I know its a dupe, bought the book - written by ex arfcom member Sylvan - some time ago...finally got around to reading it..Wow, brought back some memories of Iraq and the day to day frustrations trying to get even the most mundane things accomplished.  A great read.

Agreed.  A great book.

ETA:  I gave a copy to a veteran friend for Christmas awhile back.  He really liked it too.  He had been in Kuwait in GWII, not front line combat.

The wheeling and dealing I had to do with local Iraqi officials to get any support was ridiculus.  To get some Hescos filled at a local prison  I had to have dinner with a local Iraqi Army Batt Cdr to get the use of a front end loader for a couple days.  A couple of cartons of Marboros and a case of Rip its ensured the deal.  Then bargining with the front end loader driver...that cost me a complete set of excess pioneer tools and rack.  And of course a promise of all the oil, grease  and JP8 they could handle.

At the prison we filled enough of the large 6 ft and small 3ft barriers over 2 days to to create  a wall and ECP and the rest of the project was about 80% complete.  At midnight my terp pounded on my door
And announced the front end loader was leaving...a day early.  I grapped my flip flops and weapon and had a talk with the Iraqi Army Sgt...they got orders to leave that night.  I argued to wait until morning and we could arange an escort since the lead humvee  had one working headlight.  To no avail.  

The three truck convey with the all important front end loader left about 1am and they got about 3 miles away down the highway before tracers started to light up the sky and we saw a huge fireball on the horizen.  IED. I guess they made it thru the ambush with only two wounded.

Sigh.  It was all so tiresome.