As 30 June approaches, one interesting milestone over here will most-likely occur -- all the troops will move out of all the bases they've occupied in the cities and move to the outlying FOBs. Or, so The Plan goes. One minor detail will kick in with regards to areas possessing both
a. a city and
b. several outlying FOBs, all of which are already jam packed with troops who had previously been pulled out of now-secure areas.
That minor detail is -- a housing shortage.
Now, last year, the Powers That Be here at good ol' Kirkuk Regional Air Base, hereinafter referred to as KRAB, aka, Camp Calamine East, realized that eventuality would eventually occur (because it was in the SOFA that was finalized in November) and proceeded to level the dirtbags' favorite Mortar 'n' Rocket Impact Area™ in preparation for the erection of additional Containerized Housing Units, hereinafter referred to as CHUs, aka, packing crates with an air-conditioner installed. Happenstantially, that troop exodus from Kirkuk city into KRAB coincides with an influx of additional instructors for the IqAF Flight School. Since the barracks, aka, MODs, are full of transient USAF aircrews whooping and hollering all night, and contractor aircrews can't get their required Crew Rest because of the other aircrews partying all night, The Boss decided that the guys who actually *fly* will move out of the MODs and into the Old CHUs that us groundling and sim 'structors presently occupy, and us groundlings will move into the New CHUs.
Due to adverse weather, adverse weather, and adverse weather -- namely, you don't pour concrete for foundation pilings *in the winter* -- the New CHUs are currently not ready for human occupancy. There's also nowhere near enough of 'em for all the folks who will be pouring in here in
*checks watch*
five days.
You can *already* see where this is going, can'tcha...
Soooo, on Friday, it's out of the Old CHUs for us and into -- somewhere else. We can't go to the New CHUs, obviously, so the most-logical place for us to occupy would beAnimal House the squad bay in one of the MODs that will be vacated by our aircrew buds who are moving into our (present) CHUs. Makes sense, right?
Nope. The Powers That Be are moving *more* transient aircrews into the MODs. No contractor parasites need apply.
My guess? There's an abandoned GP Medium tent next to an abandoned latrine in the dirtbags' *second* favorite Mortar 'n' Rocket Impact Area™ that looks *exactly* like the GP Medium tent I lived in for a year in Vietnam.
It'll be like old home week, forty years later. 'Cept the dust here is pinker and doesn't smell of dyspeptic water buffalo...
a. a city and
b. several outlying FOBs, all of which are already jam packed with troops who had previously been pulled out of now-secure areas.
That minor detail is -- a housing shortage.
Now, last year, the Powers That Be here at good ol' Kirkuk Regional Air Base, hereinafter referred to as KRAB, aka, Camp Calamine East, realized that eventuality would eventually occur (because it was in the SOFA that was finalized in November) and proceeded to level the dirtbags' favorite Mortar 'n' Rocket Impact Area™ in preparation for the erection of additional Containerized Housing Units, hereinafter referred to as CHUs, aka, packing crates with an air-conditioner installed. Happenstantially, that troop exodus from Kirkuk city into KRAB coincides with an influx of additional instructors for the IqAF Flight School. Since the barracks, aka, MODs, are full of transient USAF aircrews whooping and hollering all night, and contractor aircrews can't get their required Crew Rest because of the other aircrews partying all night, The Boss decided that the guys who actually *fly* will move out of the MODs and into the Old CHUs that us groundling and sim 'structors presently occupy, and us groundlings will move into the New CHUs.
Due to adverse weather, adverse weather, and adverse weather -- namely, you don't pour concrete for foundation pilings *in the winter* -- the New CHUs are currently not ready for human occupancy. There's also nowhere near enough of 'em for all the folks who will be pouring in here in
*checks watch*
five days.
You can *already* see where this is going, can'tcha...
Soooo, on Friday, it's out of the Old CHUs for us and into -- somewhere else. We can't go to the New CHUs, obviously, so the most-logical place for us to occupy would be
Nope. The Powers That Be are moving *more* transient aircrews into the MODs. No contractor parasites need apply.
My guess? There's an abandoned GP Medium tent next to an abandoned latrine in the dirtbags' *second* favorite Mortar 'n' Rocket Impact Area™ that looks *exactly* like the GP Medium tent I lived in for a year in Vietnam.
It'll be like old home week, forty years later. 'Cept the dust here is pinker and doesn't smell of dyspeptic water buffalo...
If the Command of Preperation is "Cluster"; What is the "Command of Execution"?
//SNARK
And it actually appears it *will* be completed sometime in July, or August, or September, or November, or...
Well, I was gonna put up a post whinging about how I'm a contractor working in a gov't facility and I have mouse droppings all over my cube space every morning... but, as usual, you win.
Geez, I guess I'll have to play 'em next week, while I hang around the office after work until it gets cool enough to trudge the additional
eighty miles1,500 meters through thebarren wasteCav's Motor Pool...None of the Misses I deal with have hit on me.
Dammitt...
No problem with Hantavirus-ridden rodents around here -- the snakes eat 'em all.
You know, BillT, that the smell of US OD Canvas is something that is forever implanted into my memory. You could blindfold me, and stick me into one of those GP tents, or in the back of a deuce and a half truck, under that canvas cover, and I could tell you exactly what that was.
In hot weather, that stuff had a particular odor, and anyone who has soent anytime around and/or under it will remember exactly how it smelled.
It's funny how some memories stick with you, eh?
respects,
(I turn left after the Himalayas, correct?)
Nothing like scheduling a meeting on everybody's morning off to boost morale...
The good news is, the GP Medium has its own generator.
The bad news is, the generator is kinda fried...
@BillT, I know times have changed, but I can't believe they have changed *that* much. Now, they're using cats' dried hairballs, instead of *big brass shiny ones*.
//SNARK to both of you, seriously, BillT I hope things go well through this insanity of "Transition".
Meanwhile, Bill, where is your employer in all this?
Then there's barter. If there's an ETAC or two out there, I bet you could trade somethin' for somethin'. Or just play on his sympathy and just ask for shite. Tell him an old ASOG/CC would (strongly) approve.
On the plus side, the wiring hasn't gone bad since the last time they fixed it, so I don't have to worry about getting electrocuted in the shower for a while. And they've reportedly replaced the lighting fixture that smoked us all out the night before I moved.
Meanwhile, Bill, where is your employer in all this?
Alabama. Although the PM is here for a one-month stay and
*snerk*
he'll be in the same squad bay as I am.
I've told you a million times to stop exaggerating...