Beauty in an Otherwise War Torn Country

The winter months are starting to roll into Afghanistan, and we got to see a rare sight.  The mountains were crystal clear and the snow was amazing to see.  I spend a majority of my day monitoring the war in this country, however, it was an interesting change to see how beautiful the landscape here can be.  We spent the better part of an hour enjoying the sights and the cool weather.  It was a nice change of pace.

Enjoying the cool weather and the awesome view!

The air is usually pretty dusty...seeing the mountains like this is pretty rare.

Amazing to suddenly see snow on the mountains.

"Outside the Wire"

After we arrive in Kabul, we usually take about a 15-20 minute drive through the streets of Kabul.  When you leave the safety of the base, it's typically called being outside the wire.  These pics are from my travel through the streets of Kabul.  You definitely see some unusual stuff...tons of people on bikes, store fronts and folks literally just blindly crossing the street without even looking.  It's amazing to see the lifestyle here.

Oh yeah...Private Flights to Kabul

We took a trip to Kabul in September, and we flew in a private airplane...pretty flippin' sweet.  This was my first trip off the base since I arrived in July.  It was only a 20 minute flight, but it was a great way to see the country side.

Awesome Mustache August Contenders

Aside from being a terrible blogger...I am going to try and catch up.  Here is a pic of the awesome mustache August contenders...not sure if we decided on a winner, but it was fun anyway.

The Bagram Bazaar

I definitely hit a routine that makes me totally feel like the movie Ground Hogs Day.  So, I don't have to many updates.  My roommate and I went to the Bagram Bazaar yesterday (see pic).  For the most part, they sell low-quality stuff, but it is fun to haggle prices with the locals.  I bought some Afghan post cards for the girls, and I will send those home soon. 

It seems that Saturday is our office hang out night.  We usually just hang out and play cards, corn hole and smoke cigars.  It is a nice break from the daily routine.

I am starting to feel like I might be real busy soon.  I think my slow starting job is going to pick up in the very near future, and I also have a couple other moon lighting jobs now.  So, if all goes well, I will be extremely busy.  I came out here to work...so, I am looking forward to the challenge.

Oh, and I am totally excited...my friend Steve (from San Diego) might be in the area soon.  So, I am hoping to see him soon.  Who knows...maybe we could find a way to help each other out regarding work issues....hmmmmm.

--I guess I had more updates than I thought--

We all come and go...

We said goodbye to 2 ATFC folks today...although I have not been here long, they are great people, and I wish I could have worked with them longer.  Plus, it is always a day of mixed emotions when people leave.  In one sense, you are happy for them.  They are heading home to family, friends, and the real world.  On the other hand, there is always that feeling of dang...I have a really long time until I am in that position.  As it stands right now, I am one of the few people left in the command that will be here for an entire year.  So, I will be one salty Sailor by the end of this deployment.  Either way, it's time to carry on and get to work.





As a side note, I just want to verbally pass on my condolences to those family members who lost a service member in the recent helicopter accident.  That being said, I think it's time for the media to stop providing free advertisement for the insurgents.  I am sure it's just a matter of time (if it's not happening already) before they use that to bolster their cause here.  I have some really strong feelings about how they are handling this incident, and I will keep a majority of them to myself.  But...I ask you to think about it for a minute...does it really make sense to keep harping on this day after day?  We need to support the families, mourn for their loss, finish our job here and continue taking it to the insurgents.  I think that's what those service members would want...just my opinion.  They were dedicated and skilled warriors.



ATFC BBQ (6 Aug 2011)

Well, we had a great time at the BBQ last night.  The dining facility (DFAC) really hooked us up with some great food (ribs, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, etc...).  It was really fun to hang out with everyone in a relaxed environment.  I think I am going to try and make it a once a month event...only 11 more to go (ugh).

 Here is a pic of me and some of the BAF ATFC members enjoying the yummy BBQ.

 Enjoying a good Rockey Patel before we start playing corn hole.

 The Marine Corps...need I say more?

 Is that blue steel?  My roommate is enjoying a non-alcoholic becks...better than nothing I guess.

 The BBQ feast...

A fantastic corn hole action photo...big time event here.

19 Days In...

Well, I have been really bad about keeping up my blog...sorry.  I just bought an SD card reader.  So, I can finally post pics again. 

Here are a couple updates:

I am still waiting for my day-to-day job to get rolling...if all goes as planned, it should be an awesome experience.  If not, ummmm....I guess it will be on to something else.  In the mean time, I am keeping myself busy with small projects and helping other people in the office.  The work is very interesting, but I have no real focus right now.  Which, as you can imagine, is kinda frustrating.

It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to keep in touch with my family.  I am very thankful for that, and I think that will help the year fly by -- or at least creep faster.

I am finally in a good work out routine.  Although, I am either getting old or just weak from years of inconsistency.  Either way, I am getting back in the game.

In the true spirit of any deployment, we are having a mustache growing contest (you might be able to see my peach fuzz in the pic below).  We are calling it Awesome Mustache August.  I am definitely at the back of the pack right now, but I plan to take the lead soon.  :)  Well, probably not, but it will be fun anyway.

Finally, we are having an office BBQ on Saturday.  I am going to try my best to make this deployment fun.  It is a bit challenging though as I am the new guy full of great ideas to keep everyone busy.  In some cases, it is hard to break through the walls of people stuck in routines for the last 8-9 months.  I am going to do my best to get people involved...this tour will suck if all we do is work and sleep.  YUCK!!!  I can't do it that way.

Now that I have the capability to download pics again, I will keep making updates. 

Here is a pic of me on the deck located inside our compound.  It is actually pretty awesome...a great cigar smoking location.  There are beautiful mountains behind me...but they got washed out for some reason.  However, you can seem them in the pics below.

This is what was behind me in the pic above...we are totally surrounded by mountains.  I cannot wait until they are snow capped during the winter.

 Grabbed a pic of a helo landing at the base.

Another pic from the deck looking at the mountains in the distance.

Finally, A Way Ahead...

Well, I am not the type of person that likes to sit around.  So, as you can imagine, the last 3-4 days of uncertainty has been very frustrating to me -- although I did get a lot of gym/bazaar time.  Anyway, I finally have a way ahead, and I am pretty excited about the assignment.  I will be staying in Bagram, and I will be moving into a permanent party room over the next couple days.  So, I am excited to finally have a place to (fully) unpack, settle and get on with work. 

The experience here, so far, has been great.  I really enjoy the people I work with and the exposure to the locals (although small right now) is really unique.  I should have the opportunity to travel a bit, and I am excited about the opportunity to break up the daily grind.

I have not had the chance to take a ton of pics yet, but I will do my best to get the camera out and about -- it will be much easier when I get my laptop out here as well.  The one thing I cannot complain about are the options to keep in touch with my family.  They have gone out of their way to ensure we have access to our family and friends back home -- it is a lot different than my tour to Iraq in 2005.   



Finally BOG in Afghanistan as of 21 July 2011

After 6 LONG days in Kuwait, I finally arrived at Bagram Air Base on 21 July 2011 at midnight.  Aside from the annoying Army check in process at the air terminal, it was actually a pretty smooth process.  Shortly after arrival, I had a person from my office there to greet me and take me back to my room -- which, oh by the way, is not to shabby.  Needless to say, I was tired as heck once I dragged all my bags from the flight line to the truck and from the truck to the room.  So, I pretty much passed out immediately.

The day after my arrival, I spent the morning getting to know the people I will be working with here in Afghanistan.  The people here are very easy to get along with, and I have a feeling this will be a very good (and hopefully fast) tour.  It looks like I will be here for about 1 week, and I will be moved to another location to begin working (more details later).  I am still not 100% sure what my job will be, but I have been briefed on a couple options -- they all sound great.

The really cool part about today was meeting a huge pack of locals coming on the base while my friend and I walked to the bazaar.  They were incredibly friendly and really wanted to take pictures with us.  So, as you can imagine, I could not turn down that opportunity.  This should be an interesting year...I have a lot to learn, and I have a feeling it will involve some really unique experiences.  So, let the journey begin....

The Unseen Challenges

So...just to give a quick update. I am still waiting on a ride out of Kuwait. It is funny how we can hit a major holding pattern enroute. Overall, I can think of worse places to be stuck. Either way, we are not allowed to take pics on the base...so, I will make up for it once I get to Afghanistan. The one thing that seems to be the same everywhere in Kuwait is that it's hotter than hell and very sandy. I am used to chewing on sand at this point, and I cannot think of life without sand in my teeth. The good part is that I have a coffee shop and decent wifi available.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Kuwait

Life in Kuwait (Pic 8)

Stealing Angels in action...at the very least, we had some sweet seats.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Camp Virginia

Life in Kuwait (Pic 7)

There was a USO concert on Sunday...it was Stealing Angels - a country band. They were entertaining, but I still can't stand country.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Camp Virginia

Life in Kuwait (Pic 6)

Here is a look inside our barracks...not really that bad, and it has really good A/C.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Camp Virginia

Life in Kuwait (Pic 5)

Carlos and I outside Starbucks...oh yes, I said Starbucks.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Camp Virginia

Life in Kuwait (Pic 4)

This is us unloading the truck...see all the blowing sand in the pic? Crazy!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Camp Virginia

Leaving South Carolina

I will apologize up front because the pics are really out of order...I am have some serious issues posting the pics due to the lack of wifi bandwidth.  I really like this pic, so I wanted to post it.  This is a pic of Don, Fernando, and I just before we got on the plane in South Carolina.

A Classic Pin Up Squadron Patch

I posted this patch because I am a huge fan of classic military pin up art.  It is a huge part of military history, and I wish it was still common today.  So, when I see a squadron that respects its roots, I take pictures.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Germany

Life in Kuwait (Pic 3)

Don and I on the way to the MWR/USO facilities...took this primarily to show the extent of nothingness on the base (and sand).


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Camp Virginia

Life in Kuwait (Pic 2)

This is me outside our barracks...weirdly enough, it's better than South Carolina.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Camp Virginia

Life in Kuwait (Pic 1)

Well, overall, the camp is really nice. We have the entire day off today...so, we spent most of it walking around, visiting the USO/MWR tents and getting haircuts. The amount of sand here is crazy. Also, as luck would have it, it is 120 degrees, and we are in wake of a sand storm (you can see the sand in the pics below). They definitely make it bearable with everything that is available for us to use. I will be here for a couple days taking care of some admin stuff. After that, it is off to work.


This was at a stopping point along the way...not really sure why we stopped. But, I stopped asking why a long time ago.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Camp Virginia

The Most Incredible Military Send Off in 14 years

After all the waiting and stress during the run-up to this deployment, I am finally on my way to Afghanistan - the official counter. Starts tomorrow. The 2.5 week basic combat course at FT Jackson was great. I really feel like I learned all the right skills that will ensure I am safe during my time in country. The Army Drill Instructors were incredible teachers and treated us like their own - even though Navy will still kick their butts in football next season.

The icing on the cake of this experience took place at the airport today. In over 14 years of service and multiple deployments, I experienced a send off like no other today. Military families (service members and spouses) experience many lonely moments during our time in the military...it is part of the life, and it can be very difficult. The people I met today at the airport were incredible. They were veterans, family members and civilians volunteering their time and effort to make one small portion of this trip bearable by showing that people truly appreciate what we are doing. It allowed us (even for a short time) to think about something other than knowing we will be gone from our loved ones for over 1 year, the massive travel day we are about to endure and the uncertainty of what lies ahead.

We were showered with snacks, food, small pieces of home and most importantly with the caring of people who have been in our shoes. This is truly a lifestyle that can only be comprehended by those that live it. It is tough, and it takes a special family to make it from start to finish. I was truly moved by these people today. I saw compassion and concern in their eyes as I walked to the plane. We shook hands, hugged and walked by veterans that fought for the exact reasons we left today - they are true heroes that lived in a time when the military was not quite as respected. They sent us off to war with pride and the reassurance that we will return to the same incredible country we left and would sacrifice all to defend.

I think I can speak for all of us on this plane today that we are proud of what we do. I am proud of everyone of my service brothers and sisters. I am proud of my family for their unwavering support during the hard times and the shore (easier) tours. The bond we share is infinite and unbreakable. I tip my hat to the new generation of war fighters joining as I type. The road is long and sometime arduous, but I guarantee it will fly by. I hope to return the favor to service members after I hang up my uniform...the experience is truly one of a kind.

But for now...it's time to do what we do.



Getting ready to leave Camp McCrady.


These are the great people that met us at the airport in South Carolina.


This is our limo ride to Kuwait.


We had a veteran motorcycle escort from Camp McCrady to the airport...it was pretty awesome.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Leipzig, Germany

The Time is Here

Well, it is the night before I leave. I spent about 2 hrs packing today, and we have some cleaning to do tomorrow. Aside from that, it's time to get to work. I have quite the travel day tomorrow, and I am not excited about that. However, it is nice to finally start counting down the days. We are going to spend ample time tomorrow moving gear to the airport, planes and other locations. So, I am sure I will have some good pictures of us suffering. It is time to embrace the suck as we move into theater.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Camp McCrady

Final Battle Exercise

We did our final battle exercise today ("the super bowl"). To be honest, although it was still very good training, it was kinda anti-climactic. We did two separate convoys, and we found and reacted to some roadside bombs on the first mission. The second mission involved some engagements in a simulated bad guy town...unfortunately, I did not even get out of the vehicle or fire my weapon - the goal is to get to safety ASAP. So, it was essentially a top gunner show. Overall, we did really good as a platoon, but I was hoping for more action. Oh well, it was still fun. We also learned how to throw hand grenades - no boom though. Now, I am essentially 2 days from hitting the road, and I cannot wait to get to work. It also finally starts my return home countdown. :)


Alpha 3 platoon just before we departed on mission 1.


Me sitting in the rear scout seat on mission 2...I yelled at someone selling bananas in the simulated bad guy town. It is very important to keep people away from the trucks for our safety.


Loading up for mission 1.


This was our 5 truck convoy.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:FT Jackson, SC

Pre-Final Battle Exercise Recon

We did a ton of cool stuff on Saturday. We did some convoy training in preparation for our final battle exercise on Tuesday. We also did some room clearing practice...that was an awesome experience. It is something I am certain I will never use, but it was still awesome. It really highlighted the degree of training and concentration required by people who kick down doors in order to get the bad guys. The margin for error is so small that it's almost scary. In any case, I am again in awe of those that do that work for a living...kudos to you and your teams. I can only hope some of my products will result in some kicked in doors and the apprehension of some bad peeps.


I am enjoying some fake fruit at the market in a town we will be rolling through during the final exercise...see any bad guys?


The city police station in the same town.


This is another building we will pass in battle drill lane.



This is the overpass in the town...a very tense spot due to the vantage point of the bridge over the road. I bet we will have some fun here. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:FT Jackson, SC