What A Joke

Through out Iraq the military has these huge “Logistical Supply Areas” or LSA’s. These big super FOB’s are usually on old Iraqi Air Force Bases that we have conquered, rebuilt and now operate. They have air traffic of all types, Air Force, Navy, Planes, Jets, Helicopters, FedEx and even some of Cheney’s buddies from Halliburton, going in and out all hours of the day much like DFW back in the good old USA. These bases house tens of thousands of Soldiers, Airmen and Marines and twice as many civilian contractors. All these people perform various tasks that are often times vital to the war effort. But as I spend more time here at LSA Anaconda on my little vacation of sorts I have started to notice that a lot of the people here are doing so very little work that there is no need for them over here. They are simply stealing a paycheck. Now I know it’s unfair to ridicule the Air Force and Navy for never leaving the base, they all signed up to perform technical jobs on a base. For most cases they are exempt from my distain. They are technical support and they are useful where they are.

The Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers on this LSA and even the Active Army soldiers here however disgust me. Some of them do have a useful and necessary job here on the LSA, many are helicopter mechanics and personnel that help keep the birds in the air and in the fight. But once again many of these soldiers here on the LSA don’t work but a few hours a day, and if you are here on a Sunday, you would think that the war had ended. No one works! These poor pitiful pukes get a freaking day off from their cushy office jobs so the can “relax” and barbeque and go to the pool. Not to mention the dance club atmosphere you can find at “Latin Night” and “Hip-Hop Night” at the massive Rec. Center. The noise probably drowns out the sound of the MedEvac birds bringing a wounded soldier who was actually SERVING his country and in the fight, not salsa dancing with some female from the Florida National Guard.

Once upon a time this place use to get mortared pretty often they even had the frequent rocket barrage as well. I have been here for a week now and this place has had a fair amount of “mortar attacks” but when a place this massive gets hit you don’t even notice. These kids need to spend a night at the Patrol Base and let a few rounds land a few feet outside their door. Now that is a mortar attack.

I guess there really is not a point to this story. I just wanted to express my distain for the majority of the people and practices here on this LSA. My conclusion is that here at the LSA 1 and 6 soldiers plays a vital and useful roll in the ongoing operations outside the wire. The other 5, they are stealing a paycheck.

But as the saying goes, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” and I can’t beat them, so during my time attending this course on a piece of equipment that will be more useful than a dozen of these “tools”. I will just have to join them. I will join them at the pool as I work on my tan. At the movie theater so I can see Oceans 13 for the third time and at Pizza Hut where I can listen to them whine about how they are out of ham. Then at Karaoke night at the Coffee House where we can all sing our favorite hits. I’ll join them here; for now. But I guarantee that won’t join me kicking in the door of an Al-Qaida hideout once I get back on the line next week.