Late mission means late rising, and lunch was the first big event of the day. Following lunch, we had a power outage. Really, this didn’t impact our operational tempo as we didn’t have anything scheduled for the day. The weekend and early next week is looking quite full, so we are resting while we can.
The hooches are really uncomfortable when the power is out, so we all gathered in the concrete command post, where it was relatively cooler. We hooked up the generator so we could all watch movies. When there is little power, it is just too dang hot to have an exciting and noteworthy day.
The Team Sergeant announced at dinner that it was to damn hot to do anything but drink, so we were having a meeting at the bar at the embassy. The Warrant Officer asked problems with drinking and driving. The Team Sergeant replied, “Dude, you are in Iraq. Besides, you will be in an armored humvee with a machine gun.” Which made a very compelling case.
The Special Forces guys all try to rotate jobs in the humvee to keep cross trained and proficient in other positions. When you have served in all five positions in a humvee (driver, tactical commander, gunner, SAW gunner, and security), you are qualified as “True Blue”. I have no idea where the name comes from. I have served in both back seats, and commanded, too, so all I needed is gunner and driver. I got to drive over, and the Warrant Officer served as gunner.
The Warrant Officer finally obtained a President Bush mask, which he wore all the way over to the embassy. He even waved to the crowds on the way there. People in town were doing double takes for our entire trip, and the embassy guards were laughing as we rolled past.
The bar is for embassy personnel, as well as visiting Coalition Forces members. No weapons are allowed in the bar after 2000.
We met a bunch of other ex Special Forces guys there, as well some some prior Marines, who generously bought us some icy Coronas.
At one point, some Blackwater guy came up to us to say, “Um…y’all aren’t supposed to have guns in here after 2000.”
“Okay.”
“Just wanted you to know.”
“Cool. Thanks.”
“Okay, then. See you.”
The bar also has foosball table, and a couple of pool tables. There was a poker game going, and one of our SF guys won some money.
On the return trip, I got to gun, and the warrant officer drive, qualifying us both as True Blue. Unloading a machine gun is tricky business after a six pack.