Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq

So, contrary to what I thought before I left, I didn't end up in Afghanistan.  I've been in Iraq since August 13th, 2009.  It's been a little interesting, but mostly boring.  I guess this isn't necessarily bad - because it also means I'm safe.

The air traffic here is extremely slow compared to Whidbey Island.  Frequently, there are days that I work 12 hours and only talk to two or three aircraft.  Even on the "busy" days, we don't average more than one aircraft per hour.  The only complicated part about my job is the tactical airspace that is constantly changing.  If you're a controller, the best way to describe this would be like variable reverse MVA's (minimum vectoring altitudes).  Tactical aircraft reserve blocks of our airspace that we have to vector under, above, or around.  We only have a 20NM radius and 5,000 feet of airspace to work with.  So, if the tactical aircaft need some of our arrival/departure corridor, it makes for interesting work.

My work hours are a little ridiculous here.  Most days are 12 hours long with the occasional 6-hour day and even more rarely a day off.  Needless to say, I don't have much free time.  I spend most of my day sitting in the CCS (communication and control subsystem - aka radar) freezing.  The room I work in is only about 12 feet square and we have six giant air conditioners to keep all of the equipment cool and functional.  However, this isn't always the case - equipment failures are a daily occurence and I frequently have trouble establishing 2-way communication with aircraft.

The environment outside of my work and living quarters is pretty brutal.  It's mid-October and the temperature is still in the 90's each day.  Not too much lives out here.  I've seen a wild fox, tons of tiny lizards, the infamous camel spider, mice, a few large beatles, and a handful of small birds.  When I run at night I can hear wild dogs in the distance, but have yet to see one.  In two months, it's only rained twice.  The first time was pretty cool because it was accompanied by an impressive thunderstorm.  Last night was the second rain, and it only lasted for about a half hour.  The ground was already dry when I woke this morning.  Contrary to popular belief, there is no sand here.  Just dust.  Lots and lots of dust.  It looks like sand - until you step into it with your boot.  Then it just kicks up into a cloud and is whisked off by the wind.  It's impossible to keep anything clean here.  Everything in my room is covered in a film of tannish grit.  Even after a shower, I never really feel clean.

They feed us pretty well here.  Some days the food is better than others - but I've never gone hungry.  I've spent many meals trying to figure out exactly what kind of meat I'm eating, but overall it's not bad.  They've actually served steak and lobster at least four times since I've been here.  The highlight of the chow-hall is the ice cream.

So, when I left Whidbey Island on my deployment, I didn't expect to be back until February or March.  As it turns out, we will be leaving ahead of schedule and I should be home before Christmas.  At first I was a little dissappointed.  I planned on saving up a good amount of money here.  Now, I'm okay with it.  I look forward to getting back home.  It's just so extrememly boring here.  I feel like I'm wasting time sitting out here.  The money is alright, but it's not worth it for me.  Needless to say, I won't be signing up for a contract job in the Middle East any time soon.

All in all, I'm safe and content.  It has been a good experience and I'm glad I came.  I'm even more happy that it will all be over soon.