What I did on my winter vacation

Translog: Journal of Military Transportation Management, Wntr, 2005 by Lee Strong

"Got any special plans for the holidays?"

"Live in a warehouse with 50 other guys in the middle of a desert with terrorists not too far away, eat industrial food three times a day, and work 72 hours a week including Saturdays and Sundays. How about you?"

O.K. That's a fictional conversation, but I really did spend my 2004 Christmas and New Year's holidays in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert doing my part for the War on Terrorism.

One of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's many missions is container management and one of the many required tasks is analyzing data and presenting metrics to the SDDC and Central Command leadership.

I got picked to spend my winter vacation away from home because of my background in operations research and systems analysis and corporate metrics. Many people were considered but only a few had the necessary skills, willingness to go, and health. So off I went ... to Fort Eustis, Virginia for deployment training.

Previously, I knew that SDDC's Operations Center directed cargo movements around the world. Now, I saw another side--the people who train and equip soldiers and civilians to deploy. Two days of medical examinations determined that I was physically fit to go. Five vaccinations in 2 minutes is something that you don't soon forget. As it was, the doctors skipped the flu vaccine because I had a raging head cold at the time!

I was also outfitted with the full "battle rattle" of Desert Camouflage Uniforms, body armor, gas mask and chemical oversuit. Kuwait really is a nice place but 9/11 proved that bad guys could reach everywhere. The Deployment Branch got me ready with intensive training in safety and force protection, first aid, and operating in chemical environments. No weapons, though. Civilians do their part by supporting the shooters, not shooting themselves. It all became final on Thanksgiving Day when a nurse officially declared that I had no negative reaction to the vaccinations. Suddenly, all systems were "Go."

The flight over was routine. There was an added chill passing over Iraq where terrorists take pot shots at aircraft while dodging our guys and gals, but we arrived safely.

Kuwait itself is a flat desert reminiscent of parts of southern California--monotonous tan sand relieved by occasional plants that are mostly tan themselves. Most of the people live in or near Kuwait City--which is a fascinating mixture of the modern and the timeless--and its gritty port and industrial suburbs. Much of the architecture is blocky brick and concrete. The reason is the pitiless sun that bleaches everything it touches. As a result, Kuwaitis reserve their best architectural efforts for the insides of their buildings with results that show why "the Arabian Nights" is a synonym for exotic splendor.

Most Kuwaitis are personable and professional. All of those that I come in contact with speak adequate English ... which is more than 1 can say about my Arabic!

Camp Arifjan is a major Coalition logistical base for much of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It's a Spartan slice of American life in the middle of the desert where the countless details of supporting the war go on day and night. Up-armoring vehicles? This is where it gets done.

I'm lucky. I do live in a converted warehouse bay with 50 other guys in the same room and a bathroom down the hall. A lot of guys and gals live in tents instead. We do eat well. O.K., we eat a lot. The dining facilities offer a multitude of food choices each day. Nothing gourmet; it's basic American food including hamburgers and hot dogs, but also chicken, fish and beef entrees, soups, salads, fruits, and deserts. One soldier checking my identity doesn't know what an "SDDC" is. I tell him that we're the people who hauled the food he's eating and the stuff he's using. He thinks that's a good idea and lets me in.

Checking identities is part of everyday life here. Safety and security are constant concerns with the bad guys so close and so much industrial equipment in use. Barbed wire, concrete barriers, tire claws, and "unfriendly" speed bumps to prevent anyone from ramming the gates surround the camp. More importantly, the camp is inhabited by hundreds of well-trained, well-armed Coalition service members.

Life is not all grim duty. The service members are on duty 24/7 and the civilian work week is 12/6. A lot of people do extra work for lack of any other entertainment. But there are a variety of amusements including movies, a theater, a library and community center, gymnasiums, and countless sports.

Christmas, Hanukah, New Year's and major US holidays are all workdays. But spiritual values are not neglected. On Christmas Eve, some of our Kuwaiti contractors hosted a dinner that included Christmas songs, skits, humor, and presents. A Jewish employee gave "Twas the Night Before Christmas" a special SDDC interpretation and his Christian colleagues wished him "Happy Hanukah!" And where else in the world does Santa Claus arrive riding a camel?

So the work here is long and often frustrating, but it's also challenging and rewarding. Everyone here is doing his or her part against terrorism.