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Typical Day?
Posted: 12-20-2010, 08:58 AM For the guys in Afghanistan and Iraq. Just wondering what a day typical day is like as far as day to day activity. Not interested in the ATC part of it. More like, what do you do during off time, do you eat in a mess hall or are you in your own facility. Do you hang with the troops or are you pretty much with your own group of guys. Is there a dress code? What about hygiene? Do you have showers everyday or just do a wh0re's bath out of a sink. And what do you do if there is an attack? Do you have the means to protect yourself or do you rally somewhere and let the troops do their job. Yeah I know, dumb questions, but I'm just trying to get a sense of what conditions are like.
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Re: Typical Day?
Posted: 12-20-2010, 09:06 AM Typical day? During time off you can go work out at the gym if the base has one, go to the MWR (morale, welfare, recreation) center, or sit in your room and read, watch TV (if you have one) or sleep. For food you eat at the chow hall with everyone else on the base (food isn't all that bad but it is usually overcooked). Most FOB's/bases have shower facilities.
As for attacks, you go to a bunker or if you are in a block/concrete building you stay inside until the all clear is sounded. You do NOT have any weapons to defend yourself if the Taliban should get onto the base (and they do sneak on), you are at the mercy of the army to protect you. The main key to personal safety is "SITUATIONAL AWARENESS". |
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Re: Typical Day?
Posted: 12-20-2010, 10:16 AM Do you get kevlar or any other type of protection? Because if you do it sounds just like USAF deployment for ATC. Everything but a gun.
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Re: Typical Day?
Posted: 12-21-2010, 06:38 AM I'm with KBR in northern Iraq, No worries, just be aware, you get flack vest and kevlar helmet, bunkers and lots of walls around everything. Foods good, showers are hot, the containerized housing units are good, A/C and heat but usually without running water. Way better then what I got in the Army when I was deployed.
If you work a 12 hour day you have 2-3 hours a day to call your own, this assumes you sleep for 8 hours. We have a DFAC, MWR, GYM, Phone Center and Bus service, you can usually walk anywhere you want to go anyway. I have internet in my CHU, not fast but adequate and very expensive $160 a month for the top service. But if your making 10K a month its not too expensive. |
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Re: Typical Day?
Posted: 12-21-2010, 04:43 PM We were issued Kevlar and helmets and chem suits (which was useless heavy baggage), if you go to Afghanistan you'll definitely want the Kevlar vest and helmet.
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Re: Typical Day?
Posted: 12-28-2010, 02:48 PM From the Afghanistan point of view... My kevlar has been underneath my bunk since I got here... The "threat" of attack just isn't that "threatening"... The few attacks we get are over usually quicker than you can respond... IMHO you have a greater chance of getting hit by a vehicle crossing the road that injured by an enemy attack... A personal weapon, while sounding cool, would just be a PITA paper weight you have to lug around... Base defense is just better left to the professionals... Plus, civilians carrying weapons probably violates a few rule/laws, etc..
I work 10 hr shifts... The rest is my time... Right now I'm on graveyard (midshift) so I sleep alot... My typical day is this: Get off shift & have breakfast at the chow hall... Go back to my room & watch a show or movie on my laptop... Sleep & depending on when I get up in the evening, either watch something else & then go shower or just go straight to the showers... The go get dinner & then to work... Our shifts are not all the same due to volume of traffic & chow hall times... Dayshifts are the shortest/have the most traffic... But, no matter how long your shifts are (in the cab), you still have to be in the ATC compound for 10 hrs... Most people get into a routine very quickly, as it make the time go by quicker... |
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