27 July 2009

Kuwait is ...

Kuwait. Yeah. Really, I don't know a good way to describe this place. It's flat, insanely hot and bright in the day; though night isn't so bad. The wind blows, but the dust isn't too bad.

The amenities aren't bad... there's a good size store, two dining facilities, once of which is much nicer than expected. I'm typing on inexpensive wifi from my cot. There are some mediocre pay food options (Pizza Inn, Panda knock-off, a coffee place) and a bazaar of local random vendors. We have a tiny movie theater, a couple of tents with TVs, books and XBoxes, a good sized gym, and an aerobics tent.

Let me take a moment to talk about the Starbucks. Imagine a triple-wide prefab building. One side is all windows. Inside, its is all but identical to every Starbucks you have ever been to. The floor tile, the light fixtures, the straws, and the little table they sit on - all the same. The only difference is that this Starbucks has the menu in Arabic and English. Sadly, they don't have the Date Frapaccino anymore.

Here, anytime we leave the Brigade tent area we must, on our person, have a weapon, water source, eye protection, and another person equally equipped. We are like little children - we use the buddy system. Of course, though we are required to carry our weapon, we are not allowed any ammunition.

As for the doing - well not much of that yet. In theory, we should only be here long enough to do some very limited training, get all our people and get our equipment off some ships. Through the vagaries of Big Army... things... we will be here for a while.

Labels: kuwait army 3-2

posted by Interested Soldier @ 02:03