End of Tour Awards

Today I received my end of tour awards.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day to remember the fallen.  Today we celebrated with the living.  Our Employee Activities Committee was hosting a brunch so we asked if we could invite the wounded soldiers too.  We did and 31 soldiers responded that they would come.

At 0930 I led a caravan of 5 vehicles over to pick up the soldiers and the medics who care for them.  We told them we would be there at 0945 so we were a few minutes early.  When we arrived they were gathered out front ready to go.  The three soldiers who rode with me were all from the same unit but had arrived on different days.  Two guys had their arms in slings and another’s injuries were on his leg.  They all had a great sense of humor and spirit.  When I was talking to the Sergeant (a medic who is much like their temporary mom) I told her how impressed I was with the strength of these soldiers.  She said, “their stories will either make you laugh or cry, they choose to laugh.”

I was mesmerized listening to the stories.  One soldier has been in infantry 7 years and between Iraq and here, he has had 59 concussions.  59!  He had been in three explosions in the same week.  He is being sent home and this father of three is ready to go.  As for the others, many of them would rather get back in the fight.  One soldier was shot in the arm by his elbow but the impact caused breaks lower on his arm too.  Another guy fell off the top of MRAP.  Another guy was shot in the eye.  Another, shrapnel from an explosion.

The team did a fantastic job making brunch and the food looked amazing.  I spent so much time chatting that by the time I got a plate all that was left was pancakes, but they were good and I heard the rest we good too.  At the DFACs we eat on paper plates and eat with plastic silverware.  Our MWR has real plates and silverware and two dishwashers.  For a war zone, we live like royalty.  Even the soldiers on KAF still have it pretty good.  These soldiers that we had the pleasure of dining with, live way out.  The three guys I drove live on a camp that doesn’t have any running water.  We heard comments like “this is the first home cooked meal I’ve had in a long time” and “I didn’t even feel like I was in Afghanistan”.  Hearing things like that and seeing the smiles on their faces, we knew it was a success.

The wounded soldiers were up early this morning to say their final goodbyes to a friend at his 0400 ramp ceremony so they were ready to go back and rest.  For many of us, the day had just begun.

After dropping off our guests, we loaded up vehicles with volunteers, cleaning supplies and tools and headed to the mTBI tent.  After a couple of hours we were proud of all that we had accomplished.  While not yet ready for patients, we made significant progress cleaning and assembling.  After the rest of the volunteers left, Rita and I stayed to talk to the Sergeant about some of the issues that still needed work.  While we there, one of the married couples that was helping us in the tent had returned with a vehicle full of donations.  She “went on a shopping spree” at the PX.  We unloaded enough sheets, pillows and toiletries for an initial set of patients.  Their generosity was amazing and definitely appreciated.

When I finally got back to my room I was hot and tired but felt completely reenergized.  Somehow in the mess of everyday life I lost me.  Joining the Air Force was the best decision I could have made and when I found Mike I struck gold.  After getting out and having kids I started to get derailed and I didn’t even notice.  Instead of bringing our kids into what I am passionate about, I tried to get involved in the world around them.  The problem with that is that I don’t fit in that world with all of its drama and personal agendas.  Today a large group of people rolled up their sleeves and just got it done.  No one needed to be told what to do; we all just jumped in and did it.  And that made for a pretty great day!

Excited and Depressed

Last night was amazing.    Last night was our first Wounded Warriors meeting.  After just the last couple of days I dare say this is a life changing experience.

I know I’m going to need a lot of help but immediately after sending out the e-mail to my coworkers, I had 33 volunteers.  While not all of them made it to our first meeting last night, we still had a good turn-out.  The two Navy Chiefs currently running the volunteer side brought with them the six military members running the patient care side.  One soldier was from Roll 3, two were from the mTBI (mild Tramatic Brain Injury) recovery program and three were the medics that live with the Wounded Warriors.  The medics take the wounded soldiers to their appointments and generally oversee their recovery.

They talked to us about the soldiers and their needs for about an hour then invited us on a tour.  The Wounded Warrior barracks are simple and fairly well stocked at the moment.  Fighting season has only just begun so they expect the number of soldiers will obviously pick up.  The mTBI team is ONLY the OIC and NCOIC and they were told to set up their recovery ward without a budget.  I believe the line they were given when they asked how exactly they were going to do that was “through creative networking”.  It took them two and half months but they got a tent and metal bunk beds with cloth covered springs (calling them mattresses just seems like too much of a stretch).  This will be our main focus right off the bat because they have nothing.  Their patents are staying with the other wounded soldiers for the moment.

The soldiers were extremely welcoming.  There were four in the dayroom when we arrived.  The way they talked openly about their injuries caused by IEDs and bullets amazed me.  What amazed me even more was how irritated they were about being in recovery and not out with their unit in the fight.  They are young, male and mostly infantry.  An impressive group.

As we toured the barracks, we were shown all the great things built by the Seabees like the deck and wall lockers.  But their list of needs was still extensive.  I was both excited because I know we can help and depressed that this is how our wounded soldiers are treated.  I just kept saying how shocked I was that the government wasn’t providing for them.  My friend said “If you have enough volunteers to write Congress, more power to you, we struggled just to keep up with what they need”.

It was not lost on me that I just undertook running this project just weeks before I leave.  I was optimistic that someone would step forward and right off the bat, someone did.  My friend Rita who is a military construction project manager, agreed to be the coordinator.  Coincidently her tour ends shortly after I return in the fall so I will be back in time to continue what she starts.

A funny things happened today

Well, maybe not ha ha funny but more war zone funny.  I was at chow over on the north side of the flightline.  We were at the table eating when an alarm went off.  Without even thinking we were all on the ground.  (Several hundred soldiers fit seated at tables way better than we fit stretched out underneath them.)  Once we did start thinking, we realized that wasn’t the rocket attack alarm, it was a fire alarm.  There wasn’t actually a fire, it had just gone off.  As we got up from the floor the silence turned to low din of amusement.

Roll 3 day 2

We went to Roll 3 again to see how our SSG was doing.  He was still uncomfortable and being pumped full of antibiotic but the swelling had gone down so that was good.  He is not the type of guy to sit still so lying in the bed was driving him nuts.

The kid by the window had left for Germany but his buddy was in his place.  The kid had told us that his buddy was the last person he saw when he blacked.  A few days later his buddy stepped on a land mind and was up in the ICU.  The hope was to have the two guys fly out together but the buddy wasn’t in a position to fly yet.  His leg was pretty bad but still attached.  Every bone from the knee down had shattered, not broke, shattered.  The first thing they did when he arrived was establish blood flow which is what has allowed him to keep it so far but he has a long road ahead of him.  He told us the whole story about how he stepped on the mine.  No, they didn’t give him any pain meds but he was allowed to smoke.  He asked “want to hear the worst part?”  Really?  I would have guessed stepping on the mine was the worst part but his story got worse when he explained that it took 45 minutes for the chopper to get him and once on board a medic accidentally stepped on the blown leg.  The kid has a great spirit and a wife waiting for him back home.  I am a better person for having met him today.

Roll 3

This morning I learned that the supply sergeant was in the hospital (Roll 3).  A few days ago he smashed his little finger and got 12 stitches.  Later he was back and had the stitches removed.  This morning, he woke up and his hand was swollen like a Mickey Mouse hand so he went to have it check out.  They admitted him for an infection and started IV antibiotics.  His supervisor and I went over to see him.

Roll 3 isn’t like US hospitals where there is privacy.  Once you show your ID and military members surrender their weapons, you can just walk around.  Our guy was in a room with 16 beds.  There is no privacy but that was ok because it was more of a team approach to care.  We came to see our SSG but ended up talking to the other guys as well.  They brought in a civilian who didn’t speak English from one of our ally countries.  Apparently he fell off a motorcycle out at one of the FOBs (forward operating base) and was in a great deal of pain.

The young kid by the window was just 20 years old, married, with a baby on the way.  He was on his way to Germany to be Med Boarded out (released for medical reasons) and he was pretty bummed about it.  He had a seizure out in the field.  They had cut off all his clothes in route and all he had was his boots and his ID card.  His wedding ring was on a chain attached to his pants and in the chaos even that was lost.  We were heading to the PX to get our SSG some chocolate (which he assured us would make him feel better) and I asked this kid if he needed anything.  He could have asked for the world because I was prepared to get it for him but he said that he had received a bag of clothes from the Wounded Warrior Project so he was all set there but he could use some cigarettes.  (Yes, of course we bought them for him.  You would have too.)

That night was BBQ number two.  This time we were invited to the Seabee compound for their going away.  My girlfriend’s unit is heading back to Michigan and a new unit will be coming in to take their place.  There is a whole transition process that goes on for weeks, but this BBQ was the sendoff for the first group getting ready to head out.

I had no idea that I was invited for more than just the food.  Midway through they called a list of names of people to step forward.  I was one of the names called.  They handed out certificates of appreciation for supporting the Wounded Warriors Project. 

When a soldier in our region gets wounded out in the field, they are immediately scooped up and brought to the hospital here at KAF called Roll 3 (Roll 2 is sick call).  While the most seriously wounded soldiers will be treated and then sent to Germany, many stay at KAF to recover.  When soldiers are ready to be released from Roll 3 but not yet ready to go back to their unit, they stay at the Wounded Warriors compound.  Now for the fun part, they don’t have a thing.  Most of the time their uniforms are cut off them so they literally don’t even have the clothes on their back.  So, they rely on donations for the basics.  I know what you are thinking… doesn’t the military provide the things these soldiers need?  Sadly, no.  Once the soldiers return to their unit, they will be issued a new uniform, but socks, t-shirts, sweats, shorts and toiletries are the responsibility of the individual soldier.  This is where KAF Project Wounded Warrior comes in.  Volunteers here receive the donations and stock the shelves so the soldiers can focus on getting well.  Things like TVs and movies are not issued items either but have been provided by the KAF Wounded Warriors Project.

I am not capable sitting back when I see a need to help so I decided to add more work to my already full day.  I had helped a while back when I spent the day sorting through the boxes in the connex.  Now I was volunteering to jump in with both feet.  The current volunteers running the program from the Seabee unit were looking for another unit to take over their responsibilities of helping wounded soldiers.  With the support and permission from our Command Sergeant Major, I agreed to take this Project on.  Who needs sleep anyway?

Turkish BBQ

Ali is a contractor from Turkey whom I have gotten to know while working in J4.  Ali’s company makes all the furniture for us, desks, beds, etc.  He and his wife host a BBQ every Friday night for US soldiers.  This is his way of giving back for all the good fortune he has had doing business with us.  He is a really great guy and it is hard not to fall in love with his family.  After many invitations, we finally went.

There were four of us but the place was packed.  The food was absolutely amazing.  I think I am going to have to find a Turkish restaurant when I get home because I love the food.  I wish I could tell you what I ate, but I really have no idea.  It was just really good!

There was also a four month old puppy who was just adorable.

A Final Flight Home

In the packet of letters from the second grade class in Las Vegas, one boy wrote “have you seen the war?”  How do I answer that?  I didn’t really know what to say.  Having a son of my own who like to “play war”, I could imagine his interest, but how could I explain what real war looks like?  I didn’t want to paint a cheery picture but I didn’t want to scare him either so I talked about getting rocket attacks that sometimes hit things and other time don’t.  That was the best I could come up with before today.

Today I saw the war.  I saw it pass right in front of me while I stood at attention, held a salute and cried.  When a fallen soldier arrives on KAF, flags are lowered to half staff.  For the third day in a row I saw the flags and knew we were sending another soldier home.  Today, I decided, would be the day that I would go and pay my respects.  There is a Ramp Ceremony before every soldier’s final flight home.  There have been a lot of ceremonies during my tour.  While it is an honor to participate, I wasn’t ready before today.  Maybe I felt ready today because I am so close to going home.  Maybe it is because I have been frustrated these last few days over little things that really don’t matter.  The reason why isn’t important, it was just important for me to go. 

Soldiers from different units and different countries gather off to the side of the flight line.  As a civilian I formed up with the Officers and VIPs.  After the enlisted units had marched out and taken their place, we walked out, quietly formed up and fell into parade rest.  We were called to attention while the fallen soldier was brought to the ceremony.  We were again placed at parade rest and gave out attention to the Chaplain.  After a reading he told us about this soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice and about the family who survived him.  My eyes had filled with tears but my military experience kicked in and I just let them roll down my cheeks while I snapped to attention and rendered a ceremonial salute.  The bagpipes played as the flag draped coffin was carried through our formation into the C-17 that was waiting to take this young man home.  Thank you.

3D Children

When we were in Italy I got a souvenir that I am very grateful I have.  A crystal block with a 3D image of Jason and Samantha.  I love to be able to look at them every day.

I'm Back

As I stood in line at the post office yesterday I could feel the sweat running down my back like someone was pouring water on me.  It is HOT!!!  Crazy HOT!

I apologize for dropping off the radar.  Things have been quite hectic here.  While I was on R&R, the new billeting building had finished construction so I immediately started moving in when I got back on KAF.  My coworkers were kind enough to have moved most of my boxes that were in the office to my room, but the furniture was not quite where I wanted it.  Made of plywood it is super heavy.  I grabbed a drill from the maintenance guy and unscrewed the headboard and footboard so I could flip the bed on the side to turn it.  The rooms are so tiny that there isn’t much room to work with. 

I like having my own room but I admit that it was lonely at first.  After I said good-bye to Mike and the kids I was all alone sitting in the airport.  There seemed to be families everywhere I looked.  It amused me to watch the different nationalities.  In the Rome airport, one Jewish toddler kept running over to me, he would stop and giggle then run away.  As we departed the bus which had taken us out to our plane in Qatar, a mother in Muslim clothing was trying to wrangle her boys in the right direction while looking back to ensure they didn’t leave anything behind.  I stepped off the bus all alone.  Now in my own room, I didn’t even have my roommate anymore.  I was quickly cured of my loneliness after my first day back in the office.

While my job here is as a Data Manager in Program Management, on the side I built a data system to tie together the personnel data with housing and accountability.  In order to meet the needs of the different departments I had to understand how they operate.  With the recently built buildings for housing we were able to get several people into their own rooms but multiple factors play in to who moves where as well as the room assignments for new employees coming in.  I was able to automate all these different factors and trained the woman in J4 (logistics) how to use the system.  Sadly, her brother died suddenly and she left for emergency leave two days after I returned from R&R.  The Chief of J4 asked if I could fill in.  Management agreed.  The timing was perfect because my coworker had been covering for me while I was on R&R so he was able to keep some of my tasks to keep me from becoming overloaded from doing both jobs.

Unlike the Business Office, J4 is not quiet at all.  There is always something going on.  I like the people who work there and made some great friends while jumping in and lending a hand.  Logistics deals with housing, supply, weapons, vehicles, etc.  The Afghans that work on the compound fall under J4 so I had an opportunity to get to know them and to learn more about their culture.

Doing both jobs had me working late into the night for many weeks so I apologize for not updating my blog.

 Here is a photo of my new room.