Excavators In baghdad

[greywynd]

I think that we should also ask Young One this...to take the pictures that he can, even if he stores them himself, so that years from now they can be shared.....someday a lot of us will appreciate that.

In the meantime, thank you for your service, it is because of the young men and women in the forces over the last 100+ years that we have our freedoms in North America.

 

[digger242j]

As long as we're asking him things...

Mike, what's the story on the excavators in civilian colors? Does Bagdad have a CAT Rental Store?

 

[YoungOne]

As long as we're asking him things...

Mike, what's the story on the excavators in civilian colors? Does Bagdad have a CAT Rental Store?

I am unable to say which rental store we use. We have two caterpillar excavatars a 318 and a 320 D. The deal with them, since they do not have armor on them they can be used anywhere in the greenzone. And anywhere outside the wire. ( where the bad guys are ) AS LONG as we have a perimiter of berms hescos, Texas barriers up. Something to protect them.

My John Deere 230 which is uparmorored. Can be used in the greenzone, and outside the wire without a perimeter already up. Cannot comment on how the military has armored it though.

Any more questions I will answer to my best of my ability within opsec.

 

[digger242j]

I was only kidding about the "Cat Rental Store" specifically. But they are rental units? Interesting. Gotta wonder what the terms are...

 

[YoungOne]

I was only kidding about the "Cat Rental Store" specifically. But they are rental units? Interesting. Gotta wonder what the terms are...

Im sure its not cheap. haha

 

[MKTEF]

I would guess KBR long lease/rental program.
I don't realy now for shure, but they deliver anything to the Forces abroad.
It can also be rented in Kuwait by the Cat rental store.

All of you guy's would be realy, realy surprized of how much and many sivillian firms that is operating in Iraq to "support" the troops.
Blackwater is just the most famous one, because of some not so good situations..

We had one soldier who ended his mission with us and went home as normal. Showed up 2 months later in a black suv with a local driver, AK-47, Zastava 9mm, bulletproof vest and big dollar paycheck. Escorted KBR workers and convoys from Kuwait to Bagdad.
2x 3months contract and he had 2 years income in his pocket.
Earning money in a abroad firm, working in a third country=no tax...
Have to say that we are talking about well educated/trained soldiers with no airbag.

Many of our soldiers where also asked to work for KBR with high vages...
Our Crane ops was offered a brand new Liebherr LTM 120t crane, only problem it had to be driven from Bagdad to Basrah first...He politely said no.

 

[Buckethead]

Michael, you're in a lot of people's thoughts and prayers here at home, you're not forgotten! Be careful, come home safe. :drinkup

 

[YoungOne]

mftef.

I will say that you are very close. And the equipment comes from a similar place.

And you are right, civilians are taking over over here. There is close to just as many of them as their is us. And plenty of TCN's ( Third country nationals ). Their making more money for us, and doing half the job it seems. I do appreciate their help though. And as for the money their making, more power to them. I would do it too. But i will probably end up being a lifer in the military.

Buckethead,

Thank you for supporting what we do. Not everyone supports the troops, and that is their personal belief and opinion. We do the best job we can everyday to make America a safer place. Thank you to all that support us. Be home soon!

 

[Speedpup]

Thanks for your service and be safe along with all our people their:usa :usa

 

[danregan]

young one, are in the IZ or at VBC? I was at Travis all last year doing PSD for the DOS, PRT, UN alongside with BW (the little birds used to fly cover for me) and convoy escort from VBC to Shield twice a week.. I escorted more than a few KBR HETs to Shield and back again.....quite the characters. I also Hijacked a 320 while at the range at FOB Prosperity (I never go to war without my key ring) and showed my squad the finer points of combat grading....until my PSG and 1SG showed up and crapped a T-Wall....anyhoo....
:usa

 

[MKTEF]

Danregan i see your point here....
Some of us have filled our language with shorts/codes so everybody on the outside don't understand what we are talking about.
Maybee we should agree to do some translation on what we are talking about.

KBR=Kellogg Brown & Route.(Big logfirm)
IZ=Irak,
FOB=Forward operating base(They have names too)
PRT= Provincial reconstruction team(in Afghanistan)

 

[danregan]

Danregan i see your point here....
Some of us have filled our language with shorts/codes so everybody on the outside don't understand what we are talking about.
Maybee we should agree to do some translation on what we are talking about.

KBR=Kellogg Brown & Route.(Big logfirm)
IZ=Irak,
FOB=Forward operating base(They have names too)
PRT= Provincial reconstruction team(in Afghanistan)

Sorry about that....

the IZ is the International Zone, formally known as the Green Zone.

VBC stands for Victory Base Complex, West of the IZ formally known as Saddam Hussein International Airport. Now its a conglomerate of, heck, 6 or so different Camps and airfields. Most everyone goes thru it unless the fly right to LSA (Logistical Support Area) Anaconda/Balad.

I used to enter VBC at the southeast entrance and exit thru the south entrance after driving all over the damn place picking up people and trucks, and it would take an average of 90 minutes with all the damn checkpoints and stuff, God forbid youd get stuck behind a big convoy or Route Clearance team then you may as well pull over and have a chemlight fight and wait it out.

this could be one of your loaders, I stopped one day for photo op, right near commo hill / CRAM

 

[AtlasRob]

I'm sorry boys, but for a non served civi it frightens the hell out of me that something is going to get let out of the bag by accident.

Very, very intresting, BUT please be careful :drinkup

 

[Dualie]

God forbid youd get stuck behind a big convoy or Route Clearance team then you may as well pull over and have a chemlight fight and wait it out.

I don't know why but that made me laugh alot! middle of a war zone and having a glow stick fight.

I just want to thank you for the service your doing for this great nation. :usa

I wont get into the semantics of weather or not you support the war but to not support the men and women serving should be punishable by deportation. im sure Baghdad and the IZ could use some replacement inhabitants.

THANK YOU!

oh and any pics you could provide of the machines in and any pics of the work and areas would be awesome. DO NOT post any that could be to revealing though. BUT DO TAKE those pictures and save them so years from now you can share every possible minute detail with generations past. I find the work that the combat engineers did in some of the most pivotal times in history to be fascinating.

 

[oriden]

great pics watch you ass over there !:guns

 

[danregan]

Thread hijack in progress

HETT near Liberty Chow Hall

convoy stage yard near Commo hill

<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://img.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v230/centermass181/MOV00702.flv">

Baghdad Traffic with Blackwater helicopter helping us dodge

CEE tractor in IZ

ACE in IZ

Very handsome army man and cool little cat dozer fitted with armor

Route clearance stuff

:usa