R&R Leave

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!

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

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?

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Heeere’s SSgt Morris (another TEXAN)

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 . . .

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.

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Caring for the BEST . . .

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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

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Be Proud and Support These Fellow Americans . . .

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


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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. "

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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"

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