JAPDIP

27 Mar 2007

Listening to Got Guinness? by Dust Rhinos

Rat, Mike, Drew, Bear

     Just another perfect day in paradise (JAPDIP).  The weather was flawless, and we got to go out and shoot our weapons for FAMFIRE (familiarization fire).  We do this periodically to ensure our weapons are operational, and more importantly, that we know what we are doing.  Any day that I get to fire my weapon (while not in combat) is a good day. 

Me firing the M9

On top of that, we got to visit the tank graveyard, which is additional goodness.  Don’t have much to write about, but I do have lots of photos to share.

Hey, Jed, I'm on a T-34/85 (vastly superior to the Panzer III)

     AWAC just passed 30,000 hits, assuming my hit counter is even remotely reliable.  Our weekly average has been going down lately, and we are around 300 hits a day now, down from a high of 400.  I guess we peaked.  I’ve got about 25 people on my list of regular readers that I intend to thank in a final post.  If you haven’t told me you want to be on the list, you aren’t on it.  I want to respect your privacy.  But if you haven’t written me and you’d like to be on the list, please do so.  We are also looking for more letters to the editor, and all those other spouse posts!

     I’ve acquired a few projects to keep me busy over the remaining weeks.  I was busy most of today, which is my lame excuse for not writing more.  However, I remain firm.  I’m going to relax some tonight.  Maybe for as much as two hours!

     One subject I will mention before going is the effect our departure has on the Afghans we’ve been working with.  Hamid is looking down as he thinks about my leaving.  However, this is a process both the ANA and the interpreters will go through each year.  They make friends, get used to working with us, then we leave, and a new batch comes in, starting the process all over again.  I remember when we first arrived at CMA.  There were only four Americans working there before us, and it was obvious they were comfortable working with the ANA, and clearly friendships had been formed.  When they said their goodbyes, I believe there was genuine sadness being displayed by many of the Afghans.  We were the newcomers, and in a way we were the reason their friends had to leave.

     Don’t get me wrong, there was no hostility or anything like that.  But for a month or two we often heard about something the “other Americans” had done.  Once we leave, it will be a big adjustment for everyone, ANA, interpreters, and the new Americans, as they learn to work together and hopefully form new friendships.  As I told Hamid, there is no way of knowing whom he will be working with in the new group.  The captain replacing me may well be doing different work and working with a different interpreter; there is simply no way to know.  Hamid must adjust, just as he did when he stopped working for the Marines and started working for us.  It’s not necessarily easy, but it is inevitable.

     For you Maj Atabar fans, he decided to stay in the Army after all.  He has accepted his new role as a convoy team leader, and he finally has an office (but no furniture yet).  He is just down the hall from us, so I suspect we’ll be seeing more of him.

     That’s it from me. See ya tomorrow.

    

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Blog Watch

     Mike has his first posting on The Sandbox at http://gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox/

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The William Arkin Obscene Amenity of the Day

     Named for William Arkin, the blogger who thinks the military is made up of mercenaries, OR EVEN WORSE, that have an obscene quantity of amenities being shipped to them.  Only his sage words protect the country from being overrun by rabid, militaristic fanatics. 

     Look at all those paper targets we get to shoot at.  If one were budget conscious, one would make us shoot at old bottles or rocks, but noooooo, we get paper targets with silhouettes on them.  Will the extravagance never end?  We certainly hope not.  The only reason we serve here is all the obscene amenities. 

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Five Seconds of Fame

     Yesterday’s quote, “YOU are my go to man!” is from Spin City.  Guess there are no Spin City fans out there.  Shutout for me. Remember, you too can be famous.  Just identify the quote (without using Google) and send me an e-mail.  You can also send a photo of your choice to be posted.

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Quote of the Day:

“They broke my watch”

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JAPDIP

- Bear

traversa@gimail.af.mil

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Here’s Rat:

 

Rat fires away

     What an obscenely manly and fun day we had today. It started with us going to the range and shooting. We do this every ninety days or so to prove we still know where the trigger is on our weapons, but I have to tell you any time you can put rounds down range, it is a manly event. Grunt, grunt, grunt!!! In all actuality it takes longer to clean your weapons after wards than it does to actually shoot. I'm sure Bear will share some of the pictures that were taken out at the range.

Drew gets ready

     On our way back from the range we did a short detour to the tank graveyard and took some pictures out among the huge dead hulks that were former tools or a bi gone era. That is not to say that there are not the same tools in existence here today, but they are modern versions of the antique relics we admired today.

     While we were out there, we also found the remnants of an old motorcycle that was missing the engine, tires and other parts. We managed to find a matching sidecar, also in the same shape and dragged it over to complete the scene. We then all climbed aboard for a picture. Yes, we were having way too much fun for being in a war zone. It's not often we have these moments to be silly and to act like kids but today seemed to be just for that.

     After we arrived back home and cleaned weapons we were acutely aware of an Army battle drill occurring this afternoon. It basically called for the Air Force to go the bunker and sit until the Army did the battle actions, great fun for us, since we have really no play in it. Not able to let go of our fun for the day, we decided to take our lawn chairs and a good cigar and make the best of it. We had everyone commenting on our ingenuity, and even one of our Army brethren commented on the fact he was in the wrong branch. We also created a video of the aforementioned festivities and plan on developing it into a full blow film before we leave. Maybe the completed product can be reproduced in the end and shared.

     That's all or today, I feel like a kid again it was so much fun,

Ratman

dtempleton14@yahoo.com

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Here’s Dany -

     If you want to go to the Kabul aeroport, usually you have to drive straight ahead for about 1 kilometer and after that to turn right for the aeroport... Usually a car turn right (or left) with all of its four wheels... but guess what... I found one (mine) who yesterday wanted to do this maneuver only with three of them... so you can imagine how amazed I was when turning right I realize that one of my front wheels keep going straight ahead... and Yes, Doug I did hit a big hole before that... but you know that all the Afghanian roads are paved with holes ... But even so, this Ford is supposed to be an all-terrain car... or maybe is an all terrain except Afghanistan? :)

- Dany

omegablue_ro@yahoo.com

Comments

[Matti]

I love the motorcycle photo. :-)

It sounds like you guys had a blast. Never come between a man and his gun... It's not always manly fun, though. My sister and I were planning a trip to the range tomorrow, but she got sick so that's out. Maybe next week. Afterwards, instead of smoking cigars, we'll eat chocolate and get pedicures. Girly fun: Glocks, chocolates, and pedicures. :-)

Dany, your WHEEL came off? Yikes!! That's crazy! I don't think I've ever heard of a wheel falling off while the vehicle is being driven... I hear and learn something new every day at this blog. :-)