Sunday, February 22, 2009

February 21, 2009: Strangness and Sadness

The other day, I was here by myself and right in the middle of the day an officer came in and asked me if he could make an announcement. I told him we did not have a PA, so he went through the USO facility and kicked out anyone from his unit. Then he posted a sign on the front door and at the front desk that said no one from his unit was allowed in the USO. Turns out there was an "information freeze" meaning no one from that unit was allowed to call, write or e-mail. Mike C. aka Big Mike, one of my fellow USO workers who was in the Army for 20+ years, said that there was either a death or serious injury in the unit and the military didn't want anything getting out until family members had been notified. Saw in the Stars & Stripes this morning that one 19 year old girl from that unit had been killed in a car accident. Three people with her were badly injured. There's a memorial service for her today in the Chapel, which is right across from the USO.

Now I know when there's an information freeze it's probably bad news. I also know why they don't want us driving into town. From what I've seen, the people in Kuwait drive like maniacs, Jonathan Matthews notwithstanding.

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