http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis Staff Writer Matthew Cox and Senior Photographer Rob Curtis are covering Army forces in Iraq. Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:17:12 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "Built to survive more, not fight a war." - a Marine in Ramadi. The Marines give the MRAPs high marks for its safety and security, but when it comes to the incredibly harsh ride on all but the smoothest of roads, it's oddly positioned gunner's platform (it's pushed to the rear ... http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis/2008/02/14/overheard-while-getting-on-an-mrap/ Getting around on a base as spread out as COB Speicher without a vehicle can eat up a lot of your day. There is a bus system, but waiting at bus stops and multiple-stop routes can mean an hour’s worth of travel time just to go eat chow. Some soldiers here have ... http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis/2008/02/01/alternate-transporation/ Day-to-day living here on COB Speicher can be … kind of boring. Our embed unit -- the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment – has been in reset mode, so Rob and I haven’t spent much time outside of the wire yet on this trip. In between interviews, we pass the time like ... http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis/2008/01/30/a-break-in-the-routine/ Hot cocoa – it goes perfect with skiing, sleigh rides and snowball fights. But here in Iraq, it’s becoming a favorite ingredient of enemy bomb makers. As silly as it sounds, Army intelligence officials here say U.S. forces have found several weapon’s caches containing large bags of cocoa powder along with different ... http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis/2008/01/29/sweet-but-deadly/ Overheard while waiting for the chow hall bus: Army Specialist to his fellow soldiers, "Seriously, there's $600 in my P.T. shorts pocket, all folded up. If I get clipped, I want you guys to go into my foot locker and and get that s--t, get some kegs and have a big ... http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis/2008/01/25/overheard-at-the-bus-stop/ Nothing helps you bond with soldiers more than shared misery. During my last trip to Iraq over the summer of 2005, I followed Stryker soldiers from B Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment to a little desert outpost near the Syrian Border in the town of Rawah. It was a ... http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis/2008/01/25/memories/ It’s good to be a distinguished visitor here. You get to stay in newly refurbished villas, complete with freshly poured, concrete sidewalks in the front yard. The rooms have a sort of Brook’s Brothers motif to them -- beds made with executive blue sheets and charcoal blankets; wardrobes finished with ... http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis/2008/01/23/visitors/ They’re called T-Walls – huge slabs of concrete approximately 15 feet high, 4 feet wide and 12 inches thick. Each has a base that flairs out and forms a T to hold the massive structure upright. They stand side-by-side, surrounding each American base in  Iraq. Here on Speicher, they also ... http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis/2008/01/22/walls/ Jan. 21, 2008 We’re finally here. Rob and I arrived at Contingency Operating Base Speicher near Tikrit three days ago. It took us a week just to make the trek up from Kuwait. Traveling though Iraq is the same frustrating drill for everyone. Soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen, contractors, and journalists like ... http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/talesfromthesandbox/curtis/2008/01/22/arrived-in-iraq-%e2%80%94-finally/