Who's your Daddy! (2/1/12)

Today our safety topic was Sexual Harassment. Our Site Manger and all around good guy, gives us these briefs every morning at 6 am with different safety topics each morning to keep us on our toes and keep us diligent and safe. I've been at this little FOB (base) since the 8th (3 weeks) and I can not believe that all required personnel show up for these meetings. Even I do and I don't even have to be there. I go because it's good customer service and the community has a chance to interact with me. This in turn builds trust and use of me as their care provider. So it was that this topic in mind that my buddy and I would entertain ourselves for the best part of today and take a turn in harassing the guys. Usually they're good sports and they think it's funny when we try to whistle anyways. And then it snowed and equipment blew again and the pipes froze and the heat went out and all that were not busy on emergencies were busy shoveling- me included. It is a team effort on these small bases. So now we're all too tired for games and it's Mother Natures turn to tease and say, "who's your daddy!." The sun came out for a brief reprieve and then it chickened out too.

The locals claim that they haven't gotten weather like this in 20 years. My halo/TelePrompter balloon that sits over my head sends a news flash to me- the weather is following me from home. I must keep this little secret or my contemporaries or the the talitubbies would really come after me. They attempted a sneak attack on the BIG Boys. I'd love to say silly mad men or even be rude enough to say dumb balls. But the truth of these missions is they give the farmers and such some money to care for their families, train them for 10 minutes and convince them to attack the BAD Americans. What's one more innocent, dumb Afghani life when they get blown to kingdom come. It done to keep us on our toes and gives them leverage for negotiations when we supposedly sit down in Qatar. In the meantime the Pakistani's, (who switched sides), are calling for our help after getting their butts handed it them by their buddies. I watch CNN too. All I can say is Who's your Daddy now!

Wintertime, Funtime! (1/26/12)

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it...enough already! This is day 3 of snow and so what I should be used to it because I'm from Michigan! Ok- I am a little. I do have a winter coat and snow boots that are water proof for the rainy season. Also, I was the only one out there pushing it off my walks. The others on this base thought I was nuts. We're in the middle of a desert. It will melt soon. And it did! It melted enough to make icy little paths all over the place today...except for in front of my little clinic- Ha! I still can't get over how beautiful snow is when it's falling, (and I get to see it again tonight- oh boy!) but the going out in it and walking in it is a drag. At least it now has a reason to be so cold in the desert. No flights out because of weather. It was a bit windy today, Four people are trying to get out to go on R&R and this is a painful reminder of how close I scheduled my own trip home. I did not use any days to get stuck here. I instead used my "stuck days" for when I'm home. We get 3 of these days and I chose to use them wisely being home and not for getting stuck anywhere. Pray that it works in my favor.

So the snow... It supposedly is a fluke to snow this far south and this much. I believe it! It was great fun watching it through others who have never seen it before. There were Kenyans and Nationals, out without their coats, sliding in it and taking so many pictures to send back home. I just wish we could've found something to sled on- no EMS sleds (backboards) here. Then the soldiers came out and started a snowball fight. I brought out my camera and got pummeled! There were a few falls but no one broke bones... so all's well.

Speaking of breaking something...I will be joining my family on a fun run when I get home. Plan on being there or be square. It's on March 11th at Corktown. www.runmichigan.com for further info. I understand our group name is "Shots in the D", so join in- it'll be fun! For me it means getting off my butt and giving up lazing around to train, but they're worth it. Thanks for motivating me! It also means breaking my smoking habit, as we all know I can't (or won't) run and smoke. Today was a huge success because I only smoked 6 cigarettes, because I'm in training and I did a mile in 20 minutes without too much huffing and puffing. I barely broke a sweat. I have just over a month to get ready- yikes! So I am training here in my bare feet (well- socks) on a treadmill because I left my running stuff at the last base, which was really stupid and a mistake I will not make again.

I'm trying hard to just take the essentials on these little hops. I have to carry all my own stuff and it's a lot of work! Let's start with the 2 lap tops that I have to carry and then my sleeping bag, pillow and blanket, sheets. Then my vest and helmet, (which weighs a ton). Then clothes and toiletries. I know exactly why some people smell! I broke down and bought an rolling army duffle and a better backpack. I'll see if it makes any difference. The bags I have all have wheels , but the rocks and gravel and sand are extremely hard on everything here. I could not even imagine dragging it through snow. We also have a weight limit of 50 lbs. It makes me laugh the stuff that I can hoard in my pockets!

So one more week on this cute little base and BIG tears when I leave. These people have been great and the best and friendliest military that I've ever met.

 Here's the patient area

 My room in the clinic...an actual room space!

 The view of the mountains from the clinic and look...carpentry stopped to pose!

I even get a desk!

Company day!

Today was a great day. I had company! I love entertaining. To prepare I mopped the clinic floor twice and dusted the furniture and made everything look pristine...then I got patients. WTH! I usually have to track them down to get them in to see me on any given day. I never get patients. They don't care how sick they are or how much pain they're in. They will not seek medical attention. They believe that all medical people are here to send them home. Sometimes it can not be avoided. A broken rotted, infected tooth for example. It will never get better on it's own and I am not equiped to pull teeth- so yes, home you go. Get your stuff done before you come here. Why is that my fault? It's rough and rugged here, bare minimum desert medicine. So on my special company day, here come the patients. I think that they like me here, but I'm thinking...Oh No! not today! They track in the dirt and sneeze and and get their whatever's all over the place. ..and scrub away I continue. At last, I thought to myself, this is a losing battle to keep the floor clean and show off the clinic and then I recall why it is that I am here. It's all in a days work. And I really love my patients. Bring me your achy backs and runny nose, yuk, yuk!

The company Care Counselor took a little side trip to visit this tiny little base and me! I had met him before and he's a great guy, so I had a chance to visit and show him around and introduce him to everyone. Thankfully he brought pamplets to hand out later because he falls under suspicion too. But, he's fun and he even knew someone here in no man's land, good sign of personability! We stayed up well after 8pm talking and me telling stories...well, he did too -good times! Speaking of bedtime...Isn't it crazy that back home I would easily stay up until 1-2 am and still get up around 7 am. I can't do it here and I don't know anyone that can.

The day ended in a crush of despair when we got the news of the tragedy at Kandahar. Bombs, suicide bombers, blah, blah...I almost forgot I was in the middle of a war and that there's talibaddie's to worry about. It just makes you want to go out and kick some a- -! And now that I've been around to a few places, visualizing the sites where the destruction happened make it more real. We don't get any information on anything. It gives a whole new meaning to head in the sand- that's us! We get our info just like you do...via CNN- unless we're right there as it's happening.

I'm having a blast on this tiny FOB. There's just enough activities to do everyday. We take walks around the base which would take all of 10 minutes if we didn't go up to the guard shacks and visit and explore the areas that have been bombed out and fortified. It's a really tight squeeze in some areas. Sometimes we view the province (look over the walls) and see what the locals are up to. There are architectural sites that are within our line of vision and that we don't talk about and can't visit, because the talitubbies might get us. They're like the bogey man with IED's and other bad toys. Then there's meal time which is social time, so I never skip that and it's starting to show. I'm committed to doing less eating and more coffee drinking and more hitting the gym.

Picture time of the clinic that I'm at temporarily manning...unless I can figure out a way to throw Frank under the bus and stay permanently...Just kidding Frank!!

I'm really missing my base too.

Just another day (1/15/2012)

A ground attack and I could hear the Talitubbies yelling! They never got in, but it was exciting! I thought about taking pictures of the action, but since they were shooting over the wall trying to randomly snipe us.. I thought better of it. Where I'm at, there not much separating us from them. I'm actually less than a Detroit block away from houses on the other side. Fortunately that's where the wealthier people live, so I shouldn't have need to worry.  The weather is freezing here, so I can't understand why the terrorist are heating up. Shouldn't we all be taking well deserved siestas? The troops were so funny. They are here to serve and protect and that means even us dumb contractors. They were so nice to come over and make sure I wasn't afraid. I did do a little shiver for their benefit...keep up moral and all that. But the terrorist seem to be all over the place right now. My buddy about an hour away also got hit, or the base that he's on did. Happens to be the same place that I slept thru an attack...funny coincidence.

We had a true storm complete with very loud thunder and sky illuminating lightning and it was so loud that I was thinking that maybe it was still the bombs going off. I really thought that I was going to lose my tent at one point with the howling winds and torrential rains, but I was tired so I rolled over. I keep my stuff close to me now, (just in case I do wake up). I have a bugout bag for my medical stuff that weighs quite a few pounds. In the mist of rushing to grab what I thought was important, reaching for that bag nearly broke my arm. Once we got the "All Clear" I lightened that baby up! I thought to myself, how many IV's am I going to be doing anyways? I kept a couple on hand anyway- I hate to say never.

So we are still on blackout and with the full moon the night should've been quite romantic. Too bad all the guys my age are in bed sleeping at 8 pm. Oh Well! Me, I like to live big and watch some TV shows that I have on my hard drive or read a book while I snuggle up alone. So I think I'll do just that before another alarm sounds. Rule #3, 4, 5 for deployment: Never pass up a bathroom, never miss a meal, never miss out on sleep! The last one was difficult for me to get used to. My saying used to be, "I'll sleep when I die."  Well one nighter in the cold, smelly bunker took care of that!  I'll sleep when I can - thank you very much.


 

Not on my watch. Not in my home!

Today, I saw on the news that 4 Marines were caught urinating on dead bodies. Imagine that! Why would they do that? And what fool filmed this act then leaked it? The Taliban are using it for recruitment purposes... think maybe it could of been them? Even not, who's side are you on? It's just too bad that our politicians and media can't be more supportive. And this is forthright with the American people? OK, so shame on the Marines that did that. That's not "how we do it" in the USA. We are more upstanding and dignified and the Marines are held to a higher standard than that. But imagine in an alternate universe where the Super Heroes rush in to rescue poor, downtrodden, hurt victims of a hateful gang of thugs. Meanwhile the rescued, while smiling in the defenders faces, shoot them in their backs. Am I'm talking about the Afghani's? NO! I'm talking about the people back home that join our media in finding fault with anything that happens here in Afghanistan and can't write a shred of support for the effort here.

In my neighborhood back home in Michigan, a guy tried to break into my home in the middle of the night. I watched as the guy tried to open the screen of first my bedroom window and then my daughters room. Being a poor, helpless, single women, did I think he was looking for money to buy drugs? He was known as the neighborhood drug dealer. So why pick the single mom's house? The answer, fear and intimidation- easy to get my stuff. I eventually called the police who caught him on the next block. They stated that he wasn't caught doing anything more that walking down the street at 4:00 in the morning, so they did not arrest him. He had a good time telling his peers about how he got away- shame on him! Break-ins continued and my neighborhood lived in despair. Did I cower in fear for the next time. No Way! I took a stand and said, No! You will not threaten my family! Not on my watch. Not in my home! I demanded and took action! I spent the next week knocking on doors and organizing a "War on Drugs" in my neighborhood. Without going into detail, the targeted bad guy with his buddies left our area within a couple of weeks and peace was restored... and crime fell in the neighborhood. It was a win-win for us all.

The World Trade Center happened and we all watched in horror, helpless to do a thing to help as our fellow countrymen died and the life that we knew changed before our eyes. We watched as the terrorist came to "our house" to destroy us and annihilate our way of life. Fear and intimidation. Every single one of us wanted vengeance. The American people demanded action! Never forget the reason for our presence in Afghanistan. They have found a haven here and in Pakistan to hide, to organize and destroy us. So why change the mood now. Do we want another 911 to happen or do we want to stand together and command, " Not on my watch. Not in my home.

I can't change the world. I'm too old to join the Marines or any branch of the service. But, I do my part in protecting those that I love. Each one of us can make a difference and together as a nation. So what that we're hated for it- we are our strength. That's what separates us from them. We are willing to sacrifice for each other. We come together in times of need and champion the underdog and protect our own in our homes, in our country, in our world. Every soldier and every person that is serving here in Afghanistan knows that at any moment we could face death- Yes, we could die. This is a war and piss on the ones that try to harm us every second of every day. I understood that display of pushing back and granted it was grouse. Next time guys keep it zipped up or the camera off. That you killed a few terrorist was enough for me. Thank you very much for serving!

We must all remain strong, standing together and commanding that terrorism will not happen- Not on our watch. Not in our homes!

Good games and bad ones...

I've been MIA for a week with good reason. I was assigned an itty bitty base (FOB) for my buddy who left for a little R&R. This is the cutest little base. You could walk around the perimeter in 10 minutes. Everyone is nice and very welcoming. It's one of those places that are helping the locals learn to sustain themselves through agriculture and education without depending on the US or the Taliban. It's in sort of a populated area and I still can't get outside the wire. Imagine that! I did go take a little peek at "THE" Afghanistan. My buddy is also a little stinker, so he didn't mind showing me the best spots for my viewing pleasure. Here on the bases it's mostly like being in the US. The grub is good and there's always so much to choose from with dessert. And just like back home you can go to church and worship Jesus or anyone you choose to without being strung up. We meet, but they don't have any clubs going here yet. Gimme some time and let see what talents I can make use of to keep everyone out of mischief. Speaking of...I can't remember most of the peoples names yet and I sort of remember faces...but I went strolling into my tent to my individual room (Ha!) to move my stuff into the clinic room where I'll be staying. I was taking my time setting up the new room because I brought too much crap (as usual) and there's no use in me getting winded by going back and forth all at once. So, I went into the old room and thought I heard a noise. I clearly asked if there was anyone there? No answer...maybe a dumb cat. The second time I went in there was a light on. I grabbed some stuff and left. But, then I had forgotten to grab my bedding so I immediately went back, opened the door and was run down by some very embarrassed young man. I thought...maybe a worker, (you know I can be oblivious). Then I saw the girl... snickering and I knew that there was at least one game going on in town!

At another small base where I visited my buddy Cory once (the time I was dumped off at the wrong place). I got to check out his operation/ clinic and he was very ready for the "BIG" one. His clinic is in a very small space, but he made the best use of it and was prepared for a mass casualty and could set up and be ready in seconds to care for many people. It was amazing. This is a guy who was well trained. Well, a couple of days ago a bunch of soldiers joined together to play a pick up game of soccer. They had spectators and among them some ANA (Afghan National Army). One of the ANA guys picked up his automatic rifle and sprayed the soldiers/soccer players. Why he did that no one will ever know. He could've been bought by the Taliban or just went postal...who knows???  He had to die and he did! Two soldiers died, several wounded... senseless. I pray for the friends and families of those guys who suffered this tragedy. I was saddened too. This is a war zone, but I can picture them laughing and the area that they were playing in having watched them play when I came onto that base. Cory was the only medic on the base and there was a small hospital with a doctor and nurse, corpsmen...first timers out.  Cory, who I am proud to say was once a Detroit Medic and is exceptional at his job, he worked with the team and was able to organize, relay and move them out. That's what we do!

So on this note I will end. Support the Troops and our effort here in Afghanistan!

The pictures are of my bedroom with barely enough room to walk into it, but I do have a mattress and it is private.
My buddy Frank at a very old well that still functions
A very old guard tower...maybe from the Russians or even Alexander the Great. He is still the only one who has ever conquored Afghanistan.
My peek of Afghanistan...