Change of Plans, new deployment

Alright, much has happened since 22 July. As my buddy Nate told me, "dude, all I see when I check up to see how things are going is a stupid bottle of pills on a computer". Well, I better bring everyone up to date.

I left for Combat Skills Training at the end of July, and began training with about 180 or so Air Force civil engineers (reserve, active duty, and guard...good ol' mix). I was the company commander for about 20 or so active duty firefighters, and it was an awesome experience. However, one night out on the range, as we were night firing and I couldn't see crap on my iron-sighted GUU (a short barreled, Vietnam-era M-16), I called my boss back at McGuire AFB, and told him I needed a newer gun, possibly one not from Lyndon B Johnson's presidency. I received a phone call the next morning stating that I was coming home. I tried explaining that the newer gun wasn't a big issue, when the boss told me that my deployment to Northern Afghanistan had been canceled. After a couple days of leadership calling around trying to figure out what was going on, we found out that the Navy had a LCDR (lieutenant commander, equivalent to a major in the Air Force) that was taking the job, but forgot to tell the Air Force not to fill the position. Needless to say, I was done and off the hook for my deployment! (Jess was ecstatic)

The problem with me being pulled off the deployment so late, was that all the awesome deployments were gone. I was number one on the list to go on a deployment, and now that I wasn't going, I was back to the number one position on the list...again. To remind everyone what the history has been for me for the last 3 years, this is basically the 3rd time I have been pulled off a deployment for random reasons.

Long story short, I had two to pick from. One to Iraq in early 2011 and one to Afghanistan in mid 2011. I decided to pick the Afghan one because I didn't want to change the title of this blog. Pretty good reason, right?

Anyway I will be around Princeton a little longer, and will be updating this blog as I find things out and closer to when I leave. So if you are around Kabul in the summer, look for me!

CST and preperations for a year away

Good morning...As I finish the last of my packing for CST in Wisconsin, I wanted to sit down and write a little before I head off. The last 2 weeks have been filled with plenty of paperwork and running around getting signatures around base to prove I have everything accomplished for a year and change in Afghanistan.

After mental fistfights with the Medical Group as I was out processing, I walked off with a years supply of Doxycycline aka "anti-malarial pills", aka "Nightmare Pills". You may remember stories of them from my last time in Afghanistan, and their hilarious impact on our team dinners. I regaled you with stories of flesh-eating dragons, (named Hezbubbah) fighting ancient Chinese warlords and cannibals, eating my abs made of cake...you know, fun stuff (not as funny as Percocet dreams though). Anyway, as you can see from the picture, there are a lot of pills in there. I have a feeling this will sit next to my bed and be some primitive nightmare inducing hourglass sand clock. As the pill level drops, I get closer to getting home. Of course, taking them will result in nightmares but also prevent fevers and liver failure from Malaria.


Ok, off to Wisconsin. Back in a few.

365 Try Two: Afghanistan

This is the first entry to the blog on what I hope is an easy way for me to stay in touch with family and friends as I head off to another deployment to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, this will be a 365 day temporary duty (TDY), or as the military puts it, "indefinite" deployment. As I start transitioning out of my current job into full deployment preparation, there will be more updates. I hope to keep everyone abreast of my situation as well as contribute observations that shed a little insight into the overall war and rebuilding process.

The title refers to a television program on FX called, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" which is both hilarious and a bit of a social comment on the people and attitude of "Killedelphia". Anyway, enjoy, and look back for more posts as time progresses.

-LdS