nine years...on the ninth anniversary of the reason i'm here, it's impossible to forget what day it is. my feelings are mixed when it comes to this subject. i think it's tragic how it took something like this to make america wake up to the threat of terrorism. the signs were there before, but most of us just went about oblivious to the whole thing. they weren't blowing things up in the continental united states so we were safe right? but then...it's amazing how one day changed everything.
we're not at the point many of our friends are. israel's been dealing with this sort of thing for millennia; whether they had their own country or not. i'm glad we're not at there, but sometimes i wonder if people would wake up more if we were.
so now we have soldiers running all over the world seeking out terrorists. while i'm glad we're giving them a distraction to keep them busy, i can't help but wonder if it's the right strategy in the long run. america won't be able to maintain things as they are for long. we've been living beyond our means for decades, and the bill collector's knocking on our door. the united states currently accounts for 51% of all the world's military spending. while we may have been able to afford that at one point, my line of work is now one of the many things dragging our government (and everyone else) further into the abyss. will we have made enough of a difference by the time we go home to make things safer? or will we have merely succeeded in galvanizing the ones that hate us?
the bureaucracy will never understand this though. rather than being our savior, the government is now an albatross around the country's neck. some of the most feared words in the english language are "we're from the government, and we're here to help". i know if anyone ever said that to me, i'd be scared.
there is still some hope left though. a few states are resurrecting the concept of nullification; or even succession. millions of citizens are awaking, and demanding their rights back.
will we be as safe with a smaller government? i think we can be. one thing is for certain though, we'll discover the answer to that question shortly. the government will be forced to shrink as the economic situation deteriorates. it's time to start preparing; big brother's days are numbered.
2010-09-11
2010-09-05
updates
it's been while since i've posted anything substantial. things have been busy for several reasons, and i'll go into a few of them.
the combatives class i was taking is long since over and my ribs are almost back to normal. they still hurt more than they should if someone hits me, but at least i'm not doubling over in pain any more. i enjoyed the class so much, that i volunteered to be an assistant instructor for the next class they gave. it doesn't hurt nearly as bad if you're not one of the students, and it gave me a chance to get some extra practice in. it looks like there will be 1 more class before we leave, and i'm looking forward to helping out with that one as well. it's amazing how much finding something fun to do can make this place more bearable.
in a few short weeks the advanced party for our replacements will be here. the unit's been busily preparing for their arrival. it's gotten to the point where every last person is thinking about when we'll be able to leave.
unfortunately, may have taken the negative influences of the unit as a sign that the army's not for them. it saddens me to see young disgruntled soldiers; especially when i know it's because of one bad unit. at least i've managed to convince my former soldiers (from when i was a platoon sergeant) that this unit is not like most.
and finally, i've learned the second of six of my grandparents passed away on friday. death has never been the same since my mom died when i was eleven. that hit me so hard, and i spent years recovering from it. months being angry at god, and years being depressed and trying to control my emotions. since then, the death of someone who's time has come and was anticipated holds no pain.
when i saw my grandmother in june, i knew she wasn't long for this world. i was pleasantly surprised she held out for a couple more months. i hope that extra time has better prepared everyone else for her passing. she was a effervescent woman who's passion for life bought her loved ones at least an extra year with her. may she rest in peace, and await the day the rest of us will join her.
the combatives class i was taking is long since over and my ribs are almost back to normal. they still hurt more than they should if someone hits me, but at least i'm not doubling over in pain any more. i enjoyed the class so much, that i volunteered to be an assistant instructor for the next class they gave. it doesn't hurt nearly as bad if you're not one of the students, and it gave me a chance to get some extra practice in. it looks like there will be 1 more class before we leave, and i'm looking forward to helping out with that one as well. it's amazing how much finding something fun to do can make this place more bearable.
in a few short weeks the advanced party for our replacements will be here. the unit's been busily preparing for their arrival. it's gotten to the point where every last person is thinking about when we'll be able to leave.
unfortunately, may have taken the negative influences of the unit as a sign that the army's not for them. it saddens me to see young disgruntled soldiers; especially when i know it's because of one bad unit. at least i've managed to convince my former soldiers (from when i was a platoon sergeant) that this unit is not like most.
and finally, i've learned the second of six of my grandparents passed away on friday. death has never been the same since my mom died when i was eleven. that hit me so hard, and i spent years recovering from it. months being angry at god, and years being depressed and trying to control my emotions. since then, the death of someone who's time has come and was anticipated holds no pain.
when i saw my grandmother in june, i knew she wasn't long for this world. i was pleasantly surprised she held out for a couple more months. i hope that extra time has better prepared everyone else for her passing. she was a effervescent woman who's passion for life bought her loved ones at least an extra year with her. may she rest in peace, and await the day the rest of us will join her.
when we all get to heaven
what a day of rejoicing that will be
when we all see jesus
we'll sing and shout the victory
2010-08-28
quick post
as i'm sure most of you are already aware via the news, the FOB was attacked this morning. i'm can't talk details, but can tell you that i and the rest of my unit are all right. so don't worry :)
i'd also like to state again that no news is good news. if you hear something in the news that sounds bad, but haven't heard anything from me, it's probably because i (and my brothers in arms) are dealing with the situation.
well, i've gotta get going. enjoy the rest of your saturday.
i'd also like to state again that no news is good news. if you hear something in the news that sounds bad, but haven't heard anything from me, it's probably because i (and my brothers in arms) are dealing with the situation.
well, i've gotta get going. enjoy the rest of your saturday.
2010-08-11
stupid ribs
well, i haven't posted in a while so i should probably get to it. the combatives class i was taking is all done, and all it cost me was some bruised ribs. for those of you that have never had the thrill of bruised ribs, they hurt! a couple weeks later i'm just now getting to the point where it doesn't hurt to sleep. i'd do it all again though. i learned a lot, and a little pain (or in this case a lot) was better than spending those nights being mad at people in my unit.
re-deployment (what the army calls going home) is all the rage these days. we've begun planning for the big trip, and it's all some people think about. personally, it's a little early to be obsessing over something that's still 2 months away, but i guess some people really don't like it here. oh well, whatever gets them through.
i got the package dad and mom sent today. today's the first day anyone around here's gotten mail in about a week. we're supplied by aircraft that doesn't fly when it gets wet outside.
and lately it's been really wet. we've had 8 inches of rain in the last 3 weeks. for a place that's not supposed to get a lot of water, it sure rains a lot. and i love it! rain is so awesome...and it has the bonus effect of keeping the temperature down. if the next few weeks have a bit of rain every day like this week's had, i'd be one happy guy. i think the last few weeks have been a fluke though.
oh yeah, happy ramadan for anyone that's watching the muslim holidays. for the next 30 days the locals will either be more aggressive, or less prone to attacking us in favor of getting closer to their god. i'm hoping for the latter, but we'll see.
well, this is getting long so i'll get off here. write you all later.
re-deployment (what the army calls going home) is all the rage these days. we've begun planning for the big trip, and it's all some people think about. personally, it's a little early to be obsessing over something that's still 2 months away, but i guess some people really don't like it here. oh well, whatever gets them through.
i got the package dad and mom sent today. today's the first day anyone around here's gotten mail in about a week. we're supplied by aircraft that doesn't fly when it gets wet outside.
and lately it's been really wet. we've had 8 inches of rain in the last 3 weeks. for a place that's not supposed to get a lot of water, it sure rains a lot. and i love it! rain is so awesome...and it has the bonus effect of keeping the temperature down. if the next few weeks have a bit of rain every day like this week's had, i'd be one happy guy. i think the last few weeks have been a fluke though.
oh yeah, happy ramadan for anyone that's watching the muslim holidays. for the next 30 days the locals will either be more aggressive, or less prone to attacking us in favor of getting closer to their god. i'm hoping for the latter, but we'll see.
well, this is getting long so i'll get off here. write you all later.
2010-07-25
perspective
well, it's been a couple weeks. things have been busy as usual, but i finally got a day off (or most of one anyway). things have been going quite well for me since i've returned to the place no one wants to be.
this includes the afghans; they leave the country when they're able as well. it makes reconstruction extremely difficult when your trained, upper tier work force doesn't want to stick around to create their own businesses and thus jobs. if the current trends continue, i fear afghanistan will be forever doomed to the agrarian state they're now in.
but back to what i was going to talk about.... being home gave me some much needed perspective. the unit survived without me for 3 weeks. i say survived because it clearly didn't fair as well as it would have had i been here. so i'm not critical, but am off great value. this realization has caused me to not be so obsessed with work. there are certain tasks that will still be around to do the next day and don't necessarily require immediate attention. my work might be going a little slower than before due to this, but at least it's getting done faster than if wasn't here at all. i've basically given myself more me time.
for the last week or so i've been using this extra free time to take a combatives class. they basically teach you how to fight. for those of you that are curious about the specifics, they use jiu jitsu for grappling and ground fighting, and muay thai for striking or when you're not right on someone. the class is exhausting, but fun. after 3 hours of intense exertion i find i'm too tired to be angry at anything...like, say the people in my unit that tend to upset me. it's also a lot easier to go to sleep at night...well, when i get over the pain of whatever got hurt. a little pain every now and then isn't so bad though; it reminds you you're still alive.
anyway, the fighting with the perspective have made me quite a bit happier than i was before. any of you that know rather well could probably read between the lines to see i was a bit depressed before. now i'm mostly tired...and sore...which is much better.
well, i've got more class tonight so i'm going to wrap this up and try to enjoy what free time i have. catch you all later.
this includes the afghans; they leave the country when they're able as well. it makes reconstruction extremely difficult when your trained, upper tier work force doesn't want to stick around to create their own businesses and thus jobs. if the current trends continue, i fear afghanistan will be forever doomed to the agrarian state they're now in.
but back to what i was going to talk about.... being home gave me some much needed perspective. the unit survived without me for 3 weeks. i say survived because it clearly didn't fair as well as it would have had i been here. so i'm not critical, but am off great value. this realization has caused me to not be so obsessed with work. there are certain tasks that will still be around to do the next day and don't necessarily require immediate attention. my work might be going a little slower than before due to this, but at least it's getting done faster than if wasn't here at all. i've basically given myself more me time.
for the last week or so i've been using this extra free time to take a combatives class. they basically teach you how to fight. for those of you that are curious about the specifics, they use jiu jitsu for grappling and ground fighting, and muay thai for striking or when you're not right on someone. the class is exhausting, but fun. after 3 hours of intense exertion i find i'm too tired to be angry at anything...like, say the people in my unit that tend to upset me. it's also a lot easier to go to sleep at night...well, when i get over the pain of whatever got hurt. a little pain every now and then isn't so bad though; it reminds you you're still alive.
anyway, the fighting with the perspective have made me quite a bit happier than i was before. any of you that know rather well could probably read between the lines to see i was a bit depressed before. now i'm mostly tired...and sore...which is much better.
well, i've got more class tonight so i'm going to wrap this up and try to enjoy what free time i have. catch you all later.
2010-07-09
back
well...i'm back at salerno; safe and sound. amazingly enough, people here missed me so i guess i must be doing my job well enough that they noticed when i wasn't.
i also missed one of my new friends (since i've been here). mr. kim lively (yes, he has a girl's name), our USDA guy is pretty cool. we happened to schedule our leave consecutively. he was getting back when i was leaving so i hadn't seen him in 6 weeks. it was great to catch dinner with him and laugh at a few jokes. you have to make jokes and laugh out here or you'll go crazy. i've seen it happen to one of our guys. he snaps at people for minor offenses. it's not fun to watch.
well, i need to get back to cleaning up my room, and prepping my gear. i've got a long day of work waiting for me tomorrow.
laterz
i also missed one of my new friends (since i've been here). mr. kim lively (yes, he has a girl's name), our USDA guy is pretty cool. we happened to schedule our leave consecutively. he was getting back when i was leaving so i hadn't seen him in 6 weeks. it was great to catch dinner with him and laugh at a few jokes. you have to make jokes and laugh out here or you'll go crazy. i've seen it happen to one of our guys. he snaps at people for minor offenses. it's not fun to watch.
well, i need to get back to cleaning up my room, and prepping my gear. i've got a long day of work waiting for me tomorrow.
laterz
2010-07-05
the 4th
independence day used to be a minor annoyance as the neighbors would set off little fire starters and smoke up the street. but that's what kids (or adults that seem to think they're kids) do right? there was always the big pretty display in the evening so it wasn't so horrible.
in retrospect, i probably should have picked another time to be home. while i understand the explosions i hear are just fireworks, i still get nervous. i start wondering what happened; should i go help someone? i make a quick assessment of the structural integrity of whatever structure i'm in; would it stand up to a rocket? if i'm not in some sort of building, i catch myself looking around for one...preferably one with solid walls and no windows. i'm hoping in time, this will pass. i guess i'll see this time next year.
vacation hasn't all been fireworks though. the first week and a half were spent relaxing and getting some perspective. that place 1/2 way around the world that's dominated my life for the last half a year seems so far off and insignificant from the states. how could anyone here understand what it's like?
perhaps it's better that they don't. if americans understood nice and sheltered we are over here, perhaps they'd settle with what we have. war isn't on our doorstep.
perhaps if they saw the corruption that permeates the afghan government, they'd accept what we see here as an inevitable part of maintaining order.
yes, america has a pretty good thing going. but this is no time to slack off. we've been politically asleep for far too long. wake up you slumbering giant; shake off the chains of tyranny emplaced while we were asleep. the revolution is coming, and i certainly won't try to stop it. for a couple weeks i've once again heard the drums of change. the beat is inspiring and challenging. it calls to me; tells me to keep the violence that's so prevalent in other places at bay. the larger the group of revolutionaries, the less likely things will end in blood and tears. how many will make their voices heard? as always, time will tell.
in retrospect, i probably should have picked another time to be home. while i understand the explosions i hear are just fireworks, i still get nervous. i start wondering what happened; should i go help someone? i make a quick assessment of the structural integrity of whatever structure i'm in; would it stand up to a rocket? if i'm not in some sort of building, i catch myself looking around for one...preferably one with solid walls and no windows. i'm hoping in time, this will pass. i guess i'll see this time next year.
vacation hasn't all been fireworks though. the first week and a half were spent relaxing and getting some perspective. that place 1/2 way around the world that's dominated my life for the last half a year seems so far off and insignificant from the states. how could anyone here understand what it's like?
perhaps it's better that they don't. if americans understood nice and sheltered we are over here, perhaps they'd settle with what we have. war isn't on our doorstep.
perhaps if they saw the corruption that permeates the afghan government, they'd accept what we see here as an inevitable part of maintaining order.
yes, america has a pretty good thing going. but this is no time to slack off. we've been politically asleep for far too long. wake up you slumbering giant; shake off the chains of tyranny emplaced while we were asleep. the revolution is coming, and i certainly won't try to stop it. for a couple weeks i've once again heard the drums of change. the beat is inspiring and challenging. it calls to me; tells me to keep the violence that's so prevalent in other places at bay. the larger the group of revolutionaries, the less likely things will end in blood and tears. how many will make their voices heard? as always, time will tell.
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