Counting down the days already

It's really too early to start counting down until it's time to come home, but it's hard not too. We were discussing last night how to make it seem better. I'm counting down by months. If we're half-way through the month, I start on the next month. Just makes it sound better. The girl on my team is counting down by weeks. I think the other guy is just clueless. I didn't realize how disconnected I was until I got some magazines in the mail. I was so excited, I read 2 of them that day. I was so motivated that I took one to the gym and rode the stationary bike while I read! How simple things brings so much pleasure. =)

So the Afghan National Army (ANA) have moved into the COP we're at now. They're a mess. They do some disgusting things in the shower and porta-johns. And I'm now to the point where I'm pissed at how they look at us (me and my girl.... girl on my team who I refer to as 'my girl'.) Some of them have never seen Western women, nor have they been on missions with them. As the day goes on, my patience wears thin. They've also been late to every mission I've seen them come on. And they are unprepared. They're given water, what they do with it I don't know, but they don't bring it on missions. It's not Afghan rocket science, Soldiers. On our last patrol, we hear a cell phone ring.... one of them answers his cell while we're out on patrol!

Lord, please grant me patience.

This is my girl on our last mission. She was huffin' it on this big hill we went up and around. I've been telling them to make sure they're working out, they'll be glad they did. The other kid admitted today that he wished he'd been working out more. I just wish my legs were longer. Some of those walls are hard for me to get over! I had to get a boost over one today. =*(


Just a couple of boys hanging out watching us. The younger one looks all grumpy, but after I took his picture he grinned from ear to ear.










Our interpreter picking a little something from the local crop. He did that on his own, I had nothing to do with it! They don't have the same rules as us.








Grapes are the main crop right now. They're really good too. Little green grapes. Instead of fences, they grow them out of mud walls.








Not sure what they're growing in this crop. That's one of the ANA guys walking out front of our patrol. You can barely see the mountains in the background.

Weight Watchers

I refer to foot patrols as weight watchers. They allow me to eat whatever I want, but still feel guilty. It goes something like this…

Me – “I can’t believe I don’t lose any weight from these foot patrols. I’ve never sweat so much in my life.”
J.B. (my Team SGT) – “Two words… ice cream.”
Me – “Shut up you. I don’t have it at every meal.”

Thoughts to myself during a foot patrol…
Me – “I am too old to be doing this *@#* with these young Infantry dudes.”
Self – “Suck it up; let them see you sweat with them. Others are having a worse day than you right now.”

Much respect to the Infantrymen.

The Platoon Leaders like to bring hard candy on foot patrols for the kids. Like I always tell them, make sure you got enough for all of them… or they’ll throw the rocks. It’s always a good sign when the kids follow you throughout the village, even if you don’t have anything to give them. They love pens. We have to hide them before we go out so they don’t beg for them or snatch them. We don’t want to leave anything behind that an IED can be made from… which means we leave nothing at all.

So today I get to shower in the big boy tent. Sad thing is the one female that is here doesn’t say anything about the female shower box. I told her that she has to let them know, they have no idea because they don’t go in there. Btw, there isn’t any electricity in there either. She’s been showering by chem lights. I’ve earned my shower today, so she and I will both have someone posted at the door while we get clean. = )

Days of pretty feet are soon to be over

Something I have to get off my chest... I’ve been back and forth between two FOBs, and both have atrocious shower conditions for females. One has only one female there, except when I show up to make her a pack of two! The other has several females and more to come. Now I’m really not a complainer, I swear. I look around and consider what other guys are going through at the other COPs, and some of those things break my heart. But the one thing that I cannot get over is a disgusting shower that will breed disease. Some days I am so tired that I want to just go to bed, and I don’t feel like hiking all the way across the FOB to the one little trailer of female showers… but I do, just to find a line out the door and then to have to stand in someone else’s funky body water that will not drain. A lot of the girls have been working on putting tents up and making more space, so there are a lot of sore feet with blisters. I worry about them getting infections. After my shower the other night, I squirted anti-bacterial soap all over my feet and stuck just my feet back in to rinse off. My days as a Corpsman are flashing back to me. Let me leave one last thought with you, and then I’ll stop complaining. I was talking with the First Sergeant last night and he asked me about the shower. (I’m at the COP with only one other female now. We don’t have a shower tent, just a shower ‘box’ just big enough for one to stand in. I’ll take a picture of it sometime.) We were talking about the horrible stench, and I assumed it was just the old plumbing and water sitting in the sun. I said it wasn’t bad, but the shower doesn’t drain (I didn’t mention the scalding hot water that you have to jump in/out from). I told him I’d look at it tomorrow when the sun comes up… he said don’t bother, it’s not the drain. It’s the sewage backing up into the shower. WTF??????? So if you never see my feet again when I come home, you will know why.

On a nicer note, my Team Sergeant and another team member have arrived! We should get our last guy soon. It’s been great since my Team Sergeant got here. Sometimes I think we’re too much alike, but I know that makes us a strong team. I love seeing how the other Soldiers respect him. I’m lucky I got him. Someone must be looking out for me. ; )

Here are some pics from our mission yesterday. The left one is an Afghan National Police Officer. They love pictures!

The little boy on the right ran away as I was taking his picture. Then he peeped around the corner smiling at me. We waved at each other and gave a thumbs up.

I have some prayers requests. We’re having some really bad days over here. Please say some special prayers for these Soldiers and their families as they deal with some really tough things. War sucks, and these kids are the ultimate heroes every single day without a doubt. Please remember them.

Just another day at work

There's an agriculture center near the FOB. Here are some of the workers...

Playing with fire

I had a little bonfire with the Canadians last night. Couldn't seem to find any marshmallows around this place though. It's a nice break from the reality of why we're here. "Camping moment time-out." I continue to learn a lot from them and their time they've spent here.

Here's a view from Senjaray. It's beautiful when you look beyond the COPs (combat outposts). Last night I could here the mosques' mullahs (village religious leaders) compete with each other over the loud speakers to lead their village in prayer. It was in stereo!



Here's a Time magazine article about a school that we're working with... http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100609/wl_time/08599199538900. Try not to read too much about the Captain that they are writing about... it's a group fight out here. Anyway, this is the group that my team supports.

Have a blessed Sunday (tomorrow for you)!

Few pics...

Not much time to write, but wanted to share a few new friends I've made.

Wish I could put this lil' guy in my ruck sack. Together, I bet we could stop world hate. ; ) Whenever I get frustrated about the bureaucracies here, I try remind myself that if I can persuade just one person's view for the day, it's been a good day. So far, I've had a few good days here.

Canadians will be missed....

Since I've been here, I've been spending as much time as possible with the Canadian civil affairs team. They will be moving out of this area soon to work in another. They've only been in this district for 2 months and have made a noticeable impact. They have developed some valuable relationships and I will have to work hard to make the transition as smoothly as possible so not to lose any ground. The challenge lays with money of course. Money funds projects and when projects aren't funded those workers will need other jobs.... I don't have to spell that out. The situation is a little stressing. It just takes time to get things (like money) rolling in the right direction.

Can't remember if I mentioned this, but I'm here without my team right now. They will be here in time, but it's been frustrating trying to get transportation to different sites that I need to visit to do my job. Without my team, I don't have a vehicle here, so I am trying to maneuver rides here and there and it's not happening as quickly as I'd like! I've gotten lucky a few times and been in the right place with the right person. For the most part, the Infantry here understand how important CA is in this fight. But I have to remind them that I need to be at these sites with them in order to support them.

Here's the laundry 'deck' between two trailers with washers and dryers. You have to watch your stuff... not because it could be stolen, but the local nationals open up the dryers to see if clothes are dry and do not turn them back on. It's kinda comical, unless you've been there all night.




This tent has quite a little 'porch'. Nice sight at night.


Here's shot of the main highway by Senjaray. If you take away the military equipment and evidence of war, it really is a beautiful place.









That's all I got for now. I'm about to run out of internet time.... argh!!