February 27, 2004
Krieg Lite
One thing that I've never seen mentioned in the news is that US forces are not allowed to drink during their deployment except during R&R. I know there is some illicit drinking going on--you can buy a beer right across the street at the banana stand and I assume liquor makes it in--but overall, this is a dry deployment--the first alcohol free American War: Krieg Lite.
When it is 120 degrees outside, beer tastes good and the Army knows that so they have sent thousands of cases of near beer to Iraq.
Speaking of beer, I was sitting in the TOC the other day when a call came in from the main gate saying that two guys were waiting for me. I went out there to find M&D waiting by their GMC--with very dodgy looking beards--determined to take me to F's compound in the Green Zone for a beer. As we got in the car, I let them know that just a few nights before an IED went off a few hundred meters from the gate on the main road. With that, they pulled the curtains and we rolled out at high speed as they passed cans of beer around.
After weeks of feeling like I had a target on my head whenever I was rolling down the street, it felt good to be invisible for once. We arrived at F's place with a slight buzz. F started a BBQ and we ate fresh wurst he had brought in from Amman the day before.
Five beers later, we sat under the stars on a persian rug in a state of bliss...which promoptly ended when three mortars impacted just behind the compound. Sirens blared, Little Birds beat the night air and a QRF rolled outside the wall. A firefight started down by the bridge. Then, the "all clear" came--something right out of a movie--a female voice reassuirng us that everything was under control and we could continue drinking our beer.
So much for security--M&D drove me "home". When we arrived at the palace, the gate guard said, "Good thing you left when you did, 'cause right after you left two 82 mm mortars hit right near the gate."
