All quiet...

Well, things have been fairly quiet around here, which is a good thing!
Folks are settling in and learning their roles and the lay of the land.
You can see quite an interesting dynamic between the incoming and
outgoing guys. The outgoing guys seem to have pretty good spirits for
the most part, but are incredibly bitter. Many of them will say it's
due to their Battalion Commander's leadership style of demoralizing and
degrading his staff. Thankfully, I do not have that problem. Another
reason they seem bitter of course, is due to the year that they've been
over here fighting. When I say fighting, I mean just that...this
battalion has seen it's fair share of contact with the enemy. It's been
interesting listening to the various stories.

With the new guys, you can sense the excitement and nervousness of those
who haven't deployed before. While we were on our way here, before we
got to this FOB, I sat next to a random Soldier in the DFAC. He was
telling his team leader that he was really nervous, and you could tell
what he really meant was that he was scared. He sat there picking at
his food with a lost look on his face. I tried to talk to him about it.
I asked him what he was nervous about. He said he was nervous about
getting to the FOB. I knew what he was really nervous about, but
believe that it's important that people admit to themselves what they're
afraid of in order to face it, so I asked what about going there made
him nervous. His simple response, "Getting shot at, Sir." I told him
that it was healthy to be nervous about it because there's not much fun
about getting shot at. I added to that by asking him if he had gone
through the platoon live fire exercises and training we did at Ft. Knox
before we left. He said that he had. I asked him if he qualified with
his weapon (which happens to be a SAW) and he said he had. I said,
"Okay, then you know you can hit what you're aiming at, and you know how
to maneuver and close with the enemy with your unit. The only thing you
have to do, is follow your training and if you get shot at, remember to
breathe for a second and then aim. They don't call that machine gun
you're carrying a casualty producing weapon because it sounds cool!"
That got him laughing a little bit and he finished eating his food and
chatting with his team leader.

It is good to see Soldiers like him. Soldiers who have a healthy fear
of the enemy, but still go forward and do their duty. There are
occasionally Soldiers and leaders who may be a little too overzealous,
and it is a challenge to keep them focused on the mission, but for most
of the Soldiers, they are scared of getting hurt or killed and just want
to do the best they can and get through a yearlong deployment over here.
There are other Soldiers who's overzealousness is a result of ignorance,
or unwillingness to face the reality that the enemy has a vote and they
are not invincible. Those Soldiers will go on missions to places they
aren't required and take unnecessary risks with themselves and
potentially those around them. Only when something tragic happens and
it affects them directly will those types of Soldiers learn their
fragility.

This is what you get when I write a blog at 0030 in the morning after
working all day. I'll try to be more chipper and add pictures another
time. For now, know that I appreciate all your support and I'm glad to
be doing what I am with the great folks I'm doing it with. Hopefully,
in a year I'll be able to say that our unit has made this place better
and we are closer to allowing the GIRoA to take over their own country
so we no longer have to have such a presence.

Goodnight,

Joe

Trading out with a giant

Most people, when they replace a unit (referred to as RIPing or Relief In Place) have to replace someone that's been doing their job for a year and they have never met. I have the outstanding good fortune to be replacing one of my good friends. 'Tank' as everyone calls him sat next to me every day at the Field Artillery Captain's Career Course at Ft. Sill, OK for roughly 5.5 months. We competed on a regular basis for grades on exams, etc in good spirit. Admittedly, his overall average was a couple points higher than mine. He did better on one section of the course than everyone, earning a 100 percent. That made him hard to catch. He has admitted that I did better on the Fire Support block of instruction (which is what pertains to our jobs now). So, we keep it in good fun.

While I am not a fan of starting a year away from my family here, changing out with him is bittersweet. Knowing that he has already endured his year away from his wife and 3 kids makes doing my job and wanting to make sure that I pick up where he left off even easier. Not only that, but being able to be completely and brutally honest with the person you are learning your combat job from and vice versa, is refreshing. There's nothing like the awkward moments of trying not to offend the person you are learning from by asking questions about why they do things a certain way, or from feeling dumb for not understanding something that they do. With a friend like Tank, I don't have to worry about that. He knows I'm not dumb, and that I know he's not. We're just past the self-consciousness that goes with it.

I should say, although we are similar in ability and many of our ways of thinking, we are complete physical opposites. Tank is huge. He's 6'4" and 270 lbs. I am slightly shorter and lighter...5'7" 180 lbs. It's just kind of funny walking around with him while he's ducking under low passes in the tents and I just walk right through.

Well, that's all I have time for right now, gotta go eat and get to work. I got up a little early to get online. At least there's a nice internet cafe for us here! Still no plumbing for the bathrooms, so it's outside we go! I'll post more about the FOB later.

Working out at elevation

Not much going on since the last post, but thought I would share the struggles of working out (or rather trying to breathe) at elevation. You see, I have had experience with this in the past...while stationed at Colorado Springs we were roughly at the same elevation as here. Unfortunately, my body does not remember that experience well enough to be able to breathe properly here. I did have a pretty good run though: started out running the first quarter mile warm up around 8 mph and then kicked it up to 8.6 (less than 7 min mile pace) for the next two miles. After that I kicked it up again to 9.0 for a half mile, and then slowly increased the pace over the next half mile up to 10.0. After I had run 3.5 miles I brought it back down to 8.0 for a quarter mile and then finished out the last quarter mile going from 9.0 again back up to 10.0 to finish off. I tried to go a little faster than 10, but the machine couldn't go any faster than 10.1 or 10.2 because the motor is worn out. By the time I was finished, my head felt like exploding and my lungs burned like I just got out of the CS gas chamber. I had to walk for another quarter mile to get my breathing right before going to finish up the workout with some curls and abs.

Something frustrating that has happened the last few times I've been exercising my abs is like a severe cramp that completely causes my ab muscle to seize up for a minute or two. It feels like someone shocked the heck out of it and it hurts like crazy and makes it so I can't get a really good ab workout. I've tried stretching it out and drinking lots of water...I'm hoping with a little more rest it will start to get better soon. I just don't know if I might have torn something. Anyways, that's pretty much what I've done today.

I have been playing a LOT of PSP, specifically the game "Burnout Legends". It's a racing game that Megan got me for Christmas. I have an insatiable need to beat the game...and it is taking forever. Anyways, something cool about the PSP that I found out with another Soldier is that you can create an Ad Hoc peer to peer network and play the same game in multiplayer. So, I found a guy with the same game and we were able to race each other...just helps pass the time and add some competition.

I know this is an incredibly boring and not though provoking post. I apologize. Hopefully once I'm at my FOB there will be more interesting things to ramble about.

Simple day, thankful for a wonderful family:)

Well, instead of having to take potentially an hour out of the day to ride a bus back and forth to the other side of the FOB, I heard from a couple Soldiers about another free MWR internet cafe that was only a 5 minute walk away! Of course, if I didn't get good directions and have a knack for navigation I never would have found it. This place was hidden inside a compound with no sign or indication that it was indeed an internet cafe. The building is in the middle of a group of other buildings that look just like it too! But, there are something like 20 computers here and no wait to use them, so yay!

Today I decided to give myself a haircut for the first time in a while. I think I did a pretty decent job, if I do say so myself! Other people seem to think it's alright too (I asked to make sure):) I was going to just shave it off, but decided to try and make it look presentable first. It's not so easy doing it with a delapidated mirror made out of a shiny medal that they put up in the shower tent. I asked one of the guys to make sure I didn't miss any spots in the back like I usually do. He said there was only one spot, so I fixed that and I will post a picture when possible.

I was getting a little nervous about laundry since I haven't had a chance to clean any of my clothes since we got here, but then I found another bag I had packed with more underwear and t-shirts in it, so I'll be good for a while. It's always key to know how many more days you can go without needing to do laundry! The turn around time on laundry is 3 days here, and since I haven't known how long we'll be here, I can't feel comfortable turning in laundry. Hopefully the next place will have do it yourself washer and dryers!

If you are reading this and your Soldier has not been through BAF yet, tell them NOT to waste money on the pay WIFI. It works okay from what I've heard, but has a bunch of connection issues and you have to let them configure settings on your laptop (which I'm wicked skeptical of). Plus, this place is here and free, and with a little effort, there are other places on the main part of the FOB too.

I tell you what has been incredibly comforting so far this deployment has been how great Porter seems to be handling it and how Robyn is helping him with it. Robyn told me about their night last night. She went out to eat with her friend and their little girls Sidney and Amelia. She said that when Amelia saw Porter they had the best conversation:
Amelia: "Porter, where's your daddy?"
Porter: "hmmph, he's at work..."
Amelia: "Aww, my daddy is at work too."
Robyn: "Porter do you know where he is at work?"
Porter: "hmmm...aww, I forgot."
Robyn: "He's in Afghanistan right?"
Porter to Amelia: "Oh yeah, my daddy is at work in Af...gan..istan"
Amelia: "oh, yeah. My daddy is at work in the woods."


Those two kids are so darn cute together. I can't even tell you.


I thought I would add in some pictures of the two of them that I was able to find on Facebook. I know there are some better ones out there of the two of them that Robyn has taken, but I don't have access to them. Just know that they're wicked cute.

Robyn tells me that Porter is doing very well understanding that I have to be here to stop the bad guys and that he doesn't really question why. She said that when he starts to get sad about it, he colors me pictures, or she'll play my voice from some recordings I did on her phone before I left, and that cheers him up:) I have been blessed to have a truly remarkable wife like Robyn who has supported me through so much in my life.

Okay, I think that's enough random spewing from my stream of consciousness for today. Hopefully if you're reading, you're not bored yet. In any matter, it keeps me busy enough not to worry about too much and kills some time.

Beauty surrounding the chaos

I'm sure many people have commented on how beautiful parts of Afghanistan can be. That is one of the positive things my buddy Stoney told me I would appreciate when I came here, and he was right. The mountains that surround this base are gorgeous. Having been in Colorado Springs with a contstant view of Pike's Peak, this place can definitely compete. Now, I have to say that a good deal of my view is ruined by the constant chaos of vehicle and Soldier traffic going on around the base. The generators and heaters and trucks and planes and jets going all over the place make for an unhealthy cloud of smog and noise on a constant basis.

I suppose that's one thing I am looking forward to getting to my FOB for...I want to get away from the huge base and somewhere a little more peaceful. Now, that may seem a little contradictory since the place I'll be going will likely be more violent in the scheme of the war...but in between those generally short periods of violence that interupt things, the place should be more peaceful than here.

Today I got to go to the range and zero my weapon again. It's a good thing I did, because apparently the company had taken my optic off the weapon for the deployment ceremony and when I tried to shoot with it, the bullets were hitting off the target! So, after a few adjustments and 12 or so rounds later, I'm hitting back at center mass with a nice shot group:)

I'm hoping that when we get to our FOB, I'll be able to upgrade my M68 red dot sight for an ACOG though. They're supposed to have some extra and there's nothing better in my opinion than having an ACOG to shoot with. No batteries needed, no fiddling, and a magnification to help you hit those hard to reach places:) Anyways, I doubt I will ever need to use the thing in my job, but, I would prefer to have the best shot at hitting what I shoot at in case I do need to use it.

Yesterday we had rollover training and IED training too. The rollover training was kind of fun in a scary way. They have vehicle hulls mounted on big wheels that they can rollover...it's just like the real up-armored vehicles we'll be riding in around the battlefield, so you get the real experience of rolling over and trying to get out when the vehicle is on it's side or upside down! I had to hold onto the gunner to keep him from bouncing off the ceiling...pretty difficult when the dude weighs about 260 pounds with his gear on.

The IED training was pretty good. They showed us a bunch of current things the bad guys do and what to look out for. I found the land mine awareness training the most interesting. I really didn't realize just how many land mines the Russians left here. Millions of them all over the place. I took some pictures of a few mine fields they still have here on base that haven't been cleared yet! Hopefully I'll be able to upload them later when I get to my FOB and get some connectivity for my own laptop. The other thing that was good to hear was how the enemy isn't penetrating our armor and is getting frustrated by it. Makes you feel good to know that the vehicles we're using are working!

But, with that training complete, it's just waiting for the next stop on the trip in getting where I need to go. So, back to limbo until then! I'll try to post pictures of the beauty soon:)

BAF-training and waiting

Well,

A few days into the deployment, I'm still not to where I need to be. I've caught up to other guys who left way before me and are still trying to get to where we need to go! Apparently the Air Force isn't able to keep up and is having a lot of cancelled flights due to numerous reasons. So, we sit, in limbo, waiting to go and execute our mission and relieve the unit that has been here for a year already. I am sure that they are more than ready to go home to their families and get out of here. Hopefully they have better luck with their travels back home than we've had getting in here.

This place isn't too bad. Reminds me a lot of BIAP in Iraq. The main part has a lot of stuff on it and tons of people. Unfortunately, it's a pretty long way from where we're staying on the other side. Where we're staying, you have to pay something like $10 for 10 hours of internet or something like that. From what I've been told, the bandwidth is being shared by so many people that loading a simple webpage takes a few minutes. So, I opted for the 'frugal' route and walked to where someone said there was supposed to be a bus stop. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the bus stop...fortunately, some nice American contractors who were driving by took pity on me walking by myself in the rain and picked me up! They drove me all the way (10 minute drive or so) to this learning center place that I had heard had free internet! They were really nice and told me they work here on some of the uparmored vehicles. Apparently, this is the first rain they've had here since like September! Must be me...:)

Anyways, I don't know how much opportunity I will have to get back over here in the next few days, but I will make an effort to try one more time before I leave here to head to the next stop along the way. The problem with low bandwidth and government computers is that I can't really upload any pictures for everyone. Hopefully at our FOB, I'll have better luck.

If there is anyone other than Robyn that reads this thing, please keep up your support of her. I fully believe that a deployment is harder on the family/spouse than on the Soldier. She won't admit it, but she needs to be checked on once in a while by random friends in our lives. Even if you haven't talked to her in months, a random phone call goes a long way;) (Just don't all call today...space it out!) Seriously though, I have felt extremely blessed by the love and support that I have been shown for this deployment and I hope that I can give back by keeping folks updated through this.

Hopefully after our classes this week that we have to complete before continuing on our trip, we'll be able to get a flight out. One good thing about the rain...it's not cold enough to snow!:)

I think that's all for now. Take care!

Third Time's a charm

It's been a while since I've put anything into a blog. I thought I would try to get this going again while I'm in a place with little to do. Things are simple while traveling. It's like the world is just on pause and we're all waiting for someone to press play so we can get back to what we're supposed to be doing. Most of our time is filled with trying to get some rest, or eat, or to find a way to talk to the ones we miss and love back home.

This deployment it is my goal to pass the time on pause with some sort of productive self-improvement. I will try to read more, and to study more for the GRE to increase my score enough to make me more appealing to some IVY league schools. I will work to prepare myself for command and the huge endeavor that can be. I will also work to make sure that I take the time to spend dedicated to letting the people I care about in my life know that they are missed and are special to me and to keep you all updated on what is going on in my life. Hopefully this blog will help accomplish some of that.

It is bitterly cold here in Kurdistan. It was above zero yesterday, but it feels like it's close to that today. For a small base, this place is rather nice. It should be I guess...it's for the Air Force and they don't settle for low standards of living. We share a huge tent with bunk beds and a few outlets to charge our electronics off of. The DFAC is pretty nice and is open 24 hours for grab and go items. Speaking of...I'm pretty hungry. I have been waiting for my laptop and PSP to charge so I can put them away before going to eat! I don't know, and wouldn't/can't say how long we'll be here.

OPSEC - Operational Security means not disclosing details of troop movements and locations to prevent the information being compromised to the enemy. On public forums like this, facebook, etc. It's too easy for the enemy to hack or use a false account to gain access to information that they could use to harm us. I know people think, why would they read my blog or post? Believe me, I have seen the proof that they do it.

I apologize for the stream of consciousness type blogging...it's what I do. Enjoy it or don't read! I will try to take some pictures to add in here when I have a better connection. Right now we're sharing a connection with who knows how many people and there are fools trying to video chat with their family...killing the bandwidth. I could just lean over and tell them how they're ruining the internet access for everyone...it's just hard to tell someone...hey, don't video chat with your wife so I can check my facebook.

On the OPSEC side...I just had to tell a Soldier not to tell his wife (who he was video chatting with) not to tell her the flight and formation times on the unsecure network! AAHH!

Anyways, I'm headed to go to chow and probably come back and read a little. Hopefully this is a little enlightening as to the grind of the first couple days of deployment.