LEFT: TIOGA LODGE, ND
WRAPPED
in a bulletproof vest, Brian Lash lay on the floorboards of a beat up old Chevy looking up at his personal security detail–two heavily armed ex-special forces men with large assault rifles strapped to their chests. The setting: Iraq in 2004. Beat up cars drew less attention. He was used to bumpy rides; the number one rule of driving in Iraq–go as fast as you can and don’t stop for anything until you reach the destination. On this occasion, however, the car sat motionless, completely gridlocked by Baghdad traffic. They were surrounded on all sides with no way to identify friend verses foe. Tensions were high and for the first time his security detail were nervous. The windows came down and both guards stuck their rifles through the openings, making it very clear what would happen to anyone who approached the car. Finally, the driver was able to get up on the sidewalks and maneuver out of traffic, and the rifles receded back into the car. Removed from immediate danger, Lash briefly wondered what he, a Jewish guy from Jericho, Long Island, was doing in the middle of Iraq. Now, sitting in the den of his Chestnut Hill home, Lash can look back with pride on what he and his company, Target Logistics, accomplished in Basra, Iraq. He and his team overcame the dangers and logistical challenges that are part of working in a war zone, the dust storms and extreme heat (129°F in the shade), to provide housing, dining, recreation, medical and security for 2200 US, British and Iraqi soldiers. As the founder and former CEO of Target Logistics–a leading global provider of temporary, turnkey workforce housing–Lash has been a part of many projects all over the world that have put him in dangerous situations.
WESTONMAGAZINEGROUP.COM 49
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker