Hello from the Stan #2

Hey guys,

So I’m writing on another warm afternoon where my tent is now a sauna from 1000-1500. Today we actually had a nice breeze which helped a little bit. So this last week has kept me busy for the most part. I’ve had to deal with a bridge builder who keeps being threatened by a local TB bad guy, some elders who don’t want a center support built in the bridge because they think it will clog up the flow of water (but since we are paying for the construction they say we can do whatever we want….how nice of them), we’ve found a few more IED’s and had some great explosions (sorry if that freaks you out but we found them with metal detectors and not my LAV) and we started working with our ANBP brothers (Afghan National Border Patrol). Oh don’t worry only one of them has accidentally shot himself…….retard! (I’m NOT PC so if it offends you come to Afghanistan and I’ll show you around).

I hope all of you got to see the pictures I’ve been emailing home. I tried to send them to all of you but a lot of them got bounced back to me. So hit up some one on the above list and they can hook you up. Or I think Adam is putting them on the blog. Some pretty cool pictures…did I send the ones with the drugs??? I can’t remember but I’ll send some more soon. I got a few more from some of my Marines and they are much better than the ones I’ve taken.

So I’ve recently been mobbed by a group of kids ages 5-8. When we first got here they were very standoff-ish and wouldn’t come talk to us. Now the some of those little bastards can’t keep their hands out of my pockets and almost broke my camera. One even went for my rifle! Almost had to reverse my knife hand and put the smack down with my pimp hand (ask Martha about that she knows how I roll ;P love you honey!) So yeah they are not afraid of us…well the boys that is. The girls are still shy and keep back for the most part. -- Speaking of girls, or women for that matter, last week I was on patrol and we were looking for the elders of this village. A few days prior my Marines discovered a small weapons cache’ and I gave the elders a few days to turn in any other weapons they have stashed away (if not I told them I was going to come back and I was going to be very unhappy with them). Well the old guys were not there (hmmm…..) but there was an old woman that was willing to come out and talk to us (first time for everything). I have to tell you…….she did not age well. Talk about falling out of the ugly tree at a young age, hitting every branch on the way down, living to be over 90, no gums but lots of teeth, and too much sun her whole life. I’m not trying to be mean….it’s just easy. Now I know why the men were not there…..I’d leave too!

Ok I’m off that soap box. I wanted to thank all of you who are looking for kits, soil sampling kits, and plants that can survive in salty soil. It is hard to be trained to go into a country and kick ass then get here and have to shake babies and kiss hands all while looking for the enemy that blends in with the local population. Yes I did say shake babies….lol. No I don’t kiss any hands but it feels like I kiss a lot of A$$ when I talk to elders. They are some stubborn men I tell you. Now I know what my Mom has had to put up with for the past 32 years. Good thing I speak English because if she had to have a translator she might have straggled us both! Nothing better than having a translator who looks and you and says, “what?....what did you say?” or when you have to keep nudging him and say, “Hey Rock, what is he saying…..no Rock, in English man.” Yeah I know it’s like, “really?”. I just have to laugh at the things that happen. Some Marines just get frustrated and want to butt stroke someone (if you don’t know what that is then ask me). Me I just laugh…I have to or my stress would be off the hook right now. I tell you sometimes I just don’t believe my translator. I’ll sit and listen to this elder talk for a minute…..go time someone who talks for 60 seconds straight…it’s actually a long time. So I’ll ask my terp, “what did he say?” and I get, “He is happy to see you.” LOL…….so I say, “Rock please tell him it’s an honor to see him again” and Rock talks for 5 seconds! You just have to be here I tell you.

Ok well life is what it is here in the Stan. Every day is challenging….yeah every day is challenging. Thank you for all your warm prayers and thoughts for my Marines. We know you are thinking of us and praying for us.

As always please pass this on to other I know that are not on the list. Drop me a line when you get a chance. And ask around for pictures.

Semper Fi,

ws