I begin this blog with a warm smile and a full belly. Our division (Program Management) decided to head to the DFAC (Dining Facility) together to enjoy our Thanksgiving Meal. Of the seven DFACs on Kandahar, Northline is arguably the best. It is the only DFAC on the far side of the airfield and it takes about 25 minutes to get to from our compound. We met up at 1630 and headed out. Even though the DFAC didn’t open until 1730, we arrived at 1700 to get our place in line. Good thing we did too because even before the doors opened the line was wrapped all the way around the building. Even when we left the line was still that long. It was worth it. The food was wonderful and we all had a wonderful time.
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| Me at Northline DFAC |
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| My coworkers |
In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray found himself living the same day over and over again. After the movie, the phrase "Groundhog Day" became popular military slang referring to unpleasant, unchanging, repetitive situations…. like deployments.
The concept of time here is very different from that of real life. We get up, go to work and when we can’t work anymore, we go to bed. Then it starts all over again. Without the help of a calendar I wouldn’t know what day it is. I miss Mike and the kids so much that I feel like I have been gone forever but it also feels like I just arrived. It is hard to believe that two months have flown by.
Not knowing what to expect fueled the excitement of my deployment last winter. I hit the ground running and worked hard to catch up to the fast pace. I brought a unique set of skills that launched new initiatives that kept me insanely busy. Time flew and I loved every minute of it.
As I tried to pack to come back this time, I admit my heart wasn’t quite into it. Childbirth is the best comparison I could come up with. The first time you know it isn’t going to be fun, but you don’t know exactly what to expect. The second time you know exactly how unpleasant it is going to be. I knew exactly what I was coming back to and to make it worse, I knew I was going to miss my family so much more this time. I don’t want to admit that I took my family for granted, but I was definitely comfortable. Nothing like a few months away to remind me how lucky I am and truly appreciate what I have. It felt so great to be home that I really didn’t want to leave again… but I did.
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| "Welcome Back Christine" banner on my desk. |
My wonderful coworkers welcomed me back with love and a big long to do list. I absolutely love what I do and the fast pace and huge workload make the days go by fast. There has been some turnover but for the most part many of the same people are still here. My buddy Cory and I are both Data Managers. We were together all last tour and he was the one who covered for me so I could be home with the kids over the summer. He will be here with me through this tour as well which I am grateful for. Our District had Change of Command over the summer so that of course has brought many changes. Spin-up time this tour was short and it didn’t take long before I was fully back into the rhythm of things.
Because of the amount of time I was home I lost my single room and was back to living with a roommate. My first roommate arrived only a couple of weeks before me and we got along fine. She is a morning person and of course I am not so we didn’t see each other in the room much but we do go to lunch together.
My first roommate eventually worked her way up on the single room waiting list and moved out. The roommate who moved in was completely different. This is her first deployment. Nothing like living with a 24 year old to make you feel old but we also got along just fine too.
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| My half of the room. |
On Nov 17, I got the e-mail I has been waiting for. It read “Please come to J1 between 1730-1800 today to sign for the key to your new room.” When I first arrived last tour, I lived in a double room in the area of our compound called Graneyville, after the PM who managed the construction. I moved out of that double room for a smaller room. Over the summer construction began to improve Graneyville. Another row of rooms were added, a roof was put over all of them and bathrooms with laundry were added. I just happened to be at the top of the single room waiting list when they cut the ribbon so I was one of a select few who got to move into the “new” rooms. Unlike the other single rooms on our compound which are one can divided in half with doors on both sides, I got the whole can all by myself. It is almost too much room but I knew just what to do with the extra space. I moved all the furniture to the back of the room so I can use the front as storage for Wounded Warriors.
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| My new BIG room |
Before I went home for the summer, I agreed to take over responsibility of coordinating support for the wounded warrior unit. (See previous posts for details.) Rita agreed to cover for me while I was home and she did an amazing job. When I got back I was a little intimated to take back the reigns. A team of volunteers from USACE really stepped up and several processes were established. When we first took on support, we were really focused on getting the needs met. It felt like a mad scramble to get donations of everything they needed. We have come a long way and I want to thank all of you who sent donations. We got to the point of needing to restock certain items as the stock level gets low instead of being out of everything. I haven’t been able to find the word yet to describe the reactions of the wounded soldiers when we arrive with boxes for them of the basics. It is amazing and wonderful and I hope you know that the items you send really make a difference. I couldn’t do it without your help and support. When I show up with a pillow or a package of underwear I make someone’s day. Over here, that is a big deal. To see a smile on the face of a soldier, who is peppered in shrapnel just for giving him a piece of clothing, is priceless. Thank you!
When I first learned about the breakdown that has left our wounded soldiers in such a state of need, I was in shock. When I asked my Seabee friend if they had tried to do anything to get the problem fixed, she said, if you have enough volunteers to start a letter campaign to Congress, go for it, we are struggling to have enough time just to meet their needs. Well, it didn’t take a whole letter campaign, just a few.
On my flight from DC to Detroit at the end of my last tour, I met some guys at the airport who were also heading home from the desert. We told each other about our adventures until it was time to board the plan. A woman who overhead us talking in the airport, sat on the other side of the aisle from me on the plane. She struck up a conversation which eventually turned to the Wounded Warriors. She was shocked. By now I was used to this reaction, only she could actually help. She is a lobbyist for veterans benefits in DC and she was heading to Detroit for the day. She told me about Congressman Bill Young (R-Florida) and how supportive he was. She said that she was going to contact him when she got back to DC. The first week in July, I received a call from one of Congressman Young’s Aides. He and I spoke for over an hour and he said he would do what he could. There are rumors here of big changes and I am excited to see what the future holds.
It was HOT when I arrived but has cooled down to a delightful temperature now (low 80’s). I am not sorry I missed the summer heat. One of my coworkers said that the brightness was more bothersome to her than the heat. I was hesitant to spend money on a good pair of prescription sunglasses but I’m sure glad I did!
I knew that I was coming back during fighting season but even I was surprised by the frequency of rocket attacks to our base. There have been a few incidents so far this tour that have caused my heart to skip a beat. I was on the phone when I heard an insanely loud boom nearby. I hit the ground so fast that the receiver flew out of my hand. It was still hanging from the phone when I got back to my office after the all clear. Now I keep a paperback book in the cargo pocket of my uniform so I have something to read in the bunker. With the cooler weather the attacks have started to wean a bit. As it is Thanksgiving today, I am expecting an attack as they tend to acknowledge our holidays.
