Next Stop??

So I hear General McChrystal has ordered the services in Bagram like Dairy Queen, Burger King, Green Bean Coffee, the Chicken place and the like to be shut down in the next 60 days with a possible 30 day extension. This doesn’t affect me so much because I live in Paktya province where these things don’t exist. The closest thing I have to services like that is our chow hall. I don’t have to eat MREs unless we’re out on mission and won’t be back on the COP til later. Does it make me angry to know that the good people at Bagram have these services and I don’t? Nope. I am stationed in Baumholder Germany, some people are stationed in Stuttgart, Heidelberg, or even Mannheim. Does it make me upset that those people have amazing PXs or access to a local Starbucks? Well, no, a little jealous maybe. But the point is every place is different, Bagram has the luxury of having these services and I don’t. It’s just that simple. The good service members stationed in Ft. Bragg have access to services I don’t have being in Baumholder, Germany yet I don’t see Ft. Bragg closing down stores to make us feel better.

The closure is supposed to make room for the mass of troops entering country. Believe me, they’re going to need to close ALOT more than just those facilities in one tiny space. When I went on R&R in November, I couldn’t find a bunk to sleep in while I waited for my flight to Kuwait. Soon, a massive troop surge is going to have Bagram busting at its seams.

If they’re really going to close down these services to make room, why not do away with all the luxuries? Colonels and Sergeants Major and higher get to stay in actually buildings, nice rooms with hardwood floors, heat and AC, running water, and real beds while the average joe or even a low ranking officer has to stay in tents with no air conditioning and terrible heat, on cots, where disease and sickness are passed from person to person. First hand experience. I was sick the first week I was in-country… living in a tent.

What’s next? “We don’t need you to re-enlist because we have enough people” and 15 month deployments? If they’re willing to take away these services that help make this time away from our family with our lives in danger on a daily basis just a little more tolerable then believe me, these things aren’t far behind. In fact the re-enlistment thing is already a reality. First hand experience.

I hope they’re telling the people who are enlisting now, “there’s a massive troop surge and after AIT, you’re going to deploy.” Because that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Oh, and by the way, we’re taking all your morale boosters away, even scaling down on USO operations, because this is a war zone and you don’t need morale.

General Douglas MacArthur said, “Morale wins wars.” Well move over General, smarter people than you have a far different opinion.

Another month down

Well, one month of 2010 has come and gone. It was a month ago I was cracking open a Beck's non-alcoholic beverage when the clock struck midnight. Kinda sad, really.

Much has changed from then til now. Quite a few leadership changes, personnel shuffling. Drastic change in weight as I started a new workout program (currently 158 lbs) I haven't been in the 150s since my twenties. Major life-changing decisions have been made as well.

Before 2010, if you would have asked me, I was dead set against re-enlisting. I wanted nothing more to do with the Army. However, My current goals and plans are not supported by getting out of the Army at this point. So, I've decided to re-enlist for another 3 years. If I would have done this back in October or so, the bonuses for my MOS were pretty good. But now, there's pretty much nothing. But I'm not really worried about money. I'd like to stay in Germany but I've been gone from the states for too long. So back to the States we go. I'm also gonna keep an optimistic outlook and hope the changes that have been made inside our company can bring it back to where it once was: the best MP company in USAREUR.

Also going back to school to get my Bachelor's degree. Totally excited about this.

This winter has been almost completely snow-less which is kind of a bummer. Everyone was hoping for a really harsh winter but that hasn't happened. In a way, I'm glad. Keeping busy has made the time go by quicker. Meanwhile, back home in Germany, they continue to get hammered with snow.

As far as this current conflict, nothing has changed from my point of view. We continue to carry out our mission on a daily basis and hope for the best. The better the police force becomes at their job, the sooner we can pull out of this place.

It's nice to finally do my job. I've been able to treat several local nationals and police personnel for various wounds. Thankfully, none of the people in my squad have been seriously injured. I have always said I want my CMB (Combat Medic Badge) but not at the expense of a US soldier.

So, the countdown til we come home begins. I cannot wait. I miss my wife and kids so much. The hope of seeing them soon keeps me strong. I hope this whole conflict comes to a close soon. I don't want my children involved in this at all.

When spring comes, things should heat up a bit. And when it does, we'll be ready.

Sitting on the front lines,
-D