HE IS ON HIS WAY!!!

David is in Kuwait and making the long journey home for R & R. He left Orgun-E on Saturday for Bagram, where he has been until today. He anticipates he will leave Kuwait in the middle of the night tonight (his time) and, after stopping in Germany, will arrive in the states on Thursday. We are so excited we are about to bust!! Price has a long list of things on the refrigerator that he wants to do with Daddy when he "visits."

As one of my friends put it, we are going to go "underground" for the next couple of weeks and just focus on being together. So, I thought I'd better go ahead and post some pictures from Halloween and some of the boys since this summer (which is the last time I posted anything from the homefront!). Here are our two little trick~or~treaters all dressed up and showing some brotherly love . . .

And, here they are less than an hour later . . .

I guess that is the benefit of toddlers . . . not having to make it to every house! They were out cold by 7:30. Here are a couple of pictures from some pre-Halloween festivities . . . The cutest flying elephant ever!

Here is Price and "his favorite kind of princess," Gracen . . .

Late this summer, we took a two week trip to the greater-DC area - we spent about a week with David's parents and got to see Uncle Mark and Aunt Kristen. Then, we spent another week at my brother's house in Annapolis where we had lots of fun with cousin Sam, Uncle Beau, and Aunt Tonya. And, my parents had their boat there, so we got to spend that time with them, too. Here are a few pictures of some of the fun things we did . . .

Price practiced hoops with Grandpop ~

We hung out at the waterfront in Old Town with Nonna ~

We spent lots of time at the pool, for the sights more than anything ~ not only was there the great view of the Masonic Temple, but below there were train AND Metro tracks to watch and above there were constant planes from Reagon National flying overhead. Definitely the stuff that little boys' dreams are made of! We spent more time at the fence than in the pool ~

What a treat ~ a rare visit with all four grandparents . . .

For some reason, I didn't take many pictures in Annapolis. But, here is a shot of the birthday party we had to celebrate Daddy's birthday for him . . .

I must say that it was a long, hard summer without Daddy here. There was no "school" for the boys, and Price wasn't yet old enough for any activities except a short swim class. On top of that, in addition to a couple of run of the mill stomach bugs that we all got, Price had tonsilitis and pneumonia. Mama was tired from entertaining and nursing sick boys by the end of the summer, so the first day of school was a big treat for me. Here are some pictures from that exciting day . . .


Price was very excited to see his new classroom and meet Mrs. Patsy ~

Harper, not so excited that day. But, that was very short-lived . . . He was the biggest mama's boy ~ even around grandparents. The only thing I dreaded about school was the drama that would come when I left him each day. Well, little did I know that I had no worries . . . Harper cried the first two days and that was it! He found his independence, and he loves it. I do feel a little dissed over it, but it sure makes drop off easier!!!

Afterwards, everyone was worn out by all of the day's excitement and needed a little rest . . .

Another exciting thing we did was that I took Price to his first SEC football game ~ and it was an Auburn game of all things!!! I can't believe it. We went to the Auburn v. Vanderbilt game, and had a great time. Although it was great fun, it couldn't compare to an Alabama game. But, we are saving that for Daddy to take him to. Here are a couple of pictures in the stadium at Vandy ~

Well, we have lots to do to get ready for Daddy to come home. He just called with his flight info, which makes it seems all the more real that he will actually be here in person before we know it!

Long overdue . . .

Okay, I know I am the world's worst blogger ~ and that is an understatement! I wanted this to be more about David since everyone always wants to know how he is and what is going on with him. The problem is that he is very busy and justs wants to go to sleep when he gets done with his day. Also, he has to be so careful about what he says and can't talk about much of what goes on ~ particularly in such a public forum as this. So, even though it has to be fairly generic, here is my attempt at catching up on what has gone on the past few months . . .

There is actually a lot of good news to report. First and foremost, we have been told that the deployment will be only 12 months instead of 15!!! Yippee!!! While we don't have official orders saying 12 months, yet, we did receive a letter from the Brigade Commander saying that they are working around a 12-month timeframe, and the unit replacing our guys is scheduled to be there to relieve them after 12 months. Sooooo, this brings us to the second bit of good news to report ~ we have already passed the half way mark!! We are in the 7th month and counting. The third and most exciting good news to report is that next month is R&R month!!!! David will be coming home in early November for 18 days of leave and family time! We thought this day would never come and, now, I can't believe it is so close! I think David is ready for it, and I know we are!!

Now that you've got all the good news, here is a look at a day-in-the-life at FOB Orgun-E . . .

The above picture is of a shura that our battalion hosted this week with Afghan tribal elders, elected officials, and security forces. David is second from the right on the back row. According to wikipedia, a shura is a "consultation." But, according to David, there was a goat grab and hand holding involved. For those of you who know David, this could be 100% accurate or it could just be his attempt at humor!!

This is a classic David look . . . he is holding the remains of a rocket that, from what I understand, landed in his vicinity while running errands.

There is a lot of helicopter riding apparently . . . The guy in the last of these pictures, Ed Brady, commanded with David at The Old Guard. He had only been in country for a week ~ I had just seen him in Clarksville a couple of days before he left to go work on Division staff in Bagram ~ when he was tasked with this mission to go to Orgun-E. Was quite a shock to David when he went to board the chopper and there was Ed! I think he enjoyed seeing an old buddy half-way around the world, even if it was just for a few hours. (By the way, that is not David in front of the Chinook below. I think he just sent this one for Price, who loves cool helicopter pictures!)

David took this next picture from the air and asked what I thought of it as a vacation spot. I think he has been in Afghanistan way too long!

Here are some pictures of the FOB itself to give you an idea of what his temporary home is like . . . The first picture is from the FOB looking out to the city of Orgun-E. As you can see, they really are in the mountains.

This is the entrace to the TOC (The Operations Center), where David spends much of his time ~ too much, I think!

This shows the "shopping village" on the FOB ~ there are a few little shops there run by Afghan nationals . . .

And this is the entrance to the sleeping quarters. It may not look like much, but he was just excited to have an actual wooden structure to sleep in . . .

This is his "hooch" as he calls it . . .

And here is the "boodle" (goodies from home) that he is storing up for the winter. The snow should be falling there, soon, and the passes will be, well, impassable! They aren't quite sure what they will be getting as far as supplies and mail through the winter. So, he has tried to stock up a bit. As long as the choppers can get in to bring him home for leave, he can live on MRE's for the rest of the winter if he has to!!! A big thank you to everyone who sent care packages and letters his way. (Okay, just an aside, but you can see how neat he is by looking at his closet. The poor guy would be horrified if he knew what his real closet at home looked like right about now! Thank goodness my mom is coming for an entire week just to help me get ready for him to come home! He'll never know what was . . . and what he doesn't know won't hurt him!!! It will be spotless by the time he gets here!)

And, finally . . . there is an Alabama flag on the ceiling at the DFAC (dining facility) to make him feel somewhat at home! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!! He has gotten to see a couple of good games over there on Armed Forces Network, including Alabama v. Arkansas a few weeks ago and Texas v. Oklahoma this past weekend. That is a real highlight to the guys and a big morale booster.

So far for David and our battalion, there have been highs and lows, and lots of challenges yet many rewarding accomplishments. Please pray that they remain safe and continue to make progress in furtherance of their mission.

I think that this is a good start at getting our blog up to date, but it is all I can handle for one sitting. So, a second installment will follow shortly with updates on life back here on the homefront. To be continued . . .

Defining Moments

As TF White Currahee completes 7 months in theater, I can reflect on the highs and lows of our legacy. It most definitely has not been an easy road attempting to facilitate legitimacy in the local and national government as well as separate a resilient enemy from the Afghan populace. The battalion continues to fight a well-equipped and financed enemy that constantly attempts to influence our operational environment through the interdiction of our lines of communication, intimidation tactics against civilians and security forces, and a deliberate information operations campaign saturated with Taliban propaganda and enduring rhetoric. Every single day is a fight to preserve the good in this country and change perceptions regarding security, governance, and development. Through a deliberate partnership with the Afghan security forces, TF WC has maintained the decisive advantage on the battlefield.
As of late, I have been running lots of “errands” throughout our area of operations in an attempt to minimize complacency and gain a better understand and situational awareness of both kinetic and non-kinetic operations. While FOB Orgun-E is very comfortable at times, the monotony of the daily regimen is enough to frustrate and place undue stress on a Soldier. Physical training, cigar smoking, and walkabouts provide the ability to decompress from the rigors of combat.
Task Force White Currahee is comprised of some absolutely amazing Soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Officers. Having said that, many of those assigned to our TF do some heroic feats each and every day that go un-noticed and barely recognized. One such example is the FST. A Forward Surgical Team is co-located with the TF at FOB Orgun-E that is comprised of surgeons, physician assistants, nurses, and medics. Similar to an ER, the FST receives casualties and patients multiple times a day with a large parameter of injuries from IEDs, direct and indirect fire engagements, UXOs, and non-combat related incidents. Though local nationals, coalition forces, or even an occasional enemy combatant arrive for treatment, these medical professionals treat each patient equally and with the utmost care. I’ve made a concerted effort to be present in the aid station for every US soldier that arrives to provide some sort of comfort during a time of significant trauma and concern. In doing so, I’ve witnessed the passion, dedication, and care that our medical personnel display for each casualty. Not only are they American heroes and have a profound impact on lives of many, but exemplify the goodness in our fight against terrorism.
These are truly trying times for TF WC, but are encouraged by the focus, discipline, and overwhelming character of its Soldiers. While we are justifiably judged by our actions during combat operations, it is comforting to know how the Soldiers in this TF react during defining moments.

Dave

August 2008 - SITREP

Hey Hey

I just wanted to take a short break from the monotony of combat to say thank you for all the support I’ve received over the past month. I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate coming back to my hooch in the evening and see a package waiting for me. Not only does it provide bragging rights to my fellow officers, but also a source of comfort that my family and friends are not too distant. So keep ‘em coming if you so desire. And a special thanks to my awesome wife who has her hands full with two active boys. Not sure how you do it, but I’m deeply grateful and love you for all your support. Thanks HB!
Well, TF White Currahee has had its adventures since we took ownership of our new operating environment in East Paktika. While we’ve made some headlines (local and national) with significant contributions to the war on terror, the real work goes unnoticed for the most part. We do operate in a very lethal AO, however, the TF’s primary focus involves our ability to separate the Taliban from the local populace, promote the local and national government – ensuring the people of Paktika and Afghanistan have a sense of confidence in their governance, and continue to partner with local organizations to foster a society conducive to suitable infrastructure, education, road networks, and other essential services. Each entity being no more important than the other; but a profound level of security that enables these facets of growth and expansion remains our critical and essential task.
Life at FOB Orgun-E is repetitive, yet interesting as the TF continues to establish roots with the local nationals. As we continue to redirect our combat power throughout our AO in an effort to provide some additional flexibility, agility, and lethality, we remain resilient in promoting theater specific directives.

Dave

A Quick Update

Sorry for the lack of activity on the blog. David is so busy these days that he has not had time to post anything. If you have been watching the news, you probably know that there is a lot going on in his neck of the woods. He does have personal internet access now at his new location - from his laptop in his room. But, he only goes back to his room to sleep for a few hours every once in a while from what I understand! And, he is currently out "running errands" as he puts it. So, we haven't heard from him lately, and I'm not sure when that will end. As you can imagine, I don't like it when he is out running errands! Please say a special prayer for him and his unit right now.

Last week was a very hard and sad week for David. Our unit lost 1LT Nick Dewhirst, who was a member of the "XO Squad" that David proudly wrote about below. Nick was the D Company XO. As Battalion XO, David worked very closely with him for the past year. David described Nick as an outstanding officer and a superb person. He was killed in action when his vehicle was ambushed with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Nick was a mere 25 years old. Please keep his parents, other family, and friends in your prayers. The link on the sidebar will take you to a listing of all fallen heroes from the 101st Airborne Division. There is probably more David would like to say, and I hope he will get the chance to soon.

Another link that might be of interest is http://www.506infantry.org/. It is the web site of the 506th Infantry Association, and it has links to numerous articles about our unit and their deployment to Afghanistan. To get to the articles, click on "506th today" in the sidebar. When you get to that page, click on "2nd Battalion" and then on "articles." It is a great source for news from our guys.

Price, Harper and I have been trying to keep busy. We made a short weekend trip to St. Louis to visit a law school friend of mine and her family. Thank you to the Baloghs for hosting us and showing us a great time! We are currently in the D.C. area visiting family on both sides. More about that when we get home!

The video clip below is just of Harper walking around so that David could see. So, will be boring to most everyone else! And, I took it with my still camera and held the camera up length-wise. Then, I couldn't figure out how to rotate it. So, it is a good thing David will be watching it on a laptop and can just turn it sideways!! It takes a while to upload video here, so I gave up and put the others I had on YouTube . . .

P.S. The date above is misleading as it is now July 28th! I first uploaded the video on the 22nd, but didn't get around to adding any text until today. Don't know how to change the date!

Arrival at Orgun-E

Posting from Dave: David doesn't have personal internet access right now, so he sent this to me via his AKO account. Hopefully, he will be able to get internet service in the near future. I've learned that soldiers can be very resourceful - some of them have purchased satellites and are charging others to hook up to them. David is working on getting one of the soldiers to run internet to his room. But, for now, this will have to do -

After a 30 plus day and 400km journey from Kandahar Airfield in Southern Afghanistan via Bagram Airfield, my Company XOs, Supply Sergeants and I finally arrived at FOB Orgun-E! On our final leg, my logistics party traveled three and a half hours via CH-47 aircraft to Eastern Afghanistan and landed on 6 July at Dennis Airfield. FOB Orgun-E is located in the Paktika province of RC-E and is settled at about 8000 feet elevation. The weather is a relief with almost a 20 degree cooler variant from life at Kandahar. The FOB itself is a transformed Russian airbase from the Afghanistan-Soviet War. Though rustic in nature, the quality of life is very acceptable for this region of the country. We are fitted with a more than acceptable DFAC managed by our internal cooks. There is a small shopping village with stores and a café. The physical fitness center has all the amenities necessary to retain the proper conditioning for our operating environment. And of course a small post office, MWR facility, and radio station. The biggest culture shock, however, is the amount of local national employees that work on the FOB as either laborers, store owners, or interpreters.
As we transition with our counterparts and meet the local leadership, TF White Currahee will enter a very volatile combat environment with high expectations to further promote and provide security, governance, and development among the populous of Paktika.

Happy 4th of July!

We had a very independent Independence Day - just went to the playground and hung out around the house. In fact, we have spent the month of June just doing your typical summertime "stuff" - going to the pool, the movies, and playing outside. Here are a few pictures . . .

Price "graduated" from his swimming lessons yesterday. Below is a proud Price with his best picture "smile" and holding his certificate. When I asked him what his favorite part about swim lessons was, he said "the teachers." I think that is because they let him pass even though the hair on the top of his head didn't even get wet when he went under water. Who knew you could technically go under water with the water just barely getting over your eyes for a split second! (We still have lots of work to do at the pool!) We celebrated afterward with ice cream. Price found it easier to just drink his . . .

Harper loves hanging out at the pool, too, but still doesn't like hats!

One night, Price wanted to sleep in one of Daddy's t-shirts. He thought it was hysterical that it was so big on him!

We finally got Addy to lay down for one of the pictures we took today, even though she didn't get anywhere close to the boys . . .

XO Squad

During my tenure as Battalion Executive Officer for TF White Currahee, I've had the honor to work with some of the most passionate and patriotic Soldiers and Officers. My team of Company XO's - affectionately known as the "XO Squad" - resemble what's great about junior leadership in the military. I've watched these outstanding men grow and develop as both Officers and Leaders over the past year as logistic coordinators, operational synch's, and 2IC's. CPT Andrew Kemp (current TF S4) and 1LT Jon Rascher (HHC/2-506 IN), 1LT Dan Huff (A/2-506 IN), 1LT Abe Rush (B/2-506 IN), 1LT Frank Gonzalez (C/2-506 IN), 1LT Nick Dewhirst (D/2-506 IN), and 1LT John Taylor (FSC/2-506 IN) are the bedrock and critical C2 nodes that allow TF 2-506 IN to execute day to day operations. These men could be counted on numerous times to execute independent, decentralized operations in a very complex, challenging, and non-contiguous operational environment...and at the end of the day there were always smiles and sometimes witty humor as the mission and focus changed. It has been my privilege to mentor, develop, and work with such fine examples of American patriots. We continue to stand united as a Band of Brothers within the Currahee legacy.


MAJ Dave Foley
Outgoing XO, 2-506 IN
White Currahee

The Latest From The Homefront

Well, it has taken a while for me to finally get up to speed with the whole blogging thing. So, more than three months into the deployment, I'm finally getting some news posted! Here are just some of the highlights and big events we have had since Price and Harper's "Daddy" has been gone . . .

Dave was going to miss Price's 3rd Birthday, so we had an early pirate party at home before he left . . .

The "boys" spent some quality time together the morning that Daddy was (supposedly) leaving. The early part of that day was harder than either of us ever thought it would be. We had our very emotional good-byes and left David at his office to go to the processing center, knowing that his plane was not leaving until late that night though. Then, later that afternoon, I came down with the flu . . . and at 8:30 that night, I got a call from David that their plane was broken down and to come pick him up at 9:30! With chills and all, I went to get him. The next morning, he had more quality time with the boys while I went to the doctor. By the time we re-dropped him off that afternoon, I was very sick and we all had gotten our emotions out the afternoon before. So, it was pretty much a good-bye just like any other day at the office! I told him he couldn't come back home that night because it would be too confusing for Price (and me!). His flight left as planned that day, though. So, we began this journey on March 11, 2008. I spent the next week in bed, and my mom (thank goodness) was able to come up and help me. David spent the next week stuck in Bagram before finally making it to his final destination at Kandahar.

We spent Price's real birthday and Easter in Hendersonville with the Parkers . . .

In early April, we made a trip to Alabama and Mississippi for my Granny's 95th Birthday celebration . . .

When we got home, Price and Harper's special "Daddy Dolls" were waiting for us . . .

There was another big milestone in May, when Harper turned "1"! Lots of people came to help us celebrate - Grandpop and Nonna, Granddaddy and Grandmama, and Uncle Jay, Aunt Donna and Trey, to mention a few. Harper even took his first "step" on his birthday! He was so proud of himself! He didn't much like the hat (even though Price kept trying to make him wear it!), but loved the cake!

Since Harper's birthday, we've had a visit from Aunt Sara and Cousin Will and have made another trip to Alabama to play with Cousin Trey with a sidebar trip to Mississippi to visit Granny.

Now that I've gotten this started, I hope I'll be better about keeping it up to date (I think the hardest part is over). I've been focusing most of my time lately on keeping Price busy and his mind off of missing his Daddy. He asks for him more than I ever thought he would (especially when he gets in trouble or hurt!) and gets sad whenever he even sees a dad with children on television (I've learned the hard way the past few weeks that I have to be very careful what he watches). He is trying to be strong, though, and proudly tells people that his Daddy is in Afghanistan "helping the people." (Although, lately, he has been saying "helping the people with his gun." Yikes! I have no idea where that came from.) Thanks for reading, and please keep David and us in your prayers.