Support Your Fellow Citizen
A subscriber to my executive job search newsletter, SalesLadder wrote me with this:
Needs for leaving - request your helpFirst – some of you may get this several times since you are on several of my mailing lists – so I apologize, but I have a very short time to get this out before I leave. Please read and I will explain.
As most of you are aware, I have been struggling with taking care of my family, where I should be focused and should I be getting a job or building up my consulting. Well, after three years, I finally put the decision back to where it belongs- in prayer and God’s leading. As a result, I have an answer to start taking care of my family and doing what I should.
As I have told some of you, over the last month it has been put on the table that I could apply to do work in my military field of explosive ordnance disposal – in other words, clearing the bombs and explosives in the country of Iraq to make it safe for the construction workers to restore the countries homes, buildings, facilities, etc..
Well, I received a call Monday and will be leaving for Iraq somewhere between the 29th of April and the 3rd of May. The only reason I wouldn’t leave is if something in my medical or security (doubtful) background would make it a no.
I would go to Washington D.C. to spend 2 days in processing, another day at the Federal Deployment Center (where contractors get identification cards for working in Iraq) and then leave 1-2 days later, so about 4-7 days in D.C. From there to Kuwait & then on to Iraq.
Here are some items I would like to be able to get before I leave – they would either help me in the job, being able to have communication back here and the ability to make contact with people and places.
So here is the list of items – I will list what I think is ideal, but a lot of you know more about this than I do, so substitution and whatever is provided will be great…
1. Phone
a. Cell Phone – A friend is donating use of a GSM phone – rates, from what I can tell, are $4.99 a minute
b. I am working on getting set up to do a network based virtual phone, but I still do not know what kind of network connectivity I will have to use it
2. Computing – the environment is high heat, sand, dust and who know s what else
a. Laptop – would have to a ruggedized one – don’t even know if I could take it, but would be nice, with wired/wireless networking & Bluetooth
b. PDA – HP iPAQ h4355 Pocket PC (www.hp.com)
i. SD card(s) 256mb
ii. GPS UNIT & software _ SDIO OR Bluetooth interface
iii. Extra battery
iv. Auto adapter kit
v. AC adapter
vi. Ruggedized Case – water and dust proof
http://www.otterbox.com/product.cfm?product=103&code=NA
3. GPS
a. A GPS unit – preferably stand lone
b. Must have down-loadable maps for IRAQ, KUWAIT the region...
c. Power/ charger, extra batteries.4. Power
a. adapters – international
b. Converters
c. Dc-ac converter ( to run AC power off a car/ truck cigarette lighter)5. Camera(s)
a. 4+ Mega pixel digital camera – compact in size
i. Extra battery(ies)
ii. Extra memory
iii. Memory card reader for a computer.6. Cash – some things may be needed that I will not be able to get donated, or know I need until I arrive.
7. Please let me know what you can get, what I should consider, if you can help in any way…
Some of you have other experiences on what might be wise to have – let me know and I will publish that as well.
Blessings,
Michael A. Keller
For now, please send your offers of help to blog@cenedella.com; I'll set up a better email shortly. I will forward your messages on to Michael and we can help him in this dangerous, important task.
