Happy Thanksgiving from Bagram!

This is the fifth Thanksgiving in the last nine years I've spent deployed - including the last three in a row. I made a promise this one will be the last. In the meantime, I made the most of this one with my comrades here. The best part of the day was when my CSM and I spent over an hour serving food to Soldiers in one of the many dining facilities. I probably served more mashed potatoes and gravy than I've seen my entire life. The spread of food was immense. Not a stomach left hungry. When it was finally my turn I gorged myself. I had turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, corn on the cob, prime rib, ham, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, pumpkin pie, egg nog, and a near beer. I'm still stuffed as I write - a full eight hours later. The rest of the day we circulated the base wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Later we sat in with the Deputy Secretary of Defense, who was visited for the day. He presented us both a coin and thanked us for our service. I also smoked a cigar with some of my staff. All-in-all it was an excellent Thanksgiving considering where we had to spend the day.

It's never as good as home though. I can assure you that all of us here in Bagram miss those we left behind in order to serve. We all wish each of you the happiest of Thanksgivings. We will all be home soon. From our home in Bagram to yours - God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving!

Taliban Wake-up Call

The days are getting shorter. The weather is getting colder, grayer, and ominous. Even so, we still occasionally get a little IDF. The other morning we had one come in a little after 0500. I didn't even hear the alarm because I was absolutely out cold. Then my phone rang, which blasted me out of bed to the feel of the icy floor on my bare feet. Running to grab my phone I heard the announcement over the big voice, "IDF impact! Take cover! Don IBA if available!" Those words resonated through the cobwebs of my still-sleeping brain and registered just as I answered the phone. It was my Deputy checking to see if I was okay. I had recovered from my sleep enough to sound official. I asked him for a quick update. Fortunately, it was another complete miss by the bad guys outside the wire. The "All Clear" sounded shortly afterward. I promptly went back to bed in an effort to salvage my precious last 45 minutes of sleep. That endeavor proved fruitless. Thank you Taliban for ruining my sleep. I slowly eased back onto the cold floor, sauntered over to the coffee pot and got the morning brew on. The sun was rising to reveal another cold, overcast day in Afghanistan. Just a few minutes earlier I'd been dreaming of that beautiful snow and view as I was skiing down Coronet Peak in New Zealand. But the reality of being awake shook that image from my mind. There's no skiing in this cruddy place. At least I had my coffee.

I find many aspects of this place to be vastly different from my many experiences of deployments to Iraq. As strange as it may sound, Iraq was a much more "civilized" and orderly placed to be holed-up in the middle of a war. There's something about Afghanistan that casts a dirty pall over everything we do. I can't put my finger on it just yet. This is a land that covets war. The people who live here have known only war for centuries. We come here from places that know only peace and, for the most part, prosperity only to find that Afghanistan is the one place on God's beautiful Earth where peace and prosperity have never existed. We find ourselves not comprehending how it can be that the people here don't seem to want things we take for granted. The Taliban and Al Qaeda knew exactly what they were doing by making Afghanistan their base of operations for launching their dastardly attacks of September 11, 2001. In doing so they knew we'd come to Afghanistan and inexorably become sucked into the vortex of violence that is this country. When the war was about expelling the Taliban and Al Qaeda it was simple and easy. But the war became something infinitely more complex. How many nations have come and gone before us in the name of peace and prosperity for Afghanistan? In the end they all left and Afghanistan remained as a desolate, war-torn place of tribal bickering, crime, and death. Now we've reached the point where after 12 years of expending blood on behalf of the people of Afghanistan their government can't even agree on a security agreement with us without demanding an apology. An apology? Would they rather still be ruled by the Taliban? For that matter, did the Afghan government demand an apology from the Taliban? Never mind that the Taliban practically single-handedly destroyed what little fabric of society remained in this country, obliterated artifacts from its history, and murdered tens of thousands in the process. I feel a foreboding that very soon we are going to do exactly like we did in Iraq - cut sling rope and high-tail it out of this place. And Afghanistan will be once again left with war, tribal bickering, crime, death, and the Taliban.

We Soldier on because we believe in each other. It may sound selfish to say this but the reason we still shoulder the burden in this shitty place is for the person to our left and right. Not one of us will falter nor fail so long as we have each other.

In between all the meetings...

Brief flurries of productivity interrupted by meetings... Such is life around here. It never ceases to amaze me how some people become infatuated at seeing a need for more meetings. Normally they are folks that I work for. For the life of me I don't understand the urgency of having redundant gatherings to discuss the exact same topics, conduct a repeat in-progress review (IPR), or go over the same PowerPoint production for the umpteenth time. But, I guess, some folks just have too much time on their hands. I keep promising myself and others that I'll never be that Officer who lives in an analysis-to-paralysis of PowerPoint slides designed to hold my subordinates hostage for 23 out of 24 hours daily. If the stars align and I'm seen fit to advance to General Officer level I pledge to be the most subordinate user friendly, low maintenance person of my rank around. Alas, it appears I am ranting a bit. It's well placed rant. My command is extremely productive towards mission success as long as we aren't getting interrupted by another meeting.

The past few days have been a continuation of the whirlwind of activity that we live here. Bagram is actually starting to show evidence of the work we've tried to stay focused on. The old wooden b-huts are now dropping like flies. New, hardened buildings and billeting areas are coming on line. Soldiers are being shuffled around into better living conditions. There are less vehicles on the road, which has brought about a noticeable decline in transit times around base. I am quite pleased with the incredible things that we're accomplishing. It is a fundamental transformation of this massive base into a much more efficient, less-populous, and significantly more modern installation. There have been many Garrison teams that have come before mine to manage this place. But my team is the one charged with the historic reduction of Bagram. For the next few days we get to also enjoy Thanksgiving decorations while we work. It's appropriate because we've become family through the course of our shared labor and hardship. As family we'll spend our Thanksgiving together.

That's not to say we aren't thinking of our friends and family right now. We do. My mind is always with those I love.  Deployments are always the hardest for everyone over the holidays. But we persevere. Mission first!

Technical Difficulties

There are times when deployment nuisances can be a real pain. I've been beset by those of late. My blog has suffered as a result. It started around three weeks ago. I was in my room late one evening checking email, skyping, and the other usual stuff. We have a very substandard Internet service here for personal use called Sniperhill. It isn't free. To the contrary, it is way overpriced for the service it delivers. But I digress. Back to the story, I was online when BAM! My crappy Toshiba laptop was frozen by a virus that completely locked it up. Multiple attempts to get it back in service proved fruitless. Thus ended my Internet access from my room. Unfortunately, I have never been able to get my wireless router to work with Sniperhill so I could not revert to using my iPad. Now this situation was not a hindrance to my blog, as I could still access it through my work computer. Fast forward two weeks and BOOM! Those crazy signal-OPSEC types that run our server decided to block the Blogger web page. This left me no option but to revert to my iPad for blog entries. Ah but remember the wireless challenge in my room? My only recourse for the moment is to walk over to the passenger terminal for the military flights and use the free SPAWAR wireless there. Using the touchpad on a mini iPad to write a blog entry makes for interesting fun. So now I hope you will understand why I've been silent of late. Well, a busy workload played a hand in that too.

Bagram is working up to a fever pitch of activity. Units are "ripping" out. New units are arriving. Facilities and billets are being torn down or relocated. Thanksgiving and Christmas are rapidly approaching, which adds to the general homesick feeling we all endure daily. And the weather is turning cold. The mountains that surround us are all snow capped. Every day is a blur of meetings that can last into the evening. Plans are proposed, approved, or sent back to the drawing board. The cycle continues.

However we do find time for community activities that break the monotony. This past week I spent a couple of hours at the Polish compound to attend their National Day activities. This included speeches, awards ceremonies, and military displays. It was culminated by a feast of Polish favorites. I can't say I enjoyed them all but I did like the cheeses, smoked meats, the strange egg dish, and the grilled chicken. I also enjoyed the grilled kielbasa but suffered later for it during my afternoon run.

At this point I'm about ready to give in and buy a new laptop. Technical challenges can always be fixed. Sometimes you have to pay for them in order to overcome. Stay tuned.

Happy Veterans Day!

Lonely MRAP provides perimeter security

Veterans' Day was originally known as Armistice Day. It was a day set aside to honor the fallen of the Great War of 1914-1918 in which the youth of Europe were slaughtered in the muddy mire of trench warfare. The armistice that ended the war went into effect on "the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. On that minute the guns fell silent. The Allied Nations later all began commemorating that moment through the celebration of Armistice Day. After another great war shook the globe - World War II - many countries changed the name of Armistice Day to Remembrance Day to honor the fallen of both of these great conflicts. In the United States the name was changed to Veterans' Day in order to honor all who had served both past and present. Since World War II, the United States has added many more to the honored roles of those who have served. Korea, Vietnam, Operation Urgent Fury, Panama, and Operation Desert Storm added millions more names to the list of those who had served our Nation's wars. When the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked on September 11, 2001, it heralded an entirely new wave of Veterans who would serve in Afghanistan and Iraq. I knew my life would change forever when the Twin Towers fell. I was right. I'm now part of a unique breed of Veterans. We have served on multiple tours to both Iraq and Afghanistan in a conflict that has now spanned over a decade. This will be my fourth Veterans' Day spent in a combat zone, in the heart of a war. I am not alone. I am here with some of the best of the best our Nation has ever produced. Together we stand proud to serve and know a bond to each other that many others will never know. We serve for each other.

As with other holidays we are used to celebrating back home, today is just another day for us. While we take the time to wish one another well, we have a job to do that takes priority. At the same time, I have never seen anyone show bitterness of knowing our friends and family back home have a day off to celebrate. Instead, we are just thankful that our loved ones back home have the opportunity to enjoy today. It is heartwarming to know they are thinking of us. If anything, our morale is always the highest on days like today. As for me? I am thankful for the long tradition of service my family has rendered. I'm just the latest in a long line of those who have served in wartime dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War. It's almost second nature. Even while I am here in Bagram I have a nephew who is also spending this Veterans' Day with his Army comrades in a designated combat zone. I'm sure he is enjoying today sharing the same sentiments we all have in this situation. Both of us also managed to get a phone call in yesterday to my Marine Dad to wish him happy 238th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Yes, service runs in our blood.

So on this day I wish everyone back home a Happy Veterans' Day from Afghanistan. Enjoy today and raise your glasses to all of my comrades past and present. Do so knowing that we've got your back always. Our Nation will always remain free so long as we have heroes such as those I've served with who stand ready to guard the ramparts when we are threatened. It's business as usual here in Bagram but we never forget what today is all about. All we ask is that folks back home never forget what today is about either. Never forget and we will celebrate many Veterans' Days together to come.

Colonels - Brought up on '80's

Journey Unauthorized - another of our MWR events

As with any other location I've been deployed to, Bagram has its share of celebrity visitors. They come here to entertain the troops courtesy of the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR). It just so happens that the MWR directorate works for me. That means I have the inside scoop on all the incoming acts. Our most recent visitors were a Journey cover band appropriately named "Journey Unauthorized". Back in the '80's, Journey was a very popular band from San Francisco. They were known for their love ballads, which were belted out by the silky-sweet voice of Steve Perry. As the '80's came to a close the band faded as well - burned out I guess. But their music - just like other songs from the '80's - endured. It's almost impossible these days to go to a karaoke venue and not here somebody shredding Journey hits like "Don't Stop Believin'"or "Send Her My Love". When I first learned we had a Journey cover band coming I was skeptical. I was never a huge fan and, quite frankly, I was worried they might not be a big draw for the younger personnel. But my skepticism proved unfounded. Journey Unauthorized came and conquered Bagram young and old. They rocked.

The night prior to the concert was my normal cigar night with some of my counterparts from the Air Force. We always meet up on top of the old Russian control tower to smoke our cigars, drink near beer, swap stories, and enjoy the panoramic view of Bagram. This particular night was the coldest we've had yet so we stayed bundled up in our fleeces. Around 2000 one of the MWR folks came up and asked if we'd mind being joined by the band members, who had arrived earlier that day. They had flown in from Oman, where they had performed the previous night. We invited them up to join us. I was surprised to find them all very normal guys. It turned out that their stage personas were just an act - right down to the wigs. In reality, they were just some good dudes who enjoy playing cover music and do a great job at it too. The lead singer also performs in a Led Zeppelin cover band. The keyboardist used to have his own band and even released a solo album back in 1999. They were all very thankful to be in Bagram to spend time with us. We showed them the base from the tower and answered questions about the base and our operations (keeping OPSEC in mind
 of course). They visited with us for about an hour and then headed to their billets for the night. We continued our cigars, swapped notes on the band, and promised each other we'd all be at the concert the next night.

The show was held in "The Clamshell", which is a tent facility conveniently located across the street from my HQ. I walked over just before start time to find the place full of people of all ages. They were all eager to hear the concert. Colonels and Sergeants Major had VIP seating, which was irrelevant once the show began because we all rushed to the base of the stage. When the band kicked off I was struck by how good they were. They sound exactly like Journey in every way. I looked around and saw that all of us were singing along to every single song. Did I really remember every single Journey song? Apparently I did because I was enthusiastically bouncing to every tune. Journey Unauthorized rocked The Clamshell. The faux Steve Perry crooned the ladies as expected and everyone was enjoying the event. Just before their final song they called me and several other of the Colonels on stage to thank us for letting them perform in Bagram. Then they let us stay on to help them out with "Don't Stop Believin'". Each of us even got a chance to belt out a few words of the lyrics. It was really an awesome moment and the rank and file of the audience were thrilled.

Colonels hang with Journey Unauthorized

After the show the band patiently waited for every single person in attendance who wanted a photo or autograph. Once the long line of fans filed through the old Colonels made their way over for a photo. The band broke out their own cameras for this one. It was a night we'll all remember. Even in the middle of a war we can still be teenagers again for a few moments of fun. We Colonels are all products of the '80's. We proved it on this night. Thank you Journey Unauthorized for giving everyone at Bagram such a memorable evening. You put the MWR in MWR. You rocked!