I have gotten some requests (mainly from Mike Z) to talk about daily life here in beautiful Iraq. And as Mike noted in his comment you guys are paying my salary and for this war through your taxes, so I guess you have the right to know what is going on in this little corner of the world.
I am in the mountainous northern part of Iraq, just outside of Mosul. The climate here is more temperate than southern Iraq. There are actually trees and grass not just sand and desert. The temp today was only 68 degrees, and from October through March it is pretty cool here. By April the temp starts climbing, and from May through September the average temp is usually well above 100 degrees.
Before I talk about my situation, let me preface it by saying that as far as deployment conditions go, I am living at the Four Seasons. Most doctors with units in more remote areas and not in a hospital setting are living in tents and some don't even have running water or showers. Being with a hospital unit rocks!
I live in a CHU (Contained Housing Unit) which is basically a small trailer. I attached 2 pictures below. I was going to upload some video but my internet connection is too slow for that. My room is about 6 feet by 15 feet. Right now, I am sharing the unit with another doc but he is leaving this week and I will have the entire pimp palace to myself. And yes, he really has pimped it out. And yes he is giving everything to me when he leaves (Bonus! Thanks Matt) We have a small TV, mini fridge and microwave. There are two beds and some shelving for clothes. And there is an AC unit which will be nice in the summer. It is basically like a really small dorm room.
My CHU is about 100 feet from the bathrooms and showers, and about 250 feet from the hospital. Within a half mile of the hospital we have a general store (PX), post office, laundry facility, chapel, dining facility (DFAC), and gym.
It is about a 15-20 minute walk to the DFAC, but it is worth it because the food is really good. Before I left for Iraq, Christen and I were trying to make all these nice meals because I figured the food was going to be terrible. Not so much. The DFAC is huge. Let me break it down for you. At every meal there is:
-Main line that serves two different hot entrees
-Sandwich bar
-Full salad bar
-Stir Fry station
-Pasta station
-Short Order station (with burgers, fries, wings, hotdogs, etc)
-Desert Bar
-Ice Cream station
-Coffee bar
-Everything you could want to drink (except alcohol of course)
Food is one area where the Army doesn't skimp in attempt to keep soldier morale high. Every Sunday night they have steak, shrimp and king crab legs as the main entree. And yes it was delicious. And no I am not making this up. So please I don't want any one to think I am starving over here and will come back 30 lbs lighter than when I left. In fact, the opposite is more likely since I never really eat that much at home.
I'll try and get some more pictures up over the next few days. Cameras and pictures are not allowed in a lot of areas for security reasons, but I'll do my best. Oh, and being a doctor in Iraq means my security clearance was recently upgraded to "SECRET." I know ... who cares because it's not "TOP SECRET." But hey I'm only a doctor, and it's still higher than the rest of you civilians.
7 comments:
hi pete
we all think of you and will follow up your days in irak
gaby from germany
Glad I made the request now! It's great to hear that your living conditions are somewhat bearable, sounds like you have a great temporary roomate too. I'll keep the requests to a minimum, but now I ask that you take advantage of the free food and protein and come back at a minimum of 20lbs heavier ;) I'm craving crab legs now btw.....
I'm wondering how they get the crab legs there? Or any thing else for that matter-oh well enjoy it Pete, it sounds delicious! Your room is small but not so bad. It was so good to talk to you today, thanks for making that call! You are always in our thoughts and prayers and in ours hearts too. Love Mom and Dad
Pete, I'm glad to see that your not living in a tent anymore, your set up seems sweet for over there. I'm sure that AC will come in handy in the next couple months. Take advantage of that free food. Take care of yourself bro. Nick
And you have a window too! Wow...between that and the killer TV you've got there you have it made ;)
I know you just got there...but I'm wondering about R&R? I know you're the only ER doc on call but I assume they'll need to relieve you at some point for a break between now and the end of your stay right? Perhaps visit near by countries or something? Dubai would be sweet.
Anyway, as always...be safe and make the best of it!
Hi Pete,
Sorry I did not contribute to your book. Truth is I started to many times but everything I wrote seemed to simple compared to the magnitude of your situation. I read your blog during nights at the great MGH NICU. I share it with my friends. We usually manage to hold back the tears, but not always. Two nurses here have sons in Iraq. Our sincere thanks for all you do and for all you sacrifice.
Hi Pete!
I read every entry! It's great to hear from you and about your trip. Sounds like I should have suggested Christen pick up an extra cooking class instead of photography while your away, she's gonna need it to keep up with the military food! And Starbucks!? I'm shocked, but I'm sure they can't risk you falling asleep being on 24 7. It's funny to think of the times I or others have said "Ohhh I've been going 24 7" and what it must mean to actually do it! All our love!!!
Erica
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