The JSS

I live and work out of a Joint Security Station (towards the bottom end of the scale of US Bases - - Foward Operating Bases being the 5 star deluxe locations, Combined Operating Stations are the next step down, Combat Out Posts third, Joint Security Stations next to last and Patrol Bases on the bottom of the heap). On the post we have our 11 man team, 8 support folks (guards, commo guys, etc.) and our 5 interpreters. There are supposed to be another 15 or so MPs coming to the JSS next week, I will let you know about that.


The compound is sitting on the larger Tuwaitha compound. For those of you with an Iraqi history background, this is the compound that housed Iraq's nuclear research facilities prior to 1981 when the Israeli's bombed it.

When we take a helicopter ride out of COP Cashe, you can see the destroyed reactor. The US spent a lot of time ensuring that it was cleaned up and all the radioactive material was removed from it, so it is safe, I think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad_Nuclear_Research_Facility





JSS Tuwaitha sits on the north side of the compound, COS Cashe South sits on the south side of the compound. COS Cashe South is where our US Task Force counterparts are housed, the Iron Knights of TF 1-35, like I said in my previous post, good folks to work with, they truly understand the nature of the mission and are working hard to transition the security of the area to the Iraqi Security Forces. They provide most of our logistical support and provide units to partner up with the National Police. On our side we have the 3-1 National Police Raid Company and Special Forces platoon in two buildings just outside our gate (the picture to the left is me at the flag raising ceremony, turning over the JSS to the Iraqis). These two units are the units the NP use for conducting arrests and raids in the area. Pretty good units, we are working to increase their training levels.



We have our own gym, Superman's favorite room, it has a pretty good selection of weights and apparatus so there is no problem with working out and such. Inside that gym are our two treadmills, which tragically, I have broken one of. The treadmills are from a Canadian company, I won't say which one, but Canadian runners must be elf-like in build and must only need to run for 15 or 20 minutes to hit their training goals. I gotta tell yah, the treadmill I broke was not designed for the clydesdale pounding I guess I put on it. I was about in the middle of a 12 mile run when I felt something snap in the treadmill, and that was that.


Since that day, I have decided to run outside exclusively. Our compound is walled in, and is L-shaped, so I run on a trail, just inside the walls. I joke around that we have two running courses on the JSS - - one running clockwise and one running counter-clockwise. This might sound silly, but I normally average about 2 seconds a mile slower on the counter-clockwise route, so it must be harder. The trail (both couses) is about .2 miles around according to my running partner the trusty GPS. I can get some good speed built up on the long straight away, but have to slow it down when I hit the parking lot - - there is a lot of weaving between things parked there. My longest run on it was 9 miles (I ran out of time), I normally go for about 5 or 6 miles every other day and am planning on one long run on a weekend. This morning was a 6 miler, and it was a little chilly, I had a pleasant memory about Aunt Faye's BEST GIFT EVER - the North Face running gloves she sent me about three years ago for Christmas.