So this morning I woke up and was tired very tired, I guess that’s what happens when you don’t get days off and you work 13 hours everyday. I digress, woke up tired- went through my morning routine shower, shave, brush teeth, take malaria pill, go to work. I stop by the chow hall to grab a pre-packaged cereal and a carton of milk, while there I also grabbed two Cokes one for me and one for the Major. went to work to start my work morning routine. Log on both computers to start gathering news for the commanders morning brief. Up to this point it was a regular day. Started reading headlines for the news that came out over the last 12 hours, the headlines really is what began my anger, here is a list of things I have problems with from the news.
1. The security guards in Kabul did a bad thing drop it your making your county look like Homosexual fools.
2. Really there’s a war going on I didn’t know..... thanks for telling me the daily body count, how about we start a body count for something that matters LIKE... smoking kills more Americans in a month, or more people are killed by drunk drivers.. These are problems in your own face deal with then the media has power just look...
3. I'm not a democrat I didn’t vote for Obama BUT he’s the president now I have excepted that, I have no complaints. But to my point, He promised to end this war... now he’s asking for more troops... lets look at this with just a hint of logic.
He promised we would leave a year ago
Now we need to increase troops
(Assuming he has Americas interest and safety in mind)
What could have changed his mind? just think about it...
Maybe he knows something now he didn’t know before, for a democratic man like Obama to be going the Republican party for help with a troop increase... hummm
I am tired of political bull, I sit behind my desk all day and I read the news the world is reading, then I read the Press releases our people are sending out, let me tell you something that’s not a STUPID body count.
before I begin on telling some stories I forgot some things. Here are some things I didn’t even know before I came here. Afghanistan has a "now" well trained army for the 8 years we where in Iraq small groups of troops were here training a better Army, and police force. We have had an such an impact on local villages that the locals came to us to get training to defend THEMSELFS. that grew into the Afghan Public Protection Program, they are a glorified neighborhood watch they ant police or soldiers just regular civilians willing to protect their village... Ok to the stories..
a few days ago there was a large flood it affected 18,000 people and destroyed 600 homes. The Afghan Army Commandos (like a special forces unit) by themselves, without help from the UN the US of anyone else, responded to the flooded area and administered medical aid (something they had learned in the training received by Coalition forces) After getting the assessment of the area from elders the commandos, coordinated with the red cross UNAMA, world food program and other agencies to help get food and shelter to the villagers.
They did it, not the UN not the US.
This is what we are trying to build here, a government and military structure so the people oppressed by warlords, drug smugglers and Taliban can stand up against them.
Really I guess I’m sick of everyone acting like kindergarteners, this last week I have had to deal with more childish things from "Americans" than I care for. If my daughter were to act like how some of these people have. she would get a smacked bum and a time out.
for example we had embedded media for CBS and FOX coming we set them up with what they wanted one would be here and the other would be there but then like happens in life things changed and a day before they got here both ended up being at the same place at the same time. a very childish fight insued were my office, particularly my Maj. took a brunt of the stupidity it was like two children fighting over a toy complete with tantrums and name calling. and the men from CBS and FOX both are at least 35 to 45, what I thought was "Adult".
but really I’m learning a lot like... there are more stupid people in the world then I thought... dad was right "if your going to do it do it right" I have seen half a$$ work and really I’m getting sick of it. Its really not hard to stay busy and do your job unless you don’t care then you just sit on you all to fat rear and play video games.
And I think last I just want to say I am sick of hearing the following, "Oh they work me to hard, Oh I can believe I have to be here for 4 whole months, Oh I’m so tired I cant wait for my day off, Oh its to hot in the building, Oh why cant I have... why cant I..." I might just rip peoples heads off most of the people I hear saying things like this don’t have a real job anyway like the guy who’s job it is to STAND at the end of the salad bar to tell the Afghans what to bring out, that’s it... that’s all he does, stands there and says "hay go get more lettuce". Just so you know this is not a complaint it is fact and I deal with it. I work 13- 15 hour days every day, on Sundays I get a break (I get to sleep in until 7:30 instead of waking up at 5:30). I don’t get days off, I sit in a hot office all day behind a desk for six months. That’s my current situation so I deal with it.
this has gone on for a very long time but I just thought of one more thing RACIAL Slurs, every war has one but I hear it all the time and it really make me angry, the Taliban tell the people we are rude and we don’t care about them, then the fact is reaffirmed in their minds as ignorant people call the locals to their face, and mind you these are locals that work on the base. I got so mad one day I walked by an African American soldier who was calling a man who's job it is to wash laundry, yes we have locals who will wash dry and fold your laundry. anyway this soldier is calling this nice old man in a very rude tone the racial term. I stopped walked back to him and said you need to just shut your mouth N*****." after he put his jaw back in I said " if you don’t like racial terms don’t use them on others, if you use one they all become expectable." I know but I really have issues with double standards... but I’ll save that for a different blog.
This is the camp lawn mower. we had another one but the kabab master cooked him up.
that a view of the village from my window throught a scope.
this is what passes for milk here, if you look at the top of the box you see two sets of numbers the one that says 210410 thats the exp date April 21 2010 yep and i took this photo Aug 21 2009
To make it better heres a side view... its 1% milk
this is a can of coke yeah it had the cool 50s-60s tab tops...
I really like how they mesure the "energy" in kilocalories... thats Awesome. whats even better you ask some drinks "energy" are mesured in kilojoules.... yeah look that on up...