Efficiency over Effectiveness

Thursday 28 July.

So Monday morning I woke up and went to work expecting another boring day as I was scheduled to leave for Afghanistan on Friday 29 July.  My how things have a tendency to change.  As I walked into the office I was approached by another officer who’s mama was having heart trouble and he asked me if I would take his place on the Monday night lift to Afghanistan.  My first response….yes of course I will….my second response….panic.  I was pretty much packed up and ready to make the trip but there is something about the mindset change that must be made quickly when plans change that takes one off guard.

Well friends I’ve made it to Bagram Afghanistan.  The trip was excessively long, more so than it should have been but these are the way things are in the Army.  Imagine if you will for a moment giving one hundred and fifty nineteen year olds automatic weapons and moving them from Germany into a combat zone, the point is that things have to be done in a necessarily slow manner.

My odyssey continued Monday night at 1800 hours local time in Germany with sensitive items draw at the arms room followed by 2100 hours bag drop for the line haul (convoy) down to Ramstein Air Base.  I was able to snap a few pictures of some of the sad goodbyes that took place there at the company I deployed with.

 

The families all left the motorpool by 2100 hours and those of us left standing hustled into a maintenance bay and received a “rules of engagement” (who you can shoot and for what reasons…and more importantly who you can not shoot) and a prayer by the unit chaplain.  At midnight we all boarded coach buses and drove four hours through the night to Rhine Ordnance Barracks (ROB).  ROB shares a common gate with Ramstein and that is the place where large units that are moving go to wait for the Air Force to call us forward, meaning that the aircraft is ready for us.

After manifesting and weighing equipment there at ROB we drove fifteen minutes over to Ramstein and boarded the Omni Air Boeing 777 and flew to Manas in Kyrgyzstan.  By the time we unloaded all of our bags and received the base inbrief and bed down plan it was midnight local time in Manas (four hours ahead of Germany).

I was in the midst of celebrating my 10 year anniversary over a steaming bowl of chili in the chow hall in Manas when I was approached by a sergeant who informed me that I was to report to the passenger terminal at 0115 for a flight departing for Bagram Afghanistan.  My response…sure why not!

At 0115 I showed up and manifested for a flight to Bagram and caught a few hours of sleep until the 0530 show time back at the flight line.  I departed Manas around 0930 hours and landed in Bagram at 0900 local time (lost 1.5 hours).

After standing in the sun and playing the duffel bag load / unload game on a series of trucks I finally made it to my bunk for the next few days (pictures below).  So here I sit for my second straight night waiting for onward transportation to locations further downrange. 

I hope everyone is doing well back home.  I think I will be at my final destination in the next week or so.  Until then.

S.

31 July 2011

Day number two has come and went at Forward Operating Base Connolly.  First impressions; this isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, chow is a lot worse than I thought it would be, and OMG there is an Afghan carrying an AK-47 walking around the FOB.

Two nights ago I manifested for a flight from Bagram to Jalalabad (JBAD).  On the C-130 with us was a platoon of Marines who were heading to a small facility in our sector (location omitted for OPSEC.)  Our C-130 arrived at JBAD around 0200 hours and we were met by the liaison officer for our task force.  We bedded down in transient tents and by 0530 I was snug in my plywood quarters.  By 1000 hours I was up again and manifesting for the helicopter ride down to FOB Connolly.

The helicopter ride was pretty cool.  There is an outfit at JBAD that delivers supplies and personnel to the distant FOBS and COPS (combat outpost).  They are a civilian run company from Canada.  So I ended up riding a Huey from JBAD to FOB Connolly.  I’m sure my Uncle D would have been proud to hear that.

So my trip took me five days and just as many different types of aircraft.  I’m now in a brand new B Hut and I have procured office space for my small team that will be following me here in the next week.  I also managed to buy an internet satellite system from a Soldier here who is getting ready to leave.

As for the FOB, it isn’t a bad place.  There is no track or anything to run on safely, but hey, I’m not the running type.  The center of the FOB is an old walled-in structure complete with a castle type turret and a dungeon.  The Afghan Army is here with us and we can all walk freely around with each other.  For better or worse I plan on spending a lot of time with them over the next year. 

That is it for now.  I hope you all like the pictures.

S.

13 August 2011

Ok friends so here we are working on week three.  I am happy to say that I am writing this blog entry from the comfort (well…relative comfort) of my snake free room. 

I’m going to have to figure out a way to post pictures to the blog.  The internet in the room isn’t fast enough to handle uploads of good quality pictures, so more on that later.

We had our transfer of authority ceremony today which marks our ownership of the battle space that compromises Western Nangarhar, Afghanistan.  I can’t go into details on this but we are in contact and this area is contested on a daily basis.

I’ve spent many hours in the past few weeks with the Afghan National Army (ANA).  We are investing a lot of man hours into getting them ready to take over the job of providing security for the civilians in the area.

Today I had three border patrol police in my office…each came with their own AK-47 and chrome plated pistol.  That was a little weird.

The rest of my team made it here a little over a week ago.  Our office is up and running and we are making progress slowly but surely.

Pictures are on the way. 

Steven

The fat lady in Lichtenstein!

There is something magical about living in open bay barracks.  This past week found me on Camp Achen in Grafenwohr training with about 30 other officers and senior enlisted men.  I don't know why, but the barracks tends to bring out the frat boy in even the most well rounded gentlemen.  Conversations in the barracks and field environment always turn to sex, drinking stories, and flatulence.  Through in a few Ranger stories and you have a party.

The week in the field was a good time to validate the setup of personal gear and to pick the brain of each person to our left and right.  I learned a lot this week and got to know some of the teammates a lot better.

The training last week was very good.  We had solid days from 0730 until 2000 nightly with topics ranging from first aid to crew served weapons familiarization.  The Army has really stepped up their simulation efforts when training soldiers for IED defensive measures and counter-countermeasures.  One event I wasn't crazy about was the MRAP rollover trainer.  It reminded me of dunker training and the experience of being strapped into an aircraft underwater.  I'm not a fan of small spaces so the rollover trainer was particularly fun for me.

Today as a reward for a hard week of training I took another road trip with Chris Fuhriman.  We did four countries in 14 hours and 930 km.  Today was a lot of fun.  We drove down to Austria and Lichtenstein via Nurnburg and Kempton.  We returned through Garmisch and Munich.

We stopped in Lichtenstein for a stroll and lunch.  Check out the picture of the fat lady below.  Pretty random I thought.

I've uploaded some more pictures from the training this past week and the travels today.  There is also a good picture of my friend Mike below that was taken on the fourth of July.  He and his neighbor were gracious enough to invite me over for a burger and fireworks.  You really find out who your friends are when the chips are down.

So we are within a pay period of going back to Afghanistan.  I was thinking the other day about the last time I was there and how much has changed since then.  If I fly straight through to Afghanistan, it will be 2 years, 10 months, and 27 days since the last time I was there.

Two birthday shoutouts from this past week.  My mom turned 35....prettier than ever of course.  Happy birthday to Mrs. Rachel also turned 35 this week.  Happy birthday both of you.

Have a great Sunday everyone.

S.

Austria and the Lone Woman with the White Rose

Saturday July 9th.

Today I took a trip to Salzburg, Austria.  Evidently Salzburg is the setting for the classic movie "The Sound of Music."  Our motley crew departed the barracks (ahh the barracks) bright and early at 0730.  Our plan was to stop by and pick up the newest, and apparently most green Lieutenant in the Army...2nd LT R.

Ok...side story.  I met 2nd LT R. the other day while I was kissing babies and making the rounds at my new battalion headquarters.  2nd LT R. was in need of a ride to a battalion social event and no one seemed to want to help the guy out.  Without knowing anything about the person seeking the ride, I volunteered to help a fellow officer out.  After I met the guy I knew immediately why no one was helping him out.  The poor guy is a fish out of water...Armor (Tank dude) in an Infantry world....and he's not going with us in a few weeks....what a drag.  So I took it upon myself to sit with him at the social event and three majors took him along today to Austria.  

On the way to pick up the LT we were side tracked by the spicy Thai food I enjoyed Friday night...so we arrived a few minutes late to pick up the LT.

After we finished all of our administrative details for the morning....four of us set out for Austria; a trip that I had somehow convinced myself would only take two hours.

Four hours later we arrived in Salzburg.  After driving with our doors locked through the heavily Turkish part of town...home of 1001 Kebab stands...we found the walk-platz and set out on foot.

Salzburg was pretty cool.  It is the birthplace of Mozart and home to a University, a monastery, and a convent.  We even had the opportunity to tour some catacombs today.

Salzburg also has a flare for the arts.

Check out this picture of a grandma in a sports bra and a dagger...WTH.

We found this guy floating in a no-floating zone in the walk-platz.

While were walking through the streets I was compelled to capture the image of a woman in a black dress walking alone with a single white rose.  It struck me as odd that a woman would be walking alone in the city with a single rose in no apparent hurry.  But seeing as we were in Salzburg I was feeling a little artistic.  I usually wouldn't give a scene such as this a second thought, but I recalled a picture that one of Karen's friends had uploaded this past week of a woman who was caught in an equally telling moment.  Unfortunately the picture my friend snapped of the lone woman and the rose is not nearly as good as the picture of Karen's friend (name omitted for privacy).  Anyway, both pictures are below. 

Timeless picture of one of our friends.  

A woman in black with a single rose is an interesting subject...its a shame we couldn't get a black and white quality picture of her without looking like stalkers.

The lone woman with the white rose....strange.

So we followed the lady for a bit and found she was traveling to the ages old church that lay below and equally old rock quarry and fortress perched upon a hill.  The church had a stone that indicated it was built in the 1400's with the rest of the church built another 1000 years before that.

A few extra pictures are below.

S.

Sucking Chest Wounds and Salad

The Army has seen fit to give me a new set of skills this week.  Today marks my completion of combat lifesaver training....no big deal for Joe...but for me....an accomplishment.  I've found that everything in the Army runs in cycles and first aid is no different.  Many remember back in the day when tourniquets were frowned upon and the golden rule about applying a tourniquet was that once it was on, no one was allowed to take it off.

The Army has a new take on the tourniquet.  The tourniquet...much like wisdom teeth extraction....seems to be something the Army loves to promote now. According to the first aid instructors, the tourniquet is now the first thing that is applied if a patient is bleeding.  I can not tell you all how excited I am that Joe has been instructed to apply a tourniquet to me if I am bleeding.  Understand that combat life saver training is taught to the lowest level and that Joe may not be able to determine if I actually need a tourniquet or not.

The Army has also begun shying away from teaching combat lifesavers how to place an IV into a patients arm.  The problem in combat was that soldiers were too busy trying to find a vein to start an IV and were neglecting the patient.  Pretty sound logic right?  Well now the focus of the training seemed to be on placing the nasal flange in the patients nose to secure an airway along with jabbing a six inch 15 gauge needle into the patients chest in the second clavicle region to relieve pressure in the chest....again I'm not sure I want Joe sticking a needle in my chest.

I did get one golden nugget from the first aid instructor today....who happened to be an E5 with 10 years in the Army (something doesn't add up there).  He said "The best medicine is effective fire on the enemy."  I think I can agree with that.

So tonight I celebrated my combat life saver graduation with attendance at the 1-2 IN Battalion hail and farewell.  The unit saw fit to welcome me properly with some well timed, although cliche jokes about aviators.  I received a coin with my name on it and a nice beer stein...which is now in a box ready to mail home.  I really appreciated the gifts but I would have rather had a new compass or something else useful in combat...or even just my full per diem for my stay in Germany....that is another story.

The 1-2 IN Battalion traces its roots back to the War of 1812.  There motto is "Back in Black" and they are known as the Black Scarves....I'll let you look that up but your hint is a reference to Vietnam.

Tomorrow I am off to the engagement skills trainer to refresh my long gun shooting skills.

Take Care.

S.

Joe strikes again!

Ahh the joy of living in the barracks.  In the spirit of keeping this blog "real" and not holding back too much I think you all deserve to hear about the triumphs of Joe in the barracks last night.

Now I can't speak for the passion that exists in the duplex houses to the left and right of 8610 Gafney Street, but I can absolutely say for certain that I have never been disturbed in the night by what I've heard coming through the walls of our house.  I think that most people keep things pretty well in hand and under control and are not overly concerned with impressing the neighbors with moans and screams in the night.

Not so for Joe.  I woke up at 3am last night to the apparent marathon of love making that was going on somewhere in the barracks.  Of course I was compelled to open my windows and make sure the acts were not occurring right outside of my window.

Joe is certifiably crazy.  The barracks...I mean come on...its the barracks....

I was duly impressed with what I heard and look forward to my next encounter with Joe.  It is a four day weekend here and payday was this past week so I imagine it will be an entertaining weekend.

S.

Prepare yourself for violence!

So tonights blog is inspired by a talk I received today from one of the senior ranking officers on our team.

The content of the talk sort of stuck with me today and I wanted to share this quick note with my friends and also preserve the feeling I have in this forum for later reflection....hopefully in happier times in about a year.

The officer speaking to us told the four of us that we were "Rattle Proof" as aviators and he expected us to leverage our ability to stay calm under pressure.  He also told us that life in the infantry was simple and soldiers usually just need to know their "task" and "purpose" and they will comply.  Pretty simple stuff I thought.  He also told us that as aviators we could expect to be seen as the resident experts on any army aviation platform....again I saw that as pretty reasonable.  His final words below struck a chord with me and gave me a chill.  I want to share these with you to help you gain perspective of what the real warriors out in the remote corners of the battlefield live with and how they think versus how most of my intel and aviator friends see the world from bases like Balad in Iraq and Bagram in Afghanistan.

Directives from one team chief.

1.  Prepare yourself for violence; you must be ready everyday to confront catastrophe.  Harden yourself.
2.  Be able to kill with your weapon under stress without hesitation.
3.  Know where to get help.
4.  Know how to save your life and your buddy's life.
5.  Focus your physical fitness plan on combat related tasks that challenge your personal resolve.

On that note.  Have a great night.

S.

Living with Joe

Its been a few weeks since my last update so I guess its about that time.  The first thing I'd like to share is how wonderful it is to be living with and amongst soldiers....aka Joe!  Joe is a general term to refer to a soldier who has not yet grown up or figured out what he wants to do in life.  Joe struggles to maintain his individuality by wearing cowboy hats and large belt buckles instead of assimilating into the culture of his surroundings.

Joe also has a girlfriend.  Joe's girlfriend arrives every Friday night at the barracks via a taxi cab or bus and pulls behind her a rolling suitcase.  Joe's girlfriend takes the walk of shame down the hall of the barracks to Joe's room and then leaves sometime on Sunday or in special circumstances on Monday morning before PT.

So for the past month I have had the privilege of living amongst Joe with eleven Lieutenant Colonels and fourteen Majors.  I think we have all grown together due to our shared experiences.  For example, last weekend we were all awakened by Joe as he and his Joe friends tried to find their barracks rooms in a drunken stupor.  I smiled a little on the inside when I heard one of the Joe's tell the other Joe "happy father's day".

Tonight on the way back from dinner I passed a group of Joe's walking towards the Taxi stand.  Please see the attached picture.  The leader of this group was pushing a shopping cart for some reason while his underlings were dressed in mid-western wear...no doubt they were on their way to the club outside of Grafenwoher.

Okay.  Enough about Joe.

I received an email this week informing me that the Golden Knights...the Army parachute team...has made the decision to bring me on board after this deployment to be their air detachment commander.  Karen and I are pretty excited about that and we look forward to moving back to North Carolina.

I've finished up two weeks of Pashto training and we are all having a good time speaking very modest amounts of Pashto to each other.  In fact, much of our conversations at the chow hall and out in town have turned to three or four word Pashto phrases.  I'm glad there aren't many Pashto speakers in Germany because someone sitting near us would no doubt wonder why six Americans in a German biergarten were telling each other to put their weapons down, surrender, and sit down in Pashto.

This week has been full of advisor training as we've all been engaged in role playing scenarios and interpreter training.  We even had an authentic Afghan meal the other night.  I was thankful that a rival tribe did not ride in on horseback during the meal and steal all of our possessions....I guess it wasn't that authentic after all.

I am scheduled to head further East in about a month.  Its hard to believe that tomorrow is Carlie's 9th birthday.  She had her party today and grandma and grandaddy Hoke's house.  Due to the timing of this deployment I will also miss her 10th birthday....that isn't cool.

Ya'll take care and be on the lookout for Joe.

S.