Day 3: THE BEER BIKE!

We got up early and walked down to Marienplatz (city center) where we knew the famous beer bike would be parked! I have to tell ya that I was so giddy that I could barely contain myself…this kind of excitement was beginning to become normal again and it was nice to be able to live life again! There it was, THE BEER BIKE, in all it’s AMERICAN glory. It was classic to get on this contraption and see the attention this thing brought with the city center being full of folks! I loved the look on the Germans faces that seemed to say, “CRAZY AMERICANS!” All I have to say to that is, “Thank you, and YES I AM A CRAZY AMERICAN AND I’M PROUD OF IT!” I think that now, more than ever I’m more proud to be an American where what I aspire to be, I can achieve it as long as I have enough desire, dedication, and belief!

Anyhow, I have to tell ya that this bike ride was great. We had about 8 folks with us (All Americans from Jersey) and I sat right next to the tour guide (Lenny) who just steered while we pedaled. He gave us some history, I DJ’d the radio from the iPOD nano that was attached, and we learned a bit about Munich while drinking beer! Yup, that’s right! This tour came with beers of which were stored away in the barrel directly in front of Lenny. Now that’s what I call drinking and driving! As if we weren’t already obnoxious enough, there was a bell located just behind Lenny’s head. Every couple of minutes, that bell got rang with AUTHORITY and we all would YELL…..”PROBST!” So, that’s how it all went down for the first couple of hours that Saturday in Munich, riding down the streets of this old city, pedaling, drinking, learning, and yelling, “PROBST!” I could get used to this!!

After the bike ride, we went to the famous Haufbrau House located in the old part of the city. We found a spot outside in the beer garden and continued having big beers in real German mugs!! Ahh, this is one of things that I miss most about life…sitting in good company having drinks and enjoying life! We must’ve sat there in the beer garden for about 5 hours, and actually ended up sitting next to some Italians who just kept ordering 10 beers at a time! By the time it was all said and done, I felt absolutely splendid about myself….that’s D-RUNK for the laid person! We walked back toward Oktoberfest and my hotel, and before I knew it I was passed out by 7pm, happy and sleeping like a baby!

What a great day! Beer bike, beer, and good times!

Day 2:

Somehow after getting sideways at Oktoberfest, I managed to get up early and get my day started, ready to see some things that I’ve never seen! I believe that getting up early, which is always something that I’ve loved to do, is only going to get earlier! My clock just seems to say, “GET UP!” I wish that I had a response that said, “LEAVE ME ALONE I’m SLEEPING!” Oh well, I guess that I should just get used to it! Life is about the times you have while you're awake, not sleeping! Eventually, I met up with my two travels partners and I went to see what we could see in Munich. We decided to go to the English Garden, which is at the center of Munich. I gotta tell ya this park is enormous! We must’ve walked like 3 miles just to get to the end of it and I was beat. It was definitely time for a drink. I think throughout my trip that I was going to look at my watch many times and have it read, “BEER O’CLOCK”, especially while I was in one of the beer capitals of the world! This park was sooo pretay, and I could definitely see myself having a similar lifestyle, slow it down a notch from the pace it’s at currently!

In walking through the English Garden, we happened upon some nude folks just trouncing about in the grass..geesh. Later on I would hear that we were lucky to not have met, ‘TRIPOD”! I tell ya life is full of small miracles, and I was glad that this was one of them!! From the Garden we got lost and eventually found our way down to Marienplatz which was the city center. There we sat out on the Platz and had lunch. Watching the world go by snickering most of the time is one of my favorite past times. Folks in Europe are so different than in the states. I could’ve sat there on the Platz for hours playing, “spot the Americans!” Oh, and once again, my watch read, “BEER O’CLOCK!” I happy accepted the challenge, having a couple of beers with Wursts on the Platz.

Munich

Day 1

So the beginning of my journey took me to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. I was so excited that I could barely contain myself! I was excited on many levels, to be out of country, to be on my own and free to do as I pleased, to not have to work, to go somewhere other than the middle east, to be going somewhere that I’ve never been before; it’s an understatement to say that I was excited! I got on my flight to Munich in Dubai about 8am and arrived just before 1pm, Munich time. I didn’t really know where to go or what to do, just to get some money exchanged into Euro and be on my way. Upon coming out of passport control, I met up with Justin and Katie who would be with me over the next couple of days for the debauchery that would be Oktoberfest! For those unfamiliar, Justin is one of my coworkers from Greenville who is in country with me, and Katie is his girlfriend.

Me, Jusitn, and Katie each exchanged money, and got to on the subway that would take us into Munich. We parted ways in Marienplatz which was the city center and also my stop! I got off the subway and made my way upstairs to the city center. I can’t tell you the feeling that I had once I popped my head above ground, much like a gopher peeking to see if the coast was clear and there wasn’t any danger! I came out into the city center and I had such a feeling of exhilaration…ugh I feel as though I haven’t seen other people in forever….100 days to be exact! The city center was magnificent! It was filled with bike tours, people sitting on the square enjoying lunch and a drink, street performers showing off their skills, shops filled with knick knacks and the like. Yup, it’s safe to say that the next couple of days would be quite the experience, and one that I wouldn’t forget! I got to my hotel, and took a shower almost immediately. It wasn’t before too long that I was ready to go and I made my way down to the café across the street. There I sat with a beer and people watched, two of my favorite things to do! Ahhh, this is what life is supposed to be all about; not work, not being anxious at odd times because of incoming rounds that make their way on base. Life is supposed to be what you make it and I haven’t had any sort of chance in 100 days to have any affect on what I wanted my day to be about! This was truly a nice change and welcome indeed!

. That first night in Munich, we met up around 6ish, had dinner, and made our way to the tents to see what all this hooplah was about? well this place I no joke, 14 tents, a fair, and roughly 100,000 folks, a true party!

Dubai…

Well, it was 23rd of September, and I was all set to fly out of the country and relax! Me and my co-worker/ friend, Justin, were so anxious to get out of what had become our norm for what seemed like forever that we could barely contain ourselves! I can’t tell you the feeling of relief that I had felt for about a day….ugh what sweet relief! I can only imagine what it will feel like when it comes time to go home for good!

We boarded our flight to dubai, and without a hitch we were there in no time! I must say that I had mixed reservations about that flight and really it was if we were on a commercial jetliner! We picked up our luggage at the cargo section of the Dubai airport, and proceeded to the hotel. What a different world I felt like I was in. It almost feels as though we somehow are flown to a different world, that first day in country, and now we are returning to the world we left some 100 days ago? Dubai is HAWT…the kind of hot that I remember feeling in Kuwait, a lot of humidity! I am so used to a different kind of heat, one that is dusty and about 80% less humidity. I really don’t know how the native folks get around, and don’t even sweat….a true mystery for someone who can sweat at the drop of a hat.

We boarded our van and off to our hotel we went. In looking at the landscape and the city, I felt like I was in one of those spy movies, like Spy Game…..the set up is that similar! I was constantly looking for the city that we all associate with Dubai, but because of the way the desert is and having sand in the air all the time, it reacts much the same way as smog in that you don’t have much visibility past 10 miles or so in the sky if that. We got to our room and wow, what a feeling to have a room by yourself, complete with your own bathroom! i changed and sat down immediately! Ugh, I compressed even more, part of me relaxing and the other filled excitement for a trip that I would never forget filled with places and things that I had yet see or experience!

Not too much later, I took a shower without flip flops on! WOW….no squeaking, no worrying about how much time you were taking…..ALL MINE! I can’t tell you how lucky I feel that in my normal life, I have my own bathroom, that is located right next to my bedroom some 5 feet away! I don’t have to shower with flip flops on and I can take as long as I want! I remember that some of my wishes while in country were showering without flops on, walking on a paved street, and having that first beer…..i had now, completed all three and I can’t tell you how good it feels!! Man, I was beginning to feel like the man I was three month earlier!

Later that evening, I had what would be my first pedicure as I find the need to really take care of my feet with being couped up in my boots all day, some pretty nasty things can happen. Fortunately, I take really good care of them and this was my way of continuing that! Kind of nice to take care of yourself in this way! After going to get my feet done, Justin and I went to dinner at a Lebonese place, which was very similar to my buddy Joe’s type of food, Egyptian. There were various types of Shawarma, and meat kabobs, with hummus and pastry. Not too long after dinner, we went back to the hotel, had a couple of more drink,s and went back to our rooms in order to be up early to take flights to Europe!


Up next, MUNICH and OKTOBERFEST!!!

Ketchup…

It’s been a while since I’ve written, and so I thought that I’d Ketchup everyone up on what I’ve been up to and why I haven’t written in a while. As most everyone knows I’ve been reassigned back to bagram and with that I’m now doing the cost for Task Order 004. The ENTIRE project.! Basically, I’m doing the forecasting and accruals all by myself! When I say that it is a lot of work that barely begins to say just how busy I am. The whole process takes two weeks and it is very tedious, and detailed. I’m glad that I can’t drink cause it wouldn’t allow me to focus like I would need to for this whole process! I find myself putting in a 20 hour day almost once a week! So as you can tell, when my day is finally over, the absolute last thing that I want to do is put in some more time on the computer. Anyhow, my timeline over the past couple of weeks is I was up in Bagram for 5 weeks before I returned to the south to collect my belongings at Camp Leatherneck to send up to Bagram while I go on my first R & R in Europe. I took a flight out of Bagram (BAF) on Friday morning the 18th headed for Kandahar (KAF). What would normally seem like an easy thing to do, it’s really a big time waiting game, as I was up at 2am to take a shower and at the passenger (PAX) terminal at 3am. So I sat there for about 3 hours in order to catch a flight. The initial plan was to try to get to Camp Leatherneck on Friday for a quick turn around, but to no avail. I ended up catching the late flight out of KAF Saturday night at about 11:30 or so, with a flight on MilAir at about 2am. Once I finally got into bed, it was 3:30am Sunday morning. I got up 5 hours later at about 8am, took a shower and began my errands for the day. I quickly learned that I had been booked on the helicopter that I don’t like to fly on Monday, so I inquired about MilAir flights that same day (Sunday). I got a flight on the MilAir flight at 4pm and was back in KAF by 5 or so. Knowing that I didn’t put in any work that day and with deadlines such as they are, I worked that night until midnight. Monday, now all non-work stress behind me, I was back in the office that morning at my usual time of 7am to get all this work done before I could truly relax and begin my much awaited R&R, a mere 98days after arriving in country. Hard to believe that I’ve already worked the equivalent of half a year’s normal work load…some 1,090 hours or so, and all in 98 days. Truth is I’ve probably worked more than that but we’ll let that slide. Its hard to imagine that life again, and yet here I am going on R&R for 2.5 weeks, and I find myself wondering how am I going to not work during that period. Work has become so normal, and a part of every waking moment. Somehow I think that I can manage! I finished all my work Tuesday, and was free and clear of it all in an instant, able to relax and begin thinking about the adventure I was about to embark on! All was right in the world again!!

Well that’s it, there’s my story for the last couple of weeks. Next time, MUNICH for OKTOBERFEST!

Lung Dart Anyone????

It’s been a while since, I posted an entry about one of my observances so I thought that I would give ya another one, although not as comical as copy cat Toyotas. I’ve noticed since I’ve been here how much the military smokes. You can see them everywhere there is a smoke pit, about 4 to 5 folks smoking, like it’s their last. I can no doubt attribute this habit to the inherent danger that awaits those that travel outside the wire to patrol and perhaps curtail all the wrong doing of the Taliban. I can sympathize with that fact; however, I just can’t see the point in smoking even still? I, myself, have never been able to handle a cigarette, or even chewing tobacco for that matter….it makes me gag! I can still remember the first time I ever tried “dip” or chewing tobacco. I was playing legion baseball in the summer for Greer and after what is still the fastest buzz set in, I disappeared behind the equipment shed where I must have vomited 4 times followed by a 2 inning nap. This all transpired during the game! Ahhhh memories!!

Anyhow it amazes me how all these military personnel smoke what seems to be about 2 packs of cigarettes a day and still get up each and every morning to do their PT, running miles upon miles, often times vomiting when they get to their finish line. I guess they too should perhaps give up the habit as I did many years ago. One difference would be that I was never able to start!! A habit such as this may seem trivial or even uneccessary or unhealthy, but I can see where the social aspect that surrounds it would be a must when thrust into an environment such as this. I guess that I can only wonder as I pass by on my way to the gym or work….i don’t know that I’ll ever truly understand?


I hope that everyone is doing well and enjoying some cooler weather, I know I have been!


T – minus 18 days til Dubai!!

The Growth….

Some of you have made comments about the growth on my face that has taken it over in hopes to one day reach the top of my head where most normal folks have hair. Let me reassure everyone that the picture I posted on facebook a couple of days ago was a picked out version of what my beard really looks like. No I will not be buying a pick to stick on my beard so if I feel the need, I can pick it out. This picture was merely a joke to see how big I could get the beard to stick out….I’m guessing with the response, that I succeeded masterfully in shocking a few folks….ha!

Anyway, nothing new to report other than a bit under 4 weeks until I fly to Dubai for my first R&R…It can’t get here soon enough as I’ve been working really long hours lately trying to track down all the meal counts for the ENTIRE theatre of Afghanistan since we began keeping count last November!! Lucky me?!?! An ardous, yet needed task…..


Anyhow, I hope that everyone is doing well!!

Home…

Throughout the day I’m reminded of home, often in the most obscure ways. I think that most of the time I’ll be listening to music and I’m reminded of a memory and it takes me back! I’ve been fortunate enough to have a ton of memories and good ones at that! I’m so very thankful to have the friends and family I have. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without ya’ll! Here are some of the things that I miss most….

College football
HD TV
Good coffee
Leather chairs
Falling asleep watching golf on a Sunday
Taking a nap on the couch
Hanging out
Beer
Liquor
Loud bars
WOMEN
Sheets
Friends
Family
Choices
Getting up after 7am


I’d say overall just being able to control my environment. For instance, when I go to bed I can’t just turn off the light and go to bed, I have to do the courteous thing and wait or just try and go to sleep with the light on. I can’t control the noise or volume of noise. I have no say in the temperature. I can’t just go for a drive with my windows down, music blasting, not really knowing where I want to drive to at that moment! You now it’s things like this that really make me appreciate my freedoms and all it affords me! I know that there will be things that I have left off this list that will surprise me for a good while. I can’t wait to discover just exactly what those things will be!

For those that don’t know, I’m in Bagram again doing some training in what appears to be another role that I’ve been asked to fill here in country. I’ll be headed back to the south at some point here in the next couple of weeks, then off to Oktoberfest!

I hope that everyone is doing well and counting down those days til college football!!!

It’s Groundhog Day!!

Well, I’m coming up on 2 months and I must say that every day is about the same with its 1 twist or turn which make it unique to all the ones before it. It’s crazy to think that this 3 month stretch will be the longest I’ll go without a break over here and here I am just over a month to go! I truly enjoy this opportunity and what it will do for me mentally. I have never challenged myself like this, and I find myself saying almost everyday…”one day at a time!” I’ve said it many times, if you focus on the whole length of stay here, that it may seem insurmountable. However, if you take it a day at a time you’ll do just fine.

After all, small things pile up and often times become big things, sometimes bigger than those insurmountable obstacles! The more you’re willing to stick with it and keep getting back up, the more prepared you’ll be for that next test of wills, or that next day of work! So with this subject line, even though it is ground hog day, I’ll be sure and see if I have a shadow each and every day! So far, I have seen my shadow every day...got to love sunshine!

Anyway, I hope that each and every one is doing well and looking forward to another great college football season!

And this little PINKY went….ugh!

I’ve been very surprised at how nice and formal all the Middle Eastern dudes are; always calling us Americans, sir. It is all so nice and they’re all so seemingly willing to please. I found out recently what is meant by their niceness and how it goes. Over here it is absolutely necessary that when a man and a woman marry, that each other be their “first”. You see over here men don’t marry until much later because they spend their lives trying to make enough of a dowry to give the family of his potential wife. By the time a man does marry he can be well into his 40s, while the girl may be in her early 20s if not late teens. All this way of life is so back asswards to me! I can’t tell you how screwed up this all seems, but it is just one of the many differences that us American have with the Middle Eastern world!

While men are working toward their dowry, they tend to “experiment” with younger boys or other men as a way to be sexual, and at the same time remaining pure. It is crazy because the women do not have the same type of leeway. If a woman doesn’t bleed on her wedding night then she is deemed to not have been pure, and she can wind up being killed in some cases!

I’ve been told that you can see who is “experimenting” by who is walking and holding pinkys; interlocked of coarse! And to add to this, they like to skip along! When I was told this I was cracking up laughing. It’s funny how when you’re told something such as this, you go back and relive every time some dude was nice to you, and even how they looked at you! I now get it why they’re always smiling when you walk their way. Here I am thinking that they are just happy to be working, making money so that they may send it home! Boy was I wrong!!! And you should see the way they look at women, it’s even more obvious!

I feel lucky that I’m here at Camp Leatherneck and haven’t had to take a shower with a bunch of the Third County Nationals (TCNs), which are mostly Middle Eastern and Indian. We, Americans, are always joking around saying that if we were to be put in that position, the TCNs would be offering to bath you, much like they did in Coming to America, “can I wash your back, sir?”(said in the likeness of 'n stuff n stuf...') My reply would be…NO THANK YOU, I GOT IT!!! As a result, I’ll be showering in our Fluor only shower room well before it opens up every morning to be used as another shower room for the TCNs to shower in.

Anyway, alittle humor to close on what I consider to be another eye opener in the world abroad; one that you may otherwise wouldn’t have known about…..I know I didn’t!!

Before I forget, I haven’t said anything about my workout regiment. I’ve taken it upon myself to keep in shape and possibly lose that little bit of excess that I’ve always meant to lose! Currently, I’ve lost close to 10 lbs, and I’ve got a ways to go to reaching my goal. For me, it was never about how much I weigh, just how I would like to look! Wish me luck!

Also, I’ve included an updated picture of my beard! Phew, this thing is beginning to get thick!!!

I hope that all is going well!!

I think I can….

I’ve been telling ya’ll about my surroundings, so I thought that I’d take an opportunity to tell you exactly how this whole thing goes mentally. Those that I’ve talked to, I’ve told that it is a daily and sometimes hourly rollercoaster filled with moments of confidence followed by moments of loneliness and longing. Longing to be in a familiar place doing something you love to be doing! I’m amazed about how much my moods can change throughout the day. I can go from appreciating an amazing sun rise as I walk to the gym at 5:15am to getting out of the gym and realizing how far I have to go until my life comes back to the states and something more familiar. Rest assured though, that I choose to think about the good things, the things that make me smile, the things that I want life to be about…all those memories and wishes! I learned the hard way in college, how dwelling on past situations won’t get you anywhere, you can only learn from them and tweak them to perhaps get a different outcome in the future. Sure it’s ok to dwell, but only for a moment if for no other reason than to figure out what went wrong.

In that I’m reminded of a movie quote from a Beautiful Mind…the scene takes place toward the end of the movie when a representative from the Pulitzer committee visits John Nash and in a roundabout way asks him if he were crazy. John Nash responds, “Like a diet of the mind, I just choose not to indulge certain appetites; like my appetite for patterns; perhaps my appetite to imagine and to dream.”

Ya’ll know that I can be a very passionate person, and that I have some very strong opinions when it comes to life and how I believe it should be lived! With that there is a certain standard of life that I always want to adhere to. To this point in my life I feel as though I have been behind the curve and well….just playing catch up! When the opportunity came up a year ago to go to Chicago to work on the Whiting oil refinery I nearly lept at the chance to end my days of debt and get a step closer to that ideal of life that I had always imagined. That opportunity came to a close this past March when I got demobilized from the project in Indiana, a mere 8 months later, due to what would be major cut backs. Having to make a major decision quickly, the opportunity came along to come to Afghanistan and accomplish several things in the meantime. I would finally realize that desire to be debt free and working toward a life of standards that I believe are good for me.

Every couple of days I question what I’m doing here because I know that I could be doing something else that would provide the bridge from college debt to financial freedom just like this job does. Often times it’s what else can I do, or what am I good at that would allow me to be in a familiar place? I have to remind myself that I am here for a reason, especially since I’ve had déjà vu recently. I remember when I had déjà vu in California and I told my good friend, Ann, about it. I have always loved her response and I will always use it! She said, “Déjà vu is God’s way of letting you know that you’re on the right path!” So since I’ve had that, I no longer question where I am or what I’m doing! I just go with it, cause there is a plan! Getting back to what I was saying…at the end of the day I just don’t believe there is any place that I should be or anything else I should be doing. I can’t think of another job that provides the type of adventure that this one does, let alone, every three months! I got into this profession for a reason; to learn how to run my own business whatever I deem that to be one day! I truly believe that this is what God has planned for me and I’m soaking up every moment I can; learning as I go!

I hope that this entry finds you doing well and enjoying every step, bumble, and triumph along the way!


I keep forgetting, but here is my new address:

Brandt Cook
Fluor
FPO, AE 09372


I actually already got one package, and it arrived in 5 days!!

Copy Cat…

Most of you know how observant I am. I never fail to miss when someone happens to where the same shirt, 2 days in a row or if someone were to wear something gawd awful. I’d be the first to point it out and say, “Seriously, what the heck are you wearing???” ….”What? Did you get dressed in the dark?”

Anyhow, I’ve continued my observant ways over here, and most notably I’ve noticed how all the trucks & SUVs are the same as you would see in the states. It’s actually the trucks and SUVs that are one of the things that keeps me grounded, and away from thinking how far I am from home! It all started in Kuwait when we got off the plane and into the first SUV (a Chevy Suburban). On our way to the hotel, all I saw was Toyota Prados. In actuality, they were Lexus 470s( the bigger Lexus version). All the cars that you would think they would have (a tad bigger than Cooper Mini) they didn’t. I mean I know that Kuwait is a very wealthy country, but that just didn’t register. I guess that without knowing, I had a ton of pre-conceived notions about foreign lands. In Kuwait, I still think they need Minis it isn’t as if they’ve got to climb a mountain to get to that ski resort?? Or maybe they just need it in case they stuck in the sand? I truly felt as if we may have had bullet proof glass in the Suburban, especially as we entered into our hotel compound and were met by a fully armored Hummer. The guards at the gate actually wisked our car with a mirror that looks much like a super large version of the little mirror that the dentist sticks in your mouth for checking around your teef!

Bagram was no different in the car look-a-like contest as there were more of the same in the SUV department. What I found most strange was the amount of Ford trucks that were on the Bagram base. I can’t tell you how many Ford F250s & Rangers there were driving around on a daily basis. This was no doubt due to the American contractor that was running the O & M at Bagram (KBR). At least the Fords didn’t hide behind their true name…they were actually called F250s. Toyota I guess feels the need to make the folks over here feel special or something. The Toyota Tundra or Tacoma that we all know and are used to seeing is called the Hilux over here, with a small twist. The truck bed is a good 2 ft smaller than the American version. My guess is that the truck is one of the primary uses of transporting workers to and from the jobsite and seeing as the dudes here are so very tiny, Toyota didn’t see the point in making the truck bed as long…ha! Another one of Toyota’s copy cats is the Toyota 4-Runner, or as it’s known over here the Surf. It all looks completely the same just with a big “Surf” emblem up and down each side. Yeah, that’s another thing. Instead of having the vehicle name across the back, often times in a tasteful inconspicuous manner they feel the need to spell out the name across the side in big, bold letters!! Not sure why, but nonetheless that’s the way they have it! Another one of the nuances of the Middle East!

Well, there’s my most recent observance…I’m sure there’ll be more to come!


Hope all is well!

Routine Anyone???

Well, it’s hard to believe that I’ve been in theatre for a month now? I can honestly say that it has flown by! I mean with working all the time, every day often times 13hr days; time has a way of speeding up for some reason? I guess the more hours of your day that are taken up, there leaves little time for reflection and give yourself a chance to slow down! I’m sure that I’ll get this chance every three months when I’m embarking on my travels! I mean with 2.5 weeks at a pop, there will be plenty of time to relax and actually sleep in…probably 7am will be my new sleep in time!! I thought that I’d get more in depth this time about my new surroundings here at Camp LTN (Leatherneck), and actually describe what a typical day is here on the base…

I’m in a 10 man tent that is cooled nicely to a chilly temp of about 65! I think that this is truly a guy thing in that we like it cold while we sleep….so ladies take note! I bet that our tent would have a better chance of cooling our water more quickly than our little mini fridge in the work tent. Anyhow, I wake up every morning about 5:30 or so. I walk about 50 yds out of my tent to the shower room. The shower is kinda similar to what I encountered in college with 9 shower heads in a single room. In college you were lucky if there wasn’t anyone else in the locker room that day and you could actually turn a couple of shower heads your way!! Here I think that the circumstances have changed just a tad! This shower room is more or less like walking a gang plank with showers on either side of you. The set up is really just a temporary thing and that is obvious! If you look in the pictures I’ve posted you can see that it looks like… kinda odd. The other picture from the shower room is from the sink area, which is pretty nice, other than the fact that the mirror provided is similar to one that you find at the carnival, contorting you a bit….just enough to make shaving a challenge! On that note, I’ve entered into a beard growing contest with my buddy that I’m going to Oktoberfest with! He’s got two weeks on me, but we’re measuring from our chins and I already had a goatee! So he’s got a bit of a head start, but not much! The winner of the contest buys dinner and drinks for our night in Dubai…so either way I’ll be happy to drink or pay!! I must say that I am already counting the days to that first drink! This is my first time actually growing a beard and not just being lazy. I like it so far, and I think that I’m almost out of the itchy phase! Take a look at my picture and tell me what you think! Not too bad in my opinion….

After the shower, I come back to the meat locker and get ready. I’m usually in the work tent by 6:20 cause the work tent is just another 50 yds in the opposite direction of the shower. Like I said, I have everything I need in a city block!! Either first thing in the morning or at the end of my day is when I try to call folks. So if you see a really goofy number, THAT’S ME!! PICK UP YOUR PHONE!! After I get all booted up I go to breakfast where I watch AFN and try to catch up on some sports. I was fortunate enough to see UFC 100 fight where Lesner didn’t even make it a contest in my opinion. I mean for crying out loud that dude is huge! My breakfast usually consists of eggs, hot sauce, two yogurts, wheat toast, and some water…see healthy! I usually get my coffee fix back at the tent! I actually steal cups from the DFAC because for some reason the tent only has those little puny cups that hold about 3 SIPS of coffee. I don’t even know why the coffee cup making companies even waste their time on such a small cup??? I mean it’s not like folks use them for espresso?? The morning goes by really quick as this is when I’m most motivated! For some reason I’ve been really motivated in getting everything on the cost side set up here! When I’m kinda burnt on the spreadsheets, I got a lot of little things that make a difference so that I can split up my time! I love the whole getting organized thing, but at the same time it really makes me realize how unorganized the last guy was. I mean really?

It gets really hot here (avg. 120) and so we are encouraged to drink plenty of water, in fact I believe that the Army drops off two pallets of water every couple of weeks. I’m not talking about a small pallet either. These pallets are at least 7ft high! I usually average about 8, 16oz bottles of water a day…that’s a lot of water!! After filling my first hump with water in the morning, I usually go to lunch around 1pm. The lunch isn’t that much to speak of but I manage to make sure that I have a big meal so that I can have a small snack in the afternoon, an apple, and then I’ll have a couple of yogurts and some fruit for dinner. That one thing that the heat has always done to me decreased my appetite and made me take more “trips” to the bathroom! Speaking of which…the thrown room!

Well I had to tell the story of the toboggan in Bagram, now there is the thrown room of Camp Leatherneck! The bathroom is in a tent that looks much like a tent you sleep in. Let me assure you, that you don’t want to sleep in this tent! Anyhow the thrown room is set up with a set of 6 toilets in the front, with another set of 6 toilets in the back. Each set is separated by two latrines. Getting to the toilet is actually something very new to me for going to the toilet, you see, there are two steps up to the toilet. So once you sit down, you feel like you are on display for all to see! The actual steps remind me of bleachers from grade school that you used to sit on during a pep rally or some type of sporting event…the kind that retract!!! Too funny! And if Bagram was bad about the curtain about not having any private time, that was nothing. The piece of cloth that comes down doesn’t even matter, cause your knees just stick out anyway. Basically the rule of thumb in the shower and bathrooms is…keep your head down, the one that sits on top of your shoulders for all the funny people out there! I tell ya, if anybody ever thought that I was a person who can talk about anything and nothing is taboo, well I’m that person to the nth degree now! Sorry to keep talking about the showers and latrines, but I gotta tell ya the set up of these facilities that make me crack up! It is truly funny to see what you have to deal with on a daily basis, you really learn to respect and appreciate the things which you have become soooo accustomed to. The little things are what truly matter, believe me!

On that note, I’ve said to many people that if you don’t keep your sense of humor that you will never make it! I mean this is a really desolate place to be, but there a ton of folks around you who are here just like you, going through the same experience! You are absolutely forced to make the best of it! The sense of humor is what gets you through it! Sure there are serious times, but there are plenty of moments of laughter! It really is weird how things like mortars become apart of life. The chances of you coming close to a round, let alone one injuring you are about the same as getting into a fender-bender on your way to work! They’re that uncommon! So think of it that way….do you really go to work every morning, scared that you are going to get into an accident? So that’s the same type of mentality that you gain while you're here.

With all this I’m reminded of one of the funniest, and yet somehow one the truest quotes that I’ve ever heard!

“Don’t sweat the petty stuff, and don’t pet the sweaty stuff!”

I hope that everyone is doing well, and talk soon!

Leatherneck or Bust....

So as I left you last time, I was reassigned back to the southern part of Afghanistan in what is known as Task Order #4 and I’ll be working at Camp Leatherneck. Some of you may have heard of it in the news lately as Camp Leatherneck is the home base for the newest US offensive known as strike of the dagger. So here I am hoping to stay a while…..

My journey south began last Thursday at about 2am, when I went to take a shower. That night marked the first time since the Kuwait hotel that I was able to actually sleep on a mattress. I tell ya since this whole thing began, it amazes me the little things that become important, things that you would’ve otherwise overlooked and not thought much of. Last Wednesday my overlooked item was a mattress. It had been a whole 16 days since my last time on a mattress, and I was soooo thankful even though I only slept on it for 3 hours. Anyhow, the travel folks picked me up at 2:45 am and we headed to the Pax terminal. Me and the person whom I will spend the most time with over the next year, Cassandra (pictured above), piled up all our stuff and got it palletized, which is the military’s way of checking baggage. You go out to the flight line and put your bags on the palet at which point baggage handlers proceed to strategically place your stuff on the palet. In Cassandra’s case, the handlers had their work cut out for them with having to place about 8 pieces of stuff, including a TV. You see Cassandra is queen of comfort, and as long as she has that, she is ready to go to work! I had the best time watching military jets take off going out into the distance, watching the day start around 4am. I tell ya there hasn’t been an overcast morning here yet, each day is beautiful and totally peaceful!

We made our way on to the dash plane about 5am which is the equivalent of a commuter jet, only it was painted in its signature military gray. The flight down to Kandahar took about 1hr and 20 minutes. There wasn’t much to it, just looking around at all the different types of landscape, from mountains to desert. We landed about 6:30am and proceeded to the Palace that is the Fluor compound in Kandahar. I must say that all the folks in Kandahar have an easy assignment when it comes to living conditions!! Their compound is new, they share a room with one other dude, the A/C actually works, all the amenities that you could ask for! We stayed in Kandahar for 2.5 days. We left out at about 6:30 Saturday night after having a really nice cookout for the 4th of July at the compound! We had chicken, potato salad, potato chips, ribs, rolls…you name it we had it, except for the all important 4th staple…COLD BEER!! I tell ya, that if I could have just one cold frosty cerveza, I’d be a happy man. I can’t forget to say that Kandahar may have one of the nicest gyms I’ve been to in a while. It rivals most Lifetime fitness’!!

Anyhow, once we got to the Pax (passenger) terminal, we made our way in and scanned all our stuff…weird to me, but yeah we did. Once all our stuff was palletized, we sat around for about 30 minutes, when we boarded a bus that took us out to a C130 that was waiting on us. This was 2nd experience flying in a military big boy plane! This time it was much different. What you sat in was like a mesh for your back, and then it was a type of nylon that supported your seat….NOT COMFORTABLE!!! Luckily the flight to Leatherneck wasn’t long! We landed about 10pm after a war zone landing; however, nothing like the take off from DC that started my whole journey. It was actually pretty fun! Almost like a rollercoaster of sorts. I got to my newest cot about 11pm and got right to bed in what was a really nice cot! I’ve slept on this cot for what will be 3 nights and it’s almost as if I’m sleeping on a super plush mattress complete with a feather mattress pad….even though I haven’t ever slept on one! Camp Leatherneck, LTN, is actually very convenient having everything I need in a city block, office, latrine, shower, PX (store) and the dining facility. The past two days have been pretty hot with 111 and 125, respectively. It sure doesn’t seem this hot, but I guess that it’s due to the dry, desert that surrounds us! Other than that, the food here isn’t all that great although I do somehow eat the most well rounded meals that I ever have on a consistent basis!

Many of you have asked about the food and up until now I would say that it has far exceeded my expectations with all the variety you get, not to mention you pick how much you want. Well, Camp LTN isn’t like this in that the variety just isn’t there. We are just too remote to have the variety that Bagram or Kandahar has, but I tell you that it won’t be too long before they do! I would bet after looking at our schedule, we have about as much variety by Christmas. Work has gotten off to a great start and I’m soo encouraged by Cassandra’s strong project mgmt stills coupled with her schedule background, that I can’t wait to get my day started, knowing that we will be making a daily impact in getting our shit together, and making these Marines more comfortable and able to enjoy their free time while having to be so far from home, fighting for us! Next week, I’ll have a brief update on my living conditions with the showers, and bathroom (thrown room) and such…..Sorry, but this is something to be seen!!!


On another note, I’ve pretty much decided on my first trip which will take place at the end of September. I’ll be going to Munich for Octoberfest for 4 nights followed by a stop in Strassburg, then on to Amsterdam for 3 days or so, then the train to London for like 5 days. If you’re up for it, you’re welcome to try and coordinate with me so we can see some of the things that the world has to offer!!! I am already pumped and counting down the days til that first beer in Dubai before I begin my trek!

I hope that everyone is doing well and had a great 4th!!

The Tobaggan…

Ok, so a couple of ya’ll know but I decided to write this blog about a couple of the nuances of living on a military base; overseas no less. I figured that I would try and lighten the mood somewhat, and not be so heavy because this really ain’t that bad! Anyhow, as most of ya’ll are aware I’m living in a tent with anywhere from 40-60 other doods! So just for the laid person, that’s about 200-300 other smells that aren’t my own!! I mean imagine going hiking all day with 50lbs of gear on your back, meanwhile there is no cover and it’s a balmy 90 degrees most days!! Oh, and you only do wash about once a week! So you can imagine what some of these guys smell like after a long patrol! That’s not to say that no one showers, cause everyone does…it’s just there are some odors you can’t help or get rid of….especially in your pack! So you have the bodily smells, and then it’s time to go to sleep! Some of you know that I’ve been known to saw a couple of logs and even frame up a house as I sleep, but this is nothing compared to the noises that permeate throughout the tent at night beginning around 9pm or so. The best description I can provide is the 3 stooge’s episode where they’re all snoring, each in their own little way. If you haven’t seen this episode, I would recommend looking it up on you tube! The big top (tent) is quite a thing to experience! You not only have many civilian contractors, but young servicemen and a sprinkling of older servicemen who appear to be reservists? It makes for some interesting nights, but it is home and for some odd reason I’ve grown accustomed to it! All I’m wondering is when I get out of here, and get my own house if I’m gonna have to put revelry on continuous play when I go to bed at night?!?! I guess that only time will tell!

That’s pretty much the atmosphere of the tent, but that ain’t all…we’re merely scratching the surface….unfortunately! Almost directly across the street from my tent is what is called the MWR (Morale Wellness, and Recreation) or the gym! The MWR, affectionately known as the clamshell (because of its similar shape) has a theme night every night of the week. I especially enjoy hip hop night, or as I like to call it….”wake up every 15 minutes night because my head is bouncing from the base shaking the tent!” In case ya’ll couldn’t tell, there was an aire of sarcasm to that! But seriously, the clamshell has a karaoke night, a country night, a salsa night, you name it…chances are they have it! I must say that it is pretty cool to see that the Army thought enough to put something like this together for the troops! Pretty cool if you ask me! Well, other than the fact that I haven’t had an uninterrupted night of sleep in over 2 weeks! I guess this would be something like my preparation for the day if I ever have kids??

Enough about the tent, on to what I consider to be a unique thing to living overseas on a military base….the bathrooms! Some of you may know, but Bagram used to be an old Soviet base way back when until it was taken over as a NATO base that is mostly run by the Air Force. The bathrooms were built back in what I assume was the early 2000s/ late 1990s, in that their relatively new but with all the moisture and climate, it makes for a quick withering away of the facilities! The bathroom is usually located in the bottom of a connex box (think of a container compartment on a ship), with another connex box stacked on top it for the shower room. Generally, there are about 3 urinals, with 4 toilets in the bathroom and about 6 showers on the 2nd floor. Pretty normal if you ask me until you have to make a #2. To look at these toilets initially you would think that you have to straddle the toilet because of where the water drains. In the states, the drainage is at the back of the bowl closest to the mechanics of the toilet. Oh and there is water in the toilet in the states…..NOT HERE! Once you get over the straddle, you wonder how things will make its way down the bowl??? Well, my friends this is where the “toboggan” comes into. Before you “sit” you make what’s called a TP Toboggan. This involves laying down some TP in the bowl so as to make for a smooth transition to the sewage tank! I gotta say that it is a fine innovation of foreign ingenuity, but at the same time….why didn’t they just put the F’N drainage at the back of the bowl??? I just don’t get it! If all this weren’t enough, about 20 gallons of water rush down from the tank to expedite the whole process! I mean really, it’s quite an ordeal for the first time! Oh and to top it off, all the stalls are made private by shower curtains, so if you’re lucky someone will come into the bathroom which will inevitably cause a breeze, throwing the shower curtain out about 2 feet and thus revealing you and all your glory during “private time”! Kinda makes ya wanna come for a weekend excursion, don’t it? This may have been too graphic for some, but most that know me, know that I’m not one for skipping any of the details…haha!! I couldn’t pass this story up….no way!

Before I go, I would like to just say that the project is going through a restructuring of how Fluor would like to run the project. That being said, I’ve been told that I’ll be leaving for another base on Wednesday, which is in the south at Tombstone (a.k.a. Camp Leatherneck). I’ll be sure and let everyone know that I’ve made it safely and things are good, once I get there.

Take care and Talk soon!

That’s Mr. Afghanny!!

Well, I’ve been here 5 days now, and I’m settling right in! I said that I would be updating every Sunday, but with the Traveling entry, I felt the need to hold on a bit and post as much as I could about my living conditions/ eating habits/ daily life. Before I do that I would like to address one issue…Mortars or Rounds as we here call them.

Saturday night I went to bed without much of a clue about what would transpire that in the next 8 hrs. About midnight we got a call over the loud voice that there would be a fallen comrade ceremony which generally takes place in a certain location on base. The ceremony was to be held about 1:30 am. In these ceremonies, all personnel on base are asked to show their respects and hold at attention as the convoy passes by carrying the fallen soldier on their way to transport. Not knowing how this affected me, especially at 1:30am on a Sunday morning, I thought it best to get up and show how grateful I am that these men and women put their lives on the line for us civilians. About 1:50am or so, right as the convoy was about to pass, a large boom echoed throughout the base in a certain direction, about ¼ mile away. Usually, there is an announcement that there is a “live” area, but none was made before this sound. Me and my coworker looked at each other and then at all the soldiers as if to seek their reassurance that this was “normal”…it wasn’t too long before another loud boom came, this time followed by the commands of “GO TO THE BUNKERS!!” Well, me and my coworker darted to the nearest bunker and since we didn’t know where that was, we followed the troops. It was literally mass chaos! We made our way to the bunker in about 5 minutes time and waited patiently amongst many announcements to see what our next move would be. After about 30 minutes ( now 2:30am) we came out of the bunker and stood around for a bit waiting to hear anything further. Fifteen minutes passed and we decided to call it a night and walk back to our tent where we went to bed about 3am. A lot of excitement and adrenaline for our 3rd day on base, and I must say a much needed reality check to further make us understand exactly where we were and how aware we need to be! Now that I’ve cleared the air about what happened, let me say that we are coming into the summer time here in Afghanistan and this is the “busy” season for the terrorists or those farmers that get hopped up enough on poppys to shoot off a mortar or something homemade resembling one. Generally, anywhere from 2 to 4 mortars will hit, probably occurring every week or two. This past case was rare, here, at Bagram as injuries, let alone, casualties don’t happen. In fact, mortars are rare to make it in the base at all. This marks the 3rd time or so that a mortar has landed in the base within the past 18 months!! So everyone, RELAX, as an extra precaution patrols have now begun to take place around the clock so that no further incidences occur! Ok…I think I’m good on this topic, so to my new daily life….

As I said, I arrived here at Bagram last Thursday morning about 8:30am. Our HR rep picked us up and we headed straight for what would be our temporary but not so temporary accommodations…and I use that term very loosely! We pulled up to a tent that houses roughly 80 cots. We made our way in and parked our luggage by a cot that seemed to be most suitable. We headed off to yet another couple of tents where our office is housed! So I guess that the joke does hold true…”I’m two tense!” I’ll leave it up to ya’ll to decide if I’m a wigwam or a teepee or maybe something cool that I’ve never even heard about!!

My daily routine usually consists of waking up around 6am or so (by this time the sun has been up 2hrs…it rises at 4-4:30am). I make my way down the rocky slope to a shower room that has 8 showers and 4 sinks to take a shower and get ready. After putting clothes on, I walk about 15 minutes to the office and drop my bag off and head to the DFAC ( that’s Dining FACility for the laid person). Many of you have asked and I’ll say there is a large selection available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ve been eating really healthy, getting both my veggies and fruit at every sitting. As a matter of fact, this morning I had an egg white omelette with some veggies and fruit! I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the food as I thought that it would mainly consist of pasta and meat….anything to keep the soldiers energy levels up for their patrols! Aside from the meals, my days are currently 12 hr shifts of work. Right now we putting together an MS Access database to show us 3 to 4 different types direction from the client which will be able to cross reference each other and give us all the data we need….I know boring, but it has to be done. I’m assuming that one of the biggest undertakings to follow will be managing the changes that occur along the way and documenting them. On this project the saying is, “if you didn’t document it, it didn’t happen!” Apparently, the gov’t is known for paying for the services rendered and conducting an audit 3 years later, only to take back millions of dollars where there wasn’t proof of a valid change!

I’m posting pictures to show the various items I’ve discussed, some of my tent, some of my work tent, and some of the base. Like I said in my previous post, this area is some of the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen. Mountains that surround more than 80% of the horizon, and most of those are snow covered! The temperature continues to be mid to high 80s, with about 30 to 40% humidity. We sit at about 4k ft above sea level and so with that the sun is on you in no time and can feel hotter than it is! I compare the climate and landscape to northeastern Nevada, or even the foothills of Scottsdale with the patches of green you can see in the distance at the base of the mountains. Time is already beginning to fly by and I’m beginning to find myself right at home as I make friends at work (we laugh all day) and I take up my free time by reading, or going to the MWR (Morale Wellness and Recreation center…gym). As you can imagine, working 84 hrs per week doesn’t lend itself for a lot of free time so I would say that currently my other hobby is falling asleep with a book in my hand! As least now I have gotten over my jet lag and am not feeling those afftects too much now!!

Anyhow, I hope that everyone is doing well, and I’ll talk to ya in 6 days (that’s next Sunday this time)!

Traveling....

Well, on Monday I began my travels across the globe with a connecting flight to Washington Dulles. There me and my coworker had a 6 hour layover where we spent most of the time in the red carpet lounge calling and texting people to keep them up to date about our status. I remember walking up to the gate in DC thinking that this is the beginning of a whole new chapter of my life and one that I won’t ever forget! I finally got to the point of excitement and let all the anxiety subside..probably helped out by the 4 or 5 crown and gingers!? All was well in business class as I stretched out straining to tap the seat in front of me which was just undoable…can you believe that?? Anyhow, we took off and about 5 minutes into the 13 hr flight, we hit some turbulence and dropped us about 300ft in a split second….ugh, if there was ever a time for depends or at least a baby wipe….can somebody say SHART??? The remainder of the flight went off without a hitch as we landed in Kuwait the next day at 4:30pm Kuwaiti time, about 30 minutes early! We stepped off the plane where we as Americans were stared at as if we were the INFIDEL!! I’ve never been looked at like that before and it made me uneasy to say the least! We got our Visas and made our way to the Hotel.

When we got to the hotel, I must say that it felt like a compound tucked away in this middle eastern city, probably because of the police parked out front, complete with a mirror that when around the truck to check for bombs! We checked in and I was given probably the best glass of freshly squeezed orange juice ever!! I made my way up to the room and was greeted by a room that was fit full of luxury for my last night of an actual bed? I must say that there is something to be said about the hospitality of this hotel, even though it was a Hilton! That night I experienced my first sand storm as I walked back from dinner.It is similar to a fine powder, with a touch of grit…too bad cause that could have been some great baby powder, haha...

Anyhow, the next day (Wednesday now), we loaded up at 2:45pm and headed to the base where we would take a C17 cargo plane to Bagram. This is probably the most nervous I had been for quite sometime, and it showed. We got to the base and got checked in by about 4:30…then we waited, and waited, and waited. The passenger waiting area was quite something with the AFN (Armed Forces Network) playing non stop live sports…pretty cool!! I sat down having walked around in the 110 plus heat, and immediately stuck to the seat which was made of a fine pleather!! Man, I think that I left about 10lbs of water weight in that seat as I sat there for about 5 hrs, feeling the heat build in the pleather! Geesh! I was a bit embarrassed every time I got up, thinking that everyone would see the gigantic amount of sweat I had built up! Oh well, that’s the way it goes.

We ended up leaving for our flight at about 1:30 in morning, some 9 hrs later and didn’t actually leave the base, wheels up, until 3am…I am very humbled to be scared the way I am and here are these young men and women going off to fight for their country while I sit around and track numbers.. In the bus on the way to the plane you could hear a pin drop, even for the time that we waited in the bus once we got to the plane. There was so much tension and anxiety that I, too, felt like I was defending my country? In this whole process of walking to the C17 and walking on board in the wide mouth of the back of the plane, I felt soo many things! All those emotions faded; however, as I sat there looking around at all those kids, a sort of calm came over me…for some reason I was soo at ease! I stared up at the carcass of the plane and listened to the props run full steam ahead and we lifted off! This flight was actually more calm than the commercial flight from a day earlier…..a welcome change! We landed some 4.5 hrs later in Bagram and walking out of that plane was so surreal. It was almost as if we flew to Nevada’s north eastern tip and got dropped off! I can’t tell you how pretty it is here and the weather on Thursday was in the high 80s and just beautiful with the mountainous backdrop that surrounds about 80% of the base…pictures to follow! I’ve finally made it to what will be my home for the next year….


Hope all is well!!

Last Night in Luxury

Here we are being less than 24 hours from leaving on a global journey for the next year, and I find myself being totally nostalgic. Some of my most favorite people showed up to help send me off! You know how great of people you surround yourself with, but you never really understand to what degree until a situation arises like Afghanistan. It warmed my heart to see all my boys this weekend to celebrate this journey! I think for one of the first times in my life I was left speechless! Most of ya'll know how I like to have something meaningful to say at times like these! Not only was I excited to see all of them, but I was pumped to see how that group has grown since college and high school with the addition of their better halves and such. We have truly developed into a family that will do what it takes to be there for one another should a time arise! Thanks to all of you for being there and making that night and this weekend something to never forget, and yet somehow forget bits and parts at the same time!

Also, I got a chance to spend time with my family. In the past things have been a bit distant; however, it seems that the more we hang out, the more we get each other and mesh into the family that we haven't been for quite sometime. I guess that goes with being around each other. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel where we will become that family that I've always longed for...one that can laugh and cut up, and make fun of one another! I love you all and it won't be long before I see you again!

As most of you know I'm a pretty emotional guy, and I've been known to leave my emotions on my sleeve. I'd like to assure everyone that while the first couple of weeks may be a bit sappy and down right depressing, keep following along it will get better and I'm sure that I'll have some things to say about local folks and their attire. I've always felt that by writing you enable yourself to get through emotions that you may have otherwise not realized were there, and gain perspective on what it is you're going through. I'm excited for this opportunity to write this blog because everyone will get to provide input on what would normally be something I would have to go through alone!

I've been struggling with this whole thing and stressing about what each new day will bring, not to mention the conditions that I will encounter. I guess that I just need to focus on the positives that lie ahead! In light of all these emotions, I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes from my favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption

"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."

-Obviously not an exact taylor made quote, but one that in my eyes is very relavent to my situation?!

I hope that everyone is doing well, and I'll be updating my blog every Sunday so keep up the following!!


For those that would like to know my APO address is:

Brandt Cook
Fluor
Bagram Air Field
APO, AE 09354


Talk soon!

Well it appears as though, this journey keeps changing and today was no different. I received word that I'll be going to Bagram Air Base north of my original plan of Kandahar. Bagram is located about an hour south of Kabul. The intent is to set up our operations in Bagram next to our client, and operate all of our work out of Bagram (both Task Orders 2 & 4). I'm not exactly sure how it will work out, but I'll be sure and write when I do! For now, I fly out next Monday to Dulles, then to Kuwait City where we'll wait to catch a military plane to Bagram on Wednesday.

More to come, and probably a couple of changes too...stay tuned!