Operation Frog watch

[Hellkite]

I was in contact at 0300 EST with Frog.

He was having a stop over in Ireland and will shortly be flying to Kuwait.

He is well and in good spirits

I will update you as soon as I can vet and release the news to you.

Also I will be Sending Frog a Care package as soon as he gets to his F.O.B. and gets a stable APO Address, that will not shift. If there is anything that any of you all would like to to add to the Care package. I will pay for / pick up it up in your name and add it to the Care package. The reason I will do this it that it would be crazy and very costly to send anything to me just to have me ship it to Frog in Iraq.

 

[Majestic]

Katala and I may have something when we get back from our holiday so if you still haven't sent it by early July.

 

[Dan1025]

Glad to hear he's doing OK, thanks for keeping us updated

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

I made it to Kuwait. It was a cool 115 degrees here when we showed up after sunset. We are just waiting on the next set of orders. Thank you all for your support. I am going to go take a nap now since I have been awake for almost 3 days.


EDIT: And as far as getting online. The USO here is awesome.

 

[Hellkite]

The USO Always is good as wll as MWR: Morale, Welfare & Recreation. It is to see your doing well frog now go sleep off the jet lag

 

[Lord_Trekie]

Good to know that your safely arrived.

 

[thunderfoot]

Glad to see you've arrived safely, CF. "Hurry up and wait" was always one of my least favorite parts of being deployed. Even gladder to see the USO has improved a little since my time in service. All we got from them was sticks and a rock. And we had to share the rock, lol. (j/k! They do a fine job now as they always have in the past.)

For those of you wanting to send stuff to CF, Please make sure you send him things which he will actually get. A quick check with the nearest military installation to where you live or online at a few websites will make sure you do not send him anything which may cause problems. If you're still not sure about whether or not you can send it, please PM HK here with the info before you launch it off. I would like to help as well, but my info on what can and cannot be sent to people serving over there may be a little outdated. Not trying to be bossy here, just trying to help out.

 

[Hellkite]

Like thunderfoot said there are rules that limit what we can sent to frog.

That is why I'm offering to send it myself So I can make sure that is meets all restrictions. All you need is tell me what you want to give frog and I will go out and buy it in your name and add it to the care pack at no cost to you

APO restrictions for Iraq / Afghanistan

Basic restrictions list
* Obscene articles (prints, paintings, cards, films, videotapes, etc).
* Firearms. (no kidding...)
* Any matter depicting nude or semi nude persons, pornographic or sexual items,or non-authorized political materials.
* Bulk quantities of religious materials contrary to the Islamic faith.
Items for the personal use of the addressee are permissible.
* Pork or pork by-products.
* alcoholic beverage​

 

[CABAL]

Can we actually send two sticks and a rock for the lulz? On a more serious note, a collage of all our avatars could be cool.

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

Well, Most my unit has left for Afghanistan already. Myself along with a few others from the unit are still on standby for a flight. So, it depends on when they want me to get there. Though things here are not to bad. Thank you all for your thoughts....

 

[thunderfoot]

HK, one of the things I had sent to me during 1990-1991 were baby wipes. Yeah, I know. Rough tough Cav trooper all in combat and along the DMZ stopping to use something soft, fluffy, and aloe scented which helped prevent diaper rash! Looking back now, it is very, very funny. Thinking back to then, I remembered the dust and sand got into every exposed patch of skin and sometimes a shower was not readily to hand. The baby wipes were a godsend whenever such was the case. Some might be surprised at just how much better one feels by simply having clean hands to eat with when water is kinda scarce. Any brand will do, although the unscented ones were the ones I preferred. I also had a metal basin on my tank so we did have something to shave in. Occasionally, we filled it with water and set our MREs in this over the engine grilles. Meals Rejected by Everybody are a little better when warm than cold.

CF is ours and we are quite proud of him. But he has other people in the unit with him as well. If we are going to send him stuff like cookies, might be nice to make sure we send enough so he can share with his squad. Morale is kinda fragile sometimes. It can be tremendously improved by someone sharing a little something from what we called "The World" when I was in.

The biggest thing we can send CF from here is our love, support, and good wishes. I do not care what someone' s views on the war are or stuff like that. Frog has volunteered to go and do something important which is very difficult and very dangerous. He deserves to be cherished and respected for this. So if anyone is thinking of posting something silly or unproductive here, please do not. This would be extraordinarily unkind and selfish. And I will do everything I can to get you run off from MSFC as fast as I can. If I have to get myself perma banned in the process, I really am okay with this. This is not a threat. It is an ironclad promise. Believe it.

CF, Thank you for your service. I, for one, deeply appreciate what you are doing. I only wish they'd let us do everything right the first time back in '91. Then there would be no need for you or any of your fellow warriors to be there now. Boots and saddle, Trooper! Do your job. Accomplish the mission. And then come home safe to us. This place is awfully dull without you. Besides, there's no one here to keep an eye on the fighter jock right now. I'm kinda scared about his current lack of adult supervision. lol

 

[Hellkite]

there's no one here to keep an eye on the fighter jock right now. I'm kinda scared about his current lack of adult supervision. lol

Thunderfoot you know I'm the oldest member of the staff "So much for adult supervision."

But back to the Care pack Baby wipes are all ready in the pack they the stander care pack items like bug spray,foot powder, hand cleaner, sun screen ,extra socks and ect. Serra is good a packing them she had a lot of practices with them

You do not need to thank us. You are a brother in arms. You ware our uniform and you will do it proud Frog. All the thanks you ever need to give us is to come home safe brother and that all we will ever ask.

 

[Lord_Trekie]

Can we actually send two sticks and a rock for the lulz?

That would be epicly awesome.

 

[thunderfoot]

Glad to hear someone already thought of some things I found useful back in the day.

Thunderfoot you know I'm the oldest member of the staff "So much for adult supervision."

There is 'chronological' age and then there is 'mental' age HK. rofl. Nearly every fighter jock I've ever met is always interested in never growing up. Two of my high school classmates were AFROTC in college and both of them were F-16 drivers. They are the same age I am (48) and one of them recently plowed his brand new 'Vette into a tree at 85 MPH, indicated. The other one is now married to a 24 year old former Vegas showgirl and just successfully started his second family. This is why I said what I did. "Scared" may not be the right word for what I am feeling here. More like, "deeply alarmed". Or "frightened out of my wits". Yeah! That's it!(j/k)

 

[Hellkite]

F-16 drivers

You mean Fighter pilots right

Spoiler: Reply to thunderfoot LOL

Well I not have a new Corvette and a 24 year old wife.

I do have a 69 GTO and a 29 year old wife who used to work in victory secrets and as a par-time model in collage. so I give you

Yes. fighter pilots drive fast were used to mach speeds

Yes. fighter pilots do more than offend marry younger women.

In my defiance. I did not pick my wife she was the one that picked me.

The first thing that she even did to me even before she even new my name was to smack my butt on a dare in a bar. That how I meet her started dating and married her. Highly edited but true story

Yes Fighter Pilots do get the wild some time crazy women.

My point is the Old Army Cav. Sgt wishing he was a fighter pilot J/k

Yep somethings never change

 

[thunderfoot]

Been looking at CF's Facebook page. He's in wait mode last time I checked. The comment about 'litter box' made me laugh out loud. Some things never change, it seems.

 

[Hellkite]

DOD's motto has been " Hurry up and wait "

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

I am on standby once again. I must say though that while it stinks here to no end. Its almost just like a run down town. You have resterants, internet, and cell phones. The industrial AC units on the small tents are nice too. 65 degrees inside when it is 120 degrees outside. All the prior service members, if you saw the accompidations, you might not think of it as a war zone at all. Its kinda funny actually. Well, when I get confirmation on the exact APO I will get it to you. Thanks again! Signing off from the "Improved" liter box.

 

[Hellkite]

The smell LOL unforgettable is it not? The not so scuttle mix of rotting garbage ,open cesspools. locals that have never seen a bar of soap in their life and with the hint of burning diesel Fuel from the passing hummer I know it well my friend welcome to the liter box of the world.

As to Quarters my frame of ranfrance is off from to yours given I was in Air Force Officer accommodation not quite Hilton but almost motel 8 ish

""Insert here Thunderfoot comments on how good the Air force has it here compared to the Army "" Yep for see them coming

 

[thunderfoot]

..."Insert here Thunderfoot comments on how good the Air force has it here compared to the Army."

No. Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent. Or true. All branches of the military have something which is unpleasant or irritating or uncomfortable when they are deployed to an active combat zone. The airbase may be a long way back from the places I was but there were things the people there put up with I did not have to.

I remember getting off a plane in K.K.M.C. just as someone called a SCUD alert. Watching USAF personnel hastily don MOPP 4 gear for real while scared out of their minds was a little unsettling. The fear and anxiety was so strong I could taste it. These people could only stand there and take it. Every day. All day. At least I could shoot back. I remember thinking they needed something to take their minds off the inbound and needed it right now. So I hollered loud enough to get everyone's attention, paired them off, and made them check their buddies' suit to make sure everything was buttoned up tight.(It was a Reserve unit which had been in theater about 48 hours or so, I found out later). Told 'em their buddy owed 'em 5 push ups for everything which was left unfastened. There. Now they had something to think about and do other than worry about that inbound missile. It was a small thing but it worked. They stopped being too scared to do anything at all and started thinking like Airmen again.

Sure, I got shot at more often than Air Force personnel. And maybe the A/C and ice cream machine in the mess hall allowed for some good natured teasing on my part. However, the runway over there is a known address and very hard to hide. I could move when things got too hot. Takes courage to go out and service an aircraft in the revetments when the steel rain is falling. Same kinda courage it takes to crew a tank into a fire fight.

'Nuff said

 

[CABAL]

In summary, all branches of the military require 'nads of steel and nobody really has it better than anybody else.

Anyway, how did you manage to get a tent down to 65 degrees in 120 degree weather even with AC? Was the AC just absurdly powerful or did you pitch the tent on a slab of ice?

 

[Hellkite]

Well first the Skin of the tent is PVC coated, high tenacity polyester fabric
this helps a lot see it's a really heavy insulator and can keel the air in and culpable it with the Environmental Control Units (ECUs) and turnkey integration systems consisting of tactical trailer-mounted generators, ECUs, power distribution units and duct storage. Our line of militarized ECUs include custom-designed high ambient, hand-deployable plug and play skid-mounted and/or split units (sometimes ruggedized to meet MIL-STD-810F), precision wall-mounted units for telecommunications and military applications, lightweight units ideal for vehicle- or shelter-mounted applications. Using commercial off the shelf (COTS) components and unique versatile product designs, Air Rover delivers a reliable cooling solution ranging in capacities from 9,000 BTU to 160,000 BTU and 4,300 BTU to 112,500 BTU of heating capacities.

It real easy to cool down a tent

The ACM 18 mobile air conditioner is a compact, lightweight unit for air conditioning of military shelters. It is placed outside the shelter and connected to the shelter by means of air ducts. A dual filtration system is available.

 

[thunderfoot]

For those of you who may think this sort of stuff is an expensive indulgence, not true. The US military uses a great many computers for nearly everything. Computers function best in a temperature controlled environment. The comms equipment also functions better this way. No comms = No combat.

Sleep can be considered a necessity as well. Sleep under temperature controlled conditions is much more restful than sleep out in the middle of the sand. Troops stay healthier and are much more alert. Both are very good things to have in a war zone. Troops who do not have access to these things can still sleep and function, but may not perform at their best. There is no second place in a combat environment and no one wins a fight by being almost good enough. Someone conducting night ops has no chance at all at quality sack time without equipment such as this. And sleep was the one thing we all craved back in '91. I suspect this probably has not changed. Here's an easy way to spot a combat vet. If nothing is currently going on, and it looks to stay this way for a bit, he or she will be napping.

I surely wish we'd had access to some of this stuff back in '91. We might not have made as many mistakes as we did. Then again, if it was available back then, it probably wouldn't have worked in direct sunlight or only ran on 91 octane pixie dust or something like that.

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

Hellkite, I sent the APO to you in a PM. Thanks again.

 

[Majestic]

For those of you who may think this sort of stuff is an expensive indulgence, not true.

I can guarantee I am not one whom think it's an expensive indulgence. The troops have put their lives on hold to go over there and help not only their country but the world, to help it become a better place. I feel they deserve to be as comfortable as possible.

Plus you're right about the computers, if it's too hot or too cold they won't work right. An issue we are having at the moment with the cold here, and too be honest it's not that cold as it's not snowing or icing up.

Oh and CF, we got you something on our trip for this package of HK's. Plus I've checked Hellkite's list and I can't see an issue with it.

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

Cool, I am still waiting to get moved into a "room"....aka conex modified into living quarters....I have put in for my R&R. If it gets approved by higher up. I should be able to walk in the door on my son's bday as his bday surprise. So, here is to hoping I get approve to go home in DEC..... Now just to keep my family from finding out....LOL

 

[Hellkite]

Ok it list time Boys and Girls

it Easy all you need to do is post a item that you want Frog to have sent to
him For example "cookies" this will let me built a shopping list

***Please no electronics they can cause problems at customs and will cause the care pack to be opened ""Not a good ideal things get lost and/or stole that way""

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

Can you send a pillow? Just wondering.....

 

[Hellkite]

Yep what type do you want ?

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

A good one. They don't have any here. Even a walmart pillow would do.