Yesterday was an early day as we yet again loaded our luggage onto another truck. The person who did our transport coordination said we should be there in plenty of time to check in by the required 0730 time for a 0930 flight. Well once we got there the nice folks at the counter informed us that we were scheduled for the 0500 flight!! No not another few days stuck at Camp Phoenix!
Luckily there was an additional flight later in the morning on a German plane. The German airman was very strict about everyone staying in their seats, so I didn't get a good veiw of the famed Hindu Kush as we flew over.
It was very hot when we arrived at the airport at Mazar-E-Sharif. Amazingly the unit that runs Camp Spann loaded our luggage onto the trucks for transport. I got my first ride in an MRAP and I must say it felt very secure.
On arrival to Camp Spann we were quickly introduced to the team we will be replacing. Our mission is to work with the health systems of the Afghan National Police in the Northern region of Afghanistan. It looks like we will be on the road a lot to the various ANP training stations in the area.
Another pleasant suprise was my room. I actually have a very sizeable room to myself, not that I will be spending too much time there. I am sure there will be more later.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Learning New Skills
Yes,
I have a lot of down time right now as we wait for the next flight to my final destination.
I have learned many new things working with the Army and going through the Advisor Training. I also got to review some things from my past as well. One new skill which I now consider myself fairly proficient in performing is the role of baggage handler. Yes it is a little know fact how much of our time travelling into the theater of operations here is spend loading, unloading, piling, and sorting our baggage. I have already discussed the crazy amount of gear we are taking- 4 seabags, a full sized pack, a carry on pack and a gun case. Well multiply that times 25 Navy personnel in our training class and many flights. I count we have loaded or unloaded our gear 16 times so far. While I would not consider myself proficient at building pallets of gear to fly, I have participated in that as well. So at least I can work as a Sky Cap if this medicine career doesn't work out.
On a more serious note we bid farewell to our training buddies yesterday and today. The 25 of us trained together at Ft Riley for 2.5 months. Now we are being spread out to 3 different locations across the country and 6 different mission units. Godspeed and Safety to you Shipmates!
I have a lot of down time right now as we wait for the next flight to my final destination.
I have learned many new things working with the Army and going through the Advisor Training. I also got to review some things from my past as well. One new skill which I now consider myself fairly proficient in performing is the role of baggage handler. Yes it is a little know fact how much of our time travelling into the theater of operations here is spend loading, unloading, piling, and sorting our baggage. I have already discussed the crazy amount of gear we are taking- 4 seabags, a full sized pack, a carry on pack and a gun case. Well multiply that times 25 Navy personnel in our training class and many flights. I count we have loaded or unloaded our gear 16 times so far. While I would not consider myself proficient at building pallets of gear to fly, I have participated in that as well. So at least I can work as a Sky Cap if this medicine career doesn't work out.
On a more serious note we bid farewell to our training buddies yesterday and today. The 25 of us trained together at Ft Riley for 2.5 months. Now we are being spread out to 3 different locations across the country and 6 different mission units. Godspeed and Safety to you Shipmates!
A big Day at KIA
I am still making my way slowly through the different intermediate camps and stops enroute to my final destination. Each level of headquarters has its own briefs and forms, which take time. Then there is waiting for transport to the next spot.
Yesterday was a banner day since I flew into KIA. All airports have a 3 letter code with them, but Kabul International Airport's code can give you the creeps just from the acronym.
While we moved from the airport to this camp, I was struck by the gardens and vegetable plots along the route. There were small family gardens and fields all along the way. In a land of predominantly brown dust and sandy soil, beautiful green spaces can occur. People were out grooming, weeding and tending their crops. It very much reminded me of the same scenes I had seen in vegetable gardens called ortos in Italy, or similiar home gardens in Okinawa. It was refreshing to see life and growth in an area that has seen so much destruction. It was a heartwarming scene, and made me miss our home and garden at home.
There were buildings as well that were obvious casualties to the 30 years of war that Afghanistan has endured, but I was also very impressed with how much construction was going on here in Kabul.
Please note since I am moving 'downrange' I will really only mention things in the past tense and may use generic descriptions of people I interact with or places for security reasons.
Yesterday was a banner day since I flew into KIA. All airports have a 3 letter code with them, but Kabul International Airport's code can give you the creeps just from the acronym.
While we moved from the airport to this camp, I was struck by the gardens and vegetable plots along the route. There were small family gardens and fields all along the way. In a land of predominantly brown dust and sandy soil, beautiful green spaces can occur. People were out grooming, weeding and tending their crops. It very much reminded me of the same scenes I had seen in vegetable gardens called ortos in Italy, or similiar home gardens in Okinawa. It was refreshing to see life and growth in an area that has seen so much destruction. It was a heartwarming scene, and made me miss our home and garden at home.
There were buildings as well that were obvious casualties to the 30 years of war that Afghanistan has endured, but I was also very impressed with how much construction was going on here in Kabul.
Please note since I am moving 'downrange' I will really only mention things in the past tense and may use generic descriptions of people I interact with or places for security reasons.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Arrival in Afghanistan,
Yesterday we made it in country,
I had a little bit of a view for a short time on the flight. I could see coastline below.
I had a little bit of a view for a short time on the flight. I could see coastline below.
In a bit of clique coincidence while we were walking off the flight line, 2 ambulances arrived to deposit their passengers onto a waiting aircraft, probably headed back to Germany. It served as a solemn reminder of what can happen in this country. I also heard my first two explosions within my first 6 hours in country. Sure they were announce overhead as 'controlled detonations' which I assumes meant mines, but it is still a little disconcerting to have explosions wake you up from a nap. These middle of the night flights are going to mess up my sleep for quite a while
Here we are surrounded by jagged tall mountains. To the north and south you can see snow on the peaks. It has a daytime haze much like Denver. It is quite warm in the afternoons and comfortable at night.
We are currently in a 120 person tent, but with only about 80 inhabitants. Luckily there is internet available, but with this many folks, time is limited. There are showers and latrines. I wish we had some laundry access.
There is a ton of construction going on all over. Large construction trucks almost outnumber the HMMVS and MRAPS.
Hopefully we will only be here for a day or two, but military transportation is a fickle thing.
We are currently in a 120 person tent, but with only about 80 inhabitants. Luckily there is internet available, but with this many folks, time is limited. There are showers and latrines. I wish we had some laundry access.
There is a ton of construction going on all over. Large construction trucks almost outnumber the HMMVS and MRAPS.
Hopefully we will only be here for a day or two, but military transportation is a fickle thing.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
4th of July at the "Commonwealth"
Greetings from Camp "Commonwealth" somewhere in Kuwait.
The 4th of July is a Day of Celebration of the people who are the United States. A people who threw off the shackles of tyrrany. A people who work to allow others in the world to enjoy the freedom and Democracy we sometimes take for granted. I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July. I hope we won't have any fireworks here though.
After reading my last post, it almost sounded like I was whining. So I would like to point out some of the finer points of Camp "Commonwealth"
1. You are very unlikely to run out of hot water.
2. The Gym is very nice with plenty of good equipment.
3. The chowhall is almost as good as the food I had on a recent cruise.
4. The USO and MWR facilities are nice and adequate to handle all the troops located here.
The only part that I have trouble with is that it is a desolate wasteland of desert. Thankfully the heat is less oppressive and the sandstorm died down enough yesterday evening that the sun and moon were visible.
I also made two discoveries in a breifing yesterday:
1. I will probably only have to go through Kuwait on my return.
2. The Army is going to a cashless gift/debit card type system for all AFFES and post office functions soon. So today I got my Eagle Cash card- so I can buy what consumables I might need for this deployment- soap, wipes, laundry detergent and so forth. I guess this isn't earth shattering news, but it was a suprise to me.
I hope to eventually add some pictures to these last two posts.
Still awaiting arrangements to go into Afghanistan.
The 4th of July is a Day of Celebration of the people who are the United States. A people who threw off the shackles of tyrrany. A people who work to allow others in the world to enjoy the freedom and Democracy we sometimes take for granted. I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July. I hope we won't have any fireworks here though.
After reading my last post, it almost sounded like I was whining. So I would like to point out some of the finer points of Camp "Commonwealth"
1. You are very unlikely to run out of hot water.
2. The Gym is very nice with plenty of good equipment.
3. The chowhall is almost as good as the food I had on a recent cruise.
4. The USO and MWR facilities are nice and adequate to handle all the troops located here.
The only part that I have trouble with is that it is a desolate wasteland of desert. Thankfully the heat is less oppressive and the sandstorm died down enough yesterday evening that the sun and moon were visible.
I also made two discoveries in a breifing yesterday:
1. I will probably only have to go through Kuwait on my return.
2. The Army is going to a cashless gift/debit card type system for all AFFES and post office functions soon. So today I got my Eagle Cash card- so I can buy what consumables I might need for this deployment- soap, wipes, laundry detergent and so forth. I guess this isn't earth shattering news, but it was a suprise to me.
I hope to eventually add some pictures to these last two posts.
Still awaiting arrangements to go into Afghanistan.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Enroute to Final Destination
It has been a very long 2 days which have actually been one super- long one. After 13 hours in the air (3 additional hours in the plane waiting on the ground) and 5 hours convoying ( 4 additional hours waiting in vehicles) amd other unaccounted for hours waiting in the Air Terminals, we are at an intermediary stop camp enroute. We have loaded or unloaded and sorted our seabags and other gear 6 times so far. The ones with the Body Armor in them are especially heavy.
Many thanks to the cheerful USO folks who are working hard to get many of us access to home.
We did some last minute MRAP rollover training, for which we were all pretty wiped out and jet lagged. You certainly can get strapped in tight to the MRAP seats.
The other big news is the weather- Sandstorms! I have been in Deserts with heat before but this is the next level. Several of us strongly considered turning around instead of pressing on to the chow hall for lunch. The chow was well worth it though. The heat is similiar to opening the oven when you are putting in a big turkey, except you cannot close the door, the wind is whipping, and unless you have goggles on constantly wiping stuff out of your eyes. The weird twilight level of lighting adds to the feeling of something is not quite right.
Hopefully we will not spend too much time here before we move on.
I would like to pass on best Birthday wishes to my Son Graham. I really wish I could be there with you.
Many thanks to the cheerful USO folks who are working hard to get many of us access to home.
We did some last minute MRAP rollover training, for which we were all pretty wiped out and jet lagged. You certainly can get strapped in tight to the MRAP seats.
The other big news is the weather- Sandstorms! I have been in Deserts with heat before but this is the next level. Several of us strongly considered turning around instead of pressing on to the chow hall for lunch. The chow was well worth it though. The heat is similiar to opening the oven when you are putting in a big turkey, except you cannot close the door, the wind is whipping, and unless you have goggles on constantly wiping stuff out of your eyes. The weird twilight level of lighting adds to the feeling of something is not quite right.
Hopefully we will not spend too much time here before we move on.
I would like to pass on best Birthday wishes to my Son Graham. I really wish I could be there with you.
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