About this Blog

This Blog is for friends and family to receive updates on my adventure in Afghanistan. I'll try to update it on a regular basis, post pictures, and tell you a little bit about my experiences (both the good and the bad)!

Thanks for stopping by. Oh, and BEAT ARMY.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving in Afghanistan

Holiday spirit among people who are forced to be away from home is a wondrous thing.  Despite being away from loved ones, there's a distinct feeling that occurs when you're among people who are working hard towards a cause larger than themselves and sacrificing by being away from home during the holiday season.  There's a spirt in the air of joy and outward glee and yet an acknowledgement of a little bit of inner sadness.

I remember the good feelings during Army week at the Academy (back when the Army-Navy game was the Saturday after Thanksgiving), and Christmas joys during finals week.  Then the bitter sweetness of being at sea over Christmas and New Years a few times.

Great memories of taking that long drive up to the in-laws in Central CA with the kids, with all the presents, while they humored me as I listened to Christmas songs in endless repetition.  They complained then, but now they find a way to humor their old dad :-).

It's a crisp, very clear morning here in Jalalabad.  The snow-capped peaks of the Tora Bora mountains can clearly be seen to the southeast.

Breakfast in the DFAC this morning was slim pickings, yet chairs and tables were being rearranged.  Special Thanksgiving tablecloths were being layed out with about 50 civilians and military personnel laying out dishes of nuts as a few hundred turkeys were being cooked and basted in the kitchen.

Folks here in the Fusion Center can't wait to start playing Christmas music as soon as the last piece of pumpkin or pecan pie (topped with ice cream of course) is consumed at early dinner.

My next door neighbors in San Diego, the Ilkos have graciously invited Chris and the two boys over for dinner, I miss them a lot but I'm also thankful I'm here amongst America's best and brightest soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

As a special gift on Thanksgiving I got to watch us launch a barrage of ATACMS rockets fired from a mobile launcher on base at a very high-value target.  Great for morale!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

12 November

Everything here is good, I'm definitely getting settled in. Pretty much like living at an airfield surrounded by a construction yard.  My room/hut is small but comfortable, the food is good, gym is adequate (been working out a lot).
 
My job's pretty normal.  I have a workspace inside of the intelligence fusion center and get to see anything and everything.  Amazing mix of soldiers, some sailors, marines, special forces, "other" agencies, FBI.
 
The base has all kinds of aircraft except for fighter/bomber tactical types.  Lots of UAV activities.
 
Surprisingly, I'm keeping "normal" hours.  Get up at around 5, work until 4:30 or so.  In bed by 9.  Workout mostly between 6 and 7 at night.
 
Internet access is good but it's restricted to what the Army feels isn't offensive, or a bandwidth hog.  Totally understandable it is owned by the government.  I do get all my email and that makes it a lot easier to be away like this.
 
There's an MWR 'tent' (military welfare and rec) with a pool table.  I played the other night, lifted weights with a couple of the guys and had a cigar, shower, went to bed, read my book.  Very cool.  Very normal.
 
I'm definitely losing weight.  Probably down about 10 pounds since leaving but I know I had to tighten my belt two notches.
 
I had a good meeting with the Brigade Commander.  He's a Colonel, a little younger than me.  He chided me on receiving a "second rate" education being that he has an Operations Research degree from the Colorado School of Mines vice mine being from the Naval Postgraduate School. There's also a lot of good natured ribbing about Navy vs. Army.  Navy beating Notre Dame for the 2nd time in 45 years gave me a few bragging rights!
 
Presently, I'm gauging population attitudes and perceptions in our Area of Operations based on a survey conducted by the Division Commander (our boss).
 
The purpose of the survey's is twofold: Serve the population but also serve our ability to protect ourselves...,
 
Now that the elections have been cancelled we are concentrating on activities that curtail the drug trade, halt the production and laying of IEDs, and supporting the populace in job creation, education, and construction.
 
I've got to say that we are doing everything humanly possible to succeed here in Afghanistan I hope that Congress and the President follows suit!

Here's the best current address I have for me:

Bob Rubin, ORSA
HHC, 4th ID, 4th BCT (S2)
FOB Fenty, Jalalabad
APO, AE 09310

Monday, November 2, 2009

1 November

1 November

Frustration!

1) Blew out my back lifting weights..., not so fast there, old man!

2) Going on day 5 of trying to get my tools working so I can be productive.

3) Got little or no sleep lastnight since my neighbor has decided that playing Call of Duty (without headphones) all night long was important than his, or my sleep.

Other than the above, things are goood :)  Getting a lot of emailing and reading done.  The Comic News Network (CNN) is playing in my workspace all day long so I'm becoming a big Obama supporter through brainwashing and repetition (not quite).

On the promise anonymity, a liberal but dear friend of mine sent the below -- good preparation for the mid-mid term election day:

HISTORY LESSON!
 
For those that don't know about important history ... Here is a condensed version:

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic
hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer
and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of
beer
and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the
beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were
the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:
 
1 . Liberals, and
2. Conservatives.
 
Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning
of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented
yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be
invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages
were formed.
 
Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night
while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as
the Conservative movement.
 
Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live
off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the
sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the 
Liberal movement.
 
Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. Those became
known as girlie-men. Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the
domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and
the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer
that conservatives provided.

Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most
powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized
by the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer
white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef
well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another
interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher
testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury
attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are
liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't
fair to make the pitcher also bat.
 
Conservatives drink domestic beer, mostly Bud or Miller. They eat red
meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big game hunters,
rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical
doctors, police officers, engineers, corporate executives, athletes, members of 
the military, airline pilots and generally anyone who works productively.
Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to
work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing.. They like to govern the producers
and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are
more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in
Europe when conservatives were coming to America . They crept in after
the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for
nothing.
 
Here ends today's lesson in world history:

It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily
respond to the above before forwarding it.

A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute
truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true
believers and to more liberals just to tick them off.

And there you have it. Let your next action reveal your true self.