Hello all! Sorry it has been a few days since my last post. It has been extremely busy here. The Director introduced a reorganization at the Training Center last week and it has taken a great deal of my time. The employees were very concerned about the reorganization (change is difficult sometimes) so I met with them individually for several days to answer questions, confirm their position in the reoranization, and determine the training needs for each person. There has been very little technology use over the past years so there is a great need for the basics - Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. We just hired a new IT Professor from Eqypt that is fluent in Arabic so I anticipate that we will get started on the needed training after the first of the year. Their second request was for English Language Courses so we will begin to look at expanding the number of courses offered in basic English skills. They are so eager to learn!
I have also been working on developing a two-day Advisor Induction Training Program. Currently, when new advisors arrive at MNSTC-I, they receive little to no information about the local customs, culture, language, and government. The two-day course will occur within the first two weeks of their arrival and will hopefully help them to make the transition easier. We offered the first course yesterday and today. Between this and work at the Center, I have had some long days but the time is flying! Only 118 days to go! (but who's counting:)
Over the past week, I have received numerous Christmas cards and care packages. Thanks to all of you for sending them. I would take them back to my room at night to read and they definitely brought a smile to my face! (and occassionally a tear) A special thanks to Mrs. Radcliffe for sending all the cards from Maury students; to Mrs. McGaha's classes for the cards and goodie box - I especially enjoyed the chocolate; to Mrs. Missy and the 3rd and 4th grade Sunday School class at New Union Baptist Church for the cards and care package. I even received a picture of Maury's Santa Claus (Mr. Day) that is priceless. Thanks to the MMS office staff for the recorded card! All of these and more made my Christmas special even though I am far away from home. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas with your families and all the best in 2009! I promise to post more pictures soon! Once I get through the Advisor Training today, I will have more time to add to the blog. Take care and stay safe!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Blue Christmas!
(Office area at MNSTC-I)
(Blue velvet walls in my office area)It is Sunday morning and the Iraqi instructors and students have returned. Most of them seemed to enjoy their week off. My translator says that she spent her week with her family, eating and sleeping late. I told her, "That is the same thing we do in America during our holidays!" I am including a couple of pictures of the blue velvet walls in my office area.
A friend from Jefferson City sent the silver tree and blue balls. It was a perfect match to the walls. I put it in the area where the professors have their desks at MNSTC-I. The second tree and decorations were sent to me by my sister. Since I hate to put up and take down decorations, I was very glad when the translators offered to decorate. They did a much better job than I would have done!
This morning I sat in on a Basic English class. The instructor is Iraqi and she is working with a class of future Iraqi Air Force pilots. They are required to be proficient in English prior to pilot training since a lot of the radio communication is in English. I also attended a course on Women's Rights in Iraq. The instructor is an Iraqi female lawyer. This is the first class she has taught so I tried to provide some moral support. She had seven students in the class, five women and two men. There was some very lively discussion during the class. My translator had trouble keeping up with the conversation!
The days will go much quicker now that I am busy! I will try to get some pictures of the instructors, classes, and students at the Center during the next couple of weeks. We currently have 11 courses being taught that will lead up to the end of the year. I don't expect to get any snow days this year since I am surrounded by sunshine and palm trees! Take care.
The days will go much quicker now that I am busy! I will try to get some pictures of the instructors, classes, and students at the Center during the next couple of weeks. We currently have 11 courses being taught that will lead up to the end of the year. I don't expect to get any snow days this year since I am surrounded by sunshine and palm trees! Take care.
Monday, December 8, 2008
IMCO
On Thursday, I went with some of the other MTDC staff to conduct a site survey at the Iraqi Mine & UXO Clearance Organization (IMCO) at the RONCO Corporation compound. IMCO is a State Department funded organization that focuses on humanitarian mine action, unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance, and small arms and light weapons (SALW) destruction. They've cleared over 150,000 mines/UXO and 18,000 SALW in Iraq so far, and have a "certified" destruction facility where these activities can be performed safely and securely. Iraq is currently the most contaminated country in the world for land mines and UXOs.
A display of some of the items that have been found throughout Iraq.
The purpose of the meeting was to encourage the cooperation between IMCO and MTDC. The Training Center will have IMCO do information briefings in a number of courses -- ranging from International Law (focusing on the Ottawa Treaty -- which bans the production, stockpiling, and use of anti-personnel landmines) to International Relations. 
We were able to view the SALW cutting process and the scrap metal heaps and bins as well.
Some of the pieces are being turned into artwork. Currently there are three artists that create structures like these.
This week, I will be working on developing a reorganization chart for the MTDC along with job descriptions for the positions that currently exist. That should take most of the week. The challenge will be in getting the individuals to tell me what they do on a daily basis. I will hold meetings with them next week when they return from Eids. Hope everyone has a wonderful week. I am sure it is getting exciting there as the semester comes to a close. Take care!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Friday
Al salam al laikem! (Peace on you.) I am learning Arabic from my interpreter, Fatima. She is teaching me a word a day. If someone says this phrase to you, then you respond, Al laikem al salam (On you, peace). I’m sorry it has been a few days since my last update. I have been fighting what is called the Baghdad Crud. It is basically a bad chest cold. I finally broke down on Wednesday and went to the hospital to get some medicine. I am now on the mend and feeling much better.
I began working at the Ministerial Training and Development Center (MTDC) on Sunday. The “ministerial” is not like we think of ministerial. It represents the different ministries that are a part of the Iraqi government. The school building and classrooms are very much like what we have at home, however, there are very few supplies for the students. We currently do not have a library or media center. The instructors must rely on the Internet or what few books they can acquire in their subject area to create the course materials. Fortunately, there is a computer lab with about 35 computers. During Saddam’s reign, no materials were allowed from “outside” so the books and materials they do have are very dated. They are learning to use technology more and more as a tool but they still have a long way to go.
The Center currently has about 75 employees. There are five large office spaces that are crammed with desks for the staff. You learn to give up your personal space here. The rest of the building is devoted to nine classrooms and one conference room. All of the Iraqi people I have met have been extremely friendly and welcoming. As a whole, the Islamic faith is built on servant hood and kindness. The terrorist acts that you read about in the paper are only carried out the extremist groups. This week, the Hajj began and the students will be out of school next week for Eids. It is considered a religious holiday for the Islamists.
The students at the school are all adults and work somewhere in the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, or one of the other branches of the government. They are eager to learn new ways of doing their jobs and seem to want to better their country. It is hard on them as many live outside the IZ and travel a long, and dangerous, distance to the Center. One student missed class last week because his street was in “lock down” due to a car bomb that had been discovered outside his home. He was very apologetic for missing class when he arrived at school the next day. It just continues to amaze me how much we take for granted in the United States.
I am already starting to work on several items for the Center that will keep me extremely busy while I am here. As a tradition, the Iraqi people have not been exposed to short or long range planning. I am working with them to set goals and measureable objectives for this coming year, as well as benchmarks and assessment tools that will be used. Guess I am going to do a School Improvement Plan after all! Then we will begin looking at a five year plan for the Center after the first of the year. They have not had a lot of experience with this so it will be interesting work. I am also helping with professional development, another concept they have had little to no experience with before.
I hope all is well in East Tennessee. I understand that the weather has been cold and snowy. Hopefully, you will get to use all of the snow days this year. It has been awhile since we have had a white Christmas so this may be the year! Take care and I will post more pictures soon!
I began working at the Ministerial Training and Development Center (MTDC) on Sunday. The “ministerial” is not like we think of ministerial. It represents the different ministries that are a part of the Iraqi government. The school building and classrooms are very much like what we have at home, however, there are very few supplies for the students. We currently do not have a library or media center. The instructors must rely on the Internet or what few books they can acquire in their subject area to create the course materials. Fortunately, there is a computer lab with about 35 computers. During Saddam’s reign, no materials were allowed from “outside” so the books and materials they do have are very dated. They are learning to use technology more and more as a tool but they still have a long way to go.
The Center currently has about 75 employees. There are five large office spaces that are crammed with desks for the staff. You learn to give up your personal space here. The rest of the building is devoted to nine classrooms and one conference room. All of the Iraqi people I have met have been extremely friendly and welcoming. As a whole, the Islamic faith is built on servant hood and kindness. The terrorist acts that you read about in the paper are only carried out the extremist groups. This week, the Hajj began and the students will be out of school next week for Eids. It is considered a religious holiday for the Islamists.
The students at the school are all adults and work somewhere in the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, or one of the other branches of the government. They are eager to learn new ways of doing their jobs and seem to want to better their country. It is hard on them as many live outside the IZ and travel a long, and dangerous, distance to the Center. One student missed class last week because his street was in “lock down” due to a car bomb that had been discovered outside his home. He was very apologetic for missing class when he arrived at school the next day. It just continues to amaze me how much we take for granted in the United States.
I am already starting to work on several items for the Center that will keep me extremely busy while I am here. As a tradition, the Iraqi people have not been exposed to short or long range planning. I am working with them to set goals and measureable objectives for this coming year, as well as benchmarks and assessment tools that will be used. Guess I am going to do a School Improvement Plan after all! Then we will begin looking at a five year plan for the Center after the first of the year. They have not had a lot of experience with this so it will be interesting work. I am also helping with professional development, another concept they have had little to no experience with before.
I hope all is well in East Tennessee. I understand that the weather has been cold and snowy. Hopefully, you will get to use all of the snow days this year. It has been awhile since we have had a white Christmas so this may be the year! Take care and I will post more pictures soon!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
It's Raining!
Hello all. It finally rained today. I was glad to see it. The weather has been dry and everything was extremely dusty. Hopefully this will help settle the dust. The only negative is that the water does not soak into the ground so it is standing in big puddles right now. The only way there is grass here is if it is watered. There are lots of palm trees and sand. However, I saw this sign and couldn't resist taking a picture. Very funny!
I am sending some pictures of the building that is located near my sleeping quarters. It was Saddam's primary palace (Referred to as the New Presidential Palace). I haven't been able to get any pictures inside yet. It is now called the Embassy Compound since we are using as the US Embassy while a new one is being built. We are supposed to turn it back over to the Iraqi government very soon. Inside the Embassy, there is a coffee shop (called the Green Bean), a small dining facility, and several offices. I hope to get a picture or two of some of the rooms. The architecture is very lavish. Outside, there is a very nice pool area, a gym, and several sleeping quarter communities similar to mine (Riverside Villas).
(The New Presidental Palace)
(The Embassy Pool)
(Walkway to catch the bus from my sleeping quarters)
(Type of bus I ride to and from work)
Hope you enjoy the pictures. Tomorrow I am going to visit the Ministry of Defense Training and Development Center (MTDC) for the first time. I am excited about starting this new position and an opportunity to help establish the teaching program there. I will let you know how it goes.
Take care and have a great weekend!
I am sending some pictures of the building that is located near my sleeping quarters. It was Saddam's primary palace (Referred to as the New Presidential Palace). I haven't been able to get any pictures inside yet. It is now called the Embassy Compound since we are using as the US Embassy while a new one is being built. We are supposed to turn it back over to the Iraqi government very soon. Inside the Embassy, there is a coffee shop (called the Green Bean), a small dining facility, and several offices. I hope to get a picture or two of some of the rooms. The architecture is very lavish. Outside, there is a very nice pool area, a gym, and several sleeping quarter communities similar to mine (Riverside Villas).
(The New Presidental Palace)
(The Embassy Pool)
(Walkway to catch the bus from my sleeping quarters)
(Type of bus I ride to and from work)
Hope you enjoy the pictures. Tomorrow I am going to visit the Ministry of Defense Training and Development Center (MTDC) for the first time. I am excited about starting this new position and an opportunity to help establish the teaching program there. I will let you know how it goes.
Take care and have a great weekend!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Another Surprise!
Hello all! Well, once again, change has occurred. Somehow the word got out about my education background and a Navy Captain came looking for me with a job offer. I have moved into a new position with the Ministry of Defense – Advisory Team (MoD-AT). I am the MoD Training and Development Center (MTDC) Coordinator. As such, I will be overseeing a relatively new program that provides Iraqi’s instruction in several critical areas: Contracting, Acquisitions, Human Rights Law, Budget, Finance, Intelligence, Security, Infrastructure, and Human Resources. It is basically designed after a small college in the United States. The main difference is that we (Coalition Forces) are training the Iraqi instructors and advising them as they develop the program. I am very excited to once again be working with students even though they are a little older than I am used to! I will keep you posted on how it goes. Right now, I am trying to learn as much as I can. It is a little overwhelming but promises to be extremely challenging (and rewarding). It will be interesting to work directly with the Iraqi people.
I am still at the same location but in a different building. As soon as I get a chance, I will take a picture of my office. You won’t believe it but the walls are covered in blue velvet. Strangest thing I have ever seen! I will also be working part of the time in the Ministry of Defense building which is located outside Camp Phoenix. I will have a little bit of a walk but not too bad.
Hope you have a wonderful (and short) week. I wish all of you a very Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. To the Maury Middle School students: I want you to say a special thanks to your teachers and other school staff members. They work very hard to make sure you receive the best educational opportunities possible. After being in a different country, I don’t think you realize how fortunate you are to have such kind and caring adults in your school. So be sure to say “Thanks!” Take care!
I am still at the same location but in a different building. As soon as I get a chance, I will take a picture of my office. You won’t believe it but the walls are covered in blue velvet. Strangest thing I have ever seen! I will also be working part of the time in the Ministry of Defense building which is located outside Camp Phoenix. I will have a little bit of a walk but not too bad.
Hope you have a wonderful (and short) week. I wish all of you a very Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. To the Maury Middle School students: I want you to say a special thanks to your teachers and other school staff members. They work very hard to make sure you receive the best educational opportunities possible. After being in a different country, I don’t think you realize how fortunate you are to have such kind and caring adults in your school. So be sure to say “Thanks!” Take care!
Friday, November 21, 2008
TGIF!
(Mosque located next to my trailer)
Happy Friday everyone! Even though I don't get a day off, it is still good to celebrate the end of the week. Not much new here to report but I wanted to share a website with you.
It is the newsletter from the command group I work for - MNSTC-I. It shares a great deal about what we are accomplishing and have accomplished with the Iraqi people. Our goal is to help them be self-sufficient and self-governing. So much of what is reported in the news media is negative so I thought it might be nice to share some of the positive things that are going on. Hope you have a wonderful and restful weekend.
Take care and be safe!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday
Hello all! I have moved into my permanent housing. The area is called Riverside Villas. 
Sounds like a resort but is actually a maze of trailers and sand bags. I have a roommate and two other suite mates that share a bathroom in our small trailer. I have to walk about half a mile to catch the bus each morning but the weather is good right now so it's a nice walk. When we get into the rainy season and then the sand storms in the spring, I probably won't enjoy it as much.
I have taken a few pictures for you to see my new accommodations.
(Entrance to the maze for my trailer)
I have to be careful about taking pictures because some areas are off limits for cameras. If security sees you take a picture of an off limits area, then they will confiscate your camera. As I get more familiar with the procedures here, I will take some of the surrounding area and landmarks. The area where I am living is located on the grounds of one of Saddam's former palaces. The inside of the building is unbelievable. There are beautiful mosaics on the walls, the floors are marble, the ceilings are hand painted, and there are large crystal chandeliers in all the rooms. It is something to see! It is sad to think that he lived surrounded by such wealth while the rest of the country lived in poverty.
There is a lot of concern in the area about the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). There is quite a bit of information about it on open sources such as CNN. You can read about the process by Googling it. Right now, we are waiting to see what happens on Monday when the agreement goes to Parliament. It appears to be favored by Iraq and supported in part by Iran so hopefully it will pass. It may provide some stability to the area.
Hope all is well in Tennessee. I understand that it is quite cold there so I don't miss the weather! We are still in the 70's during the day. Take care and I will write more later this week.
(Front door of my trailer)
(My sleeping area)
Sounds like a resort but is actually a maze of trailers and sand bags. I have a roommate and two other suite mates that share a bathroom in our small trailer. I have to walk about half a mile to catch the bus each morning but the weather is good right now so it's a nice walk. When we get into the rainy season and then the sand storms in the spring, I probably won't enjoy it as much.
I have taken a few pictures for you to see my new accommodations.
(Entrance to the maze for my trailer)
I have to be careful about taking pictures because some areas are off limits for cameras. If security sees you take a picture of an off limits area, then they will confiscate your camera. As I get more familiar with the procedures here, I will take some of the surrounding area and landmarks. The area where I am living is located on the grounds of one of Saddam's former palaces. The inside of the building is unbelievable. There are beautiful mosaics on the walls, the floors are marble, the ceilings are hand painted, and there are large crystal chandeliers in all the rooms. It is something to see! It is sad to think that he lived surrounded by such wealth while the rest of the country lived in poverty.
There is a lot of concern in the area about the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). There is quite a bit of information about it on open sources such as CNN. You can read about the process by Googling it. Right now, we are waiting to see what happens on Monday when the agreement goes to Parliament. It appears to be favored by Iraq and supported in part by Iran so hopefully it will pass. It may provide some stability to the area.
Hope all is well in Tennessee. I understand that it is quite cold there so I don't miss the weather! We are still in the 70's during the day. Take care and I will write more later this week.
(Front door of my trailer)
(My sleeping area)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
MNSTC-I
I have had a busy week and it is hard to believe it is already Saturday! I didn't think the time would go quickly but it is. I am on day 19 (160 to go) but who's counting! We have had a two day lull in Protocol without visitors or events so it has allowed me to catch my breath. As the holidays near, there are more and more distinguished visitors scheduled for our area. I expect this will be my last break before January. It is pretty much a steady stream from now until after Christmas.I am enjoying my job and have taken a few pictures of the area where I work. There are five of us in the office: two Army officers, one Army enlisted, and one Air Force enlisted. I am learning alot about the "Army way" of doing business. It isn't a great deal different than the Air Force, just a lot of new acronyms.
I have moved into my permanent housing and will post some pictures later on. Right now, I am trying to get into a routine during my week. Most days I leave when home when it is dark and return after dark. We do get two half days off so during my next half day, I will take some pictures to share.
Hope all is well in Tennessee and I miss all of you. Keep me posted on what is happening there. I like hearing news from home.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Good morning all! It is day 14 in country. I arrived in Kuwait on 28 Oct 2008 which counted as day 1. I am assigned to a 179-day tour so I began the countdown when I arrived in country. (Not that I am anxious to finish my tour but I am keeping a calendar with the days marked off:-)Looks like I should be leaving here around the last week of April. There is a regulation that says we cannot be in country longer than 179 days so I have to leave here by 25 April. That seems like a long way off but the time will go quickly.
Speaking of Kuwait, it was an interesting country. It was very flat and brown. There was no vegetation and only sand. I took a few pictures and a couple of the tent city where I stayed but there was very little to see. It was also hot and dry, a typical desert climate.
The weather in Iraq has been very nice. The highs are around 75 degrees and the lows at night get in the 50s. I am told that we will get into the rainy season in December and January but that it warms up in late February and will be very hot by the time I leave. Right now, it is beautiful so I am enjoying it while I can. I am beginning to become more comfortable with my job and learning a great deal every day. I will be moving into my permanent housing later this week so I will keep you posted. It is next to the Tigris River so I will try to get some pictures for you. Hope all of you have a wonderful week! Take care!
Speaking of Kuwait, it was an interesting country. It was very flat and brown. There was no vegetation and only sand. I took a few pictures and a couple of the tent city where I stayed but there was very little to see. It was also hot and dry, a typical desert climate.
The weather in Iraq has been very nice. The highs are around 75 degrees and the lows at night get in the 50s. I am told that we will get into the rainy season in December and January but that it warms up in late February and will be very hot by the time I leave. Right now, it is beautiful so I am enjoying it while I can. I am beginning to become more comfortable with my job and learning a great deal every day. I will be moving into my permanent housing later this week so I will keep you posted. It is next to the Tigris River so I will try to get some pictures for you. Hope all of you have a wonderful week! Take care!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Good morning everyone! I thought I would share some pictures of my billeting or room. I am staying in a trailer that houses four rooms with two people to a room. The nice part about it is I have my own bathroom. That is a luxury around here! There are rows of these trailers lined up where I am staying. (I think this will only be temporary, probably will move by the middle to the month to a permanent location.) They are placed behind T-walls or tall concrete barriers like the ones in the next picture.
(The T-walls are to the right)There are also bunkers or "duck and cover" areas located very near my room in case an alarm sounds. I have only had one alarm sound so far and I was at work. Luckily, I am in a fortified building at work and did not have to go to a bunker. I am finally getting on a good sleep cycle and get around 7 hours of sleep a night. Much better than I expected. The only time I wake up is when the helicopters land next door. It makes the whole place shake! I will include a few more pictures of where I am staying. Hope everyone is having a great week. Take care and be safe.
(Bathroom in temporary billeting)
(bunkbeds - no roommate right now)
(Very small storage space; mine is on the right)Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Hello everyone!
Hi family and friends!
I have arrived safely and beginning to get settled in. The time difference has been difficult to adjust to (8 hour difference) but I think I am getting my battle rhythm. I plan to post updates, pictures, information, etc. about my deployment on a regular basis and look forward to hearing from all of you about what is going on in Tennessee.
I had a change in duty assignments when I arrived. I am now working protocol for the MNSTC-I (pronounced "men sticky") Command Group. The military loves to use acronyms. It is interesting work but very long days. My typical day starts around 0800 and I am usually here until 2000, at least a 12 hour day. Protocol is responsible for arranging visits for dignitaries to the local area, providing itineraries for meetings, and setting up for any formal function that the Command General (an Army three star) is hosting. I am learning a great deal and trying to keep up with the demanding schedule.
The benefit of the change in assignment means that I am now in the green zone or international zone (IZ). This is much safer than my original assignment location that is outside the wire (red zone). If you look at a map of Baghdad, you may be able to see the IZ designated. It includes all of the area where Saddam's palaces were located; basically the hub of Iraqi government. As this blog continues, I will include details about my living conditions and day to day activities...so stay tuned and feel free to keep me posted on what is going on in your world. I miss you all and look forward to a safe return.
I have arrived safely and beginning to get settled in. The time difference has been difficult to adjust to (8 hour difference) but I think I am getting my battle rhythm. I plan to post updates, pictures, information, etc. about my deployment on a regular basis and look forward to hearing from all of you about what is going on in Tennessee.
I had a change in duty assignments when I arrived. I am now working protocol for the MNSTC-I (pronounced "men sticky") Command Group. The military loves to use acronyms. It is interesting work but very long days. My typical day starts around 0800 and I am usually here until 2000, at least a 12 hour day. Protocol is responsible for arranging visits for dignitaries to the local area, providing itineraries for meetings, and setting up for any formal function that the Command General (an Army three star) is hosting. I am learning a great deal and trying to keep up with the demanding schedule.
The benefit of the change in assignment means that I am now in the green zone or international zone (IZ). This is much safer than my original assignment location that is outside the wire (red zone). If you look at a map of Baghdad, you may be able to see the IZ designated. It includes all of the area where Saddam's palaces were located; basically the hub of Iraqi government. As this blog continues, I will include details about my living conditions and day to day activities...so stay tuned and feel free to keep me posted on what is going on in your world. I miss you all and look forward to a safe return.
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