3 months down...

Oct 28th marked the third full month of this mobilization...only 9 months to go!

M-ATV

Just a quick video I took from inside the M-ATV that we took to Charikar the other day.

prayer request page...

Is updated.

contact info

I added a "contact me" page to the blog.

charikar, parwan province

The bazaar (market) in Charikar.

Pictured here is "Zohrn," a Macedonian Soldier who I accompanied on patrol to the city of Charikar. The Macedonians were very professional, and I enjoyed riding with them. Above, Zohrn is seen sharing a bag of M&M's with the local kids.

In this photo, a young Afghan boy came up to me and began speaking very good English. He asked me how conditions were in my province. I told him they were good, last I knew!

Hanging out with the kids.

Spice vendor, who also had many other 'things' for sale. I'll let you figure it out.

Local kids.

Chicken for sale...My friend, I have deal only for you.

Local boy.

Having breakfast at the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) compound in Charikar. Pictured from left to right is me, another Macedonian Soldier, SFC Hove and CPT Roberts.

One item of note. You'll probably notice that I'm not wearing my helmet in many of the pictures. This was purposeful. In a COIN (Counter Insurgency) environment, gaining the trust of the local/indigenous population is as important as defeating the enemy. Removing your helmet when interacting with the locals as we were is a way of showing that you are not afraid, and that you trust them. Most of the time, wearing your helmet is the right thing to do, this just happened to be an exception.

Also, Charikar was by far the nicest town I have seen in Afghanistan. Here, geography is everything. Located in the north, and next to Bagram has been good for this city. You don't have to travel far to see some very desolate places. Hopefully, places like this are where some form of prosperity can eventually spread from.

parwan

I went on a patrol a couple days ago in Parwan Province. I took many pictures, and will upload them soon. I emailed Jessica afterward, and have decided to share part of the email I sent to her, as I think it is as honest of a description as I can give immediately following my first patrol in 5 years...

"Now that the patrol is over, I can say I’m glad I went. I saw Afghanistan from an entirely different perspective today…from the eyes of a father. I got a little broken up seeing the kids at first. I kid you not, I watched hundreds of 4-5 year olds run around, darting in and out of traffic, just trying to get a pen or a piece of candy from us. All I could think of was Grant. Grant will prob never know just how fortunate he is. Kids here grow up very quickly, and their lives are hard beyond description. I cannot describe just how destitute this place this. It is hell on earth. No one back home will ever understand how fortunate they are, unless they have seen Afghanistan with their own eyes. This place is brutal beyond description, and I’m glad that I was given the reminder of it today. It’s been 5 years since my last combat patrol (May 2005 in Khowst), and I felt stupid for forgetting so much of what the reality is here."

Afghanistan is still a desperate place, and to put my email above in an even better perspective, my description above is of a GOOD day in Afghanistan with kids running around, a busy market place, beautiful weather, and a patrol that didn't get attacked. Unfortunately, even the good days seem to be overshadowed by horrible smells, piles of rotting trash, burka clad women, insurgents, and most haunting of all to me...desperation in the eyes of many of the people. Continue to pray for this country, it is the only true hope that it has.

Also, I will concede that referring to Afghanistan as "hell on earth" is a overstatement. Hell is a much worse place. But as you can tell from email, it is very difficult to describe the conditions here. I will say this, conditions in Afghanistan are much closer to Hell than in America.

OPSEC and Email

In my initial post to this blog, I referenced OPSEC, which was my basis for not advertising my identity. I originally intended to prevent any/all clues as to whom I am from this blog. However, as things progressed I changed my mind and decided that allowing my identity to be known was a risk I am willing to accept.

OPSEC was the reason I originally set-up my oef2011@gmail.com account, which made no reference to my name. There is no longer any purpose in maintaining this account, so you may delete it from your address books (I have set this account to forward to my primary email accounts just in case). While I'm on the subject of email...I think I owe some clarification. I have two email accounts at this point: vandewater2@gmail.com & lee.vandewater@us.army.mil. I recommend that when you email me, you send it to both accounts. The gmail account is connected to my personal laptop that is set up in my room, and the army account is my work email that is set up at my desk in the office. Worst case, if you only email one of the accounts, it will go no longer than 12 hours without be checked. Hope that all makes sense.

bagram pics.

My bunk (top). Right now, there are 6 of us to a room. It's a little cramped.

The building on the left is where I live. The bunkers in-between the buildings are safe havens for indirect fire attacks, such as rockets or mortars.

The view from on top of the building I work in.

Another view of our living quarters. My building is not pictured here.

This is the building that I work in. It is appropriately named "The Pink Palace."

Pictured above is "Disney Drive," the main road that runs along the flight line at Bagram.

I took this picture as a reminder that some things at Bagram have not changed. When my Platoon was getting ready to leave during my last deployment, we were stuck on Bagram for almost 2 weeks. We spent a lot of time on this volleyball court. I was surprised to see that it's still here.

"The Clamshell" is one of the most well known spots on Bagram. It's where all the USO entertainers, speeches, award ceremonies, etc. are held. I took this picture yesterday, while they were setting up for Geraldo Rivera's show on Fox News, which aired last night in the United States.

manas to bagram

Just some pics & video of the flight to Bagram from inside the C-17. Yes, I was very tired when the third pic was taken.

The video is comical if you listen to the crew chief...The Air Force had placed us in a holding area prior to our flight. 30 mins before our scheduled take-off, an Air Force Sergeant came running into our tent, and hurriedly ushered us to board buses that would take us to the flight line. There was much confusion on the part of the Air Force personnel, which to be fair is normally not their style.

Well, once in flight over Kyrgyzstan, the crew chief asked for a show of hands as to who was heading for Bagram. The video captures the crew chief after everybody aboard raised their hand. He says..."All right, I just wanted to make sure, apparently there was a mix up with you guys leaving out of the PAX (personnel) terminal, so I just wanted to make sure that everybody is going to Bagram. Thank you."

Hmmm...I don't know, maybe you should have asked that question prior to take off for Afghanistan?!

manas

After leaving Leipzig, we headed directly for the "Transit Center at Manas" in Bishkek. I have been to Manas twice before, on opposite ends of my last deployment to Afghanistan. Manas is the main staging area for ISAF forces headed to Afghanistan. Manas earned this honor by default because Afghanistan is landlocked by very unfriendly neighbors (Iran is to the West, and Pakistan is to the South and East). Although Kyrgyzstan is not the most stable country, it has proven to be the most stable country in the region that can accommodate our logistical requirements. The Kyrgyzstan government is well aware of the strategic importance of the base, and regularly threatens foreclosure (Of course, the threat of foreclosure is always withdrawn after we agree to an increase in rent). Maybe we should rethink the spread of capitalism?!

I included some pictures above. The first two pics are of the transient barracks where we spent two days. It wouldn't have been so bad, except for the Battalion of Marines we shared the tents with who had just come off the front lines in Helmand Province. To be blunt, they didn't smell so great. The third and fourth pics are of the base. The fifth pic is of us getting our gear ready for the 4:15am flight to Bagram.

germany

For those of you who may not know, I joined the Army when I was 19 years old, enlisting in the field artillery. Upon completion of basic and advanced individual training in Oklahoma in 1995, I was stationed in Bamberg, Germany from 1995-1997. Germany has always been a special place to me. It was during my 2 years in Germany when I learned what it meant to be a soldier, and set the foundation for what would eventually become my career.

When we re-boarded our charter in Portsmouth, none of us had any idea where the next stop would be. Possibilities included Iceland, Ireland, Germany, Hungary and Turkey. I was pleased when they announced Leipzig, even though I knew the stop wouldn't be for very long.

We spent about 3 hours in the terminal. The Germans had a very nice area set up for us, complete with a convenience store, gift shop, computer lab and pay phones (They know how to make a buck). I had a bratwurst with mustard on a kaiser bun, a Mezzo Mix (German Soda) and a Kinder Egg (German Chocolate with a toy inside). Oh the memories.

I also took the opportunity to call home, and let Jessica know abut our trip progress. We talked for about a minute, but it was costly. We received a bill for $42.00! Jessica said it was worth the money, so I guess there are some things you can't put a price on.

I didn't take many pictures, above is one of the terminal area.

pease international

Okay, I'm going to attempt to get caught up on things...

We left MARCH Air Force Base (LA area) on Oct 15th, and flew to Pease International Airport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire prior to leaving the United States. Pease is quite the experience. Upon arrival, we were greeted by over 100 Portsmouth residents. They shook our hands, thanked us for our service, and provided coffee and donuts. After about 45 minutes, they called us back in to the boarding area of the terminal, and conducted a half hour ceremony. The ceremony included a presentation of some gifts, and a salute from area veterans. I was quite impressed by everything. The "Pease Greeters," as they call themselves have now greeted close to 400 plane loads of service members in recent years, and operate on donations. If you care to learn more or donate, more information is available at their website: http://www.peasegreeters.org

Sorry, I didn't get any pics while in New hampshire.

bagram

Quick update. I made it to Bagram 3 days ago. We left California on the 15th via a commercial charter. We made stops in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Leipzig, Germany before arriving in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan at Manas International Airport. We spent 48 hours in Manas, then departed on a C-17 Globemaster for the final flight to Bagram.

Initially, I intended to 'report' some of my initial thoughts/impressions in returning to Afghanistan in this post. However, it's clear to me now that some things may be best left unsaid for awhile. Too many emotions in returning to this place.

I took plenty of pictures along the way, and will try to post them soon. Until then.

Goodbye California

Just a few last pics from California to share. It's an NTC tradition for units to paint a rock, signifying the end of their training rotation. Our Brigade, as well as some of our subordinate Battalions took part, marking the end of Rotation # 10-10. The first pic is from the Battalion that I used to be assigned to, 1-168 IN. The second pic is our Brigade rock. I was able to scratch my name in on it prior to the clear coat being painted on...so hopefully it lasts many years.

Also, as you can probably tell from the pics, we began wearing MULTICAM today. I have no opinions yet on what to think of the new pattern, we'll see how it holds up overseas.

title pic

I decided to add a pic to the blog title. I think I'll reformat the blog after I get settled in at Bagram. The title picture was taken on "Brigade Hill" here at NTC (mentioned in an earlier post). We're packing bags and cleaning weapons right now, should be on our way tomorrow. Lee.

leaving soon...

Just a heads up that I will be leaving soon for Afghanistan. Most of the Brigade is heading back to Camp Shelby for a few more weeks. A few of us are heading over to Afghanistan early to prepare for the Brigade's arrival. My next post will likely come from over there. See you then.

reading list updated...

I updated my reading list.

1984 by George Orwell was okay, although I enjoyed Animal farm more. Most interesting was his vision of negative utopia, an advanced socialist society (what happens when socialism has it's opportunity to continue for years on end). His foresight from the 1950's is incredible, as some of the things mentioned in the book have since become very true.

The Principal of the Path was great. Andy Stanley has a very simple way of bringing to light his observations for how to make 'course corrections' in life. A huge thanks to Pastor Mike for giving me the book. After I finish reading books, I normally send them back home, so I can someday reference them again. This book however, i have decided to keep in my bag. I feel I will reference it often.

One other note...Thanks to my cousin Justin for offering some great advice regarding my 'ambitious' reading list. Put simply, he advised that the more time I spend in this many books, the less time I have to spend in the Bible. I doubt I would have realized this on my own. I am taking his advice to heart, and will likely shorten the list after arriving in Afghanistan. Thanks Justy.

prayer list...

I went to update my prayer list just now, and realized that no update is needed. Please keep our family and this list in your prayers. I have particularly struggled in keeping with my daily devotions since our time in the box began almost 3 weeks ago. Although 38 hour stretches with no sleep are probably an acceptable excuse at the time, it does interrupt the routine I was able to establish.

Also, one additional request. Shane, a Sergeant in our section was notified tonight that his father died of a heart attack in Waterloo earlier today. He will be heading back to Iowa tomorrow morning. Please pray for his safe travel, and for the family.

mre

I'm sure most of you know that when we're in the field, the Army largely sustains itself on MRE's, which stands for Meal Ready to Eat. MRE's have not changed too much since I joined the Army 15 years ago. One major improvement was the addition of MRE heaters, as pictured above. You place your packet of food down into the bag and add water, causing a reaction with a chemical packet inside. The reaction produces heat, which warms your meal.

What I found interesting is the instructions on the heater. For the record, most Army instructions, manuals and classes are presented at the elementary level, in order to accommodate even the most uneducated soldier. The instructions show a picture of a meal propped up against an object. Inside the object, it reads "rock or something." As you can see in the picture, I used a rock for this particular meal. I guess they wanted to ensure beyond all reasonable doubt that soldiers understand that you can use anything, or 'something' to prop up your MRE heater while it heats your meal.

Random post, maybe no one else will find it funny, but I did. Keep in mind that anything is funny to me after 2 weeks of hard training.

FOB DENVER

Well, I made it back to FOB WARRIOR a couple of days ago. The last couple weeks have been exhausting. The training went very well, and I think I speak for everyone here when I say that I never wish to do another rotation here at NTC. It was brutal. However, I feel we are much better for going through it, and hopefully an Army saying will hold true for us...the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.

I didn't have the opportunity to take many pictures. Above are a couple of pics. The top one is the TOC, which we set up and tore down agian. The bottom pic is of "the dome." The dome served as our Brigade headquarters at FOB DENVER, which is where we stayed during our 2 weeks in the box.

brigade hill

Toward the end of our time in the box, I was tasked to be part of a group that ensured our Brigade flowed back to NTC main post in a 'civilized' manner. Our movement out of the box consisted of hundreds of vehicles, and thousands of soldiers. With only a map, a matrix of how the units were to move and a radio, our group set up on top of a hill appropriately named "Brigade Hill," and controlled the movement. It was the only chance I had to get out away from FOB DENVER, so I made the most of it.

Brigade Hill is also home to a 'mosque' that was built as part of the training scenario here. The top pic is a panoramic of the view, with the mosque in the photo to the right.

The third pic was our set up of maps and movement tables on the hood of the humvee. In my personal experience, I have finalized more plans and battle tracked more units from the hood of a humvee than just about anywhere else. Sometimes I wonder why we spend so much time and resources on electronic systems for battle tracking...simple always works best in my opinion. I suppose there are times when other methods are required, however this movement was not one of them.

The fourth pic is the view of the units flowing out, approx. 1/2 mile away from us.

my cover.

In the Army, we do not wear hats, caps or berets. Okay, we do, but that's not what we call them. We wear our "cover." The manner in which you wear your cover tends to say a lot about you as a solider. If your cover is messed up, than chances are, so are you. Your cover goes with you wherever you go, and is always nearby. Above is a picture of the inside of my cover. I copied a verse inside it awhile back, which is a reminder that no matter how tired and exhausted I may become, there is always rest to be found in Christ.

The verse is Matthew 11, 28-30. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

In three days, we will be changing uniforms. We are switching from the 'new' digital pattern to MULTICAM, which is a camouflage pattern designed specifically for Afghanistan. Our Brigade is the first in the U.S. Army to be fully issued MULTICAM prior to deploying to Afghanistan. With the new camoflauge comes a new cover, and I haven't yet decided what verse to inscribe in it. If anyone has any ideas, please respond to the comments section underneath this post, or email me.