5/3/2010 - Kandahar, Afghanistan

I've finally got a chance to do a little blogging.  It's 6:00am here and 8:30pm back home.  Where to start, where to start?  This place is a major metropolis of soldiers, vehicles and dusty pollution.  The dirt roads here are actually made up of a very fine talcum powder dust.  There is freaking dusty dirt everywhere.  Everything you touch and breath is dust.  I only hope my lungs and allergies will survive.

Jeff and I arrived here last Saturday after flying for many hours and being in transit for more than 30 hours.  We found very quickly, that we needed to fend for ourselves as there was not in formal in processing to get living quarters, meal badges, an introduction to the base, etc.  So, we did what comes natural.  We bitched and complained, then we started fending for ourselves and making things happen.  We share a 6 man room with 2 others, so there's only 4 in the room which is good for now.  Trust me, 4 is already cramped.  If and when the room fills to 6, I will absolutely hate it!

We had our first full day of work yesterday.  Projects and other stuff is starting to filter our way which is good.  We will start to cut our teeth on work that no one wants to do and then quickly build up to the busy work.  In the meantime, we will learn the systems, the customer, the vendors and the supporting resources to get the job done.  Days are long.  More by design than anything else.  I believe folks feel obligated to sit in the office > 12 hours a day.  Whether they are busy or not!  Kind of crazy if you ask me.  I mean if the work drives that, then o.k., but if not, why be there, just to be there?  I could back at my room, skyping, face booking, reading the news, sleeping, working out or simply being bored.  At least, I would be in control of that.

I've got a few pic's, I'll try to upload and will continue to upload as I can. 

Now on to the bad news for this location.  Jeff and I are fairly safe based on where we are located, so don't read into this more than it is.  If you follow the news, you know that this time of year over the next few months is typically when the Taliban get active.  Moving around planting their little IED's and rockets with crude delay timing devices.  This area has had three rocket attacks outside the area in the last few days.  With the upcoming buildup of military in the next few months, the attacks are projected to be more frequent.  That's if you read the news.   I'm sure there will be attempts.  However, what the news doesn't fully report is that we have troops outside the wire hunting these little f_ _ _ ers down and keeping them on the move.  And as more of our troops move into the area, it will be increasingly more difficult for the Taliban to do what they do!  I post all this to inform you, not scare you and to let you know we are safe and that yes, this is an active location.  Keep us in your thoughts, know that we are as safe as we possibly can be and that home is our destination, not Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Folks, I'll try posting some pics to FB now.  Hopefully, my connection will allow it.  If not, be on the look out, they will be there soon.

Love to all,

Rich (R2)