Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
It has been a while since I sent an update, but that was because there really hasn't been a lot going on, at least not anything interesting. Last week I was in Qatar for a 4 day pass. I left Saturday, November 11th for what was supposed to be a 3 hour flight. 12 hours later I arrived in Qatar. When an Air Force Loadmaster says, "This isn't Delta Airlines", the proper response isn't "That's obvious". They don't like sarcasm. When you go to Camp As Saliyah on pass they have different activities you can sign up for such as golf, deep sea fishing, cultural tour, water skiing, desert safari ride, etc. Half of these had been cancelled temporarily, so we didn't sign up for anything. You can also put your name on the waiting list to be taken off post by any soldier stationed there. We were lucky enough to get to go out the first two nights by waiting long enough until they got to our names. We went to a large mall in Doha that had an indoor sled hill. An ice covered slope that you rode and inner tube down. For the first 2 feet it seemed rather slow. At the bottom of the hill when you impacted the padded wall at what seemed like 60 MPH, reality set in. Not to self, turn side ways before impact. We got 3 runs down the "Icy Hill of Death" for $4. When we got to the parking garage we saw a jacked up Ford F250 with a Qatari in his Arab garb getting out of the truck. In this wealthy country it is not common to see someone getting out of a truck like that. A Mercedes or Bentley maybe, but not an F250. He told us he has it shipped from Orange county California where he lived. He even showed us his passport to prove to us that he was an American citizen.
I ran into a classmate of mine from Quartermaster school who was stationed there at As Saliyah and he took us out two nights. We went to the Gold Souqs. Souqs is their word for shop. Most of the gold they sold was 21 or 23 karat. Hanging in the windows was what looked like Mr. T starter sets. No matter how ornate the designs were, the pieces were sold based on weight. We left there and went to the ghanim which is the old market place. Some of the areas looked like scenes from "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Here you could find hand made crafts from all over the middle east, mostly from Iran. There were also vendors who sold spices by the scoop or cinnamon by the stick. There is a restaurant in that area that hosted an outdoor concert. It is really something to see that many men in white robes dancing an Arab jig.
Another thing you don't see back home was a shop that sold falcons. The falcons sold for about $6000.
Thanksgiving is approaching and we are trying to celebrate it much the same way we would at home. The DFACs will be serving turkey and dressing tomorrow. As a tribute to our kids back home and the things that they do at school to celebrate Thanksgiving we have been drawing hand turkeys to hang on the wall. Aren't you proud of us?
The biggest news is that my promotion became official and I was pinned a major by COL White and COL Brown yesterday morning.
I guess that is all for now. I will see many of you when I come home for 2 weeks in December. Until then, have a great Thanksgiving.
R. Brents Pepper
MAJ, EN
Branch Director - Land Management
226 Area Support Group
Al Asad Airbase, Iraq APO AE 09333
