Parents and children

I chatted online with my mother last night after sending her an email, admitting that I had been in a firefight. There's no point in hiding the truth from my parents because my dispatches sent out to KVAL, would expose the truth anyways. So online, we talked about this and that and she seemed to be taking things very well. After nearly half an hour of chatting, on and off as the Internet likes to shut down every ten minutes, she asked me, "What is a firefight exactly and where were you during of all of this?"
I responded,"It's when the Taliban shoots at the Marines and the Marines shoot back. And I was with the Marines," I wrote back.
"But where were you exactly?" she asked again.
I tried to explain further. "When the Marines took cover or hit the ground, I took cover or hit the ground, When the Marines ran across an open field, I ran across an open field."
According the Marines when we came to the housing area that I was the first one in, busting down doors myself, which is an exaggeration to say the least. I was at least the third one in.
"I just did what the Marines did," I tell my mom. I stayed as close as I could to the Marines around me because worse that getting shot at is being alone and getting shot at or even worse would be slowing down the patrol because they'd have to wait for me or even worse they'd have to come find me.

There is something about your mom that can make even the toughest break down. I couldn't talk to her during these employments it brought out a side of me that was afraid, afraid for her. I wanted to protect her from the ugliness and I couldn't take her kindness, I had a job to do and the veneer of toughness I had was so thin so fragile that I didn't want anyone to break it.

A full report of my first firefight will appear soon at KVAL.com...

This may be my last post for a while as we're heading to the wilds of the desert again.

Out Where?

Ok so turns out that we are pretty damn near digging foxholes in some remote part of the desert. Just days after we arrived in FOB Marjah, which is located in south central Afghanistan we got the word that a convoy was on its way to pick us up. Within a half hour we found ourselves in Combat Outpost Turbett, where the Marines tell us we'll never want to leave. You may be surprised to hear that after a week of firefights and IEDs that Dan and I didn't want to leave, despite the lack or showers and air-conditioning. There is something special about Turbett. Maybe its the fresh pancakes delivered to us on our first morning by the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team, or the fact that we spent hours on patrol and that every one of us returned safely or maybe it's the general feeling in the air. It's kind of like that saying that you can do any job as long as you work with the right people.
We've sent several dispatches to KVAL.com today, so please check out their website to get the full stories.
In a few days we'll head south to another outpost and the rumor is that we'll be staying in a mansion previously owned by a drug lord. We'll see...

On The Grid Again

Turns out we're not in the far reaches of the desert living off rainwater and digging foxholes in the sand. But as you will soon see on KVAL.com, we are roughing it. Well by the Marine's standards we have rather luxurious facilities. Marines are known for their love of camping out in remote and tough terrain. Even crud showers are looked at as the high life. As I am the only female on the base, I have to shower after hours, with a Marine standing in front of the tent as a guard. So yes I am already a pain in the ass, but the soldiers are gracious hosts.
So far we've been able to track down two Oregon soldiers and we've heard there are more in the surrounding areas. Dan and I are hoping to cover as much ground as possible, so whenever they allow us to go on patrol we are willing.
I have already requested to extend my embed with this unit as well as a female Marine unit focused on working with the local women.
I'm hoping to stay in country at least until mid-October, one can only hope for more time in the desert.
Soldiers keep asking me who I pissed off to get me job, I don't have the heart to tell them I had to beg, steal and borrow to get this job.

Err Final Final Destination

Turns out we are headed to a smaller base, Marja (also spelled Marjah or Marjeh). If you want to know more about it I urge you to google it. I'm fairly certain that in a matter of hours we will be off the grid, without phones or email. Before that I am waiting in my tent, in the sand, in the chow hall for that great unknown. When I told a soldier this morning I was headed to Marja, he shook his head. "No way I want to out there," he said explaining how hot it is there, meaning the amount of fire they are receiving. Of course he then added, "But now that I am here I want to be there." Some of the guys in his unit are down there.
Dan and I are staying on opposite sides of the base right now so I haven't seen him since 6 pm last night. It makes me realize how glad I am to be traveling with someone else. I've spent the better part of the morning wondering where he is, what he's doing, if he's okay, blah, blah.
The last I heard from our contacts here was also last night. So I hope they'll find me when the time comes.
This may be my last post for a while.
Wish me well.

Gotta Go

Well my computer is losing juice and I don't know when I will be able to re-juice. We are in the British Media Center right now, which is a lovely tent equipped with biscuits and coffee. I tried to sleep a full fourteen hours last night, but awoke at 10 pm, confused as to where I was and was it 10 am or 10 pm. I found out the answer pretty quick when I went to the bathroom and it was wither night or the end of the world. Not that the two don't bear similarities here in the desert.
I'd love to finish this post but your PAO just walked in and flight to our final destination is bumped up.
Wish us well.

We Have Arrived

We have arrived safely in Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan thanks to Major Deon in Kuwait for helping us hitch a ride from desert to desert. We haven't slept in a while and my eyelids feel like rubber, but it feels good to almost reach our destination.
When we first arrived here we were informed that we needed to get to the wire, which I found confusing.
I have been outside the wire, which refers to anything outside of a secure base, but I've never been taken to the wire. I imagined them dropping us off at a checkpoint while a convoy arrived. As usual, nothing that exciting happened. I heard wire instead of Dwyer, the name of our final destination.
So now we are doing more waiting and I am hoping for a nap.

Desert Day Two

Well we've made the usual rounds...
1: Get Kuwaiti visa
2: Cancel Kuwaiti visa (this is required don't ask me why)
3: Find Internet
4: Eat fresh vegetables while we can
5: Send emails
6: Wait
7: Wait
8: Wait
9: Wait
10: TBA