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Tuesday, June 14, 2005
In Iraq, boring can be good
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Camp Stryker, Iraq — Spec. Chris Monk and Spec James Allen, both of Eastman, have suddenly come to like being bored.
The two were riding in an armored Humvee around midnight Monday with Sgt. Justin Duren, 24, of Douglas talking about how boring all their previous patrols had been when a roadside bomb exploded next to them.
“It came out of nowhere,� said Monk, 22, a machine gunner. “There was a big yellow flash and sand and rocks were flying everywhere. But none of us were hurt and there were only a few nicks and scratches on the side of our vehicle.�
The attack took place along a black-top road in a rural area southwest of Baghdad.
Other soldiers from the Valdosta-based 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, searched the area but were unable to find the insurgent who set off the blast.
Monk was married in March and his wife, Mindy, is pregnant with the couple’s first child. His father, Spec. Terry Monk, is a truck driver with the Dublin-based Alpha Company, 148th Support Battalion, and also is based at Camp Stryker.
“Now,� said Monk, “I think I like boring.�
The saints go marching out
American political correctness has come to Iraq. In deference to Muslim sensitivities, Army officials dropped the “saint� titles from forward operating bases St. Michael and St. Joe, where the 48th Brigade Combat Team has soldiers based.
The two dusty outposts are now known simply as Michael and Joe. Army brass apparently was concerned the old names carried too much crusader baggage and could upset Muslims.
Meanwhile, the unsaintly insurgent mortar attacks on Mike and Joe continue unabated.
Time and effort not well spent
While the Army has outsourced a wide variety of what previously were military tasks, it still reserves some of the most useless jobs for its own people.
A pair of sergeants spend 12 hours a day in the Internet room making sure soldiers observe 30-minute time limits. Others do the same job at night, even when there aren’t enough patrons to fill the place.
And, while the 48th Brigade has its own cooks, a private contractor, Kellog, Brown & Root, does the cooking at Camp Stryker. Instead of cooking, the military cooks spend their time monitoring KBR’s cooking.
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