R&R Time!!!!

For the past three days, I have been here at BAF or Bagram Air Field. I am finally heading home on R&R. Being here on this base is a different world compared to ISAF HQ. They have good food, nice accommodations, things to do in the evening and it’s big enough you don’t see the same people six times a day.

I’ve been staying in a private room thanks to the good people here at the base public affairs shop. The rooms are meant for media passing through the area but they have a spare bunk so I don’t have to sleep in the transient tent. I want to publically thank them for the berthing. If I would have had to stay in the transient tent all this time, it would have been a bad thing; a very bad thing.

The past three flights have been cancelled s I’ve been stuck in limbo with more than 150 other soldiers all trying to go home on R&R. But tonight we fly so I’ve got some packing to do. Next stop, the pax terminal.

Change of command

Recently the president announced a new change at the top for the fight here in Afghanistan. You’d think this would be the talk of the camp here at ISAF Headquarters as it’s an international story which directly affects us. Oddly, there’s been little talk on the subject. People here just respect the president’s decision and are pushing forward, business as usual. Will it affect me an in any way; perhaps. Just like the president picks his cabinet, a theater commander picks the generals that work for him. I’m sure when Gen. McKiernan goes, so will some of his staff. And some of those staffers are my bosses. Regardless of the reason, they’ve fought a good fight and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve under their command. I salute them as they depart and stand ready to serve our new commander.

Very interesting

By now you have probably heard the story about US troops distributing Bibles here in Afghanistan.

I’m not writing about the alleged incident, but I do want to demonstrate the difference in reporting styles among the media. Below is the first paragraph of two stories from two different media outlets; CNN and Al Jazeera. The different approach each outlet takes to the story is very interesting.

Keep in mind the video in question was shot more than a year ago.

Al Jazeera (Qatar), 5 May
The US military has confiscated Bibles that Christian US soldiers in Afghanistan had apparently intended to give to local Muslims, a military spokesman has said. Al Jazeera broadcast footage on Monday that showed troops apparently preparing to convert Afghans to their faith. Some of the soldiers who appeared in the video have also been reprimanded, US government and military officials told Al Jazeera's James Bays.

CNN (United States), 5 May
The U.S. military is denying that troops in Afghanistan have been attempting to convert Afghans to Christianity, countering video showing a chaplain delivering a sermon about religious conversion and Bibles printed in local languages.
The video was shown recently on the Qatar-based international television news service, Al Jazeera English.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock…

In exactly eight days I’ll pack my bags and head home for 18 glorious days of R&R. By the time I walk through the front door, I will have been away from my family for eight very long months. In retrospect, time has actually moved along pretty fast. So why is it that the days leading up to my trip home are moving so slowwwwwww!

I guess Einstein would say its all relative. To help pass some time, I’ve researched some timely quotes on the topic of… time. Here’s a few of my favorites.

Dost thou love life? Then waste not time; for time is the stuff that life is made of.

Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again.

As if you could kill time without injuring eternity!

No time like the present.

Whatever begins, also ends.

Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change.

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.

Time flies when you’re having fun… except in Afghanistan.

Happy Mother's Day!

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. While most Americans were taking the day to thank Mom for all she has done over the past year, for me it was just an ordinary day. Not because the mother of my children is not here with me, but because I make a point to thank her every day for her efforts.

My wife is amazing! Singlehandedly, she has been holding down the fort while taking care of our two little ones. Cooking, cleaning, paying bills, disciplining, educating; she does it all and with a beautiful smile on her face.

And just when my wife thought my tour was over and help was on the way, she was the one who encouraged me to accept my general’s requested extension which will keep me here an additional four months. She did that because she knew it was in the best interest of my career and our family.

There are many words I can use to describe my wife; beautiful, loving, supportive, kind, committed, generous. I’ll just use three: My best friend!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Run for the Roses

Okay, so there weren't any roses involved, but I did do plenty of running yesterday. On Sunday, the people who run the gym put on an unusual sort of marathon. For starters, there were four different sports you could choose from; running, spinning, eliptipical or rowing. I picked running since I've been meaning to start training for October's Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.

The ISAF Marathon lasted 12 hours long but that doesn't mean I had to run for 12 hours. Each participant was on a team of three so you would compete for an hour, have two off and then compete again for a total of 12 hours. It may sound easy... but it wasn't.

I ran for an hour straight from:
- 0600 to 0700
- 0900 to 1000
- 1200 to 1300
- 1500 to 1600

When all the miles are added up, I ran roughly 15-to-20 by the end of the marathon. Not exactly marathon distance (26-miles) but close enough for a first attempt.

After I finished running, the MPPAT headed over to Camp Eggers for the Friday night Streak and Lobster Party. I especially enjoyed the cake and ice cream. After logging as many miles as I did, I figured I earned a nice meal.

Goodbye MC1 & MC2

Yesterday, MC1 Nelson and MC2 Ramirez packed their bags and headed back to the U.S. Both of them did an outstanding job for me here in Afghanistan and have well earned their plane tickets home.

Monica spent 95% of her deployment forward deployed in RC West shooting pictures and writing stories. She was constantly on the lookout for opportunities and never once flinched at going outside the wire for a good story. Every one of her photos were of award winning calibur and her articles were always interesting. While I constantly had to hound my teams for their stories, I always new I'd be getting two to three stories a week from Monica. She isn't just reliable and talented, she's also one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. While we sometimes say half heartedly at going away parties, "I hope we cross paths again," with Monica I honestly mean it. This is a Sailor who will be a Chief someday soon and the young Sailors under her should consider themselves very luck.

Aramis is also another one of those very talented guys with a pen and a camera. When given an assignment, you don't have to worry about the final product. He took thousands of outstanding pictures here and the two ISAF Mirror magazines he put together were leaps and bounds beyond their predecessors. Granted, he needed a swift kick in the butt from time to time to write a story, but when he did it was usually gold. Socially, this is a guy who is more comfortable meeting you on the Internet then in person. He's a little on the shy side. But that's okay, everyone is different and Aramis taught me to accept our differences.

Afghanistan left its mark on these two so it was only fair they were given their chance to leave their mark on ISAF HQ. The lasting mark this team leaves behind is our studio and hidden behind a black curtain, we have begun a tradition of signing our names on the wall. Tech Sergeant Nipper was the first with MC1 Nelson and MC2 Ramirez adding their mark yesterday. MC1 Matlock is next and someday, someday way down the line, I'll get to sign it too.

MC1 Nelson and MC2 Ramirez, good luck in your Navy journey.

Navy pride takes a backseat to the Army

I love being in the United States Navy. My uniforms are dress blues, khakis or the new digital blue camies. But while I am serving here in Afghanistan, I am willing to support the Army's mission and wear the Army's uniform. But this doesn't make me a soldier. I am a Sailor in the US Navy; something I take great pride in. And I am not alone. These are the feelings of all my shipmates here in Afghanistan. WE are Sailors.

So you can imagine the pride we felt when an instruction was issued allowing all Sailors in Afghanistan to wear the "Don't Tread on Me" flag on our Army uniforms. This flag has great significance in Naval history tracing back to our earliest days. It allowed us Sailors to demonstrate a little Navy pride while donating our time in Army green. However, the Army doesn't agree.

While soldiers here are allowed to wear no less than four patches on their uniforms from current and present commands, they have now denied the Navy from wearing the flag. It may sound petty, it's just a patch you might be thinking. But this patch makes a proud statement that we are in the Navy and have step away from OUR mission to support theirs. It proudly identifies us and our history. Many of my shipmates, myself included, are not happy about this.

I'm hoping our senior leadership are looking into this issue and back us on wearing of this important form of Navy identification. WE are Sailors, not soldiers.

Another rough day

Being away from my family has been rough, but we've muddled through. Most days we just talk on the phone, see each other on the web camera and live as normal of a life as possible... for being a world apart.

But there are those certain days when not even the most high speed internet connection and the clearest web camera picture does the heart good. Yesterday was one of those days. Yesterday was my little girl's 6th birthday; the third family birthday I've missed during this deployment. I also wasn't there when my son turned three and my wife turned "XX."

I've missed Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. I'll also miss the 4th of July and Memorial Day. Those are hard days to miss, but not nearly as hard as my kid's birthdays. Major holidays are for everyone but a birthday is someone's very own special day. I'll never get back their 3rd or 6th birthday so these days were very emotional and difficult.

My last deployment was perfectly timed so that I didn't miss any birthdays. I didn't how hard being away from the family could be. If I've gained anything from this experience, it's a huge respect for those who serve from 6-months, 12-months, 15-months away from their families.

A bedtime story for Daddy

I try to talk to my kids as much as possible. It's especially important while I'm deployed. Last night, they made me laugh so hard when I asked them each to tell me a story before going to bed. Below is a transcript of that conversation.

DADDY: Do you have a story for me honey?
DAUGHTER: Yes... Once upon a time Daddy found a magic coin.
DADDY: And what did I do with it?
DAUGHTER: You gave it to your daughter and she used it to go on a rollercoaster. Thee end!
DADDY: Honey, that's a great story. You are so sweet! Thank you.
DAUGHTER: Here brother, tell Daddy a story.
SON: Once upon a time there was Batman and Robin...
MOMMY: And what did they do to help people?
SON: They KILLED the Joker!

The moral of this entry; my daughter is extremely sweet and my little boy is all boy!