Whoa It's November????

29 Oct 2010

Wow.  I just looked at the calendar.  I left home on 5 July.  It’s already about to be November.  I have two more months of deployment time to serve before I get to go home.  Time has flown!

When I first arrived, I was so brand new and spongelike.  In shock at the poverty of the country I’m in, getting used to all the different ranks of all the different branches of military, learning all the joint ops terms and acronyms, adjusting to schedule, adjusting to a tiny room, living with a roommate, smoking like a chimney, and all of this on top of just learning my job here.  Things were weird and uncomfortable. 

I’ve since then participated in MEDCAPs where we provided the local community with free medical and dental services, donated goods, and interacted with the people. 

I’ve led morale activities for the people on the camp such as movie nights, recess (brain-teaser breaks), care package share times, etc. 

I’ve gone to the orphanage and helped my boss lead a big group visit to it, which lead to happy kids, happy soldiers, donations and a few people sponsoring the orphanage.

I’ve broken rules about not petting the dogs around the camp.

I’ve done my share of crying upon reading a “Dear Soldier” letter from a kid I didn’t know.

I got a tattoo and am already planning the next one.

I got a yellow belt in martial arts—WAAAA!!! (I always have to do that when I talk about it.)

I’ve taken on the hobby of photography.

I’ve ridden a small jet, chopper, Navy boat, an armored truck and a Casa plane.  All really cool experiences!

I got so homesick that I drew Charlie just because.

I’ve seen light in dark places.

And dark places in broad daylight.

Time has just flown by so quickly!  I can’t believe I’ll be home soon!  Part of me doesn’t want to leave.  This is an amazing experience and I finally feel as if I’m doing something great in the military.