An increasingly metropolitan camp

November 29, 2004

Camp Taji is becoming metropolitan.

Tent dining is a thing of the past. The new, huge chow hall opened Thanksgiving Day. It has permanent lighting, a concrete foundation and metal walls.

And it’s gargantuan.

I mean, it’s so big, it’s almost scary.

It’s overwhelming and bewildering.

I first ate there yesterday. It took some effort, because the line snaked out the door, down the side of the building and onto the street outside of the protective concrete barriers that surround the joint.

The hand-washing station was inside. It’s the first time I’ve stood inside to wash my hands before eating since March. Once in the door, I realized I was out of my league.

There were serving stations spread throughout the building with lines that ran into one another.

I didn’t know what to do.

I panicked and jumped in the first line I found — the sandwich line.

It has been my safe haven ever since.

I may live on tuna sandwiches for the next three months.

Would that be bad?

Oh yeah, I also found the pie counter. And what did I see? The last piece of pecan pie in Camp Taji.

I absolutely love pecan pie.

I walked up to the counter and pointed at the lone pie slice, sitting all by itself in the pan.

The Kellogg Brown and Root worker scooped up a piece of pumpkin pie on the other side of the counter. I again pointed at the pecan pie.

He nodded and scooped up the pecan yumminess with a plastic knife and balanced it on the pie server while looking around for a plastic plate to put it on.

Yep, he dropped the pie splat on the floor.

The new chow hall came with new workers.

Lt. Col. John Edwards of Little Rock, the brigade’s staff judge advocate, said he’s experienced a similar communication gap at the new chow hall.

“You have to point aggressively and vigorously,” he said.

I have to say that things have improved over the last day.

The lines are dissipating and the workers are successfully scooping up more food than they’re dropping.

They still get confused at exactly what you’re pointing at, though. English is not always understood. Most of the workers are from places like India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

But pointing does the trick.

I still think it would help if they distributed maps at the entrance, though.

It’s an overwhelming transition from the relatively small chow hall I’ve come to think of as my kitchen over the last eight months.

Speaking of transitions, the same day the monster chow hall opened, Camp Taji’s new Post Exchange store opened.

It’s the largest store in the Iraq theater of war and it’s open 24 hours a day.

It’s as close to Wal-Mart as the Arkansas Brigade can find.

And it’s overwhelming, too.

I remember when we first got here, the PX was housed in a bombed out warehouse that was infested with pigeons. Seriously, you got used to ducking for cover every time you heard wings flap in the rafters — droppings.

And now the PX is a superstore in a shiny new metal building.

Well, it’s not quite a superstore, but it’s not bad.

It takes you longer to check out than it does to shop. Long lines.

So I’ve implemented my Wal-Mart policy — shop at midnight.

That’s just the beginning of the civilization of Camp Taji, however. Subway, Burger King and Pizza Inn all parked trailers here this week.

Yep, we’ve got fast food on demand.

I remember when the lot housing the PX and food court was piled high with scrap metal from bombed out Iraqi military vehicles. There were only a handful of paved roads then, too.

Now we have Razorback Boulevard, Gamecock Road, 45th Street.

It’s all so very civilized.

Posted by Amy at November 29, 2004 02:08 PM