An explosion on base

There was an explosion on the base tonight. Initially, people were saying it was from a mortar round, but later on the word was that a generator exploded. Everything on base was shut down for about two hours and all vehicle movement was prohibited. I was also told that a blackout was in effect, but there's always a blackout in effect on the bases here. You really do need a flashlight to move around at night, especially on the roads.

I got to go off base yesterday for a couple of hours. Col. Allan D. Raymond wanted to show me an Iraq Army brigade located about 35 miles from Q-West. The drive was uneventful and we saw scattered villages and frequent sheep herds during the drive. At one point, children came running toward the convoy knowing that the soldiers would throw them candy. At the IA base, we stayed only briefly, just long enough to have a bit of tea with Iraqi Gen. Baez, who I'm supposed to interview about the prospects for the Iraqi Army.

From the little bit I've seen, they don't look good in the short term. While I have no doubt that they are being trained well, they are woefully ill-eqipped. While the U.S. soldiers are driving armored Humvees, these guys were driving pickup trucks whose beds were outfitted with thin metal shields. Makes me wonder if there's a trust issue involved in not getting these guys more modern equipment or if the country just doesn't have the cash right now. But at some point, they have to be able to defend themselves from external threats.

The villages I saw were nothing more than mud huts. One member of the 298th, who has been on several convoys, said it's not unusual for children to beg for food from U.S. soldiers. Nevertheless, there is still something beautiful about the land, even though I generally abhor flat, barren landscapes. But I do feel the historical significance of the country. In addition, the stars are the brightest I've seen anywhere and the sunsets are spectacular.

Today, I hung out for a bit with the load team for the 298th. The load team lives up to its name. They prepare whatever products the convoys are carrying—whether it be water, ammunition, MREs or fuel—and stage them in one area. It involves a lot of driving back and forth to deliver trailers for loading and return loaded trailers to the staging area.

Later this evening, I'll hang out as the convoy drivers perform maintenance checks before leaving. I'll also sit in on the convoy's mission briefing, something I can't document for obvious reasons. Even though the 298th's only been here a month, they've experienced gunfire and IEDs on a couple of runs. Fortunately, no one's been hurt.