Um Quasr

Hello All! This week I made my final trip before coming home. Sam and I went to visit Um Qasr (see if you can find it on a map) that is in southern Iraq. The purpose of our trip was to evaluate the Iraqi Navy Training School. The flight down consisted of two helicopter rides (one leg on a Puma and one leg on a Merlin) and a fixed wing flight on a Hercules. All were flown by the British Royal Air Force. The helicopter to the left is a Merlin and we ended up on a 2 hour flight due to some stop overs and back tracking. It was interesting but a little long!

When we fly, we are required to wear our full battle gear. This is a picture of some of the British officers that were on the flight with us. Sam is sitting second to the end.

During the helicopter flights, we were able to see much of the countryside of southern Iraq. It was mostly flat and sandy but this one section actually had a few terrain features. I took several pictures out of the window so I will share them when I return.

Once we arrived at the Port, we went to visit the training site that consists of job specific training and English Language Training. Since English is the common language of the seas, the Naval officers are required to attend English classes and obtain a certain level of proficiency with the language.

The Naval Transition Team consists of Coalition forces that work directly with the Iraqi Navy to develop and grow their forces. Currently, there are only about 2,000 officers and enlisted forces in the Iraqi Navy and only about 16 officers are attending the English training. They have a long way to go.

This is the building where the training occurs. There are seven classrooms but only two are used for the English program. We sat through a class and observed the instruction. It was interesting but very limited on resources. Not a single computer in sight!





The Iraqi Navy is being reconstructed. Currently, they have 5 patrol boats and no ships or submarines. The patrol boats are used to guard the Iraqi oil platforms and pipelines that are located in the Gulf. We were able to tour one of the boats that was parked at the jetty.




The Iraqi Navy recently bought four quick response patrol boats that were also anchored at Um Qasr. I also got a tour of them while I was there.

On our last night, we were sitting outside admiring this beautiful sunset. It was such a pretty evening but a little disheartening to look at the sunset through the barbwire. I hope that some day Iraq will not need such things and the people will be able to exist peacefully. That is my wish for them.

I will be headed home soon so this will probably be my last entry. I look forward to seeing everyone and I have missed you all but I will miss my friends in Iraq when I return. I wish you could meet them - they are such kind and caring people, very much like us. They love their country and they are proud of their heritage. I hope that someday it will be safe for us to travel here and visit and that the country will grow and prosper due to our efforts, not in spite of them. It has been a wonderful experience that I would not trade for anything but I am looking forward to returning home, spending time with family and friends, and getting back to Maury. I will see you all soon. Take care!

Ar Rustamiyah

This week, Sam (Squadron Leader Samantha Emmett - Royal Air Force) and I went to Ar Rustamiyah to visit the English Language school for the Army and Air Force. The building to the left is the Iraqi Military Academy Rustamiyah (IMAR) Headquarters. They are responsible for all of the officer cadet training for both the Army and Air Force.







These are the officer cadets (it is only their second week in training) headed to their classroom building. They are lining up getting ready to march. They had to march and call cadence every where they went. It was quite fun to watch - and very loud!




One of the buildings we toured was a newly refurbished barracks (funded by the United States Air Force) that had been completed prior to the cadets arriving. They were the first group to stay in the new building.





We also observed one of the Army classroom lessons on English. There were around 75 cadets in the room with one teacher. It is very different than they way we would teach. Most of the class was in Arabic with only a few English vocabulary words thrown in.






While we were there, Sam and I visited the Iraqi Air Force English Language training facility. It was much more impressive than the Army English Language training. The classrooms only had 15 students in them and they were taught mainly in English with very little Arabic being spoken. Flight Lieutenant Emma Clamp (Royal Air Force), me, and Sam in front of the IAF building.



Emma and Sam - I was behind the camera :-) The flowers are beautiful right now in Iraq since it is springtime. Very soon it will get too hot for them to bloom.







Ar Rustamiyah is a NATO run facility. I thought the sign was interesting because it represented all of the different countries that are present at this location.






I hope everyone is doing well. I understand that you are getting a great deal of rain in East Tennessee right now. We could use a little of that here! It is hot and dry and very, very dusty. I will be glad to see the green hills of Tennessee. Take care and I will see you soon! Less than a month to go!!!

Happy Spring Break

Hello All! Hope everyone is having a nice, relaxing week and enjoying Spring Break! I really look forward to this time of year in Tennessee so get out and enjoy it for me:-) I love to hear the birds singing and see the beautiful tulips and dogwoods blooming. The best part is the smell of freshly cut grass - nothing like it!

We are experiencing Spring in Iraq but it is a little different here due to the climate. It is very dry and dusty but the flowers are in bloom. Not a lot of grass to mow unless you water it on a daily basis. This week, the newly constructed garden that is located next to the Training Center had an official opening. I took some pictures of it to share.


(Entrance into the garden. There is a large water fountain in the middle of the garden.)








(Statue of an Iraqi Soldier saluting the Iraqi Flag. This garden is located directly behind the Ministry of Defense which is responsible for overseeing all branches of the Iraqi Military.)









(Back of the MoD building that faces the new garden.)








(One of the fountains in the garden. The structure in the back is similar to the native houses that used to be built in Iraq. Some of the structures are still used out in the countryside.)






(The side garden located beside the MoD. This is the route I take each day walking back and forth to the MTDC.)








(Some of the first flowers of Spring. Similar to a yellow daisy.)




It is hard to believe that Spring time is here and that we only have 9 weeks of school left. I will be excited to be able to get back in time to share the last few weeks with you. Hope everyone is enjoying their time off and remember to work hard on your studies when you get back to school (Summer is right around the corner:)

Trip to Taji

(First helicopter ride in a UH-60 Blackhawk!)



Hello all! I flew up to an air base located northwest of Baghdad called Taji. It was about a 10 minute flight and my first ride on a Blackhawk. There were four of us that traveled together - two USAF members from Coalition Air Force - Transition Team (CAF-TT) and Sam(antha) and I from MOD-AT. (Sam is a Squadron Commander in the Royal Air Force - British). We went to visit the Iraqi Air Force Training Center where English Language classes are being taught. The flight was uneventful but too short. I really enjoyed the ride.

We spent the first day locating radios that had been purchased for the MI-17 helicopters. The two USAF members that went are from the Acquisitions section so they needed to verify that the radios had arrived. Taji is the main supply depot for all of Iraq. It is a very large base! We also got to tour the helicopter and see it in flight.



(MI-17 helicopter)








(Me "flying" one on the ground:)













The second day, we went to visit the training center. We visited a classroom, the technology lab, and even got to see a Basic Training graduation for new Iraqi Airmen. It was a wonderful experience!



(Iraqi Air Force Training Center - Main building)








(Sam and I with a few of the Iraqi 1LT students)








(The technology lab - notice the wooden benches)








(Iraqi Air Force basic training graduates)








(The students like having their picture made with Coalition forces)




It was a great experience and I took lots more pictures. I will have to wait and share them when I get home. Hope all is well in Tennessee and have a great weekend!

Iraqi Dinner

On Thursday, Mr. Wa'el took all of the professors from the MTDC to dinner. We went to an Iraqi restaurant, Benatha, for a fish dinner. The fish is cut in half and cooked over an open fire. As the fire dies down, the fish is laid on the coals. It was delicious! We had several side dishes including rice and bread. I ate way too much!



(Picture of the fish)









(Picture of the group of professors. Mr. Wa'el is sitting next to me in the front row.)




We had a wonderful time. The Iraqis eat late because they actually wait to eat lunch when they get off from work around 5:00 pm. They will generally eat dinner between 9:00 and 10:00 pm. Very different from our eating schedule. The weather has warmed up considerably and is now getting very warm during the day. It gets quite hot with all the body armor on. I am thankful that I won't be here during July and August which are the hottest months of the year. It can reach 140 degrees during those months.

Maury Students:
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and made it back to school. I know it is a busy time of year as you prepare for TCAPs and other spring events but remember to study hard and do your best every day! I will be back soon so I want to get a good report on how well all of you have done while I have been gone. Remember to thank your teachers for all the hard work they do. You are extremely blessed to have them! Take care - I miss all of you!!!

Website

Hello! I wanted to send a website link to you for the MNSTC-I public page. I wrote an article about one of the programs that I have been involved in during my time in Iraq. It is located at the following link:http://www.mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil/. There is also other information on the page about what our Command is doing with the Iraqi Military and Police forces. Thought you might enjoy reading some of the events that are ongoing.

The weather here has been wonderful for the past couple of days. Feels like spring time with cool mornings and warm days. I took pictures of the gardens yesterday and will post them later this week. The flowers are beautiful, especially the roses. Hope everyone is doing well. Take care!

Funny Story

I had a fun day earlier this week...or maybe I should say interesting. We had ordered furniture for a new computer lab at the MTDC and when they asked about using a local company I said sure since that would contribute to the local economy. I didn't know what I was getting myself into! I had to go and meet the trucks at the checkpoint (See the pictures below. I took them on the way to the Checkpoint. The road was a narrow strip with the Tigris River on both sides.)

First of all, the delivery trucks sat in line for three hours waiting to get to the checkpoint and be searched. It was quite an operation - electronic x-ray machine and bomb dogs. When we got to the checkpoint, we waited about 2 hours to get all the paperwork approved for them to enter the IZ and then when I saw the trucks I knew we were in trouble. They were flatbeds with side rails and both were stacked to the top and beyond. I don't know how they got so much stuff on that truck! One of the trucks was older and barely moving - the guy at the checkpoint told me to go ahead and get in front and move over out of the way because the truck was going to have to take a running start to get up the hill. We aren't talking a very steep hill just a little incline.

So we headed out and then the truck decided to die in the middle of Baghdad rush hour. Imagine 15 Iraqi men running around in the road, getting behind this truck and pushing it down the road. We got it over to the side and they decided to tow it. So they tied this large truck to the back of a Toyota Corolla. We took off again and made it to the school house but along the way, every time we hit a bump, boxes of paper would fall off the top so one of the Iraqis in the Toyota would hop out, run back, pick up the box and throw it on the other truck. It was like watching "Iraqi's Funniest Home Videos". I just had to laugh. But, we made it safely and only one piece of furniture got damaged. They are replacing it for us next week.

As you can tell, my days are busy. I have so many stories and pictures to share when I return. I can't wait to show them to you. Take care and have a wonderful week!


(New U.S. Embassy - largest US Embassy in the world.)









(Close up picture of the U.S. Embassy - flag flying in the middle.)









(July 14th Bridge - Who can find out why it is called the July 14th Bridge? Research Iraqi history.)






(Baghdad Hotel across the Tigris River)








(One of Saddam's former Palaces located along the Tigris)

Tennessee Visitor

Good morning all! It is Sunday and I am at the MTDC this morning. We have an Advisor Training Course in progress that will finish up today. On Tuesday of this week, we had a Tennessee visitor at Phoenix Base - US Representative Steven Cohen. I met him, along with four other fellow Tennesseans, and we had lunch together. He represents West Tennessee (Memphis area) but it was nice to hear a fellow Tennessee accent!







We have been experiencing more sand storms this week. I took a couple of pictures. What looks like fog is actually small dust particles. The sun became a little, glowing ball since their was so much dust in the air. Very unusual experience for me.



(Picture of the sun - little spot in the middle of the picture)









(The dust has been so thick that it looked like fog. You could feel it in your mouth.)



Other than the sand storms, everything is going well. I am on the countdown (approximately 60 days and counting) and looking forward to returning home. Hope everyone is having a good weekend and looking forward to Spring in Tennessee. Take care.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello All! Hope everyone is having a great Valentine's Weekend. Since school is out on Friday and Monday, I would guess that the students are enjoying it. I have had a very busy week. One of my bosses is on leave so I have a few additional duties to attend to in his absence. The picture above is of the MOD-AT section that I am assigned to at MNSTC-I. I know it is difficult to see but I wanted to give you an idea of the number of people I work with on a daily basis. (If you click on the picture, you may be able to view a larger version of it.) There are around 50 people assigned to our section now - most of them are acting as Advisors to the Government of Iraq. There are very few of us in military status. It is mostly contractors or government civilians from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Very interesting mix.

For Valentine's Day, I went to an Iraqi dinner that was hosted at the Blackhawk Conference Center on Thursday evening. They served lamb (it is cooked and served over rice as one piece of meat on a large tray) and Iraqi bread along with several delicious side dishes. I have enjoyed their food and the desserts are wonderful! Of course, anything made with lots of sugar is good:)

The weather is continuing to warm up and the days are getting longer. It feels like late March already with the warm days and cool nights. I envy the snow you all have had this winter - even though it has been cold there. I can't believe the number of snow days you have had and I missed them! Well, I guess there is always next year.

Better get back to work. Hope everyone has a great Valentine's and I will be in touch soon!

This picture was taken this week in front of the MNSTC-I sign. COL Combs is my boss (Chief of Staff for MOD-AT) and Mr. David King is his boss (Director of MOD-AT). COL Combs is US Army and Mr. King is a British Civil Servant SES 1 (same as a 1-star general).


Hello everyone! What a busy week! It is hard to believe it is February already. I understand that you all are having bad weather and that it is keeping the schools closed. I would say that the students think this is good weather since they get to use their snow days:) The weather has warmed up here over the past couple of weeks. The evenings are still cool but the days get warm. It is very warm when I have to wear my body armor which weighs 25 pounds. We are required to wear it back and forth to work and when we travel on the bus.

We had a quiet weekend here even though the first provincial elections were held in Iraq. National elections are planned for later this year. The feedback from the results has been good - very few incidences of violence. This is a great accomplishment for the Government of Iraq. I hope we are on the right track to helping them become a sovereign nation. So many of the things we take for granted are now being experienced here. They are very excited about the future of their country.

Well, I had better get back to work. I am missing everyone and look forward to returning soon. I have less than 80 days to go. Sounds like a lot of days but it will go quickly. I hope everyone is enjoying the snow and the snow days. It will be warm soon so enjoy it while you can! Take care.

Guest Performance at MNSTC-I

Hope everyone is doing well! I was able to attend a USO event this week. They brought in David Cook to perform along with his "band". He was the 2008 winner of American Idol. I am not an Idol fan but I know several of you are so I will share some photos with you. He performed for about an hour in our Dining Facility. His band consisted of two other guys on guitars. All three were very talented musicians and the concert was a nice break from the routine. I did not get there early enough to get me photo made with him (Sorry Ms Andrea and Ms Bev) but I took some pictures during the concert. Enjoy!

Tuesday

Hello everyone! I can't believe that we are over halfway through the month of January. By the end of this month, I will be halfway through my tour. Yeah!! It is hard to believe. I apologize for not adding to my blog on a regular basis but it has been very hectic. I am at work by 0730 and it is after 2000 (8:00 pm) before I leave. This makes for long days but the time is going quickly!

I mentioned earlier that I have been tasked to help develop a new training program for advisors. (There are approximately 250 advisors that work here.) We wrote the curriculum and held the first course on 26 & 27 December and then a second one on 09 & 10 January. It went very well and the Commanding General (an Army 3-star) was very pleased with the course. He decided that all of the current and new advisors to MNSTC-I should attend the training. His decision doubled our work load this past month to get the course up and running to his specifications.



(LTG Helmick, CG of MNSTC-I, presented me with a Commander's Coin at the end of the course.)






Advisors at MNSTC-I work directly with the Government of Iraq, advising them on decisions and implementation of their strategic plan. Our hope is to get to the point that the government can function independently. There is much work to be done but the advisor training helps quicken the induction process as new advisors arrive. They are able to learn about the Iraqi culture, customs, and language in order to deal more effectively with their Iraqi counterpart.


(LTG Helmick shakes hands with the Director of the MTDC, Mr. Wa'el. Mr. Wa'el is who I am responsible for advising at the Center.)


Another part of the advisor training was to develop a website. Due to my background in technology, I am the advisor portal administrator. We are using a program I have not used before called SharePoint. I am having to teach myself the program as I go. It has been challenging but interesting work for me. I am becoming proficient with it and continue to build the site. I set up a blog on the portal for the advisors to use and I am currently building a wiki site as well. Lots of technology terms:)

I understand that you all are getting snow and some very cold temperatures. It has warmed up in Iraq and feels like spring time in Tennessee. The winter season is very short here - one month out of the year is cold. The rest of the year is very warm. I will miss the hot part of the year (August and September) when the average temperatures reach 140 degrees. It is very much a desert climate. Hope all of you have a wonderful and safe week and I will write again soon. Stay warm!

Monday Morning

Hi all. I am at the Ministerial Training and Development Center (MTDC) this morning. Classes have resumed after the holidays and we are at capacity with students and courses. It is exciting to hear as I walk through the halls. Very much like being back at Maury. The only difference is that the instructors speak Arabic so I have to take a translator with me in order to understand what is being said.

Yesterday, we had heavy rains. I took a couple of pictures outside my office building. As you can see, the rain does not soak into the ground very quickly. It is generally dry most of the year and the rainy season is in January and February. We got so much rain that it was up to our door - about 2 feet deep. It continued to rain throughout the night but most of the standing water was gone by this morning. The temperature is cool but it warms up during the day. I spent the weekend (Friday and Saturday) on the Advisor Training Course and will try to post a blog about what I am doing with it by the end of the week. I took some pictures of it so I will share them soon. Hope everyone has a great week and, MMS students, study hard and do your best. Take advantage of the opportunities you have to learn! You are very fortunate.