The first leg of our journey home has been completed. This morning we were tranported to KAIA (Kabul Afghanistan International Airport). Because there are so many of us we had to do it in two movements. The first group went met 0830 and my group met an hour later. We actually didn't leave Phoenix until after 1000 but that's OK because we were at least moving towards home.
There's only been one other time when I've been nervous about driving here in Afghanistan; last winter driving through downtown Kabul in a Toyota Landcruiser and today. We were moved in the back of open 5-ton trucks. A couple of things combined to make me nervous, the primary one being the suicide bomber of two weeks ago and that today was my last movement on the ground. The thought was, "I'm on my way home, please don't let anything bad happen." Thankfully we made it alright.
Now begins the waiting. Our 1300 flight was of course bumped to 2045 tonight. In someone's infinite wisdom we have to go into lockdown at 1700 but of course chow is not served until 1715. Someone wasn't thinking. That means that those of us who want to eat will have to get something from the Air Force One cafe and take it down to the tent. I'm not complaining, too much, because again, we're moving towards home.
We found out this morning that our flight out of Manas has been moved to the right two days which will delay us getting home by a day or so. We're hoping that things will go fast and smooth at Shelby so that we can make up for the two days but we'll see.
I'll post pictures later because I don't have the cable to my camera right now so check back for movement pictures.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Last Days
We’re down to the last stretch here in Afganistan. I can’t believe that it’s actually that close. This last week I’ve been weighed down with other concerns and worries, some of which what I was going to say in Sacrament Meeting but that wasn’t the only thing. I won’t burden you all with those details but they have gotten in the way of me really feeling the excitement of going home. Don’t get it? Neither do I. But, now that my talk is over and I’ve dealt with my own issues, the reality is finally starting to hit. To think I’ve done the “last” of certain things is so cool!
We met this morning to discuss final details and final plans. We still don’t have firm dates when we’ll arrive back in Salt Lake but it’s less than two weeks away. We were told that the guys from Utah that are at Shelby to assist in the demobilization process are trying to compress the number of days we’re actually there. Of course we all hope to be there the minimum number of days possible. Will keep you posted.
I’ve decided that I’m really going to miss the folks in the office here. They have accepted me into their “family” and made me feel like one of them. I have really enjoyed working with them. The kinds of issues this legal office has faced and will continue to face are certainly worthy of a soap opera or some soft-porn movie. It’s been a real eye opener for a not-so-naïve boy from Utah. I thought I’d heard it all but I’ve certainly received an education since working with them. The phrase of the day (actually it’s been the phrase of the deployment) is “You can’t make this stuff up.”
My room is pretty much empty. The only things left are what will fit in my carry-on and a few other things that if I don’t eat or use in the next very short time period will get thrown away. I’ve gotten rid of my fridge, microwave and Stanley is getting my TV. I even swept and mopped the floor for Zeb, since he’s moving in after me. It will be weird to move back into a house that I have to share with other people as well as sleep in a bed with someone else. OK, I lied about that part. It will be wonderful to sleep in a bed with someone else. Can’t wait but again, since this is a family friendly site I won’t go into any more details on that subject.
So I’m not sure what else to tell you about. My computer is ready to be wiped clean as I’ve downloaded all my files and pictures. I’ve packed everything away or else thrown it away. In fact the only reason I even came into the office today was so that I could use the computer. I’ll probably go to they gym later tonight, watch a movie and then prepare to move in the next little while.
But like I said, I still can’t believe that the end is in sight. What a great thing.
We met this morning to discuss final details and final plans. We still don’t have firm dates when we’ll arrive back in Salt Lake but it’s less than two weeks away. We were told that the guys from Utah that are at Shelby to assist in the demobilization process are trying to compress the number of days we’re actually there. Of course we all hope to be there the minimum number of days possible. Will keep you posted.
I’ve decided that I’m really going to miss the folks in the office here. They have accepted me into their “family” and made me feel like one of them. I have really enjoyed working with them. The kinds of issues this legal office has faced and will continue to face are certainly worthy of a soap opera or some soft-porn movie. It’s been a real eye opener for a not-so-naïve boy from Utah. I thought I’d heard it all but I’ve certainly received an education since working with them. The phrase of the day (actually it’s been the phrase of the deployment) is “You can’t make this stuff up.”
My room is pretty much empty. The only things left are what will fit in my carry-on and a few other things that if I don’t eat or use in the next very short time period will get thrown away. I’ve gotten rid of my fridge, microwave and Stanley is getting my TV. I even swept and mopped the floor for Zeb, since he’s moving in after me. It will be weird to move back into a house that I have to share with other people as well as sleep in a bed with someone else. OK, I lied about that part. It will be wonderful to sleep in a bed with someone else. Can’t wait but again, since this is a family friendly site I won’t go into any more details on that subject.
So I’m not sure what else to tell you about. My computer is ready to be wiped clean as I’ve downloaded all my files and pictures. I’ve packed everything away or else thrown it away. In fact the only reason I even came into the office today was so that I could use the computer. I’ll probably go to they gym later tonight, watch a movie and then prepare to move in the next little while.
But like I said, I still can’t believe that the end is in sight. What a great thing.
Last Sunday
Our last Sunday in Afghanistan. We had a great meeting last night. Merrill and I both spoke and there was a certain poignancy to that since he and I have worked so closely the last year.
There was easily over 30 people there and that's only half our group. The other half flew directly from Kandahar. I imagine next week when we're all together in Shelby we'll have close to 60 people in attendance. It will be pretty cool.
I actually had to turn up the volume on the clavinova to compensate for the thunderous sound of all the male voices. It was great!
Merrill's topic was 1 Nephi 3:7 and he gave a great talk on preparing for life’s challenges. He recounted the trials and struggles that Nephi went through. He then pointed out that Nephi had spiritually prepared himself ahead of time and because of that he was able to succeed whereas Laman and Lemuel could not because they were relying on the arm of the flesh. He also talked about how the Lord could have made their challenges easier; i.e. getting the plates, but part of the learning process is going through the struggle of finding the answers. It was a great talk.
I was assigned the topic of “Return with Honor.” I had been praying all week that I would be able to deliver something that would be of worth to the brethren. All week I really struggled with what to say and up until yesterday morning, I wasn’t really sure what I was going to say.
I talked about how are we going to return. We can either go back better than we are right now or we can return to the status quo. I know everyone of us has made commitments to ourselves and to the Lord to do better but the real test will be after we’ve been home for a while to see if we fall back into old habits and routines. I talked about areas of my life that I haven’t done so well on this deployment and what I was going to do to improve. I talked about the areas that I have had success and how I want to continue to succeed in those areas. I talked about returning to my wife and how I want to honor her and treat her like the queen that she deserves to be treated. I know I was not alone in those thoughts and feelings.
Earlier in the week I had read a passage in a book written by Christian authors about overcoming the natural man. Several passages of the book really struck me (in fact I felt a stinging rebuke in some of their words) and wouldn’t leave my thoughts as I prepared this talk so I decided that the Lord wanted me to include them in my comments.
They talked about obedience versus mere excellence in our relationship with God. They posed the question, what is the difference between obedience and excellence? Some may argue that they are the same, that if we strive for excellence we will achieve obedience but they suggested otherwise. They suggested that to aim for obedience is to aim for perfection but that excellence is something else, something less than perfection. They argue that mere excellence allows room for a mixture of standards.
Take American businesses for example. US businesses strive for excellence. It is through excellence that they will obtain and keep your business. However, in the business world, excellence does not equal perfection. US businesses could strive for perfection but it’s too costly in terms of their profits. Rather than be perfect they know it’s enough to seem to be perfect to their customers. By stopping short of perfection they find a profitable balance between quality and cost. They look to their peers to discover the best practices of the industry.
This thought really struck me in particular as in many instances, this is the kind of man I am. It is so much easier to appear to be perfect in my callings at church, in my relationship with my wife, in how I perform my job that I stop short of perfection but still portray the façade of excellence. But in terms of my spiritual development where does that get me? Close to but just short of where I want to be in terms of my relationship with the Lord.
I continued reading.
The authors then posed the following questions.
How far can we go and still seem perfect?
By how far can we stop short but still seem perfect?
I then thought of the question, How far then, does that keep us from the Lord?
We all know someone who we look up to and think that they are perfect, or pretty close and wish we could be more like them. We all portray a certain image of what we want others to think of us, at least I know I do, but then we all say to ourselves, if they only knew the real me what would they really think?
That thought made me think of this scripture.
Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
I decided that I wasn’t quite a whited sepulcher, yet, that my real problem was that I wasn’t striving for that perfect obedience to God’s commandments and the other things in my life that would allow me to truly feel like I was living up to the standards that I wanted for myself. I realized that if I was only more obedient then I would not have made the mistakes that I have over the last year.
Christ commanded his disciples to be perfect, even as he and his Father are. (See Matt. 5:48; 3 Ne. 12:48.) But this commandment may seem overwhelming. I know I become discouraged at the thought of becoming perfect. It’s too hard. It’s easier to appear to be perfect, to achieve that appearance of excellence than actually be that way.
Moroni taught that we should “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; … and love God with all your might, mind and strength, … that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ.” (Moro. 10:32.)
The scriptures go on to say,
If we love and serve the Lord and keep his commandments, it will be possible for us to become “perfect in Christ.” (See Gal. 6:2; Mosiah 18:8–10; Mosiah 24:14–15, 21; Alma 33:23.)
Stephen E. Robinson has written:
“Perfection comes through the atonement of Jesus Christ. That happens as we become one with him, a perfect being. It is like a merger. If you take a small, bankrupt firm that is about to go under and merge it with a corporate giant, what happens? Their assets and liabilities flow together, and the new entity that is created is solvent.”
“This is similar to what happens spiritually when we enter into a covenant with the Savior. We have liabilities; he has assets. So he proposes a covenant relationship. After the covenant is made, I become one with Christ, and as partners we work together toward my exaltation. I do all that I can do, and he does what I cannot yet do. For now, in partnership we are perfect, through His perfection.”
Brother Robinson goes on to say:
“Sometimes we feel very inadequate when we compare ourselves to others. We may even begin to despair. But when the Lord looks at us, he measures us against ourselves. His expectations are based on our abilities. He simply asks, Are you doing all that you can do at this time? Consider the principle of tithing. The man with ten million dollars is expected to pay one million dollars in tithing. The child with ten cents is expected to pay one penny. Both offerings are a full tithing in the eyes of the Lord.”
“In our home we have what is now called the parable of the bicycle. It dates back to when my daughter Sarah, who was seven years old at the time, came in and said, “Dad, can I have a bike? I’m the only kid on the block who doesn’t have one.”
“Well, I didn’t have the money then for a bike, so I stalled her. I said, “Sure, Sarah.”
“She said, “How? When?”
“I said, “You save all your pennies, and soon you’ll have enough for a bike.” And she went away."
“A couple of weeks later I heard a “clink, clink” in Sarah’s bedroom. I asked, “Sarah, what are you doing?”
“She came to me with a little jar, a slit cut in the lid, and a bunch of pennies in the bottom. She said, “You promised me that if I saved all my pennies, pretty soon I’d have enough for a bike. And, Daddy, I’ve saved every single one of them.”
“My heart melted. My daughter was doing everything in her power to follow my instructions. I hadn’t actually lied to her. If she saved all of her pennies, she would eventually have enough for a bike, but by then she would want a car. I said, “Let’s go look at bikes.”
“We went to every store in town. Finally we found it—the perfect bicycle. She was thrilled. Then she saw the price tag, and her face fell. She started to cry. “Oh, Dad, I’ll never have enough for a bicycle!”
“So I said, “Sarah, how much do you have?”
“She answered, “Sixty-one cents.”
“I’ll tell you what. You give me everything you’ve got and a hug and a kiss, and the bike is yours.” Then I drove home very slowly because she insisted on riding the bike home.
“As I drove beside her, I thought of the atonement of Christ. We all desperately want the celestial kingdom. We want to be with our Father in Heaven. But no matter how hard we try, we come up short. At some point all of us must realize, “I can’t do this by myself. I need help.” Then it is that the Savior says, in effect, All right, you’re not perfect. But what can you do? Give me all you have, and I’ll do the rest.”
“He still requires our best effort. We must keep trying. But the good news is that having done all we can, it is enough. We may not be personally perfect yet, but because of our covenant with the Savior, we can rely on his perfection, and his perfection will get us through.”
So what I took away from this is that I need to quit striving for the appearance of excellence or even mere excellence but strive for obedience.
I love Brother Robinson’s words, that all the Lord requires is our best effort, that after we do all that we can do, it’s enough.
So as I return with honor for me what that means is that I will return home, leaving my past mistakes behind and commit to being a better man, husband and father.
I didn’t mean to actually share my talk with you but as I got going it all just sort of flowed onto the page. Returning with honor is something all of us will do but since last night I’ve decided that the real test will be six or seven months from now to see if we are still holding on to that honor. I hope the answer is yes.
There was easily over 30 people there and that's only half our group. The other half flew directly from Kandahar. I imagine next week when we're all together in Shelby we'll have close to 60 people in attendance. It will be pretty cool.
I actually had to turn up the volume on the clavinova to compensate for the thunderous sound of all the male voices. It was great!
Merrill's topic was 1 Nephi 3:7 and he gave a great talk on preparing for life’s challenges. He recounted the trials and struggles that Nephi went through. He then pointed out that Nephi had spiritually prepared himself ahead of time and because of that he was able to succeed whereas Laman and Lemuel could not because they were relying on the arm of the flesh. He also talked about how the Lord could have made their challenges easier; i.e. getting the plates, but part of the learning process is going through the struggle of finding the answers. It was a great talk.
I was assigned the topic of “Return with Honor.” I had been praying all week that I would be able to deliver something that would be of worth to the brethren. All week I really struggled with what to say and up until yesterday morning, I wasn’t really sure what I was going to say.
I talked about how are we going to return. We can either go back better than we are right now or we can return to the status quo. I know everyone of us has made commitments to ourselves and to the Lord to do better but the real test will be after we’ve been home for a while to see if we fall back into old habits and routines. I talked about areas of my life that I haven’t done so well on this deployment and what I was going to do to improve. I talked about the areas that I have had success and how I want to continue to succeed in those areas. I talked about returning to my wife and how I want to honor her and treat her like the queen that she deserves to be treated. I know I was not alone in those thoughts and feelings.
Earlier in the week I had read a passage in a book written by Christian authors about overcoming the natural man. Several passages of the book really struck me (in fact I felt a stinging rebuke in some of their words) and wouldn’t leave my thoughts as I prepared this talk so I decided that the Lord wanted me to include them in my comments.
They talked about obedience versus mere excellence in our relationship with God. They posed the question, what is the difference between obedience and excellence? Some may argue that they are the same, that if we strive for excellence we will achieve obedience but they suggested otherwise. They suggested that to aim for obedience is to aim for perfection but that excellence is something else, something less than perfection. They argue that mere excellence allows room for a mixture of standards.
Take American businesses for example. US businesses strive for excellence. It is through excellence that they will obtain and keep your business. However, in the business world, excellence does not equal perfection. US businesses could strive for perfection but it’s too costly in terms of their profits. Rather than be perfect they know it’s enough to seem to be perfect to their customers. By stopping short of perfection they find a profitable balance between quality and cost. They look to their peers to discover the best practices of the industry.
This thought really struck me in particular as in many instances, this is the kind of man I am. It is so much easier to appear to be perfect in my callings at church, in my relationship with my wife, in how I perform my job that I stop short of perfection but still portray the façade of excellence. But in terms of my spiritual development where does that get me? Close to but just short of where I want to be in terms of my relationship with the Lord.
I continued reading.
The authors then posed the following questions.
How far can we go and still seem perfect?
By how far can we stop short but still seem perfect?
I then thought of the question, How far then, does that keep us from the Lord?
We all know someone who we look up to and think that they are perfect, or pretty close and wish we could be more like them. We all portray a certain image of what we want others to think of us, at least I know I do, but then we all say to ourselves, if they only knew the real me what would they really think?
That thought made me think of this scripture.
Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
I decided that I wasn’t quite a whited sepulcher, yet, that my real problem was that I wasn’t striving for that perfect obedience to God’s commandments and the other things in my life that would allow me to truly feel like I was living up to the standards that I wanted for myself. I realized that if I was only more obedient then I would not have made the mistakes that I have over the last year.
Christ commanded his disciples to be perfect, even as he and his Father are. (See Matt. 5:48; 3 Ne. 12:48.) But this commandment may seem overwhelming. I know I become discouraged at the thought of becoming perfect. It’s too hard. It’s easier to appear to be perfect, to achieve that appearance of excellence than actually be that way.
Moroni taught that we should “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; … and love God with all your might, mind and strength, … that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ.” (Moro. 10:32.)
The scriptures go on to say,
If we love and serve the Lord and keep his commandments, it will be possible for us to become “perfect in Christ.” (See Gal. 6:2; Mosiah 18:8–10; Mosiah 24:14–15, 21; Alma 33:23.)
Stephen E. Robinson has written:
“Perfection comes through the atonement of Jesus Christ. That happens as we become one with him, a perfect being. It is like a merger. If you take a small, bankrupt firm that is about to go under and merge it with a corporate giant, what happens? Their assets and liabilities flow together, and the new entity that is created is solvent.”
“This is similar to what happens spiritually when we enter into a covenant with the Savior. We have liabilities; he has assets. So he proposes a covenant relationship. After the covenant is made, I become one with Christ, and as partners we work together toward my exaltation. I do all that I can do, and he does what I cannot yet do. For now, in partnership we are perfect, through His perfection.”
Brother Robinson goes on to say:
“Sometimes we feel very inadequate when we compare ourselves to others. We may even begin to despair. But when the Lord looks at us, he measures us against ourselves. His expectations are based on our abilities. He simply asks, Are you doing all that you can do at this time? Consider the principle of tithing. The man with ten million dollars is expected to pay one million dollars in tithing. The child with ten cents is expected to pay one penny. Both offerings are a full tithing in the eyes of the Lord.”
“In our home we have what is now called the parable of the bicycle. It dates back to when my daughter Sarah, who was seven years old at the time, came in and said, “Dad, can I have a bike? I’m the only kid on the block who doesn’t have one.”
“Well, I didn’t have the money then for a bike, so I stalled her. I said, “Sure, Sarah.”
“She said, “How? When?”
“I said, “You save all your pennies, and soon you’ll have enough for a bike.” And she went away."
“A couple of weeks later I heard a “clink, clink” in Sarah’s bedroom. I asked, “Sarah, what are you doing?”
“She came to me with a little jar, a slit cut in the lid, and a bunch of pennies in the bottom. She said, “You promised me that if I saved all my pennies, pretty soon I’d have enough for a bike. And, Daddy, I’ve saved every single one of them.”
“My heart melted. My daughter was doing everything in her power to follow my instructions. I hadn’t actually lied to her. If she saved all of her pennies, she would eventually have enough for a bike, but by then she would want a car. I said, “Let’s go look at bikes.”
“We went to every store in town. Finally we found it—the perfect bicycle. She was thrilled. Then she saw the price tag, and her face fell. She started to cry. “Oh, Dad, I’ll never have enough for a bicycle!”
“So I said, “Sarah, how much do you have?”
“She answered, “Sixty-one cents.”
“I’ll tell you what. You give me everything you’ve got and a hug and a kiss, and the bike is yours.” Then I drove home very slowly because she insisted on riding the bike home.
“As I drove beside her, I thought of the atonement of Christ. We all desperately want the celestial kingdom. We want to be with our Father in Heaven. But no matter how hard we try, we come up short. At some point all of us must realize, “I can’t do this by myself. I need help.” Then it is that the Savior says, in effect, All right, you’re not perfect. But what can you do? Give me all you have, and I’ll do the rest.”
“He still requires our best effort. We must keep trying. But the good news is that having done all we can, it is enough. We may not be personally perfect yet, but because of our covenant with the Savior, we can rely on his perfection, and his perfection will get us through.”
So what I took away from this is that I need to quit striving for the appearance of excellence or even mere excellence but strive for obedience.
I love Brother Robinson’s words, that all the Lord requires is our best effort, that after we do all that we can do, it’s enough.
So as I return with honor for me what that means is that I will return home, leaving my past mistakes behind and commit to being a better man, husband and father.
I didn’t mean to actually share my talk with you but as I got going it all just sort of flowed onto the page. Returning with honor is something all of us will do but since last night I’ve decided that the real test will be six or seven months from now to see if we are still holding on to that honor. I hope the answer is yes.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Eagle Scout
Luke is now an Eagle Scout!! Congratulations Luke!! He met with the board on Thursday night and after “hours and hours” of grueling questions, he was awarding Scouting’s prestigious honor. We now have to wait for the paperwork to come from the Scouting Office before we can hold his 
Court of Honor but hopefully that will come quickly.
As you may recall, he did his Eagle Project collecting school and humanitarian supplies, made hygiene kits, collected toys, clothes, backpacks and other great things for the kids. He organized the Scouts and they collected items
from all over our area. Janae can give you the exact number but they easily sent over 60 boxes of supplies over here. For a month or so the guys at the Post Office “hated” me because I received so many boxes.
His donations were distributed in two different missions. I’ll post some pictures from both. I know that lots of kids were benefited by his efforts as well as the efforts of all those who donated.
Thanks Luke and Congratulations!!
Court of Honor but hopefully that will come quickly.As you may recall, he did his Eagle Project collecting school and humanitarian supplies, made hygiene kits, collected toys, clothes, backpacks and other great things for the kids. He organized the Scouts and they collected items
from all over our area. Janae can give you the exact number but they easily sent over 60 boxes of supplies over here. For a month or so the guys at the Post Office “hated” me because I received so many boxes.His donations were distributed in two different missions. I’ll post some pictures from both. I know that lots of kids were benefited by his efforts as well as the efforts of all those who donated.
Thanks Luke and Congratulations!!
Friday, August 10, 2007
The Last Steak and Seafood Night
As many of you know, Friday night is steak and seafood night. The steaks are always grilled over charcoal. Whether it was here or at Blackhorse, around 2:30 - 3:00 in the afternoon you could smell the charcoal being fired up. Then about an hour or so later you could smell the tantalizing smell of grilling steaks.
And then there was always seafood. Most nights it was crab legs, as many as you could eat. I'm not a huge crab fan, mostly because I hate getting the meat out. For some reason the military does not provide the cool utensils you'd get at a true seafood restaurant that facilitates the eating of crab legs. Oh well.
Other nights, it's fried shrimp and since I am not a fan of fried seafood - harkens back to a night of gorging oneself on fried seafood in Myrtle Beach, SC on vacation many, many years ago with the family and then waking up aroud 0300 to puke it all back up. Yummy thought! Anyway, I always pass on the fried shrimp.
And then there are the lobster tail nights. Those are the best. They're not huge lobster tails but you can have as many as you want. And the garlic, melted butter is the added bonus. Well I was hoping and "praying" that tonight would be lobster tail and because I've been such a good boy, it was lobster tail night. I ate four of them along with my steak and chased it all down with mint chocolate chip ice cream. I was a very good boy!!!
So now I'm off to the gym to spend an hour on the elliptical in an effort to work off the few hundred calories I just consumed.
And for those of you who don't think it's fair or right or whatever that we get to eat lobster over here, just remember, I had to come to freakin' Afghanistan, in a war zone just to eat lobster. So I don't want to see any comments about us eating lobster or crab legs or steak as I would have gladly sacrificed all the lobster, crab and steak that I ate this year to have eaten macaroni and cheese with my family back home.
Oh, new phrase going around the office that fits the first part of this entry...
"I'm depressed cuz I'm fat."
"I eat when I'm depressed."
"I need more chocolate sauce."
Of course you have to say it your most sorry, pitiful voice.
This is dedicated to D-Cup!
And then there was always seafood. Most nights it was crab legs, as many as you could eat. I'm not a huge crab fan, mostly because I hate getting the meat out. For some reason the military does not provide the cool utensils you'd get at a true seafood restaurant that facilitates the eating of crab legs. Oh well.
Other nights, it's fried shrimp and since I am not a fan of fried seafood - harkens back to a night of gorging oneself on fried seafood in Myrtle Beach, SC on vacation many, many years ago with the family and then waking up aroud 0300 to puke it all back up. Yummy thought! Anyway, I always pass on the fried shrimp.
And then there are the lobster tail nights. Those are the best. They're not huge lobster tails but you can have as many as you want. And the garlic, melted butter is the added bonus. Well I was hoping and "praying" that tonight would be lobster tail and because I've been such a good boy, it was lobster tail night. I ate four of them along with my steak and chased it all down with mint chocolate chip ice cream. I was a very good boy!!!
So now I'm off to the gym to spend an hour on the elliptical in an effort to work off the few hundred calories I just consumed.
And for those of you who don't think it's fair or right or whatever that we get to eat lobster over here, just remember, I had to come to freakin' Afghanistan, in a war zone just to eat lobster. So I don't want to see any comments about us eating lobster or crab legs or steak as I would have gladly sacrificed all the lobster, crab and steak that I ate this year to have eaten macaroni and cheese with my family back home.
Oh, new phrase going around the office that fits the first part of this entry...
"I'm depressed cuz I'm fat."
"I eat when I'm depressed."
"I need more chocolate sauce."
Of course you have to say it your most sorry, pitiful voice.
This is dedicated to D-Cup!
"Arguably" Part II
As I was looking at some notes that I had made for a different project, I noticed that I had failed to include another of Zeb's "arguablies." Here it is...
Meatloaf is "arguably" the greatest singer/songwriter of his generation.
Meatloaf is "arguably" the greatest singer/songwriter of his generation.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
"Arguably"
There is a new phrase in our office, actually there are several new phrases, some of which are not able to be shared on this “family friendly” blog. Although, if I did share it it would only reinforce the assumption that many people have out there that I’m truly a heathen. But since I want to continue to keep you guessing as to my true nature, I won’t share one of those phrases.
Rather, let me share with you, one of the “arguably” greatest terms in the English language. I know there will be others out there who disagree but “arguably” speaking, no one can deny the power of this term.
Did you know that Thanksgiving is “arguably” the finest of the holidays?
Did you know that “arguably” the greatest part of cheese, “is the cuttin’ of it? (A Bodie quote.)
Zeb is “arguably” the most anti-monky man in the world.
Blue gel pens are “arguably” the finest pens there are.
And the list could go on…
But let me finish by saying that my family is “arguably” the greatest family ever.
And that’s “arguably” the final word on this topic.
Rather, let me share with you, one of the “arguably” greatest terms in the English language. I know there will be others out there who disagree but “arguably” speaking, no one can deny the power of this term.
Did you know that Thanksgiving is “arguably” the finest of the holidays?
Did you know that “arguably” the greatest part of cheese, “is the cuttin’ of it? (A Bodie quote.)
Zeb is “arguably” the most anti-monky man in the world.
Blue gel pens are “arguably” the finest pens there are.
And the list could go on…
But let me finish by saying that my family is “arguably” the greatest family ever.
And that’s “arguably” the final word on this topic.
Family Reunion
This morning the rest of the “family” that is flying out of KAIA arrived via Chinook. The Kandahar folks will be flying directly from Kandahar. Since the landing field is near my office I got a perfect view of the choppers flying in as well as taste the dust they kicked up.Since they got here right before chow there was a lot of hugs and hand shaking that took place at lunch. It was great to see everyone.
Up to this point the fact that we leave in a dwindling number of single digit days hasn’t really hit but seeing all our guys in the chow hall and then later, wandering around camp has helped bring that reality home.
The other bit of good news was that if everything goes well I may be walking through my front door in approximately two weeks. Again, no firm dates, but things are starting to solidify.
SGT Aaron is back from Camp Dubbs so it’s been great to see him. Dusty has graced our office this afternoon with his soprano Spanish as well as dug right in and helped us out. Like the heading of this entry, it’s been one big family reunion.Just can’t wait until I’m reunited with my actual family!!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Here's the JAG staff at Phoenix these days. LTC Zeb Williams, MAJ Chris Barton, CPT Stanley Myers, SGT Martha Dawn Bodie and SPC Emylie Gillian. They have been a great group of professionals to work with and I'm really going to miss them once I leave.
The "open" sign - that's a whole different story.
Super Hero Postage!!!
Over the last year Janae has sent me hundreds of cards and letters and many of them had the coolest stamps - Super Hero Stamps!!! I kept many of them, as you can see, and decided to say thanks to my wonderful wife for all the cards and letters and especially for the coolest of the cool stamps! Thanks!!! I decided that my own DC comics Super Hero's needed to pose with the stamps. So there they are.Thursday, August 02, 2007
Barney Bet
In our office there is a new kind of bet. It’s called the “Barney Bet.” I can’t remember all the details of how it came about and frankly, it’s not that important. What is is the seriousness of making a “Barney Bet.” You only want to make the “Barney Bet” if you are absolutely certain you are going to prevail. For if you lose a “Barney Bet” you must sing, in a loud voice, the following song to the tune of Barney’s “I love you, you love me” song:
You were right,
I was wrong,
Now I sing the Barney Song,
Cuz you were right,
And I was wrong,
Now I’ve sung the Barney Song.
As I mentioned in the previous post, SGT Bodie lost a “Barney Bet” so had to sing the Barney song in the bunker. It helped relieve the tension.
We have even talked about upping the ante a little. Now that we’re all used to the Barney song in our office – OK it hasn’t been sung all that much - we may decide that the loser of such a bet must sing the song in the DFAC – chow hall. We haven’t received unanimous support for that proposition yet but we’ll see.
You can bet that if that becomes the punishment I won’t be entering any “Barney Bets” in the near future!!! In fact, SGT Bodie just pointed out that I have yet to enter into a Barney Bet. I wonder why?!
You were right,
I was wrong,
Now I sing the Barney Song,
Cuz you were right,
And I was wrong,
Now I’ve sung the Barney Song.
As I mentioned in the previous post, SGT Bodie lost a “Barney Bet” so had to sing the Barney song in the bunker. It helped relieve the tension.
We have even talked about upping the ante a little. Now that we’re all used to the Barney song in our office – OK it hasn’t been sung all that much - we may decide that the loser of such a bet must sing the song in the DFAC – chow hall. We haven’t received unanimous support for that proposition yet but we’ll see.
You can bet that if that becomes the punishment I won’t be entering any “Barney Bets” in the near future!!! In fact, SGT Bodie just pointed out that I have yet to enter into a Barney Bet. I wonder why?!
VBIED
NOTE: I may post pictures later. They're pretty "impressive" in that they show the destrutive power of such an explosive device. They show the reality of the violence that our soldiers face every day.
Well today (Tuesday, July 31, 2007), after almost a year in country, I experienced my first VBIED (vehicle born improvised explosive device – translation: suicide bomber in a vehicle). Now before you get too concerned, I was in the chow hall when it exploded but I experienced it nonetheless. Of course I’m not saying that my experience was like that of those guys who have actually been in a humvee and been hit by one but I at least caught a glimpse of what it was like.
This morning at about 0845 I was sitting in the chow hall with a bunch of Utah guys – Merrill, Jim, Larry, Damon, and a few others, when there was this loud whump, followed by a concussion. Outside I could hear the sound of breaking glass. Of course everyone in the chow hall got up and in a fairly orderly fashion “rushed” the door. When something like this happens you have to get to your assigned bunker so that roll can be taken to account for everyone.
As I walked out the door I could see the smoke plume directly across the compound on J-Bad highway. I then realized that it was most likely a VBIED. As I arrived at my bunker the rest of the office was there. Of course we engaged in a discussion of what had just happened.
While in the bunker we got reports from those who needed to be out and about. What we heard was that a convoy from the KMTC traveling to KAIA (Kabul Afghan International Airport) was hit outside our compound by the VBIED. No US deaths but some injuries. SGT Bodie, Martha Dawn, swore she heard that some KBR employees had been killed but Stanley and I called her on it and made it a “Barney Bet.” (More to follow on the “Barney Bet.”) She lost so had to make good on the “Barney Bet.” It was hilarious! After about 10 or 15 minutes in the bunker we were free to return to duty.
Just as we were getting ready to be released two Blackhawk’s showed up with gunners in the open door and circled the area. As they flew overhead pulling security it made the situation seem even more real. Let me try to explain. After the explosion there was the initial disbelief as to what had happened. After that wore off it was simply a matter of sitting in the bunker. Since we couldn’t see what was happening and we could only talk about it the reality just hadn’t set in yet. But when the choppers started circling overhead, that, for some reason, made it seem more real.
Of course the base was shut down.
Stanley had to go to the front gate. He came back with updated details. He said that he accompanied a few other soldiers outside the gate to view the scene. He said that there were body parts of the suicide bomber strewn all over the place. I’m sorry if this offends or sickens you but it’s reality. He said that the spinal column was lying out in the open. Brain matter was spewed all over the place. A pharmacy across the street had to call and ask that an arm be retrieved from off their roof. Intestines were hanging from the vehicle. Are you getting the picture? He said there really wasn’t anything left of the bomber. “Good,” I thought.
As I said, no US soldier was killed but Stanley said that from the condition of the humvee, the occupants on the side where the bomb exploded would have been pretty shaken up. I can only imagine. Update: the most serious injury were some broken bones.
As I said, we’ve had our share of Utah soldiers live through this kind of experience. I won’t try to tell you who because frankly, I don’t know. What I do know is that our up-armored vehicles save lives and it makes me angry when we are expected to drive around in what we call “thin-skinned” vehicles, in other words, non-armored vehicles. I’m just grateful that the bomber decided to hit one of the humvees and not one of the thin-skins as the results would have been vastly different. Update: since this incident occurred, we’re not allowed to travel outside the gate in thin-skinned vehicles. Go figure.
Of course we all had to discuss whether or not this would qualify us for a “combat action badge.” They’re awarded to those who see combat, are within a certain radius of something like this as well as a few other requirements. I know that there will be those who will submit themselves for the badge by virtue of being within the specified distance. In fact, Trooper was discussing that he should be eligible since he was in the chow hall, reaching for a diet Coke when the explosion took place. He said the explosion shook loose a piece of ceiling tile which fell in close proximity to him. We all suggested that he might even qualify for a Purple Heart. (I don’t mean to make light of those soldiers who have legitimately earned these awards.) Again, we could all imagine the “award-hungry” soldiers who were probably scheming just how they could get these kinds of awards. Me, I was just grateful that I wasn’t close enough to have earned it.
Martha Dawn, bless her heart, was pretty shaken up for most of the day. Her fiancé works at the KMTC and even though he wasn’t there at the time, she knew some of the guys that were. In reality, I think in our own way, we were all shaken up, just a little. For those of us who have never experienced this before I have to admit it was a little unnerving. Brought the violence that takes place elsewhere in the country too close to home.
I admit, I’ve been safe and spoiled this last year. Just the way Janae and I like it!
Here's the official Press Release:
Suicide Bomber Attack in Kabul
Kabul, Afghanistan – A suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attacked a U.S. convoy today on Jalalabad road near Camp Phoenix resulting in the injury of three local nationals and four U.S. Soldiers. The bomber died as a result of the incident.
Of the injured, two U.S. Soldiers were flown to the Bagram Medical facility and two were treated at Camp Phoenix. The local nationals were treated at Camp Warehouse. The condition of the injured is unknown at this time and the incident is currently under investigation.
“This incident is a harsh reminder that we must stay vigilant in our efforts to provide stability and security to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Livingston, Commander of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix. “Our goal right now is to ensure our Warriors and injured locals national get the best possible care and we pray for their quick recovery. I can assure you we are working with Afghan National Security Forces and our Coalition partners and we will do a complete investigation of this incident.”
Well today (Tuesday, July 31, 2007), after almost a year in country, I experienced my first VBIED (vehicle born improvised explosive device – translation: suicide bomber in a vehicle). Now before you get too concerned, I was in the chow hall when it exploded but I experienced it nonetheless. Of course I’m not saying that my experience was like that of those guys who have actually been in a humvee and been hit by one but I at least caught a glimpse of what it was like.
This morning at about 0845 I was sitting in the chow hall with a bunch of Utah guys – Merrill, Jim, Larry, Damon, and a few others, when there was this loud whump, followed by a concussion. Outside I could hear the sound of breaking glass. Of course everyone in the chow hall got up and in a fairly orderly fashion “rushed” the door. When something like this happens you have to get to your assigned bunker so that roll can be taken to account for everyone.
As I walked out the door I could see the smoke plume directly across the compound on J-Bad highway. I then realized that it was most likely a VBIED. As I arrived at my bunker the rest of the office was there. Of course we engaged in a discussion of what had just happened.
While in the bunker we got reports from those who needed to be out and about. What we heard was that a convoy from the KMTC traveling to KAIA (Kabul Afghan International Airport) was hit outside our compound by the VBIED. No US deaths but some injuries. SGT Bodie, Martha Dawn, swore she heard that some KBR employees had been killed but Stanley and I called her on it and made it a “Barney Bet.” (More to follow on the “Barney Bet.”) She lost so had to make good on the “Barney Bet.” It was hilarious! After about 10 or 15 minutes in the bunker we were free to return to duty.
Just as we were getting ready to be released two Blackhawk’s showed up with gunners in the open door and circled the area. As they flew overhead pulling security it made the situation seem even more real. Let me try to explain. After the explosion there was the initial disbelief as to what had happened. After that wore off it was simply a matter of sitting in the bunker. Since we couldn’t see what was happening and we could only talk about it the reality just hadn’t set in yet. But when the choppers started circling overhead, that, for some reason, made it seem more real.
Of course the base was shut down.
Stanley had to go to the front gate. He came back with updated details. He said that he accompanied a few other soldiers outside the gate to view the scene. He said that there were body parts of the suicide bomber strewn all over the place. I’m sorry if this offends or sickens you but it’s reality. He said that the spinal column was lying out in the open. Brain matter was spewed all over the place. A pharmacy across the street had to call and ask that an arm be retrieved from off their roof. Intestines were hanging from the vehicle. Are you getting the picture? He said there really wasn’t anything left of the bomber. “Good,” I thought.
As I said, no US soldier was killed but Stanley said that from the condition of the humvee, the occupants on the side where the bomb exploded would have been pretty shaken up. I can only imagine. Update: the most serious injury were some broken bones.
As I said, we’ve had our share of Utah soldiers live through this kind of experience. I won’t try to tell you who because frankly, I don’t know. What I do know is that our up-armored vehicles save lives and it makes me angry when we are expected to drive around in what we call “thin-skinned” vehicles, in other words, non-armored vehicles. I’m just grateful that the bomber decided to hit one of the humvees and not one of the thin-skins as the results would have been vastly different. Update: since this incident occurred, we’re not allowed to travel outside the gate in thin-skinned vehicles. Go figure.
Of course we all had to discuss whether or not this would qualify us for a “combat action badge.” They’re awarded to those who see combat, are within a certain radius of something like this as well as a few other requirements. I know that there will be those who will submit themselves for the badge by virtue of being within the specified distance. In fact, Trooper was discussing that he should be eligible since he was in the chow hall, reaching for a diet Coke when the explosion took place. He said the explosion shook loose a piece of ceiling tile which fell in close proximity to him. We all suggested that he might even qualify for a Purple Heart. (I don’t mean to make light of those soldiers who have legitimately earned these awards.) Again, we could all imagine the “award-hungry” soldiers who were probably scheming just how they could get these kinds of awards. Me, I was just grateful that I wasn’t close enough to have earned it.
Martha Dawn, bless her heart, was pretty shaken up for most of the day. Her fiancé works at the KMTC and even though he wasn’t there at the time, she knew some of the guys that were. In reality, I think in our own way, we were all shaken up, just a little. For those of us who have never experienced this before I have to admit it was a little unnerving. Brought the violence that takes place elsewhere in the country too close to home.
I admit, I’ve been safe and spoiled this last year. Just the way Janae and I like it!
Here's the official Press Release:
Suicide Bomber Attack in Kabul
Kabul, Afghanistan – A suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attacked a U.S. convoy today on Jalalabad road near Camp Phoenix resulting in the injury of three local nationals and four U.S. Soldiers. The bomber died as a result of the incident.
Of the injured, two U.S. Soldiers were flown to the Bagram Medical facility and two were treated at Camp Phoenix. The local nationals were treated at Camp Warehouse. The condition of the injured is unknown at this time and the incident is currently under investigation.
“This incident is a harsh reminder that we must stay vigilant in our efforts to provide stability and security to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Livingston, Commander of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix. “Our goal right now is to ensure our Warriors and injured locals national get the best possible care and we pray for their quick recovery. I can assure you we are working with Afghan National Security Forces and our Coalition partners and we will do a complete investigation of this incident.”
This Month!!
We are coming home this month!!! After 14 months we can finally say that we'll be home later this month. We can say that we'll be leaving country in less time than we would have spent at AT (that's annual training for those of you not schooled in military lingo). I wish I could say when we'll be home for good but our schedule is still not solidified but at least it will be this month!!
Those of us who are at Phoenix are getting just a little bit giddy. It's hard to wipe the big grin off our faces. As more and more of out Utah folks roll into Phoenix in preparation to leave they bring with them an added sense of excitement. It's pretty contagious.
I'm sure I'll see many of you at the airport and I expect you to be waving signs in support of your favorite blogger - me! Kidding! Seriously though, I look forward to meeting many of you who have read my blog and either loved it or hated it.
I still have a few more entries in me so keep checking back.
See you soon!
Those of us who are at Phoenix are getting just a little bit giddy. It's hard to wipe the big grin off our faces. As more and more of out Utah folks roll into Phoenix in preparation to leave they bring with them an added sense of excitement. It's pretty contagious.
I'm sure I'll see many of you at the airport and I expect you to be waving signs in support of your favorite blogger - me! Kidding! Seriously though, I look forward to meeting many of you who have read my blog and either loved it or hated it.
I still have a few more entries in me so keep checking back.
See you soon!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Monkey Butt
As many of you know, in hot climates where you get a little damp and sticky in certain places that we don't discuss in public or at least "civilized" people don't discuss such subjects, there are powdery products out there designed to keep you nice and dry and rash free. Such powdery substances come in various names, "baby powder," "medicated powder" and now "Monkey Butt Powder." Someone sent this to one of the guys in our office and as you can imagine, us not being very civilized, we have gotten some mileage out of this product.
So in my continuing effort to chronicle my "adventures" here, you are now all official members in the Monkey Butt Powder club.
Nope. No monkey butt down there!I told you I wasn't civilized!!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
More Faces of Afghanistan
Here are some more "faces of Afghanistan." These were taken by LCDR Steven Parks down in Kandahar. Thanks for sharing.
Back to Blackhorse
Our trip to Blackhorse went well. It was obviously the most bittersweet of all the training because of my relationship with all of the officers there.
Since I’ve told you about the travel to each location let me comment on our trip to Blackhorse – it was fast and easy. Since Blackhorse is just down the road it was a short drive down on the mail truck. The thing that was new and different was the fact that the road between here and Blackhorse is now completely paved. It’s been almost two months since I was last there and I was amazed and impressed with how much work has been done. They are now working on the road between here and downtown Kabul. At some point the Afghans will have a nice road/highway to travel on.
The other construction project that impressed me was the hand-made rock wall that stretched for kilometers between the KMTC and Blackhorse. It’s incredible to watch the process. First they dig trenches by hand 5-6 feet deep where they set the foundations. Then they build the wall 8-10 feet above ground with razor wire in the top. These walls are incredible, really fine craftsmanship. Here’s a picture of me and Batman, who accompanied me to Blackhorse, in 
front of a section of the wall. The wall is covered with a thick coating of dust but hopefully you can get an idea of the kind of work these walls entail.
On Blackhorse they are making rock-paved water drainage canals, for lack of a better term. Once again, the craftsmanship is extraordinary. Here I am in front of one under construction.
Our classes went great. As always, lots of questions dealing with their own particular needs. It helped that I knew the challenges, issues and cases they’ve dealt with over the past year so I was able to answer a lot of questions right up front.
The “highlight” of the experience was the controversial “ass-stabbing” case that’s been going on. It originated from the KMTC and has been referred to the 201st for prosecution. Because I know some of the players in this drama look at my blog on occasion I won’t go into the details. Suffice it to say that there have been extreme differences of opinion on how this case should be handled. Both sides are on the extreme end of each spectrum with each side flinging accusations of corruption on the one hand to over reacting on the other. The truth is somewhere in between. I have stayed out of it until now but again, because of who has read my blog will refrain from sharing the details of what happened. Ask me about it later and I’ll give you and earful. The case is still ongoing and if the investigation goes where it now appears to be going we may have criminal charges against not only the “ass-stabber” but against his father and uncle. It will be interesting to see how it ultimately plays out.
Blackhorse has changed since I’ve been gone. When we arrived a year ago there were just over 200 people there. That number has more than doubled. It means that living quarters are tight, open spaces has been filled with more b-huts and tents, the chow hall is crowded and the quality of food has greatly diminished. I never thought I’d say this but I actually missed the chow hall at Phoenix despite all the “complaining” I’ve been doing recently. I’ve got to learn to keep my mouth shut and quit complaining. I realized that I’ve grown accustomed to Phoenix, primarily my private room. It’s funny how a little thing like privacy makes a HUGE difference in your quality of life. Even when I was in the single room as opposed to my double sized room, I still loved being able to retreat to my own private haven.
Remember how I talked about the ANA pool. Last fall I posted pictures of it in a deteriorated state but filled with water that was a beautiful shade of green. The this winter I posted a picture of it filled with rebar and broken pieces of cement. I saw a picture of it recently where it was completely refinished and filled with sparkling blue water. I was looking forward to seeing it full but was disappointed. It was empty. I was told that they needed to drain it to clean it after a particularly dirty group of soldiers swam in it. Oh well. The Afghans have really done a great job of refinishing it as well as rebuilding the deck and pavilion around it. It looks like a great place to have a summer afternoon/evening party.
They created a series of terraces around the front of the pool and have planted flowers, plants and vegetables. Again, the stone work is quite impressive. As Nick and I were walking along the edge he pointed out a plant that was growing and said that it looked a lot like a corn plant. I thought
he was joking and looked sideways at him. When I realized he was serious I laughed and said “that’s because it is corn.” I told him that he was going to be forever immortalized on my blog page with that comment. He laughed and said that I had to be sure to include the comment that “you can take the boy out of the city but you can’t take the city out of the boy.” (Nick was born and raised in Queens, New York and only moved out of the city, to Atlanta, two years ago. He is truly a New Yorker and I’ve enjoyed learning about life in the city since I grew up a country boy.)
Since I’ve told you about the travel to each location let me comment on our trip to Blackhorse – it was fast and easy. Since Blackhorse is just down the road it was a short drive down on the mail truck. The thing that was new and different was the fact that the road between here and Blackhorse is now completely paved. It’s been almost two months since I was last there and I was amazed and impressed with how much work has been done. They are now working on the road between here and downtown Kabul. At some point the Afghans will have a nice road/highway to travel on.
The other construction project that impressed me was the hand-made rock wall that stretched for kilometers between the KMTC and Blackhorse. It’s incredible to watch the process. First they dig trenches by hand 5-6 feet deep where they set the foundations. Then they build the wall 8-10 feet above ground with razor wire in the top. These walls are incredible, really fine craftsmanship. Here’s a picture of me and Batman, who accompanied me to Blackhorse, in 
front of a section of the wall. The wall is covered with a thick coating of dust but hopefully you can get an idea of the kind of work these walls entail.
On Blackhorse they are making rock-paved water drainage canals, for lack of a better term. Once again, the craftsmanship is extraordinary. Here I am in front of one under construction.Our classes went great. As always, lots of questions dealing with their own particular needs. It helped that I knew the challenges, issues and cases they’ve dealt with over the past year so I was able to answer a lot of questions right up front.
The “highlight” of the experience was the controversial “ass-stabbing” case that’s been going on. It originated from the KMTC and has been referred to the 201st for prosecution. Because I know some of the players in this drama look at my blog on occasion I won’t go into the details. Suffice it to say that there have been extreme differences of opinion on how this case should be handled. Both sides are on the extreme end of each spectrum with each side flinging accusations of corruption on the one hand to over reacting on the other. The truth is somewhere in between. I have stayed out of it until now but again, because of who has read my blog will refrain from sharing the details of what happened. Ask me about it later and I’ll give you and earful. The case is still ongoing and if the investigation goes where it now appears to be going we may have criminal charges against not only the “ass-stabber” but against his father and uncle. It will be interesting to see how it ultimately plays out.
Blackhorse has changed since I’ve been gone. When we arrived a year ago there were just over 200 people there. That number has more than doubled. It means that living quarters are tight, open spaces has been filled with more b-huts and tents, the chow hall is crowded and the quality of food has greatly diminished. I never thought I’d say this but I actually missed the chow hall at Phoenix despite all the “complaining” I’ve been doing recently. I’ve got to learn to keep my mouth shut and quit complaining. I realized that I’ve grown accustomed to Phoenix, primarily my private room. It’s funny how a little thing like privacy makes a HUGE difference in your quality of life. Even when I was in the single room as opposed to my double sized room, I still loved being able to retreat to my own private haven.
Remember how I talked about the ANA pool. Last fall I posted pictures of it in a deteriorated state but filled with water that was a beautiful shade of green. The this winter I posted a picture of it filled with rebar and broken pieces of cement. I saw a picture of it recently where it was completely refinished and filled with sparkling blue water. I was looking forward to seeing it full but was disappointed. It was empty. I was told that they needed to drain it to clean it after a particularly dirty group of soldiers swam in it. Oh well. The Afghans have really done a great job of refinishing it as well as rebuilding the deck and pavilion around it. It looks like a great place to have a summer afternoon/evening party.
They created a series of terraces around the front of the pool and have planted flowers, plants and vegetables. Again, the stone work is quite impressive. As Nick and I were walking along the edge he pointed out a plant that was growing and said that it looked a lot like a corn plant. I thought
he was joking and looked sideways at him. When I realized he was serious I laughed and said “that’s because it is corn.” I told him that he was going to be forever immortalized on my blog page with that comment. He laughed and said that I had to be sure to include the comment that “you can take the boy out of the city but you can’t take the city out of the boy.” (Nick was born and raised in Queens, New York and only moved out of the city, to Atlanta, two years ago. He is truly a New Yorker and I’ve enjoyed learning about life in the city since I grew up a country boy.) 
The 201st is also getting its own courthouse and detention facility. We went by for a photo op. As you can tell, Afghan construction techniques are the same across the county, as is the design for 
the buildings. We had our pictures taken with the work crew. Oh, and here's a photo of somone's lunch that was left on the ground. 
Anyone hungry?The last day of class, when we had graduation and the exchange of gifts was much more emotional than I thought it would be. I thanked them for their friendship and hospitality over the last year. I thanked them for teaching me so much and hoped that I, in turn, had been able to teach them a few things. I recounted our first meeting. I didn’t tell them about my thoughts of “I can’t wait to get out of here” but instead shared the simultaneous feelings of excitement I felt at the new adventure I was about to embark upon. I remember thinking on that day of introduction that the day of good-byes would never come and now, here it was. As I was up there talking with them I actually got a little choked up which surprised me. The Chief Judge and the SJA then shared their own comments which were nice. COL Karim, the SJA, has never been overly friendly but he was kind in his words. In fact the first day of class as they all came in each one gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek, except for Karim. Oh well. It used to bother me but now I just figure that’s who he is and don’t worry about it.
Looking back at the deployment as a whole, it’s gone by incredibly fast. Of course there were days and weeks where it didn’t go by so fast but now that I can look back on the deployment as a whole, it’s gone by so fast. I’m glad it’s over but at the same time, will miss parts of this experience.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Another Sabbath at Blackhorse
Once again, after a very long time, I was able to spend a wonderful Sabbath evening at Blackhorse. I had forgotten just how much I missed attending church with my friends and brethren from Utah. Don't get me wrong, the guys at Phoenix are great and we have wonderful meetings but they're not my family. Tonight I was with my family again. Brother Stewart conducted and it was great to hear him. In attendance were Brother Topham, Brother Duncan, Brother Brocious, Brother Fagan, Brother Bingham, Brother Neff, Brother Austin, Brother Pack, Brother Palfreyman, Brother Christensen and me.
I have been having computer problems - again - this time with my government computer, so was trying to make alternate arrangements right before church, so I walked in a few minutes late. The meeting hadn't started yet but I was the last one there. It was so great to see so many brethren in the room.
I had the privilege of blessing the sacrament with Brother Topham and blessed the bread and passed the water. What an honor that always is.
Unlike the past, I didn't lead the singing. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but I lead the singing quite often and then afer a while, Brother Jonas and I took turns. Now I play the Clavinova at Phoenix and that's been great, although the sustain pedal is broken and that drives me crazy.
Anyway, after the sacrament, Brother Austin gave a wonderful talk. He said that Brother Stewart asked him two weeks ago to speak. He said that not a day went by where he didn't think about what to speak on but couldn't decide. He said he kept wishing and praying that the Holy Ghost would simply tell him what to speak on or that someone would assign him a topic but nothing came. He said that he was going to give a talk that he had prepared a couple of months ago but never gave because of a mission he volunteered to go on but said he just couldn't get his mind wrapped around the topic. He then had mentioned how he had been going through the Ensigns and kept coming back to Elder Eyring's talk in the June Ensign about the Holy Ghost. He said that he finally realized that the Holy Ghost was telling him what to talk about and if the Holy Ghost had had a hammer, his head would be in much worse condition. We all got a chuckle out of that.
He talked about how there have been times during the deployment where he has felt the spirit and other times when he hasn't. I could certainly relate to that. At times my spirituality has been like on a roller coaster. Some days and weeks I'm riding high and some weeks I'm plummeting down rapidly. I guess the key is to always climb back up the hill.
He talked about what we need to do to receive the spirit. Again, as I listened to his words and the spirit of his message I thought back on this year. I have learned so much about myself and about the Spirit. There have been times when I have been on my knees pleading with the Lord for his guidance. There have been times when I have felt the tears well up in my eyes because of the sorrow I've felt as well as the joy. I have received answers to prayers in ways that I never imagined. I have gained a testimony of the Fast. I have renewed my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I have learned what it means to have the Spirit with me.
There were times when Brother Austin had tears in his eyes. I could feel and share in the emotions he was going through. I'm sure we all could. He said that at one point in his preparation he thought he wanted to give a talk that would let us all know how spiritual he was but as he pointed out, Elder Eyring teaches us that you can't have the Holy Ghost under those circumstances. The funny thing was, Brother Austin had the Holy Ghost with him tonight and we could all feel of his love of the Lord and the spiritual power that he possesses. I know I could feel it and was certainly grateful to have been there.
Brother Stewart got up to conclude and testified that the Spirt has been with us this year. He certainly has. He said that the men, both Afghan and American, have noticed a difference. Again I know that to be true. We truly have performed a mission for the Lord here and I will always be grateful for the time I've spent here. Of course I have missed my family tremendously but at the same time, this has been a great learning experience.
Tonight would have been the first Sunday that Team 2 was at Phoenix. Remember, Team 2 was my team at Shelby and the guys that I have spent the majority if the year with here at Blackhorse before my transfer. I love them all and was sad that I missed that first meeting after beig at Phoenix for the last couple of months but at the same time, I'm so glad to have been here tonight.
It was truly a spiritual feast.
Thanks Brother Ausing!!
I have been having computer problems - again - this time with my government computer, so was trying to make alternate arrangements right before church, so I walked in a few minutes late. The meeting hadn't started yet but I was the last one there. It was so great to see so many brethren in the room.
I had the privilege of blessing the sacrament with Brother Topham and blessed the bread and passed the water. What an honor that always is.
Unlike the past, I didn't lead the singing. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but I lead the singing quite often and then afer a while, Brother Jonas and I took turns. Now I play the Clavinova at Phoenix and that's been great, although the sustain pedal is broken and that drives me crazy.
Anyway, after the sacrament, Brother Austin gave a wonderful talk. He said that Brother Stewart asked him two weeks ago to speak. He said that not a day went by where he didn't think about what to speak on but couldn't decide. He said he kept wishing and praying that the Holy Ghost would simply tell him what to speak on or that someone would assign him a topic but nothing came. He said that he was going to give a talk that he had prepared a couple of months ago but never gave because of a mission he volunteered to go on but said he just couldn't get his mind wrapped around the topic. He then had mentioned how he had been going through the Ensigns and kept coming back to Elder Eyring's talk in the June Ensign about the Holy Ghost. He said that he finally realized that the Holy Ghost was telling him what to talk about and if the Holy Ghost had had a hammer, his head would be in much worse condition. We all got a chuckle out of that.
He talked about how there have been times during the deployment where he has felt the spirit and other times when he hasn't. I could certainly relate to that. At times my spirituality has been like on a roller coaster. Some days and weeks I'm riding high and some weeks I'm plummeting down rapidly. I guess the key is to always climb back up the hill.
He talked about what we need to do to receive the spirit. Again, as I listened to his words and the spirit of his message I thought back on this year. I have learned so much about myself and about the Spirit. There have been times when I have been on my knees pleading with the Lord for his guidance. There have been times when I have felt the tears well up in my eyes because of the sorrow I've felt as well as the joy. I have received answers to prayers in ways that I never imagined. I have gained a testimony of the Fast. I have renewed my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I have learned what it means to have the Spirit with me.
There were times when Brother Austin had tears in his eyes. I could feel and share in the emotions he was going through. I'm sure we all could. He said that at one point in his preparation he thought he wanted to give a talk that would let us all know how spiritual he was but as he pointed out, Elder Eyring teaches us that you can't have the Holy Ghost under those circumstances. The funny thing was, Brother Austin had the Holy Ghost with him tonight and we could all feel of his love of the Lord and the spiritual power that he possesses. I know I could feel it and was certainly grateful to have been there.
Brother Stewart got up to conclude and testified that the Spirt has been with us this year. He certainly has. He said that the men, both Afghan and American, have noticed a difference. Again I know that to be true. We truly have performed a mission for the Lord here and I will always be grateful for the time I've spent here. Of course I have missed my family tremendously but at the same time, this has been a great learning experience.
Tonight would have been the first Sunday that Team 2 was at Phoenix. Remember, Team 2 was my team at Shelby and the guys that I have spent the majority if the year with here at Blackhorse before my transfer. I love them all and was sad that I missed that first meeting after beig at Phoenix for the last couple of months but at the same time, I'm so glad to have been here tonight.
It was truly a spiritual feast.
Thanks Brother Ausing!!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Hot Like Me
A couple of weeks ago our legal NCO, SGT Martha Dawn Bodie, showed me a calendar she just received. It was called something like “Men in the Military.” As she showed me a couple of the pictures I could immediately tell that some of these guys were not in the military, mostly because of their hair – long and shaggy. So I grabbed the calendar and a couple of us went through month by month and gave our opinion as to whether or not they were actually in the military or not. Turns out most of the guys on the calendar were once in the military but no longer. Somehow it was decided that I would be Mr. June in her calendar but that’s as far as the discussion went. Anyway, we got a good laugh out of “eye candy” non-military guys calendar.
When I got back from Kandahar, this calendar page was on my computer. What do you think? “doncha wish your boyfriend (husband) was hot like me?”
When I got back from Kandahar, this calendar page was on my computer. What do you think? “doncha wish your boyfriend (husband) was hot like me?”
Me and Martha Dawn.
Friday, July 20, 2007
The Last Days in Kandahar
Our last class was a success. The Corps commander had come the first day and gave a speech. Apparently he’s famous for his speeches. Paul was telling us later that the first day he met him he was scheduled for a short meeting but after 2+ hours the Commander was still going strong. In fact there have been times when others have tried to talk but the commander simply tells them to be quiet or will actually put his hand over their mouths to keep them from talking.
We still had two short blocks of instruction to cover when he showed up so we had graduation before we were technically done with the class. It was alright though. He wanted to present the certificates which was fine. He’s a 2-star and I’m a lowly LTC so I guess he can do what he wants. What impressed me though was that he presented a few, had the ANA SJA present a few, had me present a few, as well as Nick and Paul. I was impressed that he didn’t “hog” all the “glory” for himself.
One of Paul’s office mates is the public affairs officer (PAO), LCDR Steven Parks. He and a French PAO showed up to take some pictures of the class and for graduation. You’ll see some of LCDR Parks’ pictures in an earlier post. As I was reviewing the pictures he took he showed me some other ones he took on a recent HA mission that were wonderful. He graciously gave me copies so I’ll post them here shortly under another “Faces of Afghanistan” entry.
After class I had expected to be presented with a gift, similar to what we received in MES but we didn’t. Instead we had lunch. I knew that we were would be having lunch with the SJA but because of their culture of giving gifts was a little surprised that we didn’t receive anything. Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t need another scarf but have just gotten used to the tradition. However, after arriving and seeing just what the SJA, COL Zarak had provided, I was infinitely more grateful for that “gift” as opposed to another scarf.
The table was loaded with food; meatballs, three different types of fruit, bread, rice, vegetables and pudding. Paul was hoping for kabobs but none were to be seen. COL Zarak was joking with Paul that he would have to “kill” him for not getting any kabobs. We all laughed. COL Zarak then signaled to one of the soldiers who was there as a waiter and he and one other began to bring out dozens of skewers with kabobs on them. It looked delicious. Paul and COL Zarak laughed and joked with each other. As I watched their interaction I was pleased to see the relationship they had developed and how well they got along. I wished COL Karim and I had had that type of relationship but he just doesn’t have that kind of personality.
Just as it looked, lunch was delicious. At first I thought that the kabobs were made of beef and chicken. It wasn’t until I bit into a piece of “chicken” that I realized it was a blob of fat. They intersperse them with the meat to keep them tender and give them flavor. The meet was delicious and fairly tender but I think I could have done without those globs of fat.
After lunch the chief judge wanted to take us to his office, to the new, under-construction courthouse and the new detention facility. Paul was a little disgusted with the trip to his office. Apparently the chief judge is quite the complainer and Paul was certain that all he wanted to do was complain about the lack of AC, the lack of new furniture and other complaints that we, as Americans, could do nothing about. With that foreknowledge, I kept cutting him short when he would raise these issues so our visit in his office was a short one.
I’ve been spoiled by the wonderful court room the 201st has. Somewhere up the US chain of command someone shook loose $10,000 to remodel the room that had been used as a court
room. It’s now a beautiful room, done in dark wood paneling with brand new furniture. In contrast the 205th holds court in the judges small office with the parties sitting around the wall. Not a great set-up but one done out of necessity. So I would have thought that the judge would have been grateful for a new building. Instead all we heard was complaints.
As we drove to the new buildings my first thought was that they were a little out of the way of things and that was one of the complaints of the judge. They’re fairly isolated in a corner of the base with several acres of barren land on two sides, with the wall of the base on the other two. When I mentioned it to Paul, he pointed to the commander’s office which was not that far away, pointed to the main gate which was relatively close and said the barren spot of ground was the helo pad. With that in mind I realized the complex wasn’t all that far from things.
The judge then started complaining about how the detention facility was too close to their chambers. He said that the prisoners would yell out the windows at them and make them feel bad. Paul lost his patience and suggested that the judge exchange his uniform for a dress since he was acting like a woman.
The judges final complaint, or at least major complaint that I heard, was that because they were so isolated and with so much open land around them, the enemy could sneak in and put mines in the ground and kill the judges as they came to work in the morning. With that Paul had to excuse himself and went back to his truck as he was so disgusted with the judge. Frankly, I didn’t blame him.
For my brethren in the building community I’m sure from the pictures you’ll find the unique building practices of the court house interesting. Love the way they support the roof. I was a little leary of walking amidst all those poles and that feeling was only reinforced when one of the workers on the top level dropped something very heavy and cause
d the ceiling to shake.
We were there during the workers lunch and it was interesting to see what they were eating. Their main course was a watery soup of yogurt and green onions with a few cooked vegetables and naan (bread). They use the big loaves of naan as plates and then eat the bread around the things on top of the bread. They were very gracious and invited us to join them, but of course since we had just eaten we declined. I suppose the fact that I didn’t want to get sick from eating and drinking the local water/food had something to do with it.
The next day we flew out of KAF. We finally got to see the “last stand.” It’s the building where the last major fight and strong hold of the Taliban was. The building has since been converted into the passenger terminal. I overheard someone say that it was the most photographed building on post and I can understand why. It’s a small piece of history that we all wanted to
document. Inside you can see in several places where the bullets hit the wall. Pretty sobering to think what had taken place within that building. Outside was a small monument built to remember those who had fought and died there. Again a sobering and quiet reminder of the bravery of our fallen soldiers as well as those who lived to fight another day.
Finally it was time to walk to the plane. As we approached from behind, the four propellers were creating a terrific wind storm. Our flight wasn’t until 1330 so it was already hot but as I entered the blast from the propellers it was like walking into a blast oven. The heat was incredible as was the force of the wind. I actually had to lean forward just to make any headway. I had a bottle of cold water in my hand and just those few minutes of walking in that heat warmed up the water considerably.
The flight back to KAIA was unremarkable as was the trip back to Phoenix. It was nice to be back in my own room with my wonderful AC.
My next trip is to Blackhorse, sort of like a home coming. Should be fun.
We still had two short blocks of instruction to cover when he showed up so we had graduation before we were technically done with the class. It was alright though. He wanted to present the certificates which was fine. He’s a 2-star and I’m a lowly LTC so I guess he can do what he wants. What impressed me though was that he presented a few, had the ANA SJA present a few, had me present a few, as well as Nick and Paul. I was impressed that he didn’t “hog” all the “glory” for himself.
One of Paul’s office mates is the public affairs officer (PAO), LCDR Steven Parks. He and a French PAO showed up to take some pictures of the class and for graduation. You’ll see some of LCDR Parks’ pictures in an earlier post. As I was reviewing the pictures he took he showed me some other ones he took on a recent HA mission that were wonderful. He graciously gave me copies so I’ll post them here shortly under another “Faces of Afghanistan” entry.
After class I had expected to be presented with a gift, similar to what we received in MES but we didn’t. Instead we had lunch. I knew that we were would be having lunch with the SJA but because of their culture of giving gifts was a little surprised that we didn’t receive anything. Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t need another scarf but have just gotten used to the tradition. However, after arriving and seeing just what the SJA, COL Zarak had provided, I was infinitely more grateful for that “gift” as opposed to another scarf.
The table was loaded with food; meatballs, three different types of fruit, bread, rice, vegetables and pudding. Paul was hoping for kabobs but none were to be seen. COL Zarak was joking with Paul that he would have to “kill” him for not getting any kabobs. We all laughed. COL Zarak then signaled to one of the soldiers who was there as a waiter and he and one other began to bring out dozens of skewers with kabobs on them. It looked delicious. Paul and COL Zarak laughed and joked with each other. As I watched their interaction I was pleased to see the relationship they had developed and how well they got along. I wished COL Karim and I had had that type of relationship but he just doesn’t have that kind of personality.
Just as it looked, lunch was delicious. At first I thought that the kabobs were made of beef and chicken. It wasn’t until I bit into a piece of “chicken” that I realized it was a blob of fat. They intersperse them with the meat to keep them tender and give them flavor. The meet was delicious and fairly tender but I think I could have done without those globs of fat.
After lunch the chief judge wanted to take us to his office, to the new, under-construction courthouse and the new detention facility. Paul was a little disgusted with the trip to his office. Apparently the chief judge is quite the complainer and Paul was certain that all he wanted to do was complain about the lack of AC, the lack of new furniture and other complaints that we, as Americans, could do nothing about. With that foreknowledge, I kept cutting him short when he would raise these issues so our visit in his office was a short one.
I’ve been spoiled by the wonderful court room the 201st has. Somewhere up the US chain of command someone shook loose $10,000 to remodel the room that had been used as a court
room. It’s now a beautiful room, done in dark wood paneling with brand new furniture. In contrast the 205th holds court in the judges small office with the parties sitting around the wall. Not a great set-up but one done out of necessity. So I would have thought that the judge would have been grateful for a new building. Instead all we heard was complaints.As we drove to the new buildings my first thought was that they were a little out of the way of things and that was one of the complaints of the judge. They’re fairly isolated in a corner of the base with several acres of barren land on two sides, with the wall of the base on the other two. When I mentioned it to Paul, he pointed to the commander’s office which was not that far away, pointed to the main gate which was relatively close and said the barren spot of ground was the helo pad. With that in mind I realized the complex wasn’t all that far from things.
The judge then started complaining about how the detention facility was too close to their chambers. He said that the prisoners would yell out the windows at them and make them feel bad. Paul lost his patience and suggested that the judge exchange his uniform for a dress since he was acting like a woman.
The judges final complaint, or at least major complaint that I heard, was that because they were so isolated and with so much open land around them, the enemy could sneak in and put mines in the ground and kill the judges as they came to work in the morning. With that Paul had to excuse himself and went back to his truck as he was so disgusted with the judge. Frankly, I didn’t blame him.
For my brethren in the building community I’m sure from the pictures you’ll find the unique building practices of the court house interesting. Love the way they support the roof. I was a little leary of walking amidst all those poles and that feeling was only reinforced when one of the workers on the top level dropped something very heavy and cause
d the ceiling to shake.We were there during the workers lunch and it was interesting to see what they were eating. Their main course was a watery soup of yogurt and green onions with a few cooked vegetables and naan (bread). They use the big loaves of naan as plates and then eat the bread around the things on top of the bread. They were very gracious and invited us to join them, but of course since we had just eaten we declined. I suppose the fact that I didn’t want to get sick from eating and drinking the local water/food had something to do with it.
The next day we flew out of KAF. We finally got to see the “last stand.” It’s the building where the last major fight and strong hold of the Taliban was. The building has since been converted into the passenger terminal. I overheard someone say that it was the most photographed building on post and I can understand why. It’s a small piece of history that we all wanted to
document. Inside you can see in several places where the bullets hit the wall. Pretty sobering to think what had taken place within that building. Outside was a small monument built to remember those who had fought and died there. Again a sobering and quiet reminder of the bravery of our fallen soldiers as well as those who lived to fight another day.Finally it was time to walk to the plane. As we approached from behind, the four propellers were creating a terrific wind storm. Our flight wasn’t until 1330 so it was already hot but as I entered the blast from the propellers it was like walking into a blast oven. The heat was incredible as was the force of the wind. I actually had to lean forward just to make any headway. I had a bottle of cold water in my hand and just those few minutes of walking in that heat warmed up the water considerably.
The flight back to KAIA was unremarkable as was the trip back to Phoenix. It was nice to be back in my own room with my wonderful AC.
My next trip is to Blackhorse, sort of like a home coming. Should be fun.
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