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Back in Iraq!

Back in Iraq!

Don, David Tosh here the bug man from OKC. Greetings from Iraq Just dropping you a line, thought you might like hear about my ?TAD? to Iraq. I received a call from a DOD recruiter In dire need for licensed pest control professionals to support the troops in Iraq. I asked for and was assigned to a Marine base, the job is to easy other then just being in Iraq. Better then in ?90-?91, no weeks on end eating nothing but MRE?s. I have two helpers from Nepal who do all the heavy lifting. The terrain is rough sand dunes with a lot of 4×4 roads. On about 13000 acres. We run about 30 traps around the fence line mostly. So far a lot of foxes and wild dogs. There are 130lbs Hyenas that we trapped. Got a hedge hog and Hugh 10lbs lizard! We take care of rodents and flies at the 4 DEFACs (Dinning Facility) and everything else is service requests when someone has a problem in their area. A few hundred buildings! Some snakes and those Camel spiders which are big and nasty looking. First night here I spend in a leaky tent and it poured rain for 2 days and flooded and soaked my stuff. So we build a nice A/C hooch at our bunker where the Iraqis used to keep tanks and such. It is hardened so I don’t have to run for a bunker in case of a motor or rocket attack. Vector has their own bunker for chemical storage and such. As of yesterday I am the head Pest man on base. The other one headed back to Texas. So I’m left in charge with 5 days training. Not much to it except learning where everything is. I’m very glad to have been assigned to a Marine base.

I have a 4×4 F250 to work from and have access to all the base unlike most jobs here. Everyone love to see the pest guy! At the outside fence line lives a very poor family so we always take snacks and drinks from the DFAC and throw them over the fence to the kids. It’s 112 today but feels no worse then OKC at 85 with 70% humidity! Six of the deadliest scorpions are here so we deal with those also. I started a rider program to give the Marines a little fun break to run the fence line traps. They get a kick out it when we capture a 35lbs porcupine or a Jackal and others. The biggest Hyena has learned our trap runs and has been feeding on captured foxes! See pictures. Love the MARPAT roller duffel I picked up from you.

The wife and kids will come by again soon to send me a few things.

Take care,
Cpl. Tosh, David C.
5th Marines ?86-?93

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