DAY 44 / JAN 12

DAY 44 / JAN 12

            Still no action on the FOB, and that's a good thing.  It's now been one week since the last mortars fell here, and I hope that its many more before they fall again.  My theory on the lack of action is that the insurgents don't like going out in the mud and rain any more than we do.   The sand is more like a thin dust and when it gets wet it turns to a very thick, very deep mud.  It gets on everything and makes moving rough.   If you're not careful where you walk, you sink it up to or past your ankle and even in boots, that's not good.  So, the bad guys are running around in tennis shoes or sandals and if they were to try and mortar us in the mud, they would most likely be killed by counter fire because of their inability to get out of the area in a hurry.   So, they don't attack when the mud is thick.  That's my theory.

            The day was uneventful, just handling the usual maintenance and supply issues.   I sent another troop to the meeting this morning (I figure if I go to more than half and to the ones where I have to say anything, I'm good).  Its good for him, someday, he'll take my place.  

            It gets harder and harder to keep a daily track of what's going on because it seems like I could almost cut and paste from the days prior and not miss anything.

            So, I started to keep a little log of what I could write about and I'll insert those into these as I go along.

            Like for instance – blogs.  Before we left the PAO (Public Affairs Office) came and did this big presentation on how blogs are bad for OPSEC and that, while its ok to have a blog, Soldiers and their superiors need to be sure that nothing OPSEC related is being put on the blog.   Now, we're here, supposed to be checking our Soldiers' blogs for OPSEC violations so we can take care of it at the company level first – before it gets too far out of hand.   But, what do they go and do – they block all the blog related pages.  How can I check a Soldier's blog if I can't go see it.  Maybe they think that by blocking the website, a Soldier can't blog and they eliminate the whole issue.   But its not that simple – as I'm clearly demonstrating.  While I cannot go SEE my blog, nothing prevents me posting to it via email (which I do, obviously).   So, it's a curious situation the Army puts on its leadership – how do we monitor something we can't see?  I guess I'll have to try and track down an answer to that.

           

            Everyday someone asks me if I'm going to stay in or get out.   Well, nearly everyday, and I tell them the same thing, every time – I'm taking it on a day-by-day basis.  On one hand, the Army pays decent, provides plenty of food, clothes, house, etc and takes care of my family relatively well.   On the other hand, I'm here, far from home, NOT taking care of my family and forcing the to fend for themselves.  So, it's a tough call as to whether or not I'll stay in, some days its this and others its that.   If I had a little scale, it would bounce between 40-60 on a regular basis (50 being completely undecided, 0 being "not a chance in hell").  I think, until that moment comes where I have to decide, I'll remain undecided – but I'll lean this way and that.

            If I could guarantee my family the same lifestyle they live now working somewhere else, I would take it.  But, saying that, I think that indicates a lean to not staying in.   Because it's not about money, but family, and if that's true, then the separation from family isn't worth the money. Hmmm… points to ponder.