10 Things I like about Basrah

[6nandneutral]

1. Going Home.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
I couldn't think of anything else.

[Lionel Lion]

11. er, um, nope, got me there. No, hangon.......... nope its gone

[truckiebloke]

2.....I quite like the rule of not being allowed to wear sunglasses on my head.
3.....The SWO
4.....The RSM
5.....The only time i could possibly have a drink is always at a time when im airborne.
6.....The wonderful facilities that have been built up in the last 3 years
7.....The 'swimming pool gene pool'
8.....The wonderful in flight rations.
9.....The life ex tents that we still live in!

[truckiebloke]

i forgot number 10!!! .... erm.......the wonderful smell in the internet room!

[Melchett01]

Fair point, Basrah is a dump ..... wasn't known as GIFA for no reason. However....... it's not here! And senior officer politics aside, I don't have to put up with half the crap I have to put up with when I am in the UK, I work less hours than when I'm in the UK and the constant sparring with the RSM is a good laugh.

Yes I miss my family and friends, but life in Basrah is a hell of a lot easier than life in the UK

[nutmeg]

1. The curries in the cookhouse
2. The ice cream in the cookhouse
3. The extremely friendly KBR blokes (although not their sandwich making skills)
4. Ice cold Stella
5. Sunbathing at the back of the TDA
6. Cheap fags (cigarettes!)
7. All the girls being beautiful (or at least seeming so)
8. Echos ( have only tried the one at Smitty and can only assume it is as good)
9. Pizza Hut
10. Movers (okay that one is a lie!!!)

[animo et fide]

1 through 10 - The fact there are no chinooks in there!!!!








aef:}

[SASless]

Hmmmmmm....my how times have changed.

Internet....remember the two month turn around on mail?

DVD's...remember the 35mm films that either were broken or had one missing reel?

Cookhouse....canned rations for months at a time cooked over small chunks of C4.

Showers....What showers? Plenty during Monsoon season!

Drink.....remember five year old Carling Black Label beer that has sat in the direct sunlight all that time?

Tents.....that is what Midnight Requistioning is all about.

Portaloos....remember burning cans of Poo every morning?

Sand.....what's a war without MUD?

Ice Cream? What in the heck is that?

Pizza Hut....only at the Air Force bases. (Pongo's not allowed)

Movers.....same in all Armies.

[buoy15]

Basrah ?
Is that an anagram?
British Army Should Remain At Home?:hmm:

[Blacksheep]

So, it seems the days are long gone when an RAF bivouac was an oasis of civilisation in a sea of pongo misery? Flush toilets, ice cold beer, fresh rations flown in daily...
Up in Grik our chopper detachments would get visits from Army Brasshats (in mufti) because it was the only place they could get a cold beer and a decent curry. We once had a Royal Marine crawl on his belly, through the mud and thorns to get into our beer tent for an evening's refreshment. We wouldn't let him in until he burned off all the leeches and took a shower. :}

...And WTF is an RSM doing within rock throwing distance of the RAF? :hmm:

[A2QFI]

Basrah ?
Is that an anagram?
British Army Should Remain At Home?:hmm:
No it is an acronym! The sentiment is correct though!

[Talking Radalt]

...And WTF is an RSM doing within rock throwing distance of the RAF? :hmm:

Not heard of JHC then.....where there's the wrong way or there's the Army way :hmm:

[6nandneutral]

Being told that your 4 week det may be a 2 week det (fingers crossed)

[Melchett01]

Being told that your 4 week det may be a 2 week det

That's not a det - that's a break from the wife and kids :E

[AfricanSkies]

Come on! Theres the world's best quality pirate DVD's available!! Save heaps!

[Lee Jung]

The camp is OK although I agree that more should have been done to make life habitable - not as if we are going anywhere is it, well maybe about 100 nm ESE!

The way we work is to send minimum people and work them hard - decent airconned accomm has to be the number one priority, of course this rests behind a nice secure 5-star Sheraton for our Herc mates!

A thrap-otorium or bro-tel would be good.........

Lee

[rafloo]

Ive just been reading a party manifesto....get a load of this:

1. We will bring our troops back from Germany and withdraw from NATO, since recent political developments make both commitments obsolete


2. We will also withdraw all British troops with immediate effect from Iraq. We will never again involve British troops in any more American 'wars for oil' or neo-con adventures on behalf of the Zionist government of Israel.

3. . We will refuse to risk British lives in meddling 'peace-keeping' missions in parts of the world where no British interests are at stake - a position of armed neutrality.

4. We will restore the county regimental system and withdraw from the European Union plans for an European Army.

5. We will invest in creating an integrated defence structure that can respond to all 21st Century threats.

6. If Britain is attacked by rogue states or terrorists then we will respond with appropriate force until the threat is eradicated.

7. The compulsory National Service system discussed elsewhere in this Manifesto would begin at the age of 18 with a period of basic training in the army. This would include full training with the citizens' assault rifle. Conscientious objectors who refuse to undertake military service would be allocated other constructive work for the community, but would not receive the citizen's right to be armed, or the right to vote.

8. Individuals would be free to refuse to undertake any form of National Service, but such a refusal to serve the community for the common good would result in their not being entitled to free places at university, on training courses or self-employment schemes. Whereas some other politicians mouth platitudes about there being “no rights without responsibilities”, we mean it.

Blimey...lets hope that lot dont get in then eh?

[EnginEars]

BNP by any chance? :uhoh:

[Mike Oxbigg]

We can't spend money improving the camp as that would give the impression that we will be there for years and years - oh, hang on a minute.....................;) !

[Talking Radalt]

Air con on Ops or JPA at home. You can't have both. :hmm:

[Jobza Guddun]

Air con on Ops or JPA at home. You can't have both. :hmm:

Or in fact, either....:yuk:

Jobza Baddun

[sikeano]

quote:

BNP by any chance?

though sounds like it is quite good manifesto oh i got my own no 10 i retired just in time to miss all the fun in basrah
damm
:p

[John Purdey]

A question for the guys and gals stationed out there; In 1954 (yep!) when I passed through, the fireplace and other features in the officers mess were made up of ancient bricks, each of which was impessed with what seemed to be Egyptian inscriptions. Are any of them still there? JP

[Pindi]

John Purdey

PM me if you want info on that fireplace. I know the story.

Rgds

Pindi

[nutmeg]

Officers' Mess? Which tent is that in?

[N Joe]

1. It is better than Kandahar
2. It is better than Kandahar
3. It is better than Kandahar
4. It is better than Kandahar
5. It is better than Kandahar
6. It is better than Kandahar
7. It is better than Kandahar
8. It is better than Kandahar
9. It is better than Kandahar
10. It is better than Kandahar

So it's off to Kandahar as well now then!

[Occasional Aviator]

1. Not being allowed ORP for an overnight stop in the desert.
2. Three shirts and a 5-day laundry turnaround.
3. The same packed lunches we get in UK, including donkey dick sausage rolls and choccy bars in July.
4. The marvellous transit accommodation at TDA4.
5. Checking your bags in and then having to carry them.
6. Stray bullet within 500m of a building. 5 killed (when the RAF Regiment ran them over responding to the incident).
7. Having to brief a US headquarters (including units that were in Somalia) that the Sea King IRT's callsign is Super 62....
8. Not being able to get desert flying suits because they've all been issued to air stewards.
9. Double the pleasure when you submit SORs to NSE as you always have to resubmit after the first is rejected because the desk officer didn't read it properly.
10. Aircon rooms allocated to those working in aircon offices, not those who work outdoors or fly non-aircon aircraft.

[truckiebloke]

oh but the blunties and adminers all need to have aircon rooms so that they can think clearly about what new rules they can make up(to get their names known!)

surprised nobody has mentioned the wonderful service that the movers provide in their top ten list.....