Guest Column

Shower in the Desert

By Mark Wojciechowski
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

BAQUBAH, Iraq (March 28, 2006) – Traveling from forward operating base to forward operating base can be bothersome at first, but you try to get settled into a routine and, before you know it, you're off and running to the next FOB.

FOBs are basically life sustainment areas for soldiers operating in theater. They are usually built up and fortified with security so that planning, maintenance and rest can be accommodated before missions outside of "the wire."

They range in size from very large – almost to be mistaken for stateside training bases, complete with fast food establishments, to very small and

austere – where it is not a good idea to silhouette yourself for the risk of being shot by a sniper.

Some have great facilities for laundry and personal hygiene, others are virtually nonexistent. My favorite shower (soldier sarcasm) is the pipe sticking out of the wall that trickles cold, rust-colored water…It is a shower, so I can't complain. I have been to one patrol base where the soldiers' best chance at cleanliness were "good ole" baby wipes…These soldiers lived this way for a year. Don't get me wrong. They were given the chance to occasionally visit other FOBs for showers and laundry, but for the most part they were really "roughing it."

The shower trailers on the more built-up FOBs are pretty nice, although hot water sometimes runs scarce. All of us have taken our share of ice cold, breath-taking showers but that will not be a problem soon with the summer heat rapidly approaching.

When the showers are crowded, it is important to be courteous to your fellow soldiers. This means taking a "combat shower." This is done by rationing water; get wet, turn the water off, soap up, turn the water on, rinse off and get out.

One night something funny happened (again soldier sarcasm). It was about midnight, a little later than usual, when I rode my mountain bike to the trailer for my nightly shower.

I entered, stepped into the stall, closed the curtain and turned on the water…Great, nice warm water. Just as I reached for my soap, the steady pressure trickled off to nothing…Drip…Drip.

One minute longer and I would have been covered in soap with no way to rinse. I tried to remember if I paid the bill…I think I did. Apparently, this shower is on a timer that cuts off at midnight.