"Now, they told us that Vietnam was gonna be very different from the United States of America. Except for all the beer cans and the barbecue, it was."
--Forrest Gump, upon arriving in Vietnam
So we arrived in Iraq on Thursday morning after what seemed to be an unending sojourn to Kuwait under the veiled purpose of "training" and "acclimatization." I'm glad to report that the water is drinkable - all of it - and I am now sharing a 15x10 combat housing unit, or CHU, with Aaron and enjoying the somewhat dusty air conditioning as the temperatures begin to soar into the upper 60s. In fact, after taking an unexpected vacation my immune system appears to have returned with a gusto to attack just about every virus that this godforsaken country has to offer... which, I am sure, is a list that includes typhoid, scarlet fever, and the bubonic plague.
Iraq is nice... much nicer than previous years for sure. A Soldier who participated in the 2003 invasion would find the terrain the same but little else. Soldiers enjoy (relatively) fast wireless internet, a bevy of fast food choices (declared off limits by my platoon sergeant and I) and, at last count, five places that sell bootlegged DVDs of movies and tv shows (In related news, you should all watch the rest of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. It's simply amazing). I know my friends fighting in Afghanistan would be jealous of the creature comforts afforded Soldiers here; it is almost embarrassing to think that my friends fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan and I are receiving the same "combat pay" when, in all honesty, the only combat my Soldiers will see will be when they play first-person shooter games on their XBoxes. This evening, as a group of us were walking the half mile from the CHUs to the Dining Facility, we marveled at the fact that a veteran of World War II, Korea, or even Vietnam would have a hard time understanding that we are fighting an honest-to-God war here. Or, at least, until last August we were. Yes there are tactical vehicles all around. And my CHU is surrounded by massive concrete barriers that stand 8-10 feet tall. And there are bunkers and fighting positions everywhere, passed daily by Soldiers carrying rifles, handguns and light machine guns. You cannot hide the fact that people are still trying to kill us here. But you can certainly paint over it as much as possible.
The efforts taken by the government and - this pains me to say this - the efforts put forth by the no-bid contracts awarded to Haliburton and its subsidiaries have really done everything possible to make coming back to your CHU as painless as possible. In Kuwait we longed for the relative comfort of home. Save for the lack of beer (booooooo) and a time-zone change that makes it hard to watch my beloved Dukies, in Iraq we long for nothing. There is a bus route to take us between the oft-traveled parts of the camp: the Exchange, the dining halls and the various bazaars where you can buy Cuban cigars for like, $5. For recreation, there is a softball complex, an outdoor pool, and a rugby field (!!!!!) to help us wile away the hours between missions and burn off the fat from the Whoppers and Cinnabons offered to us. Ford and Dodge have places you can buy a new car to be delivered to your doorstep the day you return from Iraq. I would not be surprised if tomorrow on my morning run (4 miles from my doorstep, around one of Saddam's lakes, and to the gym) I run into someone giving out free elephant rides.
I remember thinking to myself as I boarded the plane to Iraq that I was being transported to a world I might never see again and would be confronted with sights that would be hard to explain to, say, my mom. That might still be true. Iraq is still a volatile country and there are still pretty bad people trying to stir things up . It might never be stable and, in ten years, we could be looking at a failed country. The myriad of problems that come with the (ironic) task of forcing democracy on people might compound to the point of no return, especially when that country is surrounded by instability and complete nut jobs who somehow are in charge of Iran.
But from where I sit, it is hard to imagine that coming inside of a year. We have a mission to accomplish and people to help. But when in the course of a day you can enjoy Baskin Robbins, work out with some of the newest available, and enjoy "She's Out Of My League" on you computer in your air-conditioned CHU, focus is hard to come by. It is a compounded difficulty for myself and my NCOs, trying to reign in our Soldiers who have already become complacent. Iraq certainly is different... but the differences which have not yet manifested might be the most dangerous.
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