Comments on: Shocked But Silent?

By: FREEDOM

FREEDOM — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:52:11 +0000

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REPORTING YOU DO.YOU ARE FAIR AND BALANCED.FOX NEWS IS NOT THE ONLY ONE.BOTH SIDES MEAN ALOT US.

By: Just back from Mosul

Just back from Mosul — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:25:08 +0000

I just returned with my unit from Iraq last month. Nothing has changed in regards to the electrical problems with KBR in Iraq.

I lost count of the times I received mild to moderate electric shocks while on FOB Diamondback and FOB Marez. I witnessed improper grounding of CHUs and of work facilities, untrained or otherwise unqualified electricians working on projects, and a scam run by KBR fire safety and KBR electrical contractors.

I mean KBR did not even have the sense to ground our CHUs properly and the static buildup was so bad that I got St. Elmo's fire in my CHU.

Any reporter from CNN wishing to contact my may do so through my supplied e-mail address. This matter needs to be addressed again.

By: Airman

Airman — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:50:39 +0000

I was in Iraq for four months and was responsible for dealing with contracting issues regarding latrine trailers. I had SEVERAL calls for problems with these trailers and personnel being shocked in their living trailers. Our own "Airmen" had to fix these problems in some cases, because the contractor would take several days to fix the trailer or refused to fix the trailer at all.

It wasn't limited to shocking incidents... broken doors, water heaters that didn't work, wires that melted because they couldn't take the load, holes in the floor that would fit your leg. The main problem we faced was the "Iraqi First" program mandated we had to purchase these facilities/trailers from companies with offices in Iraq. I tried to procure trailers from a company that provided latrines to the civilians on our base (far superior to the latrines we used), however, the company did not have offices in Iraq. Request denied.

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 09:43:12 +0000

.
I bid on a contract to provide electrical workers at Camp Ramadi back last Summer.
My price was based on furnishing licensed American electricians, paying them what they would earn here in Colorado PLUS a premium for working outside the Green Zone in Iraq.

I lost to an Iraqi company that bid less than $9 per hour.

What kind of electrical work are they gonna get for $9 per hour ?
The USMC didn't even require that the electricians speak English.
.

By: Grace A Sigunga

Grace A Sigunga — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:08:07 +0000

@ Willie B, I have a distinct feeling you and I experienced the same incident at Mahmudiyah, when the chicken coop burned down due to faulty wiring. We had not even been in Iraq for a month when that happened. It never occured to me then until after the fire about the how serious the faulty wiring was,an obvious danger to everyone on the fob. KBR was rushing to move ppl into this wooden building from tents, and I remembered them cutting shortcuts that were very obvious even to the untrained electrician(like me). Soldiers were overworked that the last thing we cared about was fixing our own electricity,something that Army Cpt posted on here. I lost everything I had except my weapon and gear only because I was out on a mission just to return and find all my possesions going up in flames. There was a similar fire in the same Triangle at Yusufiyah. It's a wonder no one was killed in these fires or electrocuted.

By: AD

AD — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:05:39 +0000

Considering what Greg said– If it's true, it is positively vile that speaking up for truth and safety has the result of being a "career killer". Let the whistleblowers be heard and protected. We must have the facts, whatever they may be.

By: Paul in Baghdad

Paul in Baghdad — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:38:02 +0000

To all of you in the US,, Aparently you have grown bored with the political circus at home and are now trying to place blame on everyone else (As usual). How about foccussing on fixing America? Quit Crying "Whoa is Me" and step up and do something about our own country, while those of us who are over here SUPPORTING the military do our jobs.

To the American Media~ thank god you are here to point out the negative and forget the possitive. No matter what is going on in the world~ you are always reliable to blow smoke at the American public in order to sell your stories. How many sub-standard building projects are there in the US? How many of our own people are living in poverty? Do you care? I highly doubt it, becasue it just doesnt catch the attention level our sorry excuse for media in America is looking for.

Yes, there are Sub-standards acts over here, just like everywhere else. I am sure if you took a day and walked through CNN world headquarted in Atlanta, that anyone who can write and e-mail could do a story on the "Hazardous Conditions" that our "Beloved Press" have to endure while smearing everyone else

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:04:35 +0000

Is the military using the local voltages or trying to convert them down to our standard 110/120VAC? I know in my wifes native Thailand the ey use the 220VAC and just outside the window at their house is a bunch of power wires just waiting for one of the kids to try to play with. I thought whew this would be a good picture for the local power company.

By: Army CPT

Army CPT — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:43:06 +0000

To "Get Real"
Just a note, I'm not talking bases, I'm talking Iraqi homes and buildings that have been cleared and used as temporary outposts by US Soldiers. The Soldiers will then "improve" those structures to try to be more comfortable and they normally do not think of the consequences these "upgrades" can have. Unacceptable wiring is just that, unacceptable, but as a Leader of Soldiers, it is hard to manage every aspect of life. Typically my time is spent checking combat equipment, security, leading patrols, and planning missions so we can can come home one day.
As for military bases in the states, no macho stuff here, what needs to be fixed should be fixed. Now days contractors own everything, from the barracks, to the motor pools, so all we really have control of as a military are our vehicles and training. Bring anything else up to your congressman because we contract out everything else so we can inflate our military numbers and focus on more combat Soldiers.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:47:49 +0000

As a former service member my experience with the question of speaking up is that doing so would be a guaranteed "career-killer". Once you do something like this there is no protection for you, no matter what the military PR people say, and the word gets out about you. It affects your promotions, your relationships with your supervisors and coworkers, and your ability to get stationed elsewhere as your reputation as a "troublemaker" spreads. The military is not like a regular job that you can leave if it gets difficult so once all of this starts happening you can't leave and have to live with the consequences of what you brought on yourself. It's not realistic to expect most people to do this. I wish this were not so but there it is.