100 days and counting down

There are times here when it seems as though time stands still. Then other moments when there isn’t enough time in the day to tackle everything we are attempting to accomplish. Somewhere in the middle of this time contradiction is the methodical march of the calendar. It moves to the steady drumbeat of my routine of meetings, Bagram circulation, phone calls, random IDF, eating, working out, and catching a few precious moments of sleep. Today was my 265th of this tour in Afghanistan. There are 100 days and counting down to go. So long as I keep my promise to my Mom – and I will – the logic states that the next 100 days will be the last I ever spend deployed in harm’s way. Looking back on my adventures of the past eleven years, which have all had a story of their own, I can add the cumulative months and years of running to the sound of the guns. When my Afghanistan journey ends in September I will have spent 61 months on various tours. That’s five years with a month to spare. Put another way, that’s 1,856 days enjoying the lovely scenery of the Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq, living here in the shadow of the Hindu Kush, experiencing the deep jungles of Liberia, and sizzling in the blistering Kuwaiti sun. What a decade it’s been. Now I just need to make it through these final 100 days. I’ve certainly got enough on my plate to keep me occupied for that time. None of what I’ve said is meant to indicate I’m also leaving the Army – to the contrary. But my body and my mind are telling me day and night that the novelty of this deployment stuff wore off a long time ago. It’s time to admit that I’ve done my part and move on.

Bagram continues to be the preeminent, dominating, all-consuming entity it always has been. But strangely enough, the battlefield lately seems to be within the perimeter walls. Whereas just a couple of months ago my command was almost going it alone in our efforts to reduce this base, nowadays several entities have cast their lot and are clamoring for the credit of taming Bagram. The problem is that none of them want to accept that any work has been done up to now. And to make that assumption is both incorrect and insulting to efforts of so many people who have toiled for so long to bring Bagram to where it is now. The base is only a fraction of what it was back in September when I arrived. It most certainly didn’t happen overnight. But to the late-comers to this race to an enduring Bagram, the work has only just begun. Regardless, the light is at the end of the tunnel. The work is getting done. When all is said and done I’m not really hung up on who gets credit, just so long as we accomplish our mission.

In the midst of all the base reduction we were able to finally give something back to the tenants of Bagram. They’ve been relocated, endured reduced menus in the DFACs, closure of services they are so fond of, and living a much more “expeditionary” existence. Yesterday we were able to open the new main PX, which will serve the base through the end of 2015. I was invited by the AAFES manager to speak at the grand opening and then had the honor of cutting the ribbon signaling the PX was open for business. A huge crowd was eagerly waiting. I kept my words short and provided ample praise to the AAFES personnel. Then I let everyone know that this facility was for them. They poured in as the doors opened. Smiles were abundant. Many people came up to thank me for the occasion. I deferred praise to others and reminded them that the new facility was for them. I believe it was one of the best days I’ve spent on this deployment. For a few short hours I was in a place where everyone was happy and nobody was complaining or making demands. Then I returned to work.