Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Month 4 Day 18

Notebook Entry
Left for Shorabak, class with David Guttenfelder on basic intelligence.

Journal Entry
I flew up to Leatherneck. Samir, predictably, did not have the guys
ready to go when I needed them, but he did get them ready pretty soon
afterward. At the Aircraft Arrival/Departure Control Group (in
civilian speak known as an Airport) Samir was selected to be searched,
they do a check on a certain number of the ANA and he couldn't figure
out why he was picked. It was nothing big, a pat down, a wand and a
brief look through your stuff. Samir was pissed, said 'I am not a
thief' and wanted to go back, I called and told the General he was
returning, Samir showed backup, apparently with no prompting. The
AADCG told me that because he left they would have to search him
again...fuck...so since he was being so petulant about the whole thing
I said ok everybody up, lets everyone get searched again, to include
me. That seemed to satisfy him. The ANA XO came out and said that
officers shoudln't be searched...whatever, being an officer basically
just means they have more priviledges, these guys have no idea what it
means to be an officer. That is evidenced by Samir constantly telling
me that 'this is not my responsibility.' I am like, you can't give up
responsibility, it is yours regardless. Anyway. We made it up to
LNK. The facilities here on the ANA side are better than those on the
Marine side, it looks like camp Lejeune. They even have
monkeys--really monkeys. The British camp, Camp Tombstone, is where
most of the advisors live, this place is great, gym, MWR, shower, chow
hall, but nice and small, not sprawling and crowded. I got my own room
with a bunk bend and a power outlet. I laid down and watched my 3rd
movie of the deployment. It was fantastic. No one asking me 'deuce
what are you watching?, deuce what are you doing.' what the fuck does
it look like I am doing? Cleaning my rifle and watching a movie, leave
me the fuck alone. Anyway. walking around up here you start to think
that the ANA might actually be able to pull this shit off. The ANA
CoC is nicer than the RCT CoC the 3rd Bde CoC is functional, they have
been a standing Bde for a couple of years. Maybe I am just impatient,
maybe this can work? But I sat in on one of Lt David Guttenfelder's classes with
the Corps G2 and I started to think might be a little optimistic.
'What is the difference between information and intelligence?' is how
it started. A good question to be sure, but one that could be
answered by a TBS Lt [the first school Marine Officers attend], not an intel professional. We'll see...

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