Kickin back in the dirt capitol of the world

It’s been another interesting week. I’m currently hanging out at a dusty base out in the Helmand called FOB Dwyer. Somebody had to go home on emergency leave and we’re already short from everyone going on R&R so I came down to cover for a few days but I just got word that I’m here for the next week or so. I’m enjoying it though; it reminds me a lot of what Kandahar used to be like before it got all huge. One of the big things is that the base is located out in the absolute middle of nowhere so there is virtually zero light pollution except for a few light carts scattered around the base.

I stepped outside with the sat phone to make some calls at about 0300 this morning and I looked up and saw a million stars tinkling in the sky. It’s been awhile since I’ve been somewhere and been able to see that, it never gets old. I started trying to remember the last time I really saw stars and I think it was on my last R&R in September when I went camping. That got me all excited about my up and coming R&R.

I always get myself all worked up about all the awesome stuff I wanna do but I always end up doing something totally different or going someplace I hadn’t planned on. It’s all fun though but this time I’m gonna embrace that a bit more and not make any plans other than making it to a movie theater a few times (long story) and getting some medical stuff done. And I’m definitely coming up to the lake and spending some quality time on the water, and maybe even climb a tree or two.

As for life here, it goes on. We recently completed an airlift of about 500 guys from mostly India and Kenya. They flew them into one base with a runway and we loaded them up on our choppers from there and hauled them to this base. Talk about a mind-trip for these guys, straight from India to a super busy airbase in Afghanistan, then herded through an assembly-line process with hundreds of other guys, issued flak-jackets and Kevlar helmets, and then tossed on one of the noisiest choppers out there with grumpy ol’ me babysitting.

It was kind of a grueling process; back and forth back and forth back and forth all day long but it did have its highlights. From altitude, blowing dust looks a lot like fog and in the pre-dawn light, the river valley looked absolutely enchanting. Like Arabian Nights meets a Scottish moor...HA! I just made an ethnic pun.

Another moment was my supervisor Larry being his hilariously charming self and mooning me in the chopper as we took off.



Notice the two Russian guys laughing and the huddled mass of confused Indian guys holding onto their luggage to keep it from blowing away as the chopper takes off. With the engines roaring and the rotor-wash blowing stuff everywhere, it's a crazy chaotic environment. I wonder what's going through their heads as they see Larry..."WTF did I just sign up for? What is this white guy doing? Should I be doing that? Is my refrigerator walking?....."