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