We tripped a light Route Irish…

Today I strolled into the office – later than usual due the "extended" working hours of my new position and was told "grab your battle rattle and mount up… We're goin for a ride." Uh Yeah! They definitely got my attention - Excitement and Tension all at once. Up until this moment I was pretty certain I was relegated to the Hell of never seeing anything but the four walls of my hooch and the four walls of my office. I walk out the door to see my first real daylight convoy. OK – We're really going for a ride. I've had the opportunity to travel around the IZ once before - no biggie - but we headed out past the CP to the "dreaded Red Zone." We end up on Route Irish, The road the media have dubbed "The most dangerous road in Iraq." This is the highway between downtown Baghdad and BIAP. I check my weapon – always be prepared – Damn I wish I'd oiled this thing last week. While I keep my head on a swivel, what is most apparent is the lack of anything but trash on the road side. It reminds me of Tijuana (only TJ is clean in comparison.) Four years ago this was the scene of some pretty harsh fighting and more recently IED attacks and ambushes. At the moment it's a fairly empty road. I don't deny the possibility of danger but after all the build up from the media and my recent experience of insurgent shelling and the action around Haifa Street, Route Irish was…well rather uneventful and anti-climatic.