Day 419: Out of Afghanistan

Goodbye Afghanistan...Hello Kuwait

Well, after eleven months of living in a combat zone, I finally left Afghanistan last night and flew into Kuwait. As I sat in the back of the plane, the reality of going home finally started to set in. The journey is almost over. This deployment, which has dominated the thoughts, emotions, and direction of my family’s life for nearly 18 months, is really ending. The day that we thought would never arrive, is finally here. Can you believe it? No longer do I have to wear body armor or carry a weapon around everywhere I go. My wooden 8X10 foot space that has been home for so long, will now be replaced with something with carpet, indoor plumbing, and a comfortable bed. I will once again be able to go to my kid’s school events and soccer games. I will get to change diapers again! I will be able to stay up late, watching a movie with my wife, only to fall asleep with her on the couch. I will be able to start being a “real” doctor again. I could go on and on about things that I am happy to leave behind and things I am excited to start enjoying again...but I think you get the idea.

Here in Kuwait I will be spending the next few days turning in all of my Army equipment and preparing for the journey back home. I will transition from being in the Army to being back in the Navy. In my free time, I will be enjoying the 120 degree weather and blowing sand storms! Actually, despite the heat, it is a pretty nice base and it has a lot of the amenities of home. In fact, right now I am sitting in an air conditioned Starbucks accessing their WiFi hotspot. Earlier in the day I went to the very large indoor gym, played raquetball, and swam in the outdoor pool. With a few more days like today and a little more time at the pool, I might be able to get rid of that awesome farmer tan I have developed over the past year.