Getting the Hell Into Dodge

Someone on the bus on the way to Miramar said something about getting the hell out of Dodge.  A buddy pointed out that we’re actually getting the hell into Dodge.  It seemed both funny and profound...n'est-ce pas?

That was this morning.  Now we're in the air just a few minutes outside San Diego.  Next stop Bangor, ME in about five hours, where I’ll post this.  In all we’ll apparently be flying and stopping and flying and rinsing and repeating for about 24 hours.  Fun.

First let’s get one thing out of the way.  I’ve been remiss about sending out my address even though I’ve promised it to many of you.  It is:

1STLT Me
MASS-3 (ASLT) LASHKAR GAH
UNIT 42041
FPO, AP 96427-2041

As far as what you can send, I posted on this last time here (hard to believe that was nearly two years ago now) and more recently here.  Just think about what you’d want if you were away from family and friends and your stuff and Five Guys for a while, and you’ll be on the right track (hint: brownies in wax paper do not spoil as fast as you might think).  The best part, as I’ve said before, is just getting something from home that says, out of sight but not out of mind.

Next question I get a lot is how I feel about going back.  Answer: good.  Really good.  Yes, by the time July/August rolls around I’ll be more than ready to come back.  But everything that’s bad about deployment is what makes it so good.  Ok good is the wrong word.  Makes it so meaningful, so different.  First there’s the chance to do a job that unambiguously matters.  One of my favorite quotes about the Marines is from Reagan; I’m Google-less so I’ll paraphrase: A lot of people wonder if they ever made a difference.  Marines don’t have that problem. 

Second, from personal security to personal cleanliness, all the things that I take for granted day in and day out get this richer, more fulfilling tinge to them when I get to re-experience them on returning.  The most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten, as you may recall from last time, was the first bite of a Subway sandwich at Ali al Salem in Kuwait.  I still drool at the memory.  Yes, right now.  Drooling.

Also, the things that make deployment so miserable make it so comfortable because we really are deprived of so very, very little compared to our brethren on the ground side who live in tiny FOBs, trek through the mud and dust for twelve hours every day in full battle rattle, eat MREs, shower never and consider themselves blessed just to come back there each night (or each morning) with all ten fingers and toes.  I may complain (and I will) but I try to remember how good we have it compared to them, and how good we all have it compared to Marines of previous wars.

Somehow I managed to get my soapbox into my carry-on. 

As I mentioned previously, I’ll be in Lashkar Gah this go-around.  I don’t think I shared in much detail what I’ll be doing, so I’ll continue not to here.  Here’s what I can say: the Brits and the Marines work closely together.  The Brits have a piece of the battlefield that they own, and the Marines more or less own the rest of Helmand province and some environs.  Lashkar Gah is actually inside the British area of operation (AO), and is their headquarters. 

My job will be to help anticipate, coordinate and deconflict British and Marine needs in terms of air support, fire support, etc. wherever they may impact/assist one another, and get each unit what they need when they need it.  It’ll be a fun job and I hope to make plenty of British friends, but it will probably not be terribly challenging and will leave me lots of free time to enjoy the innumerable diversions of the roughly 3-square-foot (about 1 centimeter, metric) base that will be home for the next half year.

In addition to this blog, I’ll also be writing a column every other week for the Conway Daily Sun in Conway, NH.  I believe they have a web site and I’ll post links here when they’re published.  Beyond the first one or two articles, I have no idea what I’m going to say to fill them all, so please send me ideas of things you’d want to hear about.  Or better yet, just write them for me yourself and I’ll be sure to give you credit someday.

Last question I’ve heard frequently is if/how the drawdown is affecting us.  It has, it is and it will.  We’re taking fewer Marines than originally planned, which was a huge disappointment to those who thought they were going.  I’m glad I wasn’t one of the ones cut.  Once we’re there, the Marines will continue to draw down and this will impact what we do and, most likely, where we do it.  Beyond that I can’t say because I don’t know, but once I get there and see how things have changed (and are changing) I’ll let you know more.

Time to wrap up…with some deep thoughts of course.  Mine are less about going to Afghanistan – though I suppose it hasn’t really hit me that I’m going back yet – and more about closing another chapter.  Now if any of my SD area friends read this, I haven’t said goodbye because I’ll be back in the late summer.  But because I moved out of my apartment, closed the door on another place and locked my stuff up in storage again, it felt like goodbye.  It’s likely my time in CA after I get back from deployment will be limited.  So that bummed me out.


Some moving out pics...

All packed up

I should dust more often

Piano.  Movers love me.

All I really need.  Why did I have all that other crap?

Bye...

Well normally these posts take me a few hours to put together, so naturally now that I have time to kill that took about 20 minutes.  I could keep going but there’s a movie on and even though I can’t hear it I’m far too easily distrac…oooh, shiny!

Rambostern