Update from downrange...and some food for thought

The latest tidbits from my last IM conversation with Tom Sawyer:

"...tell everyone I am good and my soldiers are good on hygiene products..."

I asked him how it's going over there and he said:

"go, go, go, go, go...just a little bit worn out...nothing coffee can't take care of...I wish we were on the balcony drinking coffee and talking...just a little homesick...it would probably drive you crazy how much (coffee) I drink...good lord I am growing grey hair...I am going to look like Anderson Cooper...."

(I told him that he was MUCH more handsome than Anderson Cooper, in my opinion.)

TS posted this picture a few days ago of himself with an Afghani national.  He captioned the picture with these words:  "making buddies"

(photo removed due to security concerns)

TS received responses in reference to the picture and its caption that could very well lead him to withhold similar snapshots in the future.  I hope not, but given the conversation I had with him in the aftermath, I wouldn't  be surprised.  Here is my two cents on that, for what it's worth...

TS is now in his fourth deployment to the Middle East.  As of this writing, he has spent 41 months...going on three-and-a-half years...of the past eight years in that part of the world.  He has spent at least some portion of each of the following years over there: 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012.  In a few days, we can add 2013 to that list, as well.  When this tour is over, he will have spent almost as much time in "the sandbox" as he has spent on American soil over a cumulative nine year period.  Each deployment is preceded by roughly six to eight weeks of training in the fieldon post.  Each deployment is also preceded by approximately one month of field training away from post in a very realistic mock-up of the combat theatre.  In between those times of field training, there are hours upon hours/days/weeks of required reading, lecture, video, and death-by-powerpoint, all aimed at preparing him and his brothers- and sisters-in-arms for the mission to which they have been called.  The bottom line here, and the point I want to make abundantly clear, is that Thomas is an EXPERT at what he is doing over there.  Giving him advice about how to go about interacting with the local population in which he is immersed is...well...it's insulting.

HEAR ME OUT....please....

I am not talking about generic expressions of love and care, like "Please be careful," or "Keep your head down, but watch were you're going at the same time."  We all say those or similar things to each other every day out of love and concern.  I tell my boys, each and every time they commence to ride their bicycles, to wear their helmets, obey traffic laws, and be careful.  See, I can do that and not feel bad about it because a) I am their mother and they are my minor children, b) I have seen first-hand what happens to people who don't wear bicycle helmets, and c) at this point in time, I have MANY more years of experience on a bicycle than they do.  If I ever find one of my children riding in the Tour-de-France in adulthood, I will likely still say "Be careful," but I can assure you I won't be conducting a pre-race safety briefing or any other such lecture. 

My father is an expert meat cutter.  He has worked with extremely sharp knives and industrial meat preparation equipment since before I was born.  He knows more than a few folks who have lost fingers and copious amounts of blood from meat market mishaps.  My mom might say to him, as he leaves for work, "Hey, be careful today," but she doesn't advise him on the finer points of meat market safety measures.  (My dad's father, on the other hand, tends to be a bit of a know-it-all in that department, but then again, his did retire from meat-cutting after 45 years in the business.)  Along those same lines, I very frequently tell Tom to be careful.  With my dry, twisted sense of humor, it usually goes something like this: "Hey, you be careful and get back home to me in one piece.  I need you in good working order for all those "honey-do" things that I can't stand to fool with, but get stuck doing anyway while you're away saving the world."  Tom has never responded to my cautionary words with anything more or less than the following:  "Thanks, babe!  You know I will!"  I wish I could say  he responded so affirmatively to the advice he received upon sharing that photo above.  Instead his response was the following: 

 "I felt like-Really? (Do they) think I am new to war? I basically have been in this same position now four times in a row.  I appreciate the concern but this is not something they have ever experienced."

OPSEC

The following was released by Command for general distribution.  Please read and heed!

OPERATIONAL SECURITY!!!

Operations security is everyone's responsibility. Failure to properly implement OPSEC measures can result in serious injury or death to our personnel, damage to weapons systems, equipment and facilities, loss of sensitive technologies and mission failure. OPSEC is a continuous process and an inherent part of military culture and as such, must be fully integrated into the execution of all Army operations and supporting activities.

OPSEC Rules for Social Media

1. Do not post exact deployment dates or redeployment dates.
2. Do not reveal camp locations, including nearby cities. After the depoyment is officially announced by Military officials, you may discuss locations that have been released, normally on the Country level.
3. Do not discuss convoy routes.
4. Do not discuss detailed information on the mission, capabilities or morale of a unit.
5. Do not reveal specific names or actual nicknames.
6. Do not discuss personnel transactions that occur in large numbers.
7. Do not reveal details concerning security procedures, response times, tactics etc.
8. Don't discuss equipment or lack thereof, to include training equipment.
9. Don't speculate about future operations.
10. If posting pictures, don't post anything that could be misconstrued or used for propaganda purposes. A good rule of thumb is to look at your picture without your caption or explanation and consider if it could be re-captioned to reflect poorly on coalition forces.
11. Avoid the use of count-up or count-down tickers for the same reason as rule #1
12. Be very careful if posting pictures of your loved one. Avoid images that show significant landmarks near their base of operations, and black out last names and unit affiliations
13. Do not EVER post information about casualties (coalition or enemy) before the official release of the information.
14. Do not pass on rumors ("I heard they're coming home early", etc).

If you are not sure if something you are going to post is, or is not, an OPSEC violation either do not post it or check with [someone in FRG leadership who can, in turn, ask] the S2 shop [which is the seat of all intel matters in a unit].

Additional note from me to those reading this:

If you read my disclaimer and my "Terms of Use," so to speak, for this blog, I want you to know that the one area where I appreciate criticism for this blog is in matters of OPSEC.  I am human, I make mistakes everyday, and I am not so arrogant as to think that I could never misstep and give too much information accidentally, SO PLEASE CALL ME OUT if you know I have made an error; if you are uncertain about the safety of anything I post, please ask me about it. 

The following information was taken from the USPS Web site and distributed by Command FYI:

Before you send a letter or package to one of our troops overseas, make sure you’re aware of certain restrictions. Every country has customs regulations regarding incoming mail.

Although there are specific restrictions for each 5-digit Military Post Office™ ZIP Code™ (APO/FPO/DPO), generally, the following are prohibited in current areas of operation such as Operation New Dawn in Iraq or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan...

• Obscene articles (prints, paintings, cards, films, videotapes, etc).
• Any matter depicting nude or seminude persons, pornographic or sexual items, or non-authorized political materials.
• Bulk quantities of religious materials contrary to the Islamic faith. Items for the personal use of the addressee are permissible.
• Pork or pork by-products.

To make sure package contents arrive in good shape, take into consideration...

• Extreme Temperatures: Desert temperatures typically exceed 100 degrees; this can damage delicate goods (e.g. electronics).

When completing a customs declaration form, take into consideration…

• APO/FPO/DPO mailpieces bearing a PS Form 2976-A or PS Form 2976 customs declaration that was not completed or submitted online (e.g., using Click-N-Ship®), must be presented by the customer to an employee at a retail service counter at a Post Office location.
• APO/FPO/DPO mailpieces that require a customs declaration form and bear postage stamps must also be presented to an employee at a retail service counter at a Post Office location.

You can also call 1-800-ASK-USPS® (1-800-275-8777), consult your local Post Office, or phone the Military Postal Service Agency at 1-800-810-6098.

The latest word from Afghanistan

Tom Sawyer e-mailed me yesterday (well, actually day-before-yesterday, as it is now well past midnight).  I thought you might like to read some of what he had to say.

 (TS's exact words are in quotations.  The rest has been paraphrased due to the need to "scrub" the content for the purpose of OPSEC.  Emphasis is my own.)

"(My location in Afghanistan has) an extremely small US presence," but there are forces from other nations present, as well, working cooperatively to help this particular province within the Afghan nation to become self-defending, self-policing, and self-reliant.  "I would not have it any other way. I have the BEST platoon...the whole platoon (is here together).  Missions never stop- 3 to 4 a day- along with so much else. My (Section Chiefs) are awesome and focused.   (My platoon leader) is the best teammate for me to work with. Our mission is tough and one to be mighty proud of. "

Tom Sawyer's Address in Afghanistan

Here is the address to send mail to Tom Sawyer: (please try to address all mail and packages exactly as I have typed here.  It just makes the transit through the mail system so much easier.)

(ADDRESS DELETED FOR SECURITY REASONS-shoot me an email if you need it.)

Some are already wanting to know what TS needs or wants in the way of care packages.  I heard from him today; main request at the moment:  tobacco products

TS is an unapologetic regular...make that heavy...smoker. When he deploys he also dips tobacco.  He cannot purchase tobacco over there right now.  This is what he said via IM today:

...tell everyone I am going to need tobacco in a hard way and soon...can't buy tobacco here due to shut down**...and afghan tobacco has drugs and crazy crap that will blow up your face...I will take the cheap dip like Grizzly straight and mint...tell everyone {we} really need coffee and tobacco...

(**this means that they no longer have even a rudimentary convenience store run by friendly entities available to them)

Now, I am well aware  that some people would not dream of sending tobacco out of moral or religious objection to its use, or because it is just such an expensive thing to ask for, or out of genuine concern for TS's health.

To the moral/religious objectors, I can only tell you that TS loves and is committed to his relationship with his Savior, and whatever vices he struggles with are between him and the Good Lord.  He knows that "all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial."  He greatly appreciates your prayers, some of which, no doubt, will now include supplication for the salvation of his soul, which, according to some, may be in jeopardy due to the use of such a substance.  Maybe you would be more comfortable meeting his request for coffee, which would be greatly appreciated.  And please do pray!  He appreciates your prayers too and has told me numerous times in the past that he can feel them. :0)

As to the issue of the cost of tobacco...tell me about it!  I do the shopping for our family and I know how expensive it is.  I will be sending him cigarettes and dip regularly anyway.  The thing is, since the men can't safely purchase the stuff themselves in the local economy, and since they can't purchase it from any coalition convenience store, obviously the stuff is scarce.  They all share everything they have with each other over there, but given TS's leadership position, there is somewhat of an issue with him asking to "bum" from others.  At the same time, he will readily share with his peers and subordinates if he knows that they are lacking.  He won't wait for them to ask.  That's just how he is.  Having said all that...if you are going to spend money for a care package, might I point out the logic in spending it on something that is wanted and used by many.

Finally, from a standpoint of health, again...tell me about it.  I'm a nurse, for crying out loud.  However, I have seen what withdrawal from both tobacco and caffeine can do to the man, and let me tell you...the distraction that withdrawal brings could very well be much more hazardous in the short term to his personal health and safety.

Ok...so I hope by now, you can tell that I have an incredibly dry sense of humor and that I pretty much tell it like it is.  Don't mistake me for a jerk.  I am saying a lot of this tongue-in-cheek.  I can also be an insufferable sap who cries over Kleenex commercials.  The hard exterior protects the soft core, I promise.  I just love my soldier and I want to do for him what he can't do for himself right now, which is readily communicate with the rest of the world back here at home.  Let me assure you, he loves you all, misses you all, and is counting the days until he doesn't have to rely on me to talk for him.  He is so much sweeter than me, which is very much a paradox to the battle-hardened NCO that his is!  I am so blessed!  I do love that man of mine!

Check this out!

So...I have been tossing around some ideas for how I can keep informed anyone who wants/needs to know the latest updates on Tom Sawyer as he journeys through his fourth deployment...this time to Afghanistan.  I have decided the easiest way to do this is via blog.  I am not going to, at least in the beginning, make this blog "pretty" or in any way try to "sell" it to the general public.  I just need a simple venue in an accessible place to share the latest news.

DISCLAIMER (for anyone who needs it...I don't know who you are, but you probably do.  If the shoe fits, wear it.  If not, disregard and move on.):

 I am currently residing on a military installation with my sons, which is to say that I am not in very close proximity to any of my biological, immediate or extended family members. I am currently homeschooling both boys.  I am co-leading Tom Sawyer's battery's FRG (Family Readiness Group).  I am volunteering regularly in the Emergency Room here on post to keep current my nursing skills and knowledge.  In short, I am a busy lady.  I am busy by design, so I am not sharing this to seek sympathy.  I just want anyone who may read this to know that a lot of what you will read on here will be "quick and dirty" in the interest of time management, or because I am possibly having a rough day, or both.  If I seem short, crass, or inappropriate...oh well.  If I make spelling or grammar errors...oh well.  If you can't handle it...oh well.  I don't want to hear it.  Just move on.

There are things that I will not be able to share with you due to Operational Security (OPSEC), so please don't ever think that I am keeping you out of the loop to be mean or whatever.  Keep this in mind especially when the time comes for Tom Sawyer to come home.  I cannot post things like troop movement dates, because doing so can get soldiers killed.  You will just have to trust that I will tell you what I can, when I can.

My husband serves our country out of a genuine desire to support and defend the Constitution and the people of the United States.  These are contentious, uncertain times.  Animosity and strife are run amok.  This blog is not here for YOU to vent to me about topics such as your love or hate for my husband's Commander-in-Chief, this country, this war, US domestic or foreign policy, or pretty much anything else about which one could possibly mount any soapbox.  If I comment on such matters from time to time...well, it's my blog and I'll opine if I want to.  If you wish to do the same, start your own blog.  

Finally...THIS:  Any opinions expressed herein are the sole opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any US government entity, including but not limited to, the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense.
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Ok...now that that is out of the way...stay tuned.  Next post will be Tom's mailing address for the deployment.

Thanks for stopping by!

:0)