What I Don't Do

Lately I’m thinking about what I do here. The three jobs I have been doing are my own and that of my staff officer and the Deputy Director as they are on leave. It's not too bad, I am surviving of course. The last few days I’ve covered a number of meetings for the General as well since he has other responsibilities. Many were interesting, but for the most part they are boring, more of the same. Today it was even more clear that not all the countries in our coalition contribute the same amount. Some come with caveats that state they can’t engage the enemy. Can you believe it? We’ll talk about them when I get back. Working with all the countries that we do, I and my colleagues have developed some really good stereotypes about them.

One caveat about the news everyone. Our Commander gets misquoted all the time, even by "friendly" countries. They even give him quotes of things he never came close to saying. Point is the media has been an enemy in many cases.

As I’ve mentioned, I work about 6.5 days a week. I usually get in around 0715 and leave around 1800 for dinner. So I do have the evenings off, usually. Also during the day there is downtime. I have time to do some exercise, listen to my I-pod and spend time on the computer. Email takes a while due to the connection speed, but I like to watch movies as you know. I save a lot of time here by all the things I don’t have to do that I would normally do at home. Here is a partial list of what I don’t do: work on the house, clean the house, fix stuff, cook, clean up after dinner, watch TV shows, shop for food, drive, get gas, change the oil, care for the baby, change the baby, play with the baby, take the baby to the doctor, talk to my wife, solve all the problems, pay bills, shovel snow, pick out clothes, do laundry, fold laundry, go to the dry cleaners, pick out furniture, watch TV shows, visit people, visit relatives, call the handyman, ride my bicycle, go to kid’s parties, waterski (ended when I got married actually), and the list goes on. What this means is that in spite of what little contribution I had in some of these things, Stacey has had to pick up the slack along with some friends and relatives who are extremely giving people. It really puts a perspective on things. Yes, too much, too much ******* perspective.

A big Happy Birthday goes out to Sami who had a great time last weekend at Aaron’s birthday party for his friends. I am looking forward to the video.

ANZAC and Orthodox Easter

Some days just end well. I got some good news today, figured out some news today, did some good work today, the Steelers has a good draft so far, and I was invited to the Orthodox Easter celebration. Who knows what tomorrow brings, so I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. Romanians, Greeks, Macedonians, and Bulgarians observe this Easter, which by the way coincides better with Passover than our traditional Easter. The Romanian Colonel who I eat breakfast with every morning is the senior man in the lot and he invited me. Outstanding BBQ chicken, pork, and steak marked the occasion along with beer and wine. How could one go wrong?

On Friday we celebrated ANZAC Day. ANZAC stands for Australia New Zealand Army Corps. The day likens to our Veteran’s Day. I attended the BBQ that all were invited to for lunch. There were a couple games to be played and a good time was had by all. I sampled Emu and Kangaroo jerky, adding to the long list of meats I’ve eaten that will shorten my lifespan. There was a sunrise wreath-laying ceremony at approximately 0430 followed by breakfast. I seemed to have missed that one. One interesting note is the day coincides with the Battle at Gallipoli. If you remember the movie, the Australians were crushed by the Turks. The Aussies won the war, but the battle…not so much. Of course the Turks were there too, which seemed strange, but we are all on the same team now, so what the hay.

Sometimes I feel a bit guilty celebrating holidays when we have comrades, to the south especially, who are under constant fire. Having no days off, these short excursions though, usually lasting an hour or two, renew our energy and give us something to look forward to. Even in WWII or was it I, there was that famous Christmas where opposing forces met that night in friendship before going to battle with each other the next morning. Sean? Everyone needs a break.

You may have heard some things on the news about our area today. No worries, no problems, we are all fine. After all, we had to have the Easter celebration today.

One other note, today marks week 37 for Stacey. That means the baby has reached full-term by definition. I for one am quite relieved.

Halfway Point

Yesterday marked the halfway point of my deployment. As I think I’ve said, the days are like weeks, but the weeks are like days. I suppose it has gone fast, but the days do drag. Some use counters on their computers to tell them how much they've done or how much there is to go. You can measure in any time unit or percent. I'm not into that so much. However, I am pushing the 10 million second mark. Not bad. I received a couple emails from friends who sat with Aaron lately. Naturally, I like hearing what he does. He is really into his kitchen, but has also liked being outside and playing, also driving his car.

The other day I rode out to the Training Center to drop one of our people in our directorate off to work out there for a couple days. They were short one person for force protection, so they came to me to ride shotgun, literally. We dressed out and went on our way. We nicknamed the lieutenant who drove, “Combat.” He’s from Texas and always ready to go. Since I only carry a handgun, he had to lend me his long rifle. He was driving, so didn’t need it. You wouldn’t believe the driving conditions here. No lights, signs, lines, but lots of cars and pedestrians (I think I mentioned that already). He drives quite well, I only felt like vomiting a few times (just kidding). We arrived in good order and moved to a small section of the training center run by the US. This was first thing in the morning and we were on a US run base, so we both immediately thought of food. Any change in culinary style is welcomed and we miss American food a great deal. I actually got to have real bacon. Chase (Combat’s real name) filled his pockets with goodies such as energy bars, chips, and beef jerky. I took a Gatorade and chips (which I also miss) and the two of us were on our way back. We took the scenic route, literally, partly because the main road was too crowded on the way back and that is not safe. Kids on the side of the road waved to us, the weather was good, and we got back in one piece not that there was any doubt. It was a standard drive.

Some Reflection

I was just emailing a couple good friends on some things. These are the kind of guys who take care of business for you when you need. You could call them in the middle of the night and they would jump in a car and come over, just to replenish your beer inventory. Seriously though, they stand by you when times are dark. When I think of what I do in life, I think of friends like these and hope that everyone has friends such as this. I am so fortunate to have others as well. There are reasons I am where I am and I am a believer that everything happens for a reason. I haven’t figured out why the Pirates are headed for their sixteenth losing season in a row, but the answers will reveal themselves in time. I also think of the reverse. I think about what we have at home and what people have here. I think of the opportunity we have and then I think of those who don’t realize why they have the opportunity. Not only are there people who do not appreciate what they have, they actually bite the hand that feeds them. I want people to appreciate our service members more than they do. My wife knows that many places I go I look for military discounts. Believe it or not, I don’t do it for the small savings. I do it to see what organizations try to thank us. Tomorrow is April 24 and as far as I know that date is of no special consequence, save a few birthdays. Perhaps it's a good day to thank someone, anyone, who helped you get where you are. However, it can’t be me. There are others who do far more for you than me. Besides, you all thank me just by reading this blog. I thank the two friends I mentioned above.

… Because I only email them about once a month, let me point out some of the people who provide for us – my old friends – the Commanders of Club 3916. A few days ago, marking our second month in theatre, a group of us emailed back and forth, mostly jokes, but an important break to understand that even though most of us won’t see each other again, we know we’re out there doing the work we need to that will ensure our friends’ and families’ future. Doug emails a Farside. Bruce just got selected for Captain. Mark R ran a great phone-scam on Buck and Mark H got me some info from back home. We met in January and by February we knew each other forever.

Passover in the Stan

This beats the Seder I had in Cuba back in 1990. Tonight, I attended a traditional Seder in an apartment at the US Embassy. There were 22 of us, four from the military. The rest were civilians who work in various departments on the Embassy compound, nice group. It was just like being home. They had a large fold-out table that spanned the entire living/dining area of this one-bedroom apartment. Through various benefactors, food was flown in from the States and everything was authentic. The horseradish was the best I have ever had or at least can remember. The woman who hosted made the charosses and another woman made about 20 pounds of brisket. Soup was delicious. It was unbelievable.

My friend Alec attended, good to see him again. The service part was less than an hour and included some discussion about some of the traditions and we asked questions of each other. I was able to explain more than I realized even to the more religiously observant. Not bad. One of the gentlemen there is Macedonian. There are around 2.2 million people from Macedonia. He is one of the 234 Jews from that country. Wow! He told me there were 236, but two just moved to Israel. That beats the wow-factor that our friend Erika is Jewish and Mexican. One of the military guys is a doctor (and I mean a doctor a doctor) from our base named Marc Goldberg. What a place.

It was good to get off the base for a bit and to do something that was completely unrelated to this place.

Happy Anniversary

Today, my brother and sister-in-law have been married 25 years. Quite an accomplishment, no need to go into details as to why.

I spent the evening at Canada House watching Pulp Fiction. Paul had the idea we should watch it and there wasn't an empty seat, far better entertainment than what they usually have or so I'm told. At $2 a beer, can't be beat in these parts. They're thinking of raising the price. I may have to find some friends in another country if that happens.

So a few of us in the directorate got into a discussion after the movie about who the real warfighters are out here. As I think I've said, almost forty countries are represented overall. Most are not going into battle although they do their jobs of course. It's a dangerous business, going out your front door (I think Bilbo said that one). We have many forces throughout this country and the three nations that far and away carry the burden are the US, Canada, and the UK. Perhaps you are reading in the news that most of the fighting is in the South. Canada runs the show down there and they do a great job, we couldn't have success without them. Two of the smaller countries that stand out in their work are Croatia and Latvia. There are others, just thought that would be of interest.

Mail has taken a bit of a turn. We had a great system. I was getting packages in about six days. The contractor for our delivery though was released for some undisclosed reason. It may have been for delivering the mail consistently every day knowing how a certain group makes some decisions around here. So we have a new contract, but only get mail delivered every few days. We'll weather the storm, as if we have a choice.

All else is on track. A Happy Birthday goes out to Cara and a thank you to Mark R's mom for sending me a card and emailing. Oh, and we're one month away from the big day that Aaron gets a playmate.

Fitting In

The other night I was invited to play dominoes with some of the guys. It was a fun evening. They gave me the courtesy of showing me how to play, which was unexpected. As one said, “If we teach ya, we can’t beat ya.” The strategy runs far deeper than I expected and the challenges were abundant. Oh by the way, dominoes with this crew is a full-contact sport. The language would make a sailor blush, just not this one. I gave as good as I got. By all accounts, I did well for a beginner and am looking forward to future invitations. Good crew they are.

Work progresses naturally, a few tough tasks, but nothing too bad. Our Deputy Director started his leave yesterday, so for the next three weeks I’ll be the Acting. Additionally, one of my staff officers starts his leave in just over a week so I’ll have to cover for him as well. I’m about to notify my union. Every country (I think) gets a two-three week leave period for a six month deployment except for us. Personally, I think the leave should be eliminated for a six month tour, but no one is asking me. It’s a national decision.

I’m watching this movie last night and a great line comes up. Feel free to guess the movie and the author.

“War educates the senses, calls into action the will, perfects the physical constitution, brings men into such swift and close collision in critical moments that man measures man.”

Hope all your taxes got done. Accountant's three and a half months of work are over, now they start their eight month vacation. At least one I know does. Maybe the two week military leave is a good idea after all.

North Country

I returned back to HQ yesterday. For Boris, our HQ is in capital district right near the US Embassy if that helps. I’ll have to hit just the highlights and I expect this post to be long anyway. We convoyed to the airport Tuesday morning. Five of us were on this trip, all Dutch except for me: our General, two security personnel, and our Sergeant Major, a good group to travel with. Our plane left the airport on time … two hours late. We flew on a German C-160, much like our C-130 only smaller. We flew to the northern region. The country up there is considerably different from here. The economy is booming by this country’s standards. There seems to be a night life and all the stores are well stocked. I even saw a computer store with a top-of-the-line abacus. The air is cleaner, the geography similar in this case. The base we stayed at the first night is designed, built, maintained, and operated by the Germans. I have rarely seen a better base anywhere, certainly not in this country. It is clean, well built, and our accommodations were first class. Nothing like this base. The Germans know what they are doing in my opinion. We made a few visits out to some commands in the area – the purpose of our trip – and I learned a lot about the local army and their training. One of our stops was to watch one of their training centers in action (the equivalent of our boot camps). They are training well. As usual, I see children all over and feel for their plight. They all wave to us and give us the “thumbs up.” No question we are welcomed.

The General and I attended a Protocol Dinner that night. I was hoping for traditional German food, but no such luck. The dinner was the best I had while deployed though. Good conversation. I spoke with a number of different people including the Commanding General who will become a grandfather about the time my baby is born. I also spoke at length with the Deputy Commander who is from Norway. Very interesting and it prepared me for our trip the next day to a remote forward operating base in the region.

So we flew the next morning to the western part of the northern region. The geography changed a bit with smaller mountains, rounded, mostly sand covered. The base we stayed at this time is built and run by the Norwegians. There is also a Latvian contingent there. I was the only American. (Note to self: the Norwegian and Latvian armed forces have very attractive women serving, good thing I am married. As if.) This base was also immaculate with excellent facilities. However, they are overcrowded, so four of us slept in a tent, which was fine. The restroom/shower facilities were top-notch (my metric for a professional base). We travelled out to another forward operating base that we use to help mentor and train the army. Both of these places gave me a true feeling about what it means to be out in the middle of nowhere. Really in the middle of nowhere. At night we returned to the Norwegian base. I took a walk around after dinner when no one was out. Cold, dark, and quiet. Behind a stone/concrete wall with some razor wire, you are very alone.

We had time to socialize and it so happens on Wednesday nights they have a Norwegian tradition, “The Quiz.” This is a trivia competition open to all and prizes are awarded (more later). During dinner, of all things, I had to defend American whiskey. I was asked, “What do you Americans use for drinkin' whiskey?” I replied, “Drinkin' whiskey.” I then had to defend American whiskey on a Norwegian base to a Dutch general in Afghanistan. The kicker is the base is dry, so all we had later were a few cans of Beck’s non-alcoholic beer. So on to the quiz. It varies each week I’m told depending on who makes it up. This week mostly consisted of showing pictures of people who you had to ID and music where you identified the song and artist. We came in third, a good show I would say. Most of us couldn’t guess the recent music, so that was it. Of special note, while I got the answers for musicians like the Beach Boys and Kenny Rogers, our general got the answers for Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. I’m not joking and I couldn’t stop laughing. He explained that was his era. Kathy would be proud; he would do well in Amped Up.

They usually serve waffles Wednesday night as it is traditional, but they didn’t make them this time. My loss. Apparently, they are too sweet for breakfast in Norway. They eat them with either jam or goat cheese. I’ll stick with the syrup I suppose.

We flew back the next day without incident. The airstrip out in this remote place is just a long line of dirt. When our plane was coming in, our escorts decided it would be a good time to drive us on the airstrip (they didn’t know the plane was coming). So, the plane had to divert and make another approach. That was interesting. This time we flew a Fokker 50, commuter plane, and we even got a cup of coffee.

For the trip, I saw at least five more insects I never saw before. Jeff would have liked that part I suppose. I never saw so many sand flies (or whatever they are) before. I’ll have to cut this off now, I hope I’ve given the overall feel for the last few days. I’m sure I’ll remember more soon enough.

P.S. Anyone know the movie that had the drinkin' whiskey lines so Bill doesn't go nuts?

I Feel the Earth Move

Looks like I can add earthquake tremors to my list of real-life environmental experiences. On Thursday, my friend Paul (Canadian guy) and I were having some coffee on the second floor outdoor patio of a building when my cup started rattling. Looking around, we didn’t see any of the things that might make my cup, or as we realized, the building rattle. We laughed it off. Later that night at Canada House, the same time as the Budweiser incident, we all felt the building move a little more. With no way to tune into a TV or radio to check it (even if we did we don’t speak Dari or Pashto), we were left to our own conclusions and certainly no knowledge of a Richter measurement. We already know this area is known for seismic activity and would feel cheated if we didn’t have some now and then. On another environmental note, it rained all day yesterday, which made today one incredibly clear day. The rain cleaned out much of the dust (particulate matter) in the air, known as rain-out. The detail in the mountains was more than noticeable compared to normal days.

I had a good day today providing a lot of information about the army to other directorates that need it. Apparently, the spreadsheet and analysis I put together is useful for many of the plans and operations going on. Tomorrow’s another day. I’ll have my standard briefing to the Commander and many others and then follow it up with a more detailed briefing to the Chief-of-Staff and around 6-8 other generals. Good times.

My friend Jeff, one of the Afghan 5, recently emailed me a picture (see below) he took of me before our last training convoy in Kuwait. It is before dawn, that’s our humvee in the background, and we haven’t showered or shaved in two days. Actually, our showers consisted of excessive use of baby wipes. I am wearing the Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) that you see in the papers and I have referred to before. We wear it every time we leave base and on flights in country. One gets used to it.