Latest update

4:20 PM Central Afghan Time

The last few days have kept me a little preoccupied. One of the elements in the task force to which I’m currently attached had a truck hit by an IED on the 13th, with fatalities. We held the ramp ceremony Tuesday, and the memorial service yesterday.

Meanwhile, I need to start prepping for transport to Bagram. It used to be possible to depart directly from here to go on leave, but since the Airborne unit across the road went back home, they’re not doing those flights anymore. As a result, I have to spend nearly a week at BAF getting briefings and filling out paperwork before I can hop a flight to Germany. The people at BAF are scary; they’re the headquarters element, and we’re the ones actually out in the field doing the job, and when we get back within their reach, they seem to go out of their way to make sure we don’t think we’re better than them. (Not having the chip on their shoulders to begin with would make a good start.)

When a guy is more worried about his HQ than about the rockets and mortar rounds that occasionally drop in, it says something. Just have to figure out what that might mean.

Let’s see, what else? I’m back up to Army standard for the 2-mile run. sroni got me an update on “Queen’s Gambit”; I could have hoped for more, but at least she’s still turning out copy. I wrote a letter to my son yesterday, and updated and posted it today.

I’m tired of time passing without me getting any writing done. I’m about to go start. Maybe, if I push, I can finish my current story before time to land at BAF.