Richard's Deployment to Afghanistan

Everyone Hates BAF

2010-06-24T23:39:00.003+04:30

In my total of 18 months in Afghanistan I have learned one universal truth: Everyone Hates BAF.
Why, you may ask, does everyone hate BAF?
I have pondered this question and come up with the following three answers:

One reason people hate BAF is because most Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen or Marines experience BAF as a transient, and BAF is a terrible place for transients. As a transient you are tired, hungry and unsettled and the facilities at BAF are not well suited to caring for transients. The passenger terminal is small and overcrowded. The USO is small and overcrowded. The dining facilities are far away. If all you see of BAF is the passenger terminal as a transient you will not be impressed.

Another reason most people hate BAF is because BAF is overcrowded. BAF has grown in size since I left in 2008, but it's population has outpaced that growth. Take a walk or drive down Disney Drive and you will know that BAF is overcrowded. Barracks, dining facilities and offices have sprouted like weeds, but they just can't keep up, and that was before the Surge. No one likes living and working on a crowded FOB.

But the main reason people hate BAF is because they think BAF is too far from the action, it's not a place to fight the "real" war. While the first two reasons are undoubtedly true, this last reason is certainly not. For security reasons I can't talk about all the things that are done here at BAF, so I won't talk about any of them, but suffice to say that there are many activities here at BAF that are critical to the war effort. I have found my time here at BAF to be more rewarding than I thought possible. During my first tour in Afghanistan I avoided BAF as much as possible (for the first two reasons above) but during this tour I've seen the variety of important missions based out of BAF. I've met Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who are doing great things. Without BAF, or somewhere like it, nothing else could happen happen.

Do you have your own BAF story? Whatever your opinion, I'd love to hear YOUR story of BAF.

Phillips, out.

Battalion among hardest hit in Afghan war

2010-05-31T13:04:00.003+04:30

Hello faithful readers and friends.

This is a great article. And I've heard this statement many time, from many different Soldiers:

"I feel like when we're back, I'm going to want to be over here and I don't know why," Cortese said. "It will be hard to watch the news and not be here."

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2010/05/30/battalion_among_hardest_hit_in_afghan_war/?page=1

May God bless our Soldier, Sailors, Airmen and Marines and their families.

Phillips, out.

A Crazy Day at Kabul International Airport

2010-05-17T14:58:00.007+04:30

Today was a crazy day at Kabul International Airport.

I flew on a commercial flight departing from Kabul International today on a rare trip out of

Afghanistan.

We loaded the bus and headed to our plane. As we pulled up to the Safi Airways plane the motorized stairs pulled away from the plane we were heading toward and drove away! The bus followed the stairs, and then the plane was pulled away by a tug. Soon the stairs, the bus and the plane were following each other around the taxiway in a merry parade. Finally, the plane stopped, the stairs pulled up and the bus unloaded the passengers and we filed on to the plane as if nothing had happened. I can't remember ever seeing anything like it at an airport in all my travels.

On the plus side, the Kabul airport functions quite normally (in most respects) and appeared safe as we made our way through security, to our gate and onto our plane.

I did enjoy the views of old, but still functional, Soviet aircraft on the airfield.

Now I am in Amman, Jordan on business. It's my first time in Jordan so I will take lots of pictures and let you know how it goes. Of course, I won't have much time off since I'm here on business, but I will squeeze in some time to relax and tour. :-)

Until my next post,

Phillips, out.

Life on base

2010-05-04T20:26:00.002+04:30

THE END OF AN ERA

Well, 1 May has come and gone and all the local vendor shops are CLOSED!
And Subway, Popeyes, Burger King and Pizza Hut are CLOSED!
At least here on BAF. I don't know what is happening on other FOBs but this mostly affects BAF, Kandahar and Salerno.

The lines at the dining facilities are longer, but Soldiers are probably already saving money and losing fat. Personally, I tried to avoid the fast food places anyway and it has helped me with both; saving money and losing weight. :-)

I was not consulted on this decision (I'm not consulted on any, really) but it seems like a good thing. Less amenities makes more room for more Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to do the work. And we definitely need more room, at least here on BAF!

Thankfully, they did not cut to the bone. We still have the PX, and the internet provider and Green Beans Coffee (a local coffee shop in the deployed areas, I sure wish I had thought of the idea).

Life on this deployment is different for me. I'm dealing with issues at a higher level. I'm more removed from the action but I'm learning a lot and I'm busy every day. But for me, I'd rather be closer to the action. Maybe on my next tour...

Well, my posts are shorter, and not really very deep. But hopefully they shed some light on life in Afghanistan. I really miss home, and my family, but I like being here and being part of this mission.

Thanks for all you do to support the troops. I see it every day, at the USO, at the chapel and in individual units. Keep up the good work!

Phillips, out.

More Photos

2010-04-28T03:24:00.003+04:30

I know everyone likes the pictures, so I post them as soon as I can.

Here is a group photo of the Soldiers in our Medical Brigade Headquarters. We chose this spot for the picture because of the mountains in the background.

And here is a photo of our "Command Group", those of us who work closely with the Brigade Commander and Brigade Command Sergeant Major every day. Notice the American flag in the picture; it was a windy day! The Soldier holding the Brigade Colors almost got blown over a few times. We held a ceremony to award the 62d Medical Brigade "combat patch" to our Soldiers (and Airmen, notice the USAF SSgt in our group) deployed with us on this tour.

Enjoy the pictures. I will post more as I can.

Phillips, out.

Photos

2010-04-25T08:30:00.005+04:30

Here are some of the pictures I promised! Thanks to my assistant editor, Joyce. :-)
And my consultant, Rejenia.

Here is a picture of the warren of B-Huts near my office. If you look closely down the middle you will see b-huts stretching off into the distance. B-Huts are high class living here, but they are really just crowded plywood shacks.

Here is a view of the mountains in the distance (notice the b-huts in the near foreground). Bagram Airbase sits at approximately 5000 feet above sea level, the mountains in the distance reach to over 20,000 feet above sea level.

Here is another view of b-huts on the way from my hootch to my office. The white building in the distance is an MWR for one of the sub-camps within BAF.

Overall our quality of life here is good. We are overcrowded, hot and dusty but there are many others living without some of the comforts we take for advantage.

Personally, I'm working on being content; with my living conditions, my job, and my current situation. I thankful for what I have and I realize what I can do without.

Until next time, keep praying for out Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines in harms way.

Phillips, out.

Dirt Roads and Potholes

2010-04-21T23:20:00.002+04:30

It's been raining alot lately here at Bagram Airbase (BAF). I guess the initials are BAF because it was originally Bagram Air Field, but as it grew and grew and grew it became Bagram Airbase.

That's funny, because this post is all about how bad the roads are here at BAF. We've been here 9 years and the roads are terrible! Well, actually the road, singular. There's really only one paved road with a few side streets and branches. Otherwise, we walk or drive on gravel or dirt roads. And when it rains, the gravel roads fill with giant puddles and the dirt roads turn to....mud, of course. Walking to work today (I live one mile from where I work) I was circumnavigating puddles the size of hot tubs and attempting to find the narrow dry path down a muddy road when I remembered a tour I took in Seattle before I deployed. The guide described the early years of Seattle, when the roads were dirt and the houses were were wood and just navigating across the street was an adventure for the average person. Of course, it does rain occasionally in Seattle so those dirt roads must have frequently been a muddy mess. In many ways BAF is like a frontier town in the US 150 years ago. I wonder what a new arrival from New York or Philadelphia or Boston thought about Seattle in 1869? It was probably similar to what most of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines think when they arrive at BAF in the middle of the night after a long journey: "What a dump! What have I gotten myself in to now?".

I still don't have any pictures, but I think I've broken the code on that. Thanks to the advice of a friend I think I will have pictures up on the blog sooner rather than later! Yea! Thanks, Rejenia. :-)

And to Scratch, who asked about the American flags we wear on our uniforms; we wear Reverse American Flags so that when we are marching forward, and viewed from our right side, the flags appears to be waving in the wind. I'm not a general so I can't say who came up with that idea. The US Army is the only service that wears the flag in such a manner, I think. I'm sure it does look nice in a parade, but it looks awkward otherwise.

Well, it's time for bed amid the noise of the flightline just a hundred meters or so from my room. And if it rains tonight I will be back on the obstacle course again tomorrow, threading my way through the rocks and puddles to get to work.

Until later.

Phillips, out.

Sights and Sounds of Bagram Airbase

2010-04-14T23:55:00.004+04:30

The sound of Bagram is jet noise, 24/7. All manner of aircraft come and go, all day and all night. There are many other sounds, but they are all routinely drowned out by the sound of jet engines. Sometimes even conversation between two people standing side by side is impossible for a few moments.

The sights are quite varied; US Soldiers, Sailor, Airmen and Marines from around the world, Soldiers from many other nations and all manner of armored vehicles, various SUV and too many Toyota pickup trucks to count. And in the distance, mountains towering over 20,000 feet. Some of the streets are paved, some are gravel and some are just packed dirt. The "buildings" range from tents to containerized buildings to "B" huts to "brick and mortar" structures. An indoor, porcelain toilet is still a luxury. Most residents of Bagram live in a tent (with about 100 of their closest friends) or in one of our infamous "B" huts, which is basically a wooden shack housing from 4 to 8 persons.

Unfortunately, my internet is too darn slow to upload many pictures yet, so these will have to do for now. I take pictures throughout each week to show how we live here. As I travel I will provide insight into some of the other FOBs (forward operating base) and the living conditions of my fellow service men and women.

This picture is the view from "main street". Afghanistan is a beautiful country.

This is a picture taken on Easter Sunday Morning at our service at the "clamshell" a big tent where we usually go for MWR events. On Easter Sunday morning it also served as our church to
accommodate the large crowd.

Well, it's almost 1am so I should get some sleep and be ready for another busy day.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying for our deployed troops.

Out here.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T19:10:00.002+04:30

Happy Easter from Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan!

I'm back. Back in Afghanistan and back on the blog. I hope I can use this to keep in touch with my friends and family and let them know how I am doing, and how all our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are doing here in Afghanistan.

My "home" this time is Bagram Air Base, a huge, dusty and crowded base north of Kabul.

Here are a few pictures of my new "home".

INSERT PICTURE HERE

Well, uploading pictures is not going well tonight. I will try again in the middle of the night when there is more bandwidth available (at least that's what my friends in communications tell me. bandwidth must be affected by daylight.)

That is one of the frustrating things about being here, good internet is hard to come by. You would think that after 8 years here in Afghanistan we would at least have good internet at all the bases, or at least all the large bases. But no, I pay an high price to an Indian company for mediocre internet. :-(

I will try to not complain too much. Many of our forces here live in much more austere conditions than we do here at BAF. Living in a tent is still the norm; it is rare to live in a regular building. One step up from a tent is a containerized housing unit (CHU) and at the top of the housing food chain is Afghanistan is a concrete building.

Well, at least for now I can tell you that I am back in Afghanistan and back on the blog. As before, I will try to let you see Afghanistan through my eyes. I will shy away from politics as much as I can, and of course I will always keep operational security in mind when I post.

To my friends and family and readers, I thank you for your support and prayers.

Phillips, out.

2009-12-04T08:06:00.002+04:30

Well, the President has spoken and the wheels are in motion. It is hard to conceive the ripple effect from that one speech, or more appropriately the decision that came before the speech. I never knew how the process worked, how many signatures and recommendations and concurrences are required before a deployment order is finally signed. And I guess it's only right, considering the ramifications each deployment order has on Army, Navy and Air Force families around the world.

I'm sure you have all read opinions about the President's speech and the strategy he articulated. Each Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine has his or her own opinion, as do their families. I think the debate is an example of the great strength of our nation.

For me, I choose to leave policy debate to others while I prepare to do my best on my assigned mission. And after eight years of war I appreciate more than ever those who continue to support our Armed Forces. Organizations like the USO, American Red Cross, USAcares.org, soldiersangels.org, yellowribbongirls.com and many more (you can find links for some of them at http://troopsupport.com ) provide tangible support to deployed troops and the families of those troops. I have been blessed to meet many of the people behind these organizations and to see their support first hand in the airports, on FOBs in Kuwiat, Iraq and Afghanistan and in hospitals in Theater and around the world. Whether you want to support single Soldiers, families, wounded warriors, Sailors at sea, Airmen at a remote base or veterans there is an organization for you!

As we enjoy the holidays with our familes we should all keep in mind the Marines the President has ordered to Afghanistan before Christmas. It is always hard dealing with deployments over the holidays.

Merry Christmas to all!

Back to Afghanistan!

2009-11-16T07:06:00.007+04:30

Well, it looks like I will finally get my wish.
The 62d Medical Brigade is heading to Afghanistan next Spring, so I should be back before my next birthday. :-)

Like every other Soldier and family member, I'm anxiously awaiting the President's decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan. Unlike many, I'm okay with him taking his time with this decision. This is one he needs to get right!

I can't imagine what I will blog about on this deployment since I will be in a staff job with little or no time "outside the wire". But maybe I will be surprised. Maybe I'll see new things from a different level that will be interesting in their own way. I guess we shall see.

No matter what I blog about, and no matter where I work, I know I will spend every day working to ensure our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines receive excellent healthcare. When we ask them to go into harms way we owe them the best care available, both in Theater and back home.

I think my next post will be about our "road to war", the training we are doing and have done to prepare us for our deployment.

Until then, Adieu.

It's all in the Family

2009-05-24T03:32:00.003+04:30

Today LTC and Joyce's son Jeremy graduated from West Point.

Congratulations ! ! !

A photographer posted this on the site for pictures of the day.

Is Dad holding the diploma?

I am going to be in so much trouble, but it won't be the first time. Hopefully someone will be inspired to post more about the experience.

Stress in the Army Today

2009-02-07T04:28:00.004+04:30

The headlines about the Army are alarming these days. Wherever you look there are stories about the high suicide rate in the Army. Google "Army suicide rates" and you will get lots and lots of hits. I think last month we lost more Soldiers to suicide than combat. That statistic alone will cause you to stop in your tracks.

Here at Fort Lewis we've had a few and it's gotten everyone's attention. Personally, I think it's an indication of the pace of operations and deployments, coupled with the pace of life in our cell phone, internet, ipod, blackberry world. People talk more but communicate less; families are more connected, but have less in common. Isolation leads to stress, and stress leads to depression, and depression can lead to dispair. No one likes dispair.

In the past four months I've been honored to welcome home six different units after 15-month deployments to Iraq. When each unit comes home we welcome them at the airport then hold a welcome home ceremony at a gym on post. We do this for every unit, no matter how big or small, no matter the time of day or night. And every time I attend one of these ceremonies I see the same thing; the families show up hours earlier than they need to and wait patiently (sometimes!) for their Soldiers to show up. Mothers and fathers, wives, husbands and children all come out, no matter how late or early it is, no matter how long they have to wait on hard bleachers in an old gym. When the Soldiers finally arrive, after days of Army "hurry up and wait" and after a series of long flights from Kuwait, they march in, tall and proud. They endure speeches and prayers and congratulations while separated by only ten feet from the ones they love. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, they are released and reunited with their families. And then the tears flow.

I am always amazed at the sight of families reuniting with Soldiers after a deployment. Before the ceremony I take time to meet family members and get their stories; at the airport I take time to meet Soldiers and get their stories. Then I watch these families reunite, and laugh and cry and hug and talk all at the same time. It inspires me to see what they can endure, and it breaks my heart to know how much they are asked to endure. The stress cuts across all lines; rank and age and gender and ethnicity. It shows up in some you would never expect, and in ways you would not expect.

And the sad part is that the effects of the stress do not show up immediately. Sometimes it takes weeks or even months for the effects of the stress to have an impact.

Dreams get Soldiers through a tough deployment. Dreams of a happy reunion with a beautiful wife or handsome husband and wonderful children. Dreams of a new car or motorcycle and driving across country with the wind in your hair. Dreams of the rest of your life to live, safe and whole, when others were killed or wounded.
Dreams get family members through a long separation. Dreams of their Soldier returning safe and unharmed. Dreams of a family reunited. Dreams of a shared life and shared responsibilities. Dreams of sleep free of fear.

But these same dreams, these dreams that give us strength to go on every day, sow the seeds of disappointment once we are reunited. No dream can survive the light of day.
Money is tight, so there's no new car or motorcycle. You're glad you survived, but you mourn those who did not and feel guilty for your good fortune.
Your Soldier is home, but changed after long months in combat. Your family is back together, but not whole. You sleep, but your Soldiers can't.

And whatever problems you had before a deployment are still there when you return, waiting for the most inconvenient time to resurface.

When the dreams give way to reality, and the dream fails to materialize, that's when things get hard. I would love to hear your stories of reunion and reintegration. I'll be sure to share more of mine in a future post.

I could talk all day about the stress of deployments, and the stress of homecoming, but suffice to stay that this stress, multiplied over several deployments, can bring someone to the point of depression and dispair. The Army invests a great deal of time and money and effort to identify and treat this stress, but it's like predicting an earthquake. We all know they will hit, but predicting when and where is still an inexact science at best.

I truly love my job, and I am honored to serve. Watching the reunion of Soldiers and families brings tears of joy to my eyes, but it breaks my heart when I think of all they have to go through to reintegrate and reconnect and rebuild their lives together. And yet, knowing what I know, I would still deploy again in a heartbeat. And my wife would still wait for me. At least that's my dream.

Until next time,

Phillips, out.

Back in the saddle again

2009-01-12T08:20:00.002+04:30

No, I'm not heading back to Afghanistan, at least not yet.
That's the saddle I'd like to be back in, but fate has not been kind to me. I'm still stuck here at Fort Lewis, WA. Not a bad place to be stuck, but it's not Afghanistan.

I know it's been a long time since I posted, but I've been dealing with bouts of depression since my return and it's hard to post when everything looks black. I've been doing some reading and it seems that depression is not uncommon among veterans. I know that may not surprise some of you, and I've heard the same thing many times, but I was surprised when it happened to me. I've got everything in the world going for me; I'm not supposed to get depressed. But here I am.
Fortunately, there is help, from the VA and lots of other places. For all the bad press the VA gets, they actually have a great website and lots of great programs for returning veterans. Check out http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/

When I returned from Afghanistan I decided to keep blogging to add one more voice to the blogosphere that told the real story about Soldiers; how they feel about the war, the country and life in general. I'd still like to do that, even if my focus shifts to include returning war veterans and their struggles to reintegrate and "get on with life". That's what I've been told to do many times in the past 9 months, but I've found it hard to do.

I often think about the final scene in Rambo, First Blood. The scene I'm thinking of is when Rambo is approached by COL Trautman in the sheriff's office, after shooting the sheriff and nearly destroying the town. He gives this long speech about how much he misses his friends from Vietnam and how hard it is to fit back in to "normal" society after all he has seen and done in the war. I always thought this scene was overly dramatic and played heavily on the stereotype of the "mentally unstable Vietnam veteran". But now I don't feel that way about this scene anymore.

If you don't remember the scene, I'm sure you can find it at www.youtube.com

I've never seen heavy combat and never killed anyone, but I've seen the cost of war up close, the cost in lives and property. And I know lots of Soldiers who struggle to deal with what they've seen and experienced while deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Everyone who deploys, whether it's for 90 days or 15 months, experiences disruptions in their family life and experiences the stress of combat. Some of them come home with PTSD, and some of them come home just missing the excitement and camaradarie of the deployment. It can be even harder on our Reserve and National Guard Soldiers who go from civilian life to combat, then back to civilian life all within a relatively short time period. And while Active Duty Soldiers are surrounded by the military, and other Soldiers who share and understand their deployment experiences, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers are often surrounded by well meaning friends, family and coworkers who do not understand these experiences.

I can't tell you how many times people have said "You must be glad to be home", and then wondered why I paused, considering my response. It's tough to explain that, while I am glad to be home with my wife and children and my friends, I miss the sense of meaning and purpose that you find in combat. It's tough to explain how much you miss a place where you have little free time or privacy, where you are in constant danger. But many of us do miss it.

I once flew with a friend, a Vietnam veteran helicopter pilot, who told me he never got over the thrill of flying in combat. He told me this in 2000, over 30 years after his service in Vietnam before 9-11, before I deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and I did not understand his comment. Now, after two deployments, I understand it very well.

I did not intend for this to be a pity party for me, but it's easier for me to talk about these issues in terms of my first hand experiences, not what I've heard or read but what I know.

And there are blessings that come from being back here at home. Soon after I redeployed I was able to work with an Iraqi family I met during my deployment to Iraq in 2003/2004. They were in the process of immigrating to the US under a program established to allow Iraqi and Afghani interpreters who worked for us in those countries to immigrate to the US. My friends were stuck in Canada and frustrated with the INS bureaucracy. I was able to work with them and the US consulate in Montreal and the Department of Homeland Security and now they are living in San Antonio, Texas. My friends and family in Texas have helped them get settled and they are starting a new life in a new country. I'm glad I could be part of that. It's something I could not have done from Afghanistan, so I guess I can be useful to someone, even here in the US.
If your interested you should check out this website: http://www.cponefoundation.org/

I'll have to add some pictures in my next blog. I know blogs are much better with pictures. That's another hard thing about blogging here in the US, there are just no interesting pictures to post! But I'll get some pictures of my Iraqi friends or stryker vehicles here at Fort Lewis to add some color to my blog.

And I've got to decide what to do with my blog. I can't keep posting randomly, I need to post regularly or not at all. I'll get my act together and post more regularly.

One of my favorite movies is Holiday Inn, a 1942 movie starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034862/

If you've never seen it you should pick up a copy at your local video store, in the classics section. I'm thinking about using that idea for my blog, which would at least keep me on track for blogging once a month or so.

Thank you for reading this blog and thank you for supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

Phillips, out.

I Belong on the Front Line!

2008-09-04T03:40:00.002+04:30

I found this article interesting.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/royals/article1621770.ece

Even Prince Harry says he belongs on the front line of the war on terror. Here's someone with the best of everything at home, and everything in the world to live for, but he still expresses a desire to go back to Afghanistan and live in an austere, demanding environment doing a tough and dangerous job.

I had another conversation with a Army Reserve Soldier friend of mine who served with me in Afghanistan. We had not seen each other in a few months and early in the conversation he said, "I really miss Afghanistan". And like a lot of us he's looking for an opportunity to go back again.

While I was in Afghanistan the hardest thing I personally did was prepare fallen heroes for the jouney home. I did the same for many Afghan National Army Soldiers and Afghan civilians, but the toughest by far was sending a fallen US Army Soldier home.

I recently received a forwarded email on this very topic and I've cut and pasted it below.
It's tough to read, but I think it's important for the families of deployed Soldiers, Sailers, Airmen and Marines to know what happens when a servicemember falls in combat. I'll let the email below speak for itself.

Phillips, Out.

Date: 10:21 AM 7/20/2008Subject: An observation after a sad day in Afghanistan

I hope this e-mail finds each or you and your families well.

Here in southern Afghanistan it has been a sober day. We had a really bad fire fight. At this point I am not allowed to say much but our team had 18 guys vs 175-200 bad guys. They scored once; we scored many, many more. Yeah for the good guys.

Unfortunately, we held the first of several hero ceremonies, which occurs every time they move a body from one location to another. At each ceremony, every available service member will stand at attention and line the road, starting at our small morgue and eventually ending with his final flight home.

I am not sure folks back home know what happens at a small Forward Operations Base when a US kid dies in battle.

I am sure no one back home knows that this kid's commander, who is in charge of 7000 men, helped wash the blood from this kid's face and prepare him for the trip home. I bet they don't know that his buddies, all rough and tough and not a sissy among them, stand like brothers, hold hands, cry and exchange hugs. I bet they don't know that 250 people lined the walkway from our morgue to the ambulance just to salute this hero. I bet they don't know that one of my patients, who was also injured in this attack, demanded to be pushed outside in a wheel chair so he could say good bye to his brother. I bet they don't know that the command staff, all senior officers, marched behind the ambulance with tears streaming down their faces and carefully loaded his body onto the plane. I bet they don't know that people line the runway, stand at attention and salute the plane until it is out of sight. I bet they don't know that the FOB Commander orders each of the injured (who is able) to call home, so that their parents and wives, know they are OK, in an effort to ease the shock to the families when the guys in full dress uniforms show up at the family's home. I bet they don't know that tonight, these young men, far from home, will morn like a family and will then pick up their weapon, wipe the tears from their eyes and head right back to the fight.

My observation: This young man has two families. The one here is already in mourning and the one back home will soon be awaken by this sad news. There are some very good men here, who care deeply for those they command and whom love each other as brothers.

Take care and let's try to live a life worthy of his sacrifice.

News of FOB Salerno

2008-08-21T02:32:00.004+04:30

Almost every day the following thought crosses my mind; "I wish I was back in Afghanistan." This is particularly true when FOB Salerno is in the news, as it is again this week.

For those of you who follow the news out of Afghanistan, you know FOB Salerno was hit twice in two days with suicide bombers, rockets, mortars, small arms fire and finally insurgents planning to infiltrate the FOB and kill as many Soldiers as possible. Suicide bombers killed at least 12 Afghans in the first day's attack; That night, in an attack lasting all night, at least 10 suicide bombers attacked the base with the intention of infiltrating the base and blowing themselves up, undoubtedly in key areas such as the dining facility, hospital and airfield.

Here are just a few of the many stories about the incidents:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/19/asia/afghan.php?page=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/world/asia/20afghan.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7569531.stm

I know from experience that these stores are not complete, but that's the nature of the business. The "fog of war" makes it impossible to know exactly what happened so soon after the attacks, if ever. When I was in Iraq and Afghanistan I would often read about incidents I had personally witnessed and wonder where they got their information! However, I'm sure these articles capture the big picture, even if they miss small details.

I know families worry about their deployed loved ones, and when news from "down range" hits the networks they wait by the phone or the computer to make sure their special someone is okay. Since I've never had to endure the pain of wondering about a deployed family member, I'm not qualified to speak about this topic. I can, however, shed some light on what's going on down range and why those phone calls and emails don't come as quickly as the families would like.

First, although it's big news over here, in many ways it's just business as usual for those who are deployed. Over here we only hear about it when it involves Americans or an American FOB. Over there, they track every incident, whether in involves Americans or Afghans or any of our Coalition partners. And Afghanistan is a big country; an attack in eastern Afghanistan has little to no impact on operations in northern, southern or western Afghanistan. Families hear "Afghanistan" in the news and worrry, but when deployed Soldiers hear about an attack in eastern Afghanistan they just check their basic load of ammunition and get back to work.

Second, when something really big (or bad) happens in one area the Soldiers in that area are too busy dealing with the incident and the aftermath to call or email. During and immediately after an attack there is more to do than I can talk about here. I know in the hospital the workload following an attack like this goes up immediately, and stays up for days or weeks. Everyone on the FOB and in the area affected by the attack wants to call home or email to let their family know they are okay, but they are just too busy to take the time for even this simple task.

Finally, when something like this happens the Army limits communication from that specific area, if not the entire country. They do this for several reasons. Primarily, the bandwidth (on which all our phone calls and emails depend) is limited over there and what is available is needed to communicate official reports and orders and requirements to respond to and follow up on the incident. Also, if there are casualties, the Army wants to ensure families are notified of casualties (whether killed or injured) through official channels, not from a phone call from a well-meaning friend. The best way to do this is to limit the bandwidth available for phone calls and emails until they have a chance to sort things out and get the casualty notification process started, then they can increase the bandwidth again and let the unoffical process begin.

Not many days go by when I don't wish I was back in Afghanistan. The funny thing is, it's not just me. Whenever FOB Salerno is in the news I get calls from my former comrades in arms, wishing were still there, still in the fight, still taking care of patients. Time moves on and so must we, but I now understand my father and all other veterans who served and sacrificed and left a part of themselves in a far away land.

God Bless America.

Phillips, Out.

Exaggerations and misinformation

2008-07-21T09:10:00.004+04:30

Sometimes I wonder if the "mainstream media" will ever get their coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan right, or if they even want to get it right.

After the tragic loss of nine of our brothers in Afghanistan the stories in the mainstream media concentrated on the renewed strength of the insurgents and the lack of progress in Afghanistan.
However, if you dug deeper, and looked elsewhere, you found the true story. The true story is one of bravery and heroism displayed by our Soldiers.

The Stars and Stripes (www.stripes.com) had an excellent article about the impact of the attack on the 173rd Airborne (http://www.173abnbde.setaf.army.mil/) and the family members back home in Italy and Germany. As they prepared for welcome home ceremonies they had to shift gears and prepare for memorial ceremonies instead.

Stars and Stripes also dug deeper and revealed the stories of bravery and heroism displayed by the Sky Soldiers in the battle at Wanat: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63479&archive=true

Finally, Stars and Stripes printed an article in which the 173rd's commander, COL Preysler, refuted exaggerations published in the media: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63491&archive=true

Despite what the name implies, the Stars and Stripes is hardly a conservative newspaper. It is an independent media outlet and frequently publishes unflattering articles about the military. But it's not just Stars and Stripes providing more in depth coverage of the good news from Afghanistan. Using almost any search engine online will reveal balanced, detailed stories of the success and challenges in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is only the mainstream US media that highlights the negative, and moves on to other news as quickly as possible.

Even with the fight heating up in Afghanistan I talk to recently redeployed Soldiers all the time who wish they were back there now, to do their job and support their fellow Soldiers. I frequently talk to Soldiers scheduled for deployments to quiet areas of Iraq (yes, there are many!) who would rather to to Afghanistan because they want to be where they are most needed.

I apologize for getting political on this blog. I try to avoid politics and instead concentrate on my experiences and my perspective on the views of my fellow Soldiers. Sometimes the mainstream media's focus on the negative gets to me and I have to speak out.

I've been asked to comment on the differences between OIF and OEF, so I'll do that in a future post. It's tough to do for many reasons, not the least of which is that it depends on when and where you served in each operation, and what your job was when you were there. Books have been written of this topic, but sticking to my intentions in this blog I'll give a snapshot of the differences between my tour to Iraq (2003-2004) and my tour to Afghanistan (2007-2008).

Until later.

Phillips, out.

Fort Lewis, Washington

2008-07-10T22:10:00.003+04:30

I read somewhere that Fort Lewis is the third largest post, after Fort Hood, TX and Fort
Bragg, NC.

http://www.lewis.army.mil/

If you want to see the Army, this is a great place to be.
With three infantry brigades, one artillery brigade, an MP brigade, and engineer brigade, a MI brigade, a Ranger Battalion and a Special Forces Group, along with various support units, Fort Lewis is a very busy place.

Here at Fort Lewis, reminders of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are never far away. Recently, the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team returned after 15 months in Iraq. The ceremony welcoming them home reminded everyone of the cost of freedom. During 15 months of combat in Iraq the brigade suffered 54 killed in action and over 300 wounded in action. Many of the wounded Soldiers, even the seriously injured Soldiers, participated in the ceremony on crutches or in wheelchairs.
http://www.nwguardian.com/103/story/3500.html

For me the hardest part of being back here is reading the news from Iraq and Afghanistan. I wish I was still there, still in the fight. In Afghanistan I felt needed and in control of my own destiny. My mission was real and immediate and there was no ambiguity. Here, I have no mission, or the mission is less real and immediate, and everything is ambiguous. Here I'm not really needed and I have no control of my destiny.

I love the Army, but even with the nation at war the Army tends to be bureaucratic and slow to change. In my current job I manage the training for medical units deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. Even after 7 years of continous deployments and combat operations we are sometimes reinventing the wheel when we train units to deploy. Often the training does not meet the reality of the missions "downrange".

I love my family, but after being gone for 18 months I sometimes feel like I don't fit in anymore. My views have changed after seeing the dead and wounded up close and personal, after carrying a weapon 24/7, driving an armored vehicle fast and aggressively wherever I went and after living in close quarters with Soldiers for months on end. I can adjust to the changes, but I hate to give up the sense of purpose and mission and yes, the danger and thrill of being deployed.

I write these thoughts not looking for sympathy or help, but because I know I am not alone.

Recently I met a group of Soldiers with whom I was deployed to Afghanistan, and after some polite conversation we all reluctantly revealed the same thought, "I wish I was still there, in Afghanistan, doing a job I loved with people I cared about." And this thought was expressed by a group of Army Reserve Soldiers, all of whom had good civilian jobs and happy families. If they feel this way, how much more do "full-time/career" Soldiers miss their recent deployments?

In my current job I work almost exclusively with Active Duty Soldiers, most of whom have deployed recently, many of whom are preparing for their second or third, or even fourth, trip to Iraq or Afghanistan. We all tell our war stories with the same underlying theme, "Those were the days..." Life is different "over there", not better, just different.

War is hard and the separations from home and family are stressful, but Soldiers and families are tough. The media makes it sound like servicemembers deploy reluctantly, and can't wait for the war to end. From what I see, nothing could be further from the truth. Soldiers want to deploy, to do their part and then return with honor. They want the war to end, but only with victory and only after achieving our nation's objectives. I'm personally tired of seeing friends and colleagues killed and injured, but I want to see those sacrifices honored with victory and peace, not squandered by defeat and surrender.

Every day I visit a great website, Honor the Fallen, to read about the heroes who have given their lives in defense of this great nation.

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

Every day I see the wounded coming and going around post and at Madigan Army Medical Center, reminding me of the cost of war.

http://www.mamc.amedd.army.mil/

You can't live and work at Fort Lewis and not realize that war is an ugly thing, with a high cost that cannot be measured in dollars.

I'll keep blogging as long as someone is listening, and maybe beyond. Sometimes it's easier to write my thoughts than speak them, and I hope my ramblings can shed some light on the current situation, or at least reveal the view from my foxhole.

Until later,

Phillips, out.

Posting Again

2008-07-04T07:57:00.000+04:30

Well, no one may be reading anymore, but I'm back to blogging. I hope I can shed some light on the pre and post deployment Army, both Active Duty and Army Reserve.

Of course, I'm home from Afghanistan and settled in at Fort Lewis, WA., but I'm actively working deployments and redeployments of Soldiers to and from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today, July 4th, seems like a good day to get back into the blogging business.

So, even if it's just for my family and friends, I'll relate the view from my foxhole and try to illuminate and entertain and enlighten.

It's nice to be back in the blogging business.

Phillips, out.

Home, and Reintegrating.

2008-04-15T03:44:00.004+04:30

Well, I've been home for over a week and I still don't know how to answer the question, "So, are you glad to be home?"
Of course I'm glad to be home. But, I also miss the sense of mission and the friends I had in Afghanistan. And even though I spent 15 months in Afghanistan, I sometimes feel guilty being home and safe while others are still serving overseas. I don't ever want to forget that I have friends and colleagues away from home and in harms way, and I'm ready to go back when necessary to do my part again.

I've often heard it said that the nation is not at war, only the military is at war. Now that I'm home I have a mixed opinion on that statement. True, there are no outward signs of war in Vancouver, Washington; No armored vehicles patrolling the streets, no bunkers, no check points. However, there is obviously a lot of support for deployed troops. In my first week back I was out to lunch with a group of Soldiers and another patron paid the bill for all of us, and didn't even stick around for us to say thank you. Everywhere I go I am thanked for my service and welcomed home. Having seen what war does to a country I'm glad we are safe at home, I'm glad it doesn't "look like we are at war" and I'd gladly go back if that is what it takes to keep us safe here at home.

And although we don't see the same level of industrial mobilization that was required during WWII, we as a nation have invented and refined dozens if not hundreds of systems to fight this current war; Up-armored HMMWVs, electronic countermeasures against IEDs, improved body armor, UAVs, as well as improved classes and training and leadership techniques. When I look back to 2003/2004 and my time in Iraq I'm reminded that in the beginning we had no UAHs, no improved body armor, no translators, no PRTs or ETTs or anthropologist assigned at the unit level. Now they have all these, and more, in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now I'm not saying that someone shouldn't have anticipated these needs and prepared accordingly, but those decisions are made above my pay grade. I am saying that the military has adapted and changed and learned while still fighting and winning the war on multiple fronts; Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and Asia.

And yes, I think we are winning the war. I certainly have no insight into the "big picture" but I know that on the ground, wherever there are US troops (or British or Canadian or Polish or Romanian or any number of other countries that support us with troops on the ground) we are winning the war. Iraqis or Afghanis who work with US troops see a little bit of America, and they like what they see. We will never make them like us, and they don't want to be like us, but we can make them better, and help them make their countries better and safer.

I don't pretend to understand the politics that got us in to this war, or even the long term strategy to "win" the war, but I do know that the US military can and will do it's job whenever and wherever they are called to serve. I know that the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines with whom I have worked represent what is best about this country, they are great ambassadors around the world.

Am I glad to be home? Yes, of course. Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat. In fact, I know that as long as I wear the uniform this is part of the job.

Until next time.

Phillips, out.

HOME AT LAST!

2008-04-08T03:47:00.005+04:30

A refueling stop in Leipzig, Germay, on our way to McGuire AFB, NJ.

An empty C-17, heading home to McChord AFB. A nice ride home.

The best seat in the house: On the flight deck of the C-17.

Heading toward the sunset, and home, at 34,000 feet.

Well, the deployment has finally come to an end. After almost 15 months in Afghanistan I made it home to Washington State at 9pm on 4 April 2008.
My departure from Afghanistan came earlier than I expected, and the trip home was more exciting than I expected, but in the end everything turned out well.

Originally, I expected to depart Afghanistan with the 550th Medical Company on 6 April and, after a short stop at Manas Airbase, arrive at Pope AFB, NC on 8 April. From there I would need to make my own arrangements for traveling home to Fort Lewis, WA.

Instead, on 30 March I was offered an opportunity to depart early and take a more direct route home. Obviously, I jumped at the chance, even without a clearly defined travel plan to get all the way home.

I manifested for a flight from BAF to Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar on 31 March. The flight was delayed, and delayed, and delayed until it finally departed early in the morning on 1 April. After an uneventful 5 hour flight on a C-130 I arrived at Al Udeid AB in Qatar where I discovered that they had no idea what to do with me.
After some explaining and negotiating I was manifested for a flight to McGuire Air Force Base, NJ that departed early in the morning on 2 April. Due to the kindness of an Air Force LtCol I got a seat on the plane, and after a refueling stop in Leipzig, Germany we finally arrived at McGuire AFB, NJ where I discovered that (surprise, surprise) they had no idea what to do with me.
After some explaining and negotiating I was told to come back the next day to explain and negotiate some more. There were no planes scheduled to leave McGuire for McChord AFB, the closest base to Fort Lewis, WA, until early in the morning on 4 April so I was stuck in NJ for the time being.

With over 24 hours to kill, and no room available on McChord AFB or Fort Dix, I decided to rent a car and drive to NY to visit my son, Jeremy. It would not be a long visit, but since I had not seen him for 15 months even a few hours would be nice.

So, after a few hour's rest I rented a car and drove to NY where I had a a nice visit with Jeremy before I headed back to McGuire to manifest for my flight.
I arrived back at McGuire early in the morning of 4 April to find that my flight had been rescheduled for the morning of 5 April! So, I settled in for another long day, and another night in the passenger terminal. But, as often happens when traveling on military aircraft, the schedule changed, and this time to my advantage. The rescheduled flight departed on the afternoon of 4 April, so after a 6 hour C-17 flight across the country I finally arrived at McChord AFB at 9pm on 4 April 2008, and I was greeted by my wonderful wife, Joyce.

It was a nice surprise for Joyce. She was expecting me sometime around 10 April, but with my unexpected revised travel plan I arrived on 4 April, in time to celebrate my birthday with her and my daughters on 6 April.

So, after almost 18 months away from home, including 15 months deployed to Afghanistan, I'm finally home. It's been exciting and difficult, wonderful and terrible, but now it's over. And with the end of the deployment comes the end of this blog. I'd like to blog about the reintegration, but I think that will be too boring, or too personal, or both.

So, I think I'll just close this blog with a heartfelt thanks to all those who supported me during this deployment and those who followed the story of the 396th CSH (FWD)/Salerno Hospital. I encourage you all to keep supporting the troops, those deployed, deploying or redeploying to any of the many places our troops are these days.

As I settle back into life here in the US I'll be searching for my own ways to support the deployed Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

Thank you, and may God bless you all.

Phillips, out.

The Redeployment Continues…

2008-03-30T17:21:00.005+04:30

Well, I finally made it to BAF, the next step in my redeployment process.
In many ways I think this long, drawn out, impersonal redeployment process is a good thing. I only have my personal experience to go on, but for me it is a nice transition from the deployed life to real life.

The process was the same when I left Iraq and now as I am leaving Afghanistan; going from my “permanent” lodging at FOB Apache to temporary, or RSOI (Reception, Staging, Onward movement and Integration) lodging at Bagram Airfield. So now I’m living in BAF, in a “VIP” tent with 50 other senior officers and NCOs, waiting for a flight to Manas AB where we will wait a few more day for a flight home.

This is a busy time in Afghanistan, with the RIP in full swing and more and more troops coming in to Theater. KAF was overcrowded, BAF is overcrowded and Manas will probably be overcrowded also. But, that is the price of the ticket home, a crowded tent and a few long, boring days. It’s worth the price to get home to my family.

I don’t have any pictures of the redeployment; there’s really not much to take pictures of except crowded tents and sleeping Soldiers. But, I do have some pictures of my last convoy from Qalat to KAF. I was using my friend’s nice camera with the telephoto lens and we passed a few camel trains close to the road.

Enjoy the pictures. I’ll keep you posted on the process of getting home.

Until later.
Phillips, out

Last Day in KAF

2008-03-28T10:40:00.011+04:30

Today, Friday, 28 March should be my last full day in KAF. Of course, around here you just never know how the schedule will work out so it pays to remain flexible. Hopefully, I'll fly to BAF tomorrow to begin another stage of the redeployment process.

All "my" Jordanians are gone. They flew home to Jordan last night. Now I am truly out of a job. The new liaison officer for the Jordanian Armed Forces, LtCol Tom Collins, is in place at FOB Apache and doing a great job.

While I am waiting here I was thinking back over the last 18 months, from Camp Atterbury to FOB Apache. I didn't really start taking pictures until I began the trip to Afghanistan, but once I started I've managed to document the last 15 months pretty well. Here are just a few pictures of me from my time here in Afghanistan.

To me the deployment has been about the people I've met and the things we've been able to accomplish together. And as much as I've enjoyed my time here, it is time for me to get home and get reacquainted with my wife, Joyce and my daughters, Beckie and Katie and my son, Jeremy.

Until later.

Phillips, out.

The Redeployment Process

2008-03-26T18:29:00.004+04:30

Ah, the redeployment process. Hours and hours of boredom punctuated by....hours and hours of boredom! But that is the price of freedom, enduring the redeployment process.

I can't complain, I'm stuck at KAF with a nice room and a wireless internet cafe' close by. For most Soldiers they get stuck in big "Fest" tents, a silly name for a huge circus tent full of hundreds of Soldiers (no kidding and no exaggeration). There is nothing festive about the "Fest" tent!

Soon I will be at BAF, where I can hopefully avoid the fest tent there also.

I'll try to include some pictures of my redeployment process.

Like this one of me, putting the Jordanians on a Chinook for their ride back to KAF, and then home.
Here's a unique picture, not of redeployment but around the ANA camp.
Check out the writing on the door of the truck....
Well, that's it for now. At my age I can only take so much excitement before I need to rest.

Phillips, Out.

Short Update

2008-03-23T11:25:00.004+04:30

I apologize for the extended break. I'm back at KAF now, and I have access to real, civilian internet for the first time in months!

I'm getting ready to begin my trip home, which is really more of an odyssey, really. My journey home will look something like this: KAF to BAF to Manas AB to Pope AFB to McChord AFB and finally, home. I'll fill in the details in a future post. As always, I'd like to use my experience to shed some light on the experience of a typical Soldier deployed to OEF or OIF.

I've been on the road a lot recently,
mostly repeating the KAF run I posted
about earlier. And the sights stay the
same, but never get old. Here a few
from my most recent trip.

Now that I'm at KAF I'll
post more often, and as I travel.

Until later.

Phillips, out.

KAF Run

2008-03-05T03:15:00.005+04:30

One of the more enjoyable aspects of my current job is the opportunity to get off the FOB and see the countryside and the people. Personally, I enjoy face-to-face and in-person. However, if that is not possible, the next best way is from the gunner’s hatch of a HMMWV. Just a simple ride from Qalat to Kandahar is full of interesting sights.

Today was typical of the sights along this road. The nomads were on the move, and we passed several caravans of kuchis, the Afghan nomadic tribes. To me it looked like something out of Biblical times; loaded donkeys, walking women and riding children. Following some distance behind were the men and boys, herding the sheep.

Of course, some kuchis commute in the “modern” way, by tractor. Here, everyone gets to ride, except the dog! You can see these tractors everywhere in Afghanistan, often pulling a trailer. Sometimes I wonder just how much they can carry on one tractor. Whatever the maximum limit, they get that and more, I’m convinced.

And continuing upward on the scale of modernity, we find the bus car-carrier. The bus makes stops along the highway, whenever necessary. I have not seen established bus stops, but I’ve seen bus passengers waiting along the highway for a bus to come along. I think the cars on top are just a way to make extra money. I’ve seen many items on top of buses: cars, bags of grain, farm supplies and just about anything you can imagine. I always wonder how they get the cars on top. Is there a ramp somewhere, just the right height for driving a car on to a bus? Do they use a crane or a forklift? And of course, how do they get them off again at the destination?

And I’ve mentioned before the ‘jingle trucks”, the decorated cargo hauling trucks that run throughout Afghanistan. They vary from plain to fancy, but almost every one I’ve seen is decorated to some degree. This first one is one of the fancier ones I’ve seen, and as you can see it is stacked high with something. The afghans decorate everything: trucks, cars, motorcycles, bicycles and wheelbarrows…I’ve even seen “jingle” rifles!

And finally on today’s trip, not even 10 miles from Kandahar, another kuchi camp, complete with camels. Again, I can’t help but think that these nomads must live like they have for generations. I’m sure some things have changed, you can often see a motorcycle or tractor in camp, but some things are probably the same as they have always been.

And to ride around in this country you have to dress for success. SGT Streiff and I were seen off on this convoy by our friends Joe (the tall, bearded man, a contractor from South Africa) and LT Saef, an officer in the Jordanian Army. Whatever you may read in the newspapers, I think we are well equipped and supplied here in Afghanistan. We don’t have everything we want, but I think we have everything we need. Personally, for the scale of what we are trying to do, I think it’s going amazingly well, all things considered.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. I’ll be going home soon, after 15 months in Afghanistan. It has been a great experience, but I am ready to go home, ready for a new adventure. I will blog until my last day here, but after that I don’t know what I will do. I think going home again after being gone for a total of almost 18 months will be another adventure, but more personal, less public.

We’ll see.

Phillips, out.

CRAZY MUD AND GOOD ADVICE

2008-02-21T21:44:00.005+04:30

One thing we get around here in abundance is some crazy mud. With the snow melting we have mud everywhere, and it’s not just regular, every day mud. The mud here in Qalat takes several forms; when it’s wet it’s like thick chocolate pudding, when it starts to dry it’s like chocolate pizza dough and when it finally dries completely it’s like concrete.

In it’s chocolate pudding phase it makes for great driving, if you like your vehicle coated in mud!

But watch out, I’ve already been stuck three times right here on the camp when a low spot turned out to be a deep spot. Depending on where you are driving and who did the construction the compaction of the dirt on the roads around here varies widely. It is easy to find yourself driving in an area that looks solid, but is really just un-compacted fill dirt, which can swallow a HMMWV or SUV whole.

In its chocolate pizza dough phase it sticks to the bottom of your boots layer after layer until your boots become platform shoes. And once it’s there it just won’t come off, so you track it everywhere: into your vehicle, your office and your room. When this tracked-in mud dries it becomes like concrete dust and gets into everything, and everywhere.Finally, in its concrete stage it becomes like…concrete!

As I’ve noted before, the local Afghanis use this mud, mixed with straw or hay, to build houses and walls and barns. Used properly, it is great building material. And since I have yet to see a tree here in Zabul Province I guess it is the best local option for home construction. One of my NCOs even used it to repair his HMMWV! He turned a little close in our cramped motorpool and caught the front fender of the vehicle, tearing the fiberglass. As you can see, with the application of some Afghani mud/cement it is good as new. I guess we know where they got the desert tan color for the vehicles.

Now for the good advice…

Another thing readily available on the FOB is good advice; Barracks lawyers and wanna-be Dear Abbys abound. In that tradition, I’ve decided to take a chance on dispensing some advice. I’ve received several emails and comments about my last blog, many with the same question, “How often should I expect to hear from my deployed loved ones?” At the risk of over-generalizing or setting up unrealistic expectations I thought I should address this question. I can only do so based on my own experience and observations from a previous one year deployment to Iraq and this 15-month deployment to Afghanistan.

Of course, the obvious place to start answering this question is with another question, “How often did you talk to him or her before they deployed?” I find that chatty communicators will find a way to continue; and, conversely, quiet introverts will continue in their ways as well. With a blog, a facebook account and access to email and a phone I fall in to the chatty communicator category. My wife probably hears from me more than she wants. A quiet introvert could have access to all these and still not talk much.

The next thing that affects the frequency of communication is the deployed loved one’s job. Some of us spend all day in a HMMWV, some spend all day in an office. As the first part of this blog demonstrates, sometimes things here are so boring and dull that the consistency of mud is a topic of conversation. On the opposite extreme, as some of my earlier posts from the Salerno hospital demonstrate, sometimes things are so intense and painful that they defy words, at least initially. Many of us have jobs that toggle between extremes; in an office one day, on a convoy the next; fighting boredom for days on end, then fighting fear and panic and loneliness and despair. At the end of either day, it’s sometimes hard to sit down and put your feeling into words in an email or blog post or (for those from the old school) a letter.

Finally, the other factors affecting communication are discretionary time and access to a computer. Some of us have plenty of discretionary time; some have very limited discretionary time. Discretionary time depends a lot on rank, but that cuts both ways. I know colonels who have little discretionary time, and sergeants who have plenty, and vice versa. Discretionary time is affected by your rank and your job and your position in the organization. Access to a computer is affected by location. There are some FOBs with large, well equipped MWR (morale, welfare and recreation) facilities: computers, wireless internet and phones. There are smaller FOBs with no MWR at all. Most FOBs are somewhere in between. If you are dependent upon MWR for your access to computer you are restricted to 30 minute sessions if someone else is waiting. That means staying up late or getting up early to get on a computer or phone. And since we are halfway around the world from our families it means dealing with an 8 or 10 or 12 hour time difference to connect with friends and family.

So, as you can see, the answer to the question, “How often should I expect to hear from my loved one?” is quite complicated. A lot depends on how much they communicated before they deployed, and then on rank, position, location and other factors. But the one simple part of the answer is this, if you want to hear from them more often, let them know that. Let them know what you are interested in hearing about. Give them specific ideas, or just ask questions. For my wife, she wanted to know what a “typical” day was like for me; where did I live, where did I work, what was on my FOB, who were my friends? She asked, and that gave me ideas for emails or blog posts or even letters to send home. Communication is a two-way street, and both parties can drive!

As always, thank you for reading and caring and supporting and praying.

Phillips, out.

The Bloggers Among Us.

2008-02-17T03:41:00.004+04:30

It still surprises me how many emails I get about the blog, how many comments I get on the blog and how many people come up to me on the FOB and say, “I didn’t know you had a blog.” The other comment I hear frequently is, “My son (brother, father, friend) never writes! Funny, I don’t hear that comment about daughters, sisters or mothers. I guess women are generally better about keeping in touch with family.

I don’t blog as often as I did when I was at FOB Salerno, and not often enough for some of my friends and family. The differences between my life and my job at FOB Salerno and my life and job here at FOB Apache are like night and day, and one of those differences is the subject my blog entry today.

At FOB Salerno I was in charge of a hospital with over 40 Soldiers and Airmen. I worked behind a desk with all the normal trappings of office work; phone, computer, scanner, printer and most importantly, time. And every day was different and exciting. Over the year we cared for hundreds of trauma patients, and many more routine patients. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week we tracked, received, treated and discharged US, Polish, ANA, KPF, ANP, ASG and civilian casualties and patients. It was exciting; with little down time and few quiet days.

At FOB Apache my life could not be more different. Here, I’m in charge of no one. I work with an NCO, but I’m not his boss. I am truly a “worker bee”. I have no office, no phone, a borrowed computer, printer and scanner. I often work out of the MWR! The other day I was checking the quantity of fuel in a fuel tanker. Last week I was the driver in a convoy to Kandahar (that’s where the pictures are from). One thing I have plenty of is time. Every day is the same; wake up, go to the gym, visit the Jordanians and help them deal with the crisis of the day (water, sewer, electrical, etc…), to the gym, watch a movie, go to sleep, repeat. It’s definitely NOT 24/7 and there is lots of down time and many quiet days.

I don’t give this comparison to say one job is good and the other job is bad; in fact, I enjoy both jobs about equally. I like being in charge, but I also like actually doing things myself. I give this comparison to let you know why some of you never hear from loved ones. Around here we refer to our days as “groundhog day”, after the movie of the same name where every day is the same, repeated over and over again. It’s hard to blog (or write home) when every day is the same. It’s hard to write home and tell your family, “No change; same stuff, different day.” Lots of Soldiers (and Sailors, Airmen and Marines) have jobs that keep them busy, but it’s the same every day. Lots of deployed personnel work out of up-armored HMMWVs or trucks. Many of them fly helicopters all day, or maintain them all night. Some of them pull guard duty in towers or at entry control points or at road blocks along major roads. And some of them get shot at frequently, and that’s not something you write home about.

It’s hard to blog or write home when you don’t have an office, when you have to go to the MWR to check your email and write home. I appreciate all of you who read my blog. If it can shed some light on the life of a deployed service member, if it can help a family member connect with the experiences of a loved one, if I can keep in touch with my own family then I have succeeded.

I’m getting close to the end of my 15 month deployment. I should be home soon. Within 60 days I’ll be back home, reconnecting with my wife and daughters and maybe even my son (away at college, but still my son).

That will be an adventure itself, reconnecting and reintegrating after almost 18 months away from home. Maybe I will blog when I get home after all.

Until the next post.

Phillips, out.

Update to "The Blizzard of '08"

2008-02-04T05:06:00.000+04:30

Yesterday, (was it just yesterday?) 2 Feb 08 was a long day.Late in the evening of 1 Feb the snow started. The wind had been blowing all day, a cold, clear day. As the clouds rolled in and the snow started we all knew it would be a long night, and a long day the next day.

All night long I listened to the wind blowing, 30 to 50 miles an hours, according to reports. I could hear the snow driven against the side of my aluminum trailer, but there was nothing to do except wait until the morning to see what damage was done. I was particularly concerned for my Jordanian friends who were living in less than ideal conditions with a generator that has seen better days.

I awoke sometime in the middle of the night to hear the wind howling and snow still falling. I decided to peak outside to see how much snow had fallen. I could not open my door! The snow had piled so high outside my door that I could not easily open it. And as I cracked the door open, wind-driven snow came pouring in. Not wanting to deal with a room full of snow at 2am, I closed the door and went back to bed, happy to have heat and power on a night like that.

At 6am when I woke up I noticed a few things before I broke the seal on my sleeping bag. First, my breath. It was so cold in my room that I could see my breath. Then I noticed no lights, on my TV, phone or computer. Yes, my power was out. No power means no heat, since I have electric space heaters in my room. No power means no hot water, although for me that was not an issue, my hot water was out already due to a broken pipe leading from the hot water heater. No power also meant no TV, no phone and no internet. When I got up I also discovered I had no cold water due to frozen water pipes. After I got dressed I discovered that indeed, I was trapped in my room. The snow had drifted so high against my door that I could not open it. It was not long before I heard the sound of shovels and discovered my neighbors, John and Glenn, had shoveled the snow from my door, freeing me from my room.

The sights around the camp were amazing. Over a foot of snow had fallen during the night and the high winds had created drifts 6 to 10 feet high. There was no power and no water in my part of the camp. The walkways of FOB Apache were impassable without a shovel. Vehicles were buried and doors were blocked. I could only imagine the scene at the Jordanian camp.

Well, if you are hit with a blizzard it is nice to have a camp full of (relatively) young, healthy men and women in good physical condition, with lots of tools and nothing else to do except work. In record time snow shovels appeared, followed by heavy equipment. Paths were made and roads opened; vehicles were uncovered and started and readied for use. Spare generators were placed in operation and hot food was served. By 8am the footpaths were cleared By 10am roadways were open on the FOB. By noon we had power restored. Finally, we were operational and could begin to help others.

I finally made it off FOB Apache to check on the Jordanians just after noon. I found them surprisingly well. They had survived the night using their two remaining generators (one of their three was down for maintenance). Just like us they had woken up to deep snow and deeper drifts, but they immediately began to dig themselves out. Their vehicles were uncovered and started, pathways dug in the snow and doors unblocked. They still had challenges with frozen water pipes and broken water pipes, but they had survived the night, and they were getting back to normal.Of course, the day did not end at noon. The snow continued to fall, although much slower. And the wind died down and the temperatures rose. All in all, it was a pleasant winter day..... Until the fire. I was back at FOB Apache when I got a call from the Jordanians, "Do you have the phone number for the maintenance man? One of our buildings is on fire". At least they were calm. The story was a bit confusing over the phone, but when I arrived some minutes later, after advising them to "Put out the fire! then call the maintenance man!". I found that they had indeed experience an electrical fire in a breaker box in one of the barracks. The fire caused one of their two remaining generators to kick off line, resulting in no power and no heat and no light throughout the camp. Fortunately they had put out the fire before anything except the breaker box itself was damaged.

With the help of the maintenance guys and the supervisors the power was soon back on line, the breakers box was replaced and rewired and all was well...for now. So, overall it was a long day, but successful. No one was hurt and everyone is warm. Not everyone has hot water, but everyone has water.

I've been doing this Army thing for a long time and I am always reminded of how important the simple things in life are: electricity and running water are both high on the list. The snow continues to fall, but at a manageable rate. It's still cold, but not bitterly cold. And the days keep ticking by until Spring, and better weather, and a long plane ride home.

In case you are interested, here's a link to the weather in Qalat, Afghanistan:http://www.accuweather.com/world-forecast.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&locCode=ASIAFAF030QALAT&metric=0
Now I know why they don't traditionally fight in Afghanistan during the winter.

Phillips, out.

THE BLIZZARD OF ’08.

2008-02-03T08:56:00.001+04:30

Here are some random photos from around FOB Apache, Afghanistan after our snowstorm:

Phillips, out.

48th CSH VOX Blog

2008-01-30T21:00:00.000+04:30

SSG Jefferies has a blog from the 48th CSH at FOB Salerno Hospital:

http:sgtjamesjeffries.vox.com

Stuck in the Mud

2008-01-20T18:54:00.000+04:30

Here’s what a road in Afghanistan looks like:

I don’t know how many paved roads there were in Afghanistan before we arrived, but there are still not many miles of paved roads even now.

At this time of year, the unpaved roads in Afghanistan turn to mud, and the mud to quicksand.

We were out driving near the FOB one day when we saw a coworker just off the road, so we went to see what he was doing. As we got closer, we noticed he was not moving. He was stuck in the mud. Our plan was to pull him out of the mud with our tow strap on the front of our HMMWV, until we noticed that we were also sinking, and eventually stuck, in the mud. After we got out to evaluate the situation we noticed another coworker approaching in his SUV. Realizing what was about to happen, we attempted to warn him away, but our waving only served to lead him on until he, too, was stuck in the mud. So there we were, three vehicles from the same office stuck in the mud; one, two, three. And of course, no one gets stuck on a sunny day; there was a steady mix of rain/sleet/snow falling on a cold, foggy day. We were not far from the FOB, but in Afghanistan, not far from the FOB is still a dangerous place to be.

The military convoys that passed by were smarter than we were, they kept driving and called in our location and situation to the Tactical Operations Center. While we tried to extract ourselves, quite unsuccessfully, kept an eye on our surroundings and tried to keep warm. It seemed like hours, but soon our rescuers arrived. Our rescuers came out to us with a….forklift. Not your standard recovery vehicle, but it was all they had at FOB Apache for this situation. Fortunately, the rough terrain forklift is equipped with off-road balloon tires and an extendable fork. Thanks to a very skilled driver, and with a lot of hard work, he managed to free first one, then another and finally the third vehicle.

I wish I could say this was unusual, but unfortunately it is all too common. When the weather gets bad around here the mission does not stop. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are out day and night, in all weather, chasing the bad guys and rebuilding Afghanistan. And when you get stuck in Afghanistan, there’s no AAA wrecker to call. Self-recovery, your unit and your friends are all you can rely on. Fortunately, that’s usually enough.

On a side note, while I enjoy my job I often feel “stuck in the mud” trying to accomplish anything. Working with the Jordanian Army, while they mentor Afghans, can be a real challenge. I often attend meetings with two translators; one to translate from English to Arabic and another to translate from Arabic to Pashto. As you can imagine, conversations take some time and are subject to much confusion and misunderstanding. And while it’s great to have the Jordanians here to help the Afghans, they are culturally very different. The only thing they have in common is religion, but just because they all practice the Islamic faith does not mean they are the same. Finally, the Jordanians are not part of NATO or ISAF, so their status is hard for most of the bureaucracy to understand. My job as the liaison officer to the Jordanian Field Hospital is to facilitate their mission, to make sure they have what they need to teach the Afghans and what they need to live in Afghanistan, to deal with the contractors and Coalition Forces. So, although I never fail in the long run, I seem to spend much of my time “stuck in the mud”, spinning my wheels. Oh well, such is life as an LNO, Army-speak for liaison officer.

Phillips, out.

2008-01-15T11:50:00.000+04:30

Lagman and Apache

Well, I’ve settled in to my new job, and in the process learned more lessons about the wide variety of living conditions experienced by deployed Soldiers. They really do very widely from place to place in Afghanistan. And interestingly, smaller is often better.

My new job is interesting. I’m working with the Jordanian Armed Forces, specifically the staff of a Jordanian field hospital. They are here working with the staff of the Zabul Provincial Hospital in Qalat. I’m here to facilitate their mission, to help with the logistical support and any other issues that arise.

To celebrate the arrival of the new Jordanian commander they cooked a mansaf, a traditonal Jordanian dish. It consists of rice and lamb, covered with a goat’s milk yogurt. And for really special occasions, on top of the mansaf they place a lamb’s head. Very appetising. Of course, the lamb’s head is cooked, so the special guest can enjoy a real delicacy; lamb’s tongue! I can tell you from personal experience, it is quite tasty. In fact, it tastes much like a chicken liver or gizzard.

And I’ve moved to a new FOB. The Jordanian’s live on an Afghan National Army (ANA) base, Camp Eagle. I’m now living at FOB Apache, which is closer to Camp Eagle than FOB Lagman, and I can go between the two without an armored convoy because they are connected. FOB Apache is very small, about the size of two football fields. It’s a great FOB; small, but neat and orderly, and it has a good gym and nice MWR. I’ll actually be spending time at both Apache and Lagman since I’ve got business to conduct at both.I’ll keep you posted on how things go with the Jordanians, and the mission. And I’ll let you know if I have any more new culinary experiences.

Until then, thanks for the support and prayers.
Phillips, out.

Videos . . . The ABSOLUTELY Last FOB Salerno Hospital Post

2008-01-06T08:11:00.000+04:30

FOB Salerno Hospital Construction

One last Salerno post. I promise.

2008-01-06T07:15:00.000+04:30

For anyone interested, the 48th Combat Support Hospital, out of Fort Meade, MD, has taken over the mission at the Salerno Hospital. Although I don't know of any blogger from that unit (yet!), they do have a unit website.

There is not much on the website as of today, but I would expect much more as they get settled in to their new "home".

Here's the address:

http://www.48cshfwd.com/

I wish them good luck, and great success. They've got a beautiful new facility and a great mission.

By the way, in the interest of full disclosure, I do want to give credit to the leadership of the 14th CSH, our predecessors, who conceived and advocated the idea for the new, hardened facility before we arrived. Things like this take time and the effort of many; the 14th CSH started the ball rolling, the 396th CSH managed the construction and the 48th CSH will move in and provide healthcare in a new facility 3 years in the making.

I'll still be blogging about my mission with the Jordanian Field Hospital, and life in Afghanistan in general. Join me, if you are so inclined.

Thanks for caring, and praying, and supporting our troops.

Phillips, out.

New Year, New FOB, New Mission

2008-01-04T18:35:00.000+04:30

Happy New Year!

For me, a new year in a new job, in a new place.

High atop "Alexander's Castle" in Qalat, Afghanistan.

I have left FOB Salerno and the Salerno Hospital and begun my new job at my new FOB.

Unfortunately, you won’t find news about FOB Salerno or the hospital here anymore. I don’t know of anyone blogging from there anymore, but they do have a unit website with information. I will share that address as soon as I can.

Fifteen month tours are long, and it is nice to have a change of pace and a change of scenery at the 12-month point. I think the next 3 months will go quickly.

I am now the Liaison Officer for the Jordanian Field Hospital. It is not really a field hospital, it is the medical, nursing and ancillary staff sent to Afghanistan to train and mentor the Afghan staff at Zabul Provincial Hospital. They are here for 90 day rotations, and I am their US military liaison during their stay, to help resolve issues and guide them through the complex US Military, NATO and ISAF beauracracy. It’s an interesting job, but quite ambiguous. My orders are to “take care of the Jordanians”, whatever that means.

The Jordanian Field Hospital Leadership

So, now I live on FOB Lagman and work with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to ensure the Jordanians are supporting the overall medical reconstruction goals in Zabul Province. I get off the FOB some, which I like, convoying to the provincial hospital and the Jordanian compound. I have no authority over anyone, so whatever I accomplish is by negotiation and persuasion. I live in a shack and work out of a trailer and have to beg for rides wherever I go, and I’m very happy.

Visiting the FST with the Jordanian Medical Staff

It’s amazing the things Soldiers and Sailors and Airmen and Marines are called upon to do now. When I was a cadet at West Point or a 2LT at Fort Hood I could never have imagined working with Jordanians and Afghans and Romanians and Canadians to build or renovate hospitals or train medical personnel. Today’s young officers and NCOs expect to deploy multiple times, and are expected to fight and rebuild and train and mentor, all simultaneously. With minimal supervision and only general guidance young officers and NCOs are accomplishing the mission throughout Afghanistan and Iraq and all over the world. For the most part, they do a great job demonstrating the best of America to people who may have never met any other Americans. Their hard work and dedication and example literally saves lives, as individual Afghans or Iraqis decide that what we offer is better than what the bad guys offer. It’s too bad that most of the press goes to those who don’t do well, that tiny minority who cause problems and hinder the mission.

Well, for the next 3 months I’ll spend my time at FOB Lagman doing what I can to facilitate the training of the Zabul Provincial Hospital medical staff. While I’m here I’ll report on the things I see and the Soldiers I meet along the way, as Task Force Zabul attempts to bring peace and security and hope to a part of Afghanistan that has seen none of those things in recent memory.

Crazy traffic scenery in Qalat, Afghanistan

Phillips, out.

Meanwhile back at Salerno . . .

2008-01-02T04:55:00.000+04:30

**

Happy New Year ! ! !

I received an email from TOP:

I haven't had computer access for a few weeks.

I did want to write you and tell you that I sent you a couple of disks with pictures on it.. a lot of them.

There is the old tent complex and then the new hospital...

Right now it is just a building and when the new unit moves in a few weeks, then it will be a hospital with personnel and equipment that can and will accept patients.

I contracted most of it and coordinated a lot of the building.

We had a building acceptance ceremony and then LTC Phillips left the AO.

The legacy we left behind was a hardened concrete roof over the patients heads so they don't have to evacuate the building during a rocket attack like we did in the tents. We came, we assessed, we planned, we built, we coordinated, we completed the building. That's the jist of it.

We made the place better, a whole lot better than how we inherited it.

We accomplished our mission..

We are working on getting back home.

1SG out.
TOP
1SG David S. Child
Task Force MED
OEF VIII
Afghanistan

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED . . . What a legacy our friends at FOB Salerno Hospital have accomplished. It would be good to hear from some of these warriors, who have already deployed home with their thoughts and recollections. For all involved, please know we are proud and thankful for all of you, and grateful for your service, and the support of your families. For those of you packing up --- fair winds and all our prayers for your wonderful reunions with family and friends. You all have been such a blessing for the United States and Afghanistan. We are thankful you have shared a small part of it with us. This isn't good-by, we will be having lots and lots of pictures of the hospital, and we still have LTC Phillips new mission.

Gratitude and Prayers

Haole

***

FOB Lagman

2007-12-27T16:03:00.000+04:30

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

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T00:01:00.001+04:30

Merry Christmas to all!

And a Happy New Year.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.

Luke 2:14

Let us pray for peace on earth...

Christmas in Kandahar

2007-12-24T23:10:00.000+04:30

Christmas in Kandahar

Well, it’s not quite the trenches of WWI, or the Battle of the Bulge, but Christmas in Kandahar is special in its own way.

In a previous blog I noted that holidays are not the same when you are deployed, and that is true. Some holidays are even more special, more meaningful, when you are deployed, especially to a war zone. Christmas must be the biggest, and the hardest, holiday to spend deployed. There is nothing like Christmas with family and friends, but as you can see we do have our deployed family and our deployed friends to lean on during this time of year.

Tonight at the Christmas Eve service the chaplain talked about Peace on Earth, and how far away it seems in this place. Yesterday we spent an hour in the bunkers during a rocket attack. Tonight we’ve got three patients in the operating room, injured while the tried to emplace an IED. Sometimes it seems peace has forgotten Afghanistan, and some other places as well. I guess the best we can do, the place we can start, is finding peace in our own hearts.

I will be spending Christmas Day at the flight line and passenger terminal, welcoming a new contingent of Jordanian Army forces, then flying with them out to Camp Eagle, a remote ANA/Jordanian camp in southern Afghanistan. I will miss the traditional Christmas dinner, but I will have a traditional Jordanian/Arab feast to welcome the new Jordanian commander. I don’t think we will have turkey, but I’m sure there will be goat, rice, yogurt and fruit, among other things.

For anyone who is wondering, I was not fired from my other job. I was always scheduled to come down to Kandahar and Qalat after my unit finished it’s mission at FOB Salerno. For a number of reasons I was needed here earlier than expected, so I departed FOB Salerno on short notice and arrived here at KAF on 17 Dec. Now, with the arrival of the new Jordanian forces I will move to FOB Lagman, near Qalat, Afghanistan to assume duties as the liaison officer for the Jordanian Field Hospital.

I will be incommunicado for almost a week, while I am travelling to some places without internet access. Once I’ve settled again I’ll let you know where I am and how the mission went, and how the traditional arab dinner went as well!

Until later.

Phillips, out.

KAF

2007-12-18T21:12:00.000+04:30

Well, I've arrived at Kandahar Airflield.

This blog was never meant to be a "this is my life" blog. I originally concieved of it as just a good way to keep my family informed of my adventures in Afghanistan. I never thought anyone outside my immediate family would ever read this blog. But, since it is read by so many now it has become a way for me to share one Soldier's experience in Operation Enduring Freedom. And, in keeping with that objective, my last post and the next few posts will describe how quickly things can change during a deployment and the wide variety of living and working conditions one can experience throughout Afghanistan.

On 12 December I was at FOB Salerno, happy and content with my life and my mission, when I received an order to "get to KAF as soon as possible". Well, as soon as possible is not always very soon in Afghanistan. On 16 Dec I finally got a flight to BAF and after about 36 frustrating hours I got another flight to KAF on 17 Dec.

On the C-17 to KAF.

I'm now at Kandahar Airfield (KAF, in OEF-speak). It's bigger that FOB Salerno, but much smaller than BAF. And it's got character....

The building we use for a passenger terminal is knows as the TLS building, which stands for Taliban Last Stand. Rumor has it that this is the building where, obviously, the Taliban held their last stand before the fall of their regime in the opening months of Operations Enduring Freedom. Kandahar is the spiritual home of the Taliban, and still a very unfriendly place for Coaltion Forces.

Tomorrow (19 Dec) I move out of KAF to FOB Laghman, where I will be working with a Jordanian Army Field Hospital which is in Afghanistan to teach and train and mentor Afghan providers at one of the provincial hospitals. My day-to-day activities will be in and around the capital of Zabul Province.

KAF is a multi-national FOB, with forces from Canada, Romania, the Netherlands, the US and several other nations. It's a great experience and a real adventure.

Land Rover Defenders wherever you look!

Since I'm on the move I'm using computers at the MWR, so I've got limited time to post to my blog. I'll update it as time permits. For now, let me just say that one's experiences in Afghanistan depend a great deal on where and when one serves. KAF today is not what it was in 2002, nor what it will a few years from now. BAF, KAF and SAL are all FOBs, but all very different places.

My time on the MWR computer is up. I'll post more later.

On thing I've noticed, on all the FOBs I visit, there is no shortage of memorials to fallen heroes.

Phillips, out.

Change of Mission

2007-12-17T05:51:00.000+04:30

Be careful what you ask for....

About a week ago I changed my status on my Facebook account to "ready for a change of mission".
Little did I know how close I was to exactly that!

It's been the plan for some time now that after I finished my command at the Salerno Hospital I would move too Qalat, Afghanistan to serve as a liaison to the Jordanian Field Hospital. I was planning to do that on or about 3 January 2008. Well, late on 12 December I got a call from my boss, "I need you in Qalat on 14 Dec!" For anyone who has served here, getting from point A to point B is rarely easy, and never quick.

So, after a whirlwind 3 days getting my personal and professional affairs in order I departed from FOB Salerno on 16 December, heading to Bagram to catch a flight to Kandahar to catch another flight to Qalat. But, Bagram is always backed up with personnel trying to get to places throughout Afghanistan, and at this time of year the mail has priority over most passengers, so everyone can get their Christmas packages on time! So, here I sit in Bagram, waiting for a flight...

I'll keep up the blog from Qalat, and I'll see if there is someone who will keep up the blog for the Salerno Hospital from FOB Salerno.

I'll post more when I get settled, in Kandahar or Qalat, or wherever the next mission takes me.

Phillips, out.

Salerno Hospital in the News

2007-12-05T20:35:00.001+04:30

For those who are interested, the Salerno Hospital has been in the news recently.

The Christian Science Monitor did a story about our Chaplain, CPT Kurt Bishop. He's assigned to Task Force Desert Hawk, the Aviation Task Force from the Arizona National Guard. He has also adopted the hospital, voluntarily, I might add.

Also, CNN did a story about the training program we have of Afghan doctors. They interviewed members of my staff, both US and Afghan.

Here are the links to both stories:

http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/chaplains

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2007/12/01/robertson.afghan.saving.lives.cnn?

And don't worry, I'm still working to add pictures to the Holiday post. My internet connection is intermittent, so adding pictures is an exercise in patience; yours and mine!

Phillips, out.

Deployed Holidays

2007-12-04T20:36:00.000+04:30

There’s something bitter-sweet about holidays when you are deployed.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is just around the corner. Holiday lights and Christmas trees decorate the hospital and offices and hootches, alongside weapons and body armor, patients, medical equipment and supplies.

Thanksgiving on FOB Salerno was just like any other day, except for the meal. The Dining Facility went all-out, and did a great job. The lines were long for turkey, roast beef, stuffing, candied yams, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, ice cream, coffee, tea, soda or water. But before and after, there was still work to do. The patients still come, holiday or not, and for a hospital the mission never stops.

Now, the decorations are popping up all around the FOB (but no outside lights on FOB Salerno!) and Christmas music is heard wherever you go. Naturally, everyone begins to think of home and family and all they are missing while they are away. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas with our deployed family, we think about our families back home.

For the Soldiers of the 396^th Combat Support Hospital, our time in Afghanistan is drawing to a close. Since most of the 396^th CSH Soldiers will be home soon after Christmas, many are planning a late Christmas celebration. At home the trees will stay up and many of the presents will remain unopened until their Soldier returns home, and then the celebration will make up for all the holidays missed over the last year!

When I was deployed to Iraq in 2003 my family and I celebrated Christmas together over Thanksgiving weekend while I was home on R&R leave, then again separately in December. Since I’m not coming home from Afghanistan until April, and my R&R leave was in October, this Christmas will be subdued for me and for my family back home as we celebrate anther holiday apart.

I think a little austerity at Christmas is good; it makes me thankful for all I have. While the Christmas carols play in the emergency room, singing of peace on earth, we treat patients with gunshot wounds and blast injuries from IED and RPGs. While we shop and send home gifts for our children, we think of the many Afghan children we treat; the amputees, the orphans, the sick, the malnourished, the scared and lonely and hopeless. While we line up for Christmas dinner, we think of those children who go to bed hungry every night, and the parents who worry about them and their future. Yes, a little austerity is good.

And we end the holidays with New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Traditionally, these days for looking back to reflect upon all we have accomplished in the last year, and looking forward to all we can expect in the year to come. For us, we will look back and reflect on all we have accomplished; the patients treated, the friendships made, fears overcome and the loneliness endured. And we will look forward to the year to come, and pray for peace on earth so our sons and daughters and friends and relatives do not have to leave home and family to fight in foreign lands. The realists among us will say this is just a dream, but it’s a dream that we dare not let die, for if we stop dreaming of peace we must resign ourselves to continual war. Afghanistan is truly a place were you can see firsthand the consequences of war, continual and violent and unpredictable. It is impossible for anything to flourish in the poisoned soil of war and violence and death.

Progress requires peace and safety and security.

Well, that’s probably enough philosophy for one blog entry. I don’t write often enough, but I write whenever I feel I have something to say.

Thank you for reading, thank you for caring and thank you for praying of me and my Soldiers and Airmen and patients.

And don't worry, pictures will be added shortly.

Phillips, out.

(pictures now added!)

R&R Leave

2007-11-21T23:25:00.000+04:30

I’ve been terribly remiss in posting. Let me get back on track and tell you about my R&R (Rest and Recuperation) Leave.

All service members deployed for 12 months or more are entitled to R&R leave, more correctly titled Environmental and Morale Leave (EML). If you’re deployed for 12 months you get 15 days leave; if you are deployed for 15 months you get 18 days of leave. I’m deployed for 15 months, so I got 18 glorious days of R&R leave with my beautiful wife, Joyce.

R&R leave sounds simple, but the logistics of moving a few hundred thousand Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines out of country to their desired leave location and getting them back again is extensive and amazing. To illustrate, I’ll tell you about my trip to and from Germany.

First, I had to get from FOB Salerno to Bagram Airbase (BAF), which for me required a STOL flight-- a CASA 212, which carries passengers and mail around Afghanistan. In order to catch your flight on time you need to leave a few days early. Wait too long, and weather or maintenance can delay your flight, causing you to miss your flight out of BAF.

Once at BAF you wait around a few days in the Transient Billeting. For some, that means staying in a big fest tent with a hundred of your closest friends. For me, I was fortunate enough to score “VIP” quarters, basically a metal container with two or three other officers.

From BAF we all go to Kuwait, to an Airbase where they sort everyone out based on final destination. For me this flight was on a USAF C-17, a workhorse cargo aircraft.

The process in Kuwait is amazingly efficient,

considering the number of troops flowing through

every day. The average stay in Kuwait is less than 24 hours. At the airbase

there are hundreds of tents across acres and acres of desert, another chance to share a tent with 20 of your closest friends. For me, another VIP tent with only 12 instead of 20!

Most Soldiers go home to the US, but they’ve been known to go all over the world: Europe, Australia, Japan, almost anywhere you can imagine. For me, going to Germany, I took a commercial flight to Frankfurt Airport.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of going from the combat zone to the “real world”, from an austere FOB in Afghanistan to the land of plenty. Actually, the process of getting from the FOB to your leave destination is therapeutic-- a chance to decompress and relax with fellow Soldiers before you get home with “civilians”.

The 18 days in Germany were some of the best days I’ve ever had. Coming from Afghanistan, everything was better; the food, the wine, the beer, the city of Heidelberg, Germany, everything. Every day was a holiday, a perfect day. We slept and hiked and ate and drank (but not to excess!) and just enjoyed ourselves, just enjoyed being together after almost 10 months apart.

For the first week we stayed in Dilsberg, a small village outside of Heidelberg.

We hiked to another of our favorite villages,

Neckar-Steinach, the village of four castles.

For the second week we stayed with friends in Nussloch, a village south of Heidelberg. In Heidelberg we visited the castle, of course. And the weather that day was beautiful.

One day Joyce and I hiked up the Heilegenberg, to the ruins of an ancient monastery and along the famous Philosopher’s Way. It was a beautiful day, and a wonderful hike.

Hiking was lovely, but dining in Heidelberg, on the Hauptstrasse, with Joyce, was a nice way to end any day.

One of our last trips took us by train to a wonderful walled city, Bad Wimpfen. It is one of the prettiest villages in Germany.

As I said, every day in Germany was a wonderful, perfect day. Just being with Joyce, just being away from the daily grind of the war, was incredible.

But even wonderful, incredible vacations have to end.

The trip back is just a reverse of the trip out. The leave is chargeable, not free leave. Thankfully, the leave does not start until you arrive at your destination and it ends as soon as you arrive back at the airport for your return flight.

For me, the return took me from Frankfurt back to Kuwait on Lufthansa, then back to Bagram Airbase on a C-17 and finally back to FOB Salerno, Afghanistan on a CASA 212. And that’s it, that’s the process of R&R leave from Afghanistan.

And in the next blog, I’ll write about what it’s like to come back to the FOB, to the war, after R&R. I promise not to wait too long for the next post.

Phillips, out.

I'm Back!

2007-11-07T12:11:00.000+04:30

Contrary to popular opinion, I am alive and well at FOB Salerno, Afghanistan. I have not been in an "undisclosed location" with the Vice President, I've been on R&R leave in Germany with my lovely wife. I'll post again soon, with some thoughts on R&R, travel in Theater and a look forward to the next few months on FOB Salerno.

While I was gone I invited some of my co-workers to blog on my behalf. I thought you might enjoy hearing another perspective on life at FOB Salerno. I want to thank my guest bloggers; 1SG Child, MSgt Baker, SFC Fields, SSgt Webbs, and SSgt Morris. We are truly blessed with a wonderful team of healthcare professionals at the Salerno Hospital and I think you will all agree.

Thank you so much for your continued support and encouragement.

May God bless you all.

Phillips, Out.

Halloween at Salerno Hospital

2007-11-01T06:30:00.000+04:30

Before I fold my tent, and . . . well, you know the rest !

Thanks Sergeants it's been fun. Hi Mike !

They are a great bunch of people. I've had a lot of fun, and hope you have enjoyed meeting some more of the wonderful warriors of Salerno Hospital. They continue to inspire LTC Phillips.

Just to put the rumors to rest . . . I've become involved with a good looking young surgeon, and what can I say. He's sweeping me off my feet. It may take a while to work him out of my life, so I'm folding my tent for now . . .

Gratitude and Prayers,

Haole

It's all treats at Salerno Hospital . . .

I decided not to put any names with these pictures
(TOP has the address to use for all the promised payola)

Okay, Brien, you can let LTC back in, now. Party, what party?

***

Heeere’s SSgt Morris (another TEXAN)

2007-10-27T07:59:00.000+04:30

LTC Phillips drafted, oops, requested another Sgt to the blog.

I will encourage, bribe, cajole, pester, beg the staff of Salerno Hospital, to send updates through LTC Phillips to the blog.
There is no limit to the amount of space we can fill. Hint. Hint. Oh kind Father figure, ever inspiring us to loftier heights. . .
Top, ask Father to come back, soon. Mike's being mean again. : (
Haole

My name is SSgt Brien Morris and LTC Phillips asked me to prepare a post for the blog. I'm not really familiar with blogging but here goes.

I'm 29 years old and originally from the GREAT STATE OF TEXAS!! (San Antonio to be exact).
I am currently stationed at Langley AFB in Hampton, VA, and have been there for almost 8 years (way too long!).
My first assignment was Vance AFB in Enid, OK. As most people know, Texans don't care to much for Oklahoma so I got out of there as soon as possible. After my stay in Oklahoma, I went to Osan AB in South Korea, and then I was sent to Langley.
I have had a number of deployments including Prince Sultan AB in Saudi Arabia, Incirlik AB in Turkey, Al Udeid AB in Qatar, Tallil AB in Iraq and I am currently at Camp Salerno in Afghanistan. So, this deployment is not my first rodeo.
I am a medic by training, but I am doing more of an administration job here. I work the night shift. So, I’m up when those of you in the states are awake. I am the only one here at night so I can get a lot of studying done. In the Air Force we take a test to be promoted, so that is what I have been studying. I have no problem being bored and having uneventful shifts. If we are busy, that means something bad happened. I do get bored here at night sometimes since most everyone else is sleeping. I try to get up early in the afternoon so I have some time to hang out with people.
I am single and don't have any kids so I really don't mind deploying. It's a chance to get out and see different parts of the world and experience things that most people don't. I have also met some great people and formed some strong bonds over the years. I suppose it would be different if I had a family, but since it’s just me I am enjoying the experience.
I am from a military family so this is really nothing new to me. My dad served for 20 years. I have one brother named Sammy Morris who is a running back for the New England Patriots. This is Sammy’s first year with the Patriots. He spent 4 years in Buffalo and 3 years in Miami.
It was kind of tough because I left for Afghanistan right before the season started, but the Patriots front office sends me copies of all the games. If they keep on playing the way they are and we don't get extended here, I should be home for the Super-bowl. I am not a Cowboys fan. I have never liked them. I grew up as an Oilers fan but they moved to Tennessee and it just isn’t the same.
One of the Dr.’s, here, graduated from Texas A&M and we were going to bet on the game against Texas Tech but he was scared. Good thing he didn't because he would have had to shave his head. We did bet on the Cowboys / Patriots game. If Dallas won, I would have to shave my moustache, if the Patriots won, he would have to grow a moustache. He is now growing a mustache (Go Patriots). I told him it is good he didn't bet on the A&M game, because he would have been bald headed with a moustache and I don't think that would have been a good look for him.
As I sat here, just typing and I thought to myself: My only concern coming here was missing a football season, where most people have wives / husbands and children they won’t see for the next --- However many months. I have a mother, father, brother, nieces, nephews etc, but I don't see them everyday any way; so, it’s pretty much the same except when I call now it’s from half way around the world.
It would be great to have a #2 with cheese from Whataburger and a large big red, or some Taco Cabana. But, all things considered I guess it’s not too bad.

SSgt Brien Morris

Afghanistan, a country that is truly in need of our help . . .

2007-10-21T11:13:00.000+04:30

Dear All,

I am writing to you all from FOB Salerno, Afghanistan with a small story of my experiences in a country that truly is in need of our help.

I am Sergeant First Class Michael Fields from Spokane Valley, Washington.

First and foremost I would like to tell all of the American people thank you, for all of your help and support.

I think that the best way that I could describe Afghanistan is the wild wild west, or life on the great frontier. The Afghan people are a very friendly and affectionate people who really want our help and our free way of life. I have been fortunate enough to go out on a few humanitarian aid missions through out eastern Afghanistan, giving medical help whee we can, to a people that are in dire need of it.

You see there is no medical system in place over here.

You can tell that they are governed by a different way of life here.
The men run everything here, and the women are seldom seen and never heard.
When we go out on our medical missions, it is always the men that come out
first for the help, and then the boys, and if there is anything left they will
allow only the sickest of the women and girls to come for our care.

But make no doubt about it, what we are doing here is making a difference
in the Afghan people's way of life, and improving their quality of
life.

Life on the FOB (forward operating base) is not too bad, we have all we need to get by and we are as safe as we can be.

Some here don't ever leave the FOB and I feel for them, because there is so much to see here in this vast wilderness.

If I had to pick a place that best describes this place I would have to say the mountains around El Paso, TEXAS or White Sands, New Mexico.

We stay very busy in our hospital which is both good and bad. Good that time goes by very fast, bad that too many people are getting wounded.

But don't you all worry back home about our soldiers, we are giving them the best care in the world.

***

Caring for the BEST . . .

2007-10-12T07:36:00.000+04:30

****
***
**

It is a privilege to fill in and put together a guest blog.

The Boss . . .

I am 1SG Child, COL Phillips right hand man who makes things happen and takes care of the day to day business of running the hospital. I refer to COL Phillips as the Boss since he is my direct supervisor. The Boss is the father of the group while I (his 1SG) take on the role of the mother of the group taking care of Soldiers and Airmen's needs. It is a full time job and I am happy to be here in Afghanistan doing my trained job.

Our Hospital's primary mission is to perform Combat Surgical Trauma.

Soldiers and Airmen perform their military occupation specialty -- saving lives. They learn about the day to day rigors of serving in a combat zone. I am in a unique position to observe and train different groups that come and go.

When a new rotation of Soldiers and Airmen come into the Hospital it is like the 1st day of school. There is a learning curve and after about a month they learn what their battle rhythm is and they get better at saving lives.

In our off duty time we train so we will keep sharp and stay busy.

After a few more months its time for them to leave and then we start all over again.

So instead of having just one “1st day of school”, we get to have lots of 1st days.

A new 1st day with each new rotation, that run into months for us.

We do have some continuity with the Army folks who stay here for the duration.

I think each time we start over we get better and better at this.

Combined Joint Hospital Staff

Training:

MEDEVACS:

I feel it is an honor to serve with such outstanding Soldiers and Airmen of the Salerno Hospital in Afghanistan. I have seen all of our staff in action and they are truly living up to our hospital motto of "Caring for the Best," saving American, Coalition, and Afghani lives.

COL Richard Phillips, "The Boss", is the glue that holds everything together.

Hurry up and get home Father… (Your children miss you.)

TOP

1SG David S. Child
Salerno Hospital
Task Force MED
FOB Salerno
CJTF-82 / 82nd ABN
Afghanistan
OEF VIII

*
**
***
****

Be Proud and Support These Fellow Americans . . .

2007-10-08T08:45:00.001+04:30

It’s been a month now at FOB Salerno.

There have been good days and bad days.

The worst day by far was the day of a “Fallen Hero”. He was one of ours. Maybe a brother, father, husband; but definitely a son and a Hero. All day long all I could do was think about the pain that his loves must have gone through.

It was just one year ago that I was at Balad, Iraq working in the ICU. I saw so many injured.

Before leaving for Iraq I knew from watching the news, we (the military) were doing an awesome job. But there was also injuries and casualties.

After seeing first hand and up close, the picture was 90% bigger.

Now that I’m at FOB Salerno Afghanistan, the same holds true.

I see our brave Heroes (men, women, military, and civilians) going out everyday putting their lives on the line.

Be proud and support these fellow Americans.

Lisa Baker, MSgt, USAF

******************************

Haole: I put MSgt. Baker on the spot,
When I asked her how can we show support for these American Warriors.

" I'm not really sure. emails and letters are great. I know when I read an email and someone is saying how proud they are of us for putting our lives on the line; I get this warm feeling inside. I guess just hearing and seeing it (US pride).

Some people seem to have forgotten that we are still at war. "

******************************

Haole: It's the beginning of the week. Send off that quick email/letter you've been meaning to send to a warrior.

"I want you to know there is one American in Central Texas grateful for the sacrifices you and your family have endured for our country.

Gratitude and prayers
Haole Wahine"

***
****
*****
******

As I sit here in Afghanistan, I wonder how many people truly appreciate . . .

2007-10-01T05:04:00.000+04:30

As I sit here in Afghanistan separated from my son, my family, and boyfriend, I wonder how many people truly appreciate the sacrifice that we as American soldiers and airmen make.

With so many people arguing that we need to pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan, you'd think they've forgotten what caused us to be here in the first place.

We are here trying to make sure that 9/11 never happens again.

But what most Americans don't seem to realize is that while some of us may not agree with being here, it's our job.
We have no choice!!!!
When we are given an order to go, we have to go!! Whether we want to or not.

Another thing that most people don't realize is truly how hard our job REALLY is. . .

Every year we have to leave our loved ones for months and sometimes over a year, to do a job that most people don't seem to want us to do.

This is especially hard for people such as myself who are single parents.
In an effort to do my job and serve my country, I am leaving behind a five-year-old son who started kindergarten a month before I left, a boyfriend who loves me very much, family, and friends. So while most people are getting their children settled into school, I'm missing my son's first year of school. Moments that I will never be able enjoy or even be a part of.

Not only will I miss that, but I will also be absent this holiday season.

No Thanksgiving,
No Christmas,
No New Year's, nothing.....

So yet again while millions of people will be spending this holiday season with family and friends, I will be alone in the Afghanistan desert wishing I was with my son, boyfriend, and family. All in an effort to serve my country.

You know the old saying,
"You never miss your water til the well runs dry" hits home.
You never realize what you take for granted until it's taken away from you.

Something as simple as:

Waking up in the middle of the night and walking three or four steps to go to the bathroom verses having to get dressed and walk outside to a completely different building.

Or . . . Being able to get in your car and drive wherever you need to go verses having to walk EVERYWHERE.

Or . . . Being able to hold and kiss your child.

Or . . . Being able to tell your significant other that you love them in person and not over the phone.

Simple things that you do on a daily basis.

I wonder if the people who want us to stop defending America would be willing to make such a sacrifice as myself and the thousands of other military members do time after time.

Especially when it seems like not many people appreciate it.........

S Sgt. Christina Webbs

Blogger note: Please leave your comments for S Sgt Webbs.

If you would like to email her, use the email on my profile (Haole Wahine) I will forward your emails to Christina.

At the Outer Limits of Afghanistan . . .

2007-09-24T08:25:00.000+04:30

There is no need to adjust your set,
we control the vertical,
we control the horizontal . . .

While LTC Phillips waits for inspiration, Sergeants of FOB Salerno Hospital have taken matters into their own hands . . .

The Sergeants of FOB Salerno Hospital are here:

Msg Lisa A. Baker
S Sgt Christiana Webbs
1 Sgt David Child
SFC Mike Fields

Well, they say SFC Mike Fields is there with them, appears to be more of a phantom, or he can’t/won’t test post.

David S Child, 1SG USAR 396th CSH(FWD), Reserve Soldier
Vancouver, WA

1 Sgt David Childs is the Senior NCO on the ground.
He’s the one whose job it is to make things happen. . . (Note --- and he did)
Middle School Science Teacher Portland, OR
Married with 4 kids, 3 girls 8, 6, 4, and a boy 1 ½ old.
Enjoys biking and hiking as a family.

Lisa A. Baker, MSgt, USAF Langley AFB, VA
Hometown; Montgomery, Alabama

She has been deployed to FOB Salerno for 3 weeks. This deployment has truly been different from last year’s deployment to Balad, Iraq.
It took her 13 days to get from Langley AFB to her final destination.
Describes FOB Salerno as nice, surrounded by mountains with hardened living spaces. They have 5-6 living in a hooch.
Counts it a big bonus that they have modern bathrooms.
Reminds us that there is a mix of Air Force and Army serving there. “They all are a very good bunch of people to work with. Right now it’s not very busy here which is good, meaning that the bad guys are somewhat under control.”

Christina Webbs, SSgt stationed at Keeesler AFB,
MS Originally from a small town Newton, MS which is three hours away from Keesler

SSgt Webbs is the proud mother of five-year-old Gabriel – and says he is the best thing that ever happened to her.
Works in the TOC at Salerno, monitoring their computers.
Has four brothers and sisters, and is very family oriented.
Loves where she’s at and what she does.

Mike Fields, SFC stationed in Spokane, WA
396th Combat Support Hospital, Reserve Soldier

Firefighter in Civilian world
Just had baby boy in May,
Has three other children
1SG Child says “Great all around guy . . .

Wait a minute, searching through pictures. . .

LTC labeled this

David and Fred.

Could it be . . . ?

David not typing a test post !

We return the control of your browser . . .

Check back for the Sergeants posts

In Memory . . .

2007-09-14T09:51:00.000+04:30

MSgt. Hubert Phillips, USAF (Ret.)
Born on Dec. 13, 1928

Departed on Sep. 11, 2007

resident: Warner Robins, GA.

Father of:

LTC Richard Phillips,

Commander

HOSPITAL

FOB SALERNO

Surviving to cherish his memory are his wife, Lola Phillips; children, Hubert II, Michael, Charles, Brian, Richard, and Karen; along with seventeen grandchildren, Hubert III, Brian, Teresa, Andrew, Elizabeth, Jeremy, Rebecca, Katherine, Brooke, Meghan, Christopher, Nicholas, Stephen, Johnathan, Scott, Luke, and Joel; as well as his step-son, Charles Barboe.

A Tour of the FOB . . .

2007-09-11T05:25:00.000+04:30

As promised, a tour of the FOB is in order.

I guess up until a few years ago the term FOB (Forward Operating Base) was not a common term. Now, it’s very common.

FOB Salerno is located in eastern Afghanistan, in Khowst Province.

Khowst Province reminds me of Arizona, high desert surrounded by mountains. The weather is hot in the summer and mild in the winter. We don’t get much snow, but during the winter we get rain and during the summer, we get frequent thunderstorms.

I can’t say much about the FOB, for security reasons, but I can tell you that it’s not very big. Before I deployed to Afghanistan I worked at Vancouver Barracks, Washington.
http://www.nps.gov/fova/parkmgmt/statistics.htm

I told those I worked with, who had never deployed,

to imagine living on Vancouver Barracks for the next year,

seeing the same people,

going to the same places,

day after day after day.

That is life on the FOB.

Of course, FOBs come in all shapes and sizes.
Some are really big.
Some are really small.
FOB Salerno is right in the middle, the perfect size.

We have everything you could ever want.

Well, maybe not everything you want, but everything you need.

First, we’ve got great places to live, mostly.

Most of us live in brick and mortar “hootches”.

We call them brick and mortar because they are made with, yes, bricks held together with mortar. In a place where the majority of people live in tents and work in wooden buildings, and the local Afghanis live in building made of mud and straw, buildings made of bricks and mortar are a beautiful sight.

Here’s my two biomedical maintenance and repair technicians, SGT Reid and SPC Reynolds, standing in the door of their brand new, brick and mortar, combination hootch and office. They are fortunate to have a new building, and it even has a porch!

And here’s a picture inside my hootch.

I’ve got five roommates!

And we eat well here. Here’s a picture of the Dining Facility (DFAC).

As you can see, it’s a brand new brick and mortar facility. Up until July we ate in a large tent with wooden floors. Some of you may know that most DFACs in Iraq and Afghanistan are run by Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR). They are usually pretty good. Nothing fancy, but all you can eat. We get steak and seafood at least once a week, and different choices of main dishes every night, along with ice cream and cake and your choice of drinks and side dishes and plenty of extras. It would be easy to get fat here, if not for the great gym.

And speaking of the gym, ours is one of the largest and best in Afghanistan, or so I’m told.

It looks like a tent, but it’s actually called a “clamshell”. Really, it’s just a big, semi-permanent tent. It has cardio machines, weight machines and free weights, along with mats and all kinds of other workout stuff.

And for our spiritual fitness, we have a nice chapel.

All faiths share the same building, so the services are coordinated throughout the weekend.

Lots of people find religion here; maybe it’s the danger, the boredom, or the loneliness. Whatever it is, the best church services I’ve been to have been in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is strange to go to church with weapons racks in the back of the chapel, and handguns visible everywhere. But it’s nice to go to church without any pretension; no worries about what to wear or what you drive or who you are in the community.

There is a purity and simplicity to worship in a combat zone.

And finally, there are the places of entertainment and shopping;

the post exchange (PX), the mall (coffee shop, movie theater, embroidery shop, etc…), Subway Sandwich shop Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), and finally, the bazaar.

the PX (Post Exchange)

t h e M a l l

the Subway

And our MWR has movies to loan, for free.
And books and a movie room and video games and pool tables, all for free.

I’ll have to do an entire post on the bazaar.

That is a sight to see; all the local vendor selling rugs and scarves and chests and jewels and anything else you can imagine. It’s a great place to get a little “local flavor” and to pick up some souvenirs and gifts.

As you can see, FOB Salerno has everything you need.

I know I’ve been here too long because I can find my way in the dark, with no flashlight, with no problem.

That’s right, there are no streetlights here; after dark it’s just flashlights to see your way around. And as I’ve mentioned, there are no paved streets either, just dirt roads covered in gravel.

All in all, I’ve got a real “love/hate” relationship with FOB Salerno, and the deployment in general.

I love being here, doing this job, with these great Americans.
I hate seeing the suffering and pain and death and
I hate being away from my family for so long.

But, it you’re going to be deployed, FOB Salerno is probably one of the best places to be, whether in Iraq or Afghanistan.

More later as the inspiration hits me.

Phillips, out.

Afghans help build mosque, hospital in border region

2007-09-03T10:58:00.000+04:30

By Bryan Mitchell,
Stars and Stripes Mideast edition,
Monday, September 3, 2007

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan —

The only sound more frequent than the echo of helicopter blades across this forward operating base is the banging of hammers.

As choppers come and go, ferrying wounded troops and combat boots across southeastern Afghanistan, scores of indigenous laborers sweat under the relentless sun converting this once-spartan base into an enduring compound for coalition forces and, some day, the Afghan National Army.

The most significant project under way is construction of a new hospital to replace the makeshift tent complex now home to the 396th Combat Support Hospital. U.S. contracting company KBR is overseeing a crew of several dozen Afghans working to finish the $1.4 million, 23,000-square-foot hospital by December.

The hospital’s commander said the new complex will provide a safer and more sterile environment, boosting both security and hygiene for physicians and patients.

“We still get rockets and mortars occasionally, and it’s much better to have concrete and mortar over your head,” said 396th commander Lt. Col. Richard Phillips. “This building will replace the tents, partly so we don’t have to evacuate when we get rocketed and partly for a cleaner environment.”

Located approximately 10 miles from the Pakistan border in a region teetering between volatility and relative calm, FOB Salerno is in a spot where militants can fire rockets and mortar rounds toward the base, and then flee into the often-lawless border region.

Lately, the hospital has been busier than in the recent past, tending to 300 percent more patients than at this time last summer. While the military and the media focus on the “surge” in Iraq, insurgents in this country have boosted their attacks, increasingly with more potent Iraq-style tactics such as car bombs, suicide vests and roadside explosions.

Last week, the 396th Combat Support Hospital cared for a cadre of children caught in two vicious suicide attacks in Khost province, including one that killed three U.S. troops working on a reconstruction project. If the trend continues, the hospital under construction will be well received.

Phillips, 45, of Sioux Falls, S.D., said the hospital will be divided into two parts: a trauma wing for emergency care; and a primary care section to deal with traditional aches, pains, illnesses and ailment.

Like its nylon predecessor, the hospital also will play host to the occasional Afghan health clinic, providing surgeries and treatments unavailable in the rest of the poverty-stricken Khost province.

KBR has a handful of engineers on hand to supervise, but the majority of labor is conducted by Afghans. They earn roughly $8 to $11 per day for work that includes plastering, framing and roofing.

KBR supervisor Randy Gustafson, 49, of Bellingham, Wash., said the Afghans are eager to work and quick to learn

“A lot of them show up with very little skill in construction, but we’re teaching them along the way, showing them how to do things,” Gustafson said.

Afghans also are developing skills to build a new mosque in the heart of the base.

On Thursday, Sgt. Dane Seydler, 26, an Army reservist from Amarillo, Texas, was supervising a team of locals sanding the mosque before its next coat of paint.

“Before this, they just did their own thing, but now they come over here at lunch to eat and pray,” Seydler said.

Phillips said the hospital, as well as other smaller projects on FOB Salerno like the mosque, are vital to the image that America is here to help, but not here to stay.

“All the stuff we do is with the attitude that the Afghans will one day take it over,” he said.

“It’s not just a slogan anymore,

Afghans are doing the work,

Afghans are learning the work.

We want to send a clear message that we are not here forever.

This is your base, and you have to decide how to run it."

Richard's posts on continuing hospital construction:

http://deploymenttoafghanistan.blogspot.com/2007/04/week-11-life-on-fob.html

http://deploymenttoafghanistan.blogspot.com/2007/04/week-13-beginning-of-long-hot-summer.html

http://deploymenttoafghanistan.blogspot.com/2007/05/week-16-sun-comes-out-again.html

http://deploymenttoafghanistan.blogspot.com/2007/06/week-20-groundhog-day-again.html

http://deploymenttoafghanistan.blogspot.com/2007/06/week-22-progress-continues.html

http://deploymenttoafghanistan.blogspot.com/2007/07/week-23-soldier-on.html

Thank you
for reading and praying and caring.
Thank you
for remembering the Soldiers in Afghanistan, the “other” war.

Phillips, OUT

Gratitude and Prayers for all our warriors in Afghanistan and their families supporting them at home --- Haole

A Tour of FOB Salerno Hospital

2007-08-31T06:36:00.000+04:30

Who is in Afghanistan, saving lives and easing suffering of US and Coalition casualties and injured Afghan civilians, I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the people here at the Salerno Hospital.

LtCol Howard Phillipi,
Chief Nurse

Mike and Fred

on duty

in the Hosptial HQ

The most important

part of our hospital is the people.

We’re an eclectic mix of Army and Air Force, Active Duty and Reserve, old and young. We’re half Army, half Air Force. We come from all over the country; from Washington State, California, Maine, Florida and everywhere in between.

We’ve got Active duty Army and Air Force, Army and Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard.

Our youngest Soldier is 19; our oldest Soldier is 55 years old.

Jena, Sara, Patrict

X-ray and

Respiratory Therapy

Catie (patient?),

Loretta, Danielle,

and Susan

On the WARD

We are a trauma unit. We don’t care for many sick people.

We deal with lots of trauma; gunshot wounds, blast injuries, motor vehicle accidents and falls, to name a few.

Lots of open fractures.

Lots of penetrating injuries.

Lots of amputations.

And Lots of other things not suitable for this blog.

Chrystal and Angela

OR Tech

OR Nurse

Ready for a Patient

The controlled chaos

of the Emergency Room

Combat Trama

Surgery

Cpt James Goode

CRNA

Cleaning up after the MASCAL

(Mass Casualty Event)

We’ve got all the important parts of a hospital:

Operating Room, Intensive Care Ward, X-Ray, Laboratory, Pharmacy and even a CT scanner, but we're still in tents with wooden floors. The FOB itself is still very primitive. On our FOB there are no paved streets. When it rains, it floods. The hospital floods, the streets flood, the gym floods.

If you wear your rubber boots, you’re fine. Otherwise, you get wet feet.

So there it is, a peek inside our facility,

a peek at our people and our home.

(I thought it would be interesting to all who have followed this blog for the past eight months.)

Thank you

for reading and praying and caring.

Thank you

for remembering the Soldiers in Afghanistan, the “other” war.

Phillips, OUT

We've got a reporter from Stars and Stripes with us for a few days.

2007-08-30T15:36:00.000+04:30

Such simple words from Phillips, but what a story.

The story of our warriors and the treatment they receive at FOB Salerno Hospital is nothing new to anyone at Richard's Deployment to Afghanistan. Afghan Nationals receiving the same great treatment, and the their gratitude, again is nothing new to the reader's of Phillips' blog.

But it is gratifying to see it recognized by Stars and Stripes.

You can contact Bryan Mitchell, Stars and Stripes to thank him for the article: mitchellb@estripes.osd.mil . --Haole--

Stars & Stripes

Front page:

http://www.stripes.com/

Spc. Jeffrey Ellis on Wednesday holds up a piece of shrapnel that hit him in a suicide bomber attack the previous day. It was removed from his body but he's expected to receive further care in Germany.

Stars & Stripes

Mideast edition, Thursday, August 30, 2007

Bryan Mitchell / S&S

Soldier, Afghan children recovering from suicide blast

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=48423

I promise Rich's pictures and blog will be forthcoming.

Phillips isn't procrastinating, he's thinking . . .

2007-08-30T07:49:00.000+04:30

FOB Salerno Hospital is taking care of business.

I want to take advantage of a rare opportunity to officially issue personal thanks in the form of Gratitude and Prayers for all our FOB Salerno Hospital warriors.

I am proud of the job they do, and the people they are.
(There are pictures coming. . . )

I know all of you appreciate this group of guys, gals and their families.

-- Haole Wahine--

Just Another Day at the FOB ......

2007-08-23T00:31:00.000+04:30

Sometimes I wonder why I am so happy here. But when I think about it, most Soldiers I work with here are happy. The media seems to highlight the disenchanted, unhappy Soldiers but in my experience they are in the minority. For me, sometimes I feel guilty for being happy here, for enjoying life on (and off) the FOB. I know this deployment is harder on my family than it is on me. I’ve got free food, free laundry, free movies, free gym membership and free time. Back home they’ve got to deal with real life and all the complexities that involves. And they have to worry about me.

I think about the past, where I came from to get here. I think about the future, what I’m going to do when I get home. But I live in the present and enjoy the job I’m doing here, even on the hardest days. And for us here at the hospital the hardest days are those where we lose a fellow Soldier. We’ve lost a few patients recently, some to enemy action and some to accidents. That takes a toll on all of us here at the hospital. There was a time when I could remember all the deaths in the hospital, by face if not by name. That was some time ago now. I have learned the hard way that at a trauma hospital in combat not every patient will have a good outcome.

But for me, the best days on the FOB are actually off the FOB. Recently I had the opportunity to visit our local Provincial Hospital in the city of Khowst. I’ve been there often enough that it feels very familiar to me. We were visiting the hospital director and conducting some training. Our relationship with the Provincial Hospital is good, and getting better all the time.

It’s also the site of the suicide bomber in February. In fact, I took a picture in front of the wall near where the bomber detonated. The damage has not been repaired so you can see some of the effects of the bomb. I’d like to say that he was the last suicide bomber in Khowst, but unfortunately that is not the case. In fact, he turned out to be only the first of many suicide bombers in 2007.

But Khowst offers many more entertaining and safe sights and sounds. Right outside the hospital I followed a few goats wandering in the road. Since my daughter raises sheep I thought she would enjoy this picture of goats wandering in the road. It is a common sight; goats and sheep and even cows and donkeys. Mostly they are guided or herded, but sometimes they are just wandering.

And we spent some time at an old fort just outside of Khowst.

The locals told us stories of the fort’s role in the war against the Soviet Union back in the 80’s. In Germany or France it would be a tourist attraction. Here, it’s an operational fort, a garrison for Afghan security forces. And a great place from which to take pictures.

Here’s a view of the mosque in Khowst, Afghanistan.

It's huge, and beautiful.

I’ve seen it from the road outside, from the air above and now from a hilltop in town.

And even from inside, the views of the surrounding countryside are great.

Like all castles, it’s got a tower from which you can see everything around and below.

I don’t think I’ll be moving to Khowst anytime soon, but like the rest of Afghanistan it’s got a lot of potential. It could be a lovely place, much like a resort town in Arizona, if it weren’t for the suicide bombers and ambushes and rockets and mortars.

Mostly, I’m very happy. Mostly, I work with happy people.

We all look forward to going home,

but most of us enjoy our jobs,

enjoy the adventure

and enjoy the camaraderie of being here and serving our country.

As always, may God Bless you all.

Phillips, out.

The Future . . .

2007-08-12T13:41:00.000+04:30

In my last post I looked back, to where we came from and where we have been on this deployment. I thought it only appropriate that in this post I look forward, to where we are going, to where I am going.

Most of us, maybe all of us, look forward to the future, to going home. Like a 16 year old waiting to turn 18, or a 19 year old waiting to turn 21, we wait and hope and dream about some time in the future. For us, that future event is completing this deployment and heading home.

So, what do we look forward to? Mostly, just going home and doing the simple things, but also to grand vacations and life changing events. Simple things like driving a car are always exciting after being deployed. If we drove at home like we drive here we would get arrested! But just the freedom to drive, when and where we want, it exhilarating.

And of course, there’s plenty of time to plan grand vacations and exciting adventures. Vacations to exotic lands, marriage, divorce, new jobs and new lives are all things I know people are planning for and dreaming of while they are here.

In our hospital we have Soldiers and Airmen who are here for a variety of tour lengths; 90 days, 120 days, 180 days, 365 days and even some for 15 months. It makes for quite a diverse work environment. Some are planning to go home while others are not even half-way through their tour! We bond quickly, and separate painfully, and then the cycle begins again.
By the time I finish this deployment I will have worked with four different USAF rotations and four different USAR rotations, plus all the individuals who backfill during R&R leave. In all, after 12 months here with my 45-man hospital I will have worked with over 100 different individual staff members! That’s a lot of turnover in just 12 months. That’s a lot of dreams and future plans.

And why do we focus on the future? Well, the present is either boring or tragic. Boring, because we’ve seen every inch of the FOB and every route between here and wherever we need to go off the FOB. Because we’ve solved the same problems three time since we’ve been here, and we’ll solve it three more times before we leave. Tragic, because we’ve become immune to the blood and pain and death we see every day. Because we wonder if we will ever be the same after this experience and we wonder if anyone will understand when we cry or laugh or just sit quietly, alone and silent with our thoughts and memories.

So, the future becomes a wonderful dream, because it is a future away from here. The future becomes a time to fulfill dreams and live life to the fullest, thankful every day for having survived this ordeal, and yet always feeling slightly guilty for having survived this ordeal when others did not.

And for me, my future is bright. My future is my family and my life with them. No big plans, just a slow, controlled reintegration back in to my family.

One day I will be back with my wife, who supported me for a year in Iraq and is now supporting me during this tour in Afghanistan.

I will be back with my daughter, Beckie, the Grand Champion FFA sheep girl at Heritage High School.

And I’ll be back with my daughter, Katie, the future pilot and honorary Red Hat Society member.

And I’ll be able to see my son, Jeremy, the college student and all-around good guy.

Thank you for reading and caring and praying. I’ll keep blogging, even when there’s nothing new to say. I’ll keep blogging so you can stay connected to what your Soldiers, your children, your friends and loved ones are experiencing here at FOB Salerno, and wherever they are deployed.

Phillips, out.

Week 27--- Busy, busy, busy .......

2007-08-10T11:38:00.000+04:30

We're busy, busy, busy .............
Taking care of business. Details, later.

In case you ever wondered how we get our supplies here in Afghanistan.

(Choose your own caption and add it to a comment.)

As always, thanks for reading this blog, praying for us and supporting your troops.

Phillips, out.

Week 26--A Look Back.

2007-07-30T23:40:00.000+04:30

As we pass the midpoint of this 12-month tour, it seems like a good time to look back on where we came from and what we’ve experienced in the last six months.

In January the 396th CSH (FWD) left Camp Atterbury, IN enroute to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom VIII. After three months at Camp Atterbury our journey took us by bus to Pope AFB, then by air to Bucarest, Romania, Manas Airbase and finally Bagram Airbase before we separated to our three locations in Afghanistan.

The flight was an adventure, with a three day layover in Romania due to bad weather at Manas AB.

By the time we arrived at FOB Salerno we were tired and disoriented but ready to get started on our new adventure. In just one week we completed the right seat/left seat ride with the 14th CSH and we were ready for the change of command and transition of authority (RIP/TOA).

Finally, we were running the hospital!

Unfortunately, the honeymoon did not last long, as a suicide bomber hit the front gate of the FOB the same day the 14th CSH personnel departed.

We did well, but it was a bit overwhelming dealing with so many casualties, both dead and dying, on our very first day. It was a rude introduction to life in Afghanistan, particularly for our first-time deployers.

At the same time we were learning our jobs, we were meeting our USAF partners. The USAF medical personnel rotate every 120 days, so we will have the opportunity to meet and work with four different groups of USAF medical professionals.

And besides our core missions of patient care in the Emergency Room, Operating Room, Intensive Care Ward, Pharmacy, Laboratory, X-Ray, Medical Supply and Hospital Headquarters we had to learn other new skills.

Very soon we learned how to work with MEDEVAC aircraft, both sending and receiving patients, and with USAF Air Evacuation aircraft, usually C-130s. It would have been nice to practice some of these skills at the mobilization station, instead of waiting until we were here, in Afghanistan, dealing with real, live patients!

And there were other new experiences, like flying in UH-60s over the Afghan countryside. Flying in 20th Century aircraft over mud homes and ancient farmlands is quite a contrast.

Over time, all these things have become routine. We can hardly remember Camp Atterbury, but we will be glad to get back there on our way home. We receive casualties almost every day now, some with terrible injuries, but that too has become routine. We evacuate patients on fixed wing and rotary aircraft weekly, if not daily. We jump in UH-60s or STOL aircraft or C-130s like they are taxis or buses, without a second thought. We look forward to the next change of command and RIP//TOA since that will be our ticket home. We’ve become used to transitions and turbulence since our USAF personnel rotate every 120 days, our USAR surgeon and CRNA rotate every 90 days and our 365-day Soldiers are always leaving on or returning from R&R.

Finally, we are looking forward to seeing the clear, cold days of winter and the snow on the distant mountains. Summer here is hazy, so the distant mountains are rarely visible.

The clear views will indicate our imminent departure, our return home and our reunion with our families and friends.

As always, thanks for reading this blog, praying for us and supporting your troops.

Phillips, out.

Don't You Just Love It When a Plan Comes Together?

2007-07-25T05:22:00.000+04:30

Thanks to help from a patient support team, I now have my comment button back.

Any comments on the new look?

I'll be back posting soon.

Phillips, out.

Week 25--A Typical Day

2007-07-21T21:16:00.000+04:30

There is no typical day at a forward surgical hospital. It's like working in a big city emergency room/trauma center 24/7/365. There are slow days where I get to the gym and the bazaar and hang out with the guys. There are other days where it is busy from dawn until late at night with traumas and surgeries and patients on the ward. And there are lots of days in-between. But every day is an adventure.

This week was crazy. Lots of days with lots of traumas. A few deaths. And a few quiet days.

There was one landmark today; Our longest-stay patient, Azad, has moved to our Afghan surgical hospital. He's doing very well and his family is visiting him now. His youngest sister in 17 days old. His family is looking forward to going back home. Their gratitude is overwhelming. The gratitude of all our Afghani patients is overwhelming.

href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qv36OyVYKfs/RqI6NM0yyNI/AAAAAAAAAIM/fWACLdGKBFY/s1600-h/Azad%27s+Sister+2.jpg">

And we continue to improve the current hospital, even as we build a new one right next door. Last week we had a flood in the ER. So, we replaced the floor in the ER, raising it enough to so the next flood will go below, not above, the floor.

And every day the new hospital gets a little closer to completion. Soon, we'll be out of the tents and into a hardened structure.

No, there is no typical day here at the Salerno Hospital, but there are few boring days. Overall, it's a great place to serve Soldiers. If you like taking care of patients, there's no place better.

I'll try to be a more reliable blogger.

I'm sorry to the lack of a comment button. It went away, and I don't know how to get it back! :-(

The comment button is back. Thanks for all the advice.
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

Phillips, out.

Week 24--NSTR

2007-07-11T10:45:00.000+04:30

NSTR--Nothing Significant To Report. It's a term we use on reports when there is nothing else to say. It always reminds me of the movie "All Quiet on the Western Front". If you've never seen the movie I'll just sum up by saying that in a war, even when nothing is happening, there is always a lot going on.

This last week was quiet. But I guess my standard of quiet has changed over time. When I think about the week I try to remember all the patients that have come through the hospital:
Two patients with gunshot wounds to the chest, one patient with shrapnel wounds to the neck, one patient with a traumatic amputation to the lower leg, one patient with a skull fracture and C-Spine injury from falling out of a truck and four patients from a vehicle accident, all with various cuts, scrapes, bumps and bruises. And those are just the trauma patients that come to mind right now. And that does not include the various scheduled cases in the OR; spleens and thyroids mainly, but also various abdominal and breast masses. And to facilitate all this patient care are the numerous MEDEVACs and Air Evacs for patients coming and going from the FOB. And all the training, in between patients arriving, to prepare for the next case. When all is said and done, even a quiet week around her is very busy.

And the good news continues. Azad, our current long-term patient is getting better every day. He's transitioned from a somber, sad patient into a little boy. He smiles now, and enjoys the attention from our staff. He particularly enjoys trips outside to watch the helicopters come and go and the trucks drive by the hospital.

And I got to see another FOB recently, where I found a Walmart. Those things pop up in the strangest places!

The movie details the events of one day and how much impact they have on the individuals involved, and how those same events are viewed from headquarters. I guess the significance of any event is dependent upon your perspective, and how much it affects you personally. But more on that in a future blog.

Phillips, Out.

A Correction

2007-07-04T19:06:00.000+04:30

In the interest of full disclosure, I'd like to point out that the mother and baby I referred to in my Week 23 post were actually treated initially at the 541st FST. They delivered the baby, a healthy 5 and 3/4 pound baby boy. We received the patients after the delivery and continued the care of both until we transferred them to a Afghan children's hospital in Kabul.

It was truly a team effort, one worthy of being told correctly. Many hands played a part in that good outcome, but it all begins at the first point a patient enters into our system, in this case the 541st FST.

I meant no offense to my esteemed colleagues and I am happy to set the record straight.

Phillips, out.

Week 23--Soldier On

2007-07-03T15:45:00.000+04:30

During these slow weeks it's hard to think about anything to say in the blog. No drama and just the regular trauma, another hot summer week in FOB Salerno, Khowst Province, Afghanistan. It's weeks like this where we just Soldier On, doing our jobs and waiting for that magical day when we can redeploy.

Most of us spend an inordinate amount of time planning our redeployment, our return home. No matter how many times the Chaplain tells us not to idealize things back home, we do it anyway. When you are separated from home and family it's easy to remember everything through rose-colored glasses. It's great for getting through the deployment, but it can make things harder when you actually get home. Despite the fantasy, life goes on at home just as before; children grow up, spouses become independent, coworkers and friends move on. As we idealize life back home, and as life goes on back home, the gap between the fantasy and the reality grows larger and the transition becomes more jarring. It's all just part of the hidden stresses of war. Not all wounds are visible. Not all pain is obvious. Not all casualties of war are Soldiers.

But as we Soldier On we find ways to mark the passage of time. For me, I watch the new hospital construction and think about the day when we have a clean, dust free work environment...and indoor plumbing! It continues to progress quickly, and I continue to be amazed at how hard the host nation crew works every day in the heat and dust and rain and mud.

And even in the heat, there's always a fire, and kettle, and tea. Chai tea is popular in the US (at least it was when I left, almost 6 months ago!) but here it is just part of the diet; everyday fare. Whenever I eat with the locals, tea is on the menu. Even at the construction site, tea is served!

And of course, we always have our patients. Azad has been with us for almost two months. Wounded by shrapnel from a mortar round, he spend 6 weeks in our ICU. Now that he has recovered from his wounds he must now recover from the ICU. I never knew how hard it is to recover from being in the ICU; on a ventilator, paralyzed and sedated. Our nursing staff has done wonders with his rehabilitiation. We are not set up to manage these patients, but we do it anyway. My nursing staff is second to none when it comes to compassion and caring and competence. And Azad is a special case. His family is from a Kuchi tribe, a nomad tribe. His family raises sheep and moves between the mountains and the valleys, depending on the seasons and the weather. It has made for some interesting challenges; Azad has never used a western toilet, he cries if you try to make him. He prefers to squat in the trees. He eats with his fingers. He's not used to toys, so he mostly just stares at all the toys we give him. But he loves his father and he can't wait to go home. I guess some things are universal.

And finally, I decided to try some local clothing options. Here, I am dressed as a traditional Afghani man. Not the hat and vest over the loose-fitting pants and shirt. But, unlike almost every Afghani adult male I have seen, I have no beard or mustache. A definate mistake if you are trying to blend in with the locals. I guess I'll never be sent into town on an undercover job!

As I approach six months on this deployment, and almost 9 months away from home, I know there are many more opportunities for me to Soldier On, and for my family to hang in there waiting for my return. I'll keep blogging, even during the slow times, so you can see what we are experiencing here and in all the places where Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are serving this great country of ours.

Happy 4th of July! Happy Birthday USA!

Phillips, out.

Week 22--Progress Continues

2007-06-25T12:57:00.000+04:30

Progress contines here at FOB Salerno. A long, hot summer continues, but so does progress.

We got some good press last week. BBC news was here in Afghanistan reporting on the progress of the war. They did a story on the mother and baby we treated recently after she was shot in the abdomen. It's a very good story and it was also picked up by ABC News (and maybe some others I'm not aware of yet).

Check out these links to the story on BBC News and ABC News.

ABC News: Survival in the Middle East:
http://abcnews.go.com/search?searchtext=afghanistan&type=

BBC News: US Troops in Dramatic Rescue.
http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?tab=av&q=afghanistan&recipe=all&scope=all&edition=i

Now, the funny thing is, they could do these stories every day. Every day the news media could do stories on the good things we are doing here in Afghanistan or Iraq or in any country where US Forces are currently serving. I can see the headlines now: hospitals opened, schools opened, roads built, lives changed and hope restored. Instead, they choose to focus on our mistakes or failures. It can be frustrating, knowing the truth and seeing the reports. But I guess that's the price of a free press.

I can't speak for everywhere, but I know what we do here at FOB Salerno. We have a mandate to treat any patient if their injury is caused by Coalition Forces, and we provide the same level of care to everyone; US or Afghan, men, women and children, young or old, enemy or friendly. But, above and beyond this care, I can personally name many children we have treated; with burns, gunshot wounds, amputations, sharpnel wounds, falls and vehicle accidents. And these injuries were not caused by Coalition Forces. They are just everyday tragedies that occur in a violent, dangerous country. Still, we treat those we can, and we train the Afghan doctors and nurses to care for their own better, so that when we leave they will do well on their own. We are building independence, not dependence on US Forces.

Here are three children in our Local National Clinic. Every morning this clinic is full of Afghans seeking care. But we don't just treat the patients, we train Afghan doctors to care for Afghan patients better, so when we are gone they will still be here caring for their own people.

And we do have some long-term patients. This little boy spent over 6 weeks in our ICU. His wounds have healed, but now he's got a long road recovering from those wounds and getting healthy. So, we're working with him and his family to ensure the best possible outcome for him. The future of Afghanistan is in the hands of his generation, so we do whatever we can to ensure his future.

And since we're going to be here for a long time, we continue to build and improve our position. The new hospital is coming along well. Here's a picture of the front door of the new hospital. It will get prettier in time!

Our new Brick and Mortar building is coming along also. I took a few pictures of the roof construction. Before long we will be out of tents completely!

Finally, I got off the FOB again recently and got a few pictures of the Afghan countryside. It's a beautiful country, with unlimited potential. If only they could learn to settle their differences with words instead of guns.

Thank you for your support and encouragement. Please remember those wounded in combat, whether they have visible injuries or not. And remember the families of the deployed Soldiers; they have the hardest job of all.

Phillips, out.

Week 21--Winning the War

2007-06-17T15:45:00.000+04:30

Well, we have our youngest patient yet. I don't think they get much younger. This little boy's mother was shot in the abdomen. We saved the mom and delivered the baby, who suffered a minor wound from the bullet. Mom and baby are doing fine, and my staff is enjoying caring for a newborn baby.

I don't know why anyone would think we are losing this war. From my foxhole, it looks like we are winning the war in Afghanistan. I know that's not what the news reports, but I have found that there is a disconnect between what the news reports and the reality I see on the ground in Afghanistan.

We treat so many Afghan civilian patients, and every time I talk to them they thank me for being here, they thank me for taking care of them, they thank me for "rescuing" their country from the Taliban and the terrorists.

We treat so many Afghan Soldiers, and every time I talk to them, even after they have suffered serious wounds, they ask me when they can get back to their fellow Soldiers and when they can go back to fight the terrorist who have taken over their country. They are proud to serve their country and fight alongside US Soldiers against the Taliban and the terrorists.

We treat too many US Soldiers, and I have never talked to one wounded Soldier in my hospital who did not ask when he could get back in the fight. No matter how seriously wounded they were, they always asked about their fellow Soldiers and wanted to know how they were doing and when they could get back to them, back to the fight. I now know that those stories from the movies, about wounded Soldiers leaving the hospital to rejoin their units before the next big offensive are not just fiction, but true stories about real heroes who would rather die than abandon their brothers and sisters in arms.

I've seen too many killed in action, but with every one, US or Afghan, I've watched his friends and fellow Soldiers say goodbye, then pick up their gear and go right back out to continue the fight. Afghan and US Soldiers, fighting together, feel a sense of duty to the fallen to continue the fight, to win the fight, and honor the sacrifices of their brothers and sisters in arms.

And because of what we are doing, schools are open all over Afghanistan. On a recent trip we stopped at a District Center, right next to a primary school. There weren't many cars in sight, but as you can see there were lots of bicycles and motorbikes.

I asked where all the kids came from, because we were far from the town, and I was told that children come from miles around, just like a country school in the US. It was hot, and there was no air conditioning, so many classes had moved outside for the afternoon, in the shade of the trees. I remember doing the same thing in elementary school, on hot days in Texas.

I asked who built the school, and I was greeted with thumbs up and smiles as they said "America built this school!" Little boys and little girls sat side-by-side, reading and laughing and playing just like kids anywhere in the world.

Closer to my FOB, a school was recently burned to the ground. When I asked my Afghan friends who burned the school they said, "The Taliban burned the school." They did this because it was a place where little girls could sit side-by-side with little boys and learn to read.
Friends of mine in another unit replaced that burned out school the next day with tents and school supplies, and the kids came back the next day. Despite the danger of another attack, they came back to learn to read, and to laugh and play, just like kids anywhere in the world.

A friend of mine in Iraq, Tom Harrison, once wrote an email entitled, "Iraqis are from Mars; Americans are from Venus", detailing the differences in cultures and how it complicated our ability to accomplish the mission in Iraq. The generals in Iraq are only now beginning to understand and act on the insights Tom had in 2004.
The same problems exist here; We will never fully understand our Afghan hosts. But in Afghanistan we've got true partners in the Afghan Security Forces and in many of the Afghan people. We will never remake Afghanistan into Arizona, but we can help make it into a better, safer, more peaceful Afghanistan. The generals here get it, and they are doing what it takes to win.

We are winning the war in Afghanistan, with great sacrifice and at great cost to US and Afghan and Coalition Soldiers. I get tired of this job, and I get tired of being away from home and I get tired of war, but then I think of those who have sacrificed so much more than I have, and then I'm not tired anymore. I just hope America doesn't get tired.

Phillips, out.

Week 20--Groundhog Day, Again.

2007-06-08T13:50:00.000+04:30

I guess I'm not the most consistent blogger, and that must be frustrating for some of you. Around here every day is Groundhog Day; the days all run together with nothing to break up the monotony. It makes it hard to find things to write about.
Even with all the trauma we have seen lately, it all runs together. After nearly five months it all runs together; the patients, the traumas, the wounds, the surgeries, the days, the weeks, the months...

So, to mark the passage of time I've been documenting the progress on the new hospital and the new "brick and mortar" building being constructed near my TOC (Tactical Operation Center). As I've said before, it's facinating to watch the construction, particularly since they use only the most basic tools. I've never been good with tools or construction, but I'm facinated by those who can build and create using wood and stone and tools.

I can't even imagine what we pay these "local national" workers, but it can't be much. And yet, it must be a good, living wage because there is no shortage of laborers for all the construction going on here at the FOB.

I thought it was interesting to see how they braced the door frame. When using brick and mortar construction it's important to ensure things "set" before they are required to bear weight.

And the new hospital continues to rise, right before our eyes. The latest developments; door frames.

It will be nice to work indoors, someday. I don't think I'll be here to see it, but it will be a great blessing to those who follow me in this mission.

I saw this Jingle water buffalo at the construction site and just had to take a picture. It reminded me of the painted houses in Bavaria. It seems a thousand years since I wandered the beautiful streets of Garmisch and Oberammergau. Jingle water buffalos just don't compare, now that I think about it.

I don't know why they paint things around here, but it is quite common. I've seen "Jingle" trucks, cars, wagons, carts, water trailers...I've even seen a Jingle Rifle. I guess it is a reaction to the otherwise drab surroundings and difficult life they live here.

But through all the monotony and trauma, we continue to save and change lives. This child was hit by sharapnel and brought to our hospital. He's doing better now, but he's been touch and go for almost three weeks. Patients like this are emotionally draining and satisfying at the same time.

Not the most interesting post, but a reflection of the monotony of my life here on the FOB. it is truly hours and days of boredom, punctuated by moments of terror and pain and fear.

I'll try to blog more regularly.

Phillips, out.

Week 19--Progress

2007-05-30T11:50:00.000+04:30

Well, progess continues on the hospital. Some major milestones were passed in the last few days. The hospital in now tied in to the main water lines for the FOB.

Later it will be tied in to Prime Power. No generators, except for backup power. Ah, the luxuries of progress.

One day we will be providing healthcare in a clean, dust-free environment. With no leaks and no puddles when it rains.

And the basic plumbing is in place.

One day we will have indoor plumbing. No more walking outside in the rain to go to the bathroom! What a luxury.

And the foundations are being poured.

And as you can see, the foundations and the plumbing are interconnected. We had a quick meeting before the plumbing lines were laid and the foundations were poured to ensure we had sinks and toilets in all the right places. It gives new meaning to the phrase, "locked in concrete"!

Other construction projects on the FOB are also ongoing. The true meaning of our "Brick and Mortar" buildings was revealed in one look at a ongoing project.

"Brick and Mortar" acccurately describes the buildings in which we live. As I said in a previous post, all this work is done by hand. It's interesting to watch. It still reminds me of the area at the County Fair where they show you how they did things "back in the old days".

I guess we're going to be here for a while. All over the FOB improvements are being made. One day we may even have paved roads! And indoor plumbing in our living quarters! And peace in Afghanistan! Okay, maybe I'm just dreaming, but dreaming is okay. It's what keeps you going when you are here for twelve months, or fifteen, or more.

On days like today, when the sun is shining and the work is at a reasonable level, I love being here. On other days, the sun does not shine and the work is more difficult, and I feel differently. Of course, it really doesn't matter how I feel, the work goes on, the patients arrive and depart and the days tick by one after another. It's way too early to start counting the days until I go home, so for now home remains a theoretical concept to be pondered and debated, but not anticipated. Not yet.

Thanks for reading and thanks for supporting the troops and the families, wherever you find them.

Phillips Out.

Week 18--And the Beat Goes On....

2007-05-24T20:17:00.000+04:30

Well, unless the war ends soon it looks like it will be a long summer. There appears to be no shortage of sick and injured in this part of Afghanistan. The days are long, but morale at the hospital is high. Even with everything that is going on, it is hard to blog every week. By the time I subtract anything that would violate Operational Security (OPSEC) and anything that would violate someone's privacy (my own rule) and anything the Army would consider detrimental to good order and discipline (so they don't shut down my blog) sometimes I'm not left with much to say!

But I can always write about life on the FOB, or occasionally off the FOB. This week I was off the FOB on a mission, so I took a few pictures.
I'm always amazed at how difficult life is in this part of Afghanistan, and how resilient these people are.

With the roads around here, four wheeling is an important skill.

But in contrast to the obvious poverty, there are signs of increasing prosperity.

And wherever you go, kids will be kids.

With gas prices so high at home, I always wonder how much they pay for gas here. I do know that their gas stations don't offer many amenities.

And even here, you encouter traffic jams!

And at the end of the trip, it's nice to find a paved road to take you home.

With respect to life on the FOB, one question I am often asked is, "How is your life different?" Well, it would probably be easier to list the things that are the same. But here is a partial list of things that are different for me here:

I wear a uniform all day, every day. No civilian clothes allowed.
If I get to wear my physical training uniform (PTs) for a day I consider that a day off!
I carry my weapon with me everywhere I go. And I keep it clean and ready for use.
I live in a bunker, and there is a reason why!
When it's time to eat, I've got to walk about 1/2 a mile, one way.
When I want to take a shower, I walk about 100 meters to the shower trailer.
To go to the bathroom I walk about 20 meters to the latrine trailer.
I live and work with the same people, day after day after day.
The patients keep coming, day after day after day.
My office has no indoor plumbing.
The hospital has limited indoor plumbing.
I live in a bay with five other men. We each have our own space, separated by wooden partions and wall lockers and curtains.
My duty day lasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Despite the list above, I enjoy being here. Working with the Soldiers and Airmen in the hospital is very satisfying. The work we do, the lives we save and change for the better, makes the separation and danger worthwhile. When my time here is done I'll be ready to go home, but I will miss this place and this job and these people.

Thanks for your support and prayers and comments. God bless you all.

Phillips out.

Week 17--The Summer Heats Up

2007-05-15T10:59:00.000+04:30

Well, the summer is definately heating up here in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. Our temperatures have been in the 90's, except when the thunderstorms roll through.
We had a big thunderstorm with lightening and hail last week. The hospital survived without any major damage, but a few Soldiers received minor scratches from grape-sized hailstones.

Here's a view from my room, as I cowered in the safety of my "brick and mortar" hootch. It's not very clear, but the storm hit as night fell, and I wasn't willing to go out into the storm to get a better picture!

I felt sorry for those who still live in tents! No injuries were reported, but the next day you could see blue sky through the numerous holes in some tents.

The activity here is heating up also. Check out the following websites to see what's really happening here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/default.stm
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4F328D41-F0FF-434F-B392-BC3F16BAEBB0.htm

I find more stories about Afghanistan on other news sites besides CNN and FOX News.
It's interesting to be here and see an event first-hand, then read about it online and note the differences in the stories. I noticed the same thing during my time in Iraq. Of course, even participants in the same event have different recollections of that event, so I guess it's not surprising that different news outlets portray the same event differently.

While I'm here I try not to think too much about what I'll do when I get home, at least not yet. That's just too far away at this point. However, I did work with a British unit the other day and I got to ride in a Land Rover Defender again. I didn't get a picture, but I pulled this picture off the web. Of course, I have no logical reason for my affinity for Land Rover Defenders, but I guess passion doesn't necessarily need a reason.
Maybe someday I'll actually get a Defender, but until then, I'll just keep dreaming.

And speaking of passion, one of my interpreters recently brought his motorcycle to work, so of course I had to take a ride. It's not Harley, but since I've been deprived for many months it was nice just to ride for a few minutes!

Finally, I'm happy to report that construction on the new hospital continues on schedule. While I don't think I'll ever see the finished product, I know that someday Coalition casualties will be treated in a clean, dust-free environment, which will be a tremendous blessing for all. As I watch the construction I enjoy seeing the variety of vehicles and equipment used by the local contractors. This cement truck caught my eye, and I immediately named it the Barbie Cement Mixer.

As always, thanks for your prayers and support. The days here are getting long, and the weeks and months stretch out ahead of us like a long road. Maybe looking back it will seem shorter, but for now it seems a long, long time until I'll be back home.

Phillips Out.

Week 16--The Sun Comes Out Again

2007-05-06T16:38:00.000+04:30

I guess no matter how dark the night, the sun does eventually come back out.
Using that analogy, it's morning for me here. Definately not the full light of day, but not the dark of night anymore.

Thanks to all who were concerned about me. I appreciate the emails and comments and prayers and kind thoughts. I did not mean to alarm anyone, but it is important for me to post each week, the good and the bad.

I'm approaching the four month mark on a deployment of undetermined lenghth. Fifteen months boots on the ground (BOG) is now the rule for Active Duty units. How that applies to Army Reserve Soldiers deployed to augment a USAF hospital is still hazy, much less how it applies to an Active Duty Soldier deployed with the Army Reserve in support of a USAF hospital! To say I'm confused is an understatement.

And now the Department of Defense has revised it's rules on blogging. Previously, we were required to register our blogs. Now it appears we may be required to submit our blogs for review prior to posting. If that's all that is required it won't effect me, but each individual unit has some leeway to manage the program as they see fit. My unit could forbid blogging completely. If so, I'll need to find another way to get the word out about my deployment. This has become a routine, and a way to vent at least some of my feelings and thoughts about deployment. I hope I can continue.

The new hospital continues to go up. All the columns are now poured.

The foundation is next. I can see progress every day. One day we will be done with the tents and working inside a new, "brick and mortar" facility. Of course, there's lots of work to be done between now and then, but at least there's light at the end of the tunnel. Watching the hospital go up is fun, especially if you like to watch the big equipment.

And it's not only the construction. We keep upgrading the existing facility; moving things around and improving how we provide patient care.

The old tents need constant attention; from floors to liners to lights and doors. I often think, "If these walls could talk, what stories would they tell?"

And all this happens here in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. It's a very strange place in many ways. I was reminded of that when I saw the parking lot for the Host Nation workers here on the FOB. As you can see, lots of motorcycles in the valet parking lot.

Our Afghani workers are vital to the mission and they risk a lot to do this job. And they do so much with so little. Even watching the construction projects is interesting. They use a minimum of power tools, even bending rebar with hand tools. It reminds me of the Clark County Fair, the area where the demonstrate "old fashioned" ways to do things.

As you can see, things are not perfect here, and the crisis has not passed, but things are looking up. Like hiking in the mountains, you struggle upwards toward a peak and celebrate the conquest, only to see another, higher peak ahead. There will be many higher peaks, but at least this can't go on forever. Twelve months, fifteen months, whatever the Army decides, eventually they must send me home and that will be a glorious, wonderful day.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for caring.

Phillips out.

Week 15--A Week to Forget

2007-04-30T11:46:00.000+04:30

Some weeks should pass without comment. Too hard, too dark, too sad.
Week 15 is one such week.

I'm sure there will be others.

Phillips Out.

Week 14--Afghanis I Have Known

2007-04-24T09:21:00.000+04:30

I was going to write a long entry about all the Afghanis I know and work with here at FOB Salerno and in Khowst. However, as I gathered information and talked to my Afghan friends I realized that the last thing they want is their name and/or picture posted on the internet. The same technology we use to keep in touch and share our lives with friends and family, the insurgents use to target the Afghans who work with the Coalition Forces. I'm sad to say that I personally know of many, here and in Iraq, who have been killed just for working with the US Army.

So, I'll tell this story without pictures or names. In a place where suicide bombers and assisinations are common, it's just too dangerous to do it any other way.

Here in Afghanistan I work with Afghanis every day. It's one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I've changed since my tour in Iraq, so I have a more objective view of my "terps", as they are called here.
So far I have found the them to be smart, reliable and hard working. The ones who work with us here on the FOB are now familiar with American culture and idiosyncrasies. The ones we work with outside the FOB are curious and reserved, but interested in learning more about America and Americans.

Most of our patients are Afghani. It's probably split almost evenly; soldiers and civilians. The Afghan Army Soldiers are, as you imagine, tough fighters. But what I didn't expect is their "esprit de corps". Just like US Soldiers, when they wake up after surgery their first question is, "when can I go back to my unit?". Just like US Soldiers, their commanders and leaders call to check on them and visit them in the hospital. They seem to be loyal; to Afghanistan, the army and their unit. The way ahead for us is making their Army self sufficient. There can be no freedom or progress without security. We are doing our part by ensuring they get excellent trauma care when they are wounded or injured.

The other half of our patients are civilians; both elective cases and trauma. The elective cases are the best; we relieve suffering, improve quality of life and train the Afghan healthcare providers all at the same time. The Afghani doctors, nurses and medics with whom we work provide much of the care to our afghani patients. In this way we increase their capabilities and set them on a path to independence in the health sector.
The trauma cases are not as nice, but sometimes very rewarding. Afghanistan is a violent, dangerous place and trauma is common. Just this last weekend the news reported two bombings in Khowst. Most of the patients are treated at local hospitals, but sometimes we can assist them if the number of injuries or the nature of the injuries exceed their capabilities. In many cases we are able to save lives and ease suffering after senseless, violent attacks. And no matter the outcome, I have received nothing but thanks and gratitude from patients and families of patients for the treatment and care we provided.

Our Afghani staff consists of doctors, nurses and medics. They work with us in all aspects of patient care. We could not do our job without them. As a miniumum, they translate between English and Pashto. Often they provide patient care alongside US providers. Of course, many of them would love to travel to the US to study or live, but they also retain a hope for their country, a hope for the future and a hope for their children. Like security, healthcare is essential for this country to move forward and improve.

The Afghanis I deal with "outside the wire" are totally different. They are understandably guarded, since they never know who is watching or listening. But still, I find them interested in all things American and optimistic about the future. Khowst Province is poor, and it has seen decades of continuous conflict, but it is undergoing a transformation. New schools, new homes, new roads, new hospitals and clinics are all easy to see. Afghanis still shop and travel, marry and have children, all with one eye on the past and one eye on the future.

One important note: I rarely deal with any Afghani women. I've worked with one female Afghani doctor and I routinely see female Afghani patients in the clinic and on the ward. But in all instances, they remain quiet and as covered as possible, even during a physical exam, even in a patient bed on the ward. I remember one trip into Khowst where we entered a courtyard, accompanied by our Afghani host, where several women were waiting, uncovered. They paused just long enough to watch us enter the courtyard, then covered their heads and faces and exited the courtyard as quickly as possible. On another occassion I was talking to a doctor as he conducted some patient teaching with a female patient in the clinic. The patient sat on the bed, completely covered from head to toe, with her husband beside her, while the doctor relayed his instructions and recommendations through the interpreter. It's just another part of living and working here in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It's just another reason to rely on our interpreters and Afghani healthcare providers when we are treating and dealing with Afghani patients.

Overall, this is a great job. It's easy to get depressed; the days are long and work never stops and I miss my family. But it's also easy to see the progress we are making and the lives we are changing. The American people should be proud of the job the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are doing here and all over the world. The represent the best of America, and they do it under less than ideal circumstances.

Thank you and may God Bless You.

Until next time....

Week 13--The Beginning of a Long, Hot Summer

2007-04-17T09:32:00.000+04:30

Well, another week has flown by. At this rate, I’ll be home before you know it! Well, maybe not. If the Army keeps extending tours they’ll eventually have to make this a PCS move! I wonder when they will start to build the family housing?

This week went fast, but it ended on a sad note. One of the best things about a deployment is the friendships you make; friendships forged in shared suffering. One of the worst things is when those friends leave. This week my friend and comrade-in-arms, COL Don Sawyer, departed, on his way back home.

He was my Chief Surgeon and a great partner in commanding this hospital. He will be missed. And he left as he arrived, in the middle of a busy time, filled with casualties. He worked in the operating room almost until the end, almost until his plane departed. It reminded me of the episode in MASH where COL Blake is leaving, but the casualties keep coming and everyone is too busy to say a proper goodbye. And finally everyone realizes that there is no right way to say goodbye and sometimes a simple salute is the best farewell for a Soldier.

But this week also had its positive moments. We had a return visit from one of our patients. The boy pictured below is Zaidullah, one of our burn patients from several months ago. At one point it appeared he might lose his foot to infection, but this week he was back and walking! And wearing shoes! It’s nice to see a success. Thankfully for Zaidullah, we have a wonderful orthopedic surgeon and she was able to save his foot and give him hope for a productive life. As a trauma hospital we don’t always see the results of our hard work. And with the Afghan patients follow-up care can be difficult. The nice thing about surgery is that is can be very definitive. In our clinic we identify problems that can be resolved surgically, hopefully with minimal follow up care. It allows us to improve quality of life without requiring frequent trips back to our clinic, which can be expensive, difficult and dangerous for our Afghan patients.

This girl is typical of our Afghan patients.

I’m always amazed at how nicely dressed they are when they come to our hospital. I’m still not sure if they are wearing their “Sunday best” to visit the American hospital or if this is everyday attire. I do know that kids around the world love their parents and enjoy toys, books and games. I watch the kids cling to their parent’s legs, pull on their hats or glasses and calm down when they get back in their parents arms, just like kids in the US. With this little girl, I thought it was interesting to see her with “Curious George” as she sat outside our clinic waiting to be seen. I remember Curious George from my childhood (many moons ago!), so I just had to get a picture.

One other recent patient was the girl pictured below. She’s from an Afghan nomad family. She lost her arm when her family’s tractor hit a landmine. Several other family members were killed and the tractor was destroyed. Lucky for her, she only lost her arm. This is just one example of the patients we see; innocent victims of wars past and present. We were able to save her life, and give her a chance. Hopefully one of the many NGOs operating here in Afghanistan will be able to provide her with a prosthetic arm. Unfortunately, amputees are not uncommon in Afghanistan, so although there are a lot of organizations providing help, there are always more patients than capacity.

On a brighter note, the construction of the new hospital continues. It seems like it’s ahead of schedule to me, but that’s probably just because I am excited. It is rising like a forest in an empty lot beside the existing hospital. It started with the big dig (pictured below)
and has risen to be a forest of steel and concrete (as seen here).
Before you know it there will be floors and walls and, eventually, a roof. And someday we will be working inside a hardened structure, but we will always remember our days in the “original” Salerno Hospital, the tents and wood floors and walls that have stood so well for so long, through too many patients to count.

And finally, on another happy note, I turned 45 last Friday! I celebrated one more birthday away from home; one more birthday deployed. We celebrated in traditional Salerno Hospital style, with Afghan cake and the singing of Happy Birthday in the EMT tent. Then we all went back to work. With all the extensions across the Army, I just hope I am home in time to celebrate my next birthday with my family! I like it here, but enough is as good as a feast.

Take care. God bless you all and may God Bless America.

Week 12--Khowst Province

2007-04-09T10:56:00.000+04:30

Another week has gone by, and it’s time for another post to the blog. I'm posting on this, my new site, as well as my old site, right now, but this will be my last week to post on both. I like this site because it allows me to imbed the pictures into the text, and I can upload the pictures myself! But I may still need picture girl, because my internet continues to be SLOW and unreliable. And that’s the internet at the office! Check out my new blog site at:
http://deploymenttoafghanistan.blogspot.com/

This week I was thinking about our neighborhood, Khowst Province and Khowst City. Around here, paved roads are the exception rather than the rule. There’s a lot of money flowing in to Afghanistan, and lots of improvements are evident, but there is still a lot of work to be done. This picture of the road outside the FOB is typical; a dirt road, but with construction and improvement evident.

And the improvements are very necessary. This flooding is on that same road, after just a few days of rain. Without a four wheel drive vehicle and a snorkel it is impassable. We made it with Hummers, but even then it was scary.

Here’s what the improved roads look like. Paved roads are a wonderful thing, when you can find them. But just to the side of every paved road are the same mud buildings and dilapidated infrastructure. When I asked my interpreters about speed limits in Khowst City they just looked at me and laughed. When I asked about traffic lights, laughter again. I am told that there are only three traffic lights in Afghanistan, all in Kabul, the Capital city. This is probably an exaggeration, but if so, probably not by much.

But still, improvement continues. This new house in Khowst is not unusual; a beautiful new house (with walled compound, of course!) on an unpaved street next to a flooded low water crossing. Signs of progress are everywhere; rows of Jingle Trucks bringing in new items for sale, a “home depot” type lot with lumber, bricks, rocks, firewood and fixtures, new construction and new jobs. We can’t buy our way out of this war, but people who are busy working have less time for fighting, and less inclination to do so, we hope.

We take a lot for granted; power, water, safety and security to name a few. In Khowst City they get 4 to 8 hour a day of power, usually in the evening. If you want more, you get a generator for your home or business. Of course, running water requires electricity so most homes and business use water tanks on the roof to provide gravity-fed water for drinking and cleaning. Safety and security? Well, in a place where suicide bombings and automatic rifle fire are common, safety and security are not taken for granted.

And still, the patients continue to come. These two little girls represent the future of Afghanistan. Hopefully they will be like Germans and Japanese children from 50 years ago who remember kind American Soldiers who took care of them and gave them candy. We can’t win this war unless we love the Afghan people, and there’s no better place to start than with the children.

Thanks for reading and praying and supporting all of us over here, and back home.

Week 11--Life on the FOB

2007-04-01T20:29:00.000+04:30

Well, another week has passed. And Spring has finally sprung here on FOB Salerno. The tree outside my "hootch" (our generic name for our living quarters) went from buds to leaves in just a few days. And the weather is spring-like. Saturday was a beautiful day all day, until a thunderstorm blew in and blasted us with high winds and rain. Stuff went flying all over the FOB, including our new satellite dish! Fortunately no one was hurt on the FOB and no major damage to equipment was reported. And Sunday was back to clear skies and sunshine. It was a nice day to relax and get ready for another long week.

This week my travels took me to some different areas of the FOB. It's easy for me to forget that not everyone has it as good as I do, on this FOB or on the many smaller, outlying FOBs. In fact, most of the Soldiers on FOB Salerno still live in the "tent city" pictured below. The tents sleep 8 to 12 Soldiers; the fewer the better, of course. All have wooden floors and many are sectioned into cubicles with wooden walls or curtains.

And Soldiers decorate their areas, each according to his or her own tastes. "Hootch Art" is a popular way to decorate. The wooden walls make a perfect canvas. I thought this picture would make a good tattoo; then I found out that is was a reproduction of the artist's own tattoo, so I guess I was right! As time goes by the tents are being replaced by "brick and mortar" buildings, so the quality of life continues to improve for Soldiers on FOB Salerno.

The FOB is not big, but it's still too big to walk everywhere in a timely manner. And of course sometime you need a truck to carry everything from point A to B. For the Salerno hospital we have only two ways to move things; our gators and our Hillbilly Hummer. The John Deer gators are the most common method of driving on the FOB. But when the load is too big, it's time to use the Hillbilly Hummer. It may not look like much, but it's big and it runs and it's all we've got. Of course, I'd never leave the FOB in it, but it's great for around the FOB. I'll have to do an entry on all the different vehicles I see here on the FOB. Toyota pickup trucks, up-armored Hummers, gators, Land Rovers and Land Cruisiers all compete for space on the dirt roads of FOB Salerno. But the most common way to get around on FOB Salerno isstill the most basic; walking. It's great exercise and it doesn't require a license or helmet or ground guide.

Finally, the hospital construction continues. They started with big holes in the ground, and now have progressed to a "forest" of columns. It won't be long before we see a foundation and floors and walls and a roof. I have no doubt now that the Soldiers who replace us will move directly in to a brick and mortar hospital and that we will be the last occupants of the hospital in the tents. It will be a great day, but a little sad when you think of the hundreds of staff and patients who have worked and played and lived and died in the existing hospital. We'll need a suitable ceremony to honor those who have gone before us and all they were able to accomplish with so little. I'm proud that we've been a part of that legacy.

As always, thanks for reading the blog and supporting the Soldiers and families of our Armed Forces. If you have any questions or comments or suggestions, I welcome your input.

Test Posting

2007-03-25T16:15:00.000+04:30

Just a test posting for now.
I'll start posting about my deployment to Afghanistan soon.
For now, check out my blog at:
http://journals.aol.com/richardtyrone4/richards-deployment-to-afghanist/