Day 266: Happy Valentine's Day

Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue,
Happy Valentine’s Day,
To All of You...and Especially Sue!

That’s about the extent of my poetry skills. Anyway, Valentine’s Day was really like any other day here. Honestly, I wouldn’t have even noticed that it was Valentine’s except for the nice blog posting Sue put up.

To Sue and my four little Valentines back home, I hope you have a “lovely” day. Know that I am thinking of you, missing you, and counting the days until I get to see you again. I love you guys! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Day 264: 23 New Medics

Today was the graduation ceremony for our medic course and since it was kind of “my baby”, I was asked to speak. I was the only American to speak and my speech was sandwiched between two Afghan generals--one from the police and one from the army. It was a good experience. We had a great turnout on both the American and Afghan side. A lot of “high profile” people were there and I think all who attended agreed that this was a big step forward and a big success.

Since everyone in attendance today had to suffer and sit through my speech, it is only fair that you should have to do the same. Enjoy...

“Subh bakhair. Che Haldarain. (Welcome and Good Morning)

Today we meet to celebrate a historic event and a historic achievement. Nearly 8 weeks ago, a group of 23 Afghan National Police, Border Police, and Afghan National Army soldiers met together to form the FIRST EVER regional medic training course outside of Kabul. In addition to being the first regional course ever, it was also the FIRST COMBINED army and police medic course in all of Afghanistan. Many said this course would never happen. Many claimed the police and army wouldn’t be able to cooperate and work together. Today, I would like to thank all of you here today who have proven that this course could not only exist but that it could succeed.

Over the past 8 weeks, these 23 students have made dramatic progress and acquired many new skills. They have learned to control life-threatening bleeding. They have learned how to manage an airway. They have learned how to splint wounded extremities. They have learned to properly and safely evacuate a patient. They have learned the basics of anatomy and physiology. They have learned how to treat shock, burns, heat injuries, and place an IV. The training and skills these students have acquired during this course will be a great asset to the ANP and ANA in the future. They will help prevent the spread of disease. They will help save lives.

When I started medical school, I was initially overwhelmed by the amount of things I was asked to learn. It seemed that the topics covered were innumerable and the time available for study was always limited. Slowly I learned the lessons taught to me. Little by little, I gained the experience and knowledge necessary to practice medicine. Today, you students have started on a similar journey. You have learned much. You have acquired many new skills. However, there is still much to learn and many more skills to master. To all of our graduates today I encourage you to continue to learn. Seek out opportunities to practice the skills you have learned. Share your knowledge by teaching your fellow soldiers and police. The effort will be worth it. You have learned skills that will allow you someday to help a fellow soldier in need and perhaps to save a life. Take seriously this responsibility. Prepare now for this moment so that you will be prepared when this time comes.

To the leadership of the ANA, ANP and Border Police, I thank you for your presence today. I would like you to know that your soldiers and your police have performed their duties well. They have learned the skills they have been asked to learn. They have worked hard. Through their efforts they have brought honor to themselves and to the Afghan National Security Forces. I encourage you to use these police and soldiers for the purpose for which they were trained. Allow them to work with the other medical personnel you have on your bases. Give them opportunities to continue to learn.

I would once again like to congratulate our graduates. You have all done an excellent job and should be proud of your hard work and success. It has been an honor for us to work with and associate with you. We wish peace, happiness and health to you and your families. Our greatest hope is that each and every one of you leave this graduation today dedicated to using your newly learned skills to make a difference for yourselves, your family, and your country. We are confident you will.

Tashakor (thank you).”

Anyone still awake? If you didn’t make it to the end, that’s okay, a lot of others today had the same experience!

Day 261: Fortune Cookies

Sometimes my mom puts random things into packages she sends me. I’m not complaining...I’m happy to get them. However, I’ve just noticed that occasionally it seems as if she is trying her best to make sure the box is completely filled--even if she really doesn’t have enough stuff to fill it up. Today, the random object found in the package that arrived was a lone fortune cookie from Panda Express.

Of course I had to open it up...mostly because I wanted to eat the cookie...but also to see what it had to say. When I opened it, my fortune read:

“IMPORTANT EVENTS ARE IN YOUR FUTURE”

I thought this was a pretty good fortune. Not as good as “You will soon become incredibly wealthy” or even better “your tour in Afghanistan has just been decreased to 8 months.” But still it is better than some others I have read in the past.

I think of the events in my life that have led me to where I am now. Some of them have been challenging. Many are a result of choices that I have made--whether good or bad. However, the events of my life have helped shape who I am and have hopefully made me a better, stronger, more Christ-like person.


Now, as I ponder the “important events” that lie in my future, I wonder what life has in store for me and my family. I pray that the majority will be filled with happiness; although I’m sure One wiser than I will throw in a few difficulties to help keep my life in perspective and keep me humble. In the short term, I think of my sweet little Abbie and her eternally important decision to be baptized. Also, I think of my reunion with my wife and beautiful children in August--an event that right now seems as important as any. Down the road there will be new jobs, graduations, weddings, the birth of grandchildren, etc. (whoa...I better slow down and get my kids out of diapers first before I think too much about these kinds of future events).

What a blessing it is to have this life, and the events that fill it, to help mold us and prepare us to for a life that will bring us eternal peace and happiness.

Day 259: Rocks

If you could guess what the government buys the most of out here, what would you guess? Weapons and ammunition, maybe? How about ice-cream and french fries? Perhaps vehicles and gasoline? All these are good guesses and honestly I’m not sure what the answer is. However, I wouldn’t doubt it if rocks are in the top 10. Gravel is spread out all over this camp. It isn’t just Camp Stone (no pun intended) however that purchases rocks in bulk--every other base I have been to seems to collect them too. These rocks do serve a purpose, especially after it rains, helping keep mud and dust under control. However, there are also downsides to covering every square inch of earth on camp with rocks. Ankles have been known to become twisted walking on them and more than one person has tripped on one of these things during a midnight journey in the dark to the bathroom.


Now and again, we all take turns escorting local nationals onto the base as they perform various work projects or deliver items that we need. Today, was my turn to have escort duty and what job was I lucky enough to get? That’s right...I was the gravel dump truck escort. I walked back and forth as the dump trucks entered the base, dropped off their cargo, and returned back to the outside. It actually wasn’t a bad job--nice weather, a little exercise, and a chance to practice my Dari with the locals. Hey and if nothing else, I can at least rest easy tonight knowing that our emergency stash of rocks has been replenished.

By the way, if there are any rock collectors out there...I probably could arrange to find a few for you.

Day 257: The Cleaning Crew

Today as I was driving on the ANA (Afghan National Army) base, I noticed two guys who had been given what was probably considered by them to be an undesirable job. They had been tasked to sweep the whole road...and no, not with a street cleaning vehicle, but rather with an old fashioned broom. I watched these poor guys slowly working their way up the street, creating a dust storm in their wake, only to have the dust settle right back on the road where they were trying to remove it. It seemed like a hopeless cause. How can you remove dust and dirt from a place that is 99% dust and dirt?


Watching these guys work reminded me of one of the jobs I was given...and hated...as a kid. The dreaded job to which I refer here is that of houseplant dust removal. Dusting, I know, it sounds simple, but let me explain further. The plants were not simply dusted with some kind of dusting device. There was no Swiffer plant dusting apparatus in those days (although it’s probably been invented by now). Rather, each individual leaf was thoroughly hand-wiped to remove all traces of dust using a paper towel that had been moistened in a bowl of milk. That’s right, you read correctly, milk was used instead of water in order to moisten each leaf and leave it with a brilliant and shiny finish. I remember spending hour after hour (okay, maybe in reality it was less than hours, but it sure seemed that way to my young mind) cleaning each leaf meticulously. Just when I thought I was finished, another leaf suddenly appeared. It was amazing how many “hidden” leaves could be found in a single plant. Just like sweeping the dusty roads of Afghanistan, this was a job that required patience and perseverance.

Over the past few days, my job has reminded me a lot of sweeping roads and wiping plant leaves. No, I haven’t been put on the camp cleaning crew or assigned to latrine duty...at least not yet. It has just been that my job has seemed to consist of an excessive amount of “busy work.” I have been preparing certificates for my medic students, running around trying to get paperwork signed by others, and sitting at my computer preparing random spreadsheets. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure this isn’t why I went to medical school to become a doctor. Anyway, before this post starts sounding negative or like a list of complaints, let me clarify that things really are fine. Overall, the job is rewarding. Good things are happening. Progress is being made. However, the bottom line is that sometimes in life there are jobs that must be done that aren’t very exciting or glamorous...and right now is one of those times for me. Luckily, I have a wise mother who taught me that sometimes we just have to pull up our sleeves, pull out a bottle of milk, and start cleaning. Thanks mom.

Day 254: Two Good Quotes

Here are two good quotes I read the other day that I thought I would share.

First, Thomas Paine wrote the following during the midst of the Revolutionary War in 1776. Pay attention to the last line especially.

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country, but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.”

In our day, President Gordon B. Hinckley, touched on the same idea. He said:

“All of us have problems. We face them every day. How grateful I am that we have difficult things to wrestle with. They keep us young, if that is possible. They keep us alive. They keep us going. They keep us humble. They pull us down to our knees to ask the God of heaven for help in solving them. Be grateful for your problems, and know that somehow there will come a solution.”

As I have mentioned previously in this blog, I have been very blessed in my life. My challenges have been few and my blessings have been many. I know that many of you reading today have faced trials and sorrows far greater than any I have been asked to endure. On a day to day basis, as I interact with the Afghan people, I am humbled as I see first hand the enormous struggles, including war, poverty, and death, that they have faced for so many years.

I am sure that one reason I am on this deployment is to teach me, at least on a small scale, the truth of the above quotations. At times it is hard to be “grateful” for this challenge that has come to me and my family back home. It is easy to think “why me” or wish that it would all just go away. However, I know that someday I will look back on this experience as one that was essential to helping me and my family reach our eternal potential. I often think of a favorite line from the hymn Come, Come, Ye Saints that states, “Why should we think to earn a great reward, if we now shun the fight?” The fight is real. The struggles are often overwhelming. The trials at times seem more than we can bear. However, as Paine taught so long ago, “the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” How grateful I am to know that there is One who knows our souls intimately and understands perfectly our pain. He will lift us up, strengthen us, and ultimately lead us to that great reward that awaits us all.


Today, I saw a rainbow (you have to look closely to see it in the picture) for the first time since arriving in Afghanistan. It came in the midst of what was one of the windiest and stormiest days that I have seen. Kind of a fitting event for today's post.

Day 250: 250 Gray Hairs

I’ve decided to start growing my hair out a little so it will be a little more “normal” when I come home for leave in April. Today, I was looking at it in the mirror when I discovered that the “few” gray hairs I knew about before I left for this deployment had suddenly multiplied into “many” gray hairs. I’m not kidding, there were a lot of them. I started counting and before I knew it I was up to 250 new gray hairs. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure all 250 of these guys have cropped up since I left home. Let me tell you the history behind a few of them.

#1: I can tell by the most scientific hair dating technology that I have access to here in Afghanistan, that this one erupted on May 26, 2008--the day I left home.


#8: This one showed up after standing for several hours in a hallway of a building on Ft. Riley as tornado sirens screamed in the background and a giant hail storm pounded down upon us.


#22: Learning how to operate and troubleshoot military radios have been known to cause premature graying...hence hair #22.


#31: Driving an uparmored humvee for the first time...in the rain...no headlights...and only night vision goggles to guide me.


#50: I’m pretty sure this sorry excuse for a mustache caused another gray hair to sympathetically sprout on top of my head.


#62: Long days on the range, full “battle rattle”, and 100+ degree weather.


#85: This one should be obvious!


#95: You would think that stepping off a plane for the first time into a combat zone with security all around, helicopters roaming the sky, etc., would add several new gray hairs. However, I am pretty sure only one new one showed up.


#105: First real convoy in Herat...the anticipation, the nerves, the excitement...led to 105.


#145: Hair number 145 can be traced back to this uncomfortable bed, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it contributed to a few others. Does anyone have one of those egg crate cushion things?


#152-174: Thirty plus rolls of TP, countless Sudafed tablets, a nasty ear infection. Yes, the three week cold that I never thought would end has singlehandedly contributed more to my premature graying than any other event.


#185: Allowing the Afghans to use me as a pin cushion.


#200: Looking out the window of an airplane and realizing that this plane was not taking me home to my beautiful wife and kids, but rather returning me to a cold B-hut and outdoor plumbing.


#220: This one is due to spending several weeks living out of a bag while traveling the Herat countryside.


#250: This last one popped up this afternoon after sitting (or rather being bounced around) in the back of one of our safe but noticeably lacking in suspension uparmored cougars as we drove down an unpaved, bumpy Afghan road.


250 days now away from home and 250 gray hairs to show for the experience. I will admit that acquiring this new tint to my hair has been painful at times. However, for every difficulty, there has been a lesson learned. For every challenge, there has been an increased reliance upon One wiser than myself. For every moment of loneliness, there has been an increased appreciation and love for those waiting for me back home. Without the “gray hairs” in life we would never learn and never grow. I didn’t ask for a head full of gray--no one does. However, I know that a loving Father gave me every one for my own good and my own progression. As I trust in Him and allow him to color my life with those experiences that only He knows that I need, my life will be blessed, my family will prosper, and ultimately I will find true happiness.

By the way, only 202 more gray hairs to go until I am back home!

Day 249: Piggyback Rides

Some days it seems all I do is sit at a computer. You know the routine...read an email message...delete it...read another...go get a cup of hot chocolate...read another email...make a phone call...work on a presentation...read another email. It can make for pretty long, uneventful days. This morning was one of those painfully slow and unexciting mornings.

So this afternoon I got away from the computer and went over to help out in our medic class. We brought over a tactical ambulance, gave the students a tour, and then taught them how to transport patients on stretchers. After the students all practiced their litter bearing techniques, we decided to teach them some different ways to carry injured patients--fireman’s lift, chair lift, etc. The students all had a fun time with this activity--especially when they got a chance to give the Americans a ride. Luckily no one was dropped or otherwise injured. It was nice for the students to get a break away from the classroom. Similarly, it was nice for me to finally get a break from that never ending string of emails.

Day 248: A Cat Named Cat

Camp Stone has very little vegetation. In fact, the picture below shows myself and our regional medical director posing today in front of the only bush on all of Camp Stone. In contrast, the ANA base which is right next to us, has trees, flowers, and gardens. The Afghans, although they live in a very barren, dry, land, take great pride in beautifying it the best that they can. I am always impressed as I leave our camp and go downtown by how many Afghans I see out planting trees, bushes, flowers, etc. Interestingly, a very common male name here is “gul” which means flower. I think it says a lot about the good Afghan people that they see and treasure the beauty that surrounds them. In a country where the people have so little, they find joy in the blessings which God has given to them.


Besides meeting today with our medical director, I went over to our medic class and spent some time with the students. They are a good group of guys who are excited by the opportunity they have to learn and grow. They recently adopted a class mascot who they have creatively named “cat” (apparently they don’t name pets here). You will see “cat” in my arms in the class photo below.

I always enjoy the days when I am able to get out and work with the people I have come this long way to serve. The Afghans are a good, hard working, God-fearing people who I have come to respect and admire. I hope their country can finally find the peace and stability that is so long overdue and that the people will find some measure of happiness and prosperity.

Day 246: A Quick Update

Okay, I know lately I haven’t been writing as frequently as I had in the past. Perhaps, it’s because I am a little lazy or experiencing a little “blogger fatigue.” Perhaps it is because every day seems like groundhog’s day and I struggle to find new things to talk about. Perhaps, it is because there has been a lack of excitement lately around here...at least compared to my good friend Mike. The honest answer is probably a combination of all of the above. However, because I do have some faithful readers out there (at least my mom and my wife), let me give you a quick update on life here in Herat.

1) Afghan service project: Thanks again to all who have contributed. I have received many boxes already. Some I have already given to our humanitarian aid mentors for immediate distribution. Some of the supplies I am distributing myself. For example last week I met a lady whose house burned down. I am sending some of your donations to help provide needed clothing for herself, her 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son. A bulk of the donations are still being packed up by Sue and will hopefully be here shortly. I hope to go out and help distribute some of the school supplies and other donations as opportunities arise. As I do, I will let you know of my experiences and will post pictures.


2) My job: Other than a few short day trips, I have mostly been staying on Camp Stone the past few weeks. Consequently, I have no interesting pictures of camels or crowded streets or overloaded motorcycles. The work of developing the Afghan police medical system is progressing...albeit painfully slow at times. It is amazing how difficult even minor projects are to complete. I will keep pressing forward knowing that I may not see all the fruits of my labors. One area where we are seeing good progress is with our training classes. We will soon be graduating our first class of 25 medics--something people never thought would happen in Herat.

3) Working out: Other than Sundays, I work out for 1-2 hours every day. I usually mix up my cardio workouts between the treadmill, elliptical and stationary bike. When on the treadmill I try to go at least 5 miles. My farthest run to date has been 10 miles. I still have a way to go until I am in marathon shape, but again I am making some progress. One note on the no treat tracker...I think it is broken. It has been stuck on 2 for weeks now. Not sure why...I’ll leave it up to your imagination on how I am doing.

4) Security in the area: Some people have asked me if I am safe and how the security is where I am. I want to reassure any who may be worried, that I am safe and that I plan on continuing to stay safe. It is Afghanistan and bad things do happen at times--even occasionally in Herat. However, I can honestly say I have never been shot at or had a convoy I have been riding in attacked. We take safety pretty seriously here and take the necessary precautions to assure that when we go out, we all come home! By the way, we just received these new ambulances to help us pick up and transport casualties if the need ever arises. I jumped in one for the first time today and was impressed by the size and armor on these things. It almost feels like you are driving around in a monster truck. Again, just another way the Army is trying to help us stay safe.


Other than that, not much else is going on. The highlight of each day is of course getting up in the morning and calling home and talking to Sue and the little munchkins. Luckily, I usually get to end my day in a similar fashion. It is also nice to talk to some of you out there when occasion permits. Thanks again to all of you for your support, friendship, and prayers. I appreciate it!