Matt & Lindsay's Spot

So I'm back to being a bad blogger. Things were great at home while I was on vacation. I ate like a king and probably put on 5lbs in just the first week. It was so nice to spend time with Lindsay, Will, and the rest of the family. Lindsay looked great and was somehow still sane after being a single mom for the better part of a year. Will was quite the little ball of fun. It is amazing how much he has changed. Nothing made me happier than the fact that he knew exactly who I was and loved me like I never left.


We spent most of the days around the house just enjoying family. I had a few chances to work out in the yard which was nice. Until vacation I had only spent about two weeks in our new house so it was good to get a feel for the place. We also spent a few days up at the lake condo. Being able to swim is such a luxury. After what seemed like a short two weeks it was time to head back to work. I hopped on a plane and was back on Afghanistan sand in about four days.


Work has been really busy for the last few weeks. This is the end of the fiscal year for the government so we have all sorts of contracting to get closed out. I've also had the pleasure of being afflicted by kidney stones. Yeah those aren't so fun but nothing that a little Percocet can't handle. Now that the bulk of the paper work is completed hopefully I can get back to spending most of my time outside the wire on missions.

Oh and congrats to Andrea and Brad on their new baby girl!

Well I'm home for a few weeks on R&R. I am going to bed now. That is a long flight.

So it is raining(read: 5 min sprinkle) here today for first time in 2 months. I just walked outside and stood in it. I realized that I have probably forgotten so many normal things that I don't even miss them anymore. Just off the top of my head: trees, grass, not being assaulted by flies every day, driving unarmored vehicles, not carrying a weapon at all times, eating out, home cooking, donuts, quality toilet paper, drinking from the faucet, a time before the word roger was a universal response...

Speaking of home cooking, the terps invited me to come over for dinner last night. I had already eaten grilled cheese and tomato soup at the DFAC for dinner but I didn't want to turn down an invitation. They made some stewed okra dish with onions and tomatoes that was pretty good. There was also what they called a salad but we would call more of a salsa. It had fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and some seasoning. Of course there was the delicious flat bread that serves as a universal utensil here. After dinner we just sat around talking and drinking tea. The terps that don't get used a lot enjoy practicing their English so everyone had a good time.

I can feel a case of short-timers creeping up on me with leave right around the corner. I still need to figure out what I want to do while i'm home. Are the Travs playing while i'm home? That would be a nice night.

Meet CM1 Ross L. Toles and HN Marc A. Retmier. These two brothers of mine were killed in action during an attack in the Zurok District of Paktika. Please take time to pray for them, their families, the other injured, and the PRT.

Honor them with your prayers.

Yeah we have been bad bloggers lately. We do have good excuses though. Lindsay is busy chasing a scary smart toddler around and I'm busy defending freedom and democracy around the world.

So things have gotten pretty busy over here. I spend alot of time out on missions and when I'm back at the FOB my office work eats up a good 10-12 hours of the day. I really appreciate everyone that has been sending care packages and things to hand out for the kids. The students at CLS are in the lead by far. I usually get a packet of notes from them once a month plus they sent in nine boxes of paper, pens, and crayons for the PRT to pass out to children.

It is getting to that point in the deployment where people start getting on each other's nerves. Luckily it is also time for R&R to start. I have never been one to get annoyed easily and that has really helped me keep a good attitude. My contractors are the only people that can really get under my skin. If they aren't begging for money then they are coming up with excuses about why their work looks like crap or isn't finished. Being nice and stern (read mean) with them gives me a nice outlet for frustration. A few of them have told Azim that I am a very mean man which he gleefully translates for me. Azim is my interpreter for those that don't know. He is a great guy to work with and helps me out immensely. As the engineer terp he gets alot of on the job training with construction and contracting which can lead to a good job in the future when he is done being a terp.


I have also started going to the gym every day and running every three days. It just helps break up the monotony and makes carrying around 70lbs worth of armor/gear/weapons a bit easier. I don't really have any lifting goals but I do want to be able to run 13 miles at a 8:30 pace by the time I come home. There are plenty of guys my age that can run faster but things are a little different up here at 7500 feet.

I'll try and update more often from here on out.

Hey there folks. I am coming to you from a FOB out in the middle of nowhere. It has decided to rain today and that really puts a downer on my convoy. The travel is horrible when it is dry and all but impossible when it rains. Once i get back to my base i will post some of the fun pictures for you.

Hey everyone. I am all settled in and doing well here in Afghanistan. My work here keeps me very busy for the most part. When I am not out on convoys meeting locals and taking care of construction projects, I can be found back at the FOB working with my contractors or helping the local government build more internal capacity. The average day seems to run about 12 hours of work. I am falling into a gym routine in the early mornings so that is a nice time for me to relax and have some quiet.

Everything here is so freaking dry and dusty. Just the other day I was out surveying a large road project that I have and a nasty little dust storm engulfed my convoy. We had to wait it out at one of my contractor's worker camps. Hospitality is a huge part of the Afghan lifestyle. I will often sit and have a meal and tea with folks for an hour or two before we can even start to talk about business. The work is rewarding though and most of the locals have a real thirst for knowledge. The people want a better life and most are willing to pitch in and lend a hand.

My living accommodations would make most people cringe but it is enough to get by comfortably in my opinion. I share a small concrete room with two other guys. The room is a bit smaller than an average dorm room so space is kinda tight. We had such a rough life while training at Fort Bragg that being here with a roof over my head and warm meals is feeling pretty nice. The local food generally tastes good but most of the time it will leave you feeling sick for a day or two. There isn't any refrigeration around here so the meat is what will usually get you. Come to think of it, there isn't even any electrical power system except on the FOB. The bright side to that is the night time sky is truly a sight to behold. On a new moon you can see every star imaginable. Walking back to my room late at night is probably one of my favorite parts of the day.

I really enjoy getting outside the wire. Luckily for me, my job requires a lot of work out in the countryside and among the people. Convoys can be long and rather tricky at times since there is only about 30km of paved roads in Paktika. The province is roughly the side of Vermont to give that a little scale. We do a lot of offroad driving but the humvees are great at taking a beating.

Well I didn't realize that I was gonna start writing a book when this post began. I will cut it off here and save some more details for later. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers. Thinking about all my family and friends back in the States is what keeps me going every day. Contact Lindsay or my folks if you want my mailing address here.