Arrived Camp Adder/Tallil Air Base Iraq 15Jul04

After work, setting outside the tents. Camp adder, Iraq 15Jul04


It was good to finally get on the plane to Iraq. The flight on the C-130 only took about an hour to get to Tallil AB, Camp Adder. If I had had a choice I would have preferred to go by armed convoy. Sure it would have taken longer and yea, more dangerous but I could have seen more of the country. (Hence my rep with my amigos for being too adventurous for my own good.) The landing was interesting though. To avoid being shot at the plane makes some really cool evasive maneuvers on the approach. We landed without incident.

From the plane we were bused to the air terminal to be met by someone from ITT. Arriving at the air terminal tents there was a large group of Italian solders. At first I had thought we had been taken to the wrong place. I was to learn that contrary to what you might hear back home, there are a lot of multi national forces here in Iraq. We even had Korean solders on our flight. Well, just like when we arrived at Camp Doha, there was no one at the terminal to met us. Hmmmmm Dejavu. Rocio and I did not have a phone number to call but I did have a number back at Camp Doha. To make a long story short, I called Kuwait and they were able to get a hold of our people at Adder. After a 30 minute wait, 2nd LT Lyon with the 519th Signal Company and a ITT employee met us.

We were taken to our office; two portable buildings. One building was the TCF (Tech Control Facility) and the other housed everyone else; site manager, Help Deck, Sys and Net Admin, IGX , Outside plant and Supply. I was hired to work in the TCF. After being there for about an hour and checking out the place as well as meeting everyone, I was told that I would not be staying. WHAT! Camp Cedar II is short a TCF Tech. I would be leaving, by armed convoy, tomorrow. Well, Camp Adder seemed ok, the people nice enough leaving really didn't bother me. I finally get to go on an armed convoy trip! The only regret, leaving my amigo.... Rocio. We had endured the "fierce in-processing" at Ft. Bliss and survived the "killer boredom" at Camp Doha together. An experience only a fellow soldier could possibly understand. Hmmmm Maybe I'm over doing it a bit. She was even going to teach me Spanish. To keep my spirits up I kept repeating my new mantra, "I'm going on a convoy", "I'm going on a convoy".

A couple of us jumped into one of the company's Nissen 4x4 pickups and drove over to PX (Store). I really didn't need anything but I wanted to checkout what they had. The PX is set up in what use to be a gym. The bleachers give it away. There was a good selection of items. (More then at Camp Cedar II I will find out later.) Finished at the PX, went back to the office to get our luggage and then to the tents for the night. I had a comfortable sleep. As well as you can laying on an army cot.

Now morning Fri 16Jul, I head back to the office to wait for my ride to Camp Ceder II.