100 Days of Wind

Somebody told me several months ago that I’d know when spring gave way to summer because the rain would stop and the wind would begin. I don’t remember who it was that told me this. He was well informed. It’s aptly referred to as the “100 Days of Wind”. Back in early May when I returned from R&R there were still frequent thunder storms and late night rain. We even had a massive hail storm. But as May transitioned to June the rains tapered off. That’s when the wind started. It has been windy every single day. Sometimes the wind blows in gusts so hard they literally stop me in my tracks. They gusts have even been known to knock me backwards (I’m not a really big guy). What I find amazing is that the wind just keeps on blowing. I think we’ve had a wind for about 40 straight days now. It the count is correct, I can expect the wind to stop blowing about two weeks before I redeploy. It’s not dust storms like what many of us experienced in Iraq. Those terrible things would block out the sun and choke the life out of anyone dumb enough to remain outside. No, the wind here just serves as a nuisance. It blows up grit and garbage and makes outdoor physical training a challenge. But, fortunately, there are no roving clouds of impenetrable dust descending upon Bagram. It’s just windy.

Another big difference from my days in Iraq is the temperature. By this time of summer in Iraq the temperatures would be soaring above 130 degrees. We’ve only been topping out in the 90’s here. It’s actually downright nice at night, with temperatures in the low 60’s. I don’t know if it is going to remain this pleasant but we certainly hope it does. Anyway, I hope it does. Anything that can take the edge off of being at Bagram is always welcome.