Iraq journal
01:25 PM EDT on Friday, October 17, 2003
Haircut choices: clipped expression Sgt. 1st Class George
Huddleston, of Glocester, offers three styles of haircuts: the high and
tight or the complete shave; the women get a trim.
When the summer temperatures in Baghdad hit 140 degrees, the soldiers
wanted a cut nearly every week. In the 118th Military Police Battalion,
Huddleston has shorn more than 700 heads.
The tattooed soldier has no formal training in hairdressing. "I've just
watched a lot of barbers," he says.
Specialist Constantino Natale, of Portsmouth, sits in an old chair
behind the cash register of the battalion store. Huddleston's clippers
skim over his head. Natale's dark hair falls to the floor. A customer
buys a carton of Marboro cigarettes. Within minutes, Huddleston is
finished.
"I am waiting for the brush," says Natale.
"We don't have a brush," says Huddleston.
Company mess keeps troops fed Sgt. 1st Class Nelson Reynolds
joined the Rhode Island National Guard in 1973, during the Vietnam War.
He had never been deployed until this year, when he came to Iraq, at age
50. "I enjoy the camaraderie," Reynolds said.
Reynolds, of Pawtucket, helps run the 119th Military Police Company's
mess tent -- which also feeds the headquarters company for the battalion.
When the unit arrived in Baghdad, they ate Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and
drank water the temperature of hot tea.
Last night, the mess tent looked like Thanksgiving: turkey, stuffing,
mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake for desert.
Inside the air-conditioned tent, Cpl. Nicholas Dirocco, of Warwick;
Specialist Christopher Mollo, of Smithfield; Specialist Juan Flores, of
Pawtucket; Specialist Samuel Rothfeld, of North Providence, and Staff
Sgt. Louis Laveena, of Seekonk, are doling out the dinner.
Outside, Specialist Jimmy Medeiros scrubs the pots. Back home, Medeiros
works as a baker at Dunkin' Donuts. Here, he works in the mess.
"A lot of people won't admit to it, but the cooks are one of the three
most important jobs," Medeiros said. The others include maintenance and
supply. "We make sure these guys are fed properly and on their toes."
Storekeepers always angling for deals
At Camp Cavalaro, there's a convenience store on every block.
Sgt. John Caetano, of Seekonk, runs the 118th Military Police Battalion
store; Sgt. 1st Class John Cianci, of North Smithfield,runs a place he
calls Cumberland Farms, Baghdad -- the 119th Military Police Company
store.
At the battalion store, Caetano has it all: potato chips, coffee, Spam,
a DVD player selling for $647, a pack of cigarettes for $3. They've
decorated the store with pink and black streamers for Halloween.
"Scooch," one of several battalion dogs, saunters into the store and
lies down on the Afghan rug by the cash register, barking at customers.
A former Marine, now serving full-time with the National Guard, Caetano
said he has a well-oiled pipeline to the military supply chain.
Specialist Fernando Rodriguez, of Pawtucket, helps out around the store.
Caetano once escorted $5.6 million in cash for another Army unit, hoping
for "front-line privileges" at the airport PX supply room, where he goes
to restock the battalion. He's always angling for new connections.
He has befriended the military contractor from Qatar who has access to
refrigerated trucks making runs from Jordan.
Across the gravel lot at the 119th's camp, Cianci has his own supply
pipeline at Baghdad airport and back home. He frequently receives
donations from Rhode Islanders for the store and gives them to the
troops. A 20-year veteran of the Guard, Cianci said he is the former
Providence mayor's cousin.
At night, when the troops return from a mission, Cianci likes to prepare
pepperoni and crackers, English muffins, or pasta with his own marinara
sauce.
MICHAEL CORKERY
