Howdy Ya'll,

Thought I'd share a few pics I've got from here at Sather AB, Baghdad Int'l Airport, Iraq. I've only got two put up so far that are suitable for public viewing, so don't be expectin' much.

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showgallery.php/ppuser/9058/cat/500

Enjoy. :D

Hey, great shots! Be careful over there.

Keep your head down, Griff!

That second pic looks like you got frustrated at your models one too many times... :tongue:

Seriously...stay safe!

looks like ya got the sitch in hand there Jeff .
hb

You think that artillery looks bad... I hear he's also got 'Kung Fu Grip' !!!!

- GJS

My gratitude to you and the rest of our boys serving in Iraq! Pass along my thanx, Griff!

Hey, nice model of Sather AB! How did you get that sunset to look so realistic?! :confused: I'm truly amazed!


;)

Stay safe!

Fish and chips on me if you get back here on your way back home!

Huzz

One look at your Terminator stance, and they will run, I did!

Be safe!

Lloyd

Thanks for the Pics. And much more than that, Thank You for your service and sacrifice to our great country.:thumbsup:

Be Safe, and Good Hunting!

Stay safe, man!

José

Lookin Good Griff!!!! Glad to see you can comunicate from time to time.Any good Hobby Shops in Baghdad??? Stay outta da chit man!

Glad to see you're OK Griff. Stay safe and come home soon.

hi griff, stay safe and a VERY BIG THANK YOU for keeping us all safe here at home !
Bert

Hey, now, you're not over there to have that much fun!

I hip-shot a pair of AR-15s at the same time once, while screaming "ROCK AND ROOOOLLLLLLLL!!!!!" Bet it's MUCH more fun at full auto.

Thanks everybody. I appreciate the kind words.

My job here really isn't all that stressful and I'm no where near the real Front Lines where people are shot at. We've had a couple of rockets and mortar rounds lobbed our way, but nothing that caused damage to anything more than a patch of ground pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I'm in a one-deep supply slot and have several additional duties, but I've got it easy compared to those guys and gals driving on the streets of Baghdad and the highways of Iraq doing Convoy Duty. Please don't forget to keep those folks in your thoughts and prayers every day.

Stay safe!

Fish and chips on me if you get back here on your way back home!
Thanks, Dave! I'll definitely take you up on that. Birdie Malloys is still in my mind whenever I see fried fish. :D


One look at your Terminator stance, and they will run, I did!
I scared the crap out of myself when I saw the pic and almost ran away, too!
Be safe!
Done!


Hey, now, you're not over there to have that much fun!
I'm not...? Dang it....
I hip-shot a pair of AR-15s at the same time once, while screaming "ROCK AND ROOOOLLLLLLLL!!!!!" Bet it's MUCH more fun at full auto.
When I was 17 I got to fire an AR-15 on full auto, burning thru a 30 rnd magazine in seconds. Talk about an adrenaline rush!

Never fired a weapon on Full Auto since I've been in, tho. All M-16A2s are also set to fire either Single or Three-Round Burst Fire, so I don't see me ever getting the chance for full-auto again unless it's at a private shooting range or something similar.

Thanks for sharing the photos, Griff! We're proud of you all !!!

Stay "safe & sane", brother modeller!

Well a little insanity might help, from what I hear... Don't drop anything by accident, looks like your modeling tools might be a little more pointy...

Nice pics.. Those are some big guns btw. :thumbsup:

Finally get to put a face to the name :-)
Stay safe Jeffrey.

"keeping us all safe here at home !"

OH boy......:rolleyes:

Hey, I, for one, fell safer with Jeff out of the country ;).

Hey, I, for one, fell safer with Jeff out of the country ;). ... I'm certainly glad you didn't hurt yourself this time. The padding must be working. ;)




:lol: :D

... I'm certainly glad you didn't hurt yourself this time. The padding must be working. ;)




:lol: :D

'Cause he left me his extra padding!

(take a typo and run with it! :lol: )

Jeffrey has guns, and he knows how to use them! You seen Rambo?

Hey, I, for one, fell safer with Jeff out of the country ;).
As well you should, too. Your styrene and resin reserves are just fine - for now.... :devil:


Jeffrey has guns, and he knows how to use them! You seen Rambo?
Er... I'm crazy, but I ain't psychotic like that guy was! :tongue:

^^ Only if I go after your 1/2500 collection!

Heh... Yer funny. ;)

Brief update....

I’ve been hitting the gym intermittently. All told, tho, I walk at least two miles each day, so don’t feel too guilty about not going every day. We’ve got a pair of nicely appointed tents, tho I’ve only been in the Free Weight tent once to look around. They’ve got a nice mix of stuff in the cardio tent and four channels of crap to watch if you’re so inclined. I’m sticking to my Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Audioslave when I work out, as the AFN crap just depresses & distracts me for some reason. I still get in a full hour on the bike, elliptical trainer or treadmill (as my shins will allow) every time I go and have been going with higher/harder levels than I use back at homestation. I’ve dropped 4 pounds in the three weeks we’ve been here.

We don’t have our own Chow Hall here. We have to go to one of the Army Chow Halls (DFAC – Dining FACility) for each meal. We usually send three to four folks each run and get about 24 “plates” of food in the form of Styrofoam containers. We’ve got someone who’s job is to do these Chow Runs as an additional duty that they fill on an as-assigned basis (we call it the 7 Truck position), but I go every day to make sure that people are keeping us well stocked on drinks, plates, plastic-ware, napkins and whatever else we can manage to get the folks there to give up. It’s a nice distraction, to say the least. Kind of scary how lax some of the Army folks are working the checkpoints are once they get used to seeing you drive thru regularly. A few have taken to waving us thru w/o checking I.D.

Of course, no alcohol, tho the Brit’s have had it on a few occasions. I’ve found that I can actually stand the taste of Beck’s Non-Alcoholic Beer this time around. I sat up one night talking w/some of the Brit’s at our Rec Tent ‘til 4am. Always interesting talking to those folks, as it’s yet another perspective on world issues and we’re viewed by others – as well as a nice glimpse in to another society that I don’t have nearly as much access to as I’d like. Those fellas are always a treat to talk with. I imagine they’re nearly as entertained by me as I am of them, with my slang terms and such. It’d be a real hoot if we could throw a couple of mixed drinks or real beers in the mix, methinks. J

Anybody up for some camel milk? The banana and/or strawberry flavored camel milk isn’t half bad.


Well, that’s about it from here, I guess. Hope ya’ll are doing well where ever you are.

Hey Griff, thanks for the update, cool to hear things are realtively OK. BTW, My son and I have seen Audioslave twice, some of the best shows ever, they even did some Rage and Soundgarden stuff.

We have to go to one of the Army Chow Halls (DFAC – Dining FACility)

DFAC? MYGITMilTEIAAOAAbb?* ;)

José

* Must you guys in the military turn everything into an acronym or an abbreviation??

Good to have an update, Jeffrey. Everytime hear about Iraq, I think of you.

Thanks, Lloyd. Everytime I hear about the U.S., I think about you guys. :D



DFAC? MYGITMilTEIAAOAAbb?* ;)

José

* Must you guys in the military turn everything into an acronym or an abbreviation??
Gotta blame that one on the Army, man. Us WingNuts call our's the Dining Facility, no acronym. We'd call it the Chow Hall, but the Services folks (they run the chow hall, gym, billetting and other stuff along those lines) get really upset when you call it a chow hall, so we don't officially call it a chow hall. ;)

I have a friend over there now with the International Police Force. If you run into a Michael Jordan(yes, his real name)from Louisiana, slap the crap out of him and tell him Mitch told ya to do it!

Will keep my eye out. I don't get off base, tho, so the odds are high against my running in to him.




Updated pics! http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showgallery.php/ppuser/9058/cat/500

Gotta blame that one on the Army, man. Us WingNuts call our's the Dining Facility, no acronym. We'd call it the Chow Hall, but the Services folks (they run the chow hall, gym, billetting and other stuff along those lines) get really upset when you call it a chow hall, so we don't officially call it a chow hall. ;)

:lol: In college we used to call the cafeteria "The Stalls"....

Keep safe man. We'll toast to you at Wonderfest.

José

Be sure to show up at the Hotel Lounge on Friday afternoon, approximately 5pm-ish for the Unofficial Ugly Shirt Friday event. Then you can toast me using my own money if you're wearing an Ugly Shirt (Hawaiian Print-type shirt). :D

I love the captions under the photos! Have you bagged a camel, with one of them. I here they taste like chicken. Are you still called a GRUNT?

Haven't seen a single camel. Prolly won't, either. Glad you like the comments.

GRUNTs are US Army or USMC personnel. We're WingNuts or Zoomies. :D

I fly in at 4:30, so I probably won't get to the Lounge until 6-ish, depending on how fast I retrieve my luggage, how often the shuttles make their rounds, how quickly I can check-in at the hotel, etc.... so don't expect any military style promptness out of me 'cuz there's little chance I'll be there at 5.

José

No biggie, really. It was going on 'til the Lizard Lounge started up at 7pm the last two years, so imagine it'll be going on 'til right up to that point.

BTW, the airport and hotel are pretty close together. I think it's no more than a mile to the hotel and they've got a shuttle service. It's especially convenient if you're staying at the Executive West, or so those who've flown in the past have said. I've driven the two times I've gone, so can't speak from experience.

So Jeff, how's the weather?
here's what I woke up to this morning:

I fly in at 4:30, so I probably won't get to the Lounge until 6-ish, depending on how fast I retrieve my luggage, how often the shuttles make their rounds, how quickly I can check-in at the hotel, etc.... so don't expect any military style promptness out of me 'cuz there's little chance I'll be there at 5.

José

I fly in at 1pm, see you at the bar!

So Jeff, how's the weather?
here's what I woke up to this morning:
Nice! I love the snow!

Mostly overcast w/lots of dust and dirt. Temps are only in the upper 70's thus far, thankfully. Prolly be in the low 110's when I leave here.

I hate the heat....

John, I haven't seen snow it many years, you are so lucky.

I miss the snow, too. We got about an inch in Arkansas before I left and I'm thinkin' I won't be seein' any around here any time soon, as it's already warming up. So, no snow for me 'til next Winter.

I don't feel so lucky after 2 hours of shoveling yesterday, and driving to work on packed snow and black ice this morning.

OK Maybe this'll make you feel a bit luckier.... :)

You're not pulling convoy duty in Iraq, worrying if that chunk of rock or section of curbing is an IED.

You don't have to wear IBA (Individual Body Armor) and/or have it close at hand every day.

You don't have to carry around an M-16A2 any time you're out of your immediate work area.

You don't have to worry about the unexpected mortar round or rocket dropping on your head w/little-to-no warning.

You won't have to worry about Camel Spiders climbing up on your chest in the middle of the night to say "Hi" in a couple weeks like I do.... :eek:

Feel a bit luckier now, John? ;)

So Jeff, how's the weather?
here's what I woke up to this morning:
Well, that looks farmilliar! John, was yours all powder?

Samantha loved playing in it while I was shoveling! I made her a 5 foot hill to climb on, then we went sledding. :)

Pictures to come.