Commpound
I've been here for just over a week, and am starting to get the lay of the land. It might be something they're putting in our kool-aid, but it's honestly pretty nice over here - especially considering it's a deployed location! I've only deployed once before, and compared to that location, this is like winning the lottery.
We have our own dedicated comm compound (aka "The Commpound") where we spend the majority of our days and nights, away from the rest of the base. We sleep here, work here, and play here. Literally the only thing we need to leave our compound for is food, since we don't have a dedicated dining facility ... and I don't want to survive 6 months off pop-tarts and rip-its! We're actually working on an outdoor patio/kitchen setup in our free time, so we may be totally self sufficient very soon! If nothing else, being able to grill our own grub now and again will be an awesome addition to the quality of life here.
My room is one of several in a hardened bunker-type structure, divided up by plywood and blackout curtains. On the down-side, concrete walls and plywood aren't the most aesthetically pleasing, and there sure as heck aren't any windows. On the up-side, we are protected while in our rooms, so we don't even have to wake up during IDF attacks to don armor and seek cover in a bunker. Same holds true for my office, it's a small hardened structure where I make all the magic happen. I believe we're the only organization to sleep and work in hardened structures, and I already love it! It's a 50-foot walk from where I sleep to where I work, with toilets and showers in between, so I can't complain about the commute.
The showers and toilets seem to be the offspring of a normal bathroom and a port-o-john; They're individual rooms, the toilets are porcelain, but the walls are plastic and the water is non-potable. I've caught myself using sink water to brush my teeth a few times now and had to weigh the risk of keeping or tossing the toothbrush! The hot water tank is gigantic, it'll scald you if you're not careful, and the water pressure rivals my own home shower - impressive! We have our own laundry room, which is awesome compared to the main base which has a four-day contractor laundry service. I packed lightly, so it's really nice to be able to have it done in one day. Bonus, I'll remember how to do laundry when I get back (don't tell Leah though...)
We have our own fleet of vehicles, all heavily used and beat to hell, but necessary for the ~15 minute ride to the main base. The drive is just long and annoying enough that when we do it, we usually grab extra to-go trays of food to bring back to the commpound; I wouldn't want to have to do the drive three times each day.
We have our own gym on the commpound, possibly the most impressive gym I've ever used! With less than 100 of us here on the commpound, it's rare that you'll have two people in there at the same time. I guess I have no excuses for not working out while here! We also have a few morale structures, outfitted with poker tables, giant TVs, a popcorn machine, and enough rip-its to explode your heart (I drank one the other day to see what all the fuss was; they're just tiny energy drinks that taste like monster/red bull. All of them, over-hyped, if you ask me.)
Today was my first LBR (Low Battle Rhythym) day. We never truly have "off days" since we're always on duty, but we get one day per week where we don't need to work our full 12-hour shifts. Having been traveling since the 15th, the downtime was so nice. I slept in, played some video games, popped in the office a few times to ensure everything was running smoothly, wrote this blog, did some laundry, and even got myself a BEER!
My predecessor spent the last week showing me the ropes, handing over responsibilities, and slowly stepping away to let me run things. There's a ton to learn, in a tiny amount of time, I feel almost overwhelmed at this point, but getting more confident with each day. I have five enlisted military members and two civilian contractors under my supervision, all really good guys. As a first-time supervisor/NCOIC, I'm lucky to have a hard-working and positive-thinking team.
It's exciting to see the previous team all ready to depart, getting their travel arrangements lined up, knowing that in a few months I'll be there too! Not that I'm counting or anything, but I'm already 7.41% of the way through!
Stats:
Days here: 9
IDF so far: 3
ABV in the available beer: %0.0
Phones on my work desk: 4
We have our own dedicated comm compound (aka "The Commpound") where we spend the majority of our days and nights, away from the rest of the base. We sleep here, work here, and play here. Literally the only thing we need to leave our compound for is food, since we don't have a dedicated dining facility ... and I don't want to survive 6 months off pop-tarts and rip-its! We're actually working on an outdoor patio/kitchen setup in our free time, so we may be totally self sufficient very soon! If nothing else, being able to grill our own grub now and again will be an awesome addition to the quality of life here.
My room is one of several in a hardened bunker-type structure, divided up by plywood and blackout curtains. On the down-side, concrete walls and plywood aren't the most aesthetically pleasing, and there sure as heck aren't any windows. On the up-side, we are protected while in our rooms, so we don't even have to wake up during IDF attacks to don armor and seek cover in a bunker. Same holds true for my office, it's a small hardened structure where I make all the magic happen. I believe we're the only organization to sleep and work in hardened structures, and I already love it! It's a 50-foot walk from where I sleep to where I work, with toilets and showers in between, so I can't complain about the commute.
The showers and toilets seem to be the offspring of a normal bathroom and a port-o-john; They're individual rooms, the toilets are porcelain, but the walls are plastic and the water is non-potable. I've caught myself using sink water to brush my teeth a few times now and had to weigh the risk of keeping or tossing the toothbrush! The hot water tank is gigantic, it'll scald you if you're not careful, and the water pressure rivals my own home shower - impressive! We have our own laundry room, which is awesome compared to the main base which has a four-day contractor laundry service. I packed lightly, so it's really nice to be able to have it done in one day. Bonus, I'll remember how to do laundry when I get back (don't tell Leah though...)
We have our own fleet of vehicles, all heavily used and beat to hell, but necessary for the ~15 minute ride to the main base. The drive is just long and annoying enough that when we do it, we usually grab extra to-go trays of food to bring back to the commpound; I wouldn't want to have to do the drive three times each day.
We have our own gym on the commpound, possibly the most impressive gym I've ever used! With less than 100 of us here on the commpound, it's rare that you'll have two people in there at the same time. I guess I have no excuses for not working out while here! We also have a few morale structures, outfitted with poker tables, giant TVs, a popcorn machine, and enough rip-its to explode your heart (I drank one the other day to see what all the fuss was; they're just tiny energy drinks that taste like monster/red bull. All of them, over-hyped, if you ask me.)
Today was my first LBR (Low Battle Rhythym) day. We never truly have "off days" since we're always on duty, but we get one day per week where we don't need to work our full 12-hour shifts. Having been traveling since the 15th, the downtime was so nice. I slept in, played some video games, popped in the office a few times to ensure everything was running smoothly, wrote this blog, did some laundry, and even got myself a BEER!
My predecessor spent the last week showing me the ropes, handing over responsibilities, and slowly stepping away to let me run things. There's a ton to learn, in a tiny amount of time, I feel almost overwhelmed at this point, but getting more confident with each day. I have five enlisted military members and two civilian contractors under my supervision, all really good guys. As a first-time supervisor/NCOIC, I'm lucky to have a hard-working and positive-thinking team.
It's exciting to see the previous team all ready to depart, getting their travel arrangements lined up, knowing that in a few months I'll be there too! Not that I'm counting or anything, but I'm already 7.41% of the way through!
Stats:
Days here: 9
IDF so far: 3
ABV in the available beer: %0.0
Phones on my work desk: 4
Didn't get notice of this blog (?) But Leah told me it was out there... and today I found it. Wonderful hearing from you! ...I also added Ryan to your list. I forwarded your others to him and he was mighty impressed!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you've got pretty nice accommodations (for what it is) ...and that gym... WOW!
I hesitate to ask, but, what is an IDF? ...Do I even 'want' to know?
Stay safe (of course you will) and have Cheeky give you a cyber-hug for/from me!
MIGHTY PROUD OF YOU!
Love Ya ~ Meem ...awaiting 92.59% !
Sunday, and a bit late going to the mailbox... and there's a card! ...a most thoughtful, sweet card!
ReplyDeleteWith a hand-drawn kite and even some (bird-food) french fries too! ...Memories...and Many More to come!
YOU MADE MY DAY! ...and then some!
With LOVE (and some happy tears),
Meem