Back in Baghdad ...

Readers, I arrived back in Baghdad last Monday. The trip back was remarkably trouble free and, dare I say, efficient. Why is it always so smooth coming back? I've jumped back into the work routine here and haven't had time to post a proper update. More to come when I get a chance. Thanks for your patience.

Music I bought on iTunes this TDY

Motion Picture Soundtracks:

1. The Dark Knight (Hans Zimmer)
2. Crash (Mark Isham)
3. Pan's Labyrinth (Javier Navarrette)

Songs:

1. Maybe Tomorrow - Stereophonics (part of Crash soundtrack) <-- insanely good
   
2. In the Deep - Bird York (part of Crash soundtrack)
   
3. Feeling This - Blink 182
   
4. Are You Gonna Be My Girl - JET
   
5. Too Hot - Kool and the Gang
   
6. Silly Love Songs - Paul McCartney & Wings
   
7. Baby Come Back - Player
   
8. Cool Places - Sparks with Jane Weidlin
   
9. Dance With Me - Orleans
   
10. Just Remember I Love You - Firefall
    
11. Steal Away - Bobby Dupree

Instrumental:

1. Big Thing in the Sky - William Ackerman (Guitar)
2. Slow Dance - Philip Aaberg (Piano)

Things I enjoyed on this TDY

1. Seeing and spending 48 hours with my attractive wife
2. Not being in Iraq
3. Beer (mmm, beer)
4. Seeing the color green
5. Seeing friends and colleagues I met back in March in Qatar.
6. Sleeping soundly and without worrying about hearing an "incoming" alarm
7. A comfortable bed
8. Driving a car
9. Fewer people walking around with weapons
10. Sweet, sweet Internet bandwidth
11. Rain in the Summertime (also a great song by The Alarm)

Kaboom War Jornal Kaput

I had enjoyed reading the exploits of LT G (in real life, Army Lieutenant Matthew Gallagher) whose blog, Kaboom War Journal, with its gritty posts from duty on the streets in Iraq made him quite famous in the blogosphere. Not having checked his blog since leaving Iraq on this TDY, I was surprised to read in the news that the army had ordered him to stop blogging and delete all content.

The decision, it seems, stemmed from a post he uploaded in a fit of frustration and which was critical of a superior officer's decision to force a promotion on Gallagher which would take him out of a combat role, a role he relished and joined the army for. The army claimed Gallagher's blog was a threat to the "good order and discipline" of his unit.

An archive of his blog is here. Read it and judge for yourself. Personally, I'm sorry to hear this important view and voice from the war has been administratively silenced.

Appreciation Day

The conference is winding down. I had a lot of computer work after today's session. When I got back to the on-base hotel I started a load of laundry. I thought about going for a run (today was even cooler than yesterday) but I opted instead to get dinner on base at the cafeteria before it closed at 6pm. I had been getting a hot lunch there during the conference on the cheap (the average meal is less than $4) and figured it would be convenient with getting laundry done.

The cafeteria has two food serving areas separated by a salad bar. There are grills on either side. I usually do a reconnaissance of what's on the short order side but this time a Filipina waved me away, "Other side, sir," she said. Nonplussed, I went over to the hot meal side and got a selection of skirt steak, corn and rice. The cashier, a Filipino who was obviously gay, rang up my order. I asked why the other side was closed off. He said it was airman appreciation day. Recognizing me as being the in the navy from my lunch time visits, he smiled and added, "don't they have seaman appreciation day in the Navy?"

800 lbs Gorilla

Many of the same people are here at this conference that I first met back in Qatar last March. In the middle of that conference, news first broke that then CENTCOM commander, Admiral William Fallon, resigned. Speculation was rife as to who would be nominated as the next CENTCOM commander. A leading contender, at least around our water cooler, was Multi-National Force Iraq commanding general, General David Petraeus, technically, my boss' boss' boss' boss. This of course, eventually came to pass; General Petraeus since has been nominated and confirmed as the next CENTCOM commander. He likely will take command sometime in the fall.

Because of this, everyone from CENTCOM at this conference treats me with kid gloves as I now indirectly represent their future boss. Several times during the conference they've referred to the 800 pound gorrilla in the room -- by extension, me. "What do you think he'll think of this?" I get asked. I tell them. When ever his name is mentioned, people in the room (unconsciously?) glance at me.

I've had the honor of briefing him once already, in a surprisingly intimate setting across a coffee table in his office, and he's just as intense and personable as he appears on television. He has an immensely difficult job and I am in awe of how much detail the man can keep track of day in and day out. I have no doubt he'll make a fine CENTCOM commander.

But it won't change the fact that I'll get to snicker a lot at this conference.

Perfect Weather

The first week here at Scott AFB was very hot. Not as hot as Baghdad, or generally as crappy, but pretty damn hot and humid. Parts of the conference I'm attending are held in different buildings on base with a five minute walk in between. Just walking around last week resulted in a pretty good sweat.

Two nights ago, I awoke to the sound of thunder and the occasional flash bulb of lightening. The thunder was LOUD. Growing up in California, I didn't see much of thunderstorms and I remain fascinated by them. Although half asleep I found myself counting, "one one thousand, two one thousand..." and so on to gauge how far away the lightening was.

In the wake of the storm, the temperature cooled. Today, it was positively wonderful with highs in the mid-70s F. Colbalt blue skies with no clouds. A gentle wind embraced everything. In fact, it was the best weather I've experienced since, well, last year before I left on deployment. I was rejuvenated.