To Home and Back - 25 July 2009 - 2330

So I haven’t written in quite a while, and let me tell you, I’ve been hearing about it. To everyone who was reading and now isn’t since I took a nearly 2 month hiatus, I apologize. I hope I can snag some of those readers back by word of mouth when this comes out. I also wrote a couple of others a while back that I’m not sure were ever posted so make sure you check the previous few entries for ones you may have missed. I’m going to touch on a few things. First I’ll let you know what was going on between the last time I wrote and the 3rd of July. Secondly I’ll tell you about what has been going on from 3 July up until now. Lastly I want to reflect on my trip as a whole up to this point. It may be a long entry, but let me assure you that currently, time is a commodity I have in large sums. Before I start I’ll explain the break in communications in case anyone was unaware of the situation. I may have covered it in a previous entry but I’m not entirely sure so I wanted to hit it again. The internet lab on Camp Leatherneck was taken down for a period of approximately 1 month or so. They moved it about a mile to the west of where it originally was and reopened it, but now no one wants to walk that far to stand in line for an hour behind 1000 Marines to use it for 30 minutes. While it was shut down there was no internet accessibility, with a few very remote exceptions. There was one exception at our office tent at Camp Leatherneck and another out in my office truck at the FASP (Field Ammunition Storage Point). The problems with these services were that they are secure and can only view a very select few websites, one of which is NOT blogspot. The internet out at my office can access https sites only which basically allows me to only view military sites, with some exceptions. The only way I could have gotten a blog posted, which maybe how I get this posted, would have been to type it up, mail it to my wife, and have her post it. Not entirely difficult mind you, but enough of a hassle that it dissuaded me from going through the loops. Additionally, my work schedule leading up to July 3rd was not very conducive to writing. I was essentially working 12 hour days out a the FASP from 0700 until 1900, therefore between prep for work, eating at night and the drive back and forth I was really up and working from 0630 until I returned to my tent at 2000. At that point I shower, find out what’s been going on that day and what the plan is for the next day and rack out so I can get up and do it again. I don’t complain about my long hours, in fact I like being out at the FASP. Out there it is like our own world and we don’t have to put up with the daily BS that takes place back on Leatherneck. The drawback to having our small crew out there every day is that it has alienated us from a certain faction of the platoon. When I say “certain faction”, it has really caused tension between us and about everyone. Some are just more grown up about it than others. People are upset that we have a steady job that is centered around our actual skill set. The wood workers get angry that we are out setting up our computer equipment and maintaining it for when we finally get the FASP up and running, when that is what my crew mobilized to do. The wood working crew volunteered to do that job and even ordered several thousands of dollars worth of tool while we were in Fort Sill to assist them. I know that there is a lot of shit being talked behind our backs as I have colleges in all the crews that let me know what goes on. Even my friends have expressed a bit of jealousy and resentment towards my crew but they at least bring it to me and I discuss the reasons for how business is being conducted. There has been so much hate being flung around that it puts a real damper on things and further alienates my crew. We have been recently rotating 1 extra person daily from all the other squads to assist us with our FASP mission. They all enjoy coming out and working with me and typically all confide in me problems they are having and issues that they have on a daily basis back on Leatherneck. It’s unfortunate, but I’m glad I can at least give them a day’s worth of reprieve every now and again. We do a substantial amount of work most days. Mostly our work consists of assisting the Air Ordnance Marines with anything they need since they deployed with very little equipment and we have been blessed with an over abundance and not much to do with it. Some days we don’t do much at all, and some days we run the forklifts for 8+ hours. I operate by not freaking out if there isn’t anything to do by making up mundane crap to keep us busy. If we work hard when we are supposed to then I don’t have a problem with us taking time for ourselves since we don’t get much back tent side. Also, we have been working on getting our ammo accountability software up and running which has been giving us fits. We attended a class in Redstone Arsenal Alabama before we left, as I stated in a previous entry, but it was primarily focused around software operations. We really didn’t think we would be setting the system up from scratch right in the middle of a version transition. The piece that most of the platoon fails to see is the struggle we have had with our system. They grill us that we don’t even have ammo so why do we need our computer operators working on the system now? If we waited until ammo started coming in to start setting up and working out all these issues, it is likely that we would not have been ready to operate before we demobilized. The work we are performing now is ensuring that when our FASP is complete and open for business, and ammo starts rolling in, that we can start receiving it immediately. I started working out at the FASP on May 16th, so as you can see from the dates on my blogs that after I started working out there, my time became monopolized. Now, one website that does work out at our office is gmail, so fortunately I am able to chat with my wife from time to time. Since I have started working out there, I have only taken one half of a day off, and that has been my choice. It is sad to say, but I would rather work and keep busy out at the FASP, out of sight, out of mind, then hang out in the tent. It has really helped to pass the time though. June absolutely flew by. We get along really well with our Marine counterparts as well. We have a nice symbiotic relationship. We also have a gym tent out at the FASP which was provided by the Marines, and I try and use it when I can. But that’s the overall snapshot of what my schedule has been like from mid May to early July. Now that isn’t to say there hasn’t been a fiasco here or there or the random WTF moment. We, for example, are now sleeping on bunk beds, 20 to a tent (up from our original 7-10 average. We were also told that we couldn’t run a PT test because it was too dangerous but instead now the Battalion decided that we are going to do a “4 Mile Challenge” run every month in which you have to run 4 miles in something like 36 minutes regardless of age bracket or injuries. So what was the dangerous part of the test if apparently the run wasn’t it? The push-ups? The sit-ups? And if you don’t pass this non sanctioned Army event that no one trains for you will be forced to get up at 0500 to work out every morning. Cool huh. Guys have recently been volunteering to go on convoys with other units with shortages simply to get away from the chaos. A new PX opened up, but I haven’t been around yet to see it. It is about 4 times the size of the last one and I hear it’s stocked with way more useful item than previous. Our chow hall is completely overcrowded and the wait for lunch can be in excess of 1 hour. The large new chow hall, that has been under construction since before we got to Leatherneck, keeps getting its opening date pushed back further and further. I’m not sure what they are projecting right now for an opening date. I usually just eat a poptart for breakfast on the way to work, an MRE for lunch and we typically stop at one of the Bastion chow halls for dinner on our way back to the tent in the evenings.
So why was July the 3rd a landmark date? For those of you who did not know, that was the day that I left Leatherneck to come home on R&R. I was originally supposed to leave accompanied only by SPC Swanson. Right before we left, one of our guys, SGT Gilligan, got a call from home informing him that his wife had just had their 4th child. His leave was bumped up to accommodate him getting home to be there with his family for the occasion. Our flight was supposed to leave at 0800 on the 3rd for Kandahar, but out of the approx 30 people or so that were waiting on that flight, only 5 got on, including SGT Gilligan due to lack of space. The next flight was supposed to leave about an hour later but was delayed by about 2 hours. When it finally showed up, Swanson and I were able to meet up with Gilligan in Kandahar. We had to stay in the transient lodging tent again but it actually wasn’t TOO crowded. We had a briefing that night to find out about our next flight down to Kuwait. We were told that our show time would be at 0100 the next night. That meant that we would have a whole day to kill in KAF. I don’t mind KAF though. As I have mentioned before there are a lot of amenities. The surprise to me was that in the time between then and my last trip they had paved nearly every single main road on base. It did wonders to cut down on the massive quantity of dust generated by traffic. After we spent the day at the boardwalk and at the MWR Rec. tent we packed up our things and went to the airfield only to find out that the flight had been cancelled. The next flight was at 1000 the next morning. We drove back to the transient tents as quick as possible in hopes that our bunks were still there so we didn’t have to find a top bunk somewhere in the dark. Luckily they were still there. The next morning we got up and headed back over to the airport (after breakfast at Timmy’s). We got there at 0900 and didn’t actually end up boarding the plane for several hours. The flight was miserable. There were about 80 of us on a C130 with all of our gear on, in the 110+ degree heat, with no water available sitting face to face with the person across from you so close that everyone had and extra leg between theirs. After we took off it cooled down and we took off all of our gear and tops and stacked them in a corner. It was still a lousy flight to Ali Al Salem, which took about 6 hours. We were in Ali Al Salem for one night and the majority of the next day to complete all the necessary paperwork and clear customs. We then drove down to Kuwait City by bus, about a 2 hour trip, and finally boarded our plane home. That day began at 0600 in Ali Al Salem with our first briefing and we didn’t get on the plane until 1800. It was a hot, exhausting day. From there it was a 6 hour ride to Leipzig Germany for a 2 hour refuel and food restock, and a 10 hour flight to Dallas/Fort Worth. We got in at about 0900 or so at which point we had to clear customs and get to our next gate. At that point Gilligan went his own way, as he flew into Kearney, NE. Swanson and I both flew into Omaha, NE and finally arrived at 1500 on Tuesday July the 7th. I got of the plane and did my best impression of a professional speed walker to the security checkpoint where my beautiful wife was waiting for me. After a hug and many kisses we started making our way to the baggage claim at which point she whispered “Don’t hate me.” I was confused as to why she would say this until we rounded a corner to a boisterous applause from about 20 family members. They had surprised me as our original intention was for my wife and I to simply grab my bags and make for the hills. It was nice to see everyone though; cousins with their families, aunts, the in-laws, and my brother had even come down from Ainsworth, a 4 hour drive, and my mother came from Alliance, a 9 hour drive. After hellos and hugs and we collected my bags, and sent the family off to Buffalo Wild Wings to save us a spot while I went to shower and change as I had was still wearing the same uniform that I left Leatherneck in and had sweat through several times, over the last 4+ days. All and all it was a great 2 weeks though. After dinner that night everyone went back to their homes and I didn’t really see anyone the whole rest of the time with a few exceptions. The in-laws were in Chicago most of the time I was home so I only got to see them for dinner one night before I left. My mother, her husband and my brother also came back down a few days later to spend some extra time with us. Other than that my wife and I spent the majority of the 2 weeks at home, simply enjoying each other’s company. We watched a lot of movies, played some video games, and watched a ton of ESPN to include the British Open (Damn you Stewart Cink). We ate take out and fast food a lot at my request as I was craving a lot of things I hadn’t had in quite a while. Somehow I got it in my head that I was leaving on a Wednesday morning but when I looked at a calendar, 2 days before I thought I was supposed to leave, I saw that Wednesday was the 22nd and that didn’t seem right to me. After rechecking I found out that I actually left on the 23rd which was a very pleasant surprise as it was like getting an extra day with my wife. On the first and last night’s I was home, Sarah and I stayed at her parent’s condo in Omaha which is about 5 minutes from the airport. That last night was tuff, as was the following morning. Having to say goodbye again was just not something that I was looking forward to doing. After a tearful goodbye at the airport, I started my journey back to Afghanistan. We took the same path back. Upon arrival at Dallas we met back up with Gilligan. After the epic trip back to Kuwait, which finally ended at about 1930 on the 24th of July after it began with my first flight out of Omaha at 0825 on the 23rd, we got checked back into Ali Al Salem and got our bags and equipment back. I found at that point that the sleeping bag and pillow that I had strapped to the outside of my bag had been lost somewhere between the check in counter at Dallas and getting to the plane. So here I am now in Ali Al Salem. There are very few flights each week that leave here for Kandahar, so until then we have formations twice a day for accountability, but then have free reign to do whatever we want. I was jet lagged like crazy today so I had to take a nap even though I wanted to stay up and get my sleep cycle back on track. It was a good 4 hour nap in which I got more sleep and better sleep than I did all of last night. So even though my journey isn’t done yet decided that this would be probably the best time to write as I’ll most likely be busy again upon return to Leatherneck.
So as I said I wanted to reflect on my time spent on this deployment as a whole. I wanted to look back as if going home on leave was the end of my tour, and see what I could take from my experiences up till this point. The question, and best way to describe it in the one word that keeps coming to mind is ‘Why’? It has been a completely frustrating and trying event from the very beginning. It started with us coming on full time a month to soon and running out of things to do for the entire month of November. It proceeded to outdo itself when we were put on stop movement because our mission was dissolved but we pressed on to Fort Sill for 2 months of wasted time with not so much of an idea if we were even going to deploy, where we would be going, what we would be doing and for how long. I again pose, why did they send an ammunition unit to a base that had an ASP that will barely be finished by the time we finish our tour? Why could be asked of a nearly infinite number rules, extra duties and debates over what was being asked of us. In my opinion, the entire deployment, up until this point, has not only been a waste of our time and the governments resources, but has pulled families apart. It has been frustrating to feel like we left our families and the only difference we are making is building floors and doorways for tents; that’s not a very substantial contribution to warrant me being away from my wife for what will likely be a year+. Other than the deployment as a whole feeling like a waste, there were definitely good things that happened. Trial builds character, what doesn’t kills you makes you stronger, patience is a virtue, absence makes the heart grow fonder…etc…etc. I’ve made new friend, strengthened some I already had and developed new nemesis’s… nemesi… nemesiseses… It has opened my eyes to a new world that you just can’t grasp from the TV or internet. I finally got a combat patch and can now go to conferences without being heckled and forewarned of my inevitable impending deployments. I’ve had the opportunity to actually lead troops for the first time in my career as a squad leader with a mission (even though it may not have been the original mission). It was definitely a learning experience but I feel like it’s provided me with a skill set invaluable to almost any career I chose to pursue in the future. It has provided my wife and I with some added financial support, as I have been making just over twice the amount I make at home. As I approach the downhill slide of the deployment I can only hope it passes as quickly as June and July did, especially July. Between travel time and leave time, I will have been away from Leatherneck for approximately 4 weeks. Any one stage of the deployment at the time it was happening seemed like it took forever at the time, although for some reason Fort McCoy was still the worst. Looking back now though, you see each time period as more of a relative to the bigger picture and just a small piece of the whole trip. Hastings seems like so long ago. I’m not sure that anyone would be complaining eating Valentino’s and KFC every day again, although, a Soldier isn’t happy unless they have something to complain about (see: www.ssgchrist.blogspot.com). One recurring theme since the arriving in Kuwait for the first time has been the moon. The first night we arrived the moon was full, and from that point on I took notice every single time the moon was full and had a sense of relief that we had put another month in the books. When I was leaving Kuwait this time to come home on R&R, I again notice that, not only were there ice cream vendors on the shoulder of the interstate in Kuwait (oh yes), but that the moon was again full. Upon return, however, there was only but a tiny sliver as the moon was starting its waxing cycle, and it had almost an ominous feel to it. The great thing about the moon though is that it is one thing that my wife and I can still share. After it’s run its nightly course over here, it pops around the other side of the world.
So where does that leave me now? My focus now will be to get back to Leatherneck and finish the job required of us and come home as quickly as possible. Even though I haven’t focused on working out since I have been here, with the exception of June, I’m going to start working hard on getting in shape; and not because the Army says I should. I could be in top physical shape and walk my two mile run just to be a pain. I want to get in to shape for my wife. Everyone loves a tighter, leaner body. We have decided to start living a healthier and more active life style when I get back, so the harder I work now, the more I’ll get to torture her during a run or bike ride. Once I get home I fully intend on exploring my occupational options to include my time in the military as well. Even if the deployment hadn’t put a sour taste in my mouth, I just don’t care to be away from home for this long again. I wouldn’t want to live at the playboy mansion for a year let alone another trip back to this shithole. We’ll, I might go live with Hef I spose. (JK honey!) So I hope this was a bit of a make up for those of you who expressed your utter hatred and contempt towards me for slacking on my blog. I still can’t promise that I’ll update it as frequently as I once did, but I will try to maybe put out something every week. Again, pictures are probably going to be a no go however, as I just don’t have the means to get them up in a timely fashion. I also want to put out thanks again to everyone who has shown their support by sending care packages. I would start naming names, but I’m not at Leatherneck where I have saved every packing list from every box, but I will make sure to recognize those who have aided in due time. I just want to wrap this up by saying thank you again to everyone and I hope to see you all by the end of the year.

Sec Def - 7 May 2009 - 2300

So it turns out that today was a long one. It started out a little late but made up for itself on the back end. Last night I was chosen, along with 10 others from my platoon, as well as a few from our battalion, a couple Sailors, a couple Airmen and a shitload of Marines, to sit in on a little meet and greet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at around 1030. It was pretty short and sweet with a little bit of Q&A at the end. After the Q&A everyone who was there got an opportunity for a photo op as he shook everyone’s hand and gave everyone a Secretary of Defense coin. The rest of the day was spent trying to figure out how and when we were going to assist the Marines moving ammo. Every once in a while these missions come along and we jump at the chance to help, as ammo is after all our job. The problem was that we are stretched so thin with duties that we barely had enough people to cover it. On top of that, tomorrow we start another bullshit duty. Sparing the details, we are now guarding a tent inside a perimeter, which we are also guarding, in the center of our secure base. Like I’ve said before I can’t give out a lot of specifics for OPSEC purposes, but needless to say it’s going to be almost impossible to keep everything manned and not have overlapping duties and still get our “Mandatory Day Off Each Week.” I am so frustrated with the situation that we are in currently. On top of all the crap getting jammed down our throats, leave dates, which have been “locked in” are being moved around and now there are some less then terrific rumors floating around about exactly how long we are going to be over here. I’ll just say Chief threatened to throw his hot coffee in my face if he heard what he thinks he heard. They’ve, and when I say they that is the 100th as well as whoever is handling the logistics for our departure, have sucked the life out of me. I’m so frustrated with my current situation that I could scream, or eat paper. If anyone of any importance in the military or government ever reads this, how can you expect to keep retention numbers up when a unit is misused like we have been? A lot of people, such as myself, who I assumed would be lifers, have told me that they will absolutely not reenlist again and a few have said they won’t go to drill when we get back and let the Army discharge them. This whole thing blows; misused, degraded, and held to double standards. It’s all any of us can do just to get through each day without ripping our hair out. You would think, as miserable a country this is anyway and as crummy a situation as everyone is in that we would get a couple bones thrown our way and people would freakin chill out about stupid shit like brown t-shirts or hats that are worn incorrectly. Have you ever had a boss that you could never tell anything to? It’s their way or the highway, and even if you prove them wrong or point out an easier or more efficient way, it only makes matters worse for you. We happen to have been graced with the privilege of being under two of them. So needless to say I’m going through a bit of a funk right now. I’m keeping track of days gone by and days left, but no one knows how long we will be here so I really have nothing to count down to. My only saving grace right now is my leave coming up in less than 2 months. The Army simply needs to come up with some sort of teleportation system. If I could zap home at night this whole thing would just be like a crummy job, which all of us have had. But as it stands, it’s all consuming and it makes a person feel like they are in prison. Even in prison though, you are given a date that you can count down to with possibility of early parole and you aren’t in Afghanistan.