A Fun Week
Things have been pretty casual here at the Discount Camel Safari. The threat level has gone up so, big surprise, so has security etc. Had NBC training today and had to dress up to MOPP 4 and pretend to decontaminate something. I think I am still sweating. Part of the training had us taking our masks apart and reassemble them. I was a lot more comfortable knowing that the device I might one day depend on to live was not put together by me. I wonder what that says about my self confidence? Hmmm..... Why would I be more comfortable having something done out of my sight by someone who I don't know from Adam. I guess ignorance IS bliss (Seriously though, couldn't possibly have a self confidence problem. After all, I am a field grade officer, ergo my poo has no fragrance. That's a law of nature of something similar) I don't know why but yesterday I pulled out my body armor and my K-pot and put them in a more accessible place, not really sure why I felt the need to do that. I guess since things have been so quiet as of late I am getting paranoid, the hairs on the back of my neck have been standing on end for no good reason that I can see. Well, since we have ratcheted up security again, maybe there is a reason, I hope not.
As many of you know I am that slimey breed of officer known as a Loggie. I deal in the tools of death, destruction, and often nation building. It is my mission in life to see that we have the right stuff, at the right place, to do the right job, right when we wanna do it. Be it build a school or break stuff with extreme violence. I like to think I am really good at it, (Think nothing. I am really good at it!!! Remember, my poo has no fragrance) but sometimes Mr. Murphy wins one. Over the last week, one of our combat engineer units has had a very important piece of equipment that needed some love and attention. I had the TLC the machine needed coming via small parcel express from the heartland of the good old US of A. I was watching its progress very closely via the tracking website when suddenly my package dropped off the scope in Frankfurt Germany. I contacted the small parcel express companies tracking cell an was assured it was enroute and would be at my location by 2200 that night. I was thinking cool, I can grease it through customs and have happy engineers by dinner. The next day, no package. WTF over. Checked the website and last location was still Germany. Contacted the tracing agent again and was told that it had a wee little problem. It was scanned and manifested but the actual package missed the plane. O.K. We lost another day but it was now definitely on it's. The civilization as we know it was safe. Next promised delivery times roles around. No package, and tracking website STILL says Germany. Contact the tracing agent again and he was very apologetic. The package missed its connection in Ethiopia so they routed through Kenya to get it out to my location. It will definitely be in you location by tonight says he. O.K. Lost another day but civilization is still somewhat safe, although gentlemen with pretty little stars on their collars are now asking me questions (My boss, the guy with the chickens on his collar, is apopletic by this time). The next promised delivery time roles around and, you guessed it, no stuff. Checked the tracking website, still says Germany. Contacted the tracing agent and he says "Ed (We are on a first name basis by this time) I don't know how to tell you this, we messed up. Your package is in Bujumbura. We can't get it to you for another couple of days" Well crap, stop the war I wanna get off. I have no idea where Bujumbura is but I know it couldn't be good. It's in Burundi on the shores of lake Tanginyka if anyone cares. Apparently, at the small parcel express companies Kenyan facility, the sorting basket for Burundi is right next to the basket for the country where we are located. I let my boss know and, judging by his reaction, I think he had a brain aneurysm. Too make a long story short, I had a back up plan and got the material from an alternate source. Engineers happy, Flags happy, Colonel is still in ICU, and civilization as we know it is safe yet again. When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.....It won't be.
Moral of the story is SHIT HAPPENS, SO PLAN FOR IT!
TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD
As many of you know I am that slimey breed of officer known as a Loggie. I deal in the tools of death, destruction, and often nation building. It is my mission in life to see that we have the right stuff, at the right place, to do the right job, right when we wanna do it. Be it build a school or break stuff with extreme violence. I like to think I am really good at it, (Think nothing. I am really good at it!!! Remember, my poo has no fragrance) but sometimes Mr. Murphy wins one. Over the last week, one of our combat engineer units has had a very important piece of equipment that needed some love and attention. I had the TLC the machine needed coming via small parcel express from the heartland of the good old US of A. I was watching its progress very closely via the tracking website when suddenly my package dropped off the scope in Frankfurt Germany. I contacted the small parcel express companies tracking cell an was assured it was enroute and would be at my location by 2200 that night. I was thinking cool, I can grease it through customs and have happy engineers by dinner. The next day, no package. WTF over. Checked the website and last location was still Germany. Contacted the tracing agent again and was told that it had a wee little problem. It was scanned and manifested but the actual package missed the plane. O.K. We lost another day but it was now definitely on it's. The civilization as we know it was safe. Next promised delivery times roles around. No package, and tracking website STILL says Germany. Contact the tracing agent again and he was very apologetic. The package missed its connection in Ethiopia so they routed through Kenya to get it out to my location. It will definitely be in you location by tonight says he. O.K. Lost another day but civilization is still somewhat safe, although gentlemen with pretty little stars on their collars are now asking me questions (My boss, the guy with the chickens on his collar, is apopletic by this time). The next promised delivery time roles around and, you guessed it, no stuff. Checked the tracking website, still says Germany. Contacted the tracing agent and he says "Ed (We are on a first name basis by this time) I don't know how to tell you this, we messed up. Your package is in Bujumbura. We can't get it to you for another couple of days" Well crap, stop the war I wanna get off. I have no idea where Bujumbura is but I know it couldn't be good. It's in Burundi on the shores of lake Tanginyka if anyone cares. Apparently, at the small parcel express companies Kenyan facility, the sorting basket for Burundi is right next to the basket for the country where we are located. I let my boss know and, judging by his reaction, I think he had a brain aneurysm. Too make a long story short, I had a back up plan and got the material from an alternate source. Engineers happy, Flags happy, Colonel is still in ICU, and civilization as we know it is safe yet again. When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.....It won't be.
Moral of the story is SHIT HAPPENS, SO PLAN FOR IT!
TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD
posted by Ed | 12/18/2003 02:51:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home