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Iraq Architecture

Iraq can actually be a beautiful country. It is hard to imagine that I could be back here in twenty years or less as a tourist. I can imagine reminiscing as I show my family around saying, "I remember way back in 2003...". Not sure what this building is. I can tell you that it is an excellent example of pride in craftsmanship as the architect and builders wanted to leave something for people to admire. 10/26/03

Feed Me!

The quality of chow (a catch-all term that can be used to mean breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner) increased dramatically at the end of August when a government contracted dining facility opened. For the preceding five months we ate predominately Meals Ready to Eat (MREs). A MRE is a prepackaged meal packed with roughly 1,500 calories and has a shelf life of seven years. This night, we had roast beef, mixed vegetables, macaroni with cheese (I thought it was just macaroni until someone told me it had a dash of cheese in it), and onion rings. 10/27/03

The Old And The New

A picture taken during a combat patrol in Central Iraq shows more than just the most advanced and lethal attack helicopter in the world. Ironically captured in the same picture is the 1,200-year-old spiral minaret known as Melwiya located at the Great Mosque of Samarra. If you look closely behind the tail end of the helicopter, you can see the top and bottom of the spiral column that reaches some 170 feet into the sky. Samarra's rich history dates back to early 800 A.D. when it was founded to house a military force of more than 50,000 soldiers. 10/28/03

A Pair Of Tuckers

Literally a pair of Tuckers: Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) Bill Tucker and Captain (CPT) John Tucker. Bill turned 57 years old a couple of weeks ago and has over 37 years in the Army including three tours in Vietnam. He has flown nearly every helicopter in the Army inventory and has amassed countless flight hours. He is a true professional in every regard and loves what he does for a living. 10/29/03

Silver Delight

A dual purpose picture really. While on night shift in Iraq, Staff Sergeant Promotable (SSG(P)) Rob Dirk and Captain (CPT) John Tucker enjoying a delicious hot cup of Silver Delight coffee from the Caffe' di Lucca Espresso Bar in Evergreen, Colorado. SSG(P) Dirk is technically the S-2 (intelligence section) non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC), but has been running the entire S-2 section on his own since the end of May. Much like people anywhere, who sit and enjoy their drink of choice, SSG(P) Dirk and I have a lot of philosophical and intellectual conversations covering a wide variety of subjects. 10/30/03

Boo !!!

It is not everyday you can go to the post office and get your picture taken next to Saddam. This is one of a few images of Saddam Hussein that was not painted over or destroyed (other than a strategically placed gunshot). It stands outside the building that was renovated to house our post office. 10/31/03

More Stuff

Ammunition is not the only thing scattered all over Iraq. There is also a lot of equipment in places where you never expect it to be. Here you can see a pair of tanks and an armored personnel carrier. A lot of salvageable equipment like this has been consolidated into a central location and some of it has been moved to a big "bone yard" down by Baghdad. 11/1/03