April 1 (Day 173)

Looking back on the last couple of weeks, I see that I was a little discombobulated. Our current higher headquarters is redeploying back to the states; this means requests for a lot of information, albeit it is really the same info in different formats/spreadsheets/charts etc… It all depends who which section wants it. This obviously leads to a lot of overlap, but also to miscommunication and lost info. A couple of times this past week I have been included in groups of people who have not done “something,” when in fact I did, so I have to resend the previous email (so the date is shown), so I am off the hook. Another transfer of personnel affects our operations at the APO, and that is a new “system” to move mail. We are transitioning to moving mail by air, not all of it of course, but enough to take some of the load off of convoys. The idea is to keep our guys off the ground. I applaud the theme, but I don’t think the powers that be realize what is involved here, so we are going to do a trial run, conduct an after action review, and see what needs fixing and how to do it. The last big thing that has been on my mind is my promotion board (which convenes tomorrow). I have been busy coordinating getting my file prepared to give myself the best chance possible of being selected (thanks to my parents and CPT DeAngelis!).

We had a personnel shift recently, sending one of my NCOs to KAF and bringing one of my Soldiers to Shindand. I think it will be better, since my NCO can keep track of the troops there and keep me and my platoon sergeant informed of goings on. I felt a little disconnected from my troops at KAF, not knowing whether all was well, and it was difficult to communicate directly with them. Hopefully the new set-up will mitigate this.

Encountered a little setback with the projects I want to complete. I needed certain pieces of paperwork in order to be able to get supplies from the depot. I managed to get the paperwork, but some accounting codes didn’t match, so it is a no-go. I am now going to wait until the new company is in place in a couple of weeks, and start over. I don’t want to wait, but really don’t have a choice. By the time I get this fiasco fixed, the company will be leaving, and I’ll be starting over anyway. Gotta love government bureaucracy! LOL

My friend deWayne put together a mortgage amortization spreadsheet for me. I have actually had some fun messing with it, seeing how increases in principle payments decreases the loan term. It has definitely showed me the benefit of adding principle each month. Thanks for the assist, deWayne!

Enjoying the nice weather we are having. It has consistently been in the upper 70s, maybe lower 80s during the day, with cool nights – lower 60s maybe? I would love it if it stayed like this the rest of my tour, but alas it is not likely to be. I am sure we will be getting higher temps once summer is upon us. Someone was in the APO the other day saying it will get into the 120s. I believe he thinks we are in Iraq. From what I have seen, the averages through the summers here in Shindand don’t rise to 100⁰, although 111⁰ has been the highest recorded in the last decade. Let’s hope we don’t have that this year!

Been doing some running, which is definitely not my favorite activity (but I still have PT tests to pass), and have been timing sub-eight minute miles for 4 miles. This is not a fast enough pace for my 2-mile PT run, of course, but hope this longer distance running will help me improve my test time. Speaking of PT tests, they just came out with the new version. It will have a one-minute push-up, one-minute rower (similar to a sit-up), 60-yard shuttle sprint, standing long jump, and still the 2-mile run. Presumably, the new test will be administered to the Army at large later this year.

I can’t believe it is April! Not that I am complaining. April means our half-way mark through our deployment, and three months from my R&R, which will see my first visit to Europe. I can’t wait! Well, maybe I can since I really don’t have a choice! To be sure, July will be here before I know it. As much as I am looking forward to the trip, seeing my family will much sweeter.

Well, I’ve gone on long enough. I hope to not have so much time go by before posting again. Until next time…

March 18 (Day 160)

Well, another week down! It is again Sunday morning here in Afghanistan, and I am working my normal volunteer hours at the USO. I live for Sundays, since it is the one day where I don’t have to stay in the office. That is not the case today, for I need to finish writing a letter to the president of my promotion board, as well as put together a reference letter for a contractor who works at the post office. I am hoping it doesn’t take too long to complete these tasks, since I want to spend some time at the gym today.

One of my Soldiers, SSG Arellano, was selected for promotion this past E-7 board. The results came out last week. My E-7, SFC Stepherson, looked at the results online and called SSG A to congratulate him, and he didn’t even know yet! He had not looked up the results himself. It was so funny! He even has a low number (below 200). It was very good news.

I scanned an article this week about Willow Smith and her new shoes. Evidently, they cost almost $700, and were some sort of tennis shoe with a high-heel…without the actual heel. Very bizarre! The bigger question of course is does an 11-year old (or anybody really) need shoes that cost that much? I must say, even if I was a billionaire, I bet I would still buy $50 sneakers!

I finished reading “The Bourne Sanction,” sixth in the series, last night. Excellent read. I am enjoying the series. There are three more already published, with another due this year. I probably mentioned this before, but given what I have read post-“Ultimatum” I need to read the actual original trilogy. It seems some significant changes were made to the movie adaptations. Not to say the movies weren’t great, because they were. I just need to make sure to get novels not based on the movies. I started a new Prey novel by John Sandford. “Storm Prey” is 20^th in the series, centered on a MN detective who is assigned special cases deemed either too political for the average policeman, or simply too dangerous. Great reads! I am also reading “The Sigma Protocol,” the last novel written by Robert Ludlum, although published posthumously. If you have never read a Ludlum novel, you are missing out. Lastly, I am about half-way through T2: Infiltrator. This one is on my Kindle.

Getting ready to watch “24: Redemption” this afternoon to prep for season 7 of “24.” This is the next to last season. I am enjoying re-watching the series. Sounds like the upcoming movie may not happen…again! Seems timing is everything. I am quite disappointed; I was really looking forward to another go with Jack Bauer.

Just spoke with Mom on Skype, which is always enjoyable. Times like those bring me closer to home, making my time away easier to tolerate. Thanks, Mom (and Dad when he is there)!

Weather continues to improve. We reached the 70s the last few days, a welcome relief to the colder temperatures we experienced through the winter months. I have had people tell me to watch out for the summer months, how hot it is. I tell them I am from Texas, and further discussion is moot! LOL

Well, it is time to go. Until next time…

March 10 (Day 152)

Yes, it has been a while since I have posted anything. It has been slow at work, but at the same time I have been busy/occupied. I know it is a dichotomy, but it is the truth. The APO is running pretty smoothly, and that is good.

My site lead went on emergency leave a week ago; his father (in his 80s) fell and broke a hip if I remember correctly and he is in a wheelchair for the time being. Evidently, this gentleman is very independent, and is not adjusting too well. So, I am working with his stand-in, who is a good guy as well; he just did not have a lot of train-up time, actually just one evening, to learn the daily grind. We have managed to make things work so far. Fortunately, there have not been any unusual circumstances recently. One of our contractors left (for good) this past week, we have a replacement, and we are helping him adjust to our operations (he came from another APO).

I worked on my monthly audit of the contractors this past week. There are almost 200 questions covering the contract to consider. It can be mind-numbing at times. In addition, I have had to keep up on the myriad other reports etc… sitting on my plate – weekly operations, monthly inventories, equipment status; the list seems to go on forever! LOL

Yesterday, I was finally able to get paperwork together to take to the new maintenance folks. They can now put us in their computer system as a customer. This means if we need some maintenance help or fabrication, we are now able to put in a request.  I also went by the Supply Support Activity (SSA) with paperwork to get added to their system. Sometime next week I will be able to go there and do a “walkthrough” (get something on hand) for supplies and material. I am not able to actually order items yet, since the charge account is at Kandahar, and so the items would go to their SSA. That would entail getting someone there to forward it on to Shindand. I am working on a solution so I can order items and have them sent here directly.

The temperature is on the rise once again, for which I am thankful. I am like, so over the cold, like, you know? J It is actually supposed to get into the upper 70s and maybe low 80s the end of next week. I can’t wait. I heard this morning that we were lucky with the rainy season. Usually it is a lot wetter here during the winter. We did have some serious rains, so I would hate to see what is “normal.” Bring on the dry and warm season!

I have started either skipping DFAC lunch, or just having some snack in my room. I feel I was eating too much. Even if I tell the DFAC employee “just a little bit of” whatever, a large amount is put on the plate. Plus, this allows me to spend some more time in the gym, which is sometimes necessary, since it can get busy, which delays my program. Taking off today (Saturday) of course, but will make it up tomorrow. I have a couple of specialized workouts I toss in on occasion (“Spartacus” and push-up varieties). I don’t want to get caught up in a dull workout.

My parents and my former supervisor have been collaborating to help square away my promotion packet. Being deployed does make it difficult to provide documentation for proof of education and such. I am blessed to have these individuals provide such assistance. My parents made a 2-hour drive to get to my storage unit to look for a box to which the exact location was unknown. There was no guarantee of success (fortunately they found it). My former boss, and friend, met my parents to get the paperwork and get them properly “vetted.” I sincerely thank all three.

Until next time...

February 29 (Day 139 - reset)

I’d prefer not starting on a bad note, and seems a bit “rantish”, but it is reality; besides this is my blog! J

There are some words to describe the atmosphere since the last time I wrote – frustrating, disappointing, and upsetting.  The one link between these words is that of a negative connotation. It started with my leadership going behind my back by transferring one of my Soldiers to KAF from the FOB to which she was assigned.  I knew some shifting was going to take place. A couple of weeks ago, my Commander called me to let me know what was coming down the pike. He told me to put together a course of action regarding reassignment of my Soldiers with the assumption of decreasing the number of military personnel at my ancillary FOBs from two to one. My Platoon Sergeant and I worked out a solution, and I waited for notification from my Commander that we were pulling the trigger. Instead, I was kept in the dark while MY Soldier was moved without my knowledge or input. Believe me, I was just a little nonplussed – okay, I was livid! Sure, they have the authority to do what they want, but not to at least tell me was very unprofessional, not to mention plain rude. Just another lesson on what NOT to do when (and if) I make rank. I am honestly not sure how much I can trust my leadership at this point. This is only the latest “incident” in a series; this one is just so much more blatant. I wonder if they really have our best welfare in mind.

We had some visitors from my Company at KAF visiting a couple of weeks ago. They did some leg work trying to get bids on NTVs (non-tactical vehicles, i.e. trucks), so that we would have more flexibility getting around our FOB, to complete our mission. They took the bids back to KAF with them; they then put packets together to present to the Battalion for approval. I received an email from one of the SSGs saying that our new Battalion thought the packet was all wrong, and that we needed to get “fresh” bids and put new packets together. Why they couldn’t build new packets with the existing bids (less than two weeks old) is beyond me. IF I were to get new bids and push them up, it would take another couple of weeks to go through the process, and we would be right back where we started. They must think I am a fool. It is obvious they have no intention of authorizing us vehicles (this is not my first rodeo with this matter), and they are just having me spin my wheels, laying out false hope that my endeavors will produce fruit. I am not a fool, so we gave them what they wanted, and dropped the issue. I am not bound to waste my time, or my Soldier’s, on a dead-end project, when we have other things that need to get done. I will be interested to see the reaction when we get visitors (some are coming in a couple of weeks) and they have to take the bus because we lack the capacity to provide transportation. This group won’t be of the lower enlisted, I assure you.

The worst thing that has happened relates to my upcoming promotion board. The Army has what they call ORBs (Officer Record Briefs), which basically relates pertinent information about an officer. It has military and civilian education sections, as well as awards, dates of previous promotions, contact info, special skills, etc… I talked to my branch manager the other night who gave me some disturbing news. It seems that a good bit of info related on my ORB has no documentation to go with it. It was verified at the “local” level and input into my ORB, but the paperwork was not scanned to “HQ,” so now I run the risk of having this important information pulled off my record, making me less competitive, and looking like an idiot. I mean, I have served all these years and have nothing to show for any of my successes? That is what the board members will be thinking. It is possible I could get passed over for promotion. It would not be a big deal if I was at home, since I have all my paperwork. However, that is not the case, and everything is in storage.  I am trying to find a workaround. Needless to say, the past couple of weeks have been stressful.

 On the plus side, the weather has started to improve. It got into the 50s by this past weekend, and due to hit almost 70 today. Besides not having to wear what little cold weather gear I have to work etc.., it is nice to be able to go to the gym or shower in just shorts and t-shirt. It also has dried out significantly. We had quite the bout of rain the middle of last week.

I have been keeping up with the gym, taking off only one day a week. I throw in a day or two of running each week to give my muscles a little more rest. I made it out onto the running track yesterday, instead of using the treadmill, since the temperature was nice. Managed to run my 2 miles in 14:36, and this on a less than ideal track. On a regular track, I bet I could do 14:00. I started off benching about 135 a couple of weeks ago, and managed to do 185 the other day. My goal is to press 200 by the middle of March.

Finished season 5 of “24.” Boy I miss that show! I switched to “NCIS” to get a little break; currently in season 5, and enjoying it of course. It is probably my favorite show currently airing back in the States. I can’t imagine how much catching up I will have to do when I get back home, given all the shows I would be tracking. I will have to take leave just to have the time! Still continue to read as well; currently engrossed in three novels – T2: Infiltrator (S.M. Stirling), Intercept (Patrick Robinson), and Middle of Nowhere (Ridley Pearson). I have a couple more hardbacks waiting, along with a couple on my Kindle. Need to get more in hand soon, so I will not be without!

Well, that is all for now. Until next time…

February 18 (Day 131)

Well, a few things have gone on at work this week. We had some visitors come in to perform an “inspection.” I would consider it something between and inspection and audit actually, and it did not involve just the APO, but DHL as well, since we are joined at the hip to get the mission done. Two gentlemen came, one from the Military Postal Service Agency and one from the Joint Military Postal Agency. You can tell by the names of their employers that these were “big wigs.” We at the APO did learn a few additional things we need to do or monitor. These were things not brought to our attention before, and we will be making adjustments.

I coordinated to have two more containers moved onto our yard. They take up more space, but are necessary to keep the mission going. They are actually on the ground, but after seeing what one of my other APOs did (will explain shortly), this will change. We are expecting an influx of personnel here from several units here in RC-W (regional command –west), so one of the containers is going to be used for unit mail sort. The other will be utilized as a second supply container. The single container we had was overburdened and disorganized. With two, we can solve this.

Our 4K forklift broke this past week. The brakes went out. We are relying on our 10K forklift to do all the moving, but this is less than ideal. This piece of equipment is cumbersome and less maneuverable. It also does not allow for stacking pallets without the significant possibility of damaging mail. This is a problem on the yard, as more of our limited space is used. It is also an issue for the convoy containers, which take stacked pallets. This essentially means that our effectiveness is reduced 50% since containers go out half-full. We again have to try to get air assets to help; otherwise we will have mail held up on the yard, waiting to go out. Of course, I am working on getting the 4K turned in for maintenance and repaired, and returned to us for use. Don’t know how long that will take.

I paid a visit to one of my SAPOs (satellite post office), in Farah, this week. Two of my Soldiers work there. They have a nice facility; a hard building versus a tent like I have. It is organized and clean, unlike mine which is more disheveled. My “moneyman” here at Shindand had to do his monthly audit, so I accompanied him. It was my first time at this location. They have made a lot of improvements to their operations, which gave me an idea to improving mine. Remember those containers I mentioned earlier? Well, they have a couple of containers on the ground, parallel to each other, but with a fairly large gap in between (essentially a walkway to the rear door). They then stacked a couple of containers, perpendicular to the ground ones, and bridging the gap. They also built some wooden stairs to provide access to the upper containers. I think I will do the same thing at Shindand. We’ll get back our “floor” space, and still have room for storage etc…

I rode in a Blackhawk for my trip. That was the first time. It was a neat experience, but being that the weather is not really warm, it made for a cold experience. Unlike my first helicopter trip in a closed aircraft, the Blackhawk is equipped with M60 machine guns on the sides, and so a nice breeze is afforded to the occupants. I am sure it would be more enjoyable during warmer climes. We were lucky to make it back when we did. Ours was held up for weather delay most of the day, so the possibility of staying another night in Farah was ever-present. Fortunately, we did make it back. The mission to Farah was at night, and let me tell you, without many lights, it is pretty dark out there in the wilderness. It wasn’t black, but rather like looking through a gray fog at charcoal and dark gray. I couldn’t see the horizon either. It was kind of eerie.

Shindand had a significant amount of rain while I was gone. I had to trudge through the mud from the helipad area to my tent last night. At least it wasn’t actively raining. It also feels warmer than a couple days ago, which I appreciate!  

Finished season 4 of “24” and started season 5. I think this was the only time the seasons were linked. At the start of season 5, it says, “previously on 24,” and heralds back to the previous season. I like that. I am in for another week (or so) of being hooked on the show.  I need to look into the movie status, see what the current news is. I only wish I could see it in the theater, but last I read it was going to be released late summer, early fall. Guess I can’t have everything!

Well, that is all for now. Until next time...

February 12 (Day 125)

Hello all. It has been a "slow" week here. That doesn't mean things haven't been happening, just nothing that has had me running around going crazy.

We have had visitors from Kandahar most of this week. They are from my company, and were here originally to conduct hands-on training for urinalysis testing, and yes we had a practical exercise. The visitors are two E-7s and an E-8. They stuck around and have been helping me with several other agendas, namely getting set-up to finish the building projects I want to get done, as well as trying to get us civilian vehicles.

Finally mailed the bracelets and keychains I made for some students of a teacher friend of mine. A pic was posted earlier. It was fun making them and I hope the kids enjoy them. I am contemplating my next paracord project now.

In the middle of season 4 of "24". This is probably the season I remember the least. It is still great, just a lot more  that I had forgotten compared to other seasons. Will try to catch several more episodes today, after I get a couple of things done at work, and following the gym. Also finished a couple of books this week, which means I have started some new ones. I updated my authors/book spreadsheet this week, verifying I have listed all the current offerings. It also was of value to see which books I need to get.

Do you know what I miss? Paved roads. I cannot wait to get back home and be able to walk on even, smooth surfaces. Everything here is so rocky and lopsided. It sure gets old! I also miss wearing a variety of clothes. The loungewear I got for Christmas doesn't count. :) It will be nice to put on a pair of jeans and one of my beloved t-shirts! I could even go with one of my suits! Ha! Isn't it funny the little things we take for granted?

After one day of "warmer" weather, the temp has again plunged to the depths of Hades. Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder. When will winter end I wonder? I look forward to warmer weather, and my understanding is that it doesn't get near as hot here as Iraq. Guess we'll found out soon (hopefully!).

Anyway, like I mentioned, not a lot happening currently. Apologize for the lack of revelation or insight, but sometimes that is how it goes. Until next time...

February 5 (Day 118)

It has been an interesting last few days. The middle of last week saw a couple of days with straight rain, mostly a good downpour, but with some scattered drizzle on occasion. It was also cold, which made for miserable conditions. Even though we have a lot of rocks all over the ground, there are areas that are a little bare, so we get muddy patches, which I have to walk through (there’s no short way around). I have to be careful in these areas, especially if I am wearing my PT gear (not regular uniform), because I am wearing my tennis shoes, and the pants are black, which shows splashes of “ick” real easily. Afterwards, we kept the cold, lost the rain, and gained the wind. And when I say wind, I really mean wind, not to the point where you have to lean into it to stay upright, but it was pretty close. Remember, I do not have any of extreme cold weather gear, so I do suffer some in cold conditions, even if I am not actually outside that long. The wind finally died down to a great extent yesterday. We still have some gusts, but I am glad the endless wind is gone for now.  I included a couple pics of a rainbow that presented itself after the rains. It was a pleasant sight.

Our generator quit last night about 2200. I had gone to bed around 2130, and it was comfortable in our tent. Woke up feeling like it was rather cool in the tent, and it was only half an hour later! I don’t think the actual temperature inside the tent was much warmer than that outside, and the differential was probably due to the wind. I can tell you it felt like it was in the 50s in the tent! I went to our “mayor’s cell” to let them know something was wrong, so they could put in a work order. One of my Soldiers ended getting up around 2245 because of the cold, and got the generator started. Glad he is mechanically inclined! So now, the air is blowing, which is warmer than the temp outside, but it was not as warm as it usually is. Looks like the heating element part of the system is kaput! Then the generator stopped on its own again this morning, right before I was due to get up, so I stopped by the cell to put in another work order while on the way to work.

Remember the fiasco I faced when I first arrived in dealing with getting mail to Chaghcharan? Well, had the same issue this week; several days of cancelled flights due to weather. We have another scheduled flight, and hopefully this one will go out. I do not want to wait until the next regular flight, which is not for several days. At least this time, no one got on me about what I am doing to get it out! I still let everyone know the status of course, but it seems they understand there are no real alternatives, and we just have to deal with it day by day.  

Found out last night that BG Hildner, 13^th ESC Commander (my chain of command at Ft. Hood) passed away here in Afghanistan on Friday. His death is apparently from natural causes, but an investigation is still being conducted. He is the highest ranking American to die in the Afghanistan conflict. I met him a couple of times back home. I liked him; I found him to be intelligent, considerate, and caring of the troops. He just received his star right before I deployed.

I finished a couple of books this week, and have started a couple more, so working on three at the moment. They are “The Charlestown Connection” by Tom MacDonald, on my Kindle, “Middle of Nowhere” by Ridley Pearson, and “Intent to Kill” by James Grippando. I am rather enjoying them all. I finished season 4 of “NCIS” the other day. Started season five last night. A little disappointed with the fact it was a shorter season (by 6 episodes) than the rest, so it won’t take as long to watch. I will start season 4 of “24” today. Will likely get through 4 episodes, and then get into “Intent to Kill.” 

One other item on my agenda today is to make a video for a friend of mine who teaches middle schoolers. They adopted my platoon and sent us some stuff during the holidays. The bracelets and keychains in my last posts pics are for the kids as well. 

Until next time...