Hired Help Part 2

Lunch time at COB Speicher. I decide to have my meal at the Truckers Café, a small dining facility mainly serving transient personnel from KBR, military convoys, and TCN drivers. It is close to the end of serving hours and only a handful of military are present, and other than them the facility contains about two dozen TCN drivers. As I sit down at the table and start to eat Pops, the TCN/LNO for the military convoy I am with recognizes some TCN drivers from previous missions. Pops gets up and walks over to the drivers who have recognized him as well and are on their way over. In the middle of the room they meet, hug in a traditional greeting, shake hands, and start up a conversation. At this point I realize that all noise in the room has come to a halt as to a person everyone has stopped what they are doing and staring at the group in the center. Such interaction and displayed equality between military and the TCNs is virtually un-heard of, and everyone appears awed by what they see. After about fifteen minutes the group ends their conversation and Pops returns to the table, explaining that the TCNs were glad to see him as the unit they are convoying with has not been looking after them very well and they are in need of basic supplies. Pops assured them he would be at the staging area for the TCNs later, after picking up some supplies and a quick trip to the PX to purchase some items for them.

Some groups go the extra mile to take care of the TCNs they work with. From making sure there is extra water, sharing a portion of their own daily ration of Rip Its and snacks, to bringing them food and items from the AAFES (military store), some troops treat the TCNs just as they do their fellow US personnel: like people. TCNs are often assigned to different military convoys, and they remember how the different groups treat them. When asked, most TCNs will tell you the US Air Force is the worst group they work with. Some groups however, are actually sought out by the TCNs while on the road to either report mistreatment to a trusted military source, to see if they can acquire more supplies, or even to socialize and sometimes share some tea or a meal.

An Army TCN/LNO briefs drivers before a convoy. Photo by Matt Behrens.

Despite being looked down upon in Kuwait and by some US military forces the TCNs work just as hard as, if not at times harder than, their military counterparts. They must drive the same long hours that the military does, but unlike the military they are limited to one driver per vehicle which does not give them the option of switching drivers when tired. Over the course of my ten months on the road I have unfortunately seen this lead to preventable accidents, some minor but occasionally some that are severe.

This truck hit a barrier after the driver fell asleep at the wheel.

The TCNs rely on the military for maintenance support and security while on the road. Their parent companies have representatives at only a few of larger bases in Iraq. The trucks they drive are unarmored and they are not allowed to carry weapons. Any personal communication devices such as cell phones or two-way radios are confiscated by US personnel while the convoy is in Iraq. This limits their methods of communication to visual signals such as flashing their lights or turning on their yellow strobe lights when they need assistance. This makes them vulnerable to rock-throwing, thefts while driving slowly through congested areas, and even hijackings.

Next week:  The effects of inconsistent security procedures for TCNS.

~~~