Convoy duties

Well, I've been on two major (multi-day) convoys so far. One went back up to Kabul, to Camp Phoenix, and we stayed overnight, then came back. That was a good learning experience. I was a back-seater on the trip up and got to watch the lead vehicle operations from some folks who seemed to really know their business. Then, on the way back, I was gunner for a 5-ton truck, which was also fun.

One of the drivers of the 5-ton was female, and I gave her a lot of good-natured ribbing. She was really cranky at first, because she was supposed to have been cleared from convoy duty and was leaving in a few days to go home. I gave her the standard "hit" lines, like "so, what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" and "Do you come here often?" or "We've GOT to stop meeting like this!" I don't think she once cracked a smile, but by the time we got back, she had relaxed enough to actually TALK about stuff, and ask questions and stuff.

Anyway, she was a very clear-headed, take-no-nonsense soldier. I would consider her very reliable, and I hope she makes E-5, because she'll be an EXCELLENT NCO. I would be glad to have her as a driver on any convoy anywhere.

Then, of course, the other mission was to a place called Dai-ray-woo. At least, that's how everyone pronounced it that knew how to say the name. Mostly we called it DRW. It was a Special Forces compound in the middle of nowhere, and behind it was a beautiful lush green area. I didn't manage to get any pictures of the greenery, and didn't want to take any pictures of the compound, because of security. The food at DRW was okay, I'm not sure where it was cooked, because it wasn't local food, but the place wasn't large enough to have an American dining hall.

The trip to DRW took two days. The first day we drove to a place that shows on a map I have as being called Tarin Kowt. There, we stayed at a primarily Dutch, multinational compound. The mess hall there reminded me of a mess hall scene in the game Halo. It was made of pre-fab steel sections, and had doors everywhere. Most of these doors didn't go anywhere, but they gave the impression that there were emergency escape pods or something all over the place.

The food at TK was... different. A German company provided the service and the food showed it. The bread was different, taller than American sliced bread, and the crust was much chewier, almost stale. There were biscuits that were like really light cookies, and they had chocolate spread, like Nutella. They had Roggebrood or something, that was supposedly rye bread, but tasted like mashed-together, mushy Raisin Bran. The Kool-Aid was amazing too, they had three colors: Red, white, and orange.

The red Kool-Aid tasted like fruit punch but with an aftertaste like womens perfume - very fruity, and almost harsh. The white Kool-Aid tasted like maybe lemonade, but with the aftertaste of, get this, urinal cake odor. The Orange Kool-Aid tasted like the smell of Daffodils. Yes, Daffodils. It reminded me of Easters hiding eggs at Wildwood, and springtime in the country.

By the way, from TK to DRW, there was no road. We were on trails the whole way, and it was very dusty. At TK I slept on the floor, because there were no beds. There was artillery fire from TK the second day, and we think we saw a firefight happening when we returned from DRW. We also saw an Apache helicopter shooting at something.

There's been so much else happening, I could go on and on for a long time. Some days it's hard to stay positive, especially when it seems like you're being treated unfairly, but I had a moments prayer this morning with another soldier (we were on duty together), and that seemed to change everything. Knowing that I'm doing God's work here, whatever it is, and seeking Him in prayer when things are tough, makes it easier for me to be cheerful in everything. Well, most everything.

Oh, also, I read "THUD!" by Terry Pratchett, and it was very good. Another of the Discworld series that I never would have found had it not been for my friend in our Sunday School Class. However, I'm out of books again, and need more. If you have any science fiction or fantasy novels that you're willing to give up, feel free to send them on.


Have I mentioned that we're looking into satellite internet access for the soldiers here at Shir Zai? I've spent a lot of energy trying to figure out what our specific needs are and how to meet them with a good secure network. I've had a lot of help from friends at various companies, some of which are even going to donate equipment to help us get set up!

Anyway, I hope that all of you reading this are doing well, and may God's blessings be upon each and all of you.