MIA: My Boxers

On Patrol: A frequent sighting around camp, most convoy humvees sport a bilingual sign.

An attractive incentive to deploy is free laundry. They should mention this more in the recruiting ads. Run by KBR with a hodge-podge of TCNs (Third Country Nationals) primarily from the Philippines and managed by a Bosnian, the laundry operation is impressively efficient and chances are you can come back in two days and retrieve your laundry. You package up your dirty laundry in your military-issued laundry bag and walk over to the laundry drop-off. The drop off has a long counter where you can inventory your laundry in the presence of one of the employees (and really everyone else in the shop) or you can just sign the waiver and turn in the laundry as bulk. Being in a hurry and not necessarily wanting to count out my laundry, I chose bulk.

Sadly, there is not a lot of color in my life here. My boots are tan, my socks are tan, my uniform is tan, my tee shirt is brown and my hat is tan. The only color I had left? My boxer shorts. Well, someone in laundry is enjoying a little color in their life right now because I got everything back from the laundry, except my 8 pairs of GAP boxers. They didn’t want my $25 Under Armor boxers, they just wanted the 2 for $12 Gap boxers. Now keep in mind, when you pick up your laundry, it is the same scenario, with a dozen military lined-up down the counter. So I thought that saying “hey, someone took my underwear” maybe was not the best choice at the time. Nor was the mandatory underwear spot-check for all the laundry workers.

I’d just like to think that some where out there, there is a Phillipino laundry worker who is just a little happier now that he has some more color in his life. In the meantime, I'm just going to keep wearing the one pair I have left. No, no, Mom, I am kidding. Really. I went to the PX and bought some more.

And now for the once-every-so-often series:

Everything is more difficult in Iraq (Installment #1)
It makes sense to drop off your uniforms to be washed AND pressed at the same location. I mean it makes sense if it is not the Army making the decisions. But, ( and this might be a theme) the Army IS the one making the decisions. So you pick up your clean clothes at one location and then trek over a few blocks to drop off your uniforms for pressing at another location. Makes PERFECT sense! I don’t know why this is not a more standard practice any place else in the world.