It is now Wed. 25th of Feb. We arrived yesterday, at the gaining unit. They were very happy to finally see us. I met with the SGM and am going to meet with the COL to day. I took part in a meeting with the Afghan National Army this morning. We did an introduction session. I and a small group of NCO's met with the Afghan SGM and 1SG's and some platoon SGTs. We, through an interpreter, talked about our plans to make this region safer for everyone living here.
I left there this morning with a warm and fuzzy feeling deep down inside. I like what I heard, both from my SGM and their SGM. I think we are off to great start. My team and I are going to be going through some training that is pertinent to this specific area, and then we are going to move to our mission site. I look forward to finally starting our mission.
The down side to this is that there are only 3 computers here at the MWR. That is for the entire camp. Not a good ration, at least not as good as the previous 3 places I have been. This means that I will not be writing as often, but, I will write as time permits. This area is also a little more strict on outside communications. It appears that some of the soldiers were posting on-line, some pictures that were considered sensitive, and the commander took away all the local cell phones and wireless Internet from the soldiers for security reasons. That is why I have been, and will continue to be, somewhat vague as to what exactly is happening.
Well, my time is up on the computers. I will write again as time permits.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Going out of my mind
I have now been here for 3 days and have done absolutely nothing. Just eat sleep and work out. Oh, and watch "The Pretender." a great series that is not longer on the air. As you can see, I just uploaded some pictures to the blog. I snuck a thumb drive into the MWR and uploaded the pictures before anyone noticed. I hope that it gives a little more depth to the blog, so you all can get a little better feel for the area. I really do miss being home. I am starting to miss the home life and the routines that I had. This not doing anything, gives me time to think about all the things I left behind. Let me tell you what. THIS REALLY BITES.
I would rather be so busy that there is not enough time in the day to get it all done. At least that way, time goes by really fast. My last time out here seamed to go by in days not years. Now, it seams to be going by in years not days. I prefer the former. I feel like I have been here for months when in reality, it has been just 24 days. I am looking forward to getting to my assignment and going back on some missions.
I still have not received the gear for my soldier. He is starting to get worried that it might never come. I called the HQ element and expressed my concern and they assured me that they are going to do everything in their power to get it to us before we move to our next location. As though I have not heard that one before. At least, if we do not get it here, it will only have to follow us one more location. Once we get to our spot at COP Panich, we are not supposed to be relocating any more.
FOB Fenty, where we are right now, is a really nice area. I just saw a UAV come in for a landing the other day. It was a sight to behold. There it is, a full size aircraft with out any place for a person to sit, landing on the run way and taxiing to its parking spot. WOW, how cool is that. I would post pics of it if I could, but, we are not aloud to take pictures of the airfield and its surrounding area. To think, that people are getting paid to fly an remote controlled air plane around for a living. "VAT A KONTRY" Not that my job is bad or anything, but, wow.
Of course the pressure is much higher on them than it is on me and my guys. We are not responsible for a multi million dollar piece of equipment that could fall out of the sky at any time. Our equipment, although price wise is about the same, is with us at all times. I have hands on and know what is going on with it at all times. A little less pressure that way.
Well, my time here is up. I need to relinquish my computer to the next person on the list. I will try to get back on one more time before we ship out tomorrow.
I would rather be so busy that there is not enough time in the day to get it all done. At least that way, time goes by really fast. My last time out here seamed to go by in days not years. Now, it seams to be going by in years not days. I prefer the former. I feel like I have been here for months when in reality, it has been just 24 days. I am looking forward to getting to my assignment and going back on some missions.
I still have not received the gear for my soldier. He is starting to get worried that it might never come. I called the HQ element and expressed my concern and they assured me that they are going to do everything in their power to get it to us before we move to our next location. As though I have not heard that one before. At least, if we do not get it here, it will only have to follow us one more location. Once we get to our spot at COP Panich, we are not supposed to be relocating any more.
FOB Fenty, where we are right now, is a really nice area. I just saw a UAV come in for a landing the other day. It was a sight to behold. There it is, a full size aircraft with out any place for a person to sit, landing on the run way and taxiing to its parking spot. WOW, how cool is that. I would post pics of it if I could, but, we are not aloud to take pictures of the airfield and its surrounding area. To think, that people are getting paid to fly an remote controlled air plane around for a living. "VAT A KONTRY" Not that my job is bad or anything, but, wow.
Of course the pressure is much higher on them than it is on me and my guys. We are not responsible for a multi million dollar piece of equipment that could fall out of the sky at any time. Our equipment, although price wise is about the same, is with us at all times. I have hands on and know what is going on with it at all times. A little less pressure that way.
Well, my time here is up. I need to relinquish my computer to the next person on the list. I will try to get back on one more time before we ship out tomorrow.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Well, it is not as bad as it could have been
I went to the bazaar yesterday. I did OK considering my past. I did spend a lot more money than I had planned on spending, but, I did not spend nearly as much as I used to. I found a few items I could not pass up. For example, I bought a pair of Oakley "M" frames with 3 lenses for $25, I also found the missing seasons of Top Gear, now I have all 12 seasons on DVD, for a total of $65, I bought all 4 seasons of the Pretender for $27 and I found a really cool gift for a friend of mine and his family back in Dallas for great price. It was, over all, not a bad deal. So those of you that were thinking, "Here we go again," were almost right. I did not buy any rugs or suits or any frivolous things. I think I have my spending demon under control, some what. LOL
It is now Sunday, 22 Feb and we are still living in a tent awaiting our flight out of here. We are about to get the rest of our gear in a few minutes. It is going to be arriving on a CH 47. I hope that this time we have the correct boxes and we can finally move on. I have been trying to get my soldier's gear to us since day one. It has been chasing us around the country for 2 weeks now. I hope that this saga will finally come to a close. We shall soon see.
The food here is as good if not better than the food at Mehtar Lam. I have to really curb my eating, or I will not fit into my clothes soon. I have cut down to one meal a day and it has helped. I feel more energetic since doing so. I also started to drink more water. I do not want to be a heat casualty again. The last time that happened, the Doc told me that very few people survive 5 incidents of heat stroke or exhaustion, and the odds of me surviving a 6th are slim to none. So I have not tried to prove him wrong and do not plan on doing so. Of course, that was back in 1989, at Language school, in Monterrey, Ca. A long time ago. Science and medicine has come a long way since then, but none the less. I am not a gambler, or at least not a good one. LOL
Here comes the choppers, I can hear them coming from a distance. The CH47's make a lot of noise. I will write again soon.
Well as it turns out. The noise I heard was a Presidential Air flight. Pres Air, as it is called here, is a charter flight that is run out here. It is a company that flies the MI 17 Hip. An old Russian cargo helicopter. It is a really nice looking bird and seems very reliable. We were going to be pushed out via a Pres Air flight but they turned us down due to the amount of weight we are carrying with us. Well, not so much the weight, but, the amount of boxes and Ruck sacks and duffel bags.
It looks like the Saga continues. I will be getting word soon, on when the next time for the delivery is going to be. Hopefully it will be soon, or this thing is going to keep chasing us around the country even longer.
It is now Sunday, 22 Feb and we are still living in a tent awaiting our flight out of here. We are about to get the rest of our gear in a few minutes. It is going to be arriving on a CH 47. I hope that this time we have the correct boxes and we can finally move on. I have been trying to get my soldier's gear to us since day one. It has been chasing us around the country for 2 weeks now. I hope that this saga will finally come to a close. We shall soon see.
The food here is as good if not better than the food at Mehtar Lam. I have to really curb my eating, or I will not fit into my clothes soon. I have cut down to one meal a day and it has helped. I feel more energetic since doing so. I also started to drink more water. I do not want to be a heat casualty again. The last time that happened, the Doc told me that very few people survive 5 incidents of heat stroke or exhaustion, and the odds of me surviving a 6th are slim to none. So I have not tried to prove him wrong and do not plan on doing so. Of course, that was back in 1989, at Language school, in Monterrey, Ca. A long time ago. Science and medicine has come a long way since then, but none the less. I am not a gambler, or at least not a good one. LOL
Here comes the choppers, I can hear them coming from a distance. The CH47's make a lot of noise. I will write again soon.
Well as it turns out. The noise I heard was a Presidential Air flight. Pres Air, as it is called here, is a charter flight that is run out here. It is a company that flies the MI 17 Hip. An old Russian cargo helicopter. It is a really nice looking bird and seems very reliable. We were going to be pushed out via a Pres Air flight but they turned us down due to the amount of weight we are carrying with us. Well, not so much the weight, but, the amount of boxes and Ruck sacks and duffel bags.
It looks like the Saga continues. I will be getting word soon, on when the next time for the delivery is going to be. Hopefully it will be soon, or this thing is going to keep chasing us around the country even longer.
Friday, February 20, 2009
A glimmer of hope
I have now been here in FOB Fenty, for just over 24 hours. I could not think of a better place to be "stuck" awaiting my next flight. It looks like it is going to be a few days. I just discovered that this place is not as far behind the times as it was when I last left here in 2006. They have the technology for Wireless Internet. I do not mean WiFi, I mean cellular CDMA technology. I can, for a mere $220.00 plus $60 a month for the service, get a USB device that will let me get on the Internet with my laptop.
I was very tempted to purchase that gizmo. However, I was talked out of it by a fellow soldier when he explained that since I am not going to be staying in this area, I should not buy it here. The area I am going to be in may not have the same service and even if it does, there is not going to be any customer service down there if I buy it up here. The local vendor is my customer service and he will not be obliged to help if the commission from the monthly fees is going to someone else. There is now, however, a glimmer of hope.
Also today, there is a Bazaar here at FOB Fenty. That is when the local vendors get to rent a booth at the "parade grounds," loosely stated since there are no parades here. And they set up shop and let us peruse through them and buy things. I know, I know, I can just hear you guys out there. At least the ones that know me. I am not going to take more than $120 with me. I made my self a promise this time. I will not be spending $33,000 here in Afghanistan on Persian rugs or custom silk suits or anything else for that matter. I plan on getting rid of things like the car payments, at least one of my houses will be paid off and all my credit cards will get paid. I want to be debt free this time. Minus one house payment. So, just relax and do not worry. LOL
The locals here are pretty much the same as the ones in Bagram and Mehtar Lam. They love us here and are very friendly towards us. I just hope that we do not take advantage of it and of them. I have seen it in the past, where soldiers begin to treat the locals like crap, thinking that "they need us and will put up with it." Well, I know that they will "deal" with it for a little while, but after that it becomes too much to bear and the tide starts to turn. I hope that does not happen here. I will, however, say this as well. You have to be on your toes. They will take advantage of your kindness in a heart beat if they are permitted. That is part of the reason that some soldiers get the way they are.
The culture here is a little different from what most people are used to back home. For example: If one goes to the shop and is looking to buy something. The vendor wants, lets say $30 for said item. He is going to start off with around $50 and if you pay it with out bartering, you might be insulting him. Not to mention the fact that you are a sucker. The proper response is, "I will give you $20" or maybe even $25. You have just established a relationship with the vendor and he will take you more seriously. When you come in next time. He will remember you and you will be shown the higher quality goods, as a "valued" customer. I know it sounds strange, but, that is how it is here. It is not so much about the money as it is about the "dance."
Well I have to go for now. It is time for me to take a walk to the Bazaar. I will let you know how it went. How well I was able to resist the temptation of buy things. LOL
I was very tempted to purchase that gizmo. However, I was talked out of it by a fellow soldier when he explained that since I am not going to be staying in this area, I should not buy it here. The area I am going to be in may not have the same service and even if it does, there is not going to be any customer service down there if I buy it up here. The local vendor is my customer service and he will not be obliged to help if the commission from the monthly fees is going to someone else. There is now, however, a glimmer of hope.
Also today, there is a Bazaar here at FOB Fenty. That is when the local vendors get to rent a booth at the "parade grounds," loosely stated since there are no parades here. And they set up shop and let us peruse through them and buy things. I know, I know, I can just hear you guys out there. At least the ones that know me. I am not going to take more than $120 with me. I made my self a promise this time. I will not be spending $33,000 here in Afghanistan on Persian rugs or custom silk suits or anything else for that matter. I plan on getting rid of things like the car payments, at least one of my houses will be paid off and all my credit cards will get paid. I want to be debt free this time. Minus one house payment. So, just relax and do not worry. LOL
The locals here are pretty much the same as the ones in Bagram and Mehtar Lam. They love us here and are very friendly towards us. I just hope that we do not take advantage of it and of them. I have seen it in the past, where soldiers begin to treat the locals like crap, thinking that "they need us and will put up with it." Well, I know that they will "deal" with it for a little while, but after that it becomes too much to bear and the tide starts to turn. I hope that does not happen here. I will, however, say this as well. You have to be on your toes. They will take advantage of your kindness in a heart beat if they are permitted. That is part of the reason that some soldiers get the way they are.
The culture here is a little different from what most people are used to back home. For example: If one goes to the shop and is looking to buy something. The vendor wants, lets say $30 for said item. He is going to start off with around $50 and if you pay it with out bartering, you might be insulting him. Not to mention the fact that you are a sucker. The proper response is, "I will give you $20" or maybe even $25. You have just established a relationship with the vendor and he will take you more seriously. When you come in next time. He will remember you and you will be shown the higher quality goods, as a "valued" customer. I know it sounds strange, but, that is how it is here. It is not so much about the money as it is about the "dance."
Well I have to go for now. It is time for me to take a walk to the Bazaar. I will let you know how it went. How well I was able to resist the temptation of buy things. LOL
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The last day on Mehtar Lam
It is now Thursday 19 Feb. I am looking forward to getting out of here with in the next 24 hours. We are going to go to JAF (Jalalabad Air Field) for a link up with the Red ring flight. This is going to take us to the next mission site. This place is nice, but, there is no need for us to be here. We have not done much in the way of helping the war effort here. My guys are getting restless and are looking to go someplace that we can feel useful. I do not blame them.
We did have a little bit of excitement here the other night. It was late evening, and dark out side. And when I say dark, I mean dark. You can not see you own hands in front of your face, kind of dark. There was no moon and the clouds blocked out the Star light, so there was no type of ambient light to work off of. I was here in the MWR computer room when, all of the sudden, there was an explosion and the entire are shook. We all logged off and ran out with the weapons in hand and ready to do what was needed. But, there was not sign of any thing being wrong. Then a few seconds later, more like around 15-20 Seconds, there was a bright light in the sky. As it turns out, the 13F guys fired off a Howitzer Illumination round as a test fire. They just neglected to tell the rest of us that they were going to do it. Slowly but surely, every one went back to what they were doing.
I do not mind being here. I love the idea of being able to help these people. It is difficult not to love it once you see the people and see how they live. Not to mention the fact that most of them want to better their lives and that of their children. Unfortunately, the news media will not show you the places that the people come up to us and the kids and the fathers come up and shake our hands. They tell us, in rather mutilated and broken, English. "We know you left you families behind to help us, and we want to thank you." The first time I heard that, it gave me goose bumps all over. I never expected to hear that coming from any one here. Of course, the only thing I had to go on, was what I was hearing in the news media.
It is pretty sad that you can have thousands of people cheering us on, on one end of town and have 10 people yelling death to America at the other and the only one you see back home is the death to America crowd. This is why I quit believing anything I see or hear in the news. They have an agenda and will cater the news to fit that agenda. They do not report the news. They manufacture it. I am not saying that they are liars, just that they report half truths to make it fit their templates. Maybe, now the the "Messiah" is in Office, it will change. Sorry, did not mean to rant on about the media. I am sure you all have heard it before.
Well, today is going to be the last day of rest for us, for quite some time. The packing is almost done. Not that there was much to pack up, since we never really unpacked. I still have to coordinate the times, but it is looking like it is going to be a "go" for this trip. Once we arrive at the next site, we have our work cut out for us. I am actually looking forward to doing something a little more productive, for a change.
I look forward to seeing a new region and working with a new group of people. It is rather interesting how every region is different. I do not just mean different in surroundings. They are different in culture and religion. Yes they are Muslim, but, the are not all the same. The language is different, the interpretation of the religion is different, based on the Imam or Mullah, since most of the country is illiterate. If I remember correctly, only about 20% of the people here can read and write. This gives the religious leaders a lot of power, a lot of control over the people.
Well, it is time for me to go to chow. I will try to write again in a few days. I do not know if I will have access along the way to our next site. But, if I do, I will keep you all informed as to how things are progressing with the trip.
We did have a little bit of excitement here the other night. It was late evening, and dark out side. And when I say dark, I mean dark. You can not see you own hands in front of your face, kind of dark. There was no moon and the clouds blocked out the Star light, so there was no type of ambient light to work off of. I was here in the MWR computer room when, all of the sudden, there was an explosion and the entire are shook. We all logged off and ran out with the weapons in hand and ready to do what was needed. But, there was not sign of any thing being wrong. Then a few seconds later, more like around 15-20 Seconds, there was a bright light in the sky. As it turns out, the 13F guys fired off a Howitzer Illumination round as a test fire. They just neglected to tell the rest of us that they were going to do it. Slowly but surely, every one went back to what they were doing.
I do not mind being here. I love the idea of being able to help these people. It is difficult not to love it once you see the people and see how they live. Not to mention the fact that most of them want to better their lives and that of their children. Unfortunately, the news media will not show you the places that the people come up to us and the kids and the fathers come up and shake our hands. They tell us, in rather mutilated and broken, English. "We know you left you families behind to help us, and we want to thank you." The first time I heard that, it gave me goose bumps all over. I never expected to hear that coming from any one here. Of course, the only thing I had to go on, was what I was hearing in the news media.
It is pretty sad that you can have thousands of people cheering us on, on one end of town and have 10 people yelling death to America at the other and the only one you see back home is the death to America crowd. This is why I quit believing anything I see or hear in the news. They have an agenda and will cater the news to fit that agenda. They do not report the news. They manufacture it. I am not saying that they are liars, just that they report half truths to make it fit their templates. Maybe, now the the "Messiah" is in Office, it will change. Sorry, did not mean to rant on about the media. I am sure you all have heard it before.
Well, today is going to be the last day of rest for us, for quite some time. The packing is almost done. Not that there was much to pack up, since we never really unpacked. I still have to coordinate the times, but it is looking like it is going to be a "go" for this trip. Once we arrive at the next site, we have our work cut out for us. I am actually looking forward to doing something a little more productive, for a change.
I look forward to seeing a new region and working with a new group of people. It is rather interesting how every region is different. I do not just mean different in surroundings. They are different in culture and religion. Yes they are Muslim, but, the are not all the same. The language is different, the interpretation of the religion is different, based on the Imam or Mullah, since most of the country is illiterate. If I remember correctly, only about 20% of the people here can read and write. This gives the religious leaders a lot of power, a lot of control over the people.
Well, it is time for me to go to chow. I will try to write again in a few days. I do not know if I will have access along the way to our next site. But, if I do, I will keep you all informed as to how things are progressing with the trip.
A "Special guest" comes to town
It is now the 18th of Feb. I can now talk about it since it is over. We had a "special guest" visit us today. President Karzai came here to see the villagers and gave a speech. The people seemed very receptive. I think that politics, being new here, is going to be difficult to judge based on our standards. They seem to still like to eliminate their opponents with guns here, instead of with smear. You could say that here, politics is for keeps. The security here, was to say the least, tight.
I like the way things are progressing in this country. I know it is not happening as fast as most people back home think it should. But, think of our history. Think of how long it took our nation to be where it is today. You can not expect a country, that some day hopes to be lifted to 3rd world status, skip straight to full blown democracy. It took us several decades if not more, and we started with more than these people have. I just hope that we do not stop until the job is done.
We did that in Iraq in '91 and we see where that got us. The Kurds do not trust us because we backed them against Saddam and then the political tide shifted and we left them to get slaughtered. I truly believe that if you are going to do a job then "do it all or don't do it at all." Hundreds of thousands of Kurds paid with their lives, because WE changed out minds. That is why, I think, we are having a rough time with this one. They remember how that went down and are not willing to trust us. Luckily President Bush stayed the course and we are starting to build their trust again. I just hope that history does not repeat it self.
Well, my guys and I are starting to pack our gear. Our mission here is done and it is time to move to our next location. This place is going to be missed. Especially the food. I have not eaten this well in a long time. Today's menu, although not typical, consisted of crab legs, lobster tail, batter fried shrimp and the a salad, for me. Oh and the pies- de- resistance,( or however it is written) was the two big scoops of ice cream in a big soup dish topped with caramel, floating in Dr Pepper. I think I am going to have to be rolled home like giant barrel. I do not have a scale here. So I have no idea how much weight I have gained. But, I am sure I am not far from the 200 Lbs mark by now.
I just hope that I can still fit in my car once I get done here. Right now, that is the only thing I really am looking forward to doing once I get home. Just get in my MX-5 and drive with the top down till I run out of fuel and then fill it up and do it again. Who knows, I might just do a cross country trip with no destination in mind. "Just 'cause I can." Of course I think a lot of family and friends. My mom and dad especially. They worry about me. Well, my mom does, openly and my dad says he does not, but I can tell in his voice when I call. He truly is glad to hear that I am OK.
Truth be told, I worry about them, more than I worry about myself. I think it is more dangerous back home than it is here. Mostly because here, you are on your toes and are ready for the trouble. Back home, people walk around oblivious to their surrounding. Next thing you know, you are being mugged or worse. That is not likely to happen here. We use the buddy system. We are always alert to the "out of place" things in our daily travels.
Well it is that time again. I will write again as access permits.
I like the way things are progressing in this country. I know it is not happening as fast as most people back home think it should. But, think of our history. Think of how long it took our nation to be where it is today. You can not expect a country, that some day hopes to be lifted to 3rd world status, skip straight to full blown democracy. It took us several decades if not more, and we started with more than these people have. I just hope that we do not stop until the job is done.
We did that in Iraq in '91 and we see where that got us. The Kurds do not trust us because we backed them against Saddam and then the political tide shifted and we left them to get slaughtered. I truly believe that if you are going to do a job then "do it all or don't do it at all." Hundreds of thousands of Kurds paid with their lives, because WE changed out minds. That is why, I think, we are having a rough time with this one. They remember how that went down and are not willing to trust us. Luckily President Bush stayed the course and we are starting to build their trust again. I just hope that history does not repeat it self.
Well, my guys and I are starting to pack our gear. Our mission here is done and it is time to move to our next location. This place is going to be missed. Especially the food. I have not eaten this well in a long time. Today's menu, although not typical, consisted of crab legs, lobster tail, batter fried shrimp and the a salad, for me. Oh and the pies- de- resistance,( or however it is written) was the two big scoops of ice cream in a big soup dish topped with caramel, floating in Dr Pepper. I think I am going to have to be rolled home like giant barrel. I do not have a scale here. So I have no idea how much weight I have gained. But, I am sure I am not far from the 200 Lbs mark by now.
I just hope that I can still fit in my car once I get done here. Right now, that is the only thing I really am looking forward to doing once I get home. Just get in my MX-5 and drive with the top down till I run out of fuel and then fill it up and do it again. Who knows, I might just do a cross country trip with no destination in mind. "Just 'cause I can." Of course I think a lot of family and friends. My mom and dad especially. They worry about me. Well, my mom does, openly and my dad says he does not, but I can tell in his voice when I call. He truly is glad to hear that I am OK.
Truth be told, I worry about them, more than I worry about myself. I think it is more dangerous back home than it is here. Mostly because here, you are on your toes and are ready for the trouble. Back home, people walk around oblivious to their surrounding. Next thing you know, you are being mugged or worse. That is not likely to happen here. We use the buddy system. We are always alert to the "out of place" things in our daily travels.
Well it is that time again. I will write again as access permits.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
I think I am getting lazy
I usually do not like to just sit and do nothing. I try to keep busy doing something, most of the time. I have not been able to get myself motivated to do anything today. This is the second day that I have done nothing, physically demanding. All I did yesterday was my reports and then watched some videos on my computer. Today, looks to be mostly the same. I did manage to get some of the gear that my guys were missing. We are still missing one Tuffbox. But, it has now been located and should be delivered to us on the next Ring Flight that comes this way.
This area is rather interesting. As you look out at the mountains, you can see how dirty the air is. It is obvious that it has not rained in a few days because there is a lot of dust in the air. It looks like SMOG. But, for the most part, it is just a lot of dust and sand. I also learned that about 17% of the particulates in the air are actually human and animal feces. What a great piece of news that was. We are literally breathing $H!T into our lungs. I can only imagine what kind of health ramifications that is going to have on us, in the long run.
I also just found out that my "Dream dates" for my mid tour leave, were not approved. They could not accommodate my request to be home, in April, for my birthday. The reason given was because that would have left us "non-mission-capable." I was asked what would be a desirable alternate date range if I could not have that time period. My response was "surprise me." I guess I am going to get a surprise soon. LOL I love surprises, don't you? I think the big surprise is going to be that I am not going to get a mid tour leave. But, that just means that I will have that much more leave time to get paid on after we get back. There is a bright side to most situations, you just have to look for it, sometimes.
I have been lucky here lately. We have had minimal interruptions to our Internet access here at Mehtar Lam. I will write again as access permits.
This area is rather interesting. As you look out at the mountains, you can see how dirty the air is. It is obvious that it has not rained in a few days because there is a lot of dust in the air. It looks like SMOG. But, for the most part, it is just a lot of dust and sand. I also learned that about 17% of the particulates in the air are actually human and animal feces. What a great piece of news that was. We are literally breathing $H!T into our lungs. I can only imagine what kind of health ramifications that is going to have on us, in the long run.
I also just found out that my "Dream dates" for my mid tour leave, were not approved. They could not accommodate my request to be home, in April, for my birthday. The reason given was because that would have left us "non-mission-capable." I was asked what would be a desirable alternate date range if I could not have that time period. My response was "surprise me." I guess I am going to get a surprise soon. LOL I love surprises, don't you? I think the big surprise is going to be that I am not going to get a mid tour leave. But, that just means that I will have that much more leave time to get paid on after we get back. There is a bright side to most situations, you just have to look for it, sometimes.
I have been lucky here lately. We have had minimal interruptions to our Internet access here at Mehtar Lam. I will write again as access permits.
Monday, February 16, 2009
A day of rest
Well, it is now early afternoon on the 16th of Feb. and today has been nothing more than a day of rest. I let my guys sleep in and enjoy their first day off in a while. I just did my reports to higher and coordinated our trip out of here. Or at least, tried to coordinate it. I have run into a space availability issue. It seams that we, as a team, have too much equipment to get on a regular transport and thus have to wait for a Ch 47 team to be available and not filled up with other passengers. The alternative is going to be a convoy to our check point at which time we should be able to catch a Helo from there.
I am truly impressed with the efforts of those around us. They all want us to stay here due to the fact that we are considered a HVA (High Value Asset), but, are bending over backwards to try to get us to our intended destination. I would have thought that they would do anything to stall our departure so as to have us run missions here for them. This is a truly selfless unit that I am working with. They are willing to push us out to another unit, despite the fact that it is going to degrade their mission capabilities. I guess they understand that we are more useful (combat effective) at the other site, since it is considerably more active. I feel kind of bad for them, they are Really nice people.
We are hoping to be out of here in the next few days. I am not optimistic about that though. The main issue is that they can not take us all at once. I am going to have to decide who gets left behind for a day or two. That will be difficult. You never want to split up the team. It took me almost a week, the last time, to get us all back together. Mostly due to flight delays brought on by the poor weather. That is, hopefully, behind us. The last few days have been rather nice. I am looking forward to not needing to use my "snivel" gear the rest of the trip. Unless, of course, we go up into the mountains. Where it is cold all year around. Not much to tell about anything for today. I will write again next time.
I am truly impressed with the efforts of those around us. They all want us to stay here due to the fact that we are considered a HVA (High Value Asset), but, are bending over backwards to try to get us to our intended destination. I would have thought that they would do anything to stall our departure so as to have us run missions here for them. This is a truly selfless unit that I am working with. They are willing to push us out to another unit, despite the fact that it is going to degrade their mission capabilities. I guess they understand that we are more useful (combat effective) at the other site, since it is considerably more active. I feel kind of bad for them, they are Really nice people.
We are hoping to be out of here in the next few days. I am not optimistic about that though. The main issue is that they can not take us all at once. I am going to have to decide who gets left behind for a day or two. That will be difficult. You never want to split up the team. It took me almost a week, the last time, to get us all back together. Mostly due to flight delays brought on by the poor weather. That is, hopefully, behind us. The last few days have been rather nice. I am looking forward to not needing to use my "snivel" gear the rest of the trip. Unless, of course, we go up into the mountains. Where it is cold all year around. Not much to tell about anything for today. I will write again next time.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
On our own now
Today is 15 Feb. 2009. The guys that we are replacing here, are now gone. They flew out this afternoon and are on their way home. It was a great learning experience to see them work. I am looking forward to getting down range and actually doing a mission in the "hot zone." I have heard many stories of the other LLVI (Low Level Voice Intercept) teams and their accomplishments. I know you guys will forgive me for not telling them on this blog. I will let you all know in person once I get home. Not something that can be put on the net, due to the nature of the beast. I hope to have some of my own to tell, as well.
Any way, we are now here on our own and are awaiting further guidance from above. I have my guys relaxing and getting to know the systems intricacies so as to be able to operate the system with out having to think about it. It is a rather simple system once you get the "buttonology" down. Heck, if I can do it, a monkey can do it. LOL I am not a Computer savvy person, as most of you know. Not dumb, just not computer savvy.
So, now that we are here with out the "right seat" riders and it is all up to us, I feel like things are going to go well. I have great confidence in my team and their ability to do this. I also know that our ISR guy, that is the 11X (11B with a TS Clearance) that is assigned to protect us, is going to be a great asset. He has caught a bunch of crap from higher, but, now that we are on our own, I can protect him a little better from all the minutia that the C2 element puts us through.
We hope to go down range in the next few days. From what I understand, the gaining unit is eager to have us and is looking forward to our arrival. I am glad to hear that, since it was not too long ago that most commanders did not understand our capabilities and would rather do things the "old school" way and left the LLVI teams in the tents, un-utilized. Now, they are wondering how they did with out us all those years. I love being needed. It is a wonderful feeling.
As most of you know. I do not go far with out my tools. This trip is no exception. I brought with me, most of my DeWalt Power Tools. Of course there is no steady power source out here. So, I brought only the 18V battery powered tools that I can charge when there is power. I am looking forward to building my new home-away-from-home (the "Taj Ma Hut II")once we get to our new location. I think we are going to be pretty popular for not only our ability to take out the enemy, but, also for the tools we are going to have on hand. LOL Apparently, it is still difficult to get tools around here. That has not change from the last time I was here.
I will write again as access allows.
Any way, we are now here on our own and are awaiting further guidance from above. I have my guys relaxing and getting to know the systems intricacies so as to be able to operate the system with out having to think about it. It is a rather simple system once you get the "buttonology" down. Heck, if I can do it, a monkey can do it. LOL I am not a Computer savvy person, as most of you know. Not dumb, just not computer savvy.
So, now that we are here with out the "right seat" riders and it is all up to us, I feel like things are going to go well. I have great confidence in my team and their ability to do this. I also know that our ISR guy, that is the 11X (11B with a TS Clearance) that is assigned to protect us, is going to be a great asset. He has caught a bunch of crap from higher, but, now that we are on our own, I can protect him a little better from all the minutia that the C2 element puts us through.
We hope to go down range in the next few days. From what I understand, the gaining unit is eager to have us and is looking forward to our arrival. I am glad to hear that, since it was not too long ago that most commanders did not understand our capabilities and would rather do things the "old school" way and left the LLVI teams in the tents, un-utilized. Now, they are wondering how they did with out us all those years. I love being needed. It is a wonderful feeling.
As most of you know. I do not go far with out my tools. This trip is no exception. I brought with me, most of my DeWalt Power Tools. Of course there is no steady power source out here. So, I brought only the 18V battery powered tools that I can charge when there is power. I am looking forward to building my new home-away-from-home (the "Taj Ma Hut II")once we get to our new location. I think we are going to be pretty popular for not only our ability to take out the enemy, but, also for the tools we are going to have on hand. LOL Apparently, it is still difficult to get tools around here. That has not change from the last time I was here.
I will write again as access allows.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
First mission
We finished our first mission today. It was a short mission as far as missions go. We left yesterday, early afternoon and went down south to a soon-to-be out post. We set up and did our thing. As far as missions go, this one was rather uneventful. There was nothing going on in the area at all. That is what we suspected, but, the S-2 wanted to make sure and sent us down.
It was more of a training mission of sorts. It gave us a chance to operate with a minimal chance of danger so we could concentrate on doing our jobs instead of worrying about our safety.
It is now the 14th of Feb. 2009 and the end of Valentines day. I, for one, had a rather interesting day. I am sad that I am not home with the family, however, I am going to remember this Valentines day more than most.
It was an interesting experience to be able to work side by side with the A N A (Afghan National Army) and see how they operate. I think we have a long way to go here in Afghanistan, before they are ready to take over the job at hand. They do have the heart though. I felt sad seeing how hard they work and yet how little they get done.
There are many things we take for granted back home. For example; They do not have electricity like we do. There are no wall plates with switchs to flip, for lights. There is, however, a generator that runs at night, from which they run extension cords and plug up lights to it. The compound I was on had one generator. That one generator powered the security lights and the room lights. No heaters to go around either. We just put a piece of plywood on the concrete floor and then put our sleeping bags on the wood. That kept the cold concrete from sucking the heat out of our bodies through out the night. The next morning, however, my back was in so much pain, that I could not even think of moving. I took about an hour just to get up and start moving around. It seems that I have gotten spoiled by sleeping on a great bed for the last few years. I MISS MY BED, but, not as much as I miss my car. LOL
Well, that is it for now. I will write again when I have access to a computer.
It was more of a training mission of sorts. It gave us a chance to operate with a minimal chance of danger so we could concentrate on doing our jobs instead of worrying about our safety.
It is now the 14th of Feb. 2009 and the end of Valentines day. I, for one, had a rather interesting day. I am sad that I am not home with the family, however, I am going to remember this Valentines day more than most.
It was an interesting experience to be able to work side by side with the A N A (Afghan National Army) and see how they operate. I think we have a long way to go here in Afghanistan, before they are ready to take over the job at hand. They do have the heart though. I felt sad seeing how hard they work and yet how little they get done.
There are many things we take for granted back home. For example; They do not have electricity like we do. There are no wall plates with switchs to flip, for lights. There is, however, a generator that runs at night, from which they run extension cords and plug up lights to it. The compound I was on had one generator. That one generator powered the security lights and the room lights. No heaters to go around either. We just put a piece of plywood on the concrete floor and then put our sleeping bags on the wood. That kept the cold concrete from sucking the heat out of our bodies through out the night. The next morning, however, my back was in so much pain, that I could not even think of moving. I took about an hour just to get up and start moving around. It seems that I have gotten spoiled by sleeping on a great bed for the last few years. I MISS MY BED, but, not as much as I miss my car. LOL
Well, that is it for now. I will write again when I have access to a computer.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Yet another day
It is now Thursday the 12th of Feb. 2009. The weather here just changed for the worse. It started raining last night and now all the dust is has turned to mud. I do not mind the mud since it keeps the air dust free. It is amazes me that the laptops are not overheating more than they are, considering how much dust builds up inside of them. We take compressed air and try to blow out the cooling area every week or so. I am still amazed as to how much dust comes out of there each time. It is just one of those things we take for granted back home. You hear people complain about "air quality" and crap back home. To me, it is obvious that they have not been any where else in the world. We have some of the best air quality in the world. I have been to several other countries and there is no comparison.
Any way, we had another day of training here in Mehtar Lam. We are getting ready to link up with the unit that we are going to support, in a week or so. The weather is causing some delays. The Ring flights (CH 47 helicopters) do not fly in adverse conditions unless it is mandatory. A good thing for us, it maximizes our chances of getting were we need to go with minimal problems.
I did learn something very valuable the other day, however. When one is standing next to a CH 47 that is about to take off, it is best if you are braced against something solid. I was standing next to all my gear that was just unloaded from the bird and was awaiting the Gator (John Deere ATV with a small dump bed for carrying things), and I was not hanging on to anything when the CH 47 started to lift off. The wind that was generated from the blades as it was lifting off, threw me onto my duffel bag like I was a rag doll or something. It was a whole new feeling. Especially since I am not exactly a light weight. I weigh in at over 190 with out any equipment on my back.
I can not go into any detail on our missions, for obvious reasons. But, I will say this. I look forward to making a big difference in how things proceed in the next year or so. I think that our mission here is an important one. Not only for the troops that we are going to support with our Intel. data, but, also for the people that live here, who do not want the violence to continue and want to have a free and open society.
Any way, we had another day of training here in Mehtar Lam. We are getting ready to link up with the unit that we are going to support, in a week or so. The weather is causing some delays. The Ring flights (CH 47 helicopters) do not fly in adverse conditions unless it is mandatory. A good thing for us, it maximizes our chances of getting were we need to go with minimal problems.
I did learn something very valuable the other day, however. When one is standing next to a CH 47 that is about to take off, it is best if you are braced against something solid. I was standing next to all my gear that was just unloaded from the bird and was awaiting the Gator (John Deere ATV with a small dump bed for carrying things), and I was not hanging on to anything when the CH 47 started to lift off. The wind that was generated from the blades as it was lifting off, threw me onto my duffel bag like I was a rag doll or something. It was a whole new feeling. Especially since I am not exactly a light weight. I weigh in at over 190 with out any equipment on my back.
I can not go into any detail on our missions, for obvious reasons. But, I will say this. I look forward to making a big difference in how things proceed in the next year or so. I think that our mission here is an important one. Not only for the troops that we are going to support with our Intel. data, but, also for the people that live here, who do not want the violence to continue and want to have a free and open society.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
From the Start
Well, where do I start? It was the 20th of January 2009 when we boarded the plane headed for Afghanistan. We stopped in Germany for a refuel and due to weather issues and communication issues at the our destination, we were unable to continue. We ended up in Frankfurt at the Maritim Hotel. One would say "wow, what luck." However, not in this case. We were not permitted to leave the hotel since we did not have Visa's to be in the country in the first place. The entire Battalion ended up staying in the hotel for more than 30 hours with nothing to do. I just slept and watched German TV and some BBC. I will say this, the food was 5 star plus, if there is such a thing.
Then we proceeded to our first staging point, Manas Air Base, in Kyrgystan. That was supposed to be a 1 day layover. As luck would have it, it turned into several days. Each day was going to be "the day we fly out." But, we were bumped because other units had higher priorities and then weather delays and so on. It turned into a 5 day layover. Some of us were finally on our way to Afghanistan. I was the only one from my Team that was on the first flight. It took the rest of my team 4 days to catch up. However, I was finally in Afghanistan, at Bagram Air Field. This too was supposed to be a one day stay. And yet once again, Murphy raised his ugly head and intervened.
At this point we are now supposed to be transported out by teams. My team was supposed to ship out as a cohesive element to Mehtar Lam. Yet again, things did not go as planned. I had three of my troops that had to stay behind because they did not have all the training done that was "required" in order to move on to the next step. At this point, Myself and one of my NCOs made it to Mehtar Lam to meet up with the guys that we are to replace.
Day one on ground went well, I linked up with the NCOIC of the group that was going home. We made plans for the Left seat Right seat/ Right seat Left seat so as to get up to speed and here came Murphy again. I had to Medivac my soldier out the next day to Bagram for surgery. He had a Gall stone that was causing problems He is now in Germany for recovery and might be back in 8 weeks.
My guys, that were left behind, finally showed up a few days later and we are now back on track. Hopefully, we have met with Murphy enough times to appease him. I am looking forward to a rather enjoyable deployment from here on out. We are going to be moving one more time in the near future, and linking up with our new bosses. The fun stuff will begin once that happens. As for now, my team and I are just doing training with the out going guys and getting used to the weight of the equipment on our back. Just so you know what that means. The ruck sacks each, weigh around 97 Lbs. and then of course the body armor and the ammo and the other stuff that is worn on the body. All in all, I stepped on the scale with all of my gear on and was just under 375 Lbs. That is what I weigh in at, when I am mission ready.
The infantry guys used to give us(us, as in LLVI) crap about being slow going up the mountains. Until one of the guys got tired of it and said "lets switch ruck sacks and see how well you keep up" There was a difference of over 50 Lbs between what we had to carry and what they had to carry. After that, there were no more complaints about how "slow" the LLVI team is. We are the Pack Mules in the army.
If I have internet where I am going to be, I will add to this blog again soon. If not, I hope to be able to update this once I get some time to "refit" at mid tour. bye for now.
Then we proceeded to our first staging point, Manas Air Base, in Kyrgystan. That was supposed to be a 1 day layover. As luck would have it, it turned into several days. Each day was going to be "the day we fly out." But, we were bumped because other units had higher priorities and then weather delays and so on. It turned into a 5 day layover. Some of us were finally on our way to Afghanistan. I was the only one from my Team that was on the first flight. It took the rest of my team 4 days to catch up. However, I was finally in Afghanistan, at Bagram Air Field. This too was supposed to be a one day stay. And yet once again, Murphy raised his ugly head and intervened.
At this point we are now supposed to be transported out by teams. My team was supposed to ship out as a cohesive element to Mehtar Lam. Yet again, things did not go as planned. I had three of my troops that had to stay behind because they did not have all the training done that was "required" in order to move on to the next step. At this point, Myself and one of my NCOs made it to Mehtar Lam to meet up with the guys that we are to replace.
Day one on ground went well, I linked up with the NCOIC of the group that was going home. We made plans for the Left seat Right seat/ Right seat Left seat so as to get up to speed and here came Murphy again. I had to Medivac my soldier out the next day to Bagram for surgery. He had a Gall stone that was causing problems He is now in Germany for recovery and might be back in 8 weeks.
My guys, that were left behind, finally showed up a few days later and we are now back on track. Hopefully, we have met with Murphy enough times to appease him. I am looking forward to a rather enjoyable deployment from here on out. We are going to be moving one more time in the near future, and linking up with our new bosses. The fun stuff will begin once that happens. As for now, my team and I are just doing training with the out going guys and getting used to the weight of the equipment on our back. Just so you know what that means. The ruck sacks each, weigh around 97 Lbs. and then of course the body armor and the ammo and the other stuff that is worn on the body. All in all, I stepped on the scale with all of my gear on and was just under 375 Lbs. That is what I weigh in at, when I am mission ready.
The infantry guys used to give us(us, as in LLVI) crap about being slow going up the mountains. Until one of the guys got tired of it and said "lets switch ruck sacks and see how well you keep up" There was a difference of over 50 Lbs between what we had to carry and what they had to carry. After that, there were no more complaints about how "slow" the LLVI team is. We are the Pack Mules in the army.
If I have internet where I am going to be, I will add to this blog again soon. If not, I hope to be able to update this once I get some time to "refit" at mid tour. bye for now.
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