July 20
Everyone knows about the sacrifices that the American and NATO troops and their families make. I don’t think people that haven’t been over here know of the sacrifices others make. There are people on this base that are called OCNs or Other Country Nationals. They come from all different countries, but all the countries are poor with little opportunities. So these men and women travel to Afghanistan to work on the bases doing everything from working in the chow hall to cleaning the toilets and even some from Africa come here to clear out landmines. These people are away from their families and even though they are not the target of the Taliban, mortars and rockets can’t tell the difference of who they hurt.
I think the best example of sacrifice I see is on my FOB. The local Afghans that work here live and eat on the base. For security reasons they are allowed to leave the FOB once a week to visit with their families. So seeing Afghans at all hours of the day and night is not unusual. What is unusual is to see children. We have an Afghan woman that lives here and has her son and daughter with her. I started asking around about this and heard a story that will break your heart.
If the story that I’m hearing is true, this lady worked on the FOB and the kids stayed at home with her husband. Like many of the people that support our efforts her family was attacked. Her husband was killed as a revenge for her working on base. Because of this the people running the FOB (not sure if it was an American or Polish decision) let her bring the children to live with her on base. So while walking around the FOB and tolerating the heat and blowing sand, you can get a glimpse of two children playing and having fun. It’s strange how your perception can change. We are here worried about the dangers of being on this FOB in the middle of Afghanistan and in the minds of this woman there is no safer place for her and her children.
On another note I got two packages from Jenn today. Most of the stuff was things that I packed for her to send me, but one of the pleasant surprises was a box of chocolate chip muffins. I have been doing excellent with my diet and workouts, so I decided to splurge and have some. Although they were really good I could tell my body wasn’t use to the sugar, but it was worth it. I was also happy to find out that my package that I sent her, which includes her birthday present, made it to her one day early!!
July 21
Today is the love of my life’s birthday. The first thing I did when I woke up was call her so I could be the first to tell her “Happy birthday!” I think everyone reading this knows Jenn, but if not let me describe her to you.
Jenn is the most caring person I know. She has given much of her life trying to help others to have a better life. The stories she can tell of her social work and counseling amaze me every time I hear them. But her caring goes beyond just her jobs. She cares for her friends and family stronger than anyone I have ever met. When her friends or family hurt, she hurts just as bad or worse. Sometimes she cares so much for others that it scares me. But nothing makes her happier than helping someone else.
Jenn enjoys life. She finds so much joy in the little things like cookouts with friends, a nice glass of wine, a good book, or just sitting around telling stories. She is always true to herself and never fake. She is willing to make fun of herself to bring a smile to someone else. She helps me enjoy just sitting around the house or running errands. If someone knows Jenn even if for only minutes their life is better for it.
Jenn is the best mommy Emma could ever have. I know Jenn has said in the past that she wondered if she would ever have a child. The world would have been a darker place if she hadn’t. Emma will grow up with so much love around her that she will only know how to spread it just like her mommy. I always wanted kids, but looking at it now I don’t know if I could have done it with anyone else. Emma is so lucky.
Jenn is the best wife I could ever imagine. She is my rock when I need it and softens me when that is what’s called for. We have been through so much in the little time we have been married, but I wouldn’t change anything. I have never seen two people complement each other like we do. We don’t need to be doing anything to be happy as long as we are doing nothing together. Her smile lights up my day and her laugh warms my heart. To be with anyone else is unthinkable. It feels like we are still in the honeymoon phase, but also as though we have been together forever. I am truly the luckiest man in this world.
I have spoken with many people that either are or have deployed and so many of them have struggles in their relationships. Some because they grow apart and others because they depend so much on one another that they can’t survive being apart. I know I have only been deployed a little while, but I know we will be just fine. Jenn is strong and independent, so she can take care of herself. But she also does a great job of making sure I know she would rather me be there. It’s a good feeling to know you are wanted, but not needed. Jenn and I aren’t together because we need someone to be with, but rather because when we met we knew we wanted to be with each other. That balance is what makes us so strong and will keep us together for the rest of our lives. I love her like nothing in this world!
July 22
So my day started out like many others. I arrived at the flight terminal at 0500 with hopes of getting a flight only to be disappointed AGAIN. Tomorrow I should actually have one (unless it gets cancelled), so I have to be there at 0500 again. Because of all my time sitting in the terminal hoping to get news I haven’t been able to talk to Jenn besides a 5 minute hello and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I don’t like the days that I can’t talk to her.
On another note… I would kill for an apple, banana, or orange right now. We get very limited fresh fruit or vegetables here. When we do the Polish fill their pockets, so we run out quick. The rumor is that they have stills so they are using the fruit to make alcohol. They can have all the liquor they want but just leave me a damn apple!
I have added basketball to my workout routine. There is a small court on the FOB and they play pick- up games every day. I got on the court today and played pretty well, so I should be able to play more. It’s 4 on 4 full court but it is a miniature court so I can survive. The team I played with today was me and three older guys against some 19 and 20 year olds. We dominated them. They may have had quickness and athleticism, but we were smarter and bigger. I basically pounded this little kid into the ground. We won four straight games and now I can barely walk. Good times!!!
July 23
It FINALLY happened. I got a flight and now am on some FOB in the middle of nowhere with only a few hundred people on it. This place is small. The chow hall is a tent and there is not a single woman on the whole base. I feel for the Army guys living here. I love and am 100% committed to my wife, but I would hate to be on a base with nothing but guys for six months to a year.
So the story of my flight is interesting. I was sitting in the terminal from 0500 to about 0730 with my hopes of getting on a helicopter slowly fading away. Then the guy at the terminal gets a phone call. It’s another base saying that they have a helicopter with no missions for the day and does he have a use for it. He of course said yes because he has this desperate Captain that has been in his terminal everyday for the last week and a half. Oh he also has two other guys going with nine boxes of freight that has mission essential stuff in them. I’m guessing the sad Captain was not the reason the helicopter came and got us, but I’ll tag along.
So now I’m here. I’m scheduled to be here for three days, but could have finished all my work today if I knew there was another flight home tomorrow. But instead I’m hearing people say it is harder o get off this FOB than it was to get to it. Please God let that not be true!
In regards to the “Biggest Loser: Afghanistan Edition” my streak ended again today. This one was pretty good. I worked out every day since July 12. It ended due to exhaustion from getting up at 0400, sore from working out followed by basketball last night, and actually having work to do and feeling productive. I’ll get back there tomorrow. I thought my body could use a break. And FYI… I lost 6 pounds already. There is a guy at Ghazni that has lost 60lbs in four months. I’m not sure Jenn would be a fan if I came back at 170lbs.
July 24
Today was a very busy day for me. I had a deadline of the 25th to get 10 audits done and couldn’t start until I landed yesterday. I was successful and got them sent in a day early. Since it was my first month I really wanted to beat my deadline. You don’t want to look bad to the bosses your first time around. So my reward for finishing early is that I get to sit around a wait for a flight. This is like déjà vu all over again.
I was able to get a decent workout in even though there aren’t great facilities here. I did some weights and then ran laps around a concrete pad not much bigger than a basketball court. There was also a huge tire I flipped back and forth like you see on TV. If you haven’t tried that it is quite the workout. The best part was when a group of guys I know walked up 45 minutes into my running, sprinting, tire flipping, etc routine and laughed because of how slow I was “sprinting”. I’m not in the best of shape but I really don’t know many people who can sprint hard 45 minutes into a session.
My diet definitely will suffer when I make trips out here. They have an Army combat kitchen. That means few options and the food isn’t all that healthy. I have to give the two cooks credit because they are keeping a few hundred of us fed in the middle of Afghanistan even though their truck load of food has been delayed a few days.
One note of interest from today. This base is guarded by Afghan security contractors. That means we hire local Afghan civilians to walk around with loaded guns and guard the base. These people pass as much background checks as we can do, but that isn’t much. I make it a point to be extra nice to them. Reason #1 is because it’s just the right thing to do. They are human beings and deserve respect like everyone else. Reason #2 is a little selfish. If one of these guys decides to turn on us I’m hoping he thinks “There is that guy that is always nice to me. I’ll wait for him to leave before I shoot up the chow hall.” So imagine my face when some Army sergeant decided to berate a group of these guys for being slow while getting dinner. I entered the room after the ordeal, but got a small taste of what he had to say. Some people just don’t get the reality that we are living in. It’s stupid people like that Army sergeant that makes people hate Americans. I on the other hand will keep smiling and waving, because I feel pretty good when the Afghanistan people smile and wave back.
July 25
Stop me if you have heard this one. I’m going to bed tonight with no idea if I am going to have a flight tomorrow. I’m hoping I do and I’m supposed to be scheduled for one, but as usual the system was down and they couldn’t tell me the schedule. Since this place is so small there isn’t a terminal to go to which means I’m counting on the guy finding me when he finally gets the schedule. I have my fingers crossed because this place makes my current home of Ghazni seem like a paradise.
Since I worked so hard the past couple days to meet my deadline I had nothing to do today. My day consisted of a 0800 wake up followed by breakfast, watched an episode of Dexter, elliptical for 45 minutes, lunch, watched Shawshank Redemption, worked out again doing weights and the bike, dinner, another episode of Dexter, disappointment that I couldn’t find out about my flight, Skype with Jenn, and now bed. This will be my life on the days I don’t have an audit to do. I feel those days will be abundant and I will almost always be in “trying to get a flight mode.”
July 26
This morning was a classic example of my current life. When I woke up I found out a chopper was coming to get me at 0930, but I needed to be packed and at the HLZ (Helicopter Landing Zone) an hour before in case it comes early. I got there and found a nice shady spot besides a large armored vehicle. I sat and leaned against the tire and started to read a book for my military course I’m taking. After a few minutes three more people showed up to hope and catch the flight, but it was I who had a designated seat on this one. It got past 0930, but I had no worries (really I have zero faith a flight is ever coming) because a helicopter can sometimes be a couple hours late if they get stuck somewhere on the way.
At one point we thought we heard a helicopter coming so I threw on my body armor and helmet, so I could jump on. After a while we realized it was a false alarm. A few more minutes go by and I joke that as soon as I go through the hassle and take my body armor off the helicopter will show up. By this time my nice comfortable shade was shrinking and we were all getting as close to the armored truck as possible to stay out of the heat. I finally broke down and took the armor off and sure enough a helicopter came over the horizon.
As it comes it passes overhead but the sergeant that is arranging our flight says not to worry because “the helicopters always go overhead and then whip around to land.” So we all got our stuff together and watched the chopper, but sadly there was never any “whip around.” So the sergeant makes a phone call and finds out that some VIPs basically took our chopper and we weren’t getting out of here today.
So here I sit in my purgatory waiting and hoping for another flight. This is my life. I feel like a hitchhiker trying to get picked up on the side of the road. Maybe I should start showing some leg to the choppers as they pass by.
On a happier note, I did get a nice long workout in. I think I might have slightly hurt my shoulder yesterday, so I just did cardio today. Over an hour of cardio, so that should lose a pound…haha I then got to Skype with Jenn. We Skyped for 45 minutes and a good 30 minutes of it was me and her watching Emma roll around on the floor. One thing I love about Jenn is that we can be quiet together. A lot of people and couples that I know don’t think silence can be considered “spending time together,” but with us we can both sit back and enjoy just watching Emma together. It was almost like I was there. Emma is getting so big and it’s amazing to me how alert she is and how she is starting to really play. I can just sit and watch her and my amazing wife knows me enough to just let me do that. Maybe I’ll get lucky and we’ll be Skyping when she crawls for the first time. That would be like winning the lottery!
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