Open mouth, insert foot…

We had a formal presentation recently as the Iraqi Air Force officially did a ribbon cutting for the base we are stationed at. Lots of dignitaries and important world leaders came to this milestone event… OK, just the Swiss ambassador and neither he nor us are sure why he was there.

A number of media folks did attend including the US military’s newspaper the Stars & Stripes, the LA Times and an Arabic company. The reporters were interviewing one of the US officers that oversee the program. Lt Col B___ made the comment about how cultures are different and how at this event the US might celebrate with champagne. The Iraqi’s however went with their traditional mode and slaughtered a couple of sheep, painted the blood onto the nose of the C-130’s and then had a cook-out. To each his own.

The problem came with the actual quote Lt Col B___ made to the media types.

“In America we celebrate with champagne, here, they do a sheep.”