Looks like Mark is looking for another assistant in Bagdad.
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=38574271&AVSDM=2006-01-26+11%3A29%3A27&Logo=0&pg=11&lid=17514&paygrademin=13&FedEmp=Y&sort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&FedPub=Y
An e-pal of mine who’s in the British Army has spent some time in Iraq operating a railway there, with colleagues from the US Army Transportation Corp. He writes:-
“I worked with a Company of “Transportation” from the US Army, operating out of the port of Um Quasr, Iraq. I found all ranks and grades both willing and able and very knowledgeable on Railway matters. They had gaps in their knowledge but this was easily remedied and once they had a bit of practice of running the railway up to Shaiba Junc (Immam Annas) and beyond, were really good. I taught them to say Railway and they used the word station routinely, only rarely was it preceded by the word train. As in the British military they used the term signal and soon got to grips with the principles of block working although the line was operated on the dispatcher principle. All in all a good lot of lads who worked wonders with not a lot. Ably supervised by a sadly dwindling band of TA railwaymen from the RLC out of Grantham.
Mind you the Iraqi Railwaymen were in a class on their own and took dedication to another level. Maybe we could get some of them over here?”
(TA = Territorial Army, the volunteer reserve force in Britain
RLC = Royal Logistic Corp, the British equivalent of the US Army Transportation Corp)
Interesting job, but word has it that the boss is a slave driver.