More Fallen Warrior ceremonies, long hot dusty days spent talking with smelly Afghans and the heating up of the battlefield mark my first 2 weeks in Afghanistan. I'm sure if you've been watching the news you'd see that Afghanistan is turning into a hot little war, and my boss and I will be heading out into the thick of it.
So far here on base I've met the Commander of the Egyptian Field Hospital, head of all Egyptians in Afghanistan. I also have spent hours talking with jingle truck drivers and dusty soldiers, finding problems and working on solutions. The only solution I can't find out here is for myself; how to dull my senses to what I left back home and how to occupy the free time I have at night with nothing to do.
It's also the 4th of July. Just another day in Afghanistan.
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Fallen Warrior
Today was my first Fallen Warrior ceremony. At 0400 the big voice came on the speakers all over Bagram and announced that there would be a Fallen Warrior ceremony at 0550. At 0545 everyone on the base that was not busy with being on duty lined the main road on base, Disney Way. We all stood there shoulder to shoulder at parade rest, silently waiting. At 0610 a military police vehicle slowly drove down the road, leading a humvee with a flag-draped casket in the back. As the vehicles passed we came to attention and saluted, holding it until the vehicles passed. The only sound was the sand beneath the tires of the hearse.
This is a very real war here in Afghanistan, though no one back home seems to know. Afghanistan will probably end up like Korea in the minds of the average American, forgotten by everyone but those who served there. I hope this Marine is not forgotten, because the sacrifice made by everyone here is great, even if they never leave the base and face the imminent danger posed by the enemies outside our gate.
This is a very real war here in Afghanistan, though no one back home seems to know. Afghanistan will probably end up like Korea in the minds of the average American, forgotten by everyone but those who served there. I hope this Marine is not forgotten, because the sacrifice made by everyone here is great, even if they never leave the base and face the imminent danger posed by the enemies outside our gate.
Altitude
I went for my first run today. Bagram is roughly a mile above sea level, but my body didn't catch up to that until I'd already run half a mile. By then I'd been setting a fast pace and couldn't slow down for fear of being passed by the people I'd blown past already. I toughed out the last two miles and ended up at the most crowded weight room on earth. Just imagine 100+ people crammed into a space about the size of your local McDonald's, all sweating and bumping into each other in the most heterosexual way possible (for the males). Not only was it hot and sweaty but I forgot my ipod, so I was stuck listening to sweaty dudes grunt the whole time. I didn't bring my camera with me to the weight room (again with the heterosexuality), so I missed one of the most incredible sunsets a Midwesterner can see - the sun going down over the mountains. Hopefully I'll be able to get myself settled into my quarters quickly and get my own internet connection so I can post some pictures.
I'll get a picture of myself with my Constant Companion, my 9mm Beretta. I don't really like having it around all the time, but it's better than carrying around a rifle all the time. I don't have any ammunition for it yet, but I still carry it everywhere with me. I'm hoping to find a cowboy holster for it that'll also hold a couple of magazines so that I can (probably unsuccessfully) walk around like John Wayne. I should also be getting a rifle before the week's out so that I can take a few trips around the countryside. That little excursion, whenever it comes, will bring more pictures and maybe even a story or two. Just don't laugh too hard when you see a tiny yet heavily-armed and -armored little man framed by the most beautiful landscape you'll ever see.
After running and lifting at this altitude my body is spent. I'm too tired to walk over to the Dining Facility (DFAC) and get something to eat. I'm still on Indiana time, though, so I'll be wide awake at 4am local (around 8pm Indiana time), no matter how tired I am now.
I'll get a picture of myself with my Constant Companion, my 9mm Beretta. I don't really like having it around all the time, but it's better than carrying around a rifle all the time. I don't have any ammunition for it yet, but I still carry it everywhere with me. I'm hoping to find a cowboy holster for it that'll also hold a couple of magazines so that I can (probably unsuccessfully) walk around like John Wayne. I should also be getting a rifle before the week's out so that I can take a few trips around the countryside. That little excursion, whenever it comes, will bring more pictures and maybe even a story or two. Just don't laugh too hard when you see a tiny yet heavily-armed and -armored little man framed by the most beautiful landscape you'll ever see.
After running and lifting at this altitude my body is spent. I'm too tired to walk over to the Dining Facility (DFAC) and get something to eat. I'm still on Indiana time, though, so I'll be wide awake at 4am local (around 8pm Indiana time), no matter how tired I am now.
Monday, 23 June 2008
Arrival
A disclaimer:
I am writing from a combat zone, so any information I post on here will not compromise current or ongoing operations and if my posts seem vague then they are that way on purpose. If you decide to respond to this blog please try to leave out specific personal data, like phone numbers or email addresses, so that the internet detectives won't be able to use that stuff against us.
My small team and I got into Bagram Air Force Base around 2am local time. This ended our long journey that started in Ft Benning, GA and took us through Bangor, Maine, Leipzig, Germany and Al Salam, Kuwait. In Maine we stopped long enough for me to buy a travel pillow (a life-saver) and in Germany we stopped long enough for me to buy some apple-flavored water - for $5.
We were in Kuwait for a little less than 24 hours, long enough for us to experience the hair-dryer winds of 120 degrees. Luckily we were able to get on the one big flight to Bagram for the week. This was in a C-17 - a gigantic cargo jet that flew us into Kuwait in the dead of night.
Since hitting the ground I've been running to various important people in the unit that my team is attached t0, getting housing set up, going to the PX to buy things, making friends with the local power brokers and generally making my Army cot look very very nice. We've all been up basically since 5am Friday morning Georgia time with a couple of short naps tossed in here and there. Afghanistan is roughly 7 hours ahead of Indiana, so when/if you decide to get ahold of me keep that in mind.
I know that in my mass email I promised that I'd publish some pictures - those will come when I can get myself a more reliable internet connection. Right now I'm sitting in the Pat Tillman Memorial USO fighting 50 other servicemembers for a weenie little internet connection.
I should be getting a local cell phone sometime in the next few days, which will cost me $5 a minute to call back to the US but will get incoming calls for free - as in, you call me and we can talk for free, I call you and it costs me $25.
My boss is talking about getting us out and about as soon as possible, so my posts and responses my be a little sporadic. Continue to keep me in your prayers as I get this job done.
I am writing from a combat zone, so any information I post on here will not compromise current or ongoing operations and if my posts seem vague then they are that way on purpose. If you decide to respond to this blog please try to leave out specific personal data, like phone numbers or email addresses, so that the internet detectives won't be able to use that stuff against us.
My small team and I got into Bagram Air Force Base around 2am local time. This ended our long journey that started in Ft Benning, GA and took us through Bangor, Maine, Leipzig, Germany and Al Salam, Kuwait. In Maine we stopped long enough for me to buy a travel pillow (a life-saver) and in Germany we stopped long enough for me to buy some apple-flavored water - for $5.
We were in Kuwait for a little less than 24 hours, long enough for us to experience the hair-dryer winds of 120 degrees. Luckily we were able to get on the one big flight to Bagram for the week. This was in a C-17 - a gigantic cargo jet that flew us into Kuwait in the dead of night.
Since hitting the ground I've been running to various important people in the unit that my team is attached t0, getting housing set up, going to the PX to buy things, making friends with the local power brokers and generally making my Army cot look very very nice. We've all been up basically since 5am Friday morning Georgia time with a couple of short naps tossed in here and there. Afghanistan is roughly 7 hours ahead of Indiana, so when/if you decide to get ahold of me keep that in mind.
I know that in my mass email I promised that I'd publish some pictures - those will come when I can get myself a more reliable internet connection. Right now I'm sitting in the Pat Tillman Memorial USO fighting 50 other servicemembers for a weenie little internet connection.
I should be getting a local cell phone sometime in the next few days, which will cost me $5 a minute to call back to the US but will get incoming calls for free - as in, you call me and we can talk for free, I call you and it costs me $25.
My boss is talking about getting us out and about as soon as possible, so my posts and responses my be a little sporadic. Continue to keep me in your prayers as I get this job done.
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