Army Sailor -- War in the Sandbox...
The Adventures of a Sailor in Afghanistan...

One of the coolest things about the continuing operations here in Afghanistan is the fact that they are both multi-national, and joint forces. We have Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, and multiple nations all working towards a common goal. In the Navy, when we go to boot camp, we are required to learn the rank structures of the other branches of the military, sort of a common courtesy sort of thing. Apparently this is not the case for the Air Force or the Army. As a First Class Petty Officer, my rank insignia consists of an eagle (which we affectionately refer to as a 'crow') perched atop three chevrons. The rank insignia for a Colonel just happens to be a spread eagle. I think I have collected more salutes since I have been on a FOB in this country than most of the actual officers in my unit. At forst it was quite amusing, but it has gotten real old real quick. I keep explaining to people that I am an enlisted man and they do not need to salute me, but all to often the response is 'YES SIR!' followed by a snappy salute... Ughhh... Oh well.

On my way here I got rather sick. It actually happened on our flight leaving the U.S. By the time I had arrived in country I had a fever and felt very weak. I have long since gotten over that, but I fear that now I may be getting what folks here call 'the crud'. There is a lot of dust here, it looms thick in the air, and for those who are not used to it it can cause a sore throat and some serious congestion. I am deeling with it fine and not allowing it to impact my day-to-day operations but it sure is a bother.

My unit has a very good Chain-of-Command, and for that I am very thankful. Our Colonel and our Sergeant Major really work hard to ensure that we have all we need, and that we are as well taken care of as can be. We are also lucky to have a truly outstanding supply sergeant who goes far above and beyond to ensure that all our needs are met. These are the sort of things that make life here a lot easier to deal with.

I have been getting lonely, and I do miss everyone at home very much. It's funny because I find myself begining to miss all the little things, like the smell of the sheets when Yasmeen makes the bed, and porceline toilets. Most places here if you have to use the toilet you have to go to a port-a-potty, which is not so bad, it's a lot better than shitting in a hole, or an out house. Another funny thing I have noticed is that I get a little sad when I hear Salsa or latin dance music, which I hear far more often than you'd imagine... But it reminds me of home, and how much I miss dancing with Yasmeen. I wish there was some way I could have my mother mail me some of her beef stew, or that Yasmeen could mail me a sweet potato pie, but there is no way such things would last in the mail system. I think most letters and packages take 7-14 days to arrive.

The weather here has not been so bad thus far. It's actually been a bit cold. Believe it or not Afghanistan actually gets a real winter! It even snowed one morning here! We've been getting a lot of rain as of late. Compared to Pennsylvania the winter here is very mild, but I have a feeling that the summer will be far worse than I am accustomed to. I am not looking forward to the oppressive heat. Nor am I looking forward to the bugs, which have already started coming out a little at a time. I have purchased some bug spray to try to treat my sleeping area to help keep them away, and I have been issued like three types of bug reppelent for my uniforms and for my skin. We we also issued 'bug nets' to sleep inside of to keep the bugs off of us at night. I think I shall have to sleep with my boots in the net also, I'd hate to wake up to a 'surprise'.

I made it here ot Afghanistan about a week ago. I was very surprised to find out what a truly beautiful country it really is. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking. We landed here late in the night, so when I first landed I did not get to see much of anything at all. In any case I was truly exhausted from some thirty odd hours of travel time that it took to get here. The next morning I awoke at 0500 (local time) and was absolutely stunned when I saw the enourmous mountains that surround us here. Our base is at over 4800ft in altitude, and the mountains still rise far above us. It is stunning beyond the capacity for words to adequately describe. These are easily the largest mountains I have ever seen. The only rival I have ever seen for this view was in the Andes.

Quality of life here is also surprisingly good. We have two coffee shops, and there are two exchanges here. MWR (Morale, Welfare & Recreation) has set up a number of nice facilities, including a large, very well equipped gym. So when we are 'inside the wire' (on base), life isn't terrible. There are wood shacks for us to live in called 'B-Huts'. And I have a cot. 3 hots and a cot, how can I complain?

I will try to post some photos of the mountains and the view when I can, I want to get everything cleared through the G2 before I post anything. That way no one can complain. (Though I am sure someone will!)

I don't get a lot of time to access the internet, although there are connections regularly available, but the wait is usually long, so I have decided the best thing to do is to compose my posts and e-mails off line, in a text editor and then save the text files to my thumbdrive, and copy and paste, to maximize my thirty minute time limit on the MWR machines.

The locals here are mostly friendly, and they general consensus seems to be that the majority of them are pleased to have us here. It is the small minority which is unhappy with our presence. We are spending a lot of money to do a lot of good things here, and to vastly improve the infrastructure of the country. Our goal is to get them back on their feet and self sufficient again so that we can leave and they can continue to sustain themselves as a self-sufficient soveriegn nation.

"Why do you fight?"

"Your a baby-killer / warmonger..."

"Do you actually support this war?"

These are all phrases I commonly hear from civilians. I get asked a lot of questions by family, friends, loved-ones and strangers a like, and I have realized that most civilians just don't get it.

It does not matter if we (soldiers, sailors, airmen & Marines) support a war. And our service to our country does not mean we are war mongers or that we are violent people. Quite the contrary actually... No one wishes to see the end of war and violence more than the soldier in the field. I believe that we are all fighting to try to create a world where our job is an obsolete one.

It's not about the war, and it's not about the glory or the politics. It's about the man next to you. It is about putting your life in his hands and asking him to put his life in yours. It is all about service with honor and doing what is right. We are a tool. A tool made available for use by the U.S. Government to support and defend the constitution and to help support American diplomacy and policy around the globe. We are the strong-arm of politics. And service to country, the defense of those whom you do not neccesarily love, and who likely do not love you is a just and noble cause. Service with honor is what it's all about. Nothing more, and nothing less.

At least, that is why I am here...

My anxiety level has been building steadily as my departure inches closer. I have gotten to the point where I feel that I am at the peak of a roller coaster, and I am in that momentary pause right before to coaster goes hurdling downward... The anxiety is killer.

I know once I get in country and I settle on my daily routine, and I get into my job and start running missions, I will be good to go, but for now, I am very nervous. I am nervous about leaving, I am nervous wondering if I covered everything I need to at home, I worry about my mother, and most of all I am nervous about Yasmeen. I hope that Yasmeen, Ashley and my mother are all ok while I am gone. I will miss them more than anyone in the world.

At the same time I feel bad because I feel like I am leaving in the middle of so much. Defending the Truth is growing at an amazing rate, and we were about to start our political debate podcast. I also had plans in the works to start another podcast, I have been developing my websites, and I was working on designing a whole online business model for myself. I really felt like I was progressing towards my own future, and now I am off to go fight in the mountains of Afghanistan. It's a crazy feeling.

I have been officially made the unit photographer / photography expert. I taught a course on digital photography basics to the entire battalion, which received a lot of praise. The colonel seems very pleased with me. He has told me on severla occassions that he has been hearing good things about me. Both he and the Sergeant Major have been tasking me with more and more projects, which I think is an excellent sign. It's good to know that they trust me and see me as being a compitent NCO. The Sergeant Major went so far as to describe me as an outstanding NCO, and has declared me to be the Subject Matter Expert (SME) in several critical areas. I am glad I am being tasked, it helps keep my mind occupied and helps make the time go by faster. Idle hands make trouble.

My development with the unit has been going remarkably well. I have earned the trust and respect of my seniors, my peers and my sub-ordinates alike. It's a good feeling, and I am confident that when this is all over I will have an award or two to show for my efforts, and that I will get an excellent evaluation from my command. I am now officially a SOF Operator, and I am heading to combat duty in the most dangerous part of Afghanistan, that has got to be worth something...

Well, for now I can't stop singing that song...

"I'm leaving, on a jet plane,
don't know when I'll be back again..."

I am writing this post from a StarBucks coffee shop, in a Barnes & Noble Bookstore. While I am still here in Fayetteville, which we have taken a liking to calling 'FayetteNam', I like coming here to enjoy some decent coffee and some civilized conversation. Sadly, this is the closest thing to home I can find. Plus it is a luxury which I will miss greatly once I have deployed. My departure date is hurdling towards me at a very alarming rate. I am ready, actualy I am anxious, but I am also a bit nervous. I worry about Yasmeen and my Mother. I worry about my friends, including all those at Defending the Truth, and I hope all goes well for them. I feel bad in a lot of ways because I know that life back here at home will not be 'on pause' while I am gone. I know that life will go on without me, and that there will be a lot of things that I miss.

Such is the nature of my job though.

There are a lot of rumors about what they are going to do with us when we return. Some people seem to think that all of the Sailors here are going to be whisked off to stand-up some new Navy Special Warfare Unit, others think we will just be sent back to our parent commands and allowed to continue on with our previous lives... I don't pretend to be wise to any of it. I know for a fact that the only thing that is certain, is the fact that our futures are uncertain.

One good part of all of this, is that it is bound to be fantastic for my evaluation. How could it not be? I am officially a SOF Operator, and I am heading to the front-lines. I will likely get a medal or two while I am there. I know I am bound to do many great things. If this doesn't help me on the chiefs board, I don't know what will.

But still, I am forced to wonder at what cost... What will the ultimate cost of this experience be? I am hoping that I come back a better, more experienced SpecOps Sailor, and can rush right back into the loving arms of my family, friends and Yasmeen, but the fact is that I really will be lucky just to make it home. I had another conversation with Yasmeen last night about what will happen if I get killed while I am over there, and what she can expect. I think she hates having such conversations as much as I do. I hate it because it makes me face my own mortality, and that is hard to do. Especially for me, because after all, I am invinceable... Death is failure, and I simply don't fail. I never have, and I don't intend to start.

Semper Fortis!