IDF

I debated a long time as to whether or not I would post this, however, I had some great photos that I think illustrate what an IDF is, so I guess I will share.  I don't want to unnecessarily worry anyone, as this is not my intention.  All of us here find these more of a pain than a danger.  My buddy Jason at Kandahar can attest as they experience them ten fold more than we do.  In actuality, we have only had three in the last several months and I'm pretty sure Jason gets them every day.  

An IDF is indirect fire.  Essentially any bad guys will set up a rocket and put some half-cocked timing device (similar to a kitchen timer, or actually a kitchen timer), point it at the base and then run away.  Several minutes to hours later the rocket will take off and 99.99% of the time fall harmlessly in the middle of the desert.  (I do have to mention that a Trauma Surgeon from University of Pennsylvania was killed on Christmas Day in 2006 in Iraq as one landed on the chapel he was praying in - Kandahar now has rocket proof dorms and Hospital).  They serve several purposes to the enemy as they annoy us and disrupt our daily activities.  One of the two most notable for us here occurred when I was at the dining facility.  The loudspeaker announced two orders:  Stay where you are and put on your IBA (Individual Body Armor).  Well, which is it, you want I should stay here or get my body armor.  Because if I stay here, I can't get my body armor, and if I get my body armor I won't be staying here.  Needless to say, I stayed put and ate the rest of my chicken curry.  Then after about two hours the four other doctors that I was with decided we would make a run for it to get our body armor.  About 100 steps out of the dining facility another alarm sounded and I followed the lead of one of the British Surgeons and jumped into a four foot ditch.  Unfortunately it was the 'all clear' alarm.  Damn they sound alike.

The second notable one was during our routine surgery schedule - our hospital is not rocket proof.  Two teams were scrubbed in and all of us hit the deck immediately - the hell with sterility.  Fortunately Anesthesia isn't that hard and the machine did all the work while we laid on the floor for a half hour.  Below are two notable pictures of some of the crew.  I nodded off for a while, then the all clear came and I jumped up, rescrubbed in and finished the case.  

IDF alarm - some pray, some sleep.  I prayed then slept.

Good thing the KBR contractors clean the floor 20 times a day.

All for now.