FOB Lagman

Well, I've finally arrived at FOB Lagman. Like most FOBs here in Afghanistan, it's named for a fallen hero, in this case, Army Staff Sergeant Anthony S. Lagman, who was killed March 18, 2004.
To read more about SSG Lagman, and any of our other fallen heroes, check out this link:

http://www.militarycity.com/valor/263009.html

FOB Lagman is not much to look at. It's like a refugee camp with a really big landing zone for helicopters.
I've been to several places in Afghanistan in the past two weeks; Salerno, BAF, KAF, FOB Apache and now FOB Lagman. It's important to note that we have Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines living all over Afghanistan, Iraq, the Horn of Africa and other less known places. These service men and women live in a variety of conditions, from luxurious to primitive and everywhere in between.

For some of us the decision is what dining facility to choose for this meal; European, North American or local national quisine.
For some of us the decision is warm shower, or another meal in the (one) dining facility. You can't have both because hot water runs out quickly, right around chow time, so you can get one or the other.

Amazingly, a Soldier's happiness with the deployment is not dependent upon which of the two extremes he or she has for living conditions. Some are perfectly happy at the austere locations, while others are miserable in a luxurious location. The difference between happiness and misery is much more dependent upon the job, the chain of command and the working conditions. I've seen happiness and misery at both locations, and I've personally been happy at Salerno and now Lagman, because at both locations I've had a job I enjoyed and good people to work with.
DFAC named for PFC Mykel F. Miller
Killed in Action September 6, 2007


Christmas decorations at the DFAC, FOB Lagman, Afghanistan

Fireplace (fake) and hearth in the DFAC