New Contract

Well KBR has been fired as the NTV contractor and it is being taken over by AIT. We took the truck to them and they think they may have it fixed today. We were not going to hold our breath, but the guys went to check on it today and the starter was done and they were working on the flywheel. However, we got confirmation today that all of the NTV are going to go away in a couple months. That only raises one question.... How is everyone going to get to the chow hall?! Barracudas are forbidden from taking the NTVs to chow because it is only about 400 meters from the CP (Command Post) and about 800 meters from the LSA (Life Support Area). You may or may not be surprised about just how lazy most people are. It has been raining here off and on for two days. It has made it nice and cool and also very muddy.

Contracts

We should be able to go back in the records here and find out who drafted contacts for certain things and then track them down and make them pay back all of the money their contract has wasted over its life time. Our NTV (Non-Tactical Vehicle) contract doesn't allow us to buy parts from any other source except KBR. However nobody can tell me if there is anything in the contract about speedy service. One of our Ford Expeditions has a bad starter and fly wheel. They are telling us that the parts are on order and will be here in a about a month. No telling how much they are charging for the parts. I found the same parts online for $80 and could have them here in about a week except putting those parts on would void the contract. So we will continue to spend 5 minutes getting the vehicle started until the parts are completely tore up. I do not think they will last another month.

Groundhog Day

All of the days have started to run together. PT, eat, work, eat, work, eat, meeting, sleep repeat. I know it is the weekend when football is on TV. About a month ago I was anxious to get into a routine so time would start going by fast. Well that time has arrived and time is flying by. I can not believe we are 2/3 of the way through October already. I have seen several e-mails about change of command time lines, but nothing official yet. Looks like I will leave Bravo Company in the middle of December. Stepped on a scale this morning and it said 175.

Still Hot

Our highs are still in the low 90s. The low in the mornings has been about 60-65. I think we have had more sand storms in the last month than I remember the whole time I was here the first time. I am looking forward to the 60s and 70s in NOV and DEC. I am not betting on white Christmas. It did snow last time I was here, but that was the first time it had snowed in Baghdad in like 20 years. I remember someone told me that it never snowed in the south. When we came out of Pat Obrien's in New Orleans there was two inches of snow on the ground!

Chow Hall

Most call it a Dining Facility (DFAC) these days. COB Speicher has one of the best. It is not quite as big as the one at Camp Victory (BIAP), but not too bad. The food is good and it is always very clean. I can always find something that I like. I am a big fan of the Healthy Bar. It usually has grilled chicken breast, baked fish (Trout or Salmon), Vegetable lasagna and some sort of vegetable. They have the fast food items like burgers, fries, corn dogs etc. There is a wrap/sandwich bar that I hit every other day or so, usually for lunch. I get the chunks of chicken with a little bit of chicken salad, lettuce, tomato, and provolone. The chicken salad by it self has too much mayo for my taste, so adding the chicken makes it just right. I am trying to stay away from the desserts, but I have a weakness for the white chocolate macadamia nut cookies and the ice cream bars. They also have pies and cakes. Breakfast is good. I usually get some hard boiled eggs, Sausage, Cereal, and coffee. They also have crapes about twice a week. The best part is that we get paid $3.50 cents a day to eat it. We do not pay for it. Unless you count spending a year away from family and friends-paying for it. When we get back to Riley and file our travel vouchers we will end up getting about $1,200 for per diem.

Routine

We have settled into a routine. Up at 0515 to run (most mornings). Shower, walk to breakfast, to the office to check email, check in with all of the platoons to make sure they do not need anything and that the missions are going well. Lunch and then some e-mail to BN and BDE to answer questions, dinner, bed. Something always comes up. Reading through the schedule above made it sound very simple. We have meetings to attend. Every Wednesday we have a command and staff at Battalion. We hold a company meeting on MON, WED and FRI at 1900. We have duties/details to cover. Hoping some of those get cut soon. We have had to pull some Soldiers out of their normal jobs to pull guard at the entry control point. Yes... MI Soldiers on guard. That is what happens when they put us under Operational Control (OPCON) to a support unit that does not understand our mission. 1SG and I are having fun fighting that one right now. We like making people mad! It is so much fun.