Welcome to the Steve Bichler Page
Steve was kind enough to share photos of his time with Azeez and the team in Iraq. He also answered some questions Ryan and I asked when we were producing the episode.
Thanks for sharing Steve. I know our listeners will enjoy this!
“As for some of your unanswered questions:
...Did "Pussy Kitty" the BaOC cat live? No she did not, it took two days but we caught her and she met her demise, because there is only one way to check for rabies in an animal...examine the brain. (see below)
...Why the Colonel Yahya tattoo? I didn't explain it well enough and you guys speculated about it a bit as to why. It wasn't camraderie exactly...I had recurring nightmares about Colonel Yahya for about 6 years after he died. After a lot of PTSD therapy in the last three years it seemed like the best way to remember him was to carry him and the BaOC experience with me, on my right forearm, so it's always exposed when I'm sitting at my keyboard or working on things.
...There isn't really a thing about "how you left country", but for a lot of us on the team, it was about the roles we were in on a convoy and we'd be damned if we didn't do the roles we had done all along on the biggest ride of all for us...leaving Iraq. I was a driver so I was damn sure driving the MRAP out, James & Keys were always on the .50 cal, so he was definitely going to be on the .50.
Finally, here's some pictures of us, you already told our story but here's some of the faces of that story...”
Steve
Me, Colonel Yahya and SSgt David Alston (my NCO and fellow Comm/IT advisor). Col Yahya would die from sectarian violence after the US troops pulled out of Iraq.
A good Advisor Day (a Training class on B-standard network cabling). Steve mentioned that these training exercises were the most fruitful use of their time.
The BaOC Hallway - Steve mentioned how horror-film scary this area was...and he was right!
Halloween 2011 (Azeez is standing behind me...he dressed for a proper party...and I am being inappropriate with John...guess we are both insane people).
Operation Cat Scratch Fever. That's right. This little kitty raised hell when the troops tried to evacuate him/her resulting in scratches and shots for those brave enough to try to handle him/her!
THE CAT! Don't stick your hand in there!
Azeez and David.
Steve, Azeez and Master SGT Rivera, who Azeez described as a physically powerful person who should not be effed with...
