Fez

While I was in Iraq, I got the hare-brained scheme to design a distinctive Fez for the Plans Directorate (CJ5) I worked for while assigned to Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I). My co-workers thought I was odd for suggesting this but I kept insisting that the Fez was a distinguished Middle-Eastern symbol of excellence. (I subsequently found out that the Fez actually is Greek in origin but lots of people in the Middle East wore them courtesy of the Ottoman Empire.)

Nevertheless, the idea of sporting distinctive head wear slowly caught on in our office. My boss, a Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, found an outfit based out of Orange County that makes custom fezzes, Fez-O-Rama. We then designed a fez based on our directorate's fascination with the movie, Ben Hur, and the famous line spoken by Quintus Arrius on the slave ship, "Now listen to me, all of you. You are all condemned men. We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well, and live." The phrase, "Row well and live," became our motto due to the insane working hours (and conditions) in the headquarters for MNF-I.

After some design fluctuations, we decided on a Viking Ship concept for the front of the fez and the motto on the back. We had a spirited (and entertaining) email exchange with the Fez Mongers of Fez-O-Rama.com. The process took longer than anyone thought and I ended up completing my tour before they were ready. Just after Christmas, a package arrived from my former boss with two fezzes enclosed. This custom order, the first of its kind, recently was featured on the Fez-O-Rama blog.

Jack likes it, as you can see.