Chris' Deployment Journal

Here is a photo of our battalion HQ on the left and the brightly-muraled 'Aloha Internet Cafe' in the distance. The 25th Infantry Division, our predecessors here, are based in Hawai'i and apparently cannot rub that in enough. They painted everything they could possibly paint with Hawai'i murals, maps, scenes, tribal patterns, highway signs, etc. It's like, 'Okay 25th ID, we GOT it. You're stationed in Hawai'i. Right. Thank you.'

On occasion, the KRAB vigorously enforces a 25 mph speed limit and the use of seat belts on their base, to the point that they actually set up speed traps and seat belt checkpoints. While we were freezing our butts off (now sweating our butts off) driving around sector, waiting for god knows what to hit us, they are using personnel to enforce these pathetic rules. I know safety is important, but come on. Why not send a couple of the people they use for enforcing their seat belt rule out to our base to pull guard duty for us or run a few patrols in sector?

And speaking of wasted personnel, our medic's brother works on the KRAB and he complains of intense boredom. You see, he and his team (a whole TEAM mind you) work very hard every day to compile a report that lists how many personnel are on sick call, on leave, ready to go, etc. This takes them a whole hour. Once that's done, their work for the day is done. So they work ONE HOUR PER DAY. Yikes.

The KRAB has softball and touch football leagues. A recent softball tournament had to be capped at 16 teams, because too many tried to sign up. We barely have room to throw a football around, unless you do it on the cracked basketball court, which until recently only had one hoop, until we stole one from another, closing patrol base.

They have numerous bathroom and shower trailers that never run out of power, or have their water cut off, and get cleaned daily by contractors. We have two toilets for about 36 men and two showers (see below), one of which has a plywood wall. Hey at least we have roaches and, occasionally, rats. They sure don't have that on the KRAB.