TCNs - Third Country Nationals - is the name given to folks trucked-in from outside the "host nation" who provide ancillary services to the Coalition Forces. You see TCNs at the DFAC, doing construction, running the AAFES BX/PX - pretty much doing anything that the military doesn't have the manpower to do - the TCNs are there. Personally, I feel for the TCNs - they generally work hard, they are far from home and they are as ubiquitous as the dust that swirls around this place (it is easy to let them slip into the background - but I try to always try to say "hello" and "thank you" to them whenever I can). Most folks appreciate them, although there are a few who can be jerks (thankfully they are few and far between, but I'd like to smack those fools just the same). When you see TCNs outside, they tend to wrap themselves up in a lot of clothing to protect themselves from the sun. TCNs are from the third world, and they tend to be rather short - add sunglasses, and voila! - they look remarkably like Jawas (the Tatooine-esque environment of this place doesn't help in dispelling the image).).
We have taken to calling the really huge construction vehicles "sand crawlers", and when you see one stop, and an improbably huge group of TCNs dismount, it just completes the whole Star Wars-imagery-thing. Thank you, TCNs, for all the work you do - I, for one, appreciate it (there are enough dirty jobs to go around in this place - believe me, we've got our share!).
TCNs - Third Country Nationals - is the name given to folks trucked-in from outside the "host nation" who provide ancillary services to the Coalition Forces. You see TCNs at the DFAC, doing construction, running the AAFES BX/PX - pretty much doing anything that the military doesn't have the manpower to do - the TCNs are there. Personally, I feel for the TCNs - they generally work hard, they are far from home and they are as ubiquitous as the dust that swirls around this place (it is easy to let them slip into the background - but I try to always try to say "hello" and "thank you" to them whenever I can). Most folks appreciate them, although there are a few who can be jerks (thankfully they are few and far between, but I'd like to smack those fools just the same). When you see TCNs outside, they tend to wrap themselves up in a lot of clothing to protect themselves from the sun. TCNs are from the third world, and they tend to be rather short - add sunglasses, and voila! - they look remarkably like Jawas (the Tatooine-esque environment of this place doesn't help in dispelling the image).).
We have taken to calling the really huge construction vehicles "sand crawlers", and when you see one stop, and an improbably huge group of TCNs dismount, it just completes the whole Star Wars-imagery-thing. Thank you, TCNs, for all the work you do - I, for one, appreciate it (there are enough dirty jobs to go around in this place - believe me, we've got our share!).
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