Day Four

Today is Thursday, which is a half-day for the Afghanis. They are traditionally off on Fridays, so this is pretty much like the start of their weekend. I got out of bed rather late today, and decided it was time to really buckle down and get this "room" of mine squared away. I really didn't know where to start, as I was surrounded by my 7 bags - all covered in dirt - and really didn't have a place to put any of them. I found some glass cleaner laying around and ripped a towel off the wall that was stapled to the place where my new door was now hanging, and started cleaning out the wall locker I had brought in from outside a couple nights earlier. The locker wasn't the best, but was good enough for me to store most of my clothes, shoes, and bathroom items. As I cleaned it, you could hear that bending and clanging of the metal since it wasn't the sturdiest piece of furniture in the world. I finally got it all cleaned up and was able to start going through my bags. My trip from the states to here was so long that I had packed and re-packed my 72 hour backpack many times, leaving behind a trail of dirty clothes in any bag I could find to fit them in. Needless to say, I have a full laundry bag to take to the laundry lady tomorrow. I did manage to find and neatly place all my uniforms, PT gear, socks, and everything else into my wall locker, and everything fit just about perfectly. My empty duffel bags fit neatly under my bed, and finally I was starting to see that I actually did have a floor. The room is small enough, but seemed to grow larger as I finally was able to put things away. I found that broom that my "hutmates" so kindly left for me, and swept out the room and all the dust that had gathered over the past few days. Things were now starting to feel somewhat normal...as normal as can be expected anyway.

I took a shower and felt pretty good about how things were going. I put on my uniform and rolled into work, only to find no one there. Of course, there are only so many places that everyone can be, and the Dining Facility is where I found Sandy, Capt Gerst, and MSgt Dewitt. They were finishing up, so I grabbed some food and took it back to the office and ate. I hadn't shaved in a few days, and had actually given some thought to growing a beard to help me feel more at ease with the Afghanis...or maybe my idea was for them to feel more at ease with me. After some discussion with others and some thinking of my own, I decided that it just wasn't a good idea to do it. I had mentioned it when we were in training in Kabul, and no one really said I could or couldn't do it, but I just didn't have a good feeling about it. I don't want to draw any negative attention to myself, my co-workers, or my boss. For those that don't know already, facial hair such as a beard is against Air Force regulations. While there are often exceptions based on where you are, what your job is, or what you're doing, this didn't realistically seem like one of them. Ten years ago, I might've tested the waters until someone called me out on it. I would've gone as far as I could, for as long as I could, before eventually getting into trouble. That's just not me anymore. After I ate, I immediately went to shave, and was happy I did. All it takes is for one person to say something...the wrong person to say something. I don't need that sort of trouble. Not here. Not now.

The rest of the day went by rather slowly, as will many days here I'm expecting. We found out that our ANA (Afghan National Army) guys will be gone outside the wire (sorry..."outside the wire" meaning, outside the safety of our camp and into the country that's not so "secure") for the next week, which means...no job for me. I'm here to train them, but I can't do that if they're not here. Apparently, some attempts were made to allow us to go with them for the week, but security and our safety takes priority. We'll have to wait. I was able to get on the computer and check some e-mails and update Facebook this afternoon, but even that is starting to get old. I played a game of pool with an Afghani man who works on camp. He was pretty good, and I found myself thinking that he was just another guy like me...working hard and playing hard. I watched him shoot with his dirty, worn hands, and scruffy face and wondered if us being there had made his life a little better than it might've been before. I sure hope so. He missed that particular shot and jumped up and down with a smile on his face before handing me the pool cue so I could take my turn. It's crazy to think about what else this man might've been doing at that very moment...if 9/11 hadn't happened and we - the US - hadn't come here.

At around 2030, I met up with Sandy, Capt Gerst, and MSgt Dewitt at the office and we went over to the Navy side of camp for a bonfire. It was nice to sit by a fire and relax, considering where we are and what we're all doing here. A Navy officer found some old coat hangers to use as skewers, and next thing I know there are Hershey Bars, Graham Crackers, and Marshmallows everywhere. "S'Mores anyone?" she said. I remember thinking to myself, "are you serious?" Here we are in the middle of Afghanistan, not knowing what's going to happen tomorrow, and we're making and eating S'Mores by a bonfire, and listening to AC/DC and Guns and Roses play on a laptop behind us. Can you hear the whistling at the beginning of the GnR song "Patience?" Amazing.

I ventured back to the computer room after spending an hour or so by the fire. My head was pounding already, and the bright, orange flame of the fire directly in front of me didn't help that at all. I had to go back to my room to get some Tylenol, as the pounding wouldn't subside even after I left the bonfire. I started to feel a little better, and finished off my e-mails to family and friends. The night is just about over, and now the only question is which movie I'm going to watch tonight. Superbad sounds good. I'm in the mood to laugh right now. I think that will do it. Tomorrow will be here soon, and I'm excited about that. I'm alive...living and breathing...and I can't ask for much more than that. To all my friends around the country who continue to be in harm's way, I truly hope that your experiences have started out as amazing as mine have.