5.11 and Camp Smurfy

So I had to run over to Camp Victory the other day. Victory, is (I think) the largest base in Iraq. Anyways, people over there were all looking "FOBulous' ( a friends derisive term) in their 5.11's.

See, 5.11 is a clothing company that makes tactical clothing for civilians. And many of the security companies (like the guys you see dressed in Khakis guarding this or that important person) started wearing some of their clothing. Well just about everyone wants to look rough and tough and tactical, and so it's now nearly de rigeur. The stuff is everywhere. I described these places earlier as being like a college campus/heavily armed summer camp. This is one of those ways. It's like being on a college campus near the big football game when everyone is wearing their school sweatshirt or what have you. They just nearly all look like magazine adverts.

I'm not bitching, really, I just find it oddly amusing that even in a land where (far off) gunfire is a daily occurance, explosions happen at least weekly, helicopters and jets thunder overhead and fully 7 out of 10 people are armed with at least a pistol if not more, there's this need to "look tactical". I mean, seriously. I wonder when an RPG will be *THE* fashion accessory. I dunno, I guess I'm still viewing the place with an outsiders perspective. Maybe I'll be all kitted up with a 5.11 frequent shopper card by the end of my tour. :) I'll be fobulous! Speaking of FOBs (Forward Operating Bases) there's another term for people who act/look all tough but never leave the bases. Like the guy in supply with the high and tight haircut, tribal or PMC logo tattoos, wrap around Wiley-X' sunglasses and 5.11 everything. the term for him is apparently, "Fobbits". So Fobbits look fobulous. Clear?

It's also interesting in a way, that a lot of ex-military still have this desire to wear a unifrom and blend in with others so they all wear similar clothes. In counter-point, it's likely that many real "operators" probably don't wear 5.11 at this point, having moved on to something completely different (and lower profile). They are more likely to drive something that looks like a 82 Ford crown Vic (but is uparmored and weighs seven tons), rather than some enormous SUV with "Shoot Me!" painted on the side. I'm not saying anything a five year old couldn't figure out.

The point being, that the people many of these folks are desperate to look like are all wearing "Tonka Tough!" clothing line or something which is NOT obviously paramilitary at this point. You'll know we've come full circle when BlackWater or Aegis start their own clothing line. Personally, it all makes me want to start making t-shirts. As opposed to Camp Slayer, Camp Victory, Camp Liberty and other tough sounding stuff, I'd have grey, tan and black t-shirts with "Camp Smurfy" (Smurf-Fucking-Tastic!), "Camp Fluffeh Bunneh" (Bringer of Pain and Candy!), "Camp Sauron" (We Got Fobbits!) etc. Because some of these people could stand a bit of (admitedly juvenile) humor to help them deflate the hyper egos. I'd probably get kicked out of the country. Heh.

Work is work, and it's a bit odd to go from an 8hr workday to a 12hr workday. It seems to make you tired more often than not, though that's probably still some jetlag kicking in. It'll resolve itself. Turnover with the guy I'm replacing has been decent, though in truth I'd not mind if he were here a few more days as a safety net, but I've got his email and phone, so I can reach out for any questions or issues discovered after he leaves and there's nothing I can't handle in a pinch.

The weather has been pretty much fantastic, cool, breezy, and not at all what it's going to be like in summer. Still, it's better than stepping off the plane and doing the whole *burstintoflame!* thing from the heat, which I think nearly happened to me in Bahrain the first time I went there. I swear my shirt was smoldering. Anyways, the weather is really nice right now, so I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can. It'll be a while before I can get any pics uploaded, and of course any uploaded will have to keep in mind personal and operational security, so I'd not expect much in the way of close ups of sensitive people or places or things like me and my homey Cofer Black or as I call him: "CeeBee!". :)

That's about it for now, time to grab a shower and hit the sack.

Regards,
-Bouncer-