I was watching Forrest Gump last night. I've probably seen the movie a hundred times. It's one of those movies that you have to watch again no matter how many times you've seen it before.
During this particular viewing I took something from it in a very different way.
There is a segment near the beginning of the movie where Forrest is sitting on the bench and says "You can tell a lot about a person by the shoes they're wearing...where they're going, where they've been."
I've thought about this line in the past. But last night it struck me a little different. I glanced down at my feet and recognized that I was wearing combat boots. On this particular set of boots there is a blood stain from a tragic event a couple months back.
It's an interesting world we live in...a world where a line out of a movie can flood our minds with all sorts of memories (good and bad). Today my friends from the Lansing Catholic High School's class of 2002 will gather in celebration of our 10 year class reunion in Lansing. I of course am unable to attend, as are some others. But I cant help but wonder what some other people's shoes will look like. Where they're headed, and where they've been.
I'm sure there will be fine leather dress shoes. Maybe there will be some work boots and sneakers too. We've all come a long way in 10 years and we've all worn many different types of shoes. In 10 years I've worn all kinds of shoes...now my mind is curious what those shoes will look like 10 years from now.
Until next time...
Chris
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Green vs. Blue (not sports related)
Anyone who knows me is very aware of just what the colors green and blue mean to me. One is good, one is bad. The green is Michigan State University. The blue, the rival, University of Michigan.
However right now this phrase means something more life and death than sports. It is the expression that describes the violence of Afghan National Security Forces against US Forces. In this case Green is the Afghan forces and Blue is the Americans. There has been a stunning surge in violence against American forces from our Afghan counterparts this year.
As a matter of fact, at this moment American soldiers are more likely to be killed by ANSF than IED's. Why? Because some idiot decided to open his mouth on YouTube. Because others decided to post inflammatory photos on facebook. Americans are being killed here in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world and we have got to find a way to make it stop.
This article from Time may help you to understand just where the paradox lies in trying to decide what to do next.
We cannot just pull out of Afghanistan. That would not be right. We also cannot thoughtlessly invade every country that pisses us off. That would not be right either. I have no idea what is right, but what I do know is that this is a crisis as worrisome to me as any American crisis of the past. Not since the Cuban Missile Crisis have so many American lives been threatened at home and abroad.
I want to thank everyone for the messages on facebook and the emails with your concern for our safety here. I promise we're doing everything we can to protect ourselves. We still have a mission to complete here and we're giving it our greatest effort. This is a very daunting challenge, but as we've always done...we will soldier on.
Until next time...
Chris
However right now this phrase means something more life and death than sports. It is the expression that describes the violence of Afghan National Security Forces against US Forces. In this case Green is the Afghan forces and Blue is the Americans. There has been a stunning surge in violence against American forces from our Afghan counterparts this year.
As a matter of fact, at this moment American soldiers are more likely to be killed by ANSF than IED's. Why? Because some idiot decided to open his mouth on YouTube. Because others decided to post inflammatory photos on facebook. Americans are being killed here in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world and we have got to find a way to make it stop.
This article from Time may help you to understand just where the paradox lies in trying to decide what to do next.
We cannot just pull out of Afghanistan. That would not be right. We also cannot thoughtlessly invade every country that pisses us off. That would not be right either. I have no idea what is right, but what I do know is that this is a crisis as worrisome to me as any American crisis of the past. Not since the Cuban Missile Crisis have so many American lives been threatened at home and abroad.
I want to thank everyone for the messages on facebook and the emails with your concern for our safety here. I promise we're doing everything we can to protect ourselves. We still have a mission to complete here and we're giving it our greatest effort. This is a very daunting challenge, but as we've always done...we will soldier on.
Until next time...
Chris
Monday, September 10, 2012
It's 9/11 again-Time for Americans to get out of hand again...
It happens on this day every single year...People put up their American flag. They say "God Bless America." Then they debate. Then they say something like "the (democrats/republicans) are responsible for everything bad that has happened the last 11 years."
It never fails.
Sadly, Tuesday, September 11, 2001 is the date that frames the current political vitality in America. How many times do we hear "in a post 9/11 America..."
Truth be told, a lot has changed since then. For better and for worse many things have changed. However using this day for political gain, as both Obama and Romney campaigns are bound to do is shameful. It's not a republican day, or a democratic day. It's an American day. It's a sad day at that.
Using this day for political gain goes against the moral fabric of our country. Today is not about the war in Afghanistan, or anything else you will surely hear on talk radio or politically opinionated cable television discourses. It's not about anything other than remembering the people that died. There is a time and place to debate the issues in our great country, but it is not today.
This war may have come about because of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, but ending it has nothing to do with that day. I challenge people that read this blog today to take this into consideration as you observe this sad anniversary. Do not let yourself fall into the political bs that is sure to follow from both sides of the aisle.
I'll take care of the terrorists that are responsible for beating up America 11 years ago. You worry about building cars, educating the children, and making America great.
Until next time...
Chris
It never fails.
Sadly, Tuesday, September 11, 2001 is the date that frames the current political vitality in America. How many times do we hear "in a post 9/11 America..."
Truth be told, a lot has changed since then. For better and for worse many things have changed. However using this day for political gain, as both Obama and Romney campaigns are bound to do is shameful. It's not a republican day, or a democratic day. It's an American day. It's a sad day at that.
Using this day for political gain goes against the moral fabric of our country. Today is not about the war in Afghanistan, or anything else you will surely hear on talk radio or politically opinionated cable television discourses. It's not about anything other than remembering the people that died. There is a time and place to debate the issues in our great country, but it is not today.
This war may have come about because of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, but ending it has nothing to do with that day. I challenge people that read this blog today to take this into consideration as you observe this sad anniversary. Do not let yourself fall into the political bs that is sure to follow from both sides of the aisle.
I'll take care of the terrorists that are responsible for beating up America 11 years ago. You worry about building cars, educating the children, and making America great.
Until next time...
Chris
Thursday, September 6, 2012
We're on vacation!
One of the most looked forward to events for a deployed soldier is "mid-tour leave" a brief vacation for a soldier during the rigors of a long deployment. However, since our deployment is only 9 months, we are not authorized for a leave period.
Nevertheless, our leadership has taken care of us. We're spending 2.5 days at Kandahar Air Field, a massive (understatement) ISAF base where we first entered Afghanistan. It's a welcomed relief from the last 5 months of hell.
Although it is only a short period of time we're making the most of it. Wireless internet, pizza, burgers, mega-gyms. All the stuff we do not have back on our small outpost, we are taking advantage of here.
As I mentioned in "Greetings from Afghanistan" KAF has a "Boardwalk" which is a collection of 40-50 shops and restaurants all centered around an open air sports complex. We're enjoying every bit of it. My favorite place is Green Bean Coffee, as I've been there 4 times in 24 hours now. TGI Fridays, KFC and a barber shop seem like heaven compared to what we've been leaving around the last 5 months.
I hope everyone enjoyed their summer vacations, wherever they may have been!
Until next time...
Chris
Nevertheless, our leadership has taken care of us. We're spending 2.5 days at Kandahar Air Field, a massive (understatement) ISAF base where we first entered Afghanistan. It's a welcomed relief from the last 5 months of hell.
Although it is only a short period of time we're making the most of it. Wireless internet, pizza, burgers, mega-gyms. All the stuff we do not have back on our small outpost, we are taking advantage of here.
As I mentioned in "Greetings from Afghanistan" KAF has a "Boardwalk" which is a collection of 40-50 shops and restaurants all centered around an open air sports complex. We're enjoying every bit of it. My favorite place is Green Bean Coffee, as I've been there 4 times in 24 hours now. TGI Fridays, KFC and a barber shop seem like heaven compared to what we've been leaving around the last 5 months.
I hope everyone enjoyed their summer vacations, wherever they may have been!
 | ||
| Soldiers and civilians from more than 40 countries enjoy the Boardwalk. |
Chris
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Rounding Third...
The last 6 months has been a "pitchers dual" to steal a phrase from baseball. Our guys are starting to get tired. We're drained from the physical and emotional toll of the last several months. There is however, no stopping us. For if we slow down, if we take our foot off the gas then bad things will happen.
In this job complacency kills. There are no days off. The enemy doesn't take days off, so neither can we. I have to admit though, it is hard to stay focused on all the small, seemingly insignificant tasks right now. Rumors are everywhere about when we're going home...when we can get out of this hellish place.
Family and friends know exactly how we feel, because they are looking forward to the exact same date we are...an unknown date, that cannot come soon enough. However, we must always remember...complacency kills. As much as we look forward to seeing all of you, thoughts of that will put us at risk.
We know the end is approaching. Just yesterday we already started turning in certain equipment. However we've still got a long ways to go.
We're just rounding third, but home is an astronomical 90 feet away.
Until next time...
Chris
In this job complacency kills. There are no days off. The enemy doesn't take days off, so neither can we. I have to admit though, it is hard to stay focused on all the small, seemingly insignificant tasks right now. Rumors are everywhere about when we're going home...when we can get out of this hellish place.
Family and friends know exactly how we feel, because they are looking forward to the exact same date we are...an unknown date, that cannot come soon enough. However, we must always remember...complacency kills. As much as we look forward to seeing all of you, thoughts of that will put us at risk.
We know the end is approaching. Just yesterday we already started turning in certain equipment. However we've still got a long ways to go.
We're just rounding third, but home is an astronomical 90 feet away.
Until next time...
Chris
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