Buffiniraq

Been very busy as of late as rotation of personnel continues. Many Corps folks planning to come here have been diverted to tend to Rita and Katrina matters back home. Soooooooo, those of us remaining have to pick up the slack in managing the existing construction on base. As a practical matter, that means simply more work in the same time frame-12 to 14 hour days. Sunday is relatively quiet - only 10 hours more or less. Beyond that, the 3 projects I am now responsible for are the Waste Water Treatment Plant (about 50% complete), the Class VIII Medical Storage Warehouse (about 90% complete) and the Postal Distribution Facility ( see pic is about 40% complete). There are 3 new projects coming on board according to my new boss (Ray from KC MO-see pic) but not til Nov/Dec. Hopefully, we'll have some "volunteers" by then. Bottom line is time continues to fly by working here and I still continue to marvel at the amount of work being done by our civilians and Corps folks under War time conditions. For example, on the one hand, contractors have to ship all their tools, materials and equipment necessary to construct the schools, treatment plants , facilities by truck from wherever etc, and on the other hand, the unskilled labor of local nationals in some cases need to find their way to the access gates safely and incognito for security reasons. The need for manpower of trade technicians and skilled laborers must be "shipped from other countries and put up in tents called "man camps" on the base for the duration of the project. It sounds simple but coordination of bringing men and materiel to this Forward Operating Base isn't simple nor without risk. After going home in the evening some locals recently have been killed just for working on the base. It's things like this that make me marvel how we can still manage to get things done in spite of these horrific tragedies...I know your prayers and support are what makes this whole experience so very worthwhile.

I have been extremely busy here catching up on 2 new projects I've "inherited" as our Corps guys rotate back home and others planning to arrive here as replacements have been diverted to help in Katrina's aftermath. One is a waste water treatment plant about 50% complete and the other is 90% complete medical warehouse for hospital supplies.
But the devastation in the South...my own experience in 1987 tells me there's only 1 way to lighten the burden that many of us are going thru today and that's with HIM. So in that respect, I can only empathize with what those folks are going thru if they feel their by themselves - it doesn't have to be that way... I can only pray that He helps us ALL pull together this "yoke" of ours. I know no other way to deal with overwhelming catastrophe than thru prayer and Faith that He will provide for our needs and give us the strength necessary to get thru it. I wish there was more I could do for my friends and family from dondabayu... just know that there's a lot a very good folks on the ground there and being diverted from this effort over here to tackle the rescue, clearing and restoration that's underway there - not to mention all the volunteers and family and friends already there ...it's really an awesome thing to be part of the American "can do" experience in the year of our Lord, 2005...It's folks like you all prayin and doin whatever you can that makes this trip called, "This is Your Life", so very worthwhile. You can't imagine how you all back there raise the spirits of everyone here and, I hope and pray, your spirits get raised a bit by virtue of what we're doing here to help these folks just "Get a Life" while under war time conditions! It truly is overwhelming to be an American in this day and age...we all have much to be proud of and thankful for. In my "short" 64 years I have come to appreciate how much of the "impossible" we can do with Him beside us...as I know in the not too distant future "the South will Rise Again" and it WILL be a better version than one that Katrina obliterated...
I've put a few pics on the site to give yall an idea of what this Central Postal Distribution Facility is beginning to look like. After the holidays and into the Spring we hope to have all mail coming into the country come through this facility, sorted and then truck/plane loaded for distribution throughout the rest of it...
On a "lighter" note ...I've also thrown in a pic of a predator which flies missions from our FOB here and keeps the nights a bit more "quiet" lately (no incoming mortar rounds have found their way onto the base the past few weeks!!!LOL) Yall keep up the good work supportin those folks dondabayu and we'll keep on doin His will here.

The past 2 weeks have been a literal blur. There's so much going on and to learn that between placing concrete from 9 to 3 AM nightly for the next month and keeping up with the daily admin routines, time just flies by. The Corps is on a 12/7 schedule which many times goes to 14/7. I'm not complaining just tryin to give yall an idea of the hectic schedule and scope of of the re-building effort goin on. Suffice it to say, lots of good things are goin on thanks to some "citizen soldiers" like Harland (last name withheld)of Southern Cal (see pics). Harly is the Corps Resident Engineer (my boss if I were there)in a village 40 or so miles from here. In spite of the danger involved (let's call it the heart of Saddam country), he is finding ways to work with the local and provincial governors (like our City councilman) in order to build water, sewer and electric projects. This infrastructure (either never existed or run down over years of neglect) must be created or fixed to light and heat schools and hospitals proposed or under Corps construction. The closer one is to this effort the more he appreciates the shear magnitude of this undertaking and the awesome concentrated efforts of so many soldiers and civilians involved both here and back at home. As if this weren't enough for anyone's plate to absorb, along comes "Katrina" and once again these same people, here and back there, are tasked to figure a way to direct our human resources in the rescue and re building efforts associated with "Katrina's" aftermath. The difference is lots of good folks back home can and already have risen to the occasion. As I've seen from General Strock, the Corps Commander (and a VMI man I might add), the American "can do" spirit is shown once again to be alive and well as many "citizen soldiers" are mobilizing to undertake the huge recue, cleanup and rebuilding effort required in Mobile, Biloxi and New Orleans in the days, months and years ahead - all during a time of war! I am so humbled and proud and thankful for having been blessed to be born an American in these times and be a small part of this time in our history. Thanks so much for all your support for us here and for those of us in need back home...it's truly an honor to be able to serve others and walk the walk..."to love one another as I have loved you". God bless.