Greetings from Kandahar, Afghanistan!
The past 72 hours have been crazy, but here's the basic run down:
Was up and off to the shooting range in Kuwait at 0400, sited in our weapons wearing all our gear and made sure everything worked OK. From there it was time to get situated and ready to leave for Afghanistan, packing bags, loading gear, and various other things. My flight got pushed back so didn't end up getting on the bus until around midnight, then on the plane some time closer to 4 or 5 AM. The flight begs specific mention...
We flew out on a C130 fully geared up sitting on web jump seats knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder, crammed in like sardines. These planes are not known for their comfort, stability, or speed. I didn't sleep the entire flight but I did manage to escape my seat and make my way to the back where all the gear was loaded. There I found a comfortable seat on top of all the bags looking out a window. I also met a fellow Steelers fan and got a VIP trip to the cockpit for a while. I didn't get a chance to sleep, but the flight was overall very good.
Upon landing at KAF (Kandahar Air Field) I had about 30 minutes to get my stuff in to my room and grab some food before work started. There are 6 of us in a 4 person room, 2 other Ensigns from my unit and 3 enlisted guys from our subordinate unit. This is going to be interesting to say the least.
KAF is huge, and is truly joint. There are multiple dining facilities (we call them DFACs) representing cuisine from multiple countries. There are all flavors of NATO troops walking around base, which makes for a cacophony of different uniforms and accents. I haven't had much time to explore the base, but I have noticed that every square inch of this base is covered in an extremely fine dust. Not the kind of dust we saw in Kuwait that you could feel the grit on your teeth. This is the kind of dust - begrudgingly called Moon Dust here - that is more like talcum powder, gets everywhere, accumulates on any semi-horizontal surface, and dries out your hands like crazy. This may come to a shock to those who know me, but I have actually started to use hand lotion / moisturizer, and it's driving me up the wall. But enough about that.
Work, being why I'm here, will be the full master of my time. Thus far I was in the office from approximately 1300 - 2000 on the day I arrived and 0745 - 2130 today. Sleep is a luxury, as is eating, socializing, and doing anything related to personal care. I have not laundered my uniform since leaving the US, and while I stink, I am not the worst smelling thing out here (the base wide septic pond was poorly sited at the most up-wind portion of the base). We work 6.5-7 days a week and are expecting to spend 14-18 hours a day at work. Of course, some of that time will be used for going to the gym at lunch, once I get into a routine.
My job, while still ambiguous as I'm in the process of learning it, is to be THE go-to guy for construction projects at 5 FOBs (Forward Operating Bases) located throughout the east of southern Afghanistan. I have to give briefs on a weekly basis to high ranking military officials on the progress and issues, put out proverbial fires, and basically be a master of everything there is to master. I should also expect to travel to the various FOBs under my guidance on a regular basis, which means a lot of time ridding in helicopters, which is very awesome.
Overall, I'm optimistic and doing well. That may be partially due to the caffeine high I'm riding on from the RipIt energy drink I chugged a while ago, but I think most of it is due to the fact that there's a lot going on, a lot to do, and it's all new and exciting. The only thing weighing on me is the reportedly frequent rocket attacks that KAF is subject to - a simple Google search can pull up many stories... They're not accurate and few people have been injured or killed from them, but I have no idea what something like that would be like. Every time a jet takes off or a car drives by my room, I have a moment of freaking out. As macabre as it may sound, I just want to get it over with so I know what to expect and can stop thinking every sound is something in-bound. They do have significant safety measures in place, both passive and active, which of course I cannot speak to due to security reasons. I'm not all that worried for my well being, and neither should you!
I'll post more when I can, once I get my internet set up in my room and get life a little more figured out. It should be a while though, so stand by...
The past 72 hours have been crazy, but here's the basic run down:
Was up and off to the shooting range in Kuwait at 0400, sited in our weapons wearing all our gear and made sure everything worked OK. From there it was time to get situated and ready to leave for Afghanistan, packing bags, loading gear, and various other things. My flight got pushed back so didn't end up getting on the bus until around midnight, then on the plane some time closer to 4 or 5 AM. The flight begs specific mention...
We flew out on a C130 fully geared up sitting on web jump seats knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder, crammed in like sardines. These planes are not known for their comfort, stability, or speed. I didn't sleep the entire flight but I did manage to escape my seat and make my way to the back where all the gear was loaded. There I found a comfortable seat on top of all the bags looking out a window. I also met a fellow Steelers fan and got a VIP trip to the cockpit for a while. I didn't get a chance to sleep, but the flight was overall very good.
Upon landing at KAF (Kandahar Air Field) I had about 30 minutes to get my stuff in to my room and grab some food before work started. There are 6 of us in a 4 person room, 2 other Ensigns from my unit and 3 enlisted guys from our subordinate unit. This is going to be interesting to say the least.
KAF is huge, and is truly joint. There are multiple dining facilities (we call them DFACs) representing cuisine from multiple countries. There are all flavors of NATO troops walking around base, which makes for a cacophony of different uniforms and accents. I haven't had much time to explore the base, but I have noticed that every square inch of this base is covered in an extremely fine dust. Not the kind of dust we saw in Kuwait that you could feel the grit on your teeth. This is the kind of dust - begrudgingly called Moon Dust here - that is more like talcum powder, gets everywhere, accumulates on any semi-horizontal surface, and dries out your hands like crazy. This may come to a shock to those who know me, but I have actually started to use hand lotion / moisturizer, and it's driving me up the wall. But enough about that.
Work, being why I'm here, will be the full master of my time. Thus far I was in the office from approximately 1300 - 2000 on the day I arrived and 0745 - 2130 today. Sleep is a luxury, as is eating, socializing, and doing anything related to personal care. I have not laundered my uniform since leaving the US, and while I stink, I am not the worst smelling thing out here (the base wide septic pond was poorly sited at the most up-wind portion of the base). We work 6.5-7 days a week and are expecting to spend 14-18 hours a day at work. Of course, some of that time will be used for going to the gym at lunch, once I get into a routine.
My job, while still ambiguous as I'm in the process of learning it, is to be THE go-to guy for construction projects at 5 FOBs (Forward Operating Bases) located throughout the east of southern Afghanistan. I have to give briefs on a weekly basis to high ranking military officials on the progress and issues, put out proverbial fires, and basically be a master of everything there is to master. I should also expect to travel to the various FOBs under my guidance on a regular basis, which means a lot of time ridding in helicopters, which is very awesome.
Overall, I'm optimistic and doing well. That may be partially due to the caffeine high I'm riding on from the RipIt energy drink I chugged a while ago, but I think most of it is due to the fact that there's a lot going on, a lot to do, and it's all new and exciting. The only thing weighing on me is the reportedly frequent rocket attacks that KAF is subject to - a simple Google search can pull up many stories... They're not accurate and few people have been injured or killed from them, but I have no idea what something like that would be like. Every time a jet takes off or a car drives by my room, I have a moment of freaking out. As macabre as it may sound, I just want to get it over with so I know what to expect and can stop thinking every sound is something in-bound. They do have significant safety measures in place, both passive and active, which of course I cannot speak to due to security reasons. I'm not all that worried for my well being, and neither should you!
I'll post more when I can, once I get my internet set up in my room and get life a little more figured out. It should be a while though, so stand by...
Kevin-
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you are doing well. If you somehow manage to get some trigger time on the door gun of some helo, be sure to get some video. The stories are great, keep them coming.
Dave N
Holy crap! I guess I should have included hand lotion in the package I sent you. Definitely did not think to do that. Although, I did send you Aquaphor which you could use on the heels of your hands.
ReplyDelete-Anna
Kevin,
ReplyDeletePut the lotion in the basket, lol! Soon you are going to be addicted to soft, smooth hands.
-Elke