Slowly dying in tent city...

Looking outside the wire.

Greetings from Tent City, Camp LSA, Kuwait. It has been a few weeks since the last time I posted, so I will catch everyone up on what's happening. I and M.M. finally got to go back to Ft. Benning, GA to attend CRC. Good except that they sent us a week early, so we had to lounge around a hotel for about a week. Upside--free unlimited Arabic lessons. Downside--Bedbugs. No really, bedbugs.

Fast forward two weeks. I, M.M., and a guy named S.P. (GLS I.T.) fly from Atlanta to Chicago O'Hare to Amman, Jordan to KWI, Kuwait City. In the process, either American Airlines or Royal Jordanian lost ALL of our luggage. All 6 bags. I know what you're thinking, that it takes some kind of special skill to lose 6 bags. Apparently, the baggage handlers forgot to put down their bongs/joints/hookas prior to shoving our bags wherever they pleased. I want to know how UPS/FedEx can track millions of packages everyday and can tell you where your package is within 15 seconds, but our airlines lose almost a million bags a day. Come on people!!

We arrived at Camp LSA and were assigned a tent in Tent City. Its not much but at least we have a floor. That is always a plus. M.M. got both of his bags, and subsequently has flown to Iraq, S.P. and I both have one of ours, but are waiting on our bags with our TA-50. I am not sure if the attitude from the guy behind the counter of the lost baggage counter at KWI is a result of the language barrier/translation error, or he just doesn't give a shit, but he doesn't seem to be incredibly concerned that we are missing baggage. Who volunteers for that kind of job? What guy is looking at the paper and sees an ad for "Luggage Reclaimation/Lost Luggage Services Representative" and thinks that might be the kind of job that is rewarding and a person could really look forward to going in to on Monday morning.

Good times though. I keep trying to remind myself that every day that I am here is one day closer to coming home, whenever that may be. Its not like I was doing anything anyway. We are getting used to the routine though. Sleep until around 0930, sign the roster at 1000, sleep until 1700, get up and take a shower, go to chow, dick around until mid-rats at 0000, call home/get online/chat with soldiers in the MWR or USO or smoking huts, then hit the rack around 0430. Its a hard life, but someone has to do it. The only downside is showering with 10 other guys, shitting with 10 other guys, eating with 100+ other guys, sleeping with 10 other guys, generally having a bunch of other people around all the time. I'm ready to go to Iraq if for no other reason than to have my own room again.

Until next time....

Graffiti on the bathroom wall, kind of says it all...