Same old same old in the IZ

So it's been a bit since the last post. Sorry. That's the way life is here I suppose. I'd like to keep this updated more often, just not working out that way all the time. I'll try, though.

So what's been going on in the last...three weeks? Lots. A chunk of which I really can't talk about here. I'll post what I can, though. Just say I've been busy outside of the work on the ECP and I'm not real happy about that.

But happenings at the ECP. Some of the normal stuff out of the way first. We average about a body a week. That's lovely business right there. One of them that I found took some convincing. No one really wanted to believe me that it was actually a body. All that showed was what appeared to be a head. Enough showed that you could read the guy's final moments like a book, though. They're a very brutal people here when they want to be. And for what appear to be quite petty reasons. Our terps break down the shia and sunni fighting down to the simple fact that the two sects differ on how long and when to pray. I know there's somewhat higher level thinking in there somewhere that the rest of the world recognizes...but to these people it's that simple.

We also had a run in with the IP's (Iraqi Police). They're generally not trusted in the first place. One day they decided they to put up a traffic control point on the end of the road that ran into our ecp. Essentially they cut off traffic flow to us and were keeping everyone out of the IZ. Suspicious to say the least. Me and one of my SGT's were escorting an OGA (other government agency) out to escort a car in when we were told about the IP's. We also noticed that the streets in general were quiet and not very busy and there were no civilians around. I gotta tell ya...that's a scary thing to have happen. Generally the locals know when something is going to happen, so they skeedaddle. Just not good signs. So we sent the Iraqi Army (IA) guys out to see what was going on (Hey...I'm not risking my guys for that...). The IP's gave the IA's some story about a meeting at a hotel down the street. That's fine, but there was no need to cut off traffic to us. It made no sense. I told the IA's to get them to leave or we would make them leave. The IA's love knowing they have us behind them. Big smiles from their LT when he heard that.

So while they're walking out there...you have me, this OGA dude, one of my SGT's and one other of my soldiers scanning the area, looking for anything suspicious. It dawned on me that the OGA might have some assets I don't. So I asked if he had any helicopters in the area that could check things out for us. He told me to hold on and pulled out his cellphone. Now...to me...that's incredibly cool. It'd take an act of Congress (almost literally) for me to get anything airborne over my position. This guy pulls out a cellphone and calls one in. No problem. Calls em up. 2mins later there's a helicopter over our heads. I'm definitely in the wrong line of work...

So the IA's talk to the IP's and a couple cars start coming through. Excellent. We can get back to work, right? Well, as we sit behind our makeshift bunker, the OGA behind a tree, a car decides it's been waiting too long. It revs its engine and picks up speed through the serpentine of jersey barriers. Our terp steps out and yells "Aguf! Aguf!" (stop! stop!). We all take aim at the driver. I switch to semi and hear 3 other distinct clicks as the others do the same. I start to pull the slack out of the trigger as i keep my sights on the guy's chest. The terp continues to scream. And the guy slams his breaks on. Less than a foot from the final cones that would have been his death. In less than 5 seconds this all happens. We had less than five seconds to decide this guy's fate. The OGA was shocked we didn't shoot. The other two were waiting for me like they're supposed to. And this guy lives because he stopped his car 12inches short of a pair of cones.

This is where I work everyday. A place where stupidity can get you killed. A rush to get to a meeting might mean you don't go home to your family. And innocent people might have to die, so that we can go home safely.

This is where I work.