Four and a Wake-up

Well, after the General briefing yesterday, we’re done here, except for that part about leaving, getting on a helicopter and four airplanes and making it back to the Midwest. If the number of flights were any indication of the depth of this shithole,…

When I say “done”, I mean that there’s no more work required to satisfy the contract requirements. Eye Eeee, how does one waste a few days in the middle of the high desert of eastern Afghanland? Besides wailing and ululating.


I started by sleeping in as long as I could, then showered and called the wife. Lay on the bed for a couple of hours, reading my fifth book (Political thriller, farce, two shoot ‘em’ ups, and now a murder mystery). I may delve into the local DVD collections this afternoon, and maybe a snooze on the dayroom couch. I did laundry yesterday, so I’m probably done with that for this trip.

We have one more excursion planned for tomorrow, but not a task included in the scope of work. The Polish airfield that we couldn’t get to earlier has a particular and peculiar drainage problem that I’ve been asked to take a look at while I’m here with nothing better to do. Somehow (who knows), air transportation became available, better late than never, so, although any information gathered won’t help our planning efforts, why waste the experience of a few engineers while they’re here. All they really had to do was say “helicopter ride” and, like the family dog with prospects of a car ride, I’d have my vest and helmet in hand and be headed towards the door. A chance to solve a problem is gravy.

As well, it’s an excuse to get off the FOB. The last thing I want is to be known as a Fobbit – a very derogatory term used to describe the various desk jockeys and support personnel, military or otherwise, who do whatever it takes to maintain the garrison lifestyle. I can’t see the appeal of traveling 8,000 miles just to hang around a large military base, but to others, there’s no consideration of an existence that doesn’t include a well stocked PX, hard sided DFAC, cable TV, and a Dairy Queen/Orange Julius franchise.

Might as well stay home.