Somewhere in Afghanistan
First of all, I want to thank the Pepperell VFW for the outstanding care package they sent to us; the guys loved it.
Today is Nov. 25. I have been in Afghanistan for just about three months, which means I am halfway through this deployment. It has been flying by for me, as well as for the others, so I’ve been told.
Christmas lights decorate the scenery of the various recreational and dining facilities here. They make a colorful backdrop to the dark and distant mountains.
Lights and trees. It’s nice, and gives you that warm and joyous feeling that only the holidays can bring. That is, until you realize where you are.
As I write this, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I’m looking forward to the dinner.
It’s gotten real cold, real fast. It went from 80s during the day and 60s at night, to 40s and 20s, in one day. That’s right I said one day.
Other than that, it’s business as usual. The attacks have slowed down, from every day to a few times a week due to an increase in forces here. This is the part of the deployment that will start to speed up. We are over the hump and everybody is optimistic.
Other than that, it’s business as usual. The attacks have slowed down, from every day to a few times a week due to an increase in forces here. This is the part of the deployment that will start to speed up. We are over the hump and everybody is optimistic.
There was a Canadian band here last night. Don’t know who they were but they did a good job. It really doesn’t matter who it is, anyway. The fact that anyone would put their lives on the line and spend the time and money just to show their support for us is very commendable.
One of the problems we’ve been having lately is local nationals going through our trash and taking things. We hire them to do jobs like cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, etc. The problem is that even though they go through a “background check,” a lot of them are not trustworthy. They can find and use anything.
Just the other day, one of them tried to steal a car battery, which is a primary ingredient in an improvised explosive device (IED). So we’ve been pretty aggressive about catching “Dumpster divers,” as we call them.
On a final note: My section arranged a Thanksgiving dinner for us the other night. Ironically, an incident happened as the dinner started. I told the troops to go get something to eat and I would take care of everything. By the time I arrived, dinner was almost over and everyone had eaten and left.
So, I made myself a big plate and sat down to eat it. As the silence closed in around me, I couldn’t help being a bit sad. I thought about all the times I spent at home around a big table with my family and how, at times, I took it all for granted.
But I thought of them, happy and safe from all the things we are sworn to protect them from.
I smiled and ate my dinner in peace.
Andrew Walsh is a North Middlesex Regional High School graduate who grew up in Pepperell.
(All military personnel and their families are invited to share their military experiences with our readers: Please e-mail your letters to editor@nashobapub.com, fax them to (978) 772-4012, mail them to P.O. Box 362, Ayer, MA 01432, or drop them off at 78 Barnum Road, Devens.)
