Over the weekend I was able to climb into a UK C-130 for a quick 30-minute flight south to Kuwait (actually, I had to climb in twice as after the first time the airfield got hit with a rocket and we all had to lumber out across the tarmac to find cover). Once there, I got picked up at the airfield by people I know from a Coastal Warfare Squadron based out of Kuwait Naval Base.

While the formal reason for the visit was to give them a brief on the situation in southern Iraq – which was a little worrying, as there were three Captains’ in the room, but it went fine – I really went down there just to get two days off from work (these 7-day weeks are getting annoying!).

The American section of KNB is pretty small but full of all the comforts – two big gyms; clean showers with actual hot water (!); a recreation center with movies, games, internet access, news channels on TV and comfy chairs; a phone calling center (that works!); a barber shop with barbers who show up (!); laundry facilities, so clothing doesn’t get lost… (sigh); and, of course, a dining facility where I could order three eggs over easy with cheese for breakfast. ‘Nuff said.

I also slept a lot. Which was nice.

And the air smelled clean, and of the ocean. It was great to be around sailors’ too. And not just for the eloquent cursing, and the fact that we’re smarter than the average GI (smile), but all the other atmospherics which make us different than soldiers (the joke is that sailors know when to be serious, and when to have fun, while soldiers need to look that schedule up in the training manual). Of course, I had to be on my toes a lot more than out here at Basrah – it was a salute zone so no wandering around lost in thought like I usually do – plus I had to make a good impression on the Chiefs’ (which I did, it is easy to do, i.e. just be competent, but there’s always a few sailors who screw that up), as there is no quicker way to perdition than pissing off a Chief.

I went for a run down along the harbor sea wall and took some pictures, the beach; the entrance to the Kuwait Navy HQ and the flag at half mast (ours anyway) for President Ford. I also dipped my toes in the Arabian Gulf, in my continuing quest to get splashed by sea water in as many odd, strange places I can find – it is not many, I know, but hey, the Baltic Sea, Arabian Gulf and Sea of Japan are not so easy to find as a civilian…

I’m now back at “home,” and was rewarded by having to stay up all night waiting for the mail convoy to arrive.

Ok, rant alert -- on p.8 of the NY Times yesterday (10 Jan), there is a 32-sentance article with the title *Airstrike Rekindles Somalis' Anger at the US*. But if you read the entire article it has *one* sentance about one taxi driver who'se pissed off at us for helping to drive out the jihadis. There are four other named sources as well as unnamed officials too, all of whom are focused on the destruction of the Islamic Courts forces in the south around Kismayo. So the Times, in its infinite wisdom, picks an inflamatory title that has nothing to do with the article, all with the intent to make us look bad and give the impression we did something wrong. That is the kind of bias that pisses us off over here, that makes me say "the NY Times sucks" -- rant over.

Feel free to try and defend the Times if you disagree with me. I'll take silence as a sign you agree (smile).

Oh, and thanks for the packages from Chris Havern, Mark Hayes and Terre (good cookies, no crumbs), as well as the pictures of the post-Halloween Perry party from Jodi – they turned out very well!

Tim