A good day...

Today was a good day. I got to chat with Trish this morning on FB.... what a wonderful way to start the day! I don't get to get on FB, or my blog enough. I had a good patrol this afternoon, and just had some yummy chai tea and fresh bread with one of our local contractors. However.... I'm pretty sure I ingested a mouse turd in the bread. In fact, I just threw up a little thinking about it. Sometimes it's not so good to be uber-aware of your surroundings. Anyway, I'm still alive and now know a mouse turd or two won't kill me. =\~

Just to catch you all up, my R&R was awesome! Jason and I had a whirlwind European vacation. We met in Dublin, then flew to Paris... took the train to Munich... then to Fussen, Germany... Cinque Terre, Italy... Rome... and back to Dublin. I can tell you this much... 2 days in one spot is not enough time! But we saw a lot in a short time and ate a lot... it was nice. I will have to post pictures later (sorry!) because I don' t have my computer with me now. It's hard to say what the highlight of the trip was... either the Sistine Chapel or Cinque Terre for me. Or Suzanne's Bed & Breakfast and the delicious food in Fussen for Jason? Or just the awesome Guinness in Ireland!?! I sure enjoyed all the coffee too! Sometimes it was a little smaller than my American tastes prefer, but still delish!

So back to work... and time is actually going by quickly. Being here day to day it's hard to see the progress that has been made in our area. But if we can take a step back and compare now to when we first arrived 5-6 months ago- we have people working on projects in areas we didn't even go before and women are actually coming to the FOB (for claims unfortunately, but hey, they're coming). We are trying to get some kind of women's center or program started so they have a place to come learn skills together, and eventually be able to sell their things at the local bazaar once it's renovated. Big ideas! The schools in our area aren't up and running yet unfortunately. But we have all these kids that show up for work in the mornings, so we're trying to come up with some way to engage and educate them. We're getting somewhere, patiently and slowly. Today this little boy, who came up to my waist, ran up to me and wanted to shake my hand. He was looking to see if I had a bun on the back of my head as if he didn't believe I was a girl. It was so cute when he saw I did have hair and he busted out giggling! I am trying to be more patient with the ANA and ANP guys with how they react to us females. I look at it as an opportunity to teach them some manners... instead of punching them in the throat like I really want to do. But it has gotten better overall, at least in my opinion.

Ah, another address for the same place in the dust...
Kitty Powell
A/431 CA BN, FOB Wilson
HHC, 2 BSTB, 101 ABN DIV
APO, AE 09370

We don't need anything thanks to you all. We have tons of hygiene and girly stuff! If you are compelled to send something though, just snack/food stuff is great! We all love to eat. =) Healthy snacks are a big bonus for me so I'll quit eating processed JUNK all the time!

So today was a good day, but not all days are good for these guys. I'm always so impressed with them when I get to go out with them and see how they interact with the local populace... after having some really bad times. Continue to keep us and their families at home in your prayers.

Much love!

Salam Alechem!

We have claims once a week where locals come in and we pay them for damages we've caused (or in some cases, others have caused). This elder, one arm and one tooth, came in and was so nice, he was coming in to see about a claim from 3 yrs ago! I gave him some toys to take back to the children at his compound. He was so tickled when I showed him the paddle and slinky, it was cute.


Here's a pic of 'Team Rage'.... nice irony for a Civil Affairs team. =)














As I'm getting ready to go on R&R, I have all these apprehensions of leaving my team when we have all these things going on. I feel like I just got back and now leaving again, although my last trip wasn't exactly planned. But I think I've managed to line things up so they'll be quite busy while I'm gone and see what my life is like as the team leader.

Just followed up with the doc yesterday on my liver. Only bad news he gave me was I shouldn't drink while I'm on R&R. Then I told him I'd be in Ireland though! He said I'd probably be okay with just one or two... but if anyone asked he didn't tell me that. Ha! But seriously, I am feeling 100% better. I have been eating as good as I possibly can here and haven't taken any medications to tax my liver, not even motrin for headaches. I wish I had cheated and taken a motion sickness pill before my last helo ride though. It took everything in me not to throw up. Ugh, those are supposed to be fun!

Back to the suck!

I am now back at the FOB in good ol' Zhari district. I made record time back from Germany! It look me about a day and a half. There were a few changes while I was gone, mainly I have a new Team Sergeant. Much to my dislike, but understanding, he got a golden ticket home (long story, contract mumbo-jumbo) and decided to take it. His replacement will do a fine job too though. So situation stays the same, just some new people in the mix. All is well though. I am happy to be back. =)

Not much time to write now, so I will have to catch up with you all later. Much love!

Good news!

Just saw the doc this morning and my labs have improved significantly! My prayers were answered. I guess God and I saw eye to eye on this situation. He thought I should be back with my troops just as I did. ; )

I admit I was scared. I saw some of my lab results from when I was inpatient, and they were not pretty. My ALT levels went from over 900 to 441 today (normal is 7-56). It's still high, and a few others are too, but he expects them to continue to trend down to a normal range over the next few weeks. So, I have to stay another week here in Germany BUT he is confident that I will return to duty next week. Thank goodness... cuz I am going bonkers here. As far as the lesion on my liver, since I am not experiencing any pain they will leave it alone. I'll just follow-up with periodic labs down-range and another MRI when we demob to make sure it does not grow. All my hepatitis tests were negative. They don't know what causes all of this, but it's likely it was a virus of some kind.

Yes, I have enjoyed the long, clean showers and porcelain toilets. I've also experienced some guilt. I'm sure that will go away quickly once I'm back on the porta-potty. ; ) I will miss the clouds here too. I don't think there are clouds in Afghanistan, but I'll have to look again.

Thanks for all your prayers and emails. They were just what I needed for recovery.

What a week....

Where to start? Well I just had a wonderful vanilla latte, my first one in four months. Not sure it worth the trip, but it was pretty dang good.

I'm in Landstuhl, Germany at one of the finest military hospitals in the world. I was not blown up or hurt in combat! I have something going on with my liver, which they're trying to figure out while I'm pleading to be sent back to the worst place I've ever been... Afghan-land.

I had been feeling bad for a few weeks, but nothing that made me go to sick-call. After a lot of sleepless nights and comments about how bad I looked, I divulged all my symptoms to our medic. (Bless his heart, he takes such good care of us all.) The tell-tell sign was my yellow eyes, so he made me go see one of the docs the next morning. Next thing I know they're medevac'ing me to KAF for further testing. Well KAF is a trauma hospital and thank the good Lord, I didn't belong there. So KAF medevac'd me to Bagram... another trauma hospital. The whole time I am thinking about how I don't belong there. There are Soldiers who were wounded in combat, real heroes being sent home from battle wounds. I'm just a little yellow with nausea and itching. Next stop was Landstuhl, Germany.

The flight from Bagram to Landstuhl was awful. However I kept reminding myself that the only pain I was experiencing was from lying on my backside for about 8 hours straight - strapped down to a litter. The guy strapped down above me (they stack patients 3 high on litters on medevac plane flights) had all sorts of tubes coming out of him. So I know the flight was much more tolerable for me. Please remember those Soldiers in your prayers.

So all I know as of right now is that my liver enzymes are not normal and I have a 'spot' on my liver. They have no idea at this point what has caused all of this, and they may never know. I've had a gazillion tests done and a few more to go. My arms have been a pin cushion. But I have a gut feeling (no pun intended) that all is well and this is just some freak thing that will go away. I already feel a lot better than I did a week ago. I think I just needed a good coffee!

There's an internet room in the hospital for patients or whoever to use. After being here 3 or 4 days, I find out there was wireless internet too... in my room. Nicely done. I would never have thought to ask. I'm now used to real floors and toilets... which may have been worth the trip. j/k btw. Anyway, the other day I was waiting to use a computer and this guy was ooo'ing and aah'ing over some pictures and invited me over for a peek. OMG.... they were pictures of him and his injuries. He was shot with a MK-19 (google that if you don't know what it is, it's worth the google) through his thigh. I could not believe that he was sitting there, in a wheelchair of course, showing me these graphic pictures. The round went through the outside of one thigh, grazed his scrotum (yes, he showed me that too... in the photo!!!!) and exited through the other thigh. Amazingly all through soft tissue. (It was a 40mm round in case you didn't google it.) In his defense for showing me these pictures, he's a medic. And I used to be one, even though he didn't know that. We're probably a lot more open about that stuff than the average joe. Anywho, he is one blessed fella.

The nurses and doctors have been amazing. In particular, the doctor and nurse at KAF that made me call my Dad and tell him I was in the hospital. I boo'd and hoo'd that I didn't want to call and worry him. They convinced me it was best for him that I call before someone I didn't know, and maybe misinformed, may call him and really scare him. Dad is all well and informed now. Big thanks to them for letting me cry it out and understanding why I want to go back to the sandbox.

So just waiting impatiently now here in Germany. It is a nice change, I can't deny that. It's been raining here and the temps are much cooler. Oh, and there isn't any dust!

I just ate a bag of Haribo gummies and a diet Coke for lunch. I'm sure that's good for the ol' liver. ; )

Take care friends!

The Face....

Meet the face that could save Afghan-land. Me & Val fought over who would steal him and bring him home. ; )

















This is a common-looking truck you see around here. We call them 'jingle trucks', for obvious reasons. They pimp 'em out... it's hilarious.





This has turned into an interesting evening. We know some guys that have some office space over on the ANA compound that have satellite internet. This is the only place I can upload pictures or get on the blog. One of the guys is from Northern Afghanistan, but has lived in California for several years. Anyway, he's blasting U2 and playing the congo drums! It's awesome. (Jason, you'd love it.)

Not much more to say tonight. Still missing home and counting down the days.

Much love!

Stabilization vs. Corruption

The biggest challenge of our job as CA (besides finding a decent shower, see left) is how to create stabilization for this country. It’s chaos right now. I look at it as a ‘RIP/TOA’. (‘Relief in place/Transfer of authority’ – when one unit replaces another to carry on the mission). We should be training and mentoring the Afghan Government, Police, Army, etc. to build and stabilize their own county… with the goal of the U.S. leaving, right? Ideally that’s how it should work, but in my opinion, it doesn’t. They want us to provide everything for them, including security and money. (Yeah, I’m grouping them all into ‘they’ and it’s not fair to the good guys. Sorry good guys.) It’s been very frustrating. I am growing somewhat pissy about it all. The thing that keeps me going is not the Afghans, it’s the Soldiers on the ground. I know whatever we can do to create some jobs, some sort of government support, any increase in the standard of living or education, will make their jobs easier and safer. The Afghans obviously benefit greatly from this too. We’re still trying to make them understand this, and some do. But there is too much corruption. The question isn’t so much who is corrupt, but how can we persuade them to take a stand, support their government (that is practically non-existent at this point), and open the path for stability then development. It’s a choice and unfortunately many of them are too scared to stand up for their rights. In most cases, it’s a choice of life or death. Some things are worth fighting for though, right?

Currently my team has about 15 current or potential projects in the works for our area. I only have about 2 or 3 villages that I’m trying to find a small project for so we have something lined up to implement when the time is right. Some of the things we are doing include canal cleaning/renovations, canal or river bridges, road repairs, water pumps and wells, and schools. We try hard to get the people in the villages to work on their own projects. However some areas they are afraid to work because it’s too dangerous. So we have to hire some other contractor from another city, and usually pay him too much. Or better yet, we can pay a corrupt powerbroker in the area to do a project in his village, that he will directly benefit, employ his security, and let him still skim off the top for himself. Oh fun times.

I know I sound hateful. But that’s just how I feel right now. Something very exciting has happened though! I opened up the cooler in the DFAC (mess hall) the other day to get some juice and guess what was there??? Chocolate soy milk!!! Things are really looking up here. ; ) And to top that off, the Battalion Commander (not my Commander, the Infantry Commander that my team supports) informed me this morning that I was the battalion motivator… yep, he sure did. He said he never wanted to see a “poo-poo face” on me. I swear he said that. I’m still a little confused by our conversation. But hey, he’s the Commander and I said “Roger that Sir.” I think he mistakes my smile for happiness when it’s just delirium… ha!

I work out with my Commander in the mornings when I’m at the main FOB. We do a little cardo, either the stationary bike or elliptical, or sometimes he makes me run. I used to like running… but I hate running on these rocks and dodging the dust from the helos. The part of running I enjoy (from home) is the scenery or the smells, and the freedom of course. I can’t wait to smell flowers again. Anyway, it stinks here and the only scenery is concrete T-walls, tents, and port-a-johns. The other day we go into the cardio tent and I get on the bike. There’s a guy on the other bike (there’s only two) and he smells so bad that I actually got pissed at him. He’s one of the ‘haji’ store owners on the FOB, a local national. He’s in there most mornings working out. He apparently doesn’t shower, or doesn’t shower well. I threw up a little bit… j/k, but I wanted to so I could then tell him why. Here I go stereotyping again … this is a dirty culture. It disgusts me.

It just dawned on me how different my life here is from the average E-4 in our company. One of the girls walks in our tent…

Me – “Hey KP, how are ya?”

Her – “Oh okay, just real tired.”

Me – “Why are you so tired?” I ask knowing they she hasn’t been out on any missions or anything.

Her – “I had to get up at 0730 this morning. I usually sleep until around 1100 everyday.”

Me, after absorbing that – “Get out of here now.”

Most of the time I don’t know what to write about, so I babble. A lot of things go through my head that I want to talk about, but shouldn’t, so I babble. One thing never changes though – I miss home. As long as I stay busy, I am happier though. It’s those times when I’m really tired, or it’s been a bad day, and I make myself slow down a bit that I do think about it. I count down the days every day. Today I have 62 days until R&R (rest and recoup leave) and about 220 days left in-country. I just count the in-country time now. I’ll restart the count once we hit the States. = )

Here are some more pics.

Far left - Children from village Hadakaly. They were making these funny zombie sounds and making faces at us. Middle - Grape fields... not so fun to climb over those walls, ugh. Right - Just a little cutie. His father brought him to me while he was trying to convince me to give him my gps. Idiot father with beautiful child.