20060426

15 Days and Back in the Saddle

I arrived back to Tarin Kowt from R&R a couple of days ago. R&R was over too soon however the timing was great because I was able to be home for Easter. What did I do? I took my family to the St. Louis Zoo, visited the family ranch a couple of times, ate out way too much, went to an Easter Egg hunt, played games, went to the park, took my oldest to see the movie "Ice Age 2", put in a few Kali Silat workouts and watched my boys do their karate classes at the Jefferson City Martial Arts Academy, had lunch with a few friends, and I pretty much did everything on the "honey do" list.

It was tough saying good bye again. It was a good thing I was the only one on the MO-X shuttle. It took many miles on the way to St. Louis to regain my composure. The flight back was uneventful. I experienced no delays on any of the stops on the way back and I soon found myself walking out of the back of a C-130 onto the airstrip at Tarin Kowt. I stepped onto the airstrip, looked around, and couldn't believe that I was back.

It is amazing what can change in twenty one days (I was home for fifteen days but it took six days to travel). My job has changed and I am being reassigned within Afghanistan. A Coalition Officer came in the day after I left for R&R to take over my primary duty as the Information Operations Officer. He is doing a good job which frees me up to tie up loose ends with my other duties as the Information Management Officer (otherwise known as the S6, the computer/network guy) and as a Field Ordering Officer (contracts, pay agents, and money).

I am not the only one being reassigned. Many of us are being shuffled around the country due to changes of command authorities and rotations of personnel in and out of the country. I know where I will be going next but I can't discuss yet. I will still be doing Information Operations but it will be in a pretty unique command.

When I got back I got updates from everyone on what had been going on. I retired to my quarters, unpacked, and grabbed some rest. I am back in the saddle.

CIAO'
CPT NightHawk

20060402

R&R

I am composing this post while waiting for a flight to get back to CONUS (Continental US) at an airbase in Kuwait. I am going on R&R (Rest and Recuperation) leave. I wanted to go later in the month but my boss says that since I will be in Bagram for a conference (the second one in less than a month!!) I might as well take my leave as soon as the conference is over.

I didn't realize how busy I was and how much stress I was under until I boarded the bird to Kuwait. I felt like "wow, I have nothing to do, no report to write, no tasking to complete, no mission to go on, no e-mail to answer." During the conference I was still taking care of business for the PRT. I had a day between the end of the conference and when I was to report to the flightline and I was still taking care of business. It was like I couldn't let go. Now I am one of many minions waiting to get our collective butts home.

My bride says that she has a "honeydo" list which is fine. I didn't expect to be a total slug when I got home. There are a few things I want to do (besides the obvious quality time with bride and sons), like getting a Borgia with a greek salad piled with lamb gyro at the Coffee Zone, getting a goat cheese salad at the Cafe Via Roma with the coffee of the day, and putting in a Kali Silat session at the Jefferson City Martial Arts Academy (they recently moved the dojo to better digs). After that, I am at my brides service.

We may go on a little trip, we will have to play that by ear. I am really looking forward to this break. Quoting my commander, I am getting "some well deserved R&R".

CIAO'
CPT NightHawk