
Keep safe. Keep on truckin’.
Stay safe Noah, and it sure is encouraging to read the commentary posted herein.
Dick Sheppard
Jersey City, NJ
hey dude its pretty hard living threw a sand storm ive been threw one myself so buh bye thanxs for lettin people all know how it is
HEY dudes there be lots o depleted uranium in that dust you be breathin and its slowly spreadin all over this planet!!!! what is the legacy we are leavin our children and childrens children?
HEY! there be lots o depleted uranium in that dust you be breathin and its slowly spreadin all over this planet!!!! what is the legacy we are leavin our children and childrens children?
HEY! there be lots o du in that dust you be breathin and its slowly spreadin all over this planet!!!! what is the legacy we are leavin our children and childrens children?
HEY! there be lots o dust in that dust you be breathin and its slowly spreadin all over this planet!!!! what is the legacy we are leavin our children and childrens children?
hey! Did you know how much depleted uranium is in that dust your breathing? It’s slowly spreading all over the planet too!!!! What is the legacy we are leaving our children and childrens children?
It is may be useful for some people who like playing the RS Gold.
Even with a slow internet Tibia Gold connection downloading the client is a matter of minutes.