I'm NOT going to Hollywood

The IZ is in the midst of "Baghdad Idol" fever. The finals will be Saturday night and Fox News will even be there to cover it. Last night after the show, a group of us got up of stage to get a quick picture, and obviously, I was in a silly mood.

All is well here, but it is getting HOT!!!

A Couple of Good Pictures

Hello All

Here are a couple of good pictures of me in downtown Baghdad with the famous "Crossing Swords" in the background. These swords are on both sides of Saddam's parade field where the Republic Guards use to march down. Now it is a big time tourist attraction. I'll get a closer look at them before I leave and take some more shots of them. You can actually climb inside.

All is well here.

Who is the mystery winner?

Well, the little counter on the bottom clearly shows that we have passed our milestone of 1000 hits, but to date no one has come forward to declare themselves the winner.

The bad news is we may never know.

The good news is that I'm spared the need to spend five of my hard earned dollars buying a prize and sending it to the states!

In a sense, that makes me the winner! (a real cheap winner)

All is well

A Prize for Mr. or Mrs. 1000th!

When I lasted checked we were up to 951 hits, so we are on the verge of hitting the 1000th Hit Milestone!

Who will it be?

Perhaps you?

Perhaps it will be one of my more dedicated readers like “C”, or “dce”, or “Summer Lori”, or “Anonymous”.

Well, one of my devoted blog readers suggested that I give the 1000th hitter a prize, and really that doesn’t sound like a bad idea. So whoever reaches that milestone will have their choice of any one of these fabulous gifts purchased for them at the local Iraqi street market (that’s not exactly what we call it but I’ll keep my blog family friendly).

The winner will be able to choose from:

- Jeanie shoe (only one)
- A boot leg DVD (actually, you probably won’t get this because due to our stringent trademark laws I won’t be able to mail it to you)
- An authentic replication of a counterfeit Saddam-era Iraqi dollar
- A beautiful Iraqi scarf to hide your infidel face
- My undying gratitude

In order to win this gift you must be able to demonstrate that you indeed were the 1000th hit. Do this by leaving a comment on my blog with the time of the hit.

I’m already getting excited!

Before you ask....

No, unfortunately, I was not able to see President Bush last night and I'm a bit bummed out because of it. The man was literally in my "back yard" so to speak, but I was not able to break away from my desk to be able to get there in time. How close was I? Think of it this way, you're at work and you get a phone call saying the President is right down the road at a neighbor's house, and you can't see him because you have a staff meeting to go to or because you can't get through traffic in time. That's what it was like last night. By the time I did break away from my desk they had locked down the palace and wouldn't let anyone in because he was getting ready to leave. Some people I work with were able to see so I did get some first hand reports of it.

The funny thing was that when I did get back to my room, I turned on Fox News and they were showing "video tape taken only moments ago" of the President as he was saying farewell to the troops. Well, I could have thrown a rock from where I stood to where my Commander in Chief had been only "moments ago".

Even though I didn't see him, it still means a lot to me (and most of us) that he took the time to come over here. I think some people don't understand what it means to a soldier to have a President that genuinely cares about us and takes opportunities to boost our morale. Not one who is just looking for "photo ops". With this man, you can tell that he is being sincere.

All is well here.

Who will be Number 1000?

Gang, we are quickly approaching our 1000th hit on my little slice of the blog-iverse. So which one of you will be earn the title as Number 1000? I strongly encourage you to pay close attention to the counter on the bottom and then chime in if you hit that magical number!

All is well

Critical Decision

Yesterday I made a critical decision that most men in Iraq need to make. It wasn’t easy. I had to turn my back on a long term relationship that I had vowed to honor. But I think the time was right for both of us.

Yesterday, I switched from my beloved shoulder holster to a hip holster for my 9mm pistol.

Now you may find this decision to be less than important. But I can assure you that there is nothing more critical for a man than how he carries his weapon.

This decision is as critical to a man as: boxers or briefs, paper or plastic, Betty or Veronica.

For over a decade, since I first crossed the Sava River into Bosnia, I have been holstering my sidearm in a shoulder holster. This allowed me to carry my gun just below my left shoulder as it was held secured by a strap that crisscrossed around my back.

Sure it had some drawbacks. It was a bit restricting and pulled on me and at times I had to reach through my garments to reposition it.

But my shoulder holster created a sac that hung down from me (like an appendage) which made my gun feel secure. It was always just in reach, ready for me to cup with my hand, just so I could ensure that it was “still there”.

I love being a man.

Well, all that need for security seemed to vanish yesterday when I came across a hip holster that was not being used. Upon closer inspection, I could not find anything wrong with it.

I liked the look of it.

I like the condition it was in.

Best of all, it was free!

That last part really made my Lockard DNA start pumping.

The owner of the hip holster has allowed me to take it for a test drive, and to be honest with you, I don’t think I’m ever giving it back.

The moment I strapped it to me leg, I felt like….like….like a GUNSLINGER!

Honestly, look at me. Shouldn’t I be walking through the doors of some dusty saloon and “amble” my way up to the bar as I look for some “desperate hombre”?

And yes, I have found myself standing in front of the mirror practicing my quick draw.

Once I shed myself from the restricting shoulder holster, I felt as liberated as a granola eating Berkley feminist.

I was as free as a little school boy!

A gun toting school boy!

Best of all, this holster has a pocket for my cell phone.

So it was with a heavy heart that I packed away the shoulder holster that had been a part of my military deployment life for 10 years. But hey, change is good in a man’s life. I tried to rationalize this decision by thinking that with ten months left to go in this deployment, I’m sure I’ll revert back to my old standby when I become bored with this new holster.

Now when I walk the streets on the IZ, I have a new pep in my step; an added sense of freedom and vitality.

For those of you approaching a mid life crisis: Forget the Rogaine, get yourself a hip holster!

Best decision I’ve made since I got here!

Only 300 Days Left!

To commerate my "Two Month" Mark, I offer up this moment of Zen: a picture of me next to a photo of my kids that I keep by my desk in Iraq.

Two Down, Ten to Go!

I’m Hit!

The name of the game is…Dodgeball!

After a hard day of rebuilding the Iraqi infrastructure and dodging Al Qaeda bullets, nothing relaxes me like dodgeball!

Here is another example as to how I have a lot better than some soldiers over here. Dodgeball tournaments are part of the Morale, Welfare and Relaxation activities here in the IZ. I has been years (nay, decades) since I played this sport. I found that I need to work on my throwing arm.

The photos are rather dark but maybe they will remind you of your own dodgeball memories.

This sport is a perfect for a soldier to hone his survival skills as the need to dodge out of danger may be needed over here.

Remember: If you can dodge an IED, you can dodge a Ball!

An Artillery Rant

I know most of you will find this boring, but a bud of mine sent me this article about a new type of artillery projectile that got me a little miffed, so I opined my opinion and response to it below. (All is well here)

Excalibur or Bust
June 1, 2006: While the U.S. Army is determined to ship the first 500 Excalibur GPS guided artillery shells to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan by this fall, improved (longer range, more reliable) versions will take longer. Higher than expected development costs have driven the cost per shell to about $80,000. Half of that is actual manufacturing cost, the other half is fifteen years worth of development expenses.

One reason development took so long, and cost so much (over a billion dollars) was that, initially, Excalibur was going to be less accurate, and just disperse a few bomblets that would cripple tanks and kill infantry. But in 1998, it was found possible to include much more accurate GPS guidance. Three years later, it was decided to dispense with the bomblets and just use a more accurate, high explosive shell. After 2001, it became obvious the highly accurate weapons were all the troops wanted. GPS guided JDAM smart bombs showed that. So Excalibur had to adapt to compete, and is now basically an artillery version of JDAM. After word of the successful Excalibur tests got around, the troops became very eager to get Excalibur. The hundred pound shell is the perfect weapon for taking out bad guys who prefer to fight in the midst of innocent civilians. If American troops hurt any civilians while fighting Islamic terrorists, the Americans get blamed. Don't matter if the terrorists started the fight. The terrorists deliberately use civilians for cover, knowing full well that the civilians so used could get hurt. To the terrorist, dead or wounded civilians are a bonus, as they know the media will tend to blame the Americans.

U.S. troops also want Excalibur because it saves American lives as well. The 155mm Excalibur shell can be used at closer ranges (to nearby American troops) than the smallest current smart bomb (a 500 pounder). The enemy knows that if they get close enough to friendly troops, the American can't call in artillery or smart bombs, because of the "safe range" (from the explosion for friendly troops). The difference in safe range between Excalibur and a 500 pound JDAM is over a hundred meters. Moreover, Excalibur is available all the time, not just when a bomber is overhead.

The first Excaliburs reaching U.S. and Canadian troops in the Fall will have a range of 23 kilometers, and reliability of only about 75 percent. Sometime in 2008, a new version of Excalibur should appear with a range of over 35 kilometers (and eventually up to 60 kilometers). These versions will have reliability of over 90 percent.
An even cheaper smart shell is also in development. This is the Projectile Guidance Kit (PGK), which is actually a large fuze, that screws into the front of a 155mm or 105mm shell. This longer fuze contains a GPS and small fins to guide the shell to a precision hit equal to an Excalibur shell. The army doesn't expect to be passing these out to the troops for another five years. But if development goes smoothly, and Excalibur proves useful and popular, then the PGK might show up earlier. The PGK will cost less than half what each Excalibur does and, more importantly, can turn any shell into a smart shell. This is important for artillerymen, who don't like to carry around a lot of special shells, just in case. Artillery units already carry several different types of fuzes for their shells, so one more is not seen as a burden.
The pinnacle of artillery operations has always been, "one shot, one kill." But achieving this has always been like a golfer getting a hole in one. It can be done, but it's rare. Smart shells make "one shot, one kill" commonplace, and means artillerymen will spend less time constantly replenishing their ammunition supplies. Firing the cannon less often is also nice, as those beasts are a bitch to keep clean.

My reply:

GPS guidance packages are great, but pointing the projectile in the right direction is only half the trick. The other half is having the projectile change course in mid flight to get to where the satellite is telling it to go. A 155 shell has a time of flight measured in seconds and carries no "thrusters" to maneuver while it is in flight. Therefore it is relying solely on gravity and inertia to move to the target. Half of its time of flight is eaten up in the upward arc, leaving only the downward half of its trajectory to correct its path. JDAM have nothing but downward movement and thus can rely on its longer time of flight (starting at 25,000 feet rather than at ground level) and constant increase in its velocity to make direction corrections.

This projectile won't have those luxuries. It maneuverability to the target will be measured as a small tear drop around the target therefore the artillery battery may very well need to continue to use volley fire in order to hit the target. The retired Copperhead round, with its laser guidance ability, was supposed to give the Artillery its "one shot one kill" ability. But the prerequisite requirements of having the tube in the right position relative to the target and the observer, in order to give a half way decent shot of making the necessary course corrections to follow the laser to the target, made it not worth the effort within a fluid battlefield. Artillery tubes have always been plagued with being too close to their targets to allow the projectile to gain enough altitude to switch direction in flight, and far away from their targets to fire at them directly.

However, Army maneuver commanders were still under the impression that they had at their fingertips the ability to "put one through the office window and down the elevator shaft" just like their Air Force counterparts. I fear that tagging this projectile with the letters G, P, and S will only further inflate the maneuver commanders’ visions of grandeur and thus simultaneously disappoint them and frustrate the Redlegs assigned to support them. Final thought, Artillery was never intended to be a "one shot one kill" weapon system. There is something to be said with having the Artillery saturate the target area with high explosive and/or bomblets all the while having the maneuver forces inch their way up to the objective to engage in direct fire. (The JDAMs that these soldiers so desperately want is in fact a direct fire weapon).

So long as the artillery tube is facing skyward when it fires, it should never be misinterpreted as a direct fire weapon. Unfortunately, the artillery is allowing itself to be misconstrued in order to save itself from obscurity.