Routine

The assignment itself isn’t particularly routine, but that doesn’t mean that routines can’t develop while on assignment. Sure, it’s only been a couple of days in country, but I’m starting to see a trend. My day starts somewhat groggily at 0400 every morning to process mail on the Boardwalk. There’s some free WiFi here, but it slows markedly once more than a half dozen guys get on it, so arrival very early assures a tolerable speed for an hour or so. If I’m lucky, none of the users will be processing big files or video Skyping. At that point, I just quit trying and start working on these screeds in Word. There’s good coffee on the Boardwalk, and horrific coffee in the DFAC. I really didn’t want to start buying my bean water, but it may become part of my routine. That, or give it up – fat chance.



The DFAC’s don’t start serving until 0600, but our driver won’t pick us up until 0830, so that block of time still needs some fleshing out. Breakfast sometime, perhaps with some of the crew, then maybe read a while until the Hemmingway collection runs out (it won’t last five weeks, I’m sure). Get ready for work.

Our assigned office space is a conference room a few kilometers south of where we sleep, on the edge of camp, but facing the expansion areas. It’s a stick constructed single story box, with plywood sheeting in and out, one by fours covering the joints and serving as the primary trim shape. I doubt it took Red Horse (they’re like SeaBees for the Air Force) more than a couple of days to build it. It’s their space, though, and we’re Army Contractors, so we use it at their pleasure, and pack up and out as required.

Our driver is actually a USACE project manager with other stuff to do besides carpooling us around Afghanistan, so I think he’s about to cease taking us to lunch. As such, we’ll need to walk about a mile to the nearest DFAC, a series of wood floored, arched tents that serve the same fare as the other more permanent looking DFACs around the camp, only colder.

Work, meeting, discussion, presentation. Repeat until departure. How much more routine can you get?

Get kicked out of the conference room before 1700. Team meeting at 1800. Chow. Work. Sleep.

As of today, we seem to be working 10’s and 12’s, leaving five or six hours a day for whatever. Chow is a part of it, but at crowded times, it’s considered good form to give up your bench when you’re done eating. We’ve hit most of the PX’s already, so there’s no point in going back. We rotate between the various DFAC’s for fun, but that won’t last. There’s only so many miles you can walk in a day. I’d expect some boredom to strike soon, but am hoping that the work picks up instead. We’ll see.