Day 208

The End of the Road

As I write today, it's Friday, November 4th and I am sitting in my home in Ohio. Yes, not Kansas and today, no longer anonymous. Today, I'll take you through Day 208 and introduce you to Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow. 

Day 208 began with a Skype call to my Tin Man who was VERY excited about the day. Finally, we could say "I'll see you tonight!" Once I told her good morning, her and her sister headed off to school. For me, a few items still remained before I could hop back on the Yellow Brick Road and head HOME. First up was a visit to the doctor. I had a blood draw for HIV and Hepatitis C then met up with the doctor who went over any issues that came up during my deployment. Nothing to speak of, really. She did put a note in there about the horrible air quality in Afghanistan due to burning trash and feces and the dust everywhere. After that, the last thing to do was to get my DD-214 drafted. This is a CRITICAL piece for any veteran getting off of active duty and is a direct tie to any benefits in the future and is proof of service.  I headed on over to the personnel office where I sat down and had them finish it. All of my medals were on there, the mention of serving in Operation Enduring Freedom, dates, and other miscellaneous dates. I found out I was getting another medal for being mobilized here, too. When I was deployed, I had 10 ribbons/medals over 10 years of active duty service. Here, after being mobilized for 7 months, I got 8 more! Dang! Once I got that done, I headed on back to finalize my checkout with the command and I was done.

It was only 11am at this point and we were slated to head to the airport at 2pm. In the meantime, I had some sushi and did some cologne shopping...had to smell good for Dorothy! Once 2pm came around, myself and 3 others headed to the airport and checked in. Pretty much uneventful from this point on. My flight took me from Gulfport, MS to Atlanta for a 2 hour layover followed by the flight home. We were delayed by over a half hour but ended up having a really strong tailwind and picked up much of our lost time and arrived almost on time...around 10:30pm last night in Akron, Ohio. 

So, the plan was this: Dorothy and the girls were going to get through security and come to the gate. They'll do that for returning service-members from deployment. Unfortunately, all of the departing flights for the day were gone and security was shut down. So, when I landed, I immediately got a bunch of accumulated texts telling me they wouldn't be there but would be just outside security. No big deal as Akron is a very small airport. Was I excited? Heck, yea. Honestly, I was still very numb to it all. Like I told Dorothy last night, when I was in Afghanistan it felt like I'd never leave and going home was just a dream...not reality. So now, it was happening but still...even walking off that plane, it was so strange...like it wasn't "really" happening. But it did...and I certainly felt it.

As I came into view of them and them of me, there was Scarecrow...waving to me. As I got even closer, she took off running towards me...over the security line! The Department of Homeland Security guy nearly jumped out of his skin but he immediately saw me and sat back down. Scarecrow was crying and jumped into my arms and I picked her up. Her tough "like Dad" exterior was broken and all I saw was her. By this time, I was there with Dorothy and Tin Man...kisses for Dorothy, hugs for all....and more kisses. It was awesome. The others who had gathered stood back and gave us privacy to say our hello's which was really appreciated. As we turned, the applause broke out and I was blown away...there had to be 50 people there along with their handmade signs. How awesome! I will not list who all was there in fear of forgetting a single name but I remember vividly every person who showed up...at nearly 11pm on a Thursday night to welcome me home. I knew many of them who would be there but I certainly had some surprises, too. Even some running friends showed up! So, I made my way around with hugs and handshakes. I wish I could've spent more time with many of them but I was trying to stay tuned into the time and that baggage carousel that would have my gear around the corner. Once I said my thank-you's to all, I headed on over, claimed my bags, and headed on home.

When I got home, an awesome banner was across my front porch. Hard to see last night, I brought it inside this morning. It is too large to take a good photo so I made a quick video of it. It really is amazing and thanks to Amy and Bekah for doing it. I love it!!! You ladies really outdid yourselves! THANK YOU!!!

So, folks...that is the end. The Yellow Brick Road has landed me at the 100 mile finish line in northeast Ohio. I had thought about how to end this...do I write some more or seal it forever? I decided to seal it effective with today's post.

I want to thank so very many of you but want to focus on just one... Marjie...my love...you are beyond awesome. I love you more than anything or anyone in the world. We ARE a team and WE did this...together. We both struggled many times but we persevered and did it. WE served our country together. Many people will thank me and shake my hand but nearly no one will do that for you. Rest assured, your sacrifice does not go unnoticed. Like I've always said, you are equally serving our country. I am serving no more than you. If not for you, I could not serve. THANK YOU and I look forward to another 19 years plus with you. (I will try to not create too many piles around the house. :-))  )

There have also been a handful of friends/family have supported Marjie on the home front in a very big way. You know who you are and thank you. Thank you so much. Your help in my absence was felt 7000 miles away.

To the many others who continue to send me messages, e-mails, texts, and phone calls...thank you. I have saved EVERY SINGLE ONE so I can reflect back on them. For many of you, I cannot wait to see you on the trails soon and for others, I'll see you in a few weeks at my welcome home party. Thank you so much! Your support does not and did not go unnoticed!!!

So with that, we are at the end. Thank you for following my journey for 208 days and to those who have shown the real, tangible support, thank you so much. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas. Keep your priorities in check and never forget that Marine, soldier, sailor, or airman who is serving a half-world away so we can all sleep peacefully beneath the blanket of freedom and do as we please 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 207

Very light day here today. We have to share the schedule with the folks who heading to Oz so not much happened today...only the mental health consultation and a quick look by the dentist. So, I slept in then was done by lunch. Before lunch, though, I did get my flight schedule HOME. Tomorrow is the day! So with that said, Day 208 is where the Road ends. Please don't expect a post tomorrow because I know I won't get to it given everything going on tomorrow. I'll write Day 208 on Friday, hopefully. Before I leave, though, I will see the doc tomorrow morning and get my discharge paperwork wrapped up.

So here we are...about the cross the 100 mile finish line. It's been quite a journey, eh? It was cool to talk with the girls tonight and tell them both: "See you tomorrow!" That felt good.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 206

As promised, I want to go back to early on Day 205 and bring you forward until now. Thousands of miles traveled and now in the U.S., I need to bring it full circle tonight. Be warned, though, I am super tired tonight so if I type a bunch of mumbo jumbo, you know why!

Day 205

After I drafted and set Day 204 to publish, we all met up that evening (Sunday) around 7pm and waited for the buses to show up. Once they arrived, we were set to go to customs. One rumor I had heard was that not every single person gets a full search of their bags...it's random. Well, guess who "randomly" got picked...yep! Me! Two full bags of strategically packed gear had to be pulled out and searched by the Navy customs agents. Afterwards, we were off to the terminal adjacent to the approximately 375 passenger, Boeing 777...a BIG jet. By this point, we had collected many more people to completely fill the flight. All four services now represented on the Freedom Flight with no open seats. As 2am arrived on October 31st, we were finally taken out to the jet to board our chariot home to America. After way too many head counts, we lifted off just after 3am. 5 hours to Germany!

My seat was not comfy at all. I'm 6'2" and had a cramped window seat. Plus, the lady in front of me insisted on leaning her seat back as far as she could. I maybe got an hour's worth of sleep and no more. As we approached our landing in Germany, I snapped this photo:

(OK, so since I posted this picture, I gave up. It was 9pm on November 1st and I could not stay awake so now, it's 3am on the 2nd, after sleeping for 6 hours...an awesome 6 hours, so let's try this again!)

Once on the ground in Germany, we had about a 3hr layover which was uneventful. Looking out the windows of the terminal and while taking off, it looked so much like America. Beautiful fall colors, cars parked in the parking lot, buildings... Yes, cars and buildings catching my eye. That's what being in Afghanistan will do. What we all call normal in the U.S. is so far from normal over there and it was refreshing to see "normality" again as I saw it. Lifting off out of Germany, I snapped a few photos of the landscape.

Now for the long, long flight over Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, northeast Canada and along the east coast of the United States to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. 8 1/2 hours of flight. By this point, it was mid-morning in Germany and early morning back on the east coast. Up to this point, I would say I had no sleep. I doubt anything counted en route to Germany and if I could just stay awake now across the pond, I could crash eventually late Monday night and try to reset my body's clock all at once. We shall see about that. (I think you know that didn't "totally" work as I just woke up from 6 hours after not being able to type a complete sentence due to being so tired!) 

Anyway, the flight went very well. We lost about 50 folks in Germany who had final destinations there and replaced those with many military families going back to the States who are stationed in Germany. That's called "flying Space-A"...or space-available. If there is room on the flight like mine, they can fly for free to fill the seats. The service-member or dependents of the service-member. All of a sudden we had a few newborns on the flight...NOW it felt like home! :-) I was sitting next to an intel specialist, enlisted guy who had a blanket over his head most of the time up until now. We got talking and ended up passing a good, solid 3 hours of our flight. Conversations from Dave Ramsey to our families (he has twin 8-year-olds) to our wives and the upcoming homecomings, to our past Naval service, to politics, to the future of Social Security, back to budgeting and getting out of debt (!!!!), and finally me clicking through over 800 photos of my deployment on my Mac. He was in Iraq and me in Afghanistan which are extremely different in landscape and people so he found them quite interesting. Here are a few more photos I captured in flight:

As we drew near to the U.S. of A., I watched the ocean beneath me (we were 44,000 feet up) disappear and get replaced by SNOW!!!! What?!?!? Yea....snow. This past weekend, the northeast U.S. got slammed and here it was. First, though, we flew over northeast Canada. When I left back in April, there were buds on the trees for the coming Spring and now....snow?! Good grief! Still, though, it looked like recognizable America down below which felt goooooooood! As we drew near, it was passing 2pm and we were 20 minutes out from touching down. Not a second of sleep all the way! I did watch "The Breakfast Club" again on my computer. A cool 80s flick can never hurt!! So classic! Here is a photo I snapped just before touchdown at Baltimore:

Touchdown!!!!! Applause broke out immediately when the wheels touched down and of course, I was one of them! Looking at my phone, it was 2:15, EASTERN STANDARD TIME, and I didn't need to add 8 1/2 hours to figure out my time. This WAS my time! WOO HOO!! Anyway, after the applause died off, I had a priority: dial 611 and re-activate my iPhone with AT&T. I'm a bit addicted to that awesome piece of technology and looked forward to being reunited again! That was extremely easy....before we even pulled up to the gate, I was up and running. The guy simply reinstated the plan previously in force on my account. Once we were able to de-plane, we all made our ways into the LONG line for the customs agent. I called Dorothy and let her know I had arrived safe and sound and finally, I heard that long-awaited excitement in her voice. THIS made it real for her. For me, it hadn't quite hit yet. Eventually, I made it through customs and headed into the concourse, en route to the ticket counters with my baggage to check in for my final 2 flights. As soon as I left the customs room, I was in a tunnel of American flags, applause, and countless "Welcome Home" shouts! It felt great! I'm not sure of their affiliation like back around Day 30 but the USO was just ahead. Not sure. As I neared the end, this little girl, maybe 5 or 6, was wandering around and trying to be led by example. She had red, white, and blue ribbons in her hair and waved a little American flag. I dropped both of my bags and gave her a very gentle high-five and thanked her. It was AWESOME. I wanted her to remember all of those "soldiers" walking out and make her feel part of it. I'm so glad, looking back, that I stopped for just a moment for her. As I left that tunnel, more thank-you's followed then I was on a mission for the ticket counter. I checked in for my flights then headed for security where I was immediately taken to the head of the line (because I was in uniform). Now I'm sure you've seen military guys and gals wearing these combat boots...a major pain to put on and take off. As I put my stuff on the table and took out my laptop, the security guy yelled over to me to just leave my boots on and walk on through the metal detector. BONUS!!! And with that, I was done with security and off to my gate.

Once at my gate, I asked for an exit row which in today's airline market, was an up-charge. But, if I would wait until 30min before departure, I could get it for free. So, precisely at 31 minutes before departure, I walked back up and they were happy to take good care of me. Once I boarded the flight to Charlotte, NC, I re-looked at my boarding pass, thinking I was in the wrong airplane. "I'm in First Class....my ticket is "1D" which is the front seat in First Class. There must be a mix-up." Nope! That lady at the counter didn't give me an extra row, she upgraded me to FIRST CLASS! Never in 38 years on this planet had I sat in First Class nor been upgraded for free. (insert BIG smile right here) That totally made my day! As I sat down, I was welcomed and asked what I wanted to drink. Drink? Like a shocked kid, I had no response. I asked what she had and her response? "Anything. I'll make you anything you want." She had a full bar back there! Honestly, what sounded really good at that moment was an ice cold glass (plastic, that is) of white wine. It just sounded relaxing and calming. So that's what she provided and it was so very, very good. I also noticed that a few other of my military friends were starting to fill in the remaining First Class seats around me. Next to me sat an Army Master Sergeant. She was wearing the same patch of the brigade I was working in during my entire time in Afghanistan so we struck up conversation which took us all the way to Charlotte and through one more "glass" of wine. :-)

On the ground in Charlotte, it was a very fast layover so before I knew it, we were in the air to Stop #2 on my trip along the Yellow Brick Road, en route to Kansas...the stop where I'd be processed off of active duty and back in to the Reserves. As soon as this plane took off, that was all she wrote. 2 glasses of wine and well over 40 hours of being awake did me in. Wheels up = me passed out. I didn't wake up until the descent into my current location in the southern U.S., along the coast. On the ground, I retrieved my bags and waited with only a few other sailors for our ride to base. Palm trees waving in the wind, cars zipping by outside...I was in the U.S....finally. Once our van arrived, it was a short 20min ride to base and to the Inn on base where I laid my head down on Day 1 of this journey. I remembered it well! After checking in, my room, ironically, was next to my room from before. After dropping my gear, it was to the shower. I hadn't been out of my uniform since Sunday morning so it was needed. Plus, the ability to shower out of shower shoes? BONUS!!!! :-) Once I laid down, I had the hardest time falling asleep. It was too darn quiet. From F-15s taking off for 6 months all night, every night, to that old Army tent flapping and scraping on the floor all night in Kuwait, I wasn't used to the silence. I had to do the 'ol trick I taught my kids...start counting from 100. I did so and it worked but only until 4am the next day...a too-quick 5 hours away. Still..I had a very comfy bed to sleep in and it was starting to set in...I am almost home...I really am. I am not in Afghanistan anymore (for some reason, I wasn't accepting this reality). Here's where I'm at now.

Day 206

ugh...5 hours of sleep? REALLY? I didn't even need to be anywhere until 7am and I thought I might sleep in! No chance. I couldn't sleep anymore. My head was pounding, I was aching from the flying, and why not...I took another shower! I just loved the first with no shower shoes on. :-) I also have a Keurig coffee maker in my room so I brewed myself a coffee.

E-mail, text messages, Facebook....wow, I have some amazing friends and supporters. I really do. One thing I subconsciously did when turning that phone back on was to not put myself under the pressure of making a list and checking it twice about who I should call. Dorothy. She is my priority and my girls. If anyone else wants to reach out, I am highly accessible so they can just do that. Anyone can dial a phone and send a message....and that they did. I've been humbled by the outpouring and really do appreciate it all. It's been a job in itself just to keep up! The really cool part? My only surviving grandparent who is 86 years old called me today. I was at lunch and of course, I took the call. She wanted to know when I was coming home because she wants to be at the airport. How cool is that? I just need to find her a ride! So, we talked for a brief few minutes which was great.

Back to the morning: at 7am, we were all over at the processing area and awaiting further direction. They were certainly ready for us and we wasted no time. As I remembered the staff from Days 1 through 5, they were very efficient and actually cared! No change. They expressed many times today how they acknowledge how badly we want to get home and would do everything they could for us to make that happen. Still, though, we are Navy Reservists and need to go through a process to be taken off of active duty and back in to the Reserve. That included lots of paperwork and hearing from the Chaplain about stress, reintegration, etc., the VA, legal, medical, and a few others. As the day wore on, my head was pounding and "zombie mode" was in full effect. This time change, long flight, and only 5 hours had caught up with me. COFFEE! That helped and around 4pm, we cut loose for the day. It was a brilliant, sunny day and one thing I knew...we were 1 mile from the beach. So, I stopped in at the supermarket on base and grabbed some sushi for dinner (I remembered it from Days 1 through 5), then put on my running clothes and headed for the gate.

Outside of the gate, it was a beeline for the waterfront. Before I knew it, I was there. Options: I could run on the sidewalk near the street, or I could run along the water and perhaps in it a bit. Yea...the water was the easy choice. It was beyond awesome...it really was. I had my iPhone with me and captured lots of great photos. I estimated I still had about 30 minutes to sunset so I just took off running and soaking in the salty air. All I could think of was Dorothy. I so wanted to be walking along this beachfront, hand in hand. It totally consumed me. I'll admit, too, that it wasn't my typical running-without-stopping. There were plenty of "oooohhhh, ahhhhhh" moments to just stop and soak it all in. Here are some photos from my run on the beach and the sunset:

Removing Afghanistan sand and replacing with U.S. sand

So, it was a great run..no doubt. I left the beachfront just as the sun disappeared below the horizon. After a mile, I was back on base (and got wanded as I walked on!)...can't be too safe with security these days. Back in my room, I got some more photos uploaded online and took yet another shower. Great again! And wow...that sushi...simply amazing. What a very excellent choice that was!!! Next? Blog. I could already feel it...there was no way in the world I was going to be able to write this monster post. I will try...but it was not looking good! I started this post and I couldn't even finish a sentence without falling asleep and waking up to 50 same letters on the screen as my fingers were laying on the keyboard. So now that you've read the post, you can understand what an unsurmountable challenge I was up against! I'm glad I slept (as my youngest brother insisted) and wrote this morning. 

So here we are, it's Day 207 and I'll leave it there. I still have NO idea when I'm going home. "How could that be? How could you not know?" Well, flight arrangements aren't made until they verify we are here. Immediately after that, they send out the request to get our flights booked by the military travel office. As of last night, they hadn't heard back yet. Hopefully today, I'll find out. For today, though, it'll be time to talk with the mental health folks, the dentist, and hopefully the doc. Should be a good day and another day closer to home. I'll leave you with my Photo of the Day. As I wrapped up my run and Dorothy consumed my thoughts, this quote popped in my head so I carved it in the sand. Seemed fitting given my trip to Oz and being "almost" home. 

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 205

The room next to me is the room I checked into a Day 1. Today, Day 205, I am next door and forever changed. While only separated by a few inches of drywall and 2x4's, thousands and thousands of miles were traveled between these two rooms and countless experiences gained. Tomorrow, after I've been able to get a good night sleep and gather my thoughts, I'll write about the last 40+ hours. I now sit at stop #2 on the way home. Since I last wrote, I have traveled from Kuwait to Germany (5 1/2 hours), Germany to Baltimore (8 1/2 hours), Baltimore to Charlotte (1 hour), then 1 1/2 hours to my current location which is my last stop before being reunited with my family only a few short days away. For now, though, I've been up for about 47 hours straight which should facilitate me resetting my body's clock to United States time as I expect to be asleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow in a few minutes. Like I said, I'll write more tomorrow. I will say this, though...it was nice to take a shower in my bare feet tonight. First time since I was last here...over 6 months ago. Still...coming back to the USA hasn't hit me...and it won't...until I hand over that little bear in my uniform pocket to Tin Man and Scarecrow and embrace Dorothy. Mile 99...yep, I'm right there. Just a few more steps...

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 204

"Oh, General Patton, why must you wake me every morning at 6am?" Well, I suppose it's better than F-15 Strike Eagles taking off and the occasional rocket attacks that woke me up back in Afghanistan. So I slept in to 6:30am...I know...living dangerously. I made my way over to the decompression tent and caught up on some e-mail and benefited yet again from the Keurig coffee maker and Wolfgang Puck's blend. (my espresso pot is packed away) I headed off to my last breakfast in Kuwait and just barely made it in before they locked the doors. Afterward, the next thing up on my agenda for the day was the final travel brief but first, I took up the ex-Marine now Navy chaplain on his offer for the Sunday morning service. I think I was only 1 of about 6 in there but it was good to be there. Shortly after that, I headed back to my tent to grab all my baggage and head over to the main hangar/tent for our final brief and have me and my luggage weighed. It was PACKED! All of a sudden, we had Army personnel on Navy ground....wuz up wit that? Well, it turns out that they will fill the flight to the United States and leave no one behind or seat unfilled. Yea, I'm definitely good with that. "Bring us ALL home, I say." So as the hangar filled with soldiers, sailors, and their gear, we had a seat and listened to the instructions about weighing our bags, customs forms, and the schedule for TONIGHT.

Afterward, I went and watched another movie to pass the time..."The Adjustment Bureau" this time, starring Matt Damon. Pretty good flick. After that, it was lunch and more downtime to kill.

OK..confession time. I wrote this blog post in the middle of the afternoon, Kuwait time...morning for you. A cool feature of Blogger is, though, that I can schedule the post to go up when I dictate...I actually use that feature all of the time. Well, in interest of operational security and never talking about future movements before they happen, this post will go up later tonight when I will lack the ability to write. I'd hate to miss a post, right? Right. So, by the time you read this, I will be on my way HOME. Most likely, if you read this timely, I'll be in the air somewhere between here and the U. S. of A. A lot of travel will happen on one day...nearly 17 hours of in-air time and four different flights...all bringing me to my processing station which is the final stop before my trip home to Kansas. Hopefully, you'll get a Day 205 post which will tell the tale...hopefully some photos, too, of the journey. I'll have my iPhone ready. Remember the plane shots on my way out here? We'll see what I can get.

So that's it for today...much will have happened before you read this and I (and many others) will be in uniform, on a packed commercial (but chartered) flight, heading for America...appropriately named the "Freedom Flight."

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 203

It was a rough day in Kabul today. If you haven't seen the news yet, a suicide bomber in a vehicle hit one of our convoys and killed at least 13 Americans. Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan and about a 15min helo ride south of where I was. I have friends there and luckily, have heard from all of them. The loaded suicide vehicles are not uncommon for charging entry points at bases are uncommon to ram a convoy. To take that many lives in a convoy, the blast had to be significant as most of our armored vehicles don't hold that many people. Please keep the families in your prayers who most likely, just had two uniformed service-members knock on their door and deliver the most feared news.

Back here in Kuwait, this morning stayed busy. It started at 8am with another travel brief, but specific to the place we are headed for out-processing Stateside. I had a feeling that most would be heading to Norfolk and San Diego as those are big Navy hubs in the world. I was right. There are only 6 or 7 of us heading to my location in Mississippi. That's a great thing! Less folks to process through = more efficiency in pushing us through. During that brief, I met another Navy reservist who also is from my area, is going to the same processing site, and is flying back to the same airport! RATS! I'm not going to get that plane to myself on the final trip home! The funny part? His first name is the same as mine! So, I'll be sure to forewarn him that there may be signs or shouts where he may think someone is shouting out for him! Funny, eh?! He's a young guy and I think, only him mom and dad will be there to pick him up. I tell ya...what are the chances of THIS happening?! Flippin' hilarious, I tell ya!

After that travel brief, we had our one workshop, mandated by the Chief of Naval Operations. There was about 8 of us...all Navy officers of almost the same rank. The conversations rotated around reintegration, coping with stress, our different experiences while deployed, and expectations when we arrive home. It's true...I have a picture in my mind what homecoming will be like on that day and the days and weeks following. So does Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow. I guess we all just need to communicate and work together. We also talked about the cheers and thank-you's that we'll hear and how that makes us feel. Like the others, it feels "weird" and undeserving. To me, the "heroes" are on the frontlines and the ultimate heroes have sacrificed their lives. But, since less than half of 1% of our country is serving right now (yes, 0.45% of the U.S. population is in uniform), I can see how folks do show their appreciation to anyone in uniform and I/we do appreciate it! We just don't know how to react because we simply don't feel like we deserve it. Make sense? So please, show your appreciation and never stop...it is appreciated but just know, we really have no idea how to respond. Me? I usually just shake your hand, smile and nod my head. Doesn't feel right to say "You're welcome." Anyway, it was good to share with others and listen to what the others had to say.

For the rest of the day, it was relaxing and watching a few flicks. Tonight, I'm doing another load of laundry and getting myself squared away for my eventual departure. One last travel brief is coming up tomorrow morning where we'll bring all of our luggage in to have it weighed. They need the cumulative weight of every person and gear to properly load the jet out of here. So with that, friends, Day 203 is a wrap. Onward to 204...

Oops...."Happy Birthday, Dorothy. I hope you enjoyed your short and sweet "Happy Birthday" video I sent you this morning. I hope you had a wonderful day!"

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 202

One day closer to home and the day I got to shed a LOT of gear. If you remember back to my first few weeks of this deployment, I was issued a lot of gear including my body armor...about 3 seabags worth of "stuff." Today at 8am, I was in the first of 3 groups to haul their gear out of their tents and bring them over to the entrance of the main tent. At 8am, we were briefed that as soon as the big roller door went up, we'd all walk in and be told how the gear drop would go then we'd come out and get our gear. The door went up and about 70-100 sailors broke out in thunderous applause. We were totally shocked as we walked through them all. It reminded me of the night we boarded the plane to leave the United States. Remember that? All of those Boy Scouts and VFW members were out there to send us off. It was really cool today and I'll admit, it felt darn good. Like I was telling Dorothy earlier, we don't look for thanks or anything and haven't heard any kind of applause since that night we boarded that plane, but to be thanked in applause like that from fellow sailors who are deployed themselves is pretty darn cool. The gear drop went well and in under an hour, we were done. I also got rid of all my Army uniforms except for my favorite pair, the ones I'll wear on the flights home.

Afterwards, I watched another movie, had a catnap, then was back for our admin brief at 1:30pm. Talks from the Chaplain and others regarding future travel were covered. I picked up a command t-shirt and coin afterwards. For the rest of the day, I just hung out and relaxed. Not much to speak of. Tonight at 7pm, the Chaplain invited us out to the Memorial Garden for "Holy Smokes," as he called it. Cigars for all and a time to just unwind. I'm no smoker but I figured I'd give it a puff. Afterall, the Chaplain said smoking isn't a sin, it's a vice! True dat! So I did and after a few puffs, it was confirmed why I never took up smoking...yuck! Still, some good downtime to relax with the others. Tomorrow, we have more briefs on travel to our processing site Stateside following by a workshop to "talk" about our deployment. I'm not sure what this workshop entails but it is CNO-mandated. (Chief of Naval Operations) I'm curious to see what it's all about. Not much for the rest of the day after that. Sunday will be busy, though. :-) With that, Day 202 is history. Time for a shower and bed.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 201

One thing is for sure: I have no intention of getting to Day 210. Just sayin'...

So I set my alarm for 6:30am this morning...just so I could leisurely get my shave and breakfast with plenty of time before the 8am weapons cleaning. Nope...didn't happen. Instead, I awoke at 6am to reveille and General Patton's song...yes, "Patton's Own" 3rd Army is here. Oh my my...the Navy may have taken me back but the Army still keeps it coming! Back to that shave...first time in 201 days that I got away with going ONE day with no shave. The travel stuff got me that little nugget of goodness. It was nice to have a super smooth shave as a result. It's the small things, ya know?!

At 8am, we cleaned our weapons and officially turned them in. After that, we were free for the day. I spent it doing not much of anything. Some Skyping, lots of internet stuff, watching tons of movie trailers on my iPad, and even watching some 80s hair band music videos on YouTube...namely Cinderella's "Coming Home" which I bought for 99 cents tonight. It'll be my "wheels up" song when my "Freedom Flight" gets here as I leave Kuwait, bound for the U.S. of A. I also watched some YouTube videos of returning service-members surprising their spouses and kids. Yea, I was searching out that tug on my heartstrings and I sure did find some! I did find a really good one that I have to share. Here it is (and for those of you reading this post via e-mail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFLBR87naoU&noredirect=1):
The look on the little girl's face when she turns and sees her dad is what got me...couldn't help it!

Tomorrow at 8am is our gear drop. AMEN to that! I'm shedding a LOT of stuff...3 seabags worth of stuff I do not need and they can have back. After that, more free time and I believe we have an admin brief later in the day. For now, I think I'll take the smiles that this video brought and get my shower and head on to bed. Patton is waiting at 6am. :-)

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 200

12:30am and the alarm goes off. Why? It's time to get back on the Yellow Brick Road and put Oz in my rear view mirror. By this time, I was totally packed and had cleaned my room yet again so I'd leave it in perfect condition for the next person. The admin guy in my office met me at 1am and we were off to the terminal to meet a few other fellow sailors and found out right away, that the flight wouldn't be taking off for about 4 or 5 more hours. But, where else were we to go?! I had tried to sleep in my room but I swear, I was like a kid on Christmas Eve...not too much sleep at all. So, a lot of sitting around, palletizing all of our seabags and gear for the trip aboard the C-17, and a little catnap. Eventually, the call came and we were on a bus and rolling across the flightline to a waiting C-17...my chariot out of Afghanistan...finally.

After a short wait as cargo was loaded, we walked aboard and found our seats along the outer walls facing in. As I sat there, I still hadn't yet decided what song I wanted to listen to as the wheels left the earth. I finally decided on Toby Keith's "American Soldier." Yea, I'm a sailor but it still applies. So, as the engines fired up and we started to roll, I cranked it up and silently inserted "sailor" in the place of "soldier" in the song and heck, it worked! I could feel the wheels leave the tarmac and as they did, I snapped a screen shot of my phone just to prove it...precisely at 6:12am local time I left Afghanistan...hopefully, forever. For the next hour or so, I switched the tunes to Passion 2011. I was just in one of those worship kind of moods.

We climbed and climbed quick. I had watched countless C-17s take off from our airfield and always dreamed of being on one so I knew exactly what we looked like from the ground and how it has to climb fast to clear the mountains that surround the airfield. Oh yea, now that Afghanistan is in my past, I can tell you where I was: Bagram Air Field. It is the major airfield for the entire country and boasts over 40,000 in population, of which barely 15,000 are U.S. military. Tons and tons of contractors from around the world and local nationals working on base. Anyway, I tried to sleep and did just a few times but I always did it in a way that my neck was killing me. I just couldn't get comfortable in my First Class accommodations! About an hour into the flight, I stood up and walked over to the tiny 6" peephole and snapped this photo of what I saw. Not much but still kinda cool. After a few hours, we arrived in Kuwait...stop #1. We could feel the heat as soon as we touched down. At elevation in C-17, it was cold and we all had our jackets on. Quickly, those were all shed as the heat poured into the wide open space of the C-17. We boarded a bus and headed on over to the holding camp where we needed to catch the 2hr shuttle to the Navy's camp where they welcome us back, take our weapon and gear, and give us much-needed "decompression" time.

Well, we missed the shuttle by about 15 minutes. It was 9:15am local...we picked up 1 1/2  hours from Afghanistan and now we're 7hrs ahead of the East Coast vs. 8 1/2. The next shuttle? 6:30pm! ugh... But, just like the Navy has been doing great for us, they did it again. They rounded  up two Suburbans and we overstuffed them with people and gear and made the trek immediately. Interesting trip, too. I'm so used to going no faster than 15mph on base that doing 90mph took a little bit getting used to. No speed limits and wide open highways. It also felt really weird to be in a normal vehicle...on a highway, and not be worried about a rocket attack or small arms fire. We were no longer in a war zone but our minds have been for so many months so it just took a little bit getting used to. Once at the base, we had our weapons taken immediately and briefed about what was going to happen. But first, this is what I walked into and you know what they say about first impressions:

Bottom line from their commander: "Your job here is to relax and rest. Nothing more." OK!! We don't even have to wear a uniform anymore. Anything is acceptable. In fact, I'm wearing running shorts and my red tech tee from the Air Force Marathon back on September 17th. AND, no weapon strapped to my leg!!! WOO HOO!!!! So I got my rack made up with linens they provided and spent the day just doing this, that, and the other. I did two loads of laundry (amazing how good that felt...to do my own laundry....yea, I know I'm a bit off my rocker but I enjoyed it!), sent some e-mails, rested a bit, walked around a bit, and even ran into a fellow Supply Officer friend of mine who I used to serve with. Small world! He's going to give me the tour of the base tomorrow.

So friends and supporters...it's Day 200 and I'm on my way home. I really couldn't be happier. It's hard to even tell you how it feels inside because even I don't really know. I'm happy to be heading home...yes. I'm humbled by the unbelievable outpouring of support from SO many people. I cannot wait to hold my family in my arms....of course! Still, though...I don't think it's truly hit me. I think that "hit" will start when I board the plane for the United States after my time here concludes and I finally set foot on U.S. soil and then arrive back in "Kansas." It's going to be like a slow IV drip of medication flowing into my body called "Coming Home." For now, though...I've had practically no sleep since I woke up at 5am on the morning of Day 199 so I must get a shower and get to my temporary rack inside of a very old, green, Army tent in this desert called Kuwait. I will sleep like a baby tonight and will enjoy no F-15s taking off and no incoming rockets by the Taliban. Tomorrow? Weapons cleaning and lots of "decompression" time.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 199

Wow...it's Day 200 Eve! TWO HUNDRED DAYS...a very, very long journey that is not yet over. Tonight, I remain in Oz. This morning, I slept in and stayed away from just about everything as my duties here in this country have concluded. I cleaned my room, packed a little bit more and watched some TV. As lunch approached, I walked on over near where I get my hair cut and the internet folks are located who've been taking 70 bucks from me every month since May. They have a pretty good deal that when you're about to leave, they'll pro-rate your month and give you cold, hard cash back for the unused month. So, I told them when to cut it off and grabbed my cash then had some lunch just a few steps away....loaded baked potato today...oh so good. I'll miss having lunch here.      NOT!!! Anyway, I grabbed the base shuttle (in reality, it was a nasty, dirty 'ol bus) and made my way back to the Navy's office on the other side of base for the 3:30pm meeting. 3:30 because at 3pm, they update flight schedules for the next 12-24 hours. To fill the time before 3:30pm, I hung out at the Pat Tillman USO and just relaxed on a sofa, watching a movie. At 3:30pm, the 7 of us mustered, got our updated travel brief then were cut loose once again and back on the shuttle I went. Back on the other side in my room, packing and cleaning was wrapped up and a few calls back to Kansas. Beyond that...not much else. Oh yea...I've been smiling a LOT today. The time is drawing very near!

Given that Day 200 is just about here...clearly a landmark, I think it's time for some "happy thoughts"...like what I'm looking forward to. Let's see...  The obvious...Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow. No doubt. I am looking forward to growing many more friendships that have become more apparent during this journey and letting others go. I've seen the good, bad, and the ugly...a deployment to Afghanistan will do that. It's like the glass has been made clear and fogginess wiped away when it comes to relationships. I am truly blessed to have many good friends! I look forward to mud, stream crossings, and standing on a trail and hearing nothing but some rustling leaves and my breathing... God's creation...totally immersed in it for miles and miles. I look forward to walking through the yard in my bare feet, even if it is cold outside. I took it for granted before but won't again. In that yard, I look forward to seeing Old Glory and the Navy Jack flying every morning as I leave and as I return home every evening. I look forward to dates with my two little girls. Salad and breadsticks with Scarecrow and whatever Tin Man is in the mood for...of course, both want to head to the trails, too. :-)  I look forward to driving my car over 25 kilometers per hour and having a sound system in it that works. I look forward to returning to my home church and having men's breakfast once a month where we consume far more calories than should be allowed. I look forward to returning to my job as a civil servant where I will serve the poor and disabled, face to face. I look forward to falling asleep on the couch with Dorothy as we fool ourselves into thinking we can stay awake through the current episode of "House." I look forward to waking up at 3:30am, brewing my espresso, hitting the road at 4:30am for a run over the country roads with Mr. Moon and among the sleeping horses and cornfields. I look forward to the 2011-version of Wi-Fi instead of internet at the speed it was well over 10 years ago.  I look forward....to setting foot on United States soil. Free soil. The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave...because of those who wore, wear, and will wear in the future, the cloth of their nation. I will never forget Day 121 as over 40 caskets were loaded aboard two C-17s and my arm ached and wobbled as I held the longest salute of my life as every last one passed only a few feet in front of me. I was forever changed that evening and will think of it every day for the rest of my life as I wake up to Old Glory blowing in the wind outside my home. Lastly, I look forward to holding Dorothy's hand and pulling her in close. We will celebrate 19 years of marriage soon after my return and I can't imagine anyone else to share my life's journey with. "I love you, Babe! See you SOON!"

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 198

THIS is the day I've been looking forward to for many weeks. Today was the day I was to show up at the Navy's doorstep at 3pm and basically shout: "Here I am!!! Take me back!!!"...and they would. To start the day, though, I had a crisp, 43F run at sunrise along the perimeter fence. It was a really good run and as always, I was glad I headed out.

Yesterday, my relief and I spent some time out of the office and some inside. We didn't knock too many doors down as it was Sunday and reaching folks might be a challenge. Today, though, we headed out right away. I wanted to do for him what wasn't done for me. This job was dropped in my lap and not much at all was turned over to me. I had to take it by the horns and reinvent the wheel. I really didn't want to see all I accomplished just disappear because of a poor turnover. First by foot and then by vehicle, I gave him the base tour along with a few meetings with critical players where relationships are everything. You know how when you're talking to someone and they are gazing off in a different direction and look "annoyed" at the sound of your voice? No interest in what I was saying and no questions. That's pretty much what I was getting from the guy who is taking over my job. At times, I'd give the background story so things could be put in context and better "absorbed" but I think it was going in one ear and out the other. I wanted to say so many times: "You just wanna head back and call it quits?"...but I didn't. I figured that I'm turning over all of the critical parts to do this job well and it's his choice to ignore it. I wanted zero regrets about putting a bookend on my job and deployment here. 

Once our tour was complete, it was nearing lunchtime where a whole lot of us went together, including our new Marine colonel. He definitely pointed much conversation at the lunch table towards me and my return to "Kansas". Being married for nearly 30 years and the entire time spent in the Marines as well through many, many deployments, he had lots of stories about experiences with his wife and kids and painful lessons learned that he shared with me. Afterwards, it was back to the office for the 1pm videoconference that I have every Monday. During this, I always brief one section and I wanted my relief to see that brief so he'd have a model to take away and do it in the future. I also wanted him to see the relationships forged that didn't exist before me and how they heavily rely on me...especially for the winterization material that is still in the pipeline...and winter is coming! Once done, I had less than a half hour to go to 3pm...the time to check in to the Navy. With less than 10 minutes to go before I had to start walking nearly a mile to that meeting, NOW my relief had questions. I started to grow very frustrated as not only was he asking a million questions all of a sudden but he was insulting the very work I had done, created, and fine tuned into a very well-oiled machine. Not only did he have all of my work but he had detailed instructions on how to pick up and run with it all. Still, all he wanted to do was make changes. As I was trying to explain the "how" and "why" to his questions, he clearly wasn't listening to anything because he'd start his next sentence before I even finished talking. It was making my blood boil because I was starting to see the very fabric of my work of 6 months start to unravel before my eyes. Not only is my work fine tuned and managing over $40 million worth of inbound material, but it's doing it in such a way that serves the customer very well and provides real-time tracking and up-to-date information 7 days a week at any given moment. Over 120 different projects spread among the eastern and northern parts of the country make up the responsibility of the job...a job where I have been the "center of the supply chain wheel." Zero experience, zero willingness to listen and learn, and a "know it all" attitude...combine that with a very, very tight timeline to conduct turnover and it could all eat me alive...if I'd let it. However, I am going home...no matter what...I am going HOME!!!! It sounds bad but all I could do is turn my back and flip the switch. My job is done. The warfighter has been served and done so with excellence, professionalism, and a heart of service. I cannot force those things to the next person. They have to want them for themselves and for our customers...the war fighters. It will, in my opinion, be a rough road ahead for him but it is what it is. I cannot direct that path any longer because at 3pm, the Navy took me back. (Rest assured, this is not easy for me. I am Type A all the way and take my work very seriously and expect nothing but the very best from myself. I hear it all the time: "I'm done! Forget it!" Easier said than done but honestly, I have no choice. The very best thing I can do is to just to walk away and not look back...difficult but no other option exists.)

No greater words than these could've been spoken when I sat down with 6 other sailors this afternoon: "Congratulations. You're going home." What followed was a short 15min brief where we filled out some paperwork and our flight reservations out of the country were conveyed to us. I was also happy to hear that we have a brilliant weather forecast this week so I'm hoping for no cancellations of any flights that could keep me hear one moment longer. After we heard the details of what we've been longing to hear, we headed on out. I went back to Green Beans Coffee and grabbed an Iced Espresso Chai Latte and then caught the shuttle bus back to my room. NO WAY in the world was I going back to the office. I am done...the Navy said so!!!

The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent doing some e-mailing, packing, and just miscellaneous stuff in the room, dozing off here and there. I did watch Sunday's 60 Minutes broadcast where they dedicated it to Steve Jobs and interviewing the man who wrote his biography which just so happened to hit the market today. Pretty interesting episode, that's for sure. So with that, Day 198 comes to a close. Now I wait...a C-17 is in my future and only time stands between me and my seat on that bird. The day I step on that aircraft will also be the step aboard the Yellow Brick Road. On the other end? Kansas.

Goodnight, everyone. 

Days 194 - 197

Hey again...I needed a few days off. I was to the point that I didn't feel compelled to write and was tired of saying absolutely nothing to you. Basically, these days were spent just doing my job and hearing over and over again how my relief was delayed from arriving here. That wait ended super early this morning, though.  After the impossibility of sleeping, I headed on to the terminal at 1am to say for the last time, "Welcome to Afghanistan!" This time, it's to the guy who is taking over my job here. After the typical pleasantries, we loaded up his gear, got him a bite to eat, and got him a temporary room for a few days. First impressions? Young guy...only 6 years in the Navy but the same rank as me. He finished college and headed straight in. He's active duty vs. me..a reservist. Just like my first impressions about 2 or 3 months ago...a guy who thinks he knows most of everything yet doesn't. I figured I'd give him the crash course of turnover and remove the opportunity for him to interject. With that said, I did exactly that. We spent hours on the road, walking to several locations, shaking lots of hands, and reviewing all of what I've built back in the office. I will say this...it's a bit rough to hear him nearly immediately tell me how he's going to change certain things. All that does is make me want to put my fingers in my ears and ignore. How in the world could he possibly say something like that with zero experience? He has no clue and before his feet even get wet, he's ready to change things. No doubt, I will choose to remember what I have built and accomplished as I left it and honestly, do not want to know anything else after that. So, while he chose to stay in the office late tonight, I did not and headed on back to my room. I'm totally exhausted by nearly no sleep at all last night so I'm crashing very, very soon and will hopefully wake up for some laps of the NASCAR race today...only 5 races to go to the Cup! Tomorrow, I'll spend the morning with my relief again and this time, driving and meeting more folks and showing him the logistics of how things move on this base. I'll give him 4 hours then I'm done. Then it's lunch, my normal Monday video-conference with the North where I'll introduce him, brief my slide, then that (as far as I'm concerned) concludes the turnover. By 3pm tomorrow, I'll be in the Navy's hands and standing by for future direction as to my leap aboard the Yellow Brick Road. Of course, I can never discuss future movements here. You'll find out after the fact but I will let you know.

There have been some highlights of wrapping up my time. As I pushed out e-mails to my customers to notify them of my departure and turning over my position, I received many thank-you's from them that were heartfelt. Their sincere words really make it all worth it. I know this...beyond a shadow of a doubt: when I went through graduate school from 2002-2006, the cornerstone of the school was "servant leadership"...leading other by serving them. Truett Cathy did it and does it with Chick-Fil-A along with many other successful businesses. Out here, I came here with one goal...to serve the warfighter with excellence, far exceeding what they expected. I did that...I heard it on e-mail and many times today as I said my goodbyes. I will leave with that knowledge...and a few medals to document it! :-) But seriously, knowing I served and excelled is enough for me.

If you're wondering, by the way, about what "mile" I'm at in that 100-mile race....Mile 96. Yea...I can taste the finish.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 193

Over and out, folks. Another day down and on the downward slope to the weekend...my last weekend in Oz. Really? REALLY? Really! Rumor has it, too, that my relief "might" be flying into Oz tomorrow...we shall see. Other than that, nothing I really want to write about tonight.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 192

Not much today to speak of, folks. Played tour guide to one of our higher-ups who arrived last night. I gave him the "windshield tour" of the base then brought him back to the office. Besides that...not much else except for my daily grind. So with that, this day is history.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 191

I was wide awake at 4am this morning so I called Dorothy right away just to hear about her day. (I'm lovin' this free Skype phone trial that I'm using) It was great to wake up to her voice. By 5am, I hit the road for a sunrise run and the moon was still out, too. I caught this photo while out on the run this morning...pretty cool how my iPhone played with the colors when facing the sunrise, eh? How about that barbed wire?!?! I bet you wish you had that on YOUR running route, right? Well, I'm ready to trade it in for the rolling hills and cornfields back home and the wet and muddy trails that I love to run on. 

After a great and swift 6 miler, I got ready and headed in the for the day. Plain 'ol boring today. Dreadfully boring. So boring that I called it a day before 5pm which never happens on a weekday. The really great news today is that my boss flew out of the country tonight...yep...he's heading home. Why is that so great? Because I am next!!! WOOHOO!!! Now that's a milestone I like to reach! But while I wait for my relief to get here (he is on this side of the world now, but not in country, yet), I shall tread water and do my job. Still...I'm pretty much packed and ready to roll. :-)

The rest of the night was spent doing very little but veggin' in my room and exchanging e-mails, etc. Passing the time until I feel just a little bit sleepy which means it's time to crawl into bed and get to tomorrow. I tell you what...I'm tired of living day by day by day like this! It's like running in circles! In "normal" life, you just get up and live the day and that's it. Here, it's all about getting to the next day. So weird and so over it! So there...Day 191 is history. Done. Sealed. Time to sleep my way into 192.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 190

Wowsers...Day 1 of a new week and Day One Hundred and Ninety. That's a long time! Today was a pretty good day, I will admit. I set the alarm for 3:45am but woke up at 4:15am so I missed the National Anthem but did catch the Green Flag at the NASCAR race in Charlotte, NC. From there to the finish of that race, I was asleep and awake many times over. It was a great race and I was glad to see it LIVE. Afterwards, I decided it was time for my final haircut so I headed back to the one place I'd never had a bad haircut. The last one was not good and that woman left a lump on my head!!! Of hair!!! Bad attitude, to boot. So, I went on back to the tried and true location and she did a really good job. At the end, she asked if I wanted a shampoo and at first, I declined but then thought "Heck, it's my last haircut and I deserve a bit of pampering!" so I accepted the offer. Head back, eyes shut, and hot water and shampoo...nice. I broke the bank at 11 bucks, too.

Afterwards, I was off to the office via the crammed shuttle bus, filled mostly with Polish soldiers. All I could think of was my cousin who loves polka and still dances. Once to the office, I quickly got the work done that needed done and took an extended lunch where I walked out to an area where I could get a few good photos of the snow-covered mountains since the sky was clear and sun was super-bright. Here's one of the pics I took.

I had a few more things to do in the office and considering it was Sunday, I took off at the first opportunity to get back to my room. Back in my room, I had just finished packing one final box to mail home with items I really don't want to carry home so I headed on over to mail those then picked up a footlong sub at Subway! Yep, they have one here but I'd never walked in there. It just sounded good to me today so I thought it was time to give a little American food a whirl. One 6" part down so far and pretty good! Once back, I called all 3 of my girls...Tin Man and Scarecrow and then Dorothy. Always great. Then...more packing! Yea, I'm pretty much to the point now where I can't pack anymore until it's time to leave. I haven't taken all of the kids' artwork off the wall yet, though. I look at those everyday so I think they'll have to stay until the last minute.

So all in all, a pretty good day and almost entirely to myself. The end is in sight, I've passed Mile 92 of 100, and my relief has left the United States en route to HERE. It's all good! Good times ahead...good times ahead.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 189

Well, we made it just over 30 days but a clear night last night and a few days without rain supposedly was perfect for the bad guys to come out of hiding again. It wasn't too late last night and there went the sirens again...another rocket attack. I felt this one hit but I don't think it was too terribly close. I remember the first time this happened...do you? I was only here for a few days when it did. When the siren sounds, the voice after it tells us to put on our armor. The thing is...it's already happened and done at that point. Back then, though, I didn't know any better and I remember waking up at 3am in my shorts and t-shirt, putting on the armor, the sitting on the floor next to my bed. I didn't know any better. This time? I took a shower! It's not that I'm getting lazy...just being realistic. If it's going to hit me, it'll hit without warning...and I needed a shower!

This morning was the same 'ol Saturday as always...crazy busy. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. After lunch, I headed on back to the bazaar and did get a few things for Tin Man and Scarecrow. There's a stone out here called "Lapis" that is mined in the extreme northeast part of the country...that piece that's really skinny and just barely touches China. You didn't realize I was that close to China, did you? Yep..it's to the east on the other side of Pakistan. Once I did my shopping and bartering for some lapis, I headed on back for our 2pm staff meeting and then hung out for awhile to talk to Dorothy as she was headed out for the last day of residency as she kicks off her graduate degree program in nursing. She's definitely whooped from a very busy week but it's been a great experience so far. Afterwards, I called it a day and headed back early.

I figured out a great strategy tonight to pass time and a great way to leverage the power of my free Skype phone trial...make phone calls! I started, of course, with Tin Man and Scarecrow...talked for about 35 minutes. Tin Man did end up going turkey hunting with Dorothy's dad and didn't get anything. The funny thing? She told me she fell asleep! Yep...they were hiding behind some trees and she said she fell asleep for about 5 minutes until Grandpa woke her up. Now that's funny! Both conversations with the girls, though, centered around what they wanted to do when I get home. I also talked to my dad, my younger brother and his wife and their two kids, and also a good friend of mine and her kids. I did try calling my only grandparent but couldn't get a good connection anymore. By the time I knew it, it was 9pm! Shower and then here I am.

That's a wrap, folks. I think I'll set the alarm to wake me up around 3:45am tomorrow so I can catch the green flag at the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Not only do I love NASCAR and the pre-show, but heck...Sara Evans is singing the National Anthem! Then, I can go back to sleep. It'll be Sunday, after all.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 188

Passed Mile 91 today...that was nice. Ordered a pair of Brooks Pure Grit trail shoes for those wet and muddy trails that are waiting for me...should be back in Kansas by the time I get there. Spoke to some Navy folks here in Afghanistan about my relief: that guy better be ready to rock and roll when he gets here because we'll be lucky if we have 48 hours to turn over by the time he gets here. Like I said before...I'm leaving on schedule, dude! Stop sitting at combat training and get over here! The rest of the day? Quick chats with Dorothy, Tin Man and Scarecrow...always great. Turns out, Tin Man is going turkey hunting with Dorothy's dad. Hmmm.... I'm looking forward to HER version of that story tomorrow! Other than that, same 'ol Groundhog Day like every other day. Not a bad day, not a wonderful day, but another day which is all that matters. Time for the weekend...I hope to spend some more time at the Afghan bazaar this weekend for one last look before I start to PACK MY BAGS! Zing!

Goodnight, everyone. 

Day 187

I know I just said we have been getting rain each night but today was flip-flopped. We had a heavy downpour this morning and tonight, the stars and moon were out. Still, more snow on the mountains and a day today that didn't get out of the 60s. I'm lovin' this cool weather.

Today, I stayed pretty busy all day long and did have a chance to slip away and buy another month of internet for 70 bucks. It's nice, though, that they'll credit me back the unused portion when I leave...definitely won't need a whole month! Hmmm...where will I be a month from today? Kansas! No, the 13th of November is not my arrival date. (nice try, though!) I worked through about 6pm tonight then hopped on a shuttle and headed on back. The weather was good tonight so I wanted to get a run in under the moonlight and crisp air. I ended up with 6 miles tonight and it was the fastest in a long time. I dedicated tonight's run to my Navy as we celebrate 236 years today, the sailors who lost their life on the USS Cole, 10 years ago yesterday, and to all of my fellow sailors who are serving afloat, ashore, or in Harm's Way. It's great to be a sailor!

Tonight after having my salad for dinner and a shower, I was watching The Colbert Report and they had a Lieutenant Colonel on who commanded a special forces unit back in 2001 when we entered Afghanistan. He lost two of his elite fighters during that tour. One question that Stephen asked him was what is appropriate for Americans to say to service-members. Most say "Thank you for your service." I've always appreciated that but unlike nearly everything else where someone tells you "Thank you" and you reply with "You're welcome," that just doesn't work for most people wearing the uniform. It just doesn't feel right. As an all-volunteer force, most don't look at themselves as needing thanks, praise or anything. We don't do it for those reasons so when someone thanks us, we appreciate it but many like myself, usually just nod or say "thank you" right back. I, like the lieutenant colonel on the show tonight, believe the real heroes are the ones who gave their lives, were injured, and those still serving over here. So when Stephen asked what people should say, he agreed that "Thanks for your service" is still appropriate but people really shouldn't expect a response. So when you do thank someone, it's OK for them just to smile and shake your hand...rest assured, they do appreciate your thanks.  Anyway...that interview tonight really pulled me in and I thought I'd share a little with you. With that said, it's about time for the weekend! By the time it ends, I'll be hittin' Day 190! To think that 200 is really not that far away is just a tad bit overwhelming.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 186

I finally heard about my relief's status today. Just like when I flew out late from combat training, so is he...about 3 to 4 days later than I expected. That should put him here in barely enough time for us to turn over. So, I started creating more turnover material today so if something were to happen and he doesn't make it in time, I'll leave enough "bread crumbs" for him to have a partial clue on how to proceed. I doubt that'll happen, though. We should have 2 or 3 days, I'm guessing. I love it, though...the clock is tickin' in my favor!  You know what? I haven't mentioned what mile I'm at in a very long time...I was telling you before what mile I was at if this was a hundred mile race. Well, today I passed Mile 90!!!! Woot!!!

Today, it was a cool day...more snow on the mountains from last night's rain. It's so strange, here...I didn't see any rain since April. Nothing. Now, it rains EVERY single evening...steady. Right now as I type, I can hear the pouring rain hitting the metal roof over me. It doesn't rain in the morning or afternoon...just the evening. With that rain, the upper elevations are getting more snow and the snow pack is deepening. I hope to go out to my picture spot one last time before I leave and photograph the mountains with the snow. Been nothing but clouds, lately. That's the other change...clouds. We never had them all summer long and now, it's hardly ever a clear sky. Anyway, it's been nice to turn the air conditioning off in my room.

Wednesdays are supposed to be busy but today simply wasn't. Boring. I escaped for a few hours back to my room, though, and got some time to myself. Later on in the day, I had my bi-weekly brief with the northern part of the country where I brief the general. It's basically my 30 seconds of fame. Say what I have to say, be 110% accurate and ready to answer any question, and throw it back to the general. It went well and I'm happy to say, I won't be doing THAT anymore! Last one! (where's my relief? oh yea...he can take care of the next one...hehehehehe) Afterwards, we waited for the boss to wrap up his last conference call and we headed out for the night. There's really not much else to speak of today. Eventually, you know....there is going to be a lot to talk about. I can almost see that Yellow Brick Road...a little bit of glowing gold in the not too distant future in front of me. Patience...

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 185

Hey everyone...it's me. Sailor14. Anyone not know why I chose that? The obvious first...I'm a sailor. The 14? I've been in for 14 years. I know...deep stuff! I'm looking for the day in the not-too-distant future where I can tell you who I really am, where I really live, and show you Tin Man and Scarecrow...along with their real names. Anyway...it was a Tuesday like nearly every Tuesday before it...quite slow. Wednesdays are always the boost towards the weekend and when the work and busy days accelerate so I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Overall, not very busy today yet again. So, I worked on some more turnover stuff so when my relief gets here, I can get him up and running ASAP. Speaking of whom, I haven't heard from him. I am a bit surprised, though, as I am sure he is aware of his flight schedule by now for crossing the great Atlantic Ocean. If my departure, though, was dependent on his arrival, I'd be a bit on edge. It is not so whenever he gets here...he gets here. I'm leaving, regardless! If things work to plan, he should be on the way by week's end.

Back home, Dorothy is starting her graduate degree today so I'm really excited for her. She has done so well throughout her career and has always supported me, my pursuits, and my education so I'm more than ready to support her in this. It's the next logical step for her in her career and we're fortunate to have such a great program so close to our home. It's also perfect that just as she ramps up her school, I'm about to go home to pick up the slack with the rest of life and our family. I love our team!

I know lately that there hasn't been much talk of war, Afghanistan, and all that "stuff." Well, the war goes on but unlike Iraq which doesn't have the traditional winter, this country does and the mountains surrounding us now have snow pack on them at 12,000 feet and above and that is lowering each day. In a country that lacks something as simple as electrical power, the Taliban largely retreats into Pakistan to take refuge for the winter. Now down south where it's still hot, the fighting does continue...mostly Marines are involved down there. So yes, it is quieter these days and today marks one month since our last rocket attack at my base. In addition, there is a LOT of turnover on my base so the "business" in the area I handle has been down. I still am managing about $40 million worth of material on order and on the way into country but most of the orders for winter preps has been done and that material en route or on the ground. The enemy is still out there (they just caught a few folks trying to photograph our security procedures at our main gate) but simply less aggressive right now. So there you have it...a little explanation on the current state of things. And with that..adios, 185.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 184

It's great to have a boss who is more "short" than I am...meaning he is leaving soon and before me. Today was practically another Sunday with it being a Federal holiday (Columbus Day). To start, I was able to go in late. I did. Once I arrived, the others were going to call it an early day and before Noon even hit, the boss was gone for the day. I had a 1pm video-teleconference where I had to brief the boss who runs the northern part of the country so my goal was to do that and wrap up my day shortly thereafter. That I did! By 3pm, I was walkin' and the room was locked up for the night. Hehehehehehe....love it. Before I caught a shuttle back, I went back to the Afghan DVD shop where bootlegged videos are all $2 to exchange my copy of Transformers. While there, I picked up "The Help." I had heard great things about this movie but had no clue about it. But heck...for 2 bucks, it couldn't hurt. So that's how I filled my afternoon...watching "The Help." What a GREAT movie! Set in the 1950s in Jackson, MS, it's a story about a wanna-be journalist/writer (played by Emma Stone) who interviews and writes about local maids in a time of heavy racism and segregation. As someone very against that mindset and approach to other human beings, I do like to be educated about how things once were in our country. It was a very well done movie and I can see why so many raved about it. After that, dinner, and internet that crashed, I crashed myself then awoke again around 11:30pm....in time to jot down these few notes for you. Yea, not too much to say today but that's great, actually. I just zipped through a Monday which is traditionally the slowest day of the week. Still waiting to hear from my relief as to when his "across-the-pond" flight is. Should be mid-to-late this week. With that, everyone...it's a wrap. Adios, #184!

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 183

I'm not gonna lie...I love Sundays. Many, many Sundays in the past, they were days where I had too much time to myself and I dove into depression while I missed my girls but here in the final stretch, quite the opposite. Not too many Sundays left so they are spent more making plans for home and making Skype calls home. After not really sleeping in, I knocked out 6 miles mid-morning then headed on in to the office. As any Sunday, there are some things that I have due out so I knocked those things out first thing. Throughout the day, though, I was constantly checking in on the Oil Creek 100 Mile trail race in northwest Pennsylvania. The Oil Creek 100 is the last 100 mile race I ran in 2009. As a result, I have a lot of great friendships and absolutely love Oil Creek State Park and the community who comes together to put on a fantastic event. I didn't run it in 2010 but instead volunteered. Thanks to a webcast, I watched closely as friends covered 50 kilometers, 100 kilometers, and the full 100 miles. Just a few minutes ago, the 32 hour time limit expired and the scene at Titusville Middle School is one of cleaning up and the remaining runners eating some lunch and taking showers.

Mid-afternoon, I headed on out of the office to camp out in my room for the remainder of the day. I had a nice long chat with Dorothy and Scarecrow before they headed off to church, too. My free Skype call month is still going which has proven great to stay in contact with all of them. We don't do video much as the connection is so poor but we did today which is ALWAYS awesome and seeing them is totally different than talking only. Can't help but smile! Afterwards, I watched some Jeff Dunham comedy and grabbed some dinner. For now, though, they are broadcasting the NASCAR race LIVE so I'm going to catch the green flag...finally! I might have seen 1 or 2 green flags this entire season so I won't miss this one from Kansas....literally....they're in Kansas this week!

Oh yea....14 years ago today I ran my first marathon, the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, PA. It's a beautiful, fall foliage, point to point marathon. I returned in 1999 to run it again. Amazing how things have changed in the last 14. Now, I have 26 marathons under my belt, multiple 50K trail races, a 100K race, and three 100-mile finishes. Will I return to the 100-miler? Not sure. I'm very curious what kind of shape I can return to after I get home. I am very, VERY out of "ultra" shape but they say the body doesn't forget. We'll see! Oh yea #2: my relief...hehehehe...you've got a plane ride later this week! Combat training wrapping up in the next few days, goodbyes to your drill sergeants, and a big chartered commercial plane ready to bring you across the pond. I'm ready and waiting! :-)

Oh wait....Oh yea #3: I just thought I'd let you know. The 9/11 rocket attacks must have been the Taliban's last effort before retreating into Pakistan for the winter...it's been very quiet in that category since then. I hope I didn't jinx us but the fighting season does appear to be slowing way down.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 182

4 hours of sleep, a busy morning, a steak-n-potato and homemade-jalapeno-infused-baked-beans cookout,  a hail-lightning-thunderstorm, and multiple Skype calls home...that's pretty much the day today. Simple, eh? That it is.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 181

It was great to wake up to the eventual defeat of the New York Yankees this morning...it really was. I'm not a fan of them nor the Detroit Tigers but if given a choice as to who I will like less, it will always be the Yankees. Of course, the Air Force guy in the office is a diehard fan so he actually came into the office late so he could watch their defeat. My morning was pretty busy along with our Marine colonel coming into "town" again, en route HOME. Yep, he completed his turnover and he'll be leaving early tomorrow morning out of Afghanistan. Great for him! It was great to work for him and just a few hours ago, I shook his hand goodbye and wished him a safe trip home.

It was very clear that we were entering a 3-day weekend as the day wore on. Pretty much zero activity coming from Stateside as the day began over there. So, I kept busy managing the trail race that ended up selling out a few hours ago...only 6 days after I opened registration. Looking at the registration list, it's basically the "who's who" in the local trail running community. I can't wait to get back on the trails with them! That took me into the early evening before I headed back for the night...but only temporarily. At 11:30pm (3pm EST), we had our appointment to call Dave Ramsey. Every Friday is "Debt Free Friday" on his show and people call in from all over the country (and world, in our case!) to tell their story and eventually scream "We're debt free!!!!!!!" Well, tonight was our turn so I took a cat nap then headed back to the other side of the base with the intention to call Dorothy at 11:30pm...3pm her time. Just as planned, I called her then she conferenced us in to Dave who is on his book tour, currently in Houston, Texas. After speaking with his producer, we were on hold for about 6 or 7 minutes then went live on the air to hundreds of thousands of people! Truth be told...I was shaking like a leaf the whole time. Just a tad bit of pressure knowing so many are listening. In the end, though, it worked out well and they'll be sending us the podcast of our "scream" next week!

So it's 12:30am now...time for a quick shower then bed. It was certainly worth sacrificing sleep for this tonight. When I first learned of being deployed, Dorothy and I set the goal to do our scream from Afghanistan...live on the air on one of his "Debt Free Fridays". That would mean reaching our goal 3 months early. We did. WE did. It was teamwork all the way and no other way. "Thanks, Dorothy, for sitting me down on Christmas 2009 and insisting we make some hard decisions...like writing our first budget in over 17 years of marriage and sticking to it. Many say it is tough to do this. I say the opposite. When we sat down and wrote a budget, lived to it, and held each other accountable, it removed a stress that once plagued us and has not returned. Thank YOU for taking the initiative and the lead. YOU started it...WE did it...WE finished it TOGETHER. I love you!"

Goodnight, everyone.