ID Card Victory

Today was a banner day, the forces of US Army bureacratic evil were defeated on the modern corporate battlefield. Today, BG E received his International Zone (Green Zone), Iraqi-wide identification card. This card allows BG E to go into the Green Zone (part of Iraq, btw) without a US escort, kind of funny, but that is the nature of security. The team that worked with 3-1 NP let his ID card expire about 3 months before they left, as we drove away after dropping them off my counterpart said, " . . . oh, yeah, you guys need to get BG E a new ID card."

Because the card had expired, BG E had to go through the whole process, which meant SWATT had to go through the whole process. Once we found the ID card office, we (6.5 and I) had to sit through a 4 hour presentation on how to fill out the proper forms, and where those forms would go. We were also briefed on the operating hours of the ID card office: 0930-1130 in the morning, closed 1130-1330 (for lunch), 1330-1630 in the afternoon, Monday through Thursday. After doing some quick math, the pack of folks in the office worked 6 hours a day, 4 days a week. Now, we thought that maybe those were only the hours they were open to the public and the other 30 or so business hours in the week they folks were busy processing paperwork, making ID cards, returning phone calls, answering emails and dutifully pursuing their mission of ensuring the right Iraqis had ID cards. After a few phone calls, we found out that, nope, they only worked 24 hours a week, and would not consider working a minute past any of their posted hours. Some folks fight wars in different ways, apparently these folks only fight paperwork 24 hours a week.

Anyway, there are three steps to the process: Initial forms, security screening and biometric processing and picking up the card. OK, four steps. Two of those steps, security screening and picking up the card, BG E had to be present, so we had to drive from the country to the big city. For the security screening, we got held up by normal Bagdhad traffic and almost didn't make it there before 1130, as 6.5 and BG E walked up to the office, the ID card folks were closing up shop for lunch at 1120 or so. Luckily, the officer in charge of the ID card office was there and was receptive to how difficult it is to make appointments in a city with little traffic control and a lot of traffic.

We finally got all of the steps completed, now BG E can attend meetings in the Green Zone and on other bases controlled by the US without an escort. Big Victory.

NCAA Update: Round two had some pretty profound impact on the pool. I am still in third place, but it is much closer. 6.5 has moved into 1st place, tied with Smooth. Superman has faded back to 4th place. There are some major differences in our Sweet 16 picks, so things will get clearer in the pool. 6.5 is banking on Duke making it to the final game, I think that is a stretch after watching Duke break my heart over the past 3 years. I picked Syracuse over oklahoma and am sticking with unc making it to the final game against Louisville.