Babysit

Broke 1,000 views of my blog the other day!  There must be a lot of bored people out there… although I guess they could’ve viewed it but not actually have read it.  It’s pretty crazy here in Kuwait there are actually clouds in the sky and the temperature is approaching 100 degrees.  It’s approaching it in a good way though… from higher.  The last several days have been pretty chill.  I do my best to keep the guys somewhat happy.  Everyone is pretty bummed about the move and all.  It won’t be so bad once it happens, it’s just that period before an event where you do nothing but dwell on what is about to happen.  Then when it actually happens it really isn’t as bad as you expected.  We cleaned out one of the several connexs (big metal container you see on the back of semi-trucks from time to time) we have sitting around and started putting stuff in it to take with us.  We are “re-appropriating” some items that are not annotated on paper that might make our stay at Beuhring a little better.  There are also some things lying around that are just good to have.  The rest of the connex will be filled up with all the crap these guys have bought since they’ve been here… i.e.; fridges, couches, rugs, TVs and various other items.  It would be a nightmare to try and move all that stuff up there by truck.  It may take a day or two to get the connex moved up to Beuhring but it’ll be much better than the other way. 

Since I haven’t been doing a whole lot lately I’ll tell one of Austin’s stories.  He is getting more and more people in everyday that are involved with the ARPAT mission.  Some of the people are higher rank, some are lower and some are LTs just like he and I.  Anyway… Three LTs have been following him around so they can learn what he does and do it themselves.  This is the “watch once, do it once and then teach it” type deal.  Apparently these three stooges are a little slower than most.  They probably went to ROTC which is notorious for spitting out subpar officers.  I know one of them has English as his second language and all three are non-combat arms (quartermaster).  Combat arms refer to Infantry, Field Artillery and Armor.  Those are the three main ones.  Aviation could be considered one as well as Combat Engineer.  But quartermaster…  No.  This is purely logistics and supply.  Some people pick this for a branch and some are “volun-told” do to incompetency.  Austin, “they can’t grasp the most mundane tasks”.  Austin said that he was checking his email and one of the new guys was looking over his shoulder.  Austin looked up with his eyes only, keeping his head still and said, “what are you doing?”  The gazer just said, “oh I was just seeing how you checked you e-mail.”  Austin, “dude it’s Microsoft Outlook a retard could do it.  Go sit down over there you’re making me nervous.”  Not long after that Austin got up to go “number 1”.  He walked out the door and noticed one of the newbies was following him so he stopped and said, “what are you doing?  I’m going to the latrine.”  The lemming said with the look of an eager puppy, “oh I thought we were going somewhere.”  Austin, “nope just the bathroom… I think I can handle it.”  I won’t claim that I’m the best officer or even marginal, but I think I do a decent job, at least when it comes to caring for my guys.  I may not always do things the way my higher command wants them done, but as I see it I only answer to them… I don’t work for them.  I work for my platoon.  There is also a stigma that follows LTs, especially 2LTs and now I see where it comes from.    There is also a negative stigma that follows LTs, especially 2LTs and now I see where it comes from… guys like these. 

I was just sidetracked from writing this post by our interpreter, who is a great guy by the way; he needed me to sign his timesheet.  We got to talking about the difference in our cultures.  He was saying how Thursday he meets with a bunch of his buddies and they have a BBQ, “without alcohol of course.”  What’s the fun in that?  I asked if he wished they had beer here and he said, “Yes.”  We went on to discuss the laws on alcohol.  It pretty much mirrors the laws we have on drugs in the states.  It depends on the situation and how much you have on you and all that stuff.  He said if you have a kilogram of any drug (cocaine, heroin, marijuana etc.) you are hanged.  Ouch!  Maybe we should adopt some of these laws in the states.  We could still go with the three strikes type mentality but that third strike… DEATH!  He said that if his wife found out he was drinking alcohol she would want a divorce.  Hardcore Kuwaitis.  The discussion stemmed to housing arrangements.  So we pulled up his house on Google maps.  It’s a 2 story, approx. 8,000 sqft “family home” as they call it.  I tried to keep track of how many people live there and I think it was around… 15-18.  I don’t know if he was counting the wives or not.  Then I showed him my house and my parent’s house.  He was amazed that just two people live in my parent’s house plus they have a big yard and pond.  It’s always interesting to compare culture, especially one so different from our own. 

That’s about all I have.  Here is the workout Austin and I did the other night.  It was pretty bitchin’. 

27 SEP 2011 – HAMMER DON’T LIE

We did this with plate carriers on (vest that holds ballistic plates for body armor.  Approx. 20 lbs or so)

15 min.

5 – Pull-ups

10 – Push-ups

15 – Squats

We completed 14 sets (70 Pull-ups, 140 Push-ups and 210 Squats… 420 reps in 15 min)

10 min (without plate carrier, cause we were tired)

5 – Knee Tucks while hanging from pull-up bar

10 – Dips

10 – Swings pounding tire with 12 lb sledge hammer

I think we only did 9 sets of this. 



PFC Hansford chillin' with Ron.