Hired Help Wrap-Up

This post isn't part of my original article, and I apologize for the sloppiness of the editing of the previous posts.  Fortunately Pops helped point out some of my errors (which I admit I only corrected on the actual article itself, not my blog postings.  For some reason Blogger doesn't like when I correct already posted material).  As I mentioned in the first posting of this thread, the article wasn't written with segmenting it in mind.  This is the last installment for this thread, just some pictures that didn't make it into the main article.

Despite the possibly dark tone of the article, the TCN's that our unit worked with were good people.  I'd work with any of them again any time.  My earliest recollection of dealing with TCN's one on one was early in the deployment.  I had my first flat tire while at CSC Scania and was out earlier than the rest of our convoy to get it changed on my own (when you're built like me its nice to know you can change your own tires if you have to).  I was having a heck of a time getting the out lug nuts off and a crowd of TCN's was gathering around me to watch.  I knew they were discussing me by their actions and the smiles that one gives an individual they are finding humor in.  Finally an older member of the group came up to me and motioned that I was trying to turn the lug nuts the wrong way.  Being the stubborn person I am, I didn't want to listen.  A short while later I was still swearing under my breath at the lug nuts when Angry Man came out.  Together we gave it everything we have (he's about two of me) but still no luck.  The older TCN once again explained we were trying to turn the nuts in the wrong direction.  After a short discussion with Angry Man we decided the TCN's did have more experience around the HETs than we did, so we gave it a try...and the old guy was right, we were trying to turn reverse threaded lug nuts like they were standard threaded ones.  The TCN's helped us swap the tire out with our spare, and after everything was put away I thanked the old guy and offered him a Rip It and a smoke, which he gladly accepted.  After this point I started hanging out in the staging lanes at Scania more often, partly to see what I could from the TCN's, partly to see how US personnel treated them.

And without further ado, here's the rest of the photos (other than the soccer one, photos were taken by Stephen Griggs):

TCN's playing soccer in the staging lanes.

Pops and some of our TCNs.

One of our TCN's.

Wanted to end this on a light note.

~~~