McDonald's In The Desert.

When you are in the military and end up being stationed or deployed to various places around the world you look for those things that remind you of home. For me McDonalds reminds me of home.

It at times drives De'Dee crazy and I take some harrassment and good nature ribbing from family and friends but it has become a tradition that whatever country I am in that has a McDonalds I stop in and have something to eat.

I have had McDonalds in Germany, France, Monacco, Italy, Austria, Canada, Korea, Czech, and now Kuwait. It may seem odd but it brings a little bit of home to where I am at.

What I found interesting is what it said on the McFlurry I got with my Big Mac. As you can see on the last picture it was 100% halal. Halal for Muslims is like Kosher is for Jewish people.

So here is to a little bit of home in Kuwait, McDonalds in the desert.

Can You See Me Now

Remember that commercial where the guy walks all over with the cell phone to his ear and says, "Can you hear me now?"

I have decided to start asking during the appropriate time of day, "Can you see me now." I will explain in a minute why.

I came into the Army in 1984. Yes I am old. I have 26 years of service and have seen many changes. Through all these changes one thing has always remain constant the words cover and concealment. Those words now have new meaning in my life in the Army now. As you see the title to my blog site is, "Life In This Multi-Color Leisure suit. Well the Army has decided to add a new color or in some cases multi new colors to this leisure suit. I will explain shortly bear with me as I digress into this.

You see the U.S. Army has spent millions of dollars attempting to figure out through various tests to determine what is the best way to camouflage our fighting men and women. (Okay those laughing now can stop I am not talking about the ACUs, that seems only best used to camouflage a Soldier sleeping on a sofa with various flowers.)

Much effort and time over the years has been put in to design of clothing and teaching this art of cover and concealment so the enemy can't see you. Now the Army is spending more money for us to cover and conceal our camouflage uniform with what is known in most places as a reflective belt we in the Army refer to it as a PT Belt or Physical Training belt. No it does nothing to enhance our physical abilities although that would be nice it is meant to keep us safe from being hit while doing PT. I have seen everything from yellow to orange to pink pt belts worn around here in Camp Arifjan Kuwait.

It seems that the same people who gave us warnings on cups to tell us it was hot and many other idiot warnings have creeped into the Army. For now we have to walk around, after dark, on post here in Kuwait, along with some in Iraq and Afghanistan with reflector belts around their waists or across their body.

You know someone somewhere got hit by a vehicle so now we must glow in the dark to be seen. It is like having thousand points of light to focus rounds on. Now unless the person that got hit was hit by someone driving on a walking area did someone ever think to consider making sure Soldiers did not walk down the middle of the driving area or him to stay alert and stay alive. NOOOO we now have to walk around with PT Belts.

So in the morning as I get dressed I put my PT Belt on under my shirt so I can have easy access where ever I am at for God forbid I not have my PT Belt on when it gets dark.

So can you see me now? How about now? OH wait let me get my PT belt on. How about now?

In The Beginning....

So many things to be able to blog about. I have stared creating a list. Decided that I should start in the beginning, and no the rest of the story does not go ....God created.... This in the beginning is about by arriving in Kuwait.

What happened was. There I was traveling to Kuwait everything was going great. Then we arrived and I begin to think about duffles that were locked and trunks that were locked so I reached to my side where my keys normally hang on my belt loop (which either makes me a geek or a rebel because I am violating some regulation for wearing them there).

Mean while back at the ranch. So I reach to ensure that my keys are in place and what do I feel NOTHING!!!!! Panic, flash backs to 6 years ago to when I left my 700.00 video camera on the bus in Kuwait and realizing it after I get on the plane back to Iraq after R&R. I HATE Kuwait (I know hate is a four letter word. When you hear the words I hear all day you would consider that mild). Lost a camera here now no keys arghh.

So thus as the picture above reveals I had to use the giant master key in order to get to my stuff. It seems just about the time you get all proud of yourself God has a way of humbling you. Nothing more humbling then being a Major and the Brigade Chaplain asking for bolt cutters because you are not responsible enough to maintain a set of keys to your own locks.

If you think this is great, tune in next time when you here me saying, "Nope don't have it we have to turn around!"

Life in the Army... or Navy... or Army

Sorry no pictures with this blog today. The place I went has some tight OPSEC or Operational Security rules.

This week as I continue through the transition with the unit we are replacing my counter part has set up with the battalion chaplains that I will be taking over as their brigade chaplain to take me on tours of their area of operations (AO). My first tour this week was with the 164th Transportation Battalion out of Massachusetts. CH Durkee not only has large trucks in her unit but she is also the chaplain for four boat companies. This simply means she is responsible for the chaplain coverage of four boats.

Now these are not small boats they are a decent size. The thing to understand is these are not Navy personnel that operate these boats. They are Army personnel. So for a short time I was a Squid (don't tell my Navy buddies they will never let me live it down). I am told that the Army has more boats then the Navy.

I have to admit it was kind of cool to be on the boats. They are used to transport various equipment around the theater. They have offered that if I want to bring some Soldiers over they will take us out in the gulf and we can do some fishing and BBQ. Hmmm maybe I should stay on shore. That may be considered a cruise and since it has been De'Dee's dream for 23 plus years may not be a good idea.

While there the thought went through my head of the recruit at the Army recruiting station who has just made a decision to join the Army and as he signs the contract suddenly realizing that the job the recruiter talked him into was going to have him not spend his life in the Army but he might as well be in the Navy. Kind of like the Air Force forward observer who helps call in the air support for the Army. He joins the Air Force to spend the rest of his career in the Army.

The conversation home to their family has to be funny. Spent my day on the boat. Boat I thought you were in the Army. I am. But it was a boat the Navy has boats are you sure you joined the Army. Well I think so. My uniforms say so Army, but now I am not sure. LOL

On their own boat they can have an Army / Navy game between them. Must cause many to have split personality.

None the less it was a good visit and the first time in 26 years of service that I was on a boat the was not owned by the Navy.

Doom, Despair, and Agony on me.

These are the pictures you don't always want people to see. The terrible living conditions and struggles the Soldier must endure.

When people see such horrible living conditions they run screaching in anger as they realize that not all Soldiers are still living in the mud and taking showers only once a week.

I have deployed to what is officially known as Arifjan and what we affectionately call Arifjail. This is my home for the next year. Well actually these pictures show my temporary residence since my permenant temporary home is still being occupied by the out going unit.

Now before you begin to think that there is going to be much improvement there won't. Showers are almost a football field away fortuantely the latrine (Bathroom, restroom, head, and for my Air Force buddies the powder room) is out my front door of my building. Which when I move will be that much further away.

Now that I have lost all pity let me see if I can gain some back. I the chow hall is at least a quarter mile down the road. Oh the pain and agony. Hmmm no tears or comforting sorrow. Did I say it was hot and to live in these conditions I have to endure going from the heat outside that is going to just get hotter and endure sub-freezing tempertures inside. It is such a hard price.

Picture 1: The outside of my area. We have taken a couple of blankets to make a curtain with 550 cord and gives us some privacy.

Picture 2: Looking down the building to my "room".

Picture 3: Entering my "room".

Picture 4: My space. Recently got the trunks out of the connex that was shipped over ahead and so have not put away my sleeping bag from when I first got here.

Pre-Deployment

I have come to the realization that pre-deployment is not about the train up or the prep for deployment. It is about making you so desperate to deploy you don't care where you go as long as you get.

The last time I felt this way was when I was with 2-2 INF, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. We were sitting in Kuwait at a place known as Camp New York. Spent three weeks there standing in longer lines then anyone should have. When you are at the end of the chow line and you can just make out the mess hall you know it is a long line. Okay maybe a bit of exaggeration but not by much. Within a week or so of being there I was so ready to get up north into Iraq and combat. I did not think that there was anything that could get me to desire combat but Camp New York did that for me and so many more of us.

Don't get me wrong it I don't want to be away from my bride for a year but this pre-deployment, good idea fairies is going to drive me nuts.

The sad part of all this is I simply am trading one garrison enviroment for another. Which brings me to another thing about deploying. If I have to be away from my bride for a year give me a reason for her not to be there. Don't send me to a garrison in Kuwait.

Where Has Honor and Customer Service Gone.

Many of you may have seen the Best Buy sale online of a 52" Samsung flat screen TV for $9.99. As soon as I heard about it I must admit I immediately got online and attempted to purchase the TV. Some of you may have done the same thing.

I was not completely surprised when I was not able to purchase the TV. They had soon realized their mistake and found ways to block the purchase until they were able to get the item off the Internet. I later learned in the news that the TV was back on at $1800.00, about half the price it would normally have sold for. I assume that was their way of making up for the mistake.

Ironically it would seem that people lost trust in the company because that afternoon their stocks fell by 24 cents. Not much but when you add it up across the board it was a hit in their pocket.

Maybe it was a disgruntled employee who said I will show them. Maybe it was just a simple technology mistake. The bottom line is that though they want to blame technology it comes down to human error.

Now had we found the same error in the story they would have quickly changed the mistake but would have been forced to honor the price.

This is my issue, where has customer service gone? Where is has the customer is right? We have lost somethings when it comes to customer service I believe. We hide behind technology and blame it when things go wrong. Yes there would have been a cost to the company but they would have kept more customers. I have considered that I may only go to them if they are the last place to shop.

Stand behind the mistake not behind a disclaimer. Your more likely to make more money because of the costumers you won and kept then would have cost you in the loss because of the price of the TVs.