Combat Shower Enforcement in Iraq

[bowe96]

At a remote C-17 stage location in SWA...one of my crew members was chastised for not turning off the water between swipes of the razor. The reason was "You are wasting water and WE just put in a $6 million dollar pond to support water usage"...UFB

My solution? Get banned from said location. If we all do it the Chiefs will have no where to go.

[Guest]

People will respond if told the reason for a 5 minute shower.

They may bitch about it or not like it but they will respond appropriately if the reson is explained.

No reason to treat anyone like shit.

[Bergman]

People will respond if told the reason for a 5 minute shower.

They may bitch about it or not like it but they will respond appropriately if the reson is explained.

No reason to treat anyone like shit.

Exactly. "Take a short shower, otherwise the base will be out of water in 3 days" usually works well.

Of course, there is the Deid...which is 20 miles away from a metro area of nearly a million people (or more), so it's pretty hard to take their water rationing seriously.

In any case, much like the reflective belt and uniform police, violation of an AFI, rule, or policy does not give people justification to act like an asshole and/or be disrespectful. Especially to someone who outranks them.

[contraildash]

Sent a copy of this to someone who's there right now. Response:

HOLY FUCKING SHIT...that is spot on. They have stickers all over the place and sometimes the fucktards sit there and time people. They even have stickers at the sinks instructing people to turn the water on/off while shaving or brushing teeth. Really? This dude's story is not an exaggeration, it is a frequent occurrence, with the exception of punching." They have fist sized rocks to keep the shower curtains from getting "pulled" in by the water. I keep one on the little shelf in the shower for any potential attempts to fuck with me while I'm doing my business.

I agree with you guys though, tell folks straight up why they are rationing water. Worked with my wife.

Hey take shorter showers.

Why?

Because our water bill was 2 trillion Euros. So shorter showers or get a job.

OK.

Edited May 8, 2011 by contraildash

[BQZip01]

Sent a copy of this to someone who's there right now. Response:

I agree with you guys though, tell folks straight up why they are rationing water. Worked with my wife.

Hey take shorter showers.

Why?

Because our water bill was 2 trillion Euros. So shorter showers or get a job.

OK.

What was she doing out of the kitchen!?!?

[/chauvinistic comment]

[tac airlifter]

As long as I see 0-6 and above types getting their cars washed with the same grey water I shower with, I'm not going to worry if my shower exceeds 5 minutes.

[pawnman]

An A1C in my Sq was ordered to wash a car with bottled water. What a fucking waste.

That's another one I think of when I hear "combat showers"...

"There's a water shortage on base, keep your showers to 3 minutes"

"Really? Because I walked past a pallet of water to get here...can't you just dump that stuff in the reservoir?"

[snoopyeast]

As long as I see 0-6 and above types getting their cars washed with the same grey water I shower with, I'm not going to worry if my shower exceeds 5 minutes.

Don't forget the plants and bushes they water outside the chow hall in the Better People's Complex at the Deid.

[pawnman]

Don't forget the plants and bushes they water outside the chow hall in the Better People's Complex at the Deid.

And the newly gardened traffic circle.

[Guest]

Exactly. "Take a short shower, otherwise the base will be out of water in 3 days" usually works well.

And when the base does run out of water a couple times people will self police. BTDT.

[Guest Ponis]

Is there an AFI describing the combat shower? I checked e-pubs and the Tongue and Quill and couldn't find anything. I just finished flying during the night shift at a deployed location and intend on taking a shower in the near future. I tried calling the shoe clerk warriors, but I forgot, they won't be at work until 945 after their 1.5 hour PT session. Which gives me 15 minutes to catch them before their two hour lunch break. Which means I probably won't get ahold of those who "support airpower" and "enable bombs on target" until my crew rest kicks in, which means I won't get an answer for days.

[pawnman]

Is there an AFI describing the combat shower? I checked e-pubs and the Tongue and Quill and couldn't find anything. I just finished flying during the night shift at a deployed location and intend on taking a shower in the near future. I tried calling the shoe clerk warriors, but I forgot, they won't be at work until 945 after their 1.5 hour PT session. Which gives me 15 minutes to catch them before their two hour lunch break. Which means I probably won't get ahold of those who "support airpower" and "enable bombs on target" until my crew rest kicks in, which means I won't get an answer for days.

Just ask the shoe who interupts your shower for the reg. If he can't produce it, be sure to get his name and rank so you can email him later.

[Hacker]

"AIR POWER IS THE POWER OF AIRMEN"

That is all.

[TacAirCoug]

It was nice of the Soviets to put that sign up in English. They must have known we were going to be there soon.

[BQZip01]

An A1C in my Sq was ordered to wash a car with bottled water. What a fucking waste.

I saw the same thing at the 'Deid in '05, but in their defense, the bottled water was past its expiration date and, therefore, unfit for consumption.

[Guest Ponis]

If they have such a boner for this stuff why doesn't someone make a CBT? It would go well with the 69 other pre-deployment CBTs we have to accomplish.

[disgruntledemployee]

"Welcome to the Died, deployers. Just to let you know, this is a combat zone (shows pics of combat in some other location). In order for all our chiefs and numerous other non-combat forces to meet the conditions for combat pay, we must live in combat conditions. Therefore, the "Combat Shower" is in effect. By putting everyone under the rules of combat showers, we can get paid (shows pics of dudes in showers, no water on, with reflective belts). Now, I know all you flyers out there fly into the real combat zone every day, and therefore argue that the combat shower should not apply to you, but common sense is checked at the gate here--too many promotions are on the line."

Out

There. Poor man's CBT complete. I won't waste my time on the real thing. Edit to add this comment.

Edited May 15, 2011 by disgruntledemployee

[abmwaldo]

"As everybody starts rushing out the door there was an (Army) sergeant first class, we called the chow hall Nazi, standing at the door screaming 'Take out our trays! Don't leave your trash behind!'"

Shoeclerks... they aren't just for the Air Force anymore.

[LJ Driver]

"As everybody starts rushing out the door there was an (Army) sergeant first class, we called the chow hall Nazi, standing at the door screaming 'Take out our trays! Don't leave your trash behind!'"

Shoeclerks... they aren't just for the Air Force anymore.

There are so many great quotes from SrA Boggs, including: "When I heard, 'we need more guys at the front,' I thought to myself, 'I'm a guy. I can be at the front,'"... I'm surprised that AF.mil is willing to put such a grotesque display of sexism on its website.

[Murph]

Good on ya, SrA Boggs!

[Hacker]

As much as I'd like to find some reason to make fun of the kid in that story, I can't.

Quite the opposite. I'm proud to know that, regardless of how cynical I get about the Air Force sometimes, there are young GIs like him who will do the right thing when the time comes.

Going out to fight on the line in PT gear with your M9?? Fuck yeah! Git Some!

Helluva lot better than the guys in IBA and K-pots cowering under desks during the IDF attacks.

[pawnman]

"As everybody starts rushing out the door there was an (Army) sergeant first class, we called the chow hall Nazi, standing at the door screaming 'Take out our trays! Don't leave your trash behind!'"

Shoeclerks... they aren't just for the Air Force anymore.

Thankfully we have guys like this young airman. Where the hell do we find people like this Sgt First Class? You're being mortared, and your first thought is trays and trash? Unbelievable.

[ClearedHot]

As much as I'd like to find some reason to make fun of the kid in that story, I can't.

Quite the opposite. I'm proud to know that, regardless of how cynical I get about the Air Force sometimes, there are young GIs like him who will do the right thing when the time comes.

Going out to fight on the line in PT gear with your M9?? Fuck yeah! Git Some!

"2"

Us old farts make fun of the "Me Generation", but these kids are just as dedicated as we are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsP_wakRF6U

[08Dawg]

That's fuckin' motivating! A kid with a job that he probably never thought would involve combat, let alone engaging targets with an M4 while under fire, and his first thought isn't "Oh shit, better take cover!", it's "oh the hell with this, gonna get my gun off!"

[pawnman]

That's fuckin' motivating! A kid with a job that he probably never thought would involve combat, let alone engaging targets with an M4 while under fire, and his first thought isn't "Oh shit, better take cover!", it's "oh the hell with this, gonna get my gun off!"

That kid is pretty awesome.

Did I hear the end of the story right? They're going to display his boxers in a museum?