After two months in Mississippi and another month in Kuwait, I have to admit I was actually ready to finally get to Iraq early in December. After all the preparation and buildup, it was time for me to finally catch up with the rest of the guys and start doing the job I had been training for and preparing for. The base I am stationed at is very near Baghdad, Iraq. My job is to work in the base defense operations center. The best comparison I can use to describe my job would be similar to a combination sheriff’s dispatch and security headquarters for a very large protected private property. For security purposes, I can’t talk about any of the means or asset available to provide security of the base. The more any bad guy knew about how we protect ourselves, the better that bad guy could come up with ways to defeat those protective measures. Just think of old movies where the soldiers are protecting a fort. Now imagine all that the evolution of technology could have added to such a defense in order to defend against a modern threat with weapons that also continue to evolve with technology.
Most soldiers here live in Containerized Housing Units or CHUs. It is basically a single wide trailer divided into rooms. Each room has a single outer access door and the CHUs in my neighborhood have a window in each room. Some CHUs are divided into three and others into two rooms. I live in a three room CHU with one other guy, Captain Brian Dopp. We live on the end so just have neighbors on one side of us. Our poor neighbors in the middle have to hear folks on either side of them. The walls are very thin.
Very few CHUs have water or a toilet. Mine, like most, is just a living space as you see here.
Two beds, to wall lockers, two night stands and most important is the dual wall mounted heater/air conditioner unit.
We were able to additionally acquire a small fridge, microwave, computer desk and a television. Walls are bare here for now but my kids will send some great art work to spruce it up. I think my favorite thing is the sheets. I had been in a sleeping bag since late in July.
