Merry Post Valentine's Day! I hope you all had lots of romance and chocolate.
Still working with the XO of the 484th, LT Lee, although he is not doing a whole lot but advising at this point. He's a great guy and very knowledgeable/experienced, with 21 years total in the military thus far (and a state trooper at home in Montana). I'm trying to learn everything I can. He's also rather odd, which means we get along quite well. For instance, he has a collection of spam on the bookshelf in the office. That's right dad, I'm in possession of mountains and mountains of spam, and there's no way for you to get to it.
In terms of how long I'm here, there is a "270 day rule" in theater. What that means is, if I'm here longer than 9 months/270 days then the military owes me leave and other things, so they make VERY sure to get everyone out of theater on or before that day. For anyone keeping score at home, I arrived in Manas on 30JAN, so the very last day I can be on a bird out of Manas and back to the states is 26OCT. Still a long way to go - I've only been in theater 17 days.
Do we use drones for surveillance? Nope, blimps. Million dollar blimps scattered throughout the country loaded with technology and incredibly powerful cameras. They are run by Lockheed Martin. If inclement weather is anywhere nearby, they come down to ground level. The government learned this after losing many million dollar balloons to bad weather. See! They learn!
Some new pictures are up on the album, including a lovely photo shoot of yours truly taken by LT Lee. Here's the link again: OEF Album. I was in full battle-rattle for my flight to KAF, which was cancelled due to the low cloud-ceiling and drizzle. Damn wussy pilots. At least I got some ridiculous pictures taken. I'll be hopping onto a convoy early tomorrow in order to still make the class. Being in the back of an MRAP is way less fun than flying. Ah well.
theater....? does this mean we can expect monologues of olde when you come back?
ReplyDeletedirigibles huh -- stylish. props to our gov'ment. and holly.
and the most important part, since spam is taken, what collection are YOU going to start?!
I like Spam. An excellent recipe: Slice spam into slices about 1/8" thick. Fry until both sides are crispy but not blackened, flipping sides. While frying, place a slice of cheddar cheese on each slice. Lay on paper towel when removing from pan. Place on whole wheat toast with brown mustard. Make a sandwich! Enjoy! This is eats! Take note Lt. Lee. We expect you to revolutionize Montana cuisine with this.
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