Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays!  As 2011 closes I look forward to 2012 as it means my tour is now less than 90 days until I am back at home with my ladies.  Here is a look at my thoughts on Christmas Day here on FOB Airborne.

Here in Afghanistan it's much like any other day.  I awoke on this chilly Christmas to a clear sky and took my usual walk to our operations center.  That walk is often the best part of my day because of the serenity I feel before heading out on a mission or starting a seemingly endless stream of paperwork and meetings.  I've mentioned before that our FOB is on the side of a mountain which opens to the valley below and we have unobstructed views to the 14,000 foot mountains that are only a few miles away.

Enjoying our Christmas Tree sent to us by our friends,
the Sudbury Military Support Network

This morning those peaks have a fresh coating of snow and are sparkling in the clear air.  It's a beautiful site as the sun rises and casts hues of rose and peach in the sky just above the snow.  The moon is hanging as a crescent, rasting on highest peaks and seems to be a reminder that we're spending Christmas in a Muslim country.

I am very thankful that this morning I was able to Skype with my girls and read them our traditional "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."  I couldn't display video of myself because our connection is so slow, but it helped me feel connected to the girls.  The Skype call was especially nice because I was able to say hello my two great brothers, their wonderful spouses, my unceasingly supportive parents, and my future-hall-of-famer nephew as well.  My adorable, heart-melting twin nieces were already in bed, but I'm hopeful I'll be able to say hello to them soon.

As the day went on, it was business as usual here in Afghanistan.  Missions, planning, coordination, though one phone call helped me realize just how good I have it here in Afghanistan at my FOB.  Another team leader in an area that was recently hit by a massive vehicle-borne IED is living without heat in his tent and without hot water for the showers.  Hot meals are a rarity, and morale is depressingly low during this Holiday season.  The IED destroyed a number of facilities at the FOB including the dining area and the living areas.  Thankfully there was not a significant loss of life, but that was a few weeks ago and they are still trying to recover.

I thought about my hot shower this morning and the nice meal they are planning tonight and feel incredibly guilty.  Yes, I'm away from my family and miss them terribly, but I am at least somewhat comfortable here whereas many of my friends are spending their sleeping hours shivering and going weeks without showers.  It is true that there are different levels of sacrifice we all face here in Afghanistan and I'm keenly aware that mine is not near the equivalent of others.

The day ended with a very nice meal in the dining tent replete with decorations and fresh cooked foods.  We enjoyed each others company, shared stories of our kids we chatted with during the day and bragged about our amazing wives holding everything together back home.  We took our time to eat and didn't rush back to a mission or a meeting, we were done for the day.

My room has a strand of Christmas lights and I'm listening to the Boston Pops Holiday CD on my iPod.  My iPad is flipping through the pictures of my girls from Christmases with family in Massachusetts, Colorado, Ohio and New York.  I guess I can add Afghanistan to that list.

I'm enjoying thinking about next year and how much more personal and meaningful it will be for me, trying to keep awake because tomorrow is just another day.  At least the tomorrow's are starting to add up, each one another day closer to being home.