There and back again

So I'm back in Afghanistan. This time as a contractor. Not sure yet which is the better gig. It's funny, because when you're a soldier, you just assume that it's better as a contractor. You get paid more, work out at the gym all day, and just chill. Turns out that's not quite true.

So far, I've had half the sleep I did last deployment and haven't had the time to do much of anything. Additionally, you're completely responsible for yourself as a contractor. When you're in the military, someone takes care of your logistics of getting to country, helps you get to the right place at the right time, and makes sure you have everything you need when you need it. As a contractor, you're on your own. You have to work you beg and plead to find out which aircraft departing when from where gets you to your FOB, then you wait and pray that there's room on it for you. Warfighters (rightly so) get precedence on everything from flights to billeting to food. Contractors are at the very bottom of the food-chain. And did I mention that I'm unarmed in a war-zone. Awesome.

Anyway, besides being the redheaded stepchild of the military, things have actually gone pretty well. I'm where I need to be. I've got a bed, and I have food and internet. What else could anyone ask for.

Interesting things that have happened in the last week:

1 - We went for a joyride to the wrong FOB. When we arrived, we had mixed messages about our location. We were told that our FOB was located at a one base, and when we finally got there, we found out that we were misinformed. Turns out our FOB was somewhere else. Close, but not quite. We ended up staying at the incorrect FOB for a few days until we could catch a chopper to the right one. Funny thing is, we rode that chopper back to the airbase we had visited prior to coming to the wrong FOB, then went to the right one from there. No complaints, though. The food there was great (that's always the case on a joint forces base), and my guys got to ride in a chopper (something that they hadn't done yet, yawn.)

2 - Chili's in Kuwait is worse than Chili's in America. Go figure. My turkey bacon had Oscar Meyer turkey and turkey bacon (regular bacon is haram) on a couple slices of cheap bread. Nothing else. It was like something a 10 year old brings to school as a sacked lunch. Except mine cost $20.

3 - Ramadan applies to you whether or not your Muslim. Soldiers on a military installation have to observe (to an extent) sharia law. During Ramadan, we're forbidden from eating or drinking outdoors, can't play music or be loud. Not to difficult to observe, but a bit inconvenient when it's 120+ degrees outside.

4 - Some people are spoiled little girls. Conditions at our FOB are pretty austere. Basic necessities are taken care of, but there aren't any luxuries of larger bases (nice beds, buildings for beds instead of tents, restaurants, coffee shops, high-speed wireless internet everywhere, massage parlors, fridges stocked with ice-cold, tasty beverages, etc). A few of my guys are whining like someone took their lunch money away. I find it humorous, because last deployment my living conditions were much worse than this, plus I was wearing 70 lbs of gear, going on convoys, and basically had a target on my back due to the nature of my previous job. I feel like I'm being spoiled and these guys feel like their world has fallen apart.

5 - I discovered that I can remain relatively coherent and get my job done on no sleep for over 48 hours. Redbulls and monsters helped, though.