A Memorial Day to Remember

I was exhausted to begin with, we had been working late nights and early mornings for the past few days. The boss was putting together the speech for our ceremony and I was looking forward to a low ops tempo day. I was up to the usual things, running at the last minute to get the boss and snapping pictures. The ceremony we had was really nice. My boss gave a great speech and maybe it is because we are here but this was the best ceremony for memorial day I have been to. We honored those who have paid the ultimate price in this past year in Afghanistan by having their names read, it was humbling.

Soon after, we received report on a car accident that happened down town. I will not write the detail, unfortunetly you will have to look them up. By the time we had heard, the people had all rallied together and we were on lock down on Camp. After the accident, I believe there were no Americans involved. Apart from having things thrown at convoys/cars, we were able to get all our people in safely without further incident.

I was not afraid or worried for my safety, just so tired from running on empty on such a hectic day. I don't know if it was the authorities or the croud but people were popping off rounds and setting things on fire and looting, regular riot behavior.

This was the first time my boss was left here as the senior lead. The General who runs this place was gone and so was the second General who is the counterpart to my boss. So this was quite the introduction to being the lead on a deployed base. He handled everything awesomely, it was comforting to know he was in charge.

I am not going to put any link to news reporting on this because if they all did as bad a job as CNN on covering the riot I will become angry (punch punch). The twisting and wrong reporting on this incident will and has caused additional danger to our own troops. If you know what happened, you'd see that CNN covered the story and reported 2 times within the story the same events, on 2 events. They even tried to link this riot to an offensive against a taliban camp down in the south, which makes it sound like the military took offensive forceful action during this riot while in actuality, the only people involved were the Afghan police and Afghan National Army... twisted reporting. The offensive with the Taliban wasn't even in the same region, not even close.

I am frustrated that we show the same clip of how people hate us, but the US press will never show the incredible reconstruction happening for this and other countries.

I think the initial point of this was to tell you everyone is safe with a PS of don't believe everything reported.

Today I got a much needed gift.

I walked into church and saw a bunch of people, my age, in civilian clothing, looking a lot like the kinds of people I spend time with. They were a praise band out of Louisville KY. They led the most amazing worship service this morning, I felt like I was back at NCC except in a tent.

The whole time I wanted to hang out with them and talk with them and say things I would tell my friends if they were here. So as my boss left I chased him out to fill him in on his next events and then asked him if I could talk to them, so I went back. They were cleaning up but I went right up to a girl who was probably in her mid-twenties and just started talking. It was so odd, I never just talk but I guess I needed to.

She asked me what is one of the hardest things for me (and many of you have gotten email from me about this). I told her how in the odd circumstance of me being a woman, an officer and a very junior officer at that, that I am almost without friends. I briefly explained how I can not develop close friendships with older officers or with enlisted members, there are actually rules against it. Of the very few who are left, I'm either stuck getting hit on or have to listen to the trashy things guys talk about. Then I told her about how it is teaching me to rely on God for friendship, something I haven't had to do before.

She pulled another girl over and they prayed God would send me a friend or just for the comfort of Gods friendship, and a prayer of thanks for providing me with that so far. (Exactly what some of you have been praying for me)

Then she hugged me. And I've told more than a few of you about the absence of touch. It is like having stiff muscles that get a massage. And that was what I've been praying for, actually a hug. After she hugged me she said, "I bet you don't get many of those." and I told her, "That was my first one" so she said, "You need another then." and hugged me again. I was moved and started tearing up so I said goodbye and left.

Today God sent me a pretty girl from Tennessee to give me a hug.

it's delicious

I used to read all the time, it is something I currently crave. I did it every night, on the metro, at lunch, after church, in the park on a sunny day... I like it. I like losing myself in a good book. I think that right now, (other than being with family and friends) this is what I miss most about my life back home. I have no time to read, and if I do find the time, I fall asleep before reading a full page. I am looking at 2 books right now that I am hungry for. It is weird but I just want to stick my nose in a book.

Did anyone see DaVinci Code? I read awful reviews but then saw it was successful anyway.

This post is dedicated to Jill, who hung out with me when I was 7.

Guess What!

I almost saved a birdie, I almost saved a birdie, I almost saved a birdie, hey hey hey heeey.
He went tweet tweet, the cat went crunch crunch. Oh well. I almost saved a birdie.

Sometimes we joke around, some times we don't joke around.

We are the weirdest things they've ever seen

We went to a meeting in the city at the building of transportation. This place isn't visited by Americans often, so when we showed up we stuck out. Typically it is the boss with myself and his security guard and anyone we may be meeting with. This day there was only 1 other person, a female Major.

I have a feeling this is what it would be like if I was famouse. People were stopping their friends to get them to join in staring at us. I watched more than a couple people point as we walked by. The main staircase loops around in a way that you can see, from any floor, anyone else on it. When we were on the bottom floor, I looked up to see at least 10 people hanging over the railing staring at us. It was awkward enough that I couldn't stop laughing to myself.

The weird thing for me was I suddenly became very conscious of my hair being blond, that I was wearing pants and that I am a woman. These are 3 things I'd never have thought I'd be self conscious about.

I got Anthrax.

Now I have lumps in both arms and I feel really funny. not haha funny, more like unsure of my footing funny. I had the same lady give me this shot as did the one two weeks ago and she looked at me and said, "you're the one that faints aren't you?" then I laid down.

Today I also decided to drink less coffee. I think this will last until 2 hours from now.

My boss took a picture today of my favorite donkey, I hope to post a picture of him soon. He is possibly the most bored looking animal I have ever seen. I love him.

Also I met someone with the same name as my sisters guinne pig and I couldn't explain why his name being Gary was funny to me.

Hi Mom!

So I was thinking....

Two Apache Helicopters taxi around in front of me and I’m squinting my eyes hoping I don’t catch a rock. This runways is filled with debris, and with the day I’m having, something’s going to blind me and I won’t make it to the bird. I like how we call it a bird. Why haven’t I ever bought a normal pair of glasses I could just wear in my uniform!?! I’ll do that next week.

The noise of the wind and the blades is so loud it’s hard to keep my eyes open and as I jump in behind my boss I juggle my papers, hat and bag with this complicated 4 strap seatbelt. These headphones keep getting looped around my boot yanking my head down. We are late, the bird was late, we are going to be late getting there. I have to call 4 more people. Finally my boss shows me where each strap connects and I’m treating all my things like a thigh master. My knees get weak, Suzanne Summers would be disappointed as my planner dumps out pens notes and a phone. I give up and just step on it all to hold it down. I can’t reach for it anymore, I’ve finally strapped myself in.

Nice, I can’t believe I managed to keep my camera in hand. As I realize the noise is muted I look around to see my boss, and two of his security guys peering out the window, so I look.

We are swinging up, very lightly we rock a little, tilt and as if with the breeze we are floating up the valley sweeping over farms and hills. Nervous excitement. I am in a helicopter, I can’t believe how smooth this is. The rhythmic beating of the blades slice the light slight enough not to notice but I see it. We are in our own daytime adventure with heilo-strobe light included.

And I am looking out, to a different time. Robed men are chasing their sheep. The town ahead of me I’ve seen before, it is in my memory with a family vacation to Indian Dwellings. This is Mesa Verde transposed, but then I see that the people are still there. Which homes could they live in? This one may have all it’s walls, no roof. There is one. And the green lush farmlands surrounded by low mud walls and irrigation ditched make tessellation type patterns across the landscape, how did they do that? I wonder how they get the water. Did they dig for wells in a line and giveup on all of them?

The pocks are craters worthy of a lunar picture. And I’m back in the reality that this country has seen war for most of it’s modern existence. These are not attempt at wells, these are scars from bombs? Planes dropping, shooting rockets as it fly’s over? What was here? There is nothing around. They are called “lines” my boss tells me. Some of these lines are too near homes. Did they miss or was something next door? They are old scares.

And we are above an area of tent communities. That pot is too close to their “home”, where are they getting water?

Then the construction comes into view and I know I am nearing the city and airfield. This 15 minute flight would have been 90 minutes on the dirt road. I have been taking pictures and concentrating on holding down my loose things with enough force not to break the phone. It will take almost 2 more hours and the return trip to realize what I’ve seen is many peoples reality.

A bit dramatic but good cover of an Afghan issue.