Afghanistan My Last Tour

AF SrA securing tarp to trailer

At first glance if you read our supply tasking list, it looked rather normal.  Sleeping cots..check

sleeping bag…check

cases of water….check

ammunition…check

Then after the essentials are marked off, a few more items were penciled in.  Refrigerator…check….folding chairs…check…….volleyball…check….sirloin steaks…check….hamburgers and hotdogs…check…coffee maker..check.   It almost appears if we are going on a picnic.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  As I mentioned previously, securing the elections is paramount and we are not exempt.  We will be living side by side with our ANA brothers.  Did we take a few liberties with some vacant space on the trailers?  You betcha!  Instead of eating Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) for every meal, we borrowed a page from Marine Master Gun’s book and secured some food which we will cook ourselves.  Since we have a diesel generator, we will plug in the refrigerator so our water is kept cold.  When it’s a hundred degrees outside, cold water is greatly appreciated.  I think everything else is pretty explanatory.  Oh, I almost forgot, no showers or outhouses will be available.  Well so much for that grand illusion of having a picnic.

Look at that scowl on his face ... lol

The real humor in this mission is with our Army SSG teammate.  He is your typical stocky-build with arms tattooed soldier tough guy.  Often you see him; he has a scowl on his face.  But in reality, he is a super nice guy and fun to be around.  We teased him about our “luxury items” because the Army would never go to this much trouble.  So I warned him that I would take a picture of him sitting in a fold-out chair eating a big juicy steak and then threatened to send it to Warrior magazine or one of those Hoo-Ah! syndicated publications.   He upped the ante by adding to this picture of him eating Smores with chocolate drizzling down his chin.  I reciprocated with an idea of a picture of him playing badminton.  Apparently this idea crossed the line and the scowl on his face returned.

Newest addition to our family

You will also notice we have a new addition to the vehicle fleet.  We are the proud owners of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.  This Titan is the ambulance model and we have affectionately assigned the name of ER to it.  It will expand the capabilities of our fleet.

Previously I mentioned about 3,100 donkeys carrying the ballot boxes to remote villages inaccessible by vehicles or helicopters.

An Afghan boy sits on the donkey carrying the ballot boxes to the remote areas in Hisarak village in Rokha in Panjshir province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009. Afghans will head to the polls on Aug. 20 to elect the new president.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

I love this picture; just wish I had the opportunity to take it myself.  The elections are still going to be held on 20 August.  Preliminary results will be announced on 3 Sept and final results two weeks later.  It takes awhile to get the donkeys to return and tally the results.

From SMSgt. Temple’s wife Liisa: Rex and his team are on their elections mission. I ask that everyone who reads this blog prays for their safety during this mission.

Filed under: Food and living conditions, Missions Tagged: | Afghan elections, Afghanistan, Deployment, ETT, MRAP, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, war