Monday, November 29, 2010

The Short Fat Man

The short fat man, who works here in Afghanistan, would like to thank all involved in his weight gain. Just yesterday he received three boxes. One loaded from top to bottom with bags of cookies. The other two loaded from granola bars, chili, refried beans, Corn chips, movies and numerous other things. He did not mention the sugar cookies or the pumpkin bread because I think his first thought was to hide these items from everyone and not share.  However after looking at the massive feast in front of him, the fat man decided that it would be impossible to eat everything that had arrived and that it was necessary to share these items with others.  Even a Short Fat man can get too much to eat.

Signed The Short Fat Man

Thank you MoM and PoP for the wonderful boxes of goodies. They will be enjoyed by all, actually have been enjoyed by all already. Breakfast this morning was Pumpkin bread and coffee with two friends, John P. and Wayne S. The Sugar cookies arrived in tact with the exception of a few broken edges. As you can tell by the picture I was already miserable yet I could not part with the two items in my hands. 

NOTE: I had to delete and cover up a couple of things in the back ground of the picture for soldier safety.

Wilma, Thank you so much for the cookies. They arrived pretty much intact and were enjoyed by many of the soldiers here yesterday.

It is great to have the support of friends and family back home. Just know that I am turning into a Short Fat Man….haha

Friday, November 26, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010, what am I thankful for:

I am thankful for the sirens that blare in the wee hours of the morning. INCOMING, INCOMING, INCOMING.
I am thankful for the concrete barriers that protect us as much as possible.
I am thankful that the mortars are guided in by ALLA and that he is a bad shot.

Seriously though:
I am thankful that I have an understanding God and that he loves me.
I am thankful that I have family back home who are waiting for my return.
I am thankful that I was provided with a wife who shows me unconditional love even though I am a bonehead on occasions (okay, more often than not).
I am grateful that my children are growing up in a home where they are taught right from wrong.
I am grateful that my oldest son finally is beginning to understand the meaning of life and that his wife is there by his side.

The majority of the things I am grateful for are back in the states, but here I am thankful that I do not live in a tent and that my job does not call me to kick down doors or travel the dangerous roads of this place. I am thankful that I have friends who push me to do the right things, no matter how hard they might be.

Time for a laugh

Last night at around 2000, that is 8 pm for you civilian folks. I left the office. I walked down the stairs like I always do. As I walked out into the parking lot I saw a dog in the shadows across the parking lot. Remember this is not the big city, lights are at a minimum here, so there are dark corners everywhere. So here I am all alone with this dog across the way. Since I have never seen a dog here it struck me as odd. As I walked it seemed to be following me. At one point I stopped and it stopped. I was starting to worry. The hair stood up on the back of my neck in a kind of fearful warning. I began to walk and it began to walk. As I focus on the darken side of the parking lot I came to realize that I had almost pulled my gun on my shadow. There was just enough light coming from two directions that my head appeared only 10 or 12 inches off the ground and gave the appearance of a dog. Oh, thank God I figured that one out before firing on my own shadow. I would have never lived that one down with my friends..

Thursday, November 18, 2010

A card of Hope...

I received a card at the same time I received the boxes from Grandma and Aunt June. This card was so special that it deserved its own entry. Sometimes in my blog I express feelings of the moment or feelings that last but this card touched on one of my blogs of a fearful heart. I am not sure which but this card from Dawn is one that was most definitely to lift the spirits. 
               She Writes" 
Jay,
Hi, just thought I would drop you a few lines to say "hi". I just got home from work. I was  getting ready to go to the gym. (ha,ha) And I thought about you. God laid this on my heart to share with you. I don't know why, but I know that God knows. :) I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who said "courage is not the absence of fear." Well... me I have always been afraid of the dark. However right after I got saved God showed me this verse:" For God has not given us the spirit of fear: but of power and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 Anytime I feel afraid I just say that verse and I find comfort in God's word. Another Good verse is: "be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." Psalms 31:24 
However my two favorite verses are these: "Casting all your care upon Him: for he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 and Jesus said "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5
Mom, was telling me that on your blog that it sounded like your spirits were down. Well I hope this lifted your spirits. Stay safe and be careful.

Praying for you and Rosario always
Your cousin,
Dawn :)

Yes, my spirits are lifted. "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." Nelson Mandela.

I learned a long time ago that fear is a healthy emotion that will warn you of impending  disaster or problems. When I talk of fear I assure you that it is a passing emotions as I cannot and refuse to walk anywhere in fear. I do go through a range of emotions as do most soldiers. The one that gets me the most is lonely. Even being surrounded by friends lonely is a hard one to shake. The only cure for lonely is my wife and soon enough we will cure each others lonely.

One Bible quote about fear that I really like is from John 14:27 "Let not your heart be troubled or fearful". But of course as a soldier my favorite verse is John 15:13 " No greater Love has no one that, this that he lay down his life for his friends.

Dawn, keep up the words of encouragement and may all who read this be encouraged. For in him all things are possible...

50 pounds of "stuff" in a 30 pound bag

In my 20 some odd years of military service I have learned numerous things. One thing I have learned is how to pack. I can squish and fold and roll and push and squish more until I can get 50 pounds of "stuff" in a 30 pounds sack. But I have to admit that this week I learned that you can put a full shopping cart load of goodies in two small postal service boxes. I received two boxes yesterday from Grandma Connell and Aunt June in Amarillo. 
When I picked up the boxes I realized their weight. Upon opening these boxes I realized that I know nothing about packing. I am going to give you a list of items in these two small boxes. 5 or 6 Industrial size tubes of toothpaste. Two containers of coffee (1 1 pound and 1 3lb) 2 boxes of granola bars, 8 to 10 packs of gum (my favorite by the way) one large bag of trail mix. 7 Movies most of which I have not seen or will really enjoy watching again. 20 to 30 bags of hot cocoa and enough to tea to throw a tea party for the whole unit. 
Great job Grandma and June in shopping and packing this box it will last us for a while.... a long while....
And all the Soldiers Say Thanks Grandma and Aunt June.

One of Those Days

Have you ever had one of  “those” days? You know the kind I am talking about. That dark and miserable day when for no good reason, life just does you wrong. Maybe you overslept or you forgot about a project at work. Maybe your child clambered into your room at two in the morning begging to sleep next to you and then promptly wet the bed. I have good news for you, you are not alone. Do you remember Alexander? He is the main character from Judith Viorst’s book Alexander and The Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day.

From the moment Alexander wakes up with gum in his hair, things just don't go his way. As he climbs out of bed he trips on his skateboard. At breakfast his brothers discover toys in their cereal boxes, while Alexander finds nothing. He doesn't get to sit by the window on the way to school, his teacher doesn't like his drawing and he is deserted by his best friend during lunch. Later he finds out that he has a cavity and then he has to eat lima beans for dinner. For poor Alexander, life just continues downhill. His bath water is too hot, he gets soap in his eyes, and his pet cat goes and sleeps in his brother’s room. Can you relate? How are you and Alexander supposed to deal with the stress of days like these?

On behalf of those serving in the United States military, we want you to know that we understand. Indeed, sometimes life can be harsh. I think it is fair to say that sooner or later everyone has one of those bad days. Officially, there is a scientific term for this phenomena, it is called “life.”

It has been suggested that the soldiers serving in Afghanistan could well have the inside track on this “bad day” thing. Perhaps we can make your day just a bit brighter by offering you a small touch of perspective. Ponder with me if you will. Exactly how bad was your day? Care to compare?

For your consideration, may I present the Engineer Route Clearance Platoon, or as we call it, the RCP. The mission of the RCP is a fairly simple one. Travel the open roadways of Afghanistan and find all of the road side bombs that have been planted there by the Taliban. Nothing to it, right? A normal RCP day begins around four in the morning and by daylight the 35 soldiers of the RCP have loaded up in their vehicles and are on the road. In their search for Improvised Explosive Devices they are often required to dismount from their vehicles and move across an area on foot looking for indicators. An exposed electrical wire or an abnormal pile of rocks can only mean that a bomb is near. This task also makes the RCP a central target of ambushes and taking sniper fire is common place. At the end of an exhausting sixteen hour work day, the roads are safe, lives have been protected and just like you, our soldiers want to go home where they can kick back and relax.

That was the plan last week when one of the RCPs returned through the main gate. All that stood between these boys and their X-Box was downloading their equipment and refueling their vehicles. Like every other night, the vehicles were convoyed to the fuel point and parked as they waited their turn. As the boys began to brag about their heroic exploits, they heard the familiar whoosh and whistle of a mortar shell flying through the air. Then, in the middle of their tales there was a frozen moment when no one could move. The whistle that is often heard trailing off in the distance was getting louder. I won’t attempt an exact quote of the sergeant who realized what was happening, but I am told it sounded something like “%#;*%$*#!”

Mortar shells normally miss everything and fall harmlessly to the ground with a dusty thud, but in this case, it is really quite amazing what one mortar shell can do when it strikes dead in the center of a fuel storage tank. Let’s just say the 4th of July came early this year. In the end, all but two vehicles were totally destroyed by burning fuel in the explosion, yet not a single soldier was hurt. Explain it any way you choose; fate, luck or protection from the almighty, but I know that the families of 36 soldiers are very happy tonight.

The next time you begin to feel down and discouraged and you think that this might be one of those terrible horrible no good very bad days, just think about the boys of the RCP and smile. Life really is good.

Counting my blessings,
 John P.

Understanding -

Yet another Soldier will suffer..... as he makes his way through this place he seems to be in a downward spiral. I had heard that this man was rude and hateful, so God made it a point to have me try to speak to him.
I asked if he was sick and he snapped at me. I stopped him and said in a peaceful calm voice, "What is going on in your world?" "Why are you so down on life?" He stopped and grasped the door and at first I thought he was going to slam it but instead he closed it swiftly and caught it just at the point of closing. He turned and said "Chief, my wife is leaving me." In my talks with John P. I have learned there are always two sides. I have known this my whole life but it has hit home a little more in my dealings with John. I spoke to this man with what I can only describe as inspired words. The following day a completely different man showed up for work, smiling. 
On this earth I am but a grain of salt, all by myself I cannot prove my worth...
The God who put me here has made me wonder why on occasion, Have I done as instructed am I pleasing to his eye?

Why?

"You can't always sit on the fence while the world passes by, sometimes you've got to ride." Chris LeDoux
If you live your life in hiding, your children will only know how to hide. Four Engineer soldiers died this week. I am becoming numb to the loss of life as have the people of the United States of America. Another soldier giving his life for his country is just another news story these days. The concern is how many of "them", the enemy, did we kill. I think not enough as they lay in wait to kill my brothers. They were supposed to go home soon. Please dear God make it stop, bring peace to a world that is probably already too far gone. Maybe we cannot instill love in everyone but we can pray for peace. And the Soldiers say Amen.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Kindness of the Turkish People


While on this road trip I had the opportunity to try some different foods. On the base I am currently on there is a group of Turkish people who work contracts for the government. They said that after being here for a while and eating the "American" food they could not stand it anymore. I told you that food was not good at the base I am on. Well the food is really terrible on this base.

On their small compound, almost hidden from the rest of the base, they constructed a brick oven and their own kitchen. When I was invited I was told that they make pizza each day for lunch. Well they don't always eat pizza for lunch. When we arrived we were greeted with a friendly smile and a hand shake by two very nice people. They directed us to a table where we sat and waited for our food like we were in a Five star restaurant. When the food came out it looked wonderful, it looked like a chef had carefully arranged it.

It was not until later that I found out that it actually was arranged by a chef hired to feed my new friends and their workers. The food was fabulous and I left there with a full belly. THIS was by far the best meal I have had in this miserable place. Thank you to the Turkish people and my new friends.

Test Fire or Real?

Date: Wednesday, November 10, 2010, 7:51 AM

In my half dazed state, I was sitting down to dinner with my beautiful wife, Rosario when I was brought back to reality by three machine guns firing in unison. Holy Crap what is going on as I remove ther dreamed sushi and wine taste from my mind. Was this a test fire or were we fired upon? I pray it was a test fire but I will never know.