# Random Thoughts: Football, Winter, and the Mission



## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

As Darth Vader might say, the circle is almost complete. Winter has fallen on Afghanistan, and here at our base high in the Hindu Kush mountains, snow has fallen and the temperature is constantly below freezing. Our huts are cold, but the air is crisp and bracing. Work is a little more difficult with the snow and ice in the way, but we manage.

Occasionally, a warmer day comes along and the temps crawl above freezing. The snow and ice starts to melt, and the Bagram becomes muddy. This reminds of the day we arrived here, during the spring thaw, when the whole place was just a puddle of mud. It also makes me realize that it is almost time to go.

We've begun to pack up our equipment and some of our personal belongings. I recently went through the dozens of card sent to me by various people, in various care packages. An overwhelming majority of them came from my wife, who thoughtfully included one or two with every care package she sent me, and these I have saved as a record of our time apart. Alternately pleasing and painful to read, they are my most prized "souvenirs" of the time I've spent here.

In a very odd way, I will miss our Afghan helpers (Farid, Zahoor, Mohammed and Nazar). A couple of days ago we were out in our storage yard waiting for a cargo truck. We had our four local helpers (I have taken to calling them our "coalition partners," since they are far more useful than the Afghan security people here) with us. SFC Medina produced a football from his truck and the game was on. It was pretty funny, trying to communicate the basic rules of the game to four guys who speak very little English, but I was able to get my point across to my teammates by sketching plays in the snow. Okay, so the concept of "line of scrimmage" means nothing to an Afghan, and the idea of running once you catch the ball is foreign to them. But we made it work, after a fashion.

SFC Medina's team, composed of himself along with Nazar and Mohammed, edged us out 4-3 (the concept of scoring by sevens was utterly impossible to convey to the Afghans). This is due to Zahoor's inability to catch a ball. While he is a good pass defender, his attempts at catching looked like something from a telethon for disabled children. Or maybe my sketches in the snow weren't as clear as I thought. In any event, it will be some centuries before Afghanistan fields an NFL team.

Anyway, it occurred to me during this twenty-minute game that not only are these Afghans just some regular fellows (who unfortunately follow a retarded religion), but that I actually like them enough to consider them friends. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that some of the better friends I'd make here would be Muslim locals who barely speak English, but I like these friendly, good-humored fellows more than I ever expected. I will actually miss these guys when we leave, and one of my missions once our replacements arrive will be to convince them to continue to employ my Afghan friends.

The Big Army rolls on, of course, no matter the weather. The 101st Airborne has begun to filter in, to replace the 82nd Airborne here in Afghanistan. I don't know yet if this change will be for the better to worse. The 82nd generally makes life difficult for everyone, since they love to institute dozens of utterly pointless rules and red tape. I have little hope that the rival 101st will be any better, and fear they may try to outdo the 82nd with stupidity. We shall see.

We recently had a congressional delegation roll though Bagram. Rep. Harry Mitchell, Democrat of Tempe, Arizona was among them. We had a little meet-and-greet with him, some photos, and a chow hall dinner. Rep. Mitchell was certainly a friendly enough man, and though he had no military experience, he seemed genuinely interested in our mission here. I didn't have the heart to tell him I was rooting for his opponent in the last election! We were supposed to have some unnamed senators for a luncheon a couple of days ago, but it seems poor weather prevented them from landing here.

As I mentioned, we are packing to go. Soon spring will be upon us, our replacements will be here, and we will board the plane for the long journey to the Promised Land. I am excited to go home, back to my new house and my beloved wife and daughter, back to the civilian job I left way back on June of 2006, back to my friends who may be different people now, even as I am different. I hope the readjustment goes smoothly.

I often wonder how I will look back on my time here. I don't know that we've changed anything here for the better, or made anyone safer. But I only see a little tiny piece of the picture, and as I have said before, only history will be able to judge whether all this was worth it. If Afghanistan becomes a stable nation, free of terrorist influence, then we Americans will have succeeded and this mission will have been completely worthwhile. If, on the other hand, this nation backslides into a radically religious haven for terrorism, then none of this was worth it - certainly not the deaths of the many good young men whose coffins have rolled before me. Let us hope for the former.

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## JeffWard (Aug 24, 2007)

Mike, 
I'm sure I speak for everyone here in saying we enjoy your inputs on the forum, and pray for your safe return. Sometimes packing to go home is the longest part... Waiting to finally go wheels-up.

I'm sure your family misses you, and even Galco will be glad to have you back! Have you seen the models in the latest catalog??? Dreadful... :mrgreen:

Stay safe, and stay warm! Enjoy the new house, and especially the country it's built on... Assuming we're still a Capitolist Representative Democracy in 5 years... If not, there's always a guest room for you in El Salvador, at my new place, if you want to swing by. No carry restrictions down there either... even for Glocks.

JeffWard


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## john doe. (Aug 26, 2006)

The last few weeks will probably be the longest weeks of your life. Thank you for your service and dedication to our great nation.

You served as just a tree in the forest of thousands of trees. Hopefully together all those trees will bring progress or at least stabilty free of the radical Muslims.:smt1099


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

> Sometimes packing to go home is the longest part... Waiting to finally go wheels-up.





> The last few weeks will probably be the longest weeks of your life.


Yeah, I am trying not to keep track of the days. But my section (battalion logistics) will be the busiest of all as we get ready to go, so the days should pass quickly.



> Have you seen the models in the latest catalog??? Dreadful... :mrgreen:


The Zoolander jokes never end. But I hear my friend and colleague Jim is posing with the new sling I designed while over here, which may or may not break a few cameras and cause blindness for catalog viewers.



> Assuming we're still a Capitolist Representative Democracy in 5 years... If not, there's always a guest room for you in El Salvador, at my new place, if you want to swing by. No carry restrictions down there either... even for Glocks.


Heh heh, I hear El Salvador is nice! The wife has some friends in Costa Rica, too. I appreciate the invite. Is it Sol or Tecate on the beach? :mrgreen:

I do have more optimism than most people about the future of America, though. The Republic has endured lousy presidents before, and I believe it will survive the next one. I'm not quite ready to run for the hills yet.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

You just take care and stay safe. We'll take care of talking to the man upstairs for your safe return. Again many thanks for what you have done for our country.:smt1099


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## MLB (Oct 4, 2006)

I always enjoy reading your commentary Mike. Thanks and stay safe.


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## crazz (Jan 21, 2008)

I just joined this forum and have been reading threads all day.. Mike's input and opinions are top notch.
Keep up the good work on here and over there.:smt1099


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## The Hillbilly (Jan 22, 2008)

Just joined today sir and might I say good job on here sir. This board is really cool. You've put a lot of hard work into it. 

Thank you for your service. Trust me when I say, that not all of America has forgotten you. You do a great service.

Thanks
Jeremy


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

Mike, I was thinking about winter this past weekend, too.










So, it could be worse. Right? :mrgreen:

Heck, you'll be home before you know it. Stay busy, and stay safe! :smt1099


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

DJ Niner said:


> So, it could be worse. Right? :mrgreen:


Cripes! That's awful. And to think one of our guys was whining that his FOB was -14F. 'Course, we all get to work outside. ;-)


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

Do you get a lot of wind there, not so much, or a little of both? 
Wind will make any cold/damp weather feel 3x worse.

And as you said, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Can't always run indoors when there's a job to be done. :smt1099


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

DJ Niner said:


> Do you get a lot of wind there, not so much, or a little of both?
> Wind will make any cold/damp weather feel 3x worse.


We get a lot of wind. We're in the mountains at about 5000 feet, on a flat plain between some higher, snow covered mountains. The cold wind really cuts through the plywood shacks we live in. It's below 10F with the wind chill tonight, and will probably get colder. But I did manage to "acquire" an electric blanket, which helps! It's the little things that please you out here. :mrgreen:


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