Friday, August 27, 2010

Finally Home



27 Aug Friday

I am finally home. It was a tearful reunion at the airport, as both my family and members of my local Reserve Unit came to greet us when we arrived. It was awesome. I finally got to hug and kiss my wife and kids and know that I will not be leaving again anytime soon.
Now that I'm home, I plan on not doing a whole lot for a few weeks. I'll then take a good look at my options and see what God has in store for me/us next.
I want to thank you all for following along with my blog over the last year and a half. It was fun to write and I hope it was (almost) as much fun to read. Thanks for joining me on this fantastic journey to Afghanistan and back, and I can only hope that God has spoken to you through this in some way shape or form. I know He did for me!
Check back in again soon. I am not exactly sure how I want to finish this little blog-journey, but I know that I will bring it to and end sometime soon. I understand you can publish your own blogs and turn them into personalized books. I may do that in the near future. But as for now... I thank God for bringing me through this safely and I praise Him for te opportunity to serve Him as a Chaplain and come home to my family. Now I want to relax and do a whole lot of nothing! Talk to you again soon....

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Going Home Tomorrow

Thurs 26 Aug
I have been waiting for a very long time to be able to say, "I'm going home tomorrow!" Today is our last day of this de-MOB process -- and therefore this deployment -- and we will all be released to go home tomorrow. They will fly us all to our home states and local airports, so it will be a glorious day! I can't wait to see my wife and kids at the airport (yes, I may shed a few tears), and I'll even make it home in time to celebrate my mom's birthday coming up soon, too. It should be a great weekend.

Way back when this trip started I had someone tell me that deployments will change you, so I should pray that God changes me for the better. I remembered that advice and began praying that very prayer even before we left the USA back in October, 2009. And I am here to tell you that God answered that prayer in more ways than one. We grow the most through difficult circumstances and trials, and this sure was a growing experience. Overall, I think I am a more tolerant and patient person. Although I suppose the crowds at the mall or a traffic jam will test that theory pretty quick! I know I have grown to appreciate the little things in life more, as well as the people who mean the most to you. We take so much for granted in our country, it's truly unbelievable. That is, until you live with and see people who have far less.

So I have been pondering the Apostle Paul's words in Colossians 3:2 and 3:5 where he writes to put away the desires for things of this earth and to set our hearts on what is above (i.e, the Messiah). This is a very hard thing to do, as you can imagine. Having been away from our society for a year, I now find myself wanting "things." I catch myself admiring that cool new iPhone that my buddy owns, or that sweet pick-up truck that just drove by, or some other material possession that I don't currently possess! I want it. In fact, I want it all.

But the Scriptures say don't do that. God tells us that He wants to give us the desires of our heart, but I don't think that means a Farrari and the iPhone! I think God wants the desires of my heart to match the desires of His heart, and then He will gladly give them to me/us. OK, sounds easy, but what does that look like or really mean? Well, I have stumbled upon something else in my devotionals recently. Have you ever noticed how often the New Testament teaches us to love others? I think it may be the central, guiding principle of both Christ's and Paul's teachings. To truly love each other, and to show the world we are different through this one simple act. (I wish it were that simple!). But it can be done. Sadly, we Christians look and act and sin too much like everyone else in this world, and we are failing miserably in attracting a lost and dying world to the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I am praying that God helps me learn to love the un-lovable, and love those who persecuted me this past year. A pastor friend once told me that "sheep sometimes stink and bite." He was right. So maybe through it all God is teaching me to learn how to love and feed His sheep. I hope so.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Prayers Needed

Tuesday 24 Aug
I am very frustrated. The last five days have been so slow and inefficient that we all just want to scream. Here we are, just days from being done with this thing and home with our families, and the Army (in it's infinite wisdom) decides to take a four-day process and stretch it into eight! It has been unbelievable how much time has been wasted since last Thursday and how much sitting around we have done during that period as well. The schedule calls it "decompression time", which is basically a fancy way of saying we don't have anything scheduled for you, so just sit around. It's absurd. We could--and should--be done with this process already, but NO, that would make sense. Instead, they have us here a few more days before we all get released. We're all going stir-crazy.

But I had another reason for blogging today: I wanted to ask for your prayers. I have been seeking God's guidance regarding my immediate future after this deployment. But God has been very silent on this topic. I am not sure why, but I know enough to trust Him and wait. So I would like to ask for your prayers to do just that, and to have the spiritual eyes and ears to discern what He wants me to do. Thank you.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Back in the USA !!







Sunday 22 Aug

It has been an eventful week since I last posted from Kyrgzystan and the sports bar scene. (I added a picture of the candy-bar rack available there for the soldiers heading to and from theater. Crazy, huh?). So the day finally came for us to leave and we boarded the DC-10 and flew back to the USA on Thursday. It was an interesting route home, since we stopped in Romania and again in Ireland to refuel. Both times we got to get out and roam through the respective airports. Romania was beautiful; Ireland was dark and rainy. But from there we flew to Maine and refueled again, before heading on to our final destination here at Ft. Bliss, TX (near El Paso). We are currently staying here for our final week. This is called the "De-Mobilization" process, where they have you turn in your weapon(s), Individual Body Armor (IBA), and then go through a medical and dental out-processing. (I found out I may have 1 cavity, oops). Tomorrow we all go through a mental health evaluation -- boy that should be fun! But today is a down day on the schedule so I went to church already and later plan to hit the weight room (maybe a nap in between!).

As for the pictures, notice the band playing for us when we landed at Ft. Bliss. They had a nice little reception planned out for us, and even a few families made the long trip to greet their loved-ones when we arrived. But I could not resist the temptation of one final picure of my ol' buddy, the port-a-john! It was really hard saying goodbye to him (or her?), knowing how close we'd become over the past year. But I had to do it nonetheless. Goodbye old friend! (sniffle, sniffle). I now look forward to a few of the more taken-for-granted pleasures of being back home, such as not needing to wear flip-flops in the shower for fear of who knows what fungus is growing there, and then indoor plumbing -- that is, not having to physically go outside and walk to the bathroom. Especially at night! Boy, it will be good to be home!

And one final note, remember what I said last blog about the General Orders #1 (not being allowed to drink)? Well, we had a few of the Soldiers disregard that order two nights ago. They went into town (which was allowed), but decided to come back drunk. Not a good idea. Now all 7 of them are in hot water. A "Field Grade" Article 15 means they can all lose rank as well as a lot of money for violating a direct order. The Battalion Commander (BC) decided to put everyone on "lock down" since the incident, which means no one can leave Post anymore until we fly home. No one can go to an off-base restaurant or movie, or visit wth their family members who may be staying in a local hotel. Those families who are here and were hoping to spend time in the evenings with their Soldier are out of luck. So as you can imagine, the rest of the Soldiers are angry -- at their buddies for breaking the rules as well as at the BC for her decision to restrict passes. Basically, people are tired and grumpy and just want this to be over. I can relate. So please, keep us in your prayers for a little bit longer. It's almost over!
All I know is this is my last weekend of this deployment. I will be back home with my wife and kids by the end of this up-coming week. Thank you, Lord.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Afghanistan In My Rear-View Mirror




16 Aug 2010 (Monday)

I am currently sitting on a wooden deck outside a "sports bar" on a US Airbase base in what used to be southern Russia using their free Wi-Fi. Sounds pretty cool, huh? Who would have expected that a few years back? It has been a very relaxing day -- my first since leaving Afghanistan. Even though we arrived at 4 in the morning, it was still good to be here! My feet are now on Russian soil (sort of), and will soon be on American soil. I like the sound of that. But back to the sports bar issue: we are still under what's commonly refered to as "General Orders #1," which says that we cannot consume alcohol until we are released from this tour. Many of the soldiers are really bummed about this, although I'm not sure why. We were all told very clearly that no one can drink here long before we arrived, and yet some still hoped the rules would be bent for them. Personally, I could care less. A cold Coke is perfect for me!
Yesterday was another typical "hurry-up-and-wait" day in the Army. We were told to be ready by 1400 hrs (2 pm), but the bus and bag truck showed up at noon. So we all quickly got our gear loaded up and we boarded the busses to the Customs building/tent. They off-loaded all of our gear and duffel bags into this long, hot tent (see picture). It was a nightmare trying to find your bags, as you can see. (I have the advantage of previously painting crosses onto my bag to distinguish it from all others as the Chaplain's bag!). Anyway, then we went through customs -- where they make you unpack everything and show it to the Agent. They confiscated my lithium battery for my flashlight! So now I have no light while in the dark tent here. I don't get that?! But anyway, it was a very tedious process. They want to make sure Soldiers are not trying to sneak illegal items out of the country and into ours. I guess that makes sense, but it's still a drag to go through. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. Seven hours later we were rounded up and crammed aboard an Airforce C-17 cargo plane for the short flight here. We all cheered when the plane lifted off of Afghanistan soil for the last time! It was a neat experience. The pilot allowed me to go up to the flight deck level to take the above picture. I was sitting over on the left-hand side, about 3/4 of the way back. Notice our gear all piled up in the back of the plane under the cargo nets. The AirForce has this down to a science (although not a fast one)! Anyway, the first step in the process of getting home is over and Afghanistan is now behind me!



Sunday, August 15, 2010

We're Outta Here!















Sun 15 Aug




It has been a long, hot, final week. There were three awards ceremonies this past week, and one big Transfer of Authority (TOA) ceremony. I was scheduled to give the opening prayer (invocation), and we rehearsed it maybe five times all the way through (to make sure everyone knew their part). But when the time came for the actual real-deal ceremony (the one where the General and several Colonels were in attendance), well, that's when the announcer completely forgot the opening prayer. She completely skipped over me. I was standing in my spot next to the podium ready to go, but they skipped right past me. So I stood there for a few uncomfortable minutes before sitting down. I was pretty bummed and disappointed with it all. It seemed to be a fitting ending to some of the other stuff that has occured this year with this battalion. So I thanked God for bringing us to the end and pray for safe travels home.
Two of the pictures are of the TOA Ceremony itself. You can see the Soldiers standing in formation, as well as my Battalion Commander and Sergeant Major rolling up the flag of our ballation. There is a symbolic moment where our "colors" are put away, and the new Unit's flag (or colors) is unfurled. They now have authority and we are done! Oh and the best part... there was a neat cake after the ceremony with our "Dark Knights" logo on it. (That is the top picture).

I am also attaching a few pictures of the tent I lived in for over a week. We had a crazy experience last Thursday when a rain storm flooded our area. Water started pouring in through the seams in the top of the tent, and it began pouring down on our bunks and gear. There were over 150 guys living in this small space and it was mass chaos trying to move bunk beds out of the way and get clothing and gear up off the wet floor. I was fortunate that my bed was not near an open seam. So I took these pictures during the mess. I told a few people afterwards that it was such a miserable experience that it was almost comical. I guess that was par for the course for those of us living out there in the Warrior RSOI area (a.k.a., District 9). I am so glad to be done with it.
And that brings me to the end of this blog. It will be the last one I do from Afghanistan. The next time I blog, it will be either from a stop along the way home, or from the good 'ol USA. I have less than 2 weeks before I will be officially done with this deployment and home with my family. I can't wait! So I'll talk to you again soon but please pray for our safety as we travel home. I would appreciate it. Thanks for following along this year. i appreciate that.

Friday, August 06, 2010

Another Fallen Hero








Friday 6 Aug,

My day started off at 3:15 am when I got up to participate in a Ramp Ceremony for a Fallen "Kiwi" Soldier. The Kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand, and their soldiers here like to be called the Kiwi's. Anyway, I was paying my last respects to the New Zealand detachment here who experienced their very first soldier killed in AFG so far (and first in battle since 2002). I got to know some of their team here this past year, and even though this particular soldier was from a FOB out in the West (and I did not know him personally), I wanted to be there and salute his casket and pay my respects. His body was flown here to be loaded on an Air Force plane bound for home. [If you want to get a good feel for how the military takes care of and honors their Fallen Heroes, watch the movie, Taking Chance, with Kevin Bacon. It's a well done and moving film about a Marine killed in action and the process of getting his body home to his family]. There were about 200 American Army and Air Force personnel who came out at 0400 hrs to honor the Kiwi's and their Hero. It was pretty special. If you've been following my blog since the beginning of my year here, you will remember my own Unit had a Soldier KIA just 16 days into the deployment. So I experienced a Ramp Ceremony from a personal level last November. It is probably fitting that I attend another one right here at the end of my stay as well.

It was also a hard day for a separate reason, too. I had to deal with a personal issue today that has been building up for a few months -- and one that I should have dealt with long ago. I prayed about it for a week and then got quite a bit of advice and support from my peers and leadership, so I know I did the right thing. But it was still hard. The Army has forced me to step out of my comfort zone on a number of occassions, which is always difficult. But I believe God uses these experiences to stretch us and change us and help us grow. It is always for God's glory, but also for my benefit as well. Sometimes it's hard to see that in the midst of the trial, but God's purposes always prevail! You can bank on that.

I will preach my final sermon here this weekend. It will be a weird feeling to say goodbye to some of the people I have met and worked with at the chapels here over the last 10 months. One constant here is change, and everyone eventually goes home, but you never think your time will get here. Well now it is, and I will get to ride off into the sunset (so to speak) real soon.
And finally, I am attaching a few extra pictures this time. One is of the awards ceremony we held for our Advanced Party team. We already sent a handful of soldiers ahead of us back to the USA to accompany the equipment and to help get the housing and details ready for us when we all hit the de-Mobilization site in Texas. The picture is of my buddy, SSG Flores, getting his award. He is saluting our Colonel and Sergeant Major. And the final two are snapshots of a few posters I saw that were meaningful to me this year (including one of Bill Mauldin's famous cartoons from WWII, this one with a Chaplain. Notice the guy's helmet up front).

I am going to try to do one more blog early next week. But if not, this may be my last one from Afghanistan!




Monday, August 02, 2010

Relief in Place (RIP)





2 Aug

Well, it's definitely coming to an end. We are officially into our RIP process, which means your replacements are here and you are in the training phase. One week where we train them, and the second week where we slide out of the way. It's a great feeling. I am attaching a picture of my replacement, Chaplain Cox. He has hit the ground running and seems to have a good handle on things so far. He comes into the Army as a former pastor, so he has a pastor's heart as well. I think he'll do great. I am also attaching a picture of my room on the day I moved out and gave it to Chaplain Cox. It was weird. This was my home away from home for almost a year. The final picture is of the "clam shell" where they are getting ready to receive part of a brigade coming through here soon. There were no other spaces available for these new soldiers, so they set up almost 150 cots in this big open tent area. It is miserably hot in there in the day, so this is going to get ugly. As for me, I have been sleeping on a similar style cot in a buddy's room. But today I secured a place near the main post chapel starting tomorrow. In the end, however, I will be out in the big open tents will all of my Soldiers. By that time I won't care! I'm soooooo ready for this to be over.
Please pray for me this week. I have to deal with some administrative stuff that I have been avoiding, and so I could use your prayers. It will be an important week as we train the new team, but also a hard one, too. But once we get past this it will be smooth (or smoother?) sailing to the finish line. ..... I hope.