*****Click the linked WORDS or PHRASES for pictures that are associated with it*****
Afghanistan...... everything about being here is very different. The first thing you notice is that everything on this base is covered with dust/dirt due to the dirt here being so fine in almost a powder form. For example, my laptop has either been inside my sea bag or in my tent, never outside, yet withing a couple days it already has a layer of dust on it.
There is always a plume of smoke coming from the huge burn pile on base too, its always burning regardless of which direction the wind is blowing it. Sometimes it's white smoke, blue-ish, or black and sometimes it just blows right into where you are training. They burn everything here, and I mean EVERYTHING! From rubber, to plastics, papers, batteries, unusable gear, anything. And you can definitely smell it all the time... we're always joking with each other on how in like 5 to 10 years or even less, we're gonna hear on TV: "have you or a loved one inhaled smoke and/or dust while serving overseas and now suffer from bla-bla-bla?? call this number now and we will get you millions of dollars." haha!
The time change is also really weird, for example we woke up at and went to the chow hall around 6 and we were watching the last hour of the count-down for new years live in New York. Or like this morning when we were at breakfast again and watching the Rose Bowl live that was happening a day ago. Its a very weird thing to see, its like we were looking back into time which was happening right now.
There's people from all over the world that we work next to or eat right next to us at the same table, use the same bathrooms, everything. One day I may be sitting at the chow hall next to some civilian "Blackwater" security contractors, another day sitting next to the Jordan Army guys, or the Afghan Army, regular civilians from America who are just there to build stuff... it's pretty cool most of the time.
Well soon I'll be on a different base with a whole different set of people and different environment.
Very interesting! Can only imagine the time change confusion. For us, we have to think about when you are up. Its like you work a night shift; we can 'talk' just before we go to bed, and right when we get up. The rest of our day you're asleep! Sorry about the dust....I can only imagine :{ There was a time we burned everything here. I remember when the schools had their own incinerators to handle all the school trash. It stunk then too!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your blogs/pics......Be safe :)
Gosh, I think we should add this to one of the eco-tourism tour sites...you know, to get some opposing points of perspective...then they really can appreciate where they are...time change..wow, very interesting and challenging....keeps all of you on your toes...we look forward to more of your blogs...very nicely done young man...you truly make me proud to know you...Major
ReplyDeleteWow. That is just crazy, and really cool. So when do you sign up for Blackwater? those guys look like BAMFs (hope you'll remember that reference). And yes, I know what they do, or sort of, I met an ex-blackwater guy.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I'm glad you are liking it as much as you can there. I'll have to show you a trick so when you click a link, it brings up a new tab, and you don't have to click the back button (its an html coding thing). Anyways, all is going well over here, we miss you and look forward to your next post!
Love, Kristen
Okay, quick html coding trick... to get your picture links to open up in a new tab, this is what you will do:
ReplyDeleteAnd the comment section won't let me put the whole code on here, so I hope what I say makes sense.
After you do the 'greater then' symbol then the 'a' with the href= and then the url in quotes directly after that you will put a space then target="_blank" and then the 'less than' symbol, your text, then the closing tag at the end, you know the < then / then a then >. I hope I didn't totally confuse you :)The comments section is super picky about any sort of html coding I put on here.
That way when you link the image, it will just open up in a new tab, and your faithful readers don't have to click the back button :)
Love you!
Kristen
Wow Jake, nice work! Lana and I just made it back from our travels so it is good to see we have a way to keep up with what is happening while you are away. I We can sympathize with he time change weirdness. In Palau there was no live TV. Even all of the major news stations (CNN, ABC, FOX) were all delayed by about two weeks. Internet almost doesn't exist. A DSL line is $600 a month and your max download is about 6KB/s...when it works. So you could say we were cut off.
ReplyDeleteThe time change got really strange on our way back. We left Palau at 0235 on Friday and go to Guam at 0530 (they are one hour ahead of Palau). The next leg was a 7 hour flight to Hawaii. We left at 0635 from Guam and 7 hours later we got to Hawaii at 1730...the day before we left Palau. *brain hurts*
Well stay safe. We look forward to your safe return. We took about 18 GB of pictures while we were there so we will have to have a big picture BBQ when you get back. Ours are quite a bit less brown than yours but you will have a lot more firepower in yours =)
Keep us updated! Stay sharp and keep everything attached. Love you bro
Hey Jake,
ReplyDeleteJust a quick note from Angela and Me to be safe and enjoy your tour in paradise! Ya right! Good to hear about your adventures.
Angela and Barry.....
Hi Jake, this is such an awesome way to stay in touch. A very nice job on your blog. From what you said about the battle against the powder/dust, from other San Box vets I've talked to, those compressed gas dusters are the best way to go. Take care of your rifle and magazines (I know I am preaching to the choir) and keep your s..t wired tight. Auntie says hi and be safe out there.
ReplyDeleteSemper Fi, Uncle Bill and Roxanna
Jake,congrats on getting deployed during a leap year. One extra day of fun and games. I feel your pain because I was in Vietnam in 1968, also a leap year. Mason, Wendy, and Scott spent the weekend with us and we took Mason and Marissa to K1 indoor electric go-carts. They had a great time, full face helmets, 20 mph for the junior racers. It was great to see the excitement in their faces. We had a nice weekend with all of them. Hope all is going OK with you, make sure you remember your Dad's advice, keep your head on a swivel, take care of your fellow Marines and enjoy the experience.
ReplyDeleteLove you,
Uncle Bill and Auntie