Wrapping up

Last Sunday, my replacement made it in after several agonizing (for me) delays, and on Monday we began doing turnover.  That was a day I've been looking forward to for a long time.

Doing turnover, I realized two things.  First, we actually got some good things done out here.  You can lose sight of it in the daily grind but turnover makes you look at where you started and where you are now, and we'll definitely leave the place better and more secure than we found it.  So that's something.

Second and related, I realized I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to build an AT/FP program from almost nothing.  It was definitely a beast, especially the first few months, but it gave us the chance to design things the way we thought they should be.  That was a good experience, and a rewarding one.

That said, I'm pretty stoked to be turning the whole damn thing over to my replacement.  The last few days I've been showing him around, answering a lot of questions, etc.  Then late last night after I'd wrapped up the last few things I had to do, I drove down to the flight line, parked the truck and smoked a cigar I'd bought for just this purpose when I first got on deck.  I'd been tempted to smoke that stogie many times - and eat the bar of white chocolate Toblerone I'd also bought the day Gunny D and I discovered the Shangri-La of the Danish PX - but I'd held off until I was truly done.  It was nice to relax and reflect a little with the outbound rotors and inbound heavies providing the background noise.

(I know what you're thinking - white chocolate with a cigar?  That's what I thought - they'd kind of ruin each other - but they actually went GREAT together.  Each one brought out the flavor of the other.  Try it some time if you don't believe me.)

Anyway, now we've just got one timeless Marine Corps tradition left - the Hurry Up and Wait.  Some time soon (a few hours? a few days?) we'll say goodbye to Afghanistan and before the week is out I should be back home.  In the timeless words of the Beastie Boys: it'sabouttimeit'sabouttimeit'sabouttimeit'saboutti-ime.

Best memories from deployment:

• Working with the SRT – I’ve written about this previously.  Those Marines and our compound security Marines exceeded my expectations, and everyone who worked with them commented on their professionalism, their seeming inability to get complacent, and the high standard they set for the rest of the base.  BZ to them.
   
• Going out on patrol.  Sure, it was just a few clicks outside the wire but it was great to meet some locals, have some tea, talk to them and see how they live.  These last two informed my opinion of the war, the country and the future more than all the reading and studying I ever did. 
   
• Flying around the AO.  Flying anywhere on helos is fun.  Seeing the AO (area of operations) from the air was memorable, as was spending time on the deck at some of the smaller FOBs.  Wish I could have done more of this.
   
• Spending time in the DASC.  It’s not the most glamorous MOS but you have a complete, real-time view of the war: every TIC (troops in contact), every casevac, every call for fire, every everything.  And of course you’re not just an observer; you’re the one getting the medevac bird to the patient or diverting aircraft to support an immediate air request.  Also, the nature of the job scratches a certain itch for me.  If you’re familiar with the traveling salesman problem, the DASC is kind of like that, only in 3D, at 300 knots and with real bombs and bullets.  There’s a certain pressure in there that focuses your mind, and I like that.
   
• Softball on gravel. 
   
• Vacations at KAF
   
• Lighting Hanukkah candles with my fellow MOTs.  You may think the IDF is the spiritual descendant of the Macabees, but as far as I’m concerned it’s the Jewish warriors of the Marine Corps.

Things I’ll miss about Afghanistan:

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Well I think that covers it.  Next post: Manas.  Yeah baby!

Making friends

Winning hearts and minds