Afghanistan - Day 16 - Souvenirs

This morning I woke up and slept in a bit. After a lazy breakfast I walked my 4 miles and got back to the business of reading. After lunch I forced myself out of the tent and into the bazaar at the entrance to the Special Forces camp. (I suppose those shopkeepers need extra protection or something...)

It was a flash back through time as I walked amongst the stalls, examining the wares on display and haggling with the shopkeepers. Beautifully carved gemstones, handmade fur coats, "Karzai" hats, pirated movies, brass vessels, cell phones, Afghan clothing, carpets and more covered every available space. I selected a few items, bargained for a better price and left knowing that I still overpaid. But I was happy to pay what I did for the souvenirs, so I didn't mind stimulating the local economy.

The word "souvenir" is a French verb meaning, "to remember." And there will be many wonderful things about my time here that I will remember:

• Rubbing shoulders with America's Finest soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines
• Nutrition labels at the buffet lines in the DFAC that kept me from overeating
• Sleeping in a tent less than 150 meters from an uncleared minefield
• The warmth with which I was received by the soldiers
• The beautiful, snow-capped mountains that surrounded the post
• The "bird tree" - a large tree filled with birds that chirped so loud that my ears would sting as I walked underneath on my way to and from work
• The Bar-B-Que DFAC
• Knowing that there were lots of people back home praying for my safety (Thanks!)

Tomorrow I will be flying to Dubai, then home via Atlanta. Talk to you then!

Afghanistan - Day 15 - Appreciation

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain. Oh, the beautiful rain that washes the sky and keeps the dust from coating me with a layer of suffocating grit. With a bounce in my step I headed off to the shower connex (pre-fabricated building that looks like a shipping container) and cleaned myself up. A shave and a shower for my last day of teaching seemed in order.

Towards the end of the class Chief Quenga and Major Brown showed up at the door. After I started the students on the final lab exercise I went back and chatted with them. They asked about how the classes went (I assured them that things went well). And then they asked about my impression of the facilities - Was everything OK? How was the classroom? How was the tent? I assured them that not only were the facilities serviceable, but in the process I had gained a greater appreciation for the servicemembers who have to endure these conditions for 12-18 months at a time. They then presented me with a Certificate of Appreciation signed by the company commander and the company's ranking Senior NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer). Along with the certificate, Major Brown gave me the Commander's Coin - a token of appreciation given for outstanding service.

I was deeply touched. For the past two weeks I have had nothing but a growing admiration and appreciation for the men and women who have volunteered to wear the uniforms of our nation's Armed Forces. All this time I was careful about not getting in their way, being considerate of their needs and their feelings. I came knowing I'd be out of here in two weeks, and they were here for a year or more. And now, Major Brown is telling me that he and the others are deeply appreciative that I would come all this way to help their efforts by delivering this training to his people.

I almost blurted out, "Well sir, I was just doing my job." But I caught myself. After all, that is what every soldier has said to me about being deployed here. And I didn't want to minimize their efforts by cheaply parrotting their words, though I began to understand their sentiments. The rest of the day the weight of the coin in my pocket kept me from floating away in a cloud of overwhelming feeling. Why was I feeling this way?

Because I was appreciated. For doing my job.

Next time you see a veteran, take a moment and express your appreciation for their service. We may never agree completely on issues of foreign policy, but we can all be grateful to the people who choose to serve us and represent us all over the world.

After all, they deserve our appreciation.

Afghanistan - Day 14 - Walking Around

I'm still sticking to my plan of walking at least 4 miles a day. That and smart choices at the DFAC have helped to evaporate some of my "gravity belt". As I've been walking around I've noticed three things that fascinate me:

1. It is the exception for a servicemember to be walking alone. It seems as if they always move in pairs or threes. Whether it is for their PT (Physical Training) runs, going to eat or heading to the job they are never alone. It is the "Battle Buddy" mentality that is so a part of the fabric of the military. There are messages everywhere about teamwork and supporting your teammates. This extends even to the most mundane of tasks such as walking around.

2. The "Multinational Coalition" is truly multinational. Since being here I have seen military personnel from Australia, New Zealand, England, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, UAE and Pakistan in addition to soldiers in the Afghan National Army. There is also a Korean hospital here, and I have seen a German flag flying. There may be more; these are the ones I've seen so far.

3. The US servicemembers salute as they walk past each other. There are rules to the process. First, enlisted soldiers are not saluted - only officers. Second, if you are a lower ranking officer or an enlisted soldier you must salute the higher ranking officer and your salute will be returned. Using these rules I like to play a little game where I try to guess the rank of the person walking in front of me. I can identify their branch by the style of their uniform. Next, I watch who salutes first as someone walks by in the other direction. After a couple of salutes I look at the back of the neck to guess an approximate age and then guess their rank. Finally I speed up and pass them, looking back to see if I was right. Usually I can guess within one rank. Hey, it's something else to think about while walking those 4 miles.

Thank you for all who have asked about my toes. The tape is doing the trick, and my toes are just about as happy as when I first got here. Alas, three more days and I'll be on my way home!

Afghanistan - Day 13 - Dust

There's just no getting away from the dust.

In my tent, the dust is an ever-present reality on the floor. If I don't have shoes or flip-flops on, my feet will get dirty instantly. My suitcase and my backpack are now coated with a beige layer of Bagram's finest (pun intended). At the end of the day I can shake dust from my pants without ever having sat down in that dust. It is constantly blowing through the air, looking for surfaces to which to cling and crevices in which to burrow.

When I walk down the road to my classroom, the DFAC, the MWR or the latrines, dust is being kicked up by all the vehicles, small and large, that travel that main road. I try to breathe through my nose but sometimes I open my mouth. Just that little yawn is enough to feel the grit on my teeth for the next two minutes.

In my classroom dust coats the floor. Sweeping it out would be a sheer impossibility if not for the ingenuity of the two Afghans who do this. They spray a little mist of water before sweeping. Not only does it keep the dust close to the ground, but it bundles it up into "bigger" dust particles that the broom can push out the door.

Even now as I'm sitting I can feel the dust drying out my skin, my nostrils and my hair. Thankfully, rain is in the forecast. So far that's been the best way to keep the dust down. And while it does turn the landscape into a virtual mud pit, there are enough gravel paths through that mud that make it preferable to dealing with this dust.

I think the dust is the only thing about Bagram that I won't miss. OK, maybe the diesel fumes too.

Afghanistan - Day 12 - The Grind

Today was so routine. I woke up, grabbed a quick breakfast at the DFAC and headed to the classroom. Lunch and a little more teaching and I was out for the day. I meandered down to the BBQ DFAC for a pork chop and some overboiled corn-on-the-cob before trudging back towards my tent for the night.

It seems that my body and my mind have settled into the rhythm of the post, and I feel quite comfortable. I wouldn't call it Stockholm Syndrome, but I'm actually getting a very good night's rest. Part of that is the 4+ miles I'm walking every day, part of that may be that afterburners on an F-18 fighter taking off don't annoy me as much. Still, five more nights on the top bunk before I get on a plane and head home.

Afghanistan - Day 11 - A New Day/Week/Month

Today was a great start to a new week. Aside from my blistered toes, my body feels pretty good. I've rested well and it is paying off. My energy level with the students is much better, and this group has responded well. It's going to be a good week.

Other than that, nothing new or unusual. I suppose I've settled down into a nice routine here. Seven more days and I'll be home.

Afghanistan - Day 10 - Refreshment

This morning I slept in until 6:03am. (Yes, 6:03am - I remember looking at the cell phone.) Tomorrow I have to get up at 5:00am and I haven't heard may alarm clock go off in a couple of days. Oh well, I'm sure an F-18 or a convoy will do the job...

I went about my morning routine of having breakfast and checking e-mail. The joy this morning was going to the Enduring Faith Chapel, where the ChapelNext service was held at 10:30am. The singing is a contemporary mix, and the message was this chaplain's last as he rotates back home. He preached a powerful message from 1 Thessalonians 2 about the work of a pastor. As moved as I was by the message, I was more moved by his call for all the chaplains to come to the front and receive a blessing/laying of hands from any who were in attendance that were leaders in their church. What an incredible opportunity to pray for the only "unarmed" soldiers whose battles are fought with other than flesh and blood.

After a simple lunch I headed back to the tent for the laborious ritual of self-cleaning. Gathering my change of clothes along with all the cleaning supplies, I headed out of the tent over to the shower for a luxurious self-pampering under the hot water. Now with three blistered toes, I dried my feet and wrapped each toe with a piece of tape. It should help get me through the week.

I did some extra walking today, if only to justify eating at the BBQ DFAC at dinnertime. Today they had ribs that were rubbed, not drenched in sauce. They were fall-off-the-bone perfect. I haven't had good ribs in a long time, and I will gladly walk the 2.5 miles roundtrip on Tuesday and Thursday to have them again.

But the best part of the day was connecting with my home church via Skype to teach my Sunday School class. Although I had to sit outside at the only WiFi "hotspot" (it's currently 35 degrees here), it was special to feel as if I were there with them. By this time next week I'll be in Dubai waiting for my flight home.

Just as God designed this day to be: A day of rest and refreshment. Thank you Lord!