Month 3 Day 15

Notebook Entry
Translations to Linguists, Colonel comes to “give” sheep

Journal Entry
Everyone was gone yesterday, so I caught up on some work that I needed to get done over here on the Marine side of Camp Garmsir. We had our own collective action problem here with the linguists. One was working very hard on the translations that I needed to get done, while he was in the CCOC [Combined Combat Operations Center], but the others would sit down, do a slide or two, then leave. The one who was working hard complained and asked me to divide up the classes and have everyone do his own. 3 out of 4 were ok with this, but we have a little umpa –lumpa named Neckpai who was not happy. I told him I could give him the classes as though he were the student, I gave him a glossary, printed off a list of acronyms, told him he could use my personal computer to translate it. Basically, he is lazy and didn’t want to do it. He asked me ‘what happens if I refuse’ I kind of chuckled and then asked the major. The major said he wouldn’t be fire, just sent to some random shit-hole patrol base. Life is comparatively easy up here. He thought doing the translations would be better.

The colonel came over yesterday and ‘gave’ away the sheep. The Afghans picked them up, brought them here, complained that the gift was too small (in truth it cost over $1000, already a price gouge), but the Colonel [Marine regimental Commander] wanted to ‘give’ it to them. This was ludicrous. I now understand what everyone means when they say that infantry commanders are used to being princes of the universe. Oh well, he is the Colonel, and that is that.