Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving came and went this week. They made sure to feed us well around here. The DIFAC (Dinning Facility), in-fact all three of them, put on quite a celebration. For those of you familiar with banquets that SDA academies and colleges put on, I would liken it to a Thanksgiving Banquet. I attended the one at my favorite DIFAC. The entire place was decorated from floor to ceiling. All decked out with thanksgiving colors of brown and orange. The tables all that nice table clothes and were covered with thanksgiving paraphernalia. And the food was great. Not only did that have all the fixin’s of a traditional thanksgiving dinner. But they also had rib-eye steaks, several varieties of chicken. This DIFAC serves an area largely housing units from Louisiana. So they had an extensive array of Cajun dishes. Most of them looked delicious, however being either shrimp or pork all I could was admire them and savor the aroma. The selection and variety truly was incredible. They had football going on brand new flat screen televisions set up around the building. They really did a good job at putting on quite the festival. Before the meal kicked of they had a number of neat things outside. They had Indian teepees set up, people walking around in costumed as Indians, pilgrims and even a turkey. They also built a Mayflower ship that sat in the middle of the courtyard. A small plaque on the side served to educate the curious on the history of the Mayflower. The ship was used as a platform for the General to give a thanksgiving address and for the chaplain to offer a thanksgiving prayer. Off to the side of the courtyard they had a pen surrounded with chicken wire. And inside they at four turkeys huddling together and being chased about by costumed Indians. It was a lot of fun. I took some pictures so I’m hoping to get those developed and make those available on this site. Of course no matter what the military puts on nothing can substitute a thanksgiving in a simple home surrounded be family with a home cooked thanksgiving dinner. I guess that’s apart of the sacrifice.

Well it’s true an SDA chaplain has arrived. I have not yet been able to hook up with him yet. And I learned at 11 am, that he was conducting an SDA service today at 10 am. But now I have his contact information and I’m going to look him as soon as I finish here. I am eager to talk with him and get involved in whatever activities he might be arranging.

I got to call a few of you on Thanksgiving Day, well it was still Wednesday in the states but here it was Thursday. It’s been months since most of us talked so that was a nice blessing. I even called CLC to send a happy thanksgiving their way. And don’t wait for me to call you, I sent out my phone number in an email a few months ago. Don’t be afraid to use it.

This week the climate continued it’s downward spiral in temperature. Most nights you can’t even walk to the bathroom without putting on a sweater or something. And in the mornings everyone is bundled up with long underwear, winter jackets, thick fleece overcoats, gloves and everything else to keep warm. So winter is moving in for us too.

I kinda like Mayor Cell....

Can you believe it? This whole week I've probably spent maybe three hours at the motorpool. That's a big change considering that's mostly just a single morning for me. This week I've had Mayor Cell three times. I had it on Monday, Thursday and Today (Friday). If you're not sure what Mayor Cell is I've written a few bloggers about it in the past that can bring you up to speed on it. For starters, I've really grown to really enjoy having Mayor Cell duty. Most people have no love for this assignment. In fact I've never met another single person who says they like it. But that's ok I'm accustomed to being in a class all of my own. Down at the motorpool, there's not really anything to do. Most of the tasks I do there are simply jobs that are invented to keep me doing something. I can put in a full day, with those busybody tasks and at the end of the day nothing useful's been done. However, at Mayor Cell in contrast, I get all sorts of tasks that got more to them. And the crews of foreigners, locals and Americans that I work with are all great to work with.

Let me explain that we get tasked out to various crews of contractors. And we serve a number of different funtions. First, we serve as (QA) Quality Assurance/Control, we make sure that work is actually being down. Many times we have count the number of trash cans emptied or the number of restrooms cleaned. To make sure that the workers don't just clock in and then go and aimlessly drive around for a few hours. Secondly, we serve as Force Protection, we make sure that these team of locals and foreigners aren't getting involved in any foul play such as stealing, planting bombs or things of that nature. Thirdly our presents serves to legitimize the work of the crew. For example if the vehicle needs fuel they just can't pull up to a feul point and say fill me up. We pull up and I need to request the refill, or they aren't getting one. And Finally, we serve as crew protection. If out crew were to encounter anything hostile in nature. The escorting soldier provides protection for the crew. That's just four items to give you an idea of what our duties as escorts encompasses.

Take Monday for example. I got tasked out with the crew that cleans the Port-O-Johns. There's gotta be hundreds of them in the area. And I had to fill out a sheet with the count of how many they did. I had a great time with that crew. I worked with three locals, I quickly learned their names and we were all fast friends. Although there was a definate language barrier we still found ways to communicate and establish some comraderie. That's true with all the crews I worked with this week. These guys like what they do and have fun doing it and I have fun with them. And we talk about our families many of them are young guys in their early 20's and they have wives and a few have a child or two. I show them pictures of my pretty wife and they share pictures of their families and we all learn a little bit of where the other comes from. Many of them also have very sad recent tragidies too. For examply I worked with a fellow with a masters in electrical engineering, he drives trucks. And within the last month his family has had to cope with the loss of two loved ones. He lost a cousin and a brother, both victums of the the insurgents insanity. It is truly a pleasure to work with these men.

I'm going to request to be put on Mayor Cell everyday. Normally we send someone different everyday. But hey why send someone who doesn't want to be there, when someone's who's motivated is available?

This week I actually put into action my plan to get out on the week nights and start going to things. So I went to a praise session last night at the chapel. And I had a blast. It was the practice session for the praise part of the church service. And I got up there as a vocalist with the praise team. We sang some great songs. There's nothing like a spirit filled praise and worship session. Additonally, one of the chaplains who was there who I'm friends with told me that he met the new SDA chaplain on post. So the rumors are true an SDA chaplain is here. I have yet to bump into him but I'm sure I'll make his acquaintance shortly. I really look forward to joining his ministry team. On tuesday night I went to a bible study that just started it was the first night. And we're covering a Purpose Driven Life (book by Rick Warren). I had started that book in the past but never made it through. The master sgt who's leading out is really a dynamic leader and really inspiring. I look forward to going on this jorney with him through this incredible book. It was just he and I. But that's ok, God's word says where two or more are gathered the Lord is present.

65 F buuurrr....Time to dig out the winter coat.

This morning was typical of the recent climate we’ve been experiencing. You see it was down right cold. I almost went so far as to put on my snivel gear (army equivalent of thick long underwear). I was almost shivering, even though I was fully dressed down in my uniform with pants and long-sleeves. I don’t know how much more I can take of these 60 F temperatures. I’m going to have to start wearing my winter coat out there in the mornings. I checked weather.com and the temperatures were between 59 and 60 F. Talk about brutal. You may laugh….I know you in fact cause I also checked the temperatures for the same time frame in the Midwest was about 32 F with a real feel of 28 F. So 65 F might not seem cold to you, but I’m digging that gore-tex coat out.

Our main division here on the post is on their way out the door. The First Cavalry Infantry division is rotating out. Units come and go, but a whole division rotating that’s a lot of people. Some of the effects are becoming evident around here. See since there’s the biggest thing on this post, they’re the big fish in this pond. And they pretty much set policy and so on around here. Anyway the bolts have really been getting tight around here with a stricter approach to the rules. For example for a few days this past week we were on a heightened alert. So we had to wear our full battle rattle uniform everywhere including body armor and helmet. Then when exercise time rolled, we were allowed to go down to the gym in our PT uniform as long as we were wearing our armored vests and helmet. And a new policy was made that PTs weren’t allowed, we had to wear our regular uniform to the gym and change there. And at the gym there aren’t any locker rooms or anywhere to store your things you just lay in somewhere along the wall. That whole thing just added so many steps to my already tight morning routine. That’s just one example of some of the changes around here.

Today I went to a new Lutheran service that’s started up on Saturday mornings. Since there are no SDA services available I thought it might be a nice thing to look into. This in fact was the very first one to be held. It’s not even on the schedules yet that are posted around post. But I drop by the division chaplain quite often and he knowing of my interest in a Saturday service made me aware of it. I guess the word hadn’t gotten out yet so it was just the Chaplain, the Chaplain’s Assistant and I. But you know where two or more are gathered right. The service was slated to begin at 9am. It’s just across the street from the dining facility so I ate a late breakfast and waltzed over about 8:40. The chaplain and I chatted then jumped into out worship session. I really did enjoy it. And I plan to keep going. That is except if the rumor is true. I’ve heard a rumor, from the head chaplain in our area that an SDA chaplain will be arriving next week sometime. So if that’s true I’ll attend whatever services he starts up. And I’d be interested in joining his ministry team. That could be very rewarding.

If it were possible the amount of work down at the motor pool has gotten even slimmer. That’s incredible since I thought I had nothing to do before. Sure we are doing projects here and there of emptying storage trailers and reorganizing things. But you get everyone on something like that and it’s down with in a few hours then you have the rest of the day. Everyone is starting to get to the point where they just want this whole thing to be over with and get back to their normal lives.

Working In The Trenches

The rains have stopped for now. And the sun has come out. Just in time too cause we were swimming in mud around here. Things have dried out around here and it's been pretty nice the last few days. I'm not sure how long it will last. The skies have grown grey and looked threatening a few times since. But haven't dumped water on us like it did before.

This place is really getting crowed. We're starting to have some of the replacement troops coming in and there are soldiers everywhere. The line for lunch at the dinning facility goes out the door and to the parking lot. It's crazy. We've never had that before. I hope that the wheels start turning soon and this clog will be cleared up.

Today we had to dig a trench. See our office phone service comes to us by a cord that is rolled out along the ground. Well last week some workers accidently cut our line. So we strung a new line and today we had to bury it. So we got the shovels and pics and we dug a trench for about 100 yards to bury the thing. I guess this is the forth time this has happened. I hope this is the last too.

Remember that blogger for a while back when we spent the whole day putting up some new barriars outside our trailers? Well the Mayor decided that he wants to change it again. They've given us a hint as to what there lasted idea is, we'll see when they actually come through and implement it. It's just a little frustrating when you spent a day and put our back into something and it's undone so quickly and easily.

And If I can't Swim after 40 days.......

Well it's finally here, the rains have started. Actually it's more like the drizzling has started. Except for a few somewhat brief episodes nothing has come down very hard. However, don't let that fool you a few days of steady downpour can soak an area very well. Especially an area with no grass and plants to drink it up. That's right all there is, is God's brown earth to deal with all that water. The 1st Sgts predictions were right, everything is turning to mud soup out there. Every day the mud gets deeper and more slippery. As I'm here typing I have at least an inch of mud caked all around my boots, it's glorious. And the mud is only half the story. There's the constant dampness and dreariness to add to the daily comfort levels.
For a couple of weeks our mechanics were out at other sights working on some of our vehicles for personnel at other locations. But now most of them are back. Since most of them are back the maintainance tent is pretty crowded with people at work, so I'm not really needed in there. Because of the the rain we've halted our work of pulling things out of our storage trailers, so there isn't much for me to do there. The long and the short of it is, is that things have grown really boring at the motorpool. With nothing to do, the time just drags by up there.