Happy Halloween from Afghanistan....

Halloween Part 37 -- Michael Meyers vs. the Taliban "There will be blood...Inshallah". The one time I'd be rooting for Michael Meyers....I wonder if Jamie Lee Curtis would be available - and could be wearing a burka....its a thought...

Ok - so I'm a goof - Happy Halloween

I have an older brother who is retired from the US Postal service, and I've kidded him about "going postal". Today (as you could tell from my entro) - I joined the ranks of the unstable US Postal service.....working as a Postal Clerk for DynCorp at our APO address in Kandahar. The gentleman who normally handles these duties is leaving on Tuesday for R&R, and I volunteered to stand in for him. I should have listened to Dad. Regarding military service or anything like it, he used to say "don't ever volunteer..." Should have listened.

Concurrent with his departure, we needed to find a new place to house our little mail room of sorts, because he'd been handling this out of his billeting room, which; 1) is not a good place for mail 2) I can't go in his room while he's gone, 3) Its about time to bring some organization to the process. So it was up to me locate the new mail room for DynCorp in Kandahar.

Shipping Containers are amazing things....you can live in them (I live in one), you can obviously ship things in them, which we do, you can put offices in them, which I work in, and you can make a mail room in one, which is what I did. With real estate at a premium, you make lemonade when you have a challenge. I've attached some photo's tonight to give you a taste in picture format of my life in Kandahar. I'm only doing it because I got my camera in the mail today. Kind of cool to be the mail guy down at the the post office and get your own packages...(hint, hint....Crystal Light in individual serving packets are a particularly coveted package item).

So on my first day as the Mail Clerk, I make a marvelous discovery - which is that my predecessor didn't like picking up the big packages on a regular basis. I moved 12 footlockers along with all the other regular boxed mail and letters into my new little mail room. Had to make 2 trips, and still didn't get it all. I'll be making multiple trips tomorrow as well, and moving all the mail which is still in his room to the mail room. I must be a wuss, cuz I'm whipped. Glad I got some help from Bob Zook, one of my work compatriots who lent a helping hand.

I also made a discovery about myself today, that few of you who know me will believe. I can be a little "anal retentive" when put to the test. After my training session from the Air Force Mail guys, I kinda took this mail thing seriously, so I set out to organize the mail, and create a "legal mail room" of sorts - which isn't quite there yet, but I'm working on it. So you'll see from the one picture I've loaded - the alphabetical sorting system I put in place on the inside of the CONEX box, to ge the mail organized. Didn't think I had it in me did you?

All of this is in addition to my normal duties, but it is kind of a nice break in the day - of very long days. I've been averaging about 85 hours a week on the clock, so this is a nice diversion for a couple hours a day.

Anyway - I hope this post finds everyone at home enjoying a happy weekend halloween after a big snow storm, and enjoying the freedoms that so many of our young men and women in uniform are sacrificing for over here.

Things that bite...

Because Kandahar is an Airfied - a full sized airfield - any thing from a prop plane to a 747 and Russian Antinov's can land and take off here, there's always something happening. I've seen F-16's, A-10's, Predator Drones, French Mirages, British Harriers and Tornados and any number of Helicopters from Apaches, Blackhawks, and on down the list of military flying machine - and it's a constant buzz.

There's always a mission being flown or something landing or taking off.

Last night - I was standing outside when I noticed an A-10 Warthog off to the south of the base roll over 90 degrees in what looked like an attack run as he dove to the ground - and then visually I could see smoke come out of the front of the plane, and then about 5 seconds later the unmistakeable sound of him firing his nose cannon which sounds like a big BUZZZZZZ but lower like a BURPPPPP. He did this about 5 times, coming around for another strafing run. Not sure if he was attacking or practicing, but it wasn't far from the camp. Other aircraft were taking off and landing, so I don't know if they'd have a live fire drill with aircraft in the pattern.

Definately some bite, would hate to be on the receiving end there.

That's not the only thing around here that bites though....today in our billeting area known as Camp Hicks, they found and killed a Saw Scaled Viper. An Extremely venomous snake, native to these lands - which is also extremely agressive - probably because if it's small size. I don't have transportation - so I do alot of walking from work to living area, especially at night time...and that has made me take a little pause...

Anyway - apparently there's more than just mortars, rockets and bullets to dodge here.

Crazy Larry....

I may or may not have written about a man I've met here, but today - we will explore him just a little further. You meet "characters" in places like this. Larry - is definately a character.

I don't know his last name, and suspect I never will, but he is a contractor here who runs a training facility for the military. He's about 60 years old or so, has this extremely loud personality - and is clearly a lonely man. The facility is a "video range" or a high tech X-Box of sorts. It is a completely enclosed facility shooting range with 2 - 25 foot screens upon which is projected a video image used for qualifying soldiers on various weapons. The weapons themselves are actual military weapons, retrofitted with lasers and air compression to simulate the full kick and action and nosie of a firearm.

Because this is a video based traning facility - there are no windows in the place, and Larry lives and works inside this facility. I don't think he gets out much - and strikes me as a pretty lonely guy. He loves it when people other than soldiers come to his little facility - because he gets to talk to someone. He likes it so much - that he gets a Armed Forces Network video feed - and he puts College and NFL football up on one of the 25 foot screens - so we went there to watch football both Saturday and Sunday nights....He's so animated at having people visit him, that you could turn off the TV sound and he narriates every play. He's a little off....

The really cool thing about Larry - is when he thinks you are bored and ready to go, he lures you into "play" on the military range. He fires up the training system, and hands you an M-16, and before you know it, you are fighting insurgents in some jungle, or desert or other landscape. Me and another guy from work played for a half hour the other night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I'll have you know I qualified 20 hits for 20 rounds on the Fort Sill, OK shooting range on pop up targets. M-16 Qualified...

Larry is a nice man, who is working on a retirement....far away from home, and because he's a one man shop - lonely and anxious for interaction.....God bless him.....

Oh wow - there really are bad guys out there...

Thus far on this deployment instead of being able to eat for free in the military's dining facilities, we've had to pay for every meal, and then been given a daily per diem to cover the cost of those meals. By far the most expensive places to eat are in the air base Dining Facilities - known as DFAC's. And probably because of this fact, some little establishments run by some of the other NATO countries, as well as some favorites like Burger King and Subway have sprung up. That's the back ground information.

Earlier in the week, myself and two other individuals had gone to a Dutch Army facility to get dinner, and because it resembles a restraunt and has a WiFi connection - it tends to get very crowded and has alot of noise. About half way through eating our dinner, one of the cooks comes running into the restraunt dining area yelling for everyone to get on the floor, incoming rounds...

Everyone in the facility immediately fell to the floor and awaited the prescribed 2 minutes - nearvously looking at each other. At 2 minutes - as we are instructed to do - we immediately exit the facility and find the nearest bunker to await the all clear signal over the bases loud speaker system.

All very uneventful for us - because we neither heard the warning beacons, or heard the rounds impact - which there were two I'm told. However - it brought home the fact that this is a hostile place, and is an active war zone - even in the middle of 20,000 some odd soldiers, airmen and private contractors.

The humorous side of the deal is that the on base police immediately rushed to find the impact points, and when we stepped out of the restraunt - about 7 police cars started up their lights and headed off into the night on their search - and of course true to form - they were parked reasonably close to the only Donut shop on the base......if you can call it a donut shop...

Too funny..

Helmand on a shoestring budget

Last night I was sitting in a staff meeting, when a gentleman walks up and says to me - you are going to Camp Leatherneck tomorrow - be at the helicopter ramp at 0730 hours. Just like that, I'm going to Camp Leatherneck which is a sprawling US Marine Corps Base attached to a British Air Force Base called Camp Bastion. These two bases happen to be in Helmand Province, right next to the Helmand River - poppy growing capital of the world, and Taliban Stronghold. WooHoo...

So - I show up at the helicopter ramp at the appointed time, and await the arrival of others going to this meeting at Camp Leatherneck with the Marine Corps commanders in the southern Helmand Province - where we are in the process of beginning construction on 4 Marine Corps Expeditionary Battalion Forward Operating Bases (FOBs). While standing there, the Deputy Program Manager arrives (former 1 Star General), and walks up to me and asks "where are you going?", to which I foolishly reply - "with you sir - to your meeting". Foolish Lad....

"Who asked you to come" says he, and I reply in kind.....

"Hmpfff" is his only reply as he shrugs his shoulders and ambles off.. Oh boy - I'm in for fun now.

The helicopters arrive - Soviet Era - Mi-8's and we board (yes, there's Irony in riding on a Russian Helicopter in Afghanistan), and alas we are off - for a 1 hour flight to Camp Leatherneck.

Seeing Afghanistan from the air - well, lets just say, there isn't much out there in terms of either quantity or quality of structure. It's pretty clear that not much has changed in the last 200 years down there. I didn't see one structure in the entire flight that wasn't made from mud - or I guess Adobe we'd say in the states.

Leatherneck was a sprawling complex that is growing, and growing - with plans for having as many as 18,000 personnel on the base. It was an interesting visit, the flights were uneventful and all went well. I didn't actually attend the meeting - as I was instructed to solve some other outstanding issue - I guess I know what "Hmpfff" means now...

I'm tired.

Where are all the Good Men Dead? In the heart? Or in the Head?

Great line from a great movie (Gross Pointe Blank), adapted from William Shakespear (Merchant of Venice), but an interesting quote when you consider the personalities of people who would find themselves in a place like Afghanistan, at a time like now.

I say it's an interesting quote - because as you meet people here - the 80/20 rule tends to come into play - meaning - what I'm about to write probably applies 80% of the time.

Men in a war zone - are either soldiers who either volunteered for sevice and found themselves here, are passionate about the cause and depending on what side of the cause they are on - find themselves here, or are civilians who most likely not - are drawn here because of the earning potential from an excercize such as this. There will always be those outliers who don't fall into the typical "bell curve" of reason.

So as you begin meeting these people and getting to know their personalities, their likes, dislikes and then their outlooks on life and reasonings for being here - as is human nature you develop an opinion of that persons life all around - right or wrong - it's human nature.

Back to the quote - Where are all the Good Men Dead? There's alot of really good men - and women here - but the question lingers doesn't it? Why would they be here? Why am I here? The answers are even more troubling really - because following the generality of the 80/20 rule here - they are either dead in the heart......meaning they probably don't have an emotional attachment to anything to keep them from being here, or they are dead in the head.....too dumb to know better than to risk life and limb.

So there you have it - I've waxed philosophical on you today - and now you are left wondering - in relation to Dave - so - what is it? Heart or Head? Eh - I don't really believe in the 80/20 rule - and if I did - I'm clearly one of the 20% of those outliers......doesn't apply to me.

Thanks for playing....its been fun.....

Karen - I'm neither stupid - or devoid of passion for my family, friends, life and country.....I love you. This is our chance to make life altering adjustments - and you know what - that's why I don't fit this mold.

The War at Home

I'm sure that alot of you who know me and my family had to be wondering in your heart of hearts what the heck I was thinking by going off to Afghanistan - half way around the world. The initial visceral reaction is "to a war zone", to the outsider looking in. But in reality - it's the War at Home that seems to cause the most pain.

I sit here in Afghanistan, unable to offer my own "physical" help to those whom I love the most, and that is painful. But to my family at home, who struggle through every days trials and troubles, I personally think it is doubly painful. There is nothing a husband or daddy can do from where I am, other than offer my verbal, and heartfelt support, and my faith in prayer for the Lord's blessings on my family.

My wife has struggled bitterly with first the flu and now Pneumonia while I've been gone. I have alot of guilt over that, and I'm sure in addition to my own questioning of motives and thought processes, many would find my decision to be here doubly troubling knowing the condition of Karen and the boys. I love my wife, and I hate that she struggles alone in times like this.

Then there are the kids - a 15 year old teenage boy filled with the common teen angst, and a 4 year old who thinks daddy lives in the computer now. Word has it that he walks around the house making the "Skype" notification sound, and then carries on entire conversations - from both sides of the conversation with me. And Jake - the high schooler - lets just say that he and his mom are struggling to find a common language and means of supporting each other.

I haven't been here that long, and I'm hoping and praying that this is just the initial growing pains part of a deployment. Sickness has a way of bringing all the emotion, and struggle and pain that lies hidden just beneath the surface into full view.

To my lovely wife Karen - I miss you. I love you. I'm proud of everything you are doing! You are my "Hero at Home." Like the flight attendant on every flight says - "please secure your own mask before assisting those around you" - take care of yourself - and then you will be in a much better position to take care of our sons.

Jake - I love you too son, be kind to your brother. Please respect and respond to your Mother in a loving and kind way. Be true to yourself - and don't let others dictate who you are or how you should behave. Remember who you are, and from where you come. Your family comes first.

Jonah - I'll be home before you know it. I miss you. Give your mommy a kiss from me.

To everybody else who just got to play voyeur to our family for a few moments, don't for one instant take for granted those you love and those to whom you owe so much.

Signing off for now....