[Thurman]

I've just finished reading a lengthy article about the investigation of an American Electrical Contractor (I won't use their name here, yet) doing contract work in Iraq. The Department of the Army has hired a staff of ten (10) Master Electricians to go behind this particular contractor and do inspections since there has been one confirmed death and multiple confirmed injuries believed at this time to be related to their work. Upon the inspections of these Master Electricians the work was found to be below sub-standard, now how bad is that? Wiring had been connected by just twisting together and uninsulated, wiring for light switches had been found to have been placed behind the screws and the screws not tightened, and (are your ready) water piping had been used as the NEUTRAL conductor in some circuits with NO ground. I can't decide whether I want to do any verbal bashing here or not, the actual electricians were hired here in the U.S. and sent over to provide our Military Personnel proper electrical services, but were given instructions as to how to do the wiring from the contractor. The contractor in a Government Hearing just Wednesday stated "The Army should not expect the electrical wiring to meet the standards of any location or codes within the U.S. while in this below standards country". EXCUSE ME- -But are these not our American Servicemen/Servicewomen over there fighting for our freedom, whether or not we as an individual agree with this particular conflict? Please explain this particular irrational thinking to the parents of the young soldier who was electrocuted just by stepping into a shower and reaching to turn on the water. This particular water pipe was traced back and found to be connected as a NEUTRAL conducter. I can't help but also wonder about the individual electricians hired, could they have knowingly violated any codes they knew of back in the U.S. even if they were in a "substandard country". My two cents worth on this subject, Thank You, David

 

[Termite]

This is a hot topic right now for sure, and I'll leave it here since it is electrical-related.

Many of us know who the contractor is and anyone that wants to find out can do an online search. However, this forum is not the appropriate venue for bashing...Even companies that do substandard and unsafe work.

 

[Bocolo]

Very sad. Has anyone (or is it just me) noticed lately that people have just become completely irresponsible without a care for what they do? And it seems to me that it is always the people that have other people depending on them. I can see you doing whatever you please when it only affects you and no one else but not when it affects other people. I see this at all levels from the taxi cab driver, to the school bus driver, to a mother having 14 children, to Bernard Maddoff and on and on. Where are we going to be in another 20 years if this continues? Just my 2 cents. Thanks.

 

[Yoyizit]

This kind of thing can't be fixed.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q="blood+money"+iraq&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Even in Lincoln's time, the cannons would explode in the faces of our own troops from not following standard good design practice
or they'd misfire because the gunpowder was cut with sawdust
so if you got lucky, you got a bad cannon with bad gunpowder.

Harold Ickes, for a short period of time, was like one of The Untouchables but that time is long past.

Another example:
"The V-22 squadron's former commander at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Lieutenant Colonel Odin Lieberman, was relieved of duty in 2001 after allegations that he instructed his unit that they needed to falsify maintenance records to make the plane appear more reliable"

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 [I've heard 500] years. During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage

Any thoughts on where we stand in this scale?"

 

[Dugger52]

7 or 8 depends on your definations.