Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Bob on the FOB

Tuesday 12 February 2008
2100

Well, I’ve been meaning to post these for a long time, and since I also haven’t written a blog entry in a long time I guess this is a good way to get started again.

“Bob on the FOB” is a cartoon that was drawn by a soldier who was here (in Iraq, I think) a couple of years ago. They consist of single, detailed drawings, each showing an archetypal inhabitant of military facilities, with a corresponding humorous definition. They are posted everywhere here in people’s workspaces, and I’ve seen them on other blogs, so I don’t think I’ll be violating any copyrights to share them here.

SGT Albert J. Merrifield (the artist /cartoonist) was clearly very perceptive and creative, kind of in the vein of Scott Adams, who created Dilbert from his own experiences as an engineer. In any case, his cartoons provide a humorous look at some of people’s foibles here. We all know at least one person like each of these characters, and it’s only fair to say that I recognize myself in at least two of them (I am certainly at least a moderate Geardo, and maybe even a FOB locust at times. Old habits die hard…).

A little background on terminology: a FOB is a Forward Operating Base, which is a smallish, self-contained base in a forward area. It is what most of the people in Iraq and Afghanistan live on and work out of. A TOC is a Tactical Operations Center, which is simply a headquarters facility with radios, computers, mapboards, etc, out of which people work. “Back when”, this meant a canvas tent extension off the back of a parked M577 armored vehicle (and no computers), but I suspect most of the TOCs here are in fixed facilities. Since I’m a REMF at Camp Arifjan, I don’t really know.


OIF is Operation Iraqi Freedom, which is what we're here for. "OIF I" refers to the intial invasion and battle against Saddam's Army, as opposed to the follow-on counterinsurgency.

I know there were more of these, because I’ve seen them posted here and there. But these were all I could find online.

Anyway, enjoy… :-)


Fobbit
Originally uploaded by
hkp7fan.



TOCroach
Originally uploaded by
hkp7fan.




FOB locust
Originally uploaded by
hkp7fan.




Storyfeller
Originally uploaded by
hkp7fan.




Good idea fairy
Originally uploaded by
hkp7fan.




Shower Princess
Originally uploaded by
hkp7fan.




Geardo
Originally uploaded by
hkp7fan.



Music: Pietro Antonio Locatelli, Concerti Grossi
Mood: Busy