Due to personnel polices in Iraq, most government employees stay for about 12 months; some stay for as little as a few weeks. This causes huge continuity problems. For example, when I arrived in Iraq in January 2005, there were seven other people in my office. About a week ago, the last one of my original coworkers left. Now, with only eight months of experience in Iraq, I have become the "old hand" in my office telling stories about how things used to be in the Green Zone and where people can find the basic necessities such as eggs and beer. I also have to explain some of the complexities of the reconstruction to my new coworkers before I leave at the end of the year.
And in other news . . . the best way to do an accurate civilian body in Iraq is to visit a local morgue.
Posted by alohafromtim
at 11:35 PM EDT