Countdown to Kuwait

A Feel for What it’s Like to be on Patrol

Over the past few days, we have had the opportunity to get a small taste of what it is like to be on patrol in Iraq. Although I will not be doing any of this (I say again, I WILL NOT DO ANY OF THIS FOR REAL IN IRAQ), it gave us a taste of the day-to-day experience of our front line troops. First there was a class on tactical communication. Here I am with the PRC-119 radio, a staple in the communication arsenal.

Can you hear me now? This radio was state-of-the-art in 1984, which is why the Navy bought it in 1996.

After that, we got to put some of our convoy training to use in an ambush scenario (the guys in Army green are the instructors)

And all of that was followed by one of the more enlightening trainings – how to clear a room in a search for insurgents. Remember – 1) don’t try this at home and 2) this is the first time we did it. Needless to say, I don’t expect this to end up on a Discovery Channel special on how to do this right, but my team (made up of me, two navy paralegals, and a cryptology warrant officer) did pretty well for our first time out, assisted by the fact that it did not get harder until later when they started barricading the door and placing fake booby traps in the space.

We were told that teams who actually do this work in country train together constantly for months before ever doing it for real. There is actually a science to clearing a room and each of the four team members takes on a specific field of fire and coverage depending on the size and shape of the room. All cues are non-verbal until the room is clear and the team moves on. They have to think as one and make split second decisions. Your M16 never comes off of safe until you actually have a target.

Some “Lasts,” at Least For Now

I have started counting down some strange things. For instance, this past weekend I took my last shower in a bathroom that was designed to really only accommodate one person at a time. Probably won’t see that again for six or seven months. That bathroom, though, was at the home of my good friend and fraternity brother John Challis and his fantastic wife, Jen. To my good fortune, John and Jen, as well as their two great kids, live only about 70 miles north of Camp McCrady and I was able to spend my final weekend of liberty with them. The hospitality was perfect and the chance to have one last regular-American-weekend was priceless, as was the queen size bed. In Baghdad, I’ll be working six days a week, and really doubt I’ll be able to enjoy John’s excellent BBQ or Jen’s delicious pulled-pork tacos. So thanks John, Jen, Colin and Katie for a good time. Here is a photo of those two cute kids, Colin (3) and Katie (10 months).

Subject Bob Kurkjian, in his natural state, Tommy Bahama shirt, bare feet, with gin and tonic close by and checking the USC football team rankings online . . . . joined by Colin Challis.

Colin hams it up with his sister Katie.

Charlie Company, 2nd Platoon

My training platoon. Although we are all going to Iraq, none of us will actually be working together. All of the officers in the platoon are staff corps (JAGs, Civil Engineers, Supply guys like me) and all of the enlisted are rates like Legalman, Storekeeper, Yeoman, etc.

Coach Class? Seriously??

Apparently my Delta miles mean little to the Navy . . . go figure. First no bathrobe or minibar in my barracks, and now THIS indignity. I’ll be heading to Kuwait later this weekend on a charter aircraft. Something tells me that I should not expect to find an amenities kit on my seat. My next post may not be until I hit Baghdad in about 10 days.