For several months, we’ve been “Talking With…” some of the most influential people in e-commerce, from Lane Bryant’s Jay Dunn to Etsy’s Matt Stinchcomb. This week, we decided to profile someone in our community who is about as far away from online retail as you can get: Iraq. You’ve probably never met him, but if you knew this man as well as we do, you’d think about him all the time.

NRF's Godmund Schick, currently serving as an Army Sergeant in Iraq, is expected to return to the U.S. next spring

After beginning as a project coordinator with Shop.org three years ago, Godmund Schick joined NRF’s Internet Strategies team in 2008, handling project management, requirements gathering, designing web page comps, building new sites, and about a million other things. (His after-hours talents, namely baking, are also well-loved and appreciated by colleagues.) Shortly after being promoted to director of web strategies last year, Godmund bid adieu to the comforts of home to serve a 15-month deployment as an Army Sergeant in Iraq. A superb team player and a congenial, witty colleague, we’re all anxiously waiting for Godmund to return safely to the U.S. – and to the office!

People throughout NRF and Shop.org submitted their most-pressing questions about Army life, and this week we’re “Talking With…” Godmund about how he gets his news, where he (still) shops online, his most indispensable possessions overseas, and how this experience has changed him.

What’s an average day like? –Joan Broughton, Internet Strategies

There are many versions of the “average day” here at our little Joint Security Station (JSS). We have days where we go out on day/night missions and patrols and other days where we just patrol the JSS. There isn’t much of a pattern to it, just whatever higher-up dictates. Some days are set aside just to catch up on important vehicle/equipment maintenance.

How has your experience differed from what you expected prior to being deployed? — Victoria Laudati, Marketing

Before I came to Iraq I thought the environment would be much more desert-like: hot and dry and sandy.

The weather is definitely hot and dry, but the countryside I work in (near Baghdad) is very green and lush. We get sand storms every couple of weeks that last for 2-3 days, but otherwise the weather is pretty nice. Some parts of the area actually resemble a tropical island, very beautiful and peaceful.

Do you like anything about Iraq? If so, what? –Daryl Everett, Conferences

Honestly, I have begun to like the heat. Sometimes I turn off my AC unit because I have become so accustomed to the higher temperature that I can’t stand how cold the air conditioning gets. I also like the civilian population. It’s great to be saturated with another culture and Iraq has a very old and interesting one. The local food is also pretty good and the farmland and canalization system around where I patrol is striking.

What’s the strangest MRE you have eaten? –Stacy Cornell, Shop.org

The strangest Meal Ready-to-Eat (MRE) that I’ve ever eaten has probably been the Cheese Omelet…Its pretty terrible and resembles a chunky yellow/salmon colored paste. I try to avoid MREs whenever possible. They have on average at least 8 grams of trans fat per meal so I encourage my soldiers to only eat them as an absolute last resort. Thankfully we have cooks stationed with us on the JSS and they do a pretty good job with what they have to work with.

How do you use social media or social networking to communicate with people back home? –Eric Olson, Industry Relations

When we have access to the internet I use Facebook religiously. If I still had access to my mobile device I would use Twitter… but unfortunately mobile phones are a security risk on patrol and they are, in general, much too expensive in country.

You sent us a picture of a heavily fortified Starbucks, and I’ve seen some quick-serve restaurants operating for the troops, but are there any American-style bricks-and-mortar places for the troops to shop? What are your observations of retailers in Iraq? — Rick Gallagher, STORES

The heavily fortified Starbucks was actually in Kuwait. Unfortunately I haven’t seen any Starbucks in Iraq yet.

The shopping options for troops consist of AAFES PX/BX, and quick-serve restaurants like Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Popeye’s Chicken. In addition, local merchants are allowed to set up shops in certain parts of the bases. I have seen hardware shops, DVD stores, grocers, and clothing stores run by local merchants. All of the shops are in temporary buildings (just about all buildings on bases are temporary).

One example of retail in Iraq. Godmund says, "I love this little store."

I am stationed in, and patrol, an agricultural section of Iraq. The local retailers in my area cater to that type of community. The shops themselves are fairly primitive by western standards, but the open-air markets are vibrant and fascinating.

Does online shopping provide any competition to AAFES (the BX)? Do you think this has changed AAFES customer service, selection, or pricing? –Iver Nielsen, IT

AAFES PX/BXs here tend to cater to the basic items soldiers are willing to buy in country. The pricing is fair and the selection is limited. There are many limitations to what they can really sell in country because of the practical reality of what soldiers can actually use. Soldiers tend to move from base to base as the mission changes, so purchasing anything but the essentials becomes a burden when it’s time to move out.

Online shopping fills in the gap for more specialized items that, while mostly available in the PX, aren’t precisely what the soldier was looking for. I have seen, and have myself ordered, specialized gear for use on missions, household items (bedding, pillows, etc…), books, video games, food and tools from online sources.

In general, I think AAFES has extraordinary customer service in country. It’s a really unique situation here because they are at almost as much risk as the soldiers, so they really get treated like they are part of the team. I can’t get into specifics but let’s just say that working at a PX in Iraq can be pretty dangerous.

What are the top 3 personal items that you have not been able to live without while you’re in Iraq? –Karen Walsh, Internet Strategies

1) S.O.L.A.G Hellstorm Kevlar gloves from Blackhawk. These gloves are incredible. I can do anything (including type) with these gloves on. And concertina / razor / barbed wire doesn’t cut through them, which is helpful, considering how much of it is around the country.

2) iPod Touch. The combination of its size and weight (fits right into a shoulder pocket and weighs almost nothing), and the app store make this little tool VERY useful. I shut off the WiFi when on missions (for safety reasons) and pretty much take it everywhere I go. I think this little tool has near-unlimited potential in this type of environment, although a camera/video camera would make it perfect.

3) My MacBook…. of course.

What are you looking forward to doing the most when you’re back in the US on leave in August? What will be your first purchase when you come back to visit? –Sarah Rand, Internet Strategies

First purchase will be a pair of Ecco loafers (because it will be nice to not wear boots for a couple weeks). I’m also very much looking forward to running on the National Mall and the C&O Canal towpath. And of course I am looking forward to seeing the NRF family!

What websites do you visit most often? Do online retailers even ship to Iraq? –Rachel Ryan, Finance

I visit NYTimes, Facebook, CNN, DrudgeReport, Politico, WashingtonPost, Amazon, USCavalry, gmail, Shop.org and Techcrunch as often as possible.

Almost all online retailers ship to Army Post Offices (and therefore Iraq). In fact, one of the first things I did for my soldiers was show them how to order from Amazon using an Army address. The only problems we have are when an item’s warranty would be voided by shipment to our area of the world. In that case the merchant won’t ship it directly and we have to have the item reshipped from friends or family in the states. I tried to have a cast iron skillet shipped once and Amazon wouldn’t ship it because of warranty issues… which I thought was hilarious. But typically the items that can’t be shipped directly are electronics.

When all is said and done, how do you think the experience of being deployed will have changed you? — Tracy Mullin, President and CEO

My hope is that this experience will make me more disciplined, focused, and appreciative of the simple luxuries of American life. Iraq is a huge reality check.

What are you most proud of that you have seen or done in Iraq? –Bruce Lampron, HR

Aside from the combat missions/security, we provide many of the local schools and clinics with water and supplies/expertise and administer micro-loans to merchants who we think will be able to create jobs and stability in the local community. These things combined have made a large impact on the lives of the people in this community. Much of the reconstruction funds in our area have gone towards revitalizing the canalization system for the local agricultural community. Over the last few months much of the work has been completed (using local contractors and management) and the effort has made an enormous difference in how many fields the farmers can flood, how much they can grow, etc.

Connect with Godmund:

• Facebook
• Email: godmschick@gmail.com