Week #19 - Welcome to Iraq

That's all I could think as I stepped aboard Khwar Al Amaya Oil Terminal, or KAAOT as its known. But let's start from the beginning...

I just renamed last week's post "Hover Mode" because that's what it felt like. Just waiting to go to the oil platforms, or OPLATs. I made the most of my time before coming up here. I focused on getting as much exposure to the two missions we have on the 'plats: Security Detachment (SECDET) and patrol boat detachment (MESF Boat Det). Almost every day last week I went on watch with the boats out of KNB harbor. I also got a great tour from the Army Security Forces (SECFOR) on KNB, and stood one watch in our Mobile Operations Center (MOC) at the commercial port up north. We also have boats up there, buts a much more complicated process to get up there and back. But we only have that one MOC. Turns out its much of the same stuff I do in the JOC. In the JOC, we shifted so that I was on watch in the evenings, 1900 to 0100. That's what allowed me to go out and have fun this past week.

50-caliber machine gun on the bow of one of our boats

Yesterday, Saturday, I went up to the commercial port, which we also call the SPOD (Seaport of Debarkation). I went with our Boat Maintenance Facility to 'splash' one of our boats, e.g. put one of our boats in the water. Up at the SPOD, that involves a crane: a very, very large crane. This crane, which is contracted from the port, has ten wheels, eight of which appear to turn to help this giant contraption maneuver. Very cool! Using the Freightliner (FL) 80 truck, we backed the trailer with the 34-foot Sea Ark patrol boat to the edge of the water. Then the crane crane picked it up by the slings that were attached to the bow and stern. When I say "picked it up" I mean like it was a little toy! I really wish I had my camera for this. Then the crane swung it over the wall and eased it down to the water, about 20 feet below the pier. Another boat was waiting there with a boat to take out. The crew switched the straps to the old boat, which came off the AFSB (more on this later) and the crane hoisted that one up and onto the trailer. We staged the trailer on the pier for a later pick-up, then went to the other side of the base to grab one of the six boats that had come in from San Diego on a container ship. Along with one other truck and its associated trailer and boat, we drove back to KNB in a convoy. Tactical driving with an FL 80 towing a 34' boat on a double-axel trailer on a Middle Eastern highway. That's the tip of the spear for tactical boat maintenance!

While on the secure pier there was a couple columns of MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles) sitting there. These vehicles are very important to our guys on the ground in Iraq, and extremely valuable as a result. As far as I can tell, they are an up-armored troop carrier. One of the guys had previously been given a tour by an Army guy, and knew how to open them. The doors are actually hydraulic. You just pull on the lever and the door opens. As long as you keep pulling, the door keeps moving. Which is good, because each door probably weighs a quarter ton! I crawled up in there, first on the passenger side and then (why not?) the driver side. Absolutely amazing how tricked out these things are, inside and out. I can't imagine the training you'd have to have to operate everything. Only seat four or six total, but its about the size of a tank. I think one of the guys read off a label that they weight 80 tons. The funniest thing, though? The new car smell: Same as walking into a Home Depot!

(One of the guys took some photos. Hopefully he will e-mail to me soon.)

Also on Saturday I really started my preps to depart for the OPLATs. I did my last load of laundry, got my last haircut, had my last "foo-foo" coffee, and had my last meal (and ice cream desert) at KNB. Then I packed up my stuff in the big black roller bag they issued us in San Diego and took it down to the ship I would ride to the 'plats, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter BARANOF. Then took a shower and hit my rack for my last nights sleep in Kuwait, at least for two months.


Sunday I had to get up at 'zero dark thirty' to catch my ride. Well, I guess it was 0445. Got dressed, grabbed my bag, got my gun (and ammo) and walked down to the pier. Really convenient when you think about it. Got to the BARANOF just in time for the navigation brief at 0530 and then we were off. It was fun riding away from KNB for the second time in two weeks, the first time being the hovercraft ride. This time I actually looked back as we pulled out. Granted, a USCG patrol boat doesn't go 55 or 60 knots (which is about 70 mph by the way) like an LCAC, so there was plenty of time to look back and take in the sights. One of our 34' patrol boats escorted us out, blue lights spinning. That was rewarding just by itself. That's our mission, point defense and escort duties for high value assets. Even our own ships!


Northward we went, angling around the commercial traffic going to and from the SPOD, which is north of KNB. After we secured from the sea detail, or special watch section for getting underway and leaving port, we headed down belowdecks for breakfast. Turns out one of the Port Security Unit (PSU) personnel was onboard for this 'leg' to fill in for the ship's cook. I ordered up an omelet with everything and enjoyed that along with some bacon, something I hadn't enjoyed since arriving in Kuwait. I took the time to head back up topside for some more photos when the light was better. Compared to the USS SHILOH, my first ship, the BARONOF is small by comparison. So small, she's commanded by a LT. So I was actually the senior ranking person onboard. That felt a little weird!


After a four hour transit, we were on station by the southern oil platform. BARANOF immediately got permission to put their rhib (rigid hull inflatable boat) in the water and transfer one 'pax' (passenger) to KAAOT. The rhib is very small, but it stills takes a coordinated effort, and cooperative seas, to get it off the ship and in the water safely. Once in the water, we jammed across the Northern Arabian Gulf and Iraqi territorial waters.


I'd been told the OPLATs were like the movie Waterworld. From a material standpoint, nothing could be more accurate. I don't think anything could have prepared me for the site I would see. It's easy to describe something as nice, shiny, pleasant or any similar number of positive adjectives. It's harder to describe a rusted piece of junk that is falling apart. In the future weeks, I will capture the place photogenically in all its glory.


My predecessor, Kevin, was there to greet me at the west 'beach.' I was able to haul my own, very heavy, bag up the steep steps from the water's edge. After dropping my stuff off in my new room, which I share with one other person, we immediately had lunch. Food is comparable to KNB. Afterwards, a special treat, more time on the water in our patrol boats. One of the replacement crews and the new boat OIC had just arrived with the Afloat Staging Base (AFSB), a British amphibious ship. We conducted our patrol brief then headed out. In the process I met the Task Group commodore briefly. He went out with us, but wound up on the other boat.


Out on station, I was able to get some good pictures of KAAOT from the water. There was one tanker alongside taking oil. In the picture below you can also see the various interconnected platforms. I'm staying on the large one on the left. You can also see it in the first picture of KAAOT above. It's a three story series of connex boxes converted into living quarters. Each pair of four-man rooms share a common head with two showers, two toilets, one urinal, and two sinks. Actually a better set up than on KNB, and A LOT newer and cleaner.


After a long patrol, it was back here to finish getting settled in and get the laptop fired up. Though we got in the boats from the east beach, we pulled into the west side again, where I first arrived. The tide had risen a little since then, making it very easy to get off.


After our debrief, Kevin showed me around a little more and cut me loose. The guys from SPAWAR got me connected to the wireless (another improvement over KNB) and online right away. Right about this time I witnessed a warm sunset. I'm sure I'll see many more!