First, this blog is just my little view on the GWOT. Though the folks on ABOT have it rough by Bahrain standards, they are not in Baghdad or out in the boonies in Afghanistan, fighting the Taliban every day. However, I do not see the latter, and I suspect that most people think of those sorts of folks when they think of the war. I am just showing another part of it… not saying it is worse or tougher than other parts… Also, I am very careful not to release anything that is even remotely sensitive. Though I show a lot of the oil platforms, they get plenty of time in the press – Discovery Channel did something about them not too long ago, and WSJ / NPR were just there. You will NOT see pictures of airbases in Kuwait, for example, nor will I talk about future travel or plans or anything like that.
More on the OPLATs. A logical question would be about services – electricity, water, sewage, trash, etc. Diesel generators make the power, reverse osmosis plants make fresh water, the ocean handles any sewage, and trash is hauled away regularly by a vendor who also brings food and supplies (and sometimes water). Dumping sewage may seem harsh, but ships do that normally… Indeed, if you look VERY carefully at the photos of the deck we built, there is a hole in the steel deck near the back left corner – that is where the washers will drain – straight out to the ocean. What is less appealing is the use of the ocean as a trash receptacle – lots of those empty plastic water bottles that are sooo common out here just floating on the ocean. You sort of expect it from the locals, but not Americans trained by years of public education and public service ads on TV. Can image that old Native American in that commercial with a tear in his eye.
Now, a few more pics to share the experience.
Gone fishin’ – an oil worker taking a break from the day – fishing from the catwalk. No poles, just a spool of fishing wire wrapped around a board, a hook, a weight, and bait. Plenty of fish around to catch – saw many different kinds. The feed on our food waste (and toilet waste), and they are protected from the fishing ships.
Looking down from the rusty stairway – ocean is about 50 feet below. I hate heights, and this stairway took some getting used to – especially at night.
Life in a CLU. Storage lockers are also in the room. This is a ‘dry’ CLU, so you have to walk to use the restroom, shower, etc. Thus, the wise person does not drink a lot before going to bed. The occupants of this one recently left the platform and I had it all to myself.
CLU town. You can see a bunch of CLUs stacked up – platform space is at a premium, so stacking is the solution.
Transportation – US Navy RHIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boat). To / from the oil platforms to the ship that lands the helo. A helo landing on the back of a US Destroyer (which is moving) is a bit more exciting than landing on the ground.
Money shot – while we were working on the laundry (between the two containers), you could hear the oil flowing through that big pipe in the foreground, filling the tanker ‘Grand’. At night, the pipe was warm – fresh oil from Iraq
Desert Hawk – Transportation to / from oil platforms. Alas, no United miles.
Lego man – in Iraq. My oldest son gave me one of his Lego soldiers right before I left, so I have been capturing pics of him where I can. So far, have shots of him in Germany, Kuwait, Bahrain, and now Iraq.
Other than that, ‘celebrated’ my first month complete here – only 10.5 to go. I have found that it is much better to focus on the ‘glass partially full’ than the big empty part on top. More on that in the next post.
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