Almost done...

Letter from Michael:
September 27, 2008

I have been back at Kandahar Airfield (KAF) for about 2 ½ weeks now. Life here is bliss compared to what it was like at FOB Dwyer. We can shower whenever we like. We have plumbing. We can eat good food at the chow hall whenever we want. The soda is cold, as are our tents due to the air conditioning. We have next-day laundry service, gyms, a running trail, and electricity. Life here is good. But, the Taliban do a good job of reminding us that we are not in America . We have taken rocket attacks each of the last four days. It’s funny, because I can recall that when I first arrived, these rocket attacks scared the living daylights out of me. I wasn’t able to sleep the first night. Now, they are just an annoyance, kind of like the flies were at Dwyer. They get in the way of our busy schedules and cause us to have to stop what we are doing to take cover. Speaking of busy schedules, I have been busier than ever now that we have returned. There are many investigations that I must oversee. Investigations must occur whenever we suspect that a Marine has committed some transgression or misconduct. Most of them deal with momentary lapses in judgment, but some can be serious. My job is to make sure that everything is done by the book, and in a professional manner. It can be tedious, but I view it as a way in which I can distinguish myself as an asset to my boss. I have somewhat earned the reputation as being the resident nobel laureate, so any written document that is of any significance is either written or edited by me. It’s a role I assume with pride because I know that they would not ask me to do it if they didn’t think that I possess some kind of talent for it. I suppose it means I have found my niche in this world dominated by type A personality alpha males who are in the business of killing bad guys and blowing things up.

I have less than one month remaining until I am on the airplane and headed home. This deployment has certainly been an eye-opening and career-changing (perhaps even life-changing) experience. Where I go from here remains to be seen. I hope that I emerge from this a better Marine, husband, father, son, and friend. It’s not over yet, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.