Life

No kidding there I was.
You know. Not a whole lot going on lately. We were inop for a few days and then on lock down because of the bad man with an extremely expensive vest wandering the streets. One got picked off by the ANP right outside the gates of the compound and it was caught on video. That was interesting to watch. I'll stop there.
Next, thanks to the efforts of my wife and father I received my old laptop from school. 2003 technology at its finest and I forgot how slow and antiquated the old Compaq was. At any rate, I was glad to get another computer just to be able to download pictures etc. Well, I had it for 2 days and was minding my own business, spending about 45 minutes IMing and checking email before a mission and the damn thing crashed. We've got two computer gurus here, thanks to the 82 Airborne, and they reloaded windows XP on it.......after laughing at its antiquity. Well, I started downloading drivers for the hardware and the cursed thing loses all the memory blah blah. Well, they tell me to put it to rest. ARGH! Anyway, looking at Macbooks now......Anyone know Steve Jobs?
Next. We finally get outside the wire the last couple of days and had some great interaction with the locals in a fairly poor section of town next to one of our police check points. These kids came out of this makeshift medical clinic and we had the ANP hand out about 3 bags of stuffed animals and toys. It was so great. That's what its all about. We handed out paper, crayons and whatever else we had. I pulled out my medical bag and started to see people on the hood of my Humvee. The pic is of a little girl with a lacerated finger. Another is a girl that grabbed our hands and kissed them. It was breaking our hearts but it was so fulfilling to have and be able to give. Thank you all for sending what you have to give to these children who have nothing, literally. The joy that only comes from the one, true everlasting God was spread that day and man was it awesome. I have some better pics of us in action and I'll try to load those later.
Finally, I'm being moved to another Base. So, I'll be in transit for about a week. When I get my new address, I'll get it to Amanda and she can send out a mass email to let you all know. Hopefully, I'll have control of developing a small clinic. I'll still be riding out on missions but this location is going to allow me to do more VMOs (village medical outreaches), hopefully. All of you that know me know that I'm a fighter and a caregiver the same. So, depending on my mood, you may be healed or dead. Well, hopefully, I'll be able to lean toward the healing side now.

The Mobility Project

So, my life has turned into a little bit of, well, a lot of groundhog days with no end in site except for what I hope will turn into vacation sometime in the next 2-3 months. I've decided to take the focus off me and clue you into something more than, but not quite, Afghanistan. My cousin, Jenny, is the VP of the organization "The Mobility Project." It's a Christian organization that essentially works for what it says, at the mercy of funds outside of itself. They are based out of Louisville, KY. Sorry about that loss to KY by the way. hee hee. Moving on........Their next mission is here to Afghanistan in October. How ironic, that we would be in the same country at the same time so far away from home. Funny, eh. Well we haven't seen each other in about 15-20 years so for us to meet over here would be a nifty reunion. So, be praying that I can get out of here for a few days in October to get up to see her. Also, for those of you looking for a tax break, you may concider visiting www.mobilityproject.org for learning more about what they do and possibly donating to their cause. I'll link it down on the right. Feel free to give to a worthy cause as you are led.
Peace

LT Doc Groundhog Marsh

Toshiba Alert

Guess what? I'm down. Hurt. Cut down at the knees. Yep, no computer. Forget the IEDs. Forget the Taliban. I can live with those two. Heck, I can even work with the Canadians if I have too. Without a computer, though, that's just too much! Let me clue you in. Toshiba evidently has some issue with the BIOS system password making a random password that requires sending your computer to Toshiba when the random password occurs. It may never happen but if it does you must send your computer in to them. There is, however, a patch on the Toshiba website that you can download that will prevent it from occurring. So, if you own a Toshiba, I highly recommend you go to the website, plug your model number in and find out if there are any critical updates for your Toshiba. This is not a Windows issue. So, do it or else you'll have to send your computer from friggin Afghanistan to the US to get fixed! Well, not necessarily you, but you get my drift. So, I'm at the mercy of my fellow Dyncorp and Army buddies for their left overs until my beloved family gets the extra laptop over here. LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!! hint, hint.
Not much else occurring. We did some more over watch at the below place again. Our boys were back begging outside the wire, but it was girl day and we left them to their begging and threw stuff to the cute little girls walking by. Some boy tried to take a pack of crayons from one of the girls......didn't go over too well with me......I pulled my 9mm out and backed him down rapidly. The girl was appreciative and the American doc saved the day. You know, hearts and minds...hearts and minds.

Shake Your Make Money Maker or Just Pick Up a Puppy

We actually went and did some training with the ANA and ANP not too long ago and while we were there gathered up a fan club of 3 mutt type puppies. To lay the framework here, it's Ramadon, the season in which Muslims fast (nothing past the lips) after 0400 until 1900 depending on when the sun sets. Well, we're not supposed to drink or eat in front them out of respect blah, blah, blah. Well, these pups came whimpering up to us and of course, we whipped it all out of our trucks for these dogs. Bottled water, peanut butter crackers, beef jerky etc right in front of the ANP and ANA. I'm sure they couldn't believe we'd bring all that out for dogs! Anyway, we lavished them while we were there and almost took a couple back to camp but the mother came looking for them. So, we fed her a little too. So, Sekula's soft heart was captured and the "money maker" shots were born. It's up to him now to see how far he can take them. He's had the pics on his myspace for about 6 hours and had multiple comments from random bleeding hearts.
The other picture: Sekula and I were pulling top cover over a berm protecting a check point. We always love to play with the kids on the other side and today we handed out some of the toys you all have generously have sent us. The recorders and paddle balls were favorites, even with the ANP!!
By the way, we had people asking us for water and food all day long. Seems that Ramadan fasting is like liquor for Baptist. Only bad if others see it.
Oh ya, we learned a valuable lesson. Don't throw bouncy balls to children in crowded streets of third world countries. Children tend to run for them and maybe get their feet run over........maybe. I'm not saying it happened.......but it could. So, don't do it.

Random Intertainment

Hey,
Found a pic from one of our checkpoints. Not quite as exciting as a kid playing with a 9MM but hey, beggars can't be choosers. Sekula and I hanging out a couple hundred feet above Helmand River.

WOW

Don't have much to report. Let me speak in secret squirrel language. Bad people want to hurt us. We are tracking bad people as close as possible. Most of us must stay inside until bad people hurt themselves.......boom! OK, anyone still need a translator? Hope not, don't want three letter agencies coming after me. All is well otherwise. Keep praying for them to get bored and boom themselves so we can get out of the rat cage. We debated putting signs on the Humvees saying "bet you can't hit me" but that didn't fly too well with the command. So, we sit.

So, until then enjoy the above photo. Nice kid learning to respect weapons.

Lighten Up

To counteract the intensity of my mood lately, I'll show you a picture of one of my new t-shirts. Not Army Regulation but sticking to my typical non uniformity type nature, I bought it. The next fire fight or argument I get in with Taliban or an Afghan, I'm going to rip off my outer jacket and point to it. Look! I'm here to make it better!