I'M HOME!!

Friends,

Well, I finally got home late Tuesday night (Jan 26). Karen and Craig were there to greet me, along with quite a crowd from Operation Welcome Home. It was a very nice reception. We spent the night in Baltimore because I had to in-process at my base on Wednesday. By Wednesday night, we were back at the house, which I had left last June 14. Not much has changed, except that Karen completely remodeled our bedroom. She did a great job. After six months sleeping on a twin bed or cot, our king sized bed is like laying on a continent. Of course, Karen is used to having the bed to herself, so now it's crowded. All a matter of perspective I guess. Craig has grown so much, I swear he's six inches taller.

According to my calculations, I was away from home around 220 days. From where I sit now, the time did go by rather quickly, but that is still a long time away from loved ones. I'm not sure exactly how I will look back on my experience these past seven months, but I'm proud of what my team accomplished in our relatively short time in theater and glad I had a chance to do my part for the Air Force. I met a lot of good servicemen and made some new friends while developing deeper friendships with others.

The support from friends and family at home was incredible. The care packages, e-mails and cards/letters played a large part in keeping my spirits up. I cannot thank you enough for your kind thoughts and encouragement. I know there are differing views regarding the conduct and validity of our involvement in Afghanistan, but the support of our troops has never waivered nor been in question. While my time in theater has come to an end, there are thousands of servicemen in harms way every day. Please remember to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

With that, I will close this blog. It's been a hell of a ride. I hope to print out all the e-mails and posts and create some sort of keepsake. Since I have given it out to so many people, I will maintain the e-mail address dave.pollock@us.army.mil. Please keep in touch.

Best wishes and take care,

- Dave

Almost home!

Hey Followers!

Well, after many aborted attempts, me and my team finally made it to Manas Air Base in Kyrgystan. It is cold here with snow on the ground; good way to get acclimatized(?) to the weather back home.

Sorry for not writing for so long. It was a busy time doing "turn-over" with our replacements. Also, we had to move out of our rooms so they could move in, resulting in a loss of internet access. Air flow in theater has been affected by snow here in Manas and the earthquake in Haiti, believe it or not. Air assets have been redirected to assist in the relief effort. I know it is a nobel cause and the right thing to do, I just hate the fact that it is delaying my return trip. (Cold hearted, I know, but I gotta be honest.)

If all goes as planned, I should be getting into Baltimore sometime Tuesday morning, East Coast time. I need to out-process at the base, so I'll likely not get back to the house until sometime Wednesday. Haven't been there since June 14th - seems like eons ago.

Sorry for not having any pictures to share. I'll try to put up a few on my next - and probably last - post. Until then...

Take care!

-Dave

Home Stretch / Lousy Eagles

Hello followers,

We’re in the home stretch now. Down to the last full week and a few days; 25 weeks completed. The feeling is that this week will last FOREVER, but I’m sure it will pass as fast as the rest. I started packing today because we will have to vacate the room for the new folks to move in. It’s easier for us to move into a tent for a short time preparing to leave for home than for those just getting here to move twice.
So, I got my butt out of bed at 0500 this morning just to watch an uninspired Eagles team get waxed by those hated Cowboys. If you know me well, you know that is a huge deal. Almost cataclysmic. But while it ruined my morning (and the opportunity to sleep in on a Sunday), I didn’t let it ruin the whole day. Strange how I view things in a different way since I’ve been away. (Don’t get me wrong. I will still root against the Cowboys the rest of the way. I’m just sayin…)
In other news, we moved our office from the “cans” into tents within our new compound. The pictures below are of me behind my old desk on the new space and of the outside of the tents. They are called Alaskans because they are made by the Alaskan Manufacturing Co. Quick funny story. At one time these were referred to as Alaskan Small Shelters. Knowing the military’s propensity to use acronyms, you can see why the name didn’t stick. I mean, who’d want to sleep in an ASS. Or worse, go to work in one.

Until next time, take care.

-Dave

Happy New Year!

Hey followers!

Happy New Year! I beat you to it by over nine hours, but I was dead asleep. No parties, no celebrations (at least that I was aware of), no fireworks. Today was business as usual, which actually suited most people just fine. One more day closer to going home. Celebrating the New Year just reminds you that of what you’re missing.

But, that is no reason to skip making resolutions. I have come up with a few that I hope will be easy to keep:
1. Spend more time with my family. (I should beat 2009 right around July 1)
2. Spend less time on military duty. (Due to existing circumstances, this ties in directly with number 1.)
3. Watch more football!
4. Spend more money!
(See how easy this is!)
5. Try not to gain back any weight. (This could be a tough one.)
6. Listen to the radio and catch up on the latest music.
7. Go out to dinner. (Pizza first; Five Guys next.)
8. Drink a beer. (Or two)
9. Don’t work too hard. (Sorry Rob and Ahmad.)
And my favorite:
10. WATCH MORE TELEVISION!!!
(There are other things of a more personal nature that I also resolve to do, but that is not for this particular forum.)

So, my friends, please enjoy the New Year and time with family and friends. I’m down to a few weeks now and I’m looking forward to seeing you all when I get back.

Take care,

-Dave

(P.S. – picture below is of my friend Maj Pete Keegan. We did have a small party, but the food never showed up. Don't ask.)

Merry Christmas

Hello friends,
A quick post this week. The attached video was shot by a military public affairs team way back in October. Supposedly it was to be distributed to television stations in my hometown local viewing area. Since I haven't heard from anybody that they saw it, I'm assuming that it either wasn't shown or was shown at some unGodly hour. Either way, here it is for your viewing pleasure. Please don't laugh too much; I only had one chance.
I want to wish each of you a joyous holiday season, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hopefully we'll all be catching up very soon.
Take care,
-Dave

It Rained! ; Holidays

Hey followers,

IT FINALLY RAINED HERE!! A lot, too. Well, for Afghanistan that is. Back on December 9th it rained about a total of one inch. It was a good soaking rain that started in the early hours of the morning (thus, I could not go to the gym, which did not hurt my feelings). The wildest thing is that the rain cleaned off all the dust. It was like the Wizard of Oz - we walked outside and the colors were vibrant. Cars are blue and green and red, not just shades of gray. It was kind of cool for a short while. Then it was just another rainy day. Of course, drainage over here is a problem. Puddles get big and deep very quickly. And some puddles lasted right up until it rained yesterday. I took a few pictures; see below.

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, it appears I’m famous...at least in Boyertown. I did an e-mail interview for the Boyertown Times. Check it out at http://www.berksmontnews.com/articles/2009/12/09/boyertown_area_times/news/doc4b1fc1b1ab5cb090634002.txt

Well, Christmas is upon us. Quick story for you. I was walking back to my room the other night, which takes me across the boardwalk. There are several buildings under construction that have been in various states of completion for months. There is a building at one of the corners of the boardwalk that is made of cinder block with just openings where the doors and windows will go. As I'm walking past, I here "O Holy Night" being played on a saxophone. The acoustics of the empty building gave the sound a lot of volume. I slowed down to hear it better. I didn't want to loiter and make the player self conscious, but I just had to listen. I can't say it was beautiful, because there were a few pops and flat notes, but it still drew me in. The best way to describe it was moving. It made me smile and think of home and Christmas Eve. I hummed the song all the way back to my room.

I am so going to miss Christmas at home with friends and family. But we’re keeping it in perspective here; it is one more milestone in our time here and one more day closer to going home.

I wish you all a safe, healthy holiday season and a very Merry Christmas!

-Dave

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Hey followers,

I hope the Holiday spirit has caught hold of each of you. I can’t tell you how bad I wish I was home. I heard it snowed, too. As of today, I have been here 20 weeks. About six more to go, more or less. The timing depends on when our replacements get here. However, as the title says, there is now a light at the end of the tunnel.
There were more than a few reporters here this past week getting reactions to President Obama's troop surge. A Fox News reporter actually approached me in the lunch line on Wednesday, but I declined to speak, instead pointing him to my fellow airman, LtCol Todd Hirneisen. I hadn't seen or read the content of the President's address, so I wasn't really prepared to comment. (Plus, I'm just a shy person.) Anyway, doesn't Todd go and get on TV! A friend of his saw it in the Glenn Beck show. To think that might have been me. Oh well, opportunity missed.
MSNBC was also here (as was CNN). Follow this link (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34289318#34289318) to a piece a about Kandahar Airfield (KAF). The reporter talks to Colonel Paul Oettinger, who is the USFOR-A(S) expansion chief. I work rather closely with Col O and see him several times a week in sync meetings. Practically all of the projects you see in construction were programmed and designed by the fine gentlemen on my team, so it’s good to see their hard work is recognized.
I added a recent picture to prove all is well. Also, take note to the very rare overcast skies behind me. It actually rained that day for a few minutes. Rumor is that a real soaking is coming our way this week. Stay tuned.
That about wraps it up for this week. Take care, enjoy the season and stay safe!
Later,
-Dave

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello friends,

Hey, it's Thanksgiving! As much as I hate being away, it means I'm that much closer to coming home. We've decided to take the day off. Last night was relaxing and fun. We were paid a visit by the "Lt Dan Band", a group pulled together by Gary Sinise, Lt Dan of "Forrest Gump" fame. It was a nice respite from all the harried days. Lucky me, I actually had an opportunity to meet Mr. Sinise and Mykelti Williamson (Bubba from "Forrest Gump"). Check out the pictures below.

I also wanted to take this time to say thanks to each of you for your generous support and encouragement. The funny e-mails, the care packages and the kind thoughts have helped to make this time away more bearable. I’ve come to be a lot more appreciative of the family and friends in my life. I urge each of you to take a moment to consider everything you have to be thankful for. Don’t take your time with family and loved ones for granted.

I hope this Thanksgiving finds you all healthy and happy and is a warm kick-off to a wonderful holiday season. Enjoy the family time and fellowship and – by all means – enjoy the home-made turkey dinner!

Take care,

-Dave

Bizarre Bazaar

Hello friends,

I hope this post finds you all well. If all goes as planned, I should be heading home in about eight weeks. Hopefully, the Eagles will turn it around and still be playing then. A home playoff game would be perfect.

I haven’t posted in a while because I really don’t know what to talk about. However, it struck me that I have yet to talk about the bazaar. On Saturdays, local merchants come to KAF and set up a bazaar in a small fenced-in area on base. There are lots of items on display: rugs/carpets, black market DVDs, brass vases and other brass sculptures, watches, and other bric-a-brac. I’ve been to the bazaar only three times, but I know folks that never miss it. Some of the more serious shoppers go for the rugs, which can run from $25 to $2500 depending on the size and quality of the workmanship. I have no idea what I am looking at, but you can see some differences. I took the pictures below this past weekend.

The trick to the bazaar, aside from knowing what you are looking for quality-wise, is the haggling. As with most bazaars, the merchants are always calling to you to come see their wares. “Hey, American, you come look, eh? I have some nice things for your wife, eh?” (The shill is universal.) There are kids walking up and down the aisles hawking bracelets and other small items. “Sir! Sir! Look! Only one dollar. You buy two?” Hard to turn away the kids, but the stuff they’re trying to sell is just junk. Anyway, the haggling is just not natural to me; I have a hard time with it. Like back home, I want to walk up, ask what the price is, make a decision and either buy it or not. But these guys expect you to haggle. If I try to walk away, they’ll follow you asking “how much do you pay?” I just keep walking. Some other soldiers really get into it; back and forth, trying to get that last dollar reduction. It can be fun to watch. I have not bought a thing yet, but probably will just to have a souvenir. So, that’s the bazaar.

All else is going as well as can be expected. The weather is getting colder and it actually drizzled today for a few minutes. But, the dust and dirt are always present. Eight more weeks, then I’m outta here.

Take care,

-Dave

Acronyms and Military Lingo

Hey there friends!

As many of you know, the military takes great pains to develop and use a system of acronyms to describe just about anything. I thought I’d spell out a few that we use on a regular basis around here. Also, it may serve to act as an interpretation guide once I get home so you know what the heck I am saying. A few of the more common acronyms:
DFAC – dining facility (pronounced dee-fak);
SITREP – situational report;
SA – situational awareness (information about a topic);
RLB – re-locatable building (an 8’ x 20’ unit the same size as a shipping container that can be stacked and configured as housing);
CHU – containerized housing unit (same as an RLB);
OEF- Operation Enduring Freedom;
GWOT – global war on terror;
ISAF – international security augmentation force;
JFUB – joint facility utilization board (the folks who have the power to approve or deny a construction project);
IED – improvised explosive device;
HME – home made explosive;
MHE – material handling equipment;
ANA – Afghan National Army;
NTV – non-tactical vehicle;
FOB – Forward Operating Base;
CSO – Chief of Staff Officer;
NCR - Naval Construction Regiment;

The following are common terms used in general conversation:
JTAM – jump through your ass mission;
Haji – anything pertaining to Afghan or Middle Eastern ownership (technically a term of respect towards any Muslim who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca)
Poopy pants – humorous term used to describe an unknown and unwanted food item in the DFAC line
Inshalla – “if it is Allah’s will” – used the same as when your dad would say “maybe”, actually meaning “no way”
Oxygen thief – used to describe someone who is basically worthless
Embrace the suck – just deal with it

Examples:
“Hey, Sgt Jones, I need some SA on that JFUB package for RLBa at FOB X-ray so I can send a SITREP to the CSO over at the NCR.”

“What the heck is that?” “Some haji vegetable dish.” “Poopy pants?” “Oh, definitely poopy pants.”

Two pics for your viewing pleasure. First is one of (from L to R) LtCol Todd Hirneisen, Maj Nick Lynch and me enjoying a take-out lunch. We are sitting in a little gathering area right outside my office can. The weather has been a lot nicer lately, and we wanted to get away fromthe crouds in the DFAC. The second pic is of a little science experiment we are running. It started back in the summer. One of our Navy brethren was mailed some grass seed for whatever reason. So he planted it and watered it every day. It was slow going at first, but it is taking off now. He went back home in September and we just kept it going.




Take care!
-Dave

Whirl Winds

Hey there followers! I’ve been having connectivity issues lately, so this blog may be late. I’ve been scratching my head what to write about. Every day is basically the same here. I was looking over some pictures the other day and ran across some of dust devils. You’ve likely seen little ones around home. Like little tornados that kick up dirt and loose paper. Well, over here, it’s a whole different phenomenon. They are huge and really pick up a lot of dust. If you are interested in the science behind them, check out http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_are_dust_devils.htm. The video and picture are of two different whirlwinds I saw at Camp Dwyer back in September. The still shot was taken by someone else on my team when we were waiting for a ride. The video I shot while waiting for a plane. If you look real close at the tent you see in front of me at the beginning has the video, you will see the shadows of the guys I was traveling with. I was walking around stretching my legs when I saw this dust devil forming and heading right for us. While you can’t really get hurt, you will get stung by the flying dust and get dust in every orifice you can imagine. So I grabbed my camera and shouted to the guys to look out. Luckily, the whirlwind skirted around the concrete barriers you can see in the background, so we didn’t get caught up in it. Cool sight, though. You don’t see that very often in Oley! If anyone has any ideas or questions I can answer in this blog, let me know. I’m running out of ideas! Take care and keep in touch! Later, -Dave

Hey there followers!
Sorry for the long gap since the last blog. As I tell everyone, we’re pretty busy over here. Still going strong working 14+ hour days, seven days a week for the past 14 weeks. But, we’re over the hump; just around 12 weeks to go. Several things have happened since I last wrote:
- On October 9, I celebrated my 21st anniversary to my beloved wife, Karen. Can’t really say we celebrated – it’s hard to do that when you’re half a world away. But, I still enjoy the fact that she has been my best friend all these years. Without her support and encouragement, this deployment would have been so much more difficult. Being able to call home every so often and sharing e-mails has done so much for my piece of mind. I truly look forward to the next 21 years.
- My son Craig turned 11 on October 21. I can’t believe how fast he is growing up. He is the joy of my life and so much fun to be around. During my semi-weekly phone calls home, he keeps me up to speed on sports. I so enjoy his viewpoints and analysis (he doesn’t think the Phillies stand a chance against the Yankees). He is also a great student. I can’t imagine being more proud.
- The Eagles started the season looking like the team people thought they could be. Then, they lost to the Raiders. Enough said.

Around here, there have been some changes. My team has been folded into a larger unit, now known as the 777 Expeditionary Prime BEEF Squadron (EPBS). Prime BEEF is a pseudo-acronym for Primary Base Expedient Engineering Force. We’re a larger unit and I have been tasked as the Engineering Flight Chief. So I head up the efforts of the engineers, designers, surveyors, planners and construction managers. Accordingly, I have that much more to do.

BUT, that is no excuse for not writing more. I will venture to share more funny stories and other odd things from this deployment. So, stay tuned!

Best wishes,

-Dave

(P.S. – pic below is of me opening a care package from Karen and Craig. Home made cookies!)

FOB Hopping

Hello friends!

Long time, no post. Sorry about that. Time flies when you’re having fun or working your butt off in Afghanistan. Actually, I didn’t have much to write about until recently. Last week I went FOB-hopping, which is to say I went to another FOB (forward operating base) to perform an electrical inspection on some shower and latrine containerized units. Sounds sort of trivial, I know, but with the issues we had in Iraq with shower units, it is necessary that any modifications be inspected. I will tell that story some other time. In order to get to the FOB, we had to fly there. We travelled on a C-130, which is a turbo-prop cargo plane. We were in a time crunch and had to catch the next flight available, so we ended up on a re-fueling mission. It was a Marine owned/flown aircraft and we were to re-fuel Harriers in flight. This is a rare opportunity because the Marines do not like to carry passengers on a re-fueling mission. Safety reasons (at least that is what they say.) So my team (me and my four other airmen) was the only “cargo” on the flight. The only down side was that the flight was 2-hours long, which is at least an hour longer than a direct trip would have taken.

Now many of you may be familiar with the concept of re-fueling aircraft in flight. On large re-fuelers, there is a boom that extends from the tail of the plane and mates up with a fuel port on the trailing aircraft. No big deal. C-130 re-fuelers use drogue shoot fuel lines, which are flexible hoses that are deployed from each wing. Each hose has a small drag chute at the end that pulls the line out and keeps it relatively stable in the air. The aircraft to be fueled have to fly up to the chute and basically stab a re-fueling line into the end of the hose. A bit trickier than the boom method. The other cool thing is that they can re-fuel two planes at a time, which is what we did.

The pictures tell the rest of the story. They were taken out of windows on each side of the plane towards the back. The load masters sit in seats by these windows to monitor the re-fueling and track the gallons transferred. The Harriers were no further that 35-40 feet away. I could easily see inside the cockpit. Kind of cool, don’t you think?

Next blog, I’ll have to write about the dust devils over here. Quite a phenomenon.

Take care,

-Dave

Hello friends,

Well, it’s Labor Day weekend. Summer is (un)officially over, football season is about to begin and I’ve been over here for 50 days (as of Sep 6). Everything is heading in the right direction. As much as I would like to be nursing a beer by my pool watching Craig and his friends swim while Karen slaves over the grill, I will be, well, laboring tomorrow. No rest for the weary; we’re working tomorrow as if it is any other Monday. We did have a cook-out tonight, however. Someone organized it and got rolling around 5:00. We decided to call it a day at 5:30 (I called home, so I was in the office until around 6:00) and join the party. Strange having a picnic without any beer in sight, but everyone seemed to have a good time anyway. At one point while standing in line, I overheard a young Army soldier asked “What’s the occasion?” One of his more astute friends replied, “Duh, dude, tomorrow’s Labor Day!” (Far more explicit language was used, but I try to keep this blog at least PG-13). First soldier says “Really!? Wow, I am completely out of sink.” (I know it is “synch”, but I am sure he would have spelled it that way.) So there you have it, another example of how this deployment is like that movie “Groundhog Day”.
Picture is of (L to R) me, Chief Larry Alt and Lt DeJaun Saunders. LtCol Todd Hirneisen took the picture. You can see the smoke from the grills in the background. (No, that is not Tinkerbell on my shirt. Our PT shirts and shorts have reflective decals so we can be seen in the dark. Good thing the Taliban don't carry flashlights.)

I hope everyone enjoyed their summer. Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and, more importantly, all the support. It makes the time away from home bearable.

Until next time,

-Dave

Pennsylvania Visit

Hey there followers,

Another rather un-eventful week. The temperatures are ever so slightly dropping, but it is still above 100 for the high each day. From what I see in the forecast, we still have a couple of weeks before we dip below that line.
Of note was my lunch last Monday (August 24). There was an e-mail put out looking for servicemen/women from Ohio and Pennsylvania who would like to have lunch with a delegation of Congressmen/Senators from those states. I figured, why not. I got there at 1130, got my lunch and waited. And waited. They were supposed to be there by 1145, but finally showed up at 1215. No big deal; these guys are important. Of course, I had a meeting at 1300 I had to make. As it turned out, the only rep from PA was Senator Bob Casey. I ended up sitting next to him, and we chatted for a while. There were only four of us from Pennsylvania there, so it was a nice talk. He thanked us for our service and chatted us up with all the latest from home regarding the economy and health care. Health care drug out the longest; I think he is trying to sell it. (Full disclosure: I am not political wonk, so I didn’t even know Casey is a Democrat. My Republican friends will probably never talk to me again!) Overall, though, it was a pleasant experience. I shook his hand and thanked him for coming over to see us. Then we took a picture with him. It just so happened that each branch of the service is represented. From left to right in the picture is a sailor is in the Navy (wearing Army ACUs), me in the Air Force, Senator Casey, a Marine Colonel and an Army Colonel. I understand the Senator Casey keeps a blog, but I have not had a chance to see if he updated it to mention Afghanistan. If you check it out, let me know if he mentions me. We’re old friends now.

Later,

-Dave

Ramp Ceremony

Hey followers.
As you have no doubt noticed, I try to make light of the things and circumstances in my life, particularly on this deployment. But this post will be different. Tonight I attended a Ramp Ceremony.
Every time a hero falls in our area of the theater, their bodies are brought to Kandahar and prepared for travel back to the States. For each and every one of the fallen, there is a Ramp Ceremony. There are several every week, which is far more than I care to think about. They park an aircraft, in this case a C-17 (a rather large plane) on the ramp with its tail door open. The “task force” - those of us in attendance - stand in formation on both sides of the path leading to the tail of the plane. Once the ceremony begins, everybody is called to attention. Tonight, there were several hundred servicemen/women in the formation. A military pastor says a few words and leads a prayer. The group is called to present arms, and everyone renders a salute as the casket is carried past the formation on the shoulders of men from the deceased’s unit. Tonight, the soldier was a Green Beret, so the casket was followed by a soldier playing a hymn on the bagpipes. The casket is carried up the tail of the plane and set down in the cargo hold. Taps is played. The colors – the American flag and the Army flag - are retired and the formation marches off the ramp to be dismissed. In all, it lasted about 20 minutes.
As I said earlier, there are several of these ceremonies during the week. The time of the ceremony is based on the availability of the plane and the remains, so they happen at all times of the day or night. The times are distributed via e-mail to all at KAF. I happened to find myself available at the set time tonight and it was recommended that I attend at least one during my time in theater. So I decided to go.
I did not know the fallen soldier. There was only handful of people there who did. I surmised from what the pastor said that he was a medic killed in the line of duty. He is survived by his parents and a sister, so I figured he was rather young. As we were dismissed and I was walking from the area, I noticed a small group of soldiers, all wearing green berets, standing and looking at the plane. So, I stole a look over my shoulder to see what they were looking at. As emotional as the ceremony was, this sight hit me the hardest. There, in the middle of that large cargo area, was a lone, flag draped coffin. The sole cargo for this mission. His friends stayed to watch the cargo bay door close.
I’ve been here in Afghanistan for 34 days. Attending this ceremony was the most worthwhile thing I have done.
Thanks for listening.

-Dave

Jingle Trucks

Hey there followers,

I hope all is well at home. I've been keeping up with the Eagles via the internet and I see Stewart Bradley (MLB) is out for the year. Well, it never fails; somebody always bites the dust. But, confidence fellow Eagles fans! They will prevail, if only because I am here and will miss the whole season. That’s just how the football gods work.

Anyway, on to Kandahar. Still hot (hasn’t been a day under 100 since arrival), still dusty, still smelly. But, I do seem to be getting use to it all. I’m not really sure if that is a good or bad thing.

The pictures are of what are commonly known as “jingle trucks” around here. They are driven by locals and third country nationals delivering gravel and other goods from destinations afar. Seems there is not a lot of natural beauty in the area, so they paint the trucks to make up for it. I wasn’t sure why they were called jingle trucks until the other day. One was working its way down the street I was walking along, stopping and starting because of traffic (it can get bad on base). Hanging from the front bumper were hundreds of little chains with metal discs hanging at the bottom of them, like those little wind chimes. Start, stop – jingle, jingle. Not something you see everyday back home. Some are more ornate than others. I'm not sure if it is reflective of status or just artistry. If I find out more, I'll be sure to let you know.

Not a lot else going on. Just the same old thing – everybody wants something, and they want it now. Eberybody is top priority! "I have a general with eyes on this project!" There must be a lot of generals out there looking at this base. We try to please, but some folks just need that 2x4 between the eyes. Like the Eagles, we will prevail!

Until next time…

-Dave

Sundays in Afghanistan

Hey folks, welcome to another installment. Sunday's are my favorite day here because we go "casual" and take it easier. We still work, but we wear our PT clothes (shorts/t-shirt) and only go to the office for a few hours. Or at least try. I was in for a while today, but I really didn't want to do anything else. I had an electrical issue to straighten out and I caught up on some e-mails. Nobody came knocking on my door looking for something, so that alone makes it a good day. It gives me something to look forward to each week.

A few more pics to share from the Boardwalk. This one is a view of Tim Horton's, which is Canadian for Dunkin' Donuts. (I think Tim Horton is a famous hockey player that got into the coffee/pastry business up north. Take off, eh!)


This is a shot from the corner at Tim Horton's looking down one side of the Boardwalk. Notice the fast food joints.


And here is the American icon, Burger King. I haven't tried any of the food yet. I ordered a diet coke the other day hoping to get a cup with ice and soda, but all I got was a can of soda. Cool at best. What is the deal with no ice around here!


Well, time for bed here in Afghanistan. Take care, stay in touch, and thanks for the kind thoughts/prayers. They are well received.

Later,

-Dave

Where I Work

Here are a few pics of where I work. I am located in the bottom brown shipping container (the door is on the other side). You can see the dirt on the door. Bottled water is everywhere and free for the taking. We have a fridge inside, so we move it from a pallet in the sun, to that table there, to the floor inside then into the fridge. So there are packs of water everywhere in different stages of cooling. (Quick side note: I have a serious jones for a fountain soda over ice. There is no ice around here. I mean, we can turn down the fridge and freeze bottled water, but there are no ice machines that I have seen. In the dining halls, the drinks are either in a large refrigerator or in one of those drink machines. Neither can really keep up, so most drinks are cool at best. My kingdom for crushed ice!) There are three of us that work in this office, which is rather tight. Most spaces this size house two folks. I guess I'm just lucky!

Not much else to report. Kind of like that movie Groundhogs Day; each day seems just like the one before. I've adopted a saying over here. When somebody asks how I'm doing, I reply "better than yesterday, but not as good as tomorrow!" It's good for a smile.

Stay safe and keep in touch!

Later,

-Dave

More Pictures

As always, its was hectic day. High today was 111; tomorrow is supposed to hit 115. Just anither day in paradise! Oh, and I swear the smell increases with the heat. But, oddly, you start getting used to it. So, we press on and do our jobs. More pictures below.



This is what is called an MRAP, which is what the Army guys use for their patrols. Notice the Transformers emblem. It's a young Army!



Another MRAP with Transformer emblem. These things are beasts!




This is a picture of the hockey rink taken from a distance. It is built in the middle of the Boardwalk. It is used mostly in the morning (games start as early as 0530) and after sunset. Candians use it the most, but I've seen teams from various countires playing there.

So another day done, another day closer to coming home. Missing all those Eagles games is going ot be tough, but I'll find a way to keep up with them. (Of course you know this will be the best season ever!)

Later!

-Dave