Things we do well.

The military screws things up, for sure.  There are a ton of inefficiencies.  It is impressive, however, to see what we do in a combat zone.  This is particularly true among the actual warfighting units, which in the air force consist of the planes, the guys who fly them, and the people that support them directly. In the medical corps, it is the building of a flexible/modular hospital to meet needs over time.  The hospital I am working in here is built on top of one of Sadaam's prior medical facilities (there are rumors about the basement - more on this later).  It is nothing grand, but has air conditioning, indoor plumbing, and for the most part feels like a real hospital.  (Importantly, it is also the best place on base to get a shower).  I have attached a youTube video to give some perspective. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR1C9t2eBio

For security reasons, videos cannot show everything, but as you can see, there have been some dramatic improvement since the modular "tent" hospital at the beginning of the war.  The intent is to give this hospital back to the Iraqis, so it was always intended to be a permanent fixture.  Even on my days off, I spend most of my waking time here as it is truly the most comforable place on the base.  It has plumbing and electricity akin to what we find at home, and has few windows, so sometimes I can forget I am in Iraq, at least for a few hours when I come here.  Most importantly, it has the most reliable internet connection with which to publish my blog!