So maybe the last one was a bit too political to wet the appetites of your average person. I understand, I also sometimes find it hard to be able to separate normal conversation from what I'm used to here. So here's a look into living conditions here....
First and foremost there are rules governing everything, EVERYTHING! No alcohol, no porn, no gambling, no sex, no "war trophies" (which covers just about any trinket you may want to bring home), wear eye pro at all time (sunglasses), no running with a battle buddy, and the list goes on. I live in an area about 10x4 and in that area I have all my clothes, all my entertainment, my work area, my gear (bulletproof vest, ammo, weapon, night vision gear, 240B (machine gun), and misc other issued gear), and my bed. Cramped huh? My area is considered roomy. If you thought your college dorm was bad imagine sharing a normal sized room with three other guys. One of which is an Iraqi (which equates to unpleasant and exotic smells) who works for us as a translator. All this, plus 12-16 hour workdays, including 6-10 hr missions means tensions are high in the room. But that is my insight for you into living conditions in Iraq.
Oh and it's not always hot in Iraq, in fact it's balls cold outside today and windy and rainy.
Big Baby Jesus out
