Ridin' the Rhino

You might expect to ride a camel in Iraq, but what's the deal with a Rhino?  The Rhino is an armored bus that transports folks around, generally between Baghdad International Airport and the International Zone.  I understand that the Rhino is manufactured in Israel, a location that has a lot of experience with armored vehicles and explosions.

The Rhino is about the most unglamorous ride you'll ever experience.  For most of us, the Rhino only runs at night.  And, to make matters worse, the folks in charge of the Rhino don't tell us when it's going to start the trip.  Security, you know.  The less folks that know when it's leaving, the better chance we have of getting to the destination.  Of course, it's probably not hard for anyone to figure out that it runs sometime between midnight and 4 am....there aren't that many 50' long, green, armored busses running around after midnight anyway!!

The Rhino has thick metal sides and small, thick glass windows, the bulletproof kind.  It feels a little strange getting into the Rhino.  It also travels in a convoy of armored military vehicles that run ahead of, and behind, the Rhino on it's nightly trips out of the IZ, into the "red zone", and to the airport.

If you want to ride the Rhino, you have to show up at the bus shed at some pre-appointed time, generally after dark, but before midnight.  Then you sit around the bus shed with 50-75 other folks, who like you, would rather be in bed sleeping at this time of night.  You can't use your cell phone, because folks might be listening and you could inadvertently announce the time that the bus is supposed to run.  Of course, I wouldn't have any friends up at midnight anyway, unless I was calling back to the States!

The Rhino takes us to the airport where we arrive sometime between midnight and 4 am.  Of course, we're all headed to the airport to catch a flight somewhere.  But, just like the Rhino schedule, we don't know the air schedule.  So, we arrive at the airport by 4 am, and might hang around until the afternoon to catch a plane.  

If you're going to ride the Rhino.....bring a book!!!

It's a Small World!

You just never know who you'll meet.....even in Baghdad! Here are some examples!
I met an army colonel who went to veterinary school at Colorado State University. He grew up in Colorado, and we were chatting to see if we had any acquaintances in common. Guess what...his in-laws retired and now live in a little town in my home county! They even live in a house that we looked at when we were moving to the county.
Another person I met lives in our state's capital. We were talking about where I live, and it turns out that he knows our local Division of Wildlife Managers! Turns out that they've been friends for some number of years.
Last week I was talking with a gentleman who grew up in my home state of Tennessee. I asked where he was from and he mentioned a county not far from where I went to college. We chatted more, and it turns out that one of his best friends is one of my first, and finest college professors.
A high-ranking Foreign Service Officer in the Embassy has a home in my wife's home county. His wife is a native of that area, and knows my wife's family!
Last week I was sitting at the dinner table with a guy....turned out that he knows my cousin, a retired police officer!!
Well, it is true, it's a small world, you just never know when you're going to run across somebody with a "hometown" connection!!

The Bean

Just like at most offices, coffee is the stimulant-of-choice at any military or diplomatic station.  The International Zone is no exception, nor are the military bases scattered around Iraq!  There must be hundreds of gallons of coffee served here on a daily basis.  Coffee is free at the Dining Facility (DFac), and at the coffee station inside the Embassy.  However, for coffee aficionados, there's evidently nothing like a cup of coffee from The Green Bean.  It's the military/diplomatic version of Starbucks, and can be found at almost every military outpost in Iraq, and at other military outposts in the Middle East. 

Inside the Embassy, there's a large room with a coffee shop over in the corner.....the "Green Bean" as it's affectionately known.  The large room is filled with small tables, along with some couches and soft chairs.  This is the central meeting place inside the Embassy.  There aren't many formal meeting rooms, and they're usually busy.  So, if you want to meet with someone, or a few people, you generally meet "at the Bean".  

As I've traveled around Iraq, I'm always impressed by the presence of the Green Bean coffee shops.  What a treat it is for our troops to get a big cup of their favorite coffee.  I'm impressed that a company would dedicate itself to serving our troops.  I've never run across this company, so went to the internet to learn more.  From their website, here's a short history:

"During a business trip to the Middle East, Jason Araghi had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to bring Saudi Arabia its first gourmet coffeehouse, and opened the Art Nouveau Cafe in 1996.  U.S. Army personnel at nearby Eskan Village caught word about the new coffeehouse, and soon after, invited Jason to open a cafe on the US Army base. Within months of operating at Eskan Village, the Air Force extended an invitation for a further 3 locations at the Prince Sultan Air Base, in Al-Kharj KSA.

Today, GBCC Inc. serves military personnel in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Qatar, Uzbekistan, and Djibouti, Africa. The company has not only grown in locations, but also in its mission to support our men and women in uniform.

Every corporate mission statement reads like a litany of values too good to argue with, yet too ordinary to matter. Not ours. Our 10-year heritage of supporting those that put their lives at stake for our country is firmly rooted and non-negotiable. That heritage of caring is the foundation of our operating philosophy."

I see that the company is actually known as Green Beans Coffee Company.  So, here's a tip-of-the-hat to a good company that's serving good coffee, frappes, cappucino, tea, smoothies, muffins, etc., to our troops who are away from home!  I see from their website that you can buy a Green Beans gift card for a soldier, even if you don't know a soldier over here.  

If you get over here, give me a call....I'll meet you at the Green Bean!