Live from Afghanistan, it's Saturday night! Or, t_b_f's on the road!

I ask in all seriousness.
I know you love bacon, but the pork and all its deliciousness is forbidden to be shipped.
But does that include bacon salt and baconaise?
I don't think either has any pork, just lots and lots of yummy chemicals.

 

Oh, I have a feeling she was well trained in jerky before that... I mean, there was the dating, the courtship, engagement...

 

I just read this to my dad and he said "Screamin' Eagles!" with this pride in his voice I almost never hear. I said "They called you chicken men?" and he said, "Honey, you've got to understand just about every unit over there called every other unit something other than their name."

 

Glad he's still got some Eagle pride in the tank. That's awesome.

******

Some others and I had a pretty long day, and the chow halls were closed when we finished, forcing us to go down to the Boardwalk where the hockey "rink" is. The Canucks were having a big game, apparently, because about 500 people were watching. I looked to my left and saw the Stanley Cup. I wanted to snag a picture, but the line was WAY too long.

 

Video of Stanley in Afghanistan...

http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=522377

 

Interesting article in the NYT on Kandahar. Makes the South Bronx seem safe.

Be safe 3 Bags:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/world/asia/27kandahar.html?hp

 

If you really want to worry about 3 Bags, think about the Camel Spiders.

Anyone know about Camel Spiders?

Indigenous to the middle east, they can run 30 mph, measure around 2-3 feet long....



(nsfw? Hard to know.)

 

Sounds like I'll have a busy summer. Ugh.

 

TBF, the president is in Kabul! Can you get over there for a photo op?

 

I saw a story on Yahoo! earlier where he was at Camp Bastion, a Marine base near Lashkar Gah. There's a big hospital there we fly into a lot. But, sadly, I can't get over there, right now. We had to do a med resupply south of there (south of Lashkar Gah and Marjah) today and it took us two hours to get off the ground. Helicopter broke. Couldn't link up with our chase bird (the guys who cover us when we fly since we don't have armed aircraft). Took off. Dust storm hit the FOB we were going to, so we had to turn around. Then, it finally cleared up and we were able to get in. Long day.

Had a bird shot up near here yesterday. They're really not shooting at anyone else, according to intel. Just the MEDEVAC folks. Hit the engine and put a hole in the back door. No one was hit, but it just about took an act of congress to get the parts out there. I wasn't flying it, but saw the damage. It hit a starter hose (big metal hose we blow air into to help start the engine) and a wire that measures power on the engine. That caused them to lose a pretty important cockpit reading, but they limped back on one engine. Thank God we're at 3,500 feet above sea level, as opposed to 10,000 MSL, or they'd have been in trouble.

All is well, though. Our maintenance folks got the bird fixed and coverage of that area is whole, again.

If you're into that kind of thing, pray for our medics and crew chiefs, who ride in the back of the helicopter. I've washed a bunch of blood out of the back of helicopters since I've been here. When one comes back after a bloody mission, I always try to get out there and clean it up for them so they don't have to keep looking at it. Those guys see some bad stuff.

A vehicle rolled over on a guy after an IED hit the vehicle the other day. Our medic said the guy's upper body and head were in pretty rough shape. I think that one got to her. The leadership (which includes me, I guess) has to keep a good eye on those guys. Stuff like that can wear on a guy or gal.

 

Wow.

I hope someone keeps a good eye on you too, tbf.

 

JUST GOT MY FIRST SJ PACKAGE!!!!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That was so awesome.

When I told the guys it was from someone I'd never met, they kept on and on about how cool it was that someone I didn't know would send stuff for us.

Inside was coffee, nuts, trail mix and some other stuff I can't recall, at the moment.

I really do appreciate it.

As I told someone in a PM earlier, the stuff like what was in the box I got today helps us feel a little more normal -- a favorite snack from the wife, for example (she sent me some gummy peach rings ) -- are what helps us the most. Another example is our personal gear. Some of it was delivered yesterday (after a long boat ride), and the morale boost I got from a set of sheets, a proper pillow and a bathroom rug (to keep my feet off the floor) was just amazing.

You guys are freaking awesome. Best friends a dude could have.

And we're gonna enjoy the hell out of that 3-pound can of coffee. To the last drop.