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DEL.ICIO.USTop 10 ways to remember Iraq
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Forward Operating Base Yusufiyah, Iraq — Soldiers stationed at this makeshift base are dreaming of major remodeling plans for their houses back in Georgia.
Louie Favorite/AJC
Sgt. Nicholas Greer of Jacksonville, Fla., (kneeling) and Sgt. Michael Flanagan of Detroit do their laundry at the former potato factory where some Georgia National Guard troops have been living. • More photos of life in the potato factory.
They want to make changes so they won’t feel too out of place moving back to their more traditional homes next year.
After all, for the past five months, they have been living in a cavernous industrial building that once housed a potato factory.
You have to have a good sense of humor to live in this Spartan place. The soldiers sleep in large, open bays where the potatoes were once stored. Their base is surrounded by concrete barriers and guard towers.
Insurgents occasionally fire mortars and rockets at the base. Civilian contract workers, according to the soldiers, are too afraid to come here.
In the coming days, Georgia National Guard soldiers will pull out of here and assume new missions at more substantial bases farther south. Their redeployment home is still scheduled for late May or early June 2006.
But they have already started dreaming about renovation plans for their own homes. So here is the top 10 list of “to-do” things provided by several soldiers for when they get back to Georgia. They are in no particular order.
(Don’t worry, spouses, they are only joking. I think.)
Level my house. And, in its place, build a sheet metal building with a single small air conditioning unit on top.
Rebuild my driveway into a serpentine-shaped entrance for security precautions.
Hire a bunch of Iraqi Army soldiers to guard my home because they will shoot at anything.
Have someone throw a stick of dynamite in my yard occasionally to help me sleep.
Disconnect the air conditioning system in my truck and drive around my neighborhood with the windows rolled up.
Add a garbage burn pit to my yard.
Throw out my mattress and sleep on lumpy piles of junk.
Surround my house with coils of barbed wire that has trash hanging on it.
Place one portable toilet in my yard and let all my neighbors and friends use it any time they want. Empty it only once a week.
Place 10 New York City sewer rats in my walls. And let them roam free.
Comments
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By wow
October 25, 2005 03:22 PM | Link to this
This definitely put a smile on my face to see they do still have a sense of humor. Thank you guys for the “Top 10”. I have to admit though..I think my son’s room had a few of those 10 already…
By Funny article
October 25, 2005 04:40 PM | Link to this
Hey…you forgot about covering everything in your house with dust. This article brought a big smile to my face. Keep your chins up fella’s…your halfway there.
By Ronda Roaderick
October 25, 2005 06:36 PM | Link to this
PLEASE!!!!Keep on with this ONE!!!.. I bet there are LOTS more of these to come up with. I loved this article. It made me smile. I’m trying my best to keep my sense of humor….as I’m sure my husband is too!!! I try to make him laugh everytime we talk. THANKS AGAIN!!!!Keep ‘em coming!!!!!!
By p cox
October 25, 2005 09:22 PM | Link to this
This was great. I hadn’t checked in awhile since i had been keeping up through my son in the 48th. Had gotten so down with all the losses and all, I love seeing the sense of humor displayed and knowing that at least all of that is not lost and our soldiers still make the best out of a bad situation. Keep it. I salute you. And yes sounds alot like home LOL!!!
By Shirley
October 25, 2005 10:45 PM | Link to this
Thanks to all of you. My heart goes out to you for all the good you do for all of us here. Love to you and yours.
By R2
October 26, 2005 10:43 AM | Link to this
This is a hoot!!! I love it!! Thanks for the laugh, with all of the sadness you have to report this was a breath of fresh air!!! Keep up the good work and more of this would be GREAT!!! Praying for the day your all home safe!
By Lenda
October 26, 2005 01:02 PM | Link to this
This is the best article of any that has been written since the 48th deployed.
It brings a lot of comfort and smiles just knowing these men and women still have their sense of humor. But, who knows, they could be serious. LOL
We love you guys, and pray for you each day. Special love to my brother-in-law, Sgt. B.E. Johnson
Thank you AJC!
By christy
October 26, 2005 04:19 PM | Link to this
I don’t care what my guy wants to do to the house, just get here!! We love and miss you guys!! Take care of each other, be safe, and come home soon! Christy Bentjen
By Robert
October 27, 2005 09:45 AM | Link to this
Yep, this sounds the Iraq I remember from when I was there last year. As long as you can laugh about it things don’t seem so bad.
Robert