AF Day 003

As I mentioned earlier, I arrived down range at FOB Smart. I am in a relatively safe location; Qalat is thought to be a Taliban family location, so ISAF personnel around here have potentially less of a threat in the immediate environs (knock on wood). My counterpart from USACE and I have a multitude of Army and Air Force active duty security personnel protecting me whenever I go outside the wire. I have had the opportunity to meet my local commander, as well with certain command and support staff, and certain PRT (construction management) staff. They are professional warfighters and civilians and a feeling of comfort comes easily having briefly observed the tasking of local staff and their demeanor.

Being assigned to PRT Zabul is thought to be a choice assignment here in Afghanistan (AF) by many US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) personnel due to the nature of working directly for a PRT rather than a larger USACE contingent. In lay terms, it would be similar to working for a lean branch office in a private sector construction firm with more overall resources and expertise than one could expect if they were working at a larger district office. I learned recently that I will be direct-managing many active or soon-to-be active projects simultaneously and will be performing both QC and QA for such. This is excellent news for me personally, as I always strive to achieve that which is both difficult in managing and rewarding all the same. PRT Zabul works with 100% Afghan Nationals who perform 100% of the work, so the local language and way of thinking will be a perfect challenge to work through routinely.

Kandahar Airfield (KAF) was hot like a mug the last several days! I did take an amazing sunrise photo over the runway this morning while waiting for my flight. Qalat, being approximately 5200 feet in elevation, is generally 10-15˚ cooler here on average. It routinely hits in the high 120˚s to low 130˚s at KAF (49˚-55˚C). KAF is an amazing conglomeration of more than 30,000 ISAF personnel from all over the world. It is literally a small city with similar benefits of a typical town of that size back home. No swimming pools... but plenty of ice-cold air conditioning.

My recent flights from Dulles to Dubai and the next day from Dubai to Kandahar were quite the long journey. I am grateful to be here and am looking forward to this experience. It goes without saying that I am still feeling the effects of time travel (jet lag) and will be fully rested in several more day/night cycles.

I have a local telephone number that allows me to work and place personal morale and welfare calls aplenty. With modern technological advances we have VoIP phones here that call anywhere in the world from our desk and/or our quarters – I have both. Pretty amazing! It is nice to be able to reach out to K&K, other family, and friends anytime needed.

Check out my blog when you have a chance for regular updates. I plan to take plenty of photos and video of everyday life here and there and everywhere for all to enjoy.

Chow is beckoning...

I love you, K&K.

Good night and good day.

AF Day 003

These photos were taken last week in Winchester, Virginia.

Cheesy grin?! Happy to be volunteering, YES! Hooah.

AF Day 003

I arrived at my duty location in Qalat, Afghanistan at approximately 1130 local time. I flew on a contract helicoptor from Kandahar Arifeild to FOB Lagman (Qalat, Afghanistan) where I awaited transfer to my duty location via Army convoy. My convoy consisted of the latest and greatest armored vehicles operated by some very special and professional US Army soldiers. I appreciated their assistance in moving me to my new home, which is all of less than two miles away from FOB Lagman.

I am stationed at FOB Smart working with PRT Zabul (PRT is Provincial Reconstruction Team). My duty assignment here in Afghanistan is unique in that while I am still a US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Construction Control Represntative (conrep), I am not directly assigned to work with USACE. Rather, I will work with a multinational team of engineers and construction managers (conreps) who manage construction projects geared to humanitarian efforts and other critically needed services for the local and greater Afghan population. I am very pleased to be where I am and look forward to getting boots on the ground!

I spoke with my wife a few moments ago; it was shortly after midnight her time when I called. I needed to hear her voice and followed through on my word of letting her know that I arrived safe and sound. Kimberly said Kaesen, as they were going to sleep hours ago, told her that his heart was breaking with me being away from him. Now, I can say this did hurt to hear, but it also warmed my heart beyond my capacity to describe. I know he is in the absolute best hands with his momma and I also know that they are there waiting for me and loving me from afar.

I am spending the remainder of the day getting my belongings squared away here in my quarters.

I miss you all and love you all beyond words.

143, K&K.

Good night and good day.

AF Day 002

Beautiful day here in Afghanistan. The weather is... hot, similar to an Arizona hot summer day, but with air conditioning less than what would normally be available in Arizona. We can expect 120-130 degrees here in the summer.

My in-processing is speeding along. I plan to fly out to my final AF destination in a day or so. Hooah!

K&K are fast asleep, as likely everyone in the US is right now. I miss them and y'all.

I love you, K&K.

Good night and good day.

AF Day 001

I arrived safely with my group at Kandahar Airfield (KAF) and have settled into my bunk, which is where I will be living for the next several days while we in-process into the war. The flights were unremarkable today, other than I was able to see and speak with Kimberly before we left Dubai using Skype.

I just ate at the Dining Facility (DFAC) with my group. There were hundreds of soldiers, airmen, foreign nationals, and other foreign military therein. There were five or more different chow lines with hot and cold food choices for the pickiest of pickers. I am so thankful for the ISAF, NATO, and joint decisions to provide these facilities for everyone, but especially for those who place their lives on the line day in and day out without regard fr their own safety.

Photos and videos are pending...

Flying over 10,000 miles wears the body and mind. I am ready for sleep.

I love you, K&K.

Good night and good day.

By the way, Afghanistan (AF), as in AF Day 001. Also, KAF is located about 50km away from Kandahar City, which is where y'all will hear 99% of the news relating to "Kandahar." Fifty kilometers is a long ways away!

Dubai UAE - Day Two

Good morning from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is 7:40 a.m. here, which puts it at 8:40 p.m. Pacific. I am feeling good this morning! The weather is warm, the city is beautiful, and the people are friendly and helpful. We board our flight in 20 minutes.

I love you, K&K.

Good night and good day.

Dubai UAE - Day One

My flight arrived in Dubai 12 hours, 43 minutes after takeoff from Washington DC. The city was bright flying in at night. It is 2145 (9:45 p.m.) Dubai local time; 10:45 a.m. Pacific. Tomorrow should provide a dramatic view of the offshore islands under construction.

The flight was lengthy, long, tiring, exhausting, and unremarkable. I must say that the Boeing Triple 7 is a comfortable plane; from here on out, I will always strive to upgrade to Business Class or First Class whenever possible on such long flights abroad.

I love you, K&K, family, and friends.

Good night and good day.

Transatlantic Flight to Dubai

I am boarded on my Triple 7 and will soon be on my way to the Middle East enroute to Afghanistan. I'll land in approximately 13 hours. I love you, Kimberly, Kaesen, family, and friends.

UDC Day Five

We left the UDC facility at approximately 1200. It's real now. I'm excited to go. I'm also missing K&K.

We arrived at IAD (Dulles) in Washington DC at approximately 1430 and had our bags checked-in by approximately 1530. I enjoyed use of the USO Lounge at IAD, which provided free WiFi, free snacks, free drinks, comfortable seating, wonderful staff, and allowed for the sharing of stories and camaraderie between fellow traveling active duty, retired, and veteran service members, as well as my immediate group of US Army Corps of Engineers (Department of Army Civilians).

Later we are planning to head upstairs to the United Airlines Red Carpet Club ($50 one-day pass) to enjoy the benefits of First Class travel without the costs associated with such. Plus they also offer their guests free drinks (adult beverages), which will be the last chance for stateside drinks for those of us who chose for such before heading down range. Are you tracking with me?

I love you, K&K.

Good night and good day.

UDC Day Four

Tonight is my last night at the hotel here in Virginia. Tomorrow night I fly to the Middle East. We had another great day of training and briefings. I feel as though I am ready to go and serve now. Time flies fast when we are busy. I plan on being very busy for the next 13 months.

143, K&K.

Good night and good day.

UDC Day Three

Day Three began at 0505 for me and the work we completed today (training, briefings, first aid refreshers, etc.) was enjoyable. The local Channel 3 News was onsite today filming my class and interviewed several of us. I volunteered, but the other three were interviewed as I had other business come up.

Kimberly and Kaesen are driving through Portland momentarily with Kimberly's father, our two dogs, our cat, and all of the essentials K&K will require for the next 13 months. They appear to be making decent time; there is no rush regardless.

Tomorrow morning certain of our class departs for their duty assignments abroad while the remainder of us stays to complete additional specialized training specific to our career fields. Mine, for example, relates to customized software unique to the US Army Corps of Engineers for construction management (8 hours are devoted for such) and additional software for US Army construction staff. As an Army civilian, I have only my prior US Air Force to base my opinion, but this deployment process is outstanding, the instructors (half active duty US Army and half civilians) are very professional and genuinely appear to be concerned for our wellbeing.

As usual, I miss my loved ones although the constant state of training has immensely helped in moving forward during this transition.

I love you K&K!

Good night and good day.

UDC Day Two

Bedtime...

I was able to reach and speak with Kimberly, Kaesen, and my dad! I am quickly and immediately winding down this day/night and I find my tired self longing - again - for the sweet comfort of my wife and son.

You know, the thing that really stirs my spirit and lifts me up and above the longing is the realization that everything I am doing, will do, and want to do over the course of the next year is for the benefit of my country, for you my fellow citizens, and for the betterment of my family. You can take away all of the privileges, all of the incentives, the benefits, etc. and what you have leftover is the comforting peace of mind that no matter where you go or what happens, you stood up, you raised your hand when asked to do so, and you stepped into line to once again do your part as an American. I am here, standing, and I am happily and willingly serving.

I love this opportunity.

I love my family and my friends alike.

Good night and good day.

UDC Day Two

So, today went well - as expected. We reviewed many topics I had been trained on formally 20 years ago and new topics to me as well. The staff here is very professional and compassionate. We routinely hear after each briefing a "thank you for volunteering" or a "you are the reason why we are here, and we appreciate what you are doing." This entire experience is nothing short of amazing, for me at least, and I know that May 2012 is a long way off. However, right now it feels good to be where I am at and doing what I am volunteering to do soon.

Free chicken wings somewhere down the road right now. I am more interested in relaxing, resting, taking it easy, regaining complete composure (is this even possible), revitalizing, and generally going slow. The hotel hot tub is sounding almost, not quite but almost, as good as Mexican food does. Well, guess what? A Mexican restaurant just so happens to be a hop, skip, and a jump from my hotel!

Tomorrow we ship our excess baggage to our "down range (modern)" or "in country (1960s-1970s)" in-processing locations. We are allowed to ship an incredible quantity (roughly 125-lbs) and are limited to less than what one would normally fly with on commercial air for a weeklong vacation or trip. The latter relates to heat restrictions (think Arizona early 1990s and high-heat aircraft groundings) during our overseas portion of travel from the USA to the Middle East. Since I arrived with one 55-lb suitcase and one should bag, I will repack certain of my issued military gear and civilian gear to accommodate these restrictions.

We will also fill our day tomorrow with other unique and interesting training guaranteed to produce a well-prepared civilian for the rigors of extended deployments to the Middle East. Hooah!

It goes without saying from now until next May 2012, I miss my wife and son, and parents, siblings, family, extended family, friends, pets, etc. tremendously. I love you, Kimberly and Kaesen.

Good night and good day.

UDC Day One

I awoke this early morning refreshed with the mere 6.25 hours of sleep my lonely, albeit weary, bones could muster. I'm ready for this; bring it, y'all!

Hooah (backcronym: HUA - heard, understood, & acknowledged), Master Sergeant! Yes, Master Sergeant, may I please have another?! Thank you, Master Sergeant! Hooah!

Day One went down easily, although for me lasted through 2100 (9:00 p.m.) due to additional training requirements. Once at my hotel, I Skyped my wife, son, father, and spoke with a couple of friends. Let me tell y'all this, UDC is very similar to basic training, only much faster, a lot easier (understand no yelling), and one is generally 20 years senior to basic training recruits. I enjoyed meeting and conversing with two Master Sergeants, both active duty Army, during the course of the day.

My feeling of desperate loneliness and isolation from Kimberly and Kaesen were eased throughout the day by the constant activity. Now, I realized what the feeling would likely "feel" like before I left them, but getting through the departure in Palm Springs and completing the flights was rough. Today was a little better. Tomorrow... well know that I am taking it all in and one day at a time.

Good night and good day.

Special thanks given to my father for the quick catch of my early version to this post.

UDC Day Zero: 05

Kimberly and I just Skyped for the first time on our new laptops that we purchased specifically for this journey. Skype is an amazing resource for those who are close but far apart in distance. I need to get everyone on Skype (Momma!) so that we can all share our lives a little easier each day. Kimberly, thank you for the Skype call; it eases the pain and lonliness for certain. I love you.

Tomorrow I commence a week-long in-processing in preparation for my deployment to Afghanistan. I look forward to the experience this week and beyond.

Blog Housekeeping:

FYI - the time/date posted in this blog is based on the timezone I will be in shortly. Afghanistan is 11.5 hours ahead (tomorrow) of Pacific Daylight Time and 8.5 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. Afghanistan does not utilize Daylight Saving Time. Finally, this blog will soon become more interesting in terms of new culture and experiences, rather than pre-vacation and vacation blogging. Stick with me! Follow me!

Good night and good day to all.

143, K&K

UDC Day Zero: 04

With my "heavy" 55-pound suitcase retrieved from Dulles' baggage claim and my car service found, I left for Winchester, Virginia, where I will in-process for the next week. Let the fun begin!

I am excited to start the next leg of my journey. This week will pass quickly and my flight to the Middle East will take me to a land of uncommon hardship, strife, need, and provide me the opportunity to excel in construction management.

UDC Day Zero: 03

I arrived at Dulles in Washington, DC at approximately 4:00 p.m. (EDT). At nearly five hours, the flight was one of the more comfortable I have ever experienced. The Boeing Triple 7 is a magnificent aircraft. There are three classes (First, Business, and Economy) aboard. Even in Economy my seat was roomy, quiet, comforting, and allowed me to breathe.

I found myself scrolling through photos on my Samsung Fascinate of Kimberly and Kaesen throughout the flight and was still very emotional as we landed. Time heals all wounds... Distance is great, but love is greater!

UDC Day Zero: 02

I have boarded the United Airlines "Triple 7" Boeing 777 taking me from Los Angeles to Washington, DC (Dulles).

L.A. is... well, it is L.A. I say this because it would be L.A. the spectacular So-Cal megalopolis Kimberly and I flew through with Annie and Dustin Howell nearly 11 years ago. But without the joys of my life, L.A. is, to me, a mere stop on the path to Afghanistan this morning.

Separation from my family today is the most difficult feeling ever. Tears are flowing, albeit restrained tears, freely now from my face and my hands cover such to shield this strain from others.

UDC Day Zero: 01

It is 0630 in Los Angeles, California. I just left my wife and son 30 minutes ago in Palm Springs; I'm in L.A. already! I love my family. Waking up at 0400 this morning required no effort... for some reason, I awoke 10 minutes before my alarm. As I quietly marveled at my sleeping son and wife, the reality of distance overcame me and my emotions exploded from the rampant sorrow.

I should say that I am extremely honored to serve my country again and, yes, to serve my family too. Volunteerism is a privilege for us all. Support our troops. I should also say that I find solace in the fact that countless peoples will benefit, whether directly or indirectly, from the humanitarian role construction comes to play abroad.

Thank you to my dear wife for comforting me in my sadness and for supporting my desire to serve once again.

VD 15: Palm Springs, California

VD 15: Palm Desert, California. Introspective as my family vacation draws to a close at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. I love my wife and son!