Ah, Kuwait - you smell like...Oklahoma...

Well, I'm in Kuwait. Arrived a mere 24 hours ago. Had a great flight from Ft. Benning to Leipzig, Germany, then onto Kuwait City. Our carrier was World Air - a charter-only company. Flew in a very nice MD-11. Hadn't been on one since they were known as DC-10s. Great flight crew.

Leipzig was a dreary place. It was cold, rainy, and the environment was decidedly industrial. I'd love to see more of Germany, but when the sun is shining. If you're looking for it on a map, it's about 200 miles SW of Berlin.

Kuwait was totally opposite - It was in the 80s when we landed, and of course, the climate is total desert - nice and dry. The place (what little I've seen of it) is alot like the Mojave desert in California...but smells more like Oklahoma. It's the oil. Not bad, but the scent is there.

My current accomodations are at a place called...Tent City. Why, you ask? Because it's comprised of about 200, 12-person tents. Yes, I'm sharing a tent with 11 other
people right now. It's crowed, but we're making the best of it. Tent City is away from everything, well protected, and acts as temporary quarters for transiting military and civilians, whether coming in, or going out.

Over the next couple of days we'll be bussed into Kuwait City proper, and receive more processing and training. Come Wednesday or Thusday our little group will disperse to the four winds, and head to our duty stations.

I'm starting to look forward to that. If nothing else, it'll be a chance to unpack, relax, and start counting down to when I leave. ;)

I bought a bitchin' new knife today at the PX. We're not allowed to carry guns, so almost all contractors satisfy their need for self-preservation by carrying knives. Hey, something's better than nothing. :) I haven't decided whether to be a Shark or a Jet yet...

Well, that's about it for now. Everyone is treating us well, and feeding us as much as we want. The organization is somewhat lacking, but it seems to work for the military.

I also get to wear dog tags. Cool, huh?

BTW, lest you think I'm actually roughing it - Tent City boasts a 24-hour McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Subway. They're small versions of the real thing, but everyone appreciates them.

Be well All.