care packages.

I've been putting off posting this for months, but it appears I'd better address it before packages begin arriving for Christmas that may not get used. Jess and I have had many many people say, "just tell me what Lee needs, and I'll send it." I've put this off for 2 reasons. One, I don't NEED anything. Two, I kinda feel like a free loader providing a list, especially since some items are not cheap. In case you need proof that I don't really NEED anything right now as far as snacks. see the pic below of a bookshelf in our office...However, I will admit that it is care packages that made this possible.

Okay, we're doing okay on candy, as you can tell. For those that regularly send packages, maybe wait a few weeks on candy. I guess there are some food/snack items that are highly pilfered and/or get used in hurry. I'll list some of them at the end of this email.

One thing that was unexpected after arriving here is the laundry service...They are SLOW (up to a week turn-around), they tend to lose items (mainly socks, some T-shirts), they are rough on clothes (I no longer have white socks, they have all turned gray), and my brand new MULTICAM uniforms are faded like they are 2-3 years old. Since you can't help with MULTICAMs, I suppose extra socks and T-shirts would be helpful, but be forewarned, the type we wear is not the most affordable.

This is a picture of the socks I've been wearing. I stopped wearing the issued cotton socks, and changed to moisture wicking socks because I wear my boots on average about 16-18 hours a day. They are UNDER ARMOR brand, and are called "Heatgear Boot." Size is LARGE and tan in color, as it is an approved color for wear with the uniform, and tends to keep feet the coolest.

The T-shirts are UNDER ARMOUR brand as well, size medium. They are available here and here. They are called "tactical T-shirts." I wear the non-heatgear, loose version.

Other items...

Coffee. We drink lots of coffee in our office. Dunkin donuts, Starbucks, Folgers whatever. (ground) We have a coffee maker. Full sized circle shaped filters will be used, not the cone shaped.

Candles. Our rooms are dark and they smell not so great. Candles help with both of these problems.

Beef Jerky never lasts long. A lot of us are into PAELO Kits, as they are convenient and healthy.

If you want to send stuff to guys out at the outposts who are in the real fight, address it to me, let me know that you want it forwarded, and I'll make sure it gets to them.

That goes for Afghan kids as well. If you want to send stuff for the guys to handout (cheap dollar store type sports stuff is good), or a soccer ball or whatever, send it and I'll get it to the kids. I do request that you don't send clothes...tossing a soccer ball at a kid is much easier than trying to size them with clothes while on the tactical move. Pens are real good too. The kids love ink pens.

palm beach post

I thought it might be good to pass along an image gallery that I stumbled across the other day. After all, this blog is the reflection of only one Soldier...a Soldier who happens to have a very convenient assignment on a Brigade level staff. I think the images are a very good representation of everything that is going on here, and helps put things into a bigger, more complete perspective.

afghanistan...God's plan for you may vary

Before I post anything here, I have to say...I think the poster above is pretty darn funny, even though I am going to use it to remind myself of something important. This poster has circulated around military circles for a couple years now, and anyone who has spent any time in Iraq or Afghanistan knows just how true the poster is. There are two distinct groups here, those who do the dirty work 'outside the wire', and those who support them.

The picture on the right depicts my last deployment, while the picture on the left is closer to me this time around, although I don't care too much for coffee shops here on Bagram.

It's difficult enough to leave home for a year. Missing holidays, weddings and watching your kids grow into little people in pictures is not easy. But I must say, during the past few weeks it's been almost equally difficult to resign myself to the fact that I am a member of the Brigade Staff, and my association with the poster above is fixed on the left side.

I think maybe more than anything, I was almost beginning to feel guilty about this. I know well what the guys outside the wire are going though with the daily grind of patrols, and I empathize with them to the point that I want to be back with them.

While feeling sorry for myself about this the other day I remembered a blog post I wrote 3 months ago at Camp Shelby, I went back and read it, and it has brought some of this back into perspective. I wrote..."I believe I have been placed in a unique position from which I have the ability to affect others for the good of Christ."

The perspective I regained is that I can't have it both ways. I can't resign myself to my belief that I am here for a reason, and then feel sorry for myself about how God intends for me to fulfill those duties. Either I subject myself to the belief that I left home as part of a bigger plan and fully submit to God's will, or I don't. Darn that's hard to do. Your prayers that I maintain this perspective are appreciated.

33.3%

4 months down....8 months to go.

last thing for tonight....

random things real quick here....

Thank you for all the care packages lately! Much Appreciated!

Thank you for the 35th birthday greetings from everyone! (I turned 35 on Nov 24th) Apologies for not yet having the time to write everyone back on email.

Jessica advised that many people are asking what I want/need for care packages. I'll put a list together soon, but I can tell you that I am not in NEED of anything right now. That said, I know packages will be sent anyways, so I'll get a list put together and posted here soon.

A huge thanks to the guys from "Droptine Lodge" for the Christmas gift they purchased for Grant. I was floored when Rass emailed me the pic. I'll post the pic on here soon, as well as write to you guys soon. Very generous of you all. (Please, don't anyone tell Grant, they bought him a beginner ATV)

Take care and God bless to all...I'll try to keep the posts more consistent.

thanksgiving part 3

For our evening meal, LTC Keeley (my boss's boss) had an Afghan meal catered in from off base. "Joe" (pictured at left, a US citizen and resident of Maine) one of our interpreters did the driving, and delivered with Goat kabobs, potatoes, rice and bread. The meal was excellent, and much better than the local food I had last time I was here...hoping I don't get sick tonight!

"lizzie"

Following dinner, our office was visited by "Lizzie," a combat stress relief dog. It was nice to sit there and pet a dog for awhile...any bit of normalcy is welcomed. Enjoy the pic, it is one of the very few I can show from our office due to mass of classified data hanging everywhere.

thanksgiving part 2

Following the parade, we headed to the chowhall for Thanksgiving dinner...Ambassador Eikenberry and some others made the rounds and visited with Soldiers, it was definitely not a typical day.

The Brigade plans section....

The Chowhall was fully decorated.

Lines were longer than usual for Army food..

They paid the locals to do many of the decorations...some were interesting.

More decorations.

Again, interesting.

This one kinda had our table shaking out heads. It says..."Thank you for your Thanksgiving Offering...Because of your gift, the World is............." Someone decided that the last part of this should be painted over. We couldn't quite make it out, but later we were able to see that one of the words that was painted over was "Christ." Political correctness is everywhere, and War is certainly not immune. The irony is that everyone here puts in very long days in support of GIRoA (Government Islamic Republic of Afghanistan), and yet we apparently can't mention our own God after a local recognized him for us. A local that is very likely a Muslim. I'll shut up now, I think you get my point.

"Today's menu...JUICY!"

thanksgiving part 1

Today, we celebrated Thanksgiving 10 1/2 hours ahead of Iowa time. We started off our day as normal in the office, then took to the rook of our building to take in the Bagram Thanksgiving Day Parade. If you're quick to see this post, you might catch some of this before it airs on national T.V. later this morning....

ATV Float

Another ATV float...Grant will love these!

EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Float...complete with a penguin manning the machine gun.

Ms. Claus in the back of the truck, with Santa in a bomb disposal suit.

I think there were only 7 floats....so you may already be seeing repeats.

The parade route was set up like a Winterset parade...where they make 2 turns to make the parade last longer.

Ms. Claus again.

EOD unit doing a parade dance.

Most of the gang that I work with...CPT Dorsey from Oklahoma, MAJ Fergsuon, MAJ Edwards (my boss), CSM Short (our senior enlisted), and SFC Wrage.

the french.

For the better part of American history, we have enjoyed much comedy relief at the expense of the French. Unfortunately for these French Soldiers, the new berets (headgear) they recently began wearing here on Bagram will not change my perceptions anytime soon...Vive la France!

Not sure how well you can see these, but their berets are quite large and unformed.

Yes, I was doing my best to hide when I took these...I didn't have the guts to ask them to pose for a photo. Maybe I'll get the courage later on...wait, not that I'm afraid of the French...never mind.

planning and zoning.

One of the comical things here on Bagram is the apparent lack of planning and zoning. Buildings, roads, sidewalks and everything of the sort seems to be very peculiarly arranged. Some of this is understandable. Bagram has been under continuous construction since the beginning of the War, and many things were arranged around minefields that have since been cleared, as well as a lack of visibility for just how long we would be here...9 years and counting.

Also of note is the crumbling infrastructure. Years of rain, snow, sun and wind exposure on untreated wooden structures has taken a toll...it is evident everywhere you look. On the way back from the chow hall the other day, I stopped and took the time to take a couple pictures.

Looks like they let the locals do some wiring?! Almost all of the wires you see are CAT5 Ethernet cords that were run before wireless internet became widely available.

Not sure, but you might be safer outside these bunkers during an indirect fire attack than inside them.

just to set the record straight...

Before I upload all of the Thanksgiving pics, I wanted to make sure everyone is straight on something...

Some quick background...The only time I have ever had surgery was the last time I was here in Afghanistan following an incident on a range. The incident left me with a souvenir piece of shrapnel in my left arm (very long story), and I was returned to duty within hours. The fallout back home was almost uncontrollable. The Army called Jessica and advised that I was in bad shape, and was being evacuated to Germany for surgery. Even rumors of my death began to circulate at our Battalion Headquarters. The rumors spread faster than I could control with multiple phone calls and email, and it took awhile to set the record straight. That said...

I stopped in at "sick call" last week and had a dermatologist examine a small skin growth next to my right eye. I had this same growth removed 6 months ago in Winterset, and requested that it be removed again. The dermatologist decided instead to conduct a biopsy, and sent the sample to Germany to be tested for a common form of skin cancer called "basal cell carcinoma."

I was advised that my likely worst case scenario is to travel to Landstuhl, Germany for surgery and a couple weeks recovery in a more sanitary environment before returning to Afghanistan. I was also advised it is more than likely that my results will come back negative, with no further follow-up or appointments required. My sense is that this was a precautionary measure, and I'm not too concerned.

Obviously, a prayer request is in order that everything comes back okay...even though negative results will cost me a vacation in Europe!

Following the biopsy. The doc left me with 2 stitches.

Stitches Removed!

been awhile.

Hey, we've been awfully busy lately, so it's been hard to keep up with the blog. I intend to upload quite a few pics this morning. Thanksgiving is almost over here, so hopefully I can get all of this uploaded and everyone back home can see how we celebrated. I'll try to upload everything in sequence...

SGT Edward H. Bolen

On Veterans Day, I mentioned that I attended a ramp ceremony for a Soldier killed in combat the previous day. I thought it would be good to close the loop on this, as mentioning fallen warriors and then leaving them unnamed just doesn't seem right. SGT Edward H. Bolen is the Soldier that we sent off last last week. He was 25, married only a few weeks, and named after his great uncle who had been killed in action in World War II.

There have been many ramp ceremonies since SGT Bolen's last week, and all of them have a story. If this doesn't put into perspective the cost of our freedoms, I'm not sure what does.

finally..

I finally moved into my permanent room. I have lived out of a rucksack/duffel bag since July 29th, and it was getting a little old. It's crazy to think about the little things I take for granted back home...just to be lying in a bed with sheets makes a huge difference in quality of life. Until now, it has been a combination of cots or used mattresses with a sleeping bag, and perhaps a small pillow. It's only 54sq ft, but I have no complaints.

It's also been nice to set up my computer on a makeshift 'desk', hang some pictures of on the wall and put some things into drawers or onto shelves. I went to the PX (Army store) here at Bagram, and bought a few small things that have made a big difference...a fan, coffee maker, lamp, a couple of carpet samples, a really gaudy blanket that was made in Pakistan and some extra towels (laundry turn-around is SLOW). I also acquire things as I travel around post. Small things like a sheet of plywood or a box can be definitely be put to use. Not to be forgotten is my wonderful wife, who quickly ships needed items as I think about them throughout the day. Thanks Jess.

I have been assured that I will not have to move again, so I have settled in. If you have kept up with my blog for awhile now, you know that this means that I stand a good chance of moving in the next few days...lets hope not.

veterans day

In recent years, Veterans Day has turned out to be a not so normal observance for me.

Two years ago today, my Grandfather (Lee Vandewater) passed away at age 82. My Grandfather grew up farming in Adair County, and was later drafted into the service as a tail gunner on a Navy divebomber. He was deployed to the Pacific, and was fortunate enough to not see combat while deployed. An interesting note regarding his service was as an observer to the 4th ever Atomic Bomb detonation, which occurred in the Pacific. Because of his service, Lee was eligible to be among the first buried at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery when it opened 2 years ago (It's located just North of Van Meter off I-80). I drive by the cemetery almost every workday (when not deployed) on my way in to Johnston, rarely passing without remembering him.

Today after arriving at my desk, I was notified that a ramp ceremony would be taking place within the next hour, and I decided to attend. A ramp ceremony involves the procession of a soldiers' remains being escorted through the Base, onto the flightline, and loaded into an aircraft for their final journey home. Today's ceremony was for a soldier from the 10th Mountain Division who was killed in combat yesterday. The ceremony was small (about 75-100 of us total), but very well orchestrated. It was a testament to how gracious America is to it's fallen warriors.

Witnessing a fallen soldier's final journey home on Veterans Day is not easiest thing to do, but I was honored to participate. Most difficult for me was trying to empathize with the family awaiting the aircraft on the other side of the world. My heart and prayers goes out to them tonight, as life as they know it is forever changed.

Also, it's worth noting that General Petraeus and Major General Caldwell (Commander of the 101at AIRBORNE) presided over the ceremony this morning. Again, quite a testament to how gracious America is when the ranking uniformed officer in theater takes time to pay his respects.

Zach

A good friend and co-worker Zach stopped by today to say hi, after recently arriving here at Bagram. He'll be here a couple days before moving out to his COP (Combat Outpost). This pic is more for the benefit of his wife than anything else...Hey Anna, he's doing good!

still here..

Obviously, I haven't had much to post lately, so I figured I'd better provide a few updates.

After arriving here at Bagram and going through some mandatory training last month, we met the unit that we will be replacing. The unit is the 86th IBCT from Vermont. Usually it's easy to pick on the guys that you replace, and think how you're going to do better. However, our experience so far has been pleasantly different. The 86th has been very accommodating, andvhave done quite well at fulfilling the mission here. We intend to fall in on many of their good habits. Many of you have asked what exactly it is that I am doing here, so I'll do my best to explain without being too detailed (OPSEC).

A typical day involves waking early, shower and breakfast at one of the many chow halls here. 3 are within easy walking distance. We are not yet moved into our permanent housing. After moving in next week, I plan on getting into a good routine of running in mornings, and working out in the afternoons. I try to be in "the office" by 7:30am, and begin looking over the Division FRAGOs. FRAGO stands for Fragmentary Order. Simply put, it is our higher headquarters way of telling us what to do. Tasks range from complex tactical orders that need to occur within hours, to advising that 10 of our soldiers need to be at the chowhall to hangout with the Washington Redskins cheerleaders...you never know what you're going to get. Following collaboration with my boss and his boss, I usually draft our Brigade FRAGOs, which can take anywhere from an hour to a full day. Once approved, I send it out to the units, advising them of what needs to be done. Some of this input comes from the Division (the famed 101st AIRBORNE), and some from our own staff and Commander. There are many other random taskings and meetings that I am involved with as well, but that's the Cliff's notes.

This experience so far is already proving to be far different than my last time here, which I expected it would be. I want so badly to be off Bagram, and be out with a 'real' unit where the rubber meets the road. However, I constantly remind myself that there are advantages to being stuck here, such as very decent living and working accommodations, minimal enemy threat, etc. Most importantly, I am still very convinced that I am where God wants me.

Also a quick update on our progress in getting over here. Difficult as it is to believe, our Brigade is still only half way here (remember, I came over early to help set the conditions here for the Brigade's arrival). The other half of the Brigade is STILL at Camp Shelby as of this post, where they returned following NTC. Soon though, they will all be making their way over here. It's hard for me to think that we still have that many people still in Mississippi, as I personally left there in September...seems like so long ago (2 months now). What makes it even harder to fathom is that we already have units that have assumed their missions here in our area of operations, and are fully engaged with missions, patrols...and yes, they have already met the enemy on numerous occasions (and quite successfully).

That's all for now I guess. I'll do my best to keep this blog interesting...as we are beginning to fall into our routine, and as a member of the Brigade Staff, life changes very little. Thanks to all for the continued prayer and support. Lee.

9-11 memorial

I ran across this 9-11 memorial a few days ago here at Bagram. The centerpiece of the memorial is a beam from the World Trade Center. This past May, GEN McCrystal (since replaced by GEN Petraeus) presided over the dedication, which you can read about here. I suppose memorials like this are intended to ensure people don't forget, etc.

It reminded me of just how long ago this all began. I also realized that when I leave here next Summer, it will be just short of the 10 year anniversary of 9-11 and the beginning of the War here. Has it really been almost 10 years?!

6 years ago today.

Pictured above is of SGT James C. Kearney III, the first Iowan killed in the Afghanistan War (November 1st, 2004). This picture was taken the day before he died, while on patrol toward the border town of Shkin, Afghanistan.

I still have questions as to how some things happened, and the purpose behind what occurred. The truth is, I will never know all the answers. One thing I do know is that James died in combat fighting for freedom. He died not only for our freedom, but also for the freedom of people in a ruthlessly oppressed country. I am honored to say I served with him.

Please remember the sacrifice that James and his family made over here, and keep them in your prayers today.