Deploying to . . . where?

Yup - my good ole uncle is sending me abroad again. Only this time to . . . San Antonio? ? ? Is that right?

Yes, that's right. The plan thusfar is to go to Tampa for training (including advanced weapons training - I'm all over that) for 2 months, home for a week, and then off to San Antonio for 6 months.

I'll be working with the JCSE folks out of McDill AFB - on the DJC2 project (Deployed Joint Command & Control).

No - I don't know exactly what I'll be doing - other than managing a comm group - and acting as a comm officer. I'm trained for it - so that parts cool.

I'm hoping I get to come home for Christmas - or around there - to see the kids. That's going to be the hardest part - as it always is - leaving the kids.

More info when I have it. . . .

The Tali-Band on myspace

Yes - that is correct! We have created a Tali-Band Myspace page!

For those of you that haven't ventured down yet (as in, down the blog - to see the older posts) - I was a member of the band, affectionately known as "The Tali-Band" while I was stationed at HQ ISAF (HeadQuarters, International Security Assistance Force) Kabul, Afghanistan. The ISAF is the name of the organization set up by NATO to assist the Afghans in gaining control of their country from Al Quaida and the taliban.

Long story short, for New Years Eve 2008, some ingenious folks - that also happened to be musicians - got together and decided to come up with some entertainment for the troops stationed at HQ ISAF. The band did so well, and the crowd reacted so positively, that the band stuck around. Even thought the membership seems to change frequently, there are enough talented folks - from all over the world (or at least from NATO countries) to keep the band going. I left HQ ISAF in late May of this year - 2008 - and the band was still going strong.

Something we decided to do while I was part of the band, was record a CD, and sell T-Shirts to benefit a local charity. We picked The Women Of Hope Project, located in Kabul. The Women of Hope operate to really make a difference in the lives of the folks they help. They do not simply provide money to the needy - instead they foster self-dependance, and a steady stream of income. For women, they teach a variety of crafts, including sewing and needlepoint - where they will make dolls, clothing, pashminas, jewelry and other goods, and sell them on military bases and at markets around the country. For men, they teach carpentry and masonry. The folks in Afghanistan are hungry for change - and the desire to help themselves. Betsy and the Women of Hope make that happen!

The Tali-Band helped by recording a double CD (live and 'studio' - which was the Milano Restaraunt on base), and getting T-Shirts printed up (in Chicago, no less - thanks Windy City Screenprinting!) - and selling them to military & civilians on base.

By the time I left the country, we had raised nearly $10,000.00 for the charity (it takes $100.00US to train one man in a skill - for the women, the time is a bit longer, but difficult to put a dollar amount on).

Please visit the website, and make a donation!

Afghan party at the Distille Gardens

To start with, the Distille Gardens at HQ ISAF is a bit of an anomaly. It's a garden setting, behind a nice wall away from the main road, with a park like ambiance. It's very nice - and not at all something you'd expect to see on a military base! Here's some pics. . .











What an interesting experience! Today, we had an "Afghan party" thrown by all the Afghan merchants from here on base, where there was traditional Afghan food, music and even a rug making demonstration. Pretty cool.

Walking around, in the garden, was just a surreal experience. Here we are, in Afghanistan - a war torn country - experiencing the culture in a way that most folks will never see. Especially the diverse people that were walking around here that night! Brits, Kiwis, Germans, Dutch, Finns, Australians - it was simply amazing.

More pics from the evening.

Old vs. New

Well, it seems as if the new Air Force has finally caught up with us. At least via our method of dress. Yes - we have the new uniforms.

When we deployed, we were sent in what is referred to as the DCU's - or Desert Combat Uniform. Just rolling out over the past, maybe 6 months, is the new Air Force 'work' uniform - replacing the BDU - or Battle Dress Uniform - is the ABU - or Airman Basic Uniform. Yes - so many acronyms.

Here's me in the DCU:





And here I am in the new ABU:

So what are the differences? Well, to start with, the DCU is a summer weight uniform - it's lighter and less wind resistant, so it's easier to wear in the heat. That being said, the inverse is also true - it does little to keep you warm in the cold. But its not meant to. The uniform cut and fit is exactly like the BDU's - same pockets, same holes for 'stuff' - like pens, notebook, etc - so the fit is very famliar. The BDU has summer and winter weight uniform materials. The ABU on the other hand, is a winter weight uniform - so heavier and not as breathable.

The ABU also has new items - the fit is more 'civilian' - so that it should be easier to know what size you need - just like jeans & jacket sizes. Kind of - but not exactly. There are way more pockets - starting with an inside pocket (in the jacket) - both sides, a pen pocket on the sleeve by the cuff (handy!!!), and lower pockets on the legs.

Overall - not a bad uniform. But I wonder why, unlike most other countries, we can't have one uniform for all the services? Army, Air Force and Marines all have different uniforms. I think the Navy just uses our old stuff. :)

Hoo Rah!

Ok, I'm going to go against my tradition here a bit, and upload this today, while it's still fresh (and yes, probably add older stuff for a bit, til I catch up) - because this is so cool.




As a bit of background, these folks are friends of mine from State Farm - some of us work together, some of us have been there for a while now together - and Brad even went and got his TSgt USAF uniform together! Bravo!
Thanks guys - this is truly cool, and inspirational.
:)

Cheers!

Welcome to HQ

We pulled into the base, high walls, narrow streets – and were stopped by the IMP – International Military Police. We got out of the truck, they searched the truck, and we unloaded our weapons. We didn’t drive far – or fast – and we were unloading our gear, and being greeted by the other folks from our unit – folks happy to see us – as we were them. We stopped in billeting and got keys, signed some papers, and got our temporary ID’s.

We got our bags and began moving into our rooms. The NATO buildings were indeed temporary – but hardened. Each building was surrounded by walls of concrete – they were obviously doubling as bunkers. That was somewhat ominous and daunting. The buildings were basically single units – each about the size of ½ a semi truck trailer – connected together with a hallway down the center – like a college dorm. As I entered the – very cold – room, I noticed 4 beds, some lockers and a couple wooden’ish units. Wow. Tiny was the first thought. It’ll work – we are not in tents, so I wanted to make the best of it. I began to stack my – multiple at this point – bags, under the bed, unpacking what I could into one of the wall units. There was barely enough room to walk between the bed & the wall unit. I got out my sleeping bag, some uniforms, essentials, and left the rest in bags under my bed. We left and got ready to go to chow – as we hadn’t had a mean since the day before. It was dinner, so we headed off to the chow hall with our guys, and signed in and ate a hearty meal.

Since NATO has lots of European countries, the food was mostly European in nature. The meats were typically a bit more fatty – the vegetables were good, and the fruits plenty. There was also a curry dish, with rice, and a selection of 2 cold meats, and 2 cheeses, right next to the smallish salad bar. The best find of the night – the coffee/cappuccino/espresso machines down the center of the chow hall – 4 of them. Plenty. This was indeed good news.

That first night was probably the worst night. It was wet – we were in cold small buildings – and we had just left what seemed like a very comfortable place in Qatar. My feelings would change, but I was not initially looking forward to this long deployment.

Driving to HQ ISAF

The men driving these trucks were young – probably early 20’s – but our lives were in their hands. As we drove out of the airport – they gave us a briefing about what would be happening, where we were going, and what to expect. They drive fast – not because they were racing – but to stay safe. They would be talking and looking for anything suspicious – and they encouraged us to do the same. Keep our eyes open, look around, and don’t be afraid to speak up if we see something out of the ordinary. This is not safe, this route has been hit – not recently – but it has. We needed to keep our heads about us, and make sure that we are aware of everything around us. I think back to the Academy of Military Science, where I got my commission – and all the talks on situational awareness - being aware of what is going on, at all times, around you. We were taught this skill as a reminder to not let things go unnoticed – as leaders, we should always be aware. This may be my test of this skill.

As I tried to look out the armored windows – which was not easy in full armor and helmet – looking up was difficult – I could see despair. It was almost in the air, and it was thick. The land was pocked with holes, the ‘homes’ were no more than hovels, except for what looked like industrial buildings that had been sectioned off where people were living, they were about the size of a single bedroom back home. The people were just like what I’d seen on TV – walking around with the clothing that was loose and sparse – but covering. Except for the kids – I saw a 4 year old with no shoes. Shopping carts were there as well – but no shopping centers. I did see a few ‘stores’ – although they were either in small – 10’ x 10’ – in the side of the road in a cart – or in one of the holes in a building. The roads were dirt – the walls surrounding the various military buildings were tall, and covered in razor wire. We stopped twice on the drive, pulling in and stopping for a few minutes, and then driving on. As we drove near the US embassy – you could see the increased US presence, the walls, and the nice buildings on the other side.

I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I thought I would be. Our drivers were professionals; talking – almost chattering – as we drove about everything I could see on the road, every vehicle, every pedestrian that was anywhere near the road. The roads were not easily accessible or wide – there were cars on the sides of the road, and people just walked out in front of us. I knew if it came to it – we would hit them – but the drivers did not.

Air Travel

The day came, I was packed and ready, and headed off to the airport at the brisk & chilly time of 4:30 am. Being January – it was cold walking from the parking lot to the airport – the last time I’d see Peoria for a while.

The guys arrived in good order, and their families, and as we were lining up to get our boarding passes, we had to open our gun cases to show the agents so they could be loaded up on the airplane. Our locks wouldn’t open. We just got them, in our BAMS gear – but they would not open. So we had to send back to base to get a lock cutter and remove them. There were 2 of us this happened to – which meant it wasn’t just me. Anyway – after that, got through security, got on the plane, and flew towards Atlanta.

Atlanta was unremarkable. We were only at the airport for about an hour or so, and then on to what is commonly referred to BWI – Baltimore Washington International Airport. It is ‘The’ airport for the folks going ‘over there’.

The airport has many amenities – among them the USO office. Since we were going to be there for an extended amount of time – which was extended even beyond that – we checked out the USO; Food, a wide screen TV, comfortable chairs, free wifi (my personal favorite) and a storage location for all our gear and our guns, so we could try the local cuisine while we waited. We were originally scheduled to leave the airport at 9:30pm. This is after arriving at about noon. The flight was pushed back, first to 10:30, then midnight, then – when we were finally told that there were some maintenance issues with the plane, 20 minutes after our flight was supposed to leave – we ended up leaving at 2:30am.

This was a very long flight. We were originally scheduled to go to Ireland – which I was personally excited about – but we ended up going to Germany. I thought Germany was going to be great. But, alas, we ended up staying in the airport – sampling the USO free wifi again (my favorite) and leaving after about an hour. The line for security here was very long. All the folks on the DC-10 I was on had to go back through security. There were about 250 folks. From Germany, we were on to Italy! Another great country! When we landed – it was pouring rain, they ushered us into a hanger – where some very nice folks fed us snacks & coffee – and after about an hour and a half – we loaded up on another plane, on our way to Al Udeid, Qatar.

Leaving Soon

You know, at first – it just didn’t seem real. I’d always known that being deployed was possible – it’s just that after being in the Air National Guard for 17 years, and being deployed the sum total of once, and that for the Mississippi flood back in 93 – that going to the Middle East was just not going to happen. When the Colonel walked past my office and told me – “You better make sure you are ready to deploy in the next couple of months” – it was just like, oh, ok. Whatever.

But then it started getting more real. I was getting gear issued to me – this was new – uniforms ordered, my DCU’s (desert combat uniform), my weapons – the 9mm M-9, and the M-16 replacement, the M-4. I was finishing up all my classes online and at drill. I was being given a list of things to remember to pack. We were talking about line numbers, and flights to Afghanistan, and Rotators (the plane that takes us to the Theater of Operations). It was just getting real.

I discussed with my boss at State Farm – and she was very helpful. Asking what she could do to help, scheduling meetings with my team mates to ensure my job functions would be covered while I was gone, and just generally being helpful & supportive. Karen is a great boss. My team mates were also very supportive – even though they would be doing my work for me for 6 months. No complaints at all. Good stuff.

Early December, I stopped work at State Farm – with a ‘parade’ – cake, flyers – the whole shebang set up by my boss and the MAG – Military Affinity Group – at State Farm. Talk about a humbling experience. I had been in those parades for guys leaving before, seen the flags & well wishers, been a hand shaker – but for whatever reason, just didn’t really feel like it was something that I deserved to have done for me. I mean, I’m just going on a trip to do my job. Be the Communications Officer. I’ve been training for it for years…..it’s just my job. No big deal. I was treated like a real VIP. The parade was simply awesome – about 300 yards of folks lining the hallway and cheering as I walked by. Shaking my hands – thanking me – it was surreal. It was humbling. It was difficult to not cry the entire time I walked the line. Then – since this was on my floor – the 3rd – at the end we walked downstairs to the 2nd floor and did it all again! It was, simply incredible.

I started at the base early December, just mostly pulling my drills that I would miss during my deployment (drill is the ‘weekend’ of duty that we do once a month. They are also called UTA – Unit Training Assemblies). As I was doing this, wearing the uniform day in day out, and getting ready to go, it was getting more ‘real’ – but still a long way off.

The last weekend with the kids was amazing. We had just a normal weekend – doing dinner – a movie and that kind of thing – but at church, as people were saying “see ya later” to me, and after the pastor and some elders laid hands on me to pray for me & my family – the kids started to understand that it was happening – as did I. On the way home from church, Gena started asking questions – how long would I be gone, if I would buy her a doll, or a teddy bear, and if I was going to die in Afghanistan. Wow. Isaiah then asked if I would be ‘out of harms way’? I did my best to assure them I would be completely safe, out of the way of danger – on a base, no less, and that I would return to them safe & sound. I’m not sure if I was convincing them or me.